Sud666's Reviews > Carrion Comfort

Well this was surprising. Dan Simmons is an author I've read before. His Hyperion books are truly amazing sci-fi. It seems Mr. Simmons also writes horror. Good horror.

Saul Laski is a Jew trapped in the horror of Auschwitz. He has the unfortunate luck to run into SS Oberst von Borchert who has the ability to take over a person's mind and completely control them. Thus are we introduced to a rather interesting type of vampire- a "vampire" that feeds off controlling minds.
The story then fast forwards to 1980 and we are introduced to a powerful trio of these creatures. Willi, Nina, and Melanie have been acquaintances for centuries. They play a game where they use mortal pawns to commit heinous acts for points and then meet up to tally the results. This is the premise that starts the story and it turns out to be a crazy one indeed. Part horror, part spy novel, part mystery and even adventure. It sounds strange that a book can have all those elements but this one certainly does.
As the story develops and an elderly Dr. Laksi seeks to hunt down his past demon, he stumbles across a vast conspiracy where a cabal of powerful "vampires" seeks to play the game on a global scale. To stop this threat Dr Laski embarks on a strange adventure, accompanied by Natalie Preston, a young woman who had her father murdered by one of these vampire games, they must face not only the vampires but their pawns as well.

A very interesting premise and a good story. The ending was also surprising and I appreciated it. This was a fine example of Mr. Simmon's horror writing abilities. The story is vast and exciting. The "vampire" Willi Borden ( SS Oberst Wilhelm Von Borchert) is quite the evil character and stands out for his particular level of cruelty.

Interesting story and cool characters make for one heck of a good horror story. Far better than the usual horror serving, this one will keep you on your toes and appreciating all the twists and turns. As a fan of vampire, or vampire-like, creatures I really enjoyed this Simmon's horror novel. I shall certainly read the rest of his horror novels. Highly recommended to any horror fan.