This 1988 novel is in the running for the most poorly written professionally-published book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a fair amount of Z-grade LeiThis 1988 novel is in the running for the most poorly written professionally-published book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a fair amount of Z-grade Leisure and Zebra trash from the era in my day. The entire thing is riddled with typos — actually, scratch that, as these weren’t really typographical errors, but just plain bad spelling and grammar, to the point that I’m not sure how an editor didn’t catch things like “potatoe” and multiple instances of “it were” or “they was” instead of “it was” or “they were.” Poor grammar is of course fine in dialogue or a character’s thoughts, but it plagued the entirety of the narrative, and I’m easily distracted by this sort of thing.
Which is a shame, too, as I love me some Native American horror, and this had all the makings of a good, spooky procedural-type mystery in the vein of Tony Hillerman’s “Leaphorn and Chee” series, only with the supernatural elements and gore cranked up to 11. It takes place on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico where, 50 years after a man sacrificed a rabbit to the rabbit gods so that they might grant his son good luck, bodies are turning up at an alarming rate, and in conditions that seem impossible for any human or animal to have accomplished. Sheriff Sam Featherock of the Navajo police is on the case, and he was a relatively well-written, sympathetic character who follows the clues no matter where they might lead, despite his rational, measured nature.
The terrible writing was hard for me to get past, however, even with the many insanely gory kills and intriguing curse-related mystery at the heart of it all. It also wasn’t very fun, which is what’s most important to me when picking up a cheesy paperback original with a ridiculous cover. In fact it’s pretty dour, overall. Still, it would have rated slightly higher if Critic’s Choice hadn’t seemingly decided it was fine to simply publish the first draft as is instead of doing any editing at all. The last book I read from this publisher, the excellent hardboiled detective/horror mashup The Brass Halo, didn’t suffer from any of these issues, as far as I recall. Maybe author James Nugent turned in a more finely-polished first draft.*
Despite all these issues, I can’t quite bring myself to give this 1 star, as I found Featherock to be a well-drawn, relatable character who I was rooting for. He did seem pretty similar to Hillerman’s Leaphorn to me, but this could just be due to the fact they’re both principled, caring Native American law officers on a reservation, and both face paranormal-seeming threats that go against their logical temperaments. Or it could simply be my fault, as I’d recently binged the first two seasons of the Dark Winds TV series based on Hillerman’s work (and read the first novel), so I was picturing actor Zahn McClarnon the entire time. Also, I did kind of dig the dark overall atmosphere (even if dour), but not enough to save this from being a bit of a mess.
1.5 Stars.
*ETA: Come to think of it, The Brass Halo was written in first-person, which makes it easier to overlook bad grammar, especially when the narrator is a 1930s hardboiled, tough guy type. So it’s not really a fair comparison....more
I hate to sound overly hyperbolic, but this was simply one of the most disturbing and nightmarish stories I’ve ever experienced. I’ve mentioned beforeI hate to sound overly hyperbolic, but this was simply one of the most disturbing and nightmarish stories I’ve ever experienced. I’ve mentioned before in various reviews that, as an avid reader of horror fiction for over three decades, it’s rare for me to be truly unsettled and horrified these days, but this was like being trapped in a literal hell, and I have a feeling it will be sticking with me for a long time to come. I wouldn’t call it a particularly “fun” type of terror, but I kept furiously turning the pages anyway, despite my apprehension for what was in store.
The disturbing aspects have less to do with any violence or gore or body horror (though that’s all here too) and more with the horrific psychological concepts detailed — ones that play into a couple of my greatest fears, concerning memory and self. So your mileage may vary. Considering it’s only a hundred pages or so, I’ll not go into the plot other than to say that it’s about a “melancholy” young woman in a bizarre alternate 1923 whose husband has her committed to an insane asylum — on the moon, at the spot where a giant spider is said to have once lived and been worshipped as a god. It’s probably best to read this in only one or two sittings at night in order to maintain the atmosphere of inner unease and cosmic dread. It worked for me.
The prose is of very high quality as per usual for Ballingrud, who’s just moved into my “must read everything” list. Good thing there’s a decent amount out there that I haven’t gotten to yet. I enjoyed North American Lake Monsters and The Visible Filth, but this was on a whole other twisted level, for my tastes.
And yet, it was oddly thought-provoking and even moving at times.
This was one of the very best sword & sorcery collections (or “novel in stories”) I’ve read, filled with all the horror-tinged ingredients that most tThis was one of the very best sword & sorcery collections (or “novel in stories”) I’ve read, filled with all the horror-tinged ingredients that most tickle my fancy when it comes to the genre: eldritch demon gods, mad sorcerers, cyclopean ancient alien architecture, nightmare hellscapes hidden in ruins beneath cities — all within a dying Earth setting where the line between magic and science is blurred. It had the strangeness and terror of Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, only written in crisp, clean modern-ish prose. Some may feel overwrought purple prose is part of the fun of these types of tales, but this maintained such a fast pace, and the “invisible” writing only helped me to become more fully absorbed in this universe.
The stories all take place in the same world (or worlds) over the course of a few hundred years, with some recurring characters throughout. The creativity on display was neverending, and even though many of the concepts have been done before, Matthew John provided a fresh take on things like world/dimension hopping, unknowable cosmic deities, Shoggoth-like drone entities, and all manner of abominations. There were even a couple moments of Ligottian “human puppet” horror that sent serious chills down my spine, despite the crazy over-the-top nature of the narratives. And plenty of humor as well.
The entire book was a blast, and I’m already looking forward to reading more about this world, especially barbarian Lachmannon and the unhinged “evil” magician (or “meddler”), Maxus, who are both fun, exceptionally well-written characters, even if the former is meant to be a bit of a Conan pastiche.
Recommended for S&S fans, especially those of Howard, Karl Wagner, Clark Ashton Smith, Michael Shea, C.L. Moore, and Darrell Schweitzer, as this has a similar blend of fantasy, horror, and weirdness, only cranked up a notch. It belongs on the shelf with those guys (and gal). Even though I started reading this through Kindle Unlimited, I immediately ordered the paperback upon finishing the first couple entries.
ETA: the physical version is mass-market sized, which is a major plus imo, and is illustrated with six or seven nice line drawings by Sandy Carruthers spread throughout....more
This previously unpublished novel (originally started in ‘86 and completed in ‘92) from the late Michael Shea is much more of a standard 80s King-esquThis previously unpublished novel (originally started in ‘86 and completed in ‘92) from the late Michael Shea is much more of a standard 80s King-esque horror tale than I’m used to from him. There is some of the weirdness that I’ve come to expect, but it’s loaded with entirely unsympathetic characters: corrupt city officials, corrupt land developers, corrupt waste management types, mafia goons, etc., which made it difficult to remain invested in their fates.
It’s a decent “Mother Nature gets revenge” eco-horror story, with some cosmic leanings, but way too padded, imo, as the handful of chilling moments are far too spread out. Better is the novelette version included at the end, which was originally published in Weird Tales back in 2012. But the perfect length might have been something in between, with maybe a few more relatable characters (or a few less characters altogether).
Had this been published back in the day as a trashy-looking mass-market, I possibly would have been more receptive, but my expectations are much higher when I see Michael Shea’s name on the cover. Still, if this was his attempt to cash in on the 80s horror boom (his only published horror novel during that period was the Lovecraftian pastiche The Color Out of Time), it’s not a bad effort by any means, and the writing is definitely a notch above your typical paperback from hell of the era....more
Out of the many “young friends battle inter-dimensional evil force to try and save their town”-type deals in the vein[image] (Cover art by Steve Crisp)
Out of the many “young friends battle inter-dimensional evil force to try and save their town”-type deals in the vein of IT or Stranger Things, this was definitely one of the better ones I’ve read. And quite original for its time (late 90s), featuring wonky time shenanigans, a uniquely nefarious supernatural threat, and a pretty compelling mystery at the heart of it all. Not to mention a group of well-drawn, likable slacker teens (and a dog!) you can’t help but root for in their quest to figure out the meaning of their parents’ sudden creepy-ass behavior, and all the inexplicable deaths and surreal weirdness that’s been plaguing their small, peaceful town. Something happened 25 years ago…something bad, and it seems all of their parents were involved. And the chickens have come home to roost.
It’s very British, and some of the terminology used was outside of my purview despite my having read tons of English novels over the years, but nothing that I couldn’t work out through context clues. The only real negative I can think of is that it is a bit bloated at 380 pages, which would probably be closer to 450 if it didn’t have ultra-tiny font. But then I think all horror novels should be under 300 pages in order to better sustain a spooky atmosphere, with few exceptions. So that’s probably a me issue. Either way, even the padding here was a good time, just hanging out in this strange, mysterious town with characters who just take all the unnatural insanity in stride.
Between this and The Eyes of the Beast (aka Adventureland), the late Steve Harris seems to me to be an unjustly forgotten horror writer, and I’ll soon be getting to the rest of his work. Too bad most of it was only published in the UK (likely due to the aforementioned Britishness, and the horror fiction bust of the early 90s). Hopefully a publisher decides to bring his bibliography back into print, at least as ebooks, as they’re pretty hard to come by on the cheap these days, especially here in the states....more
After the horror market collapse of the early 90s there were a few major publishing imprints that continued to put out fairly high quality paperback oAfter the horror market collapse of the early 90s there were a few major publishing imprints that continued to put out fairly high quality paperback originals well into the decade, most notably Dell/Abyss and Leisure in the US (the latter of which somehow went from largely bottom of the barrel Zebra-type trash in the 80s to publishing the likes of Clegg, Shirley, and Piccirilli toward the end of the 90s). But in the UK it was all about Headline Books, who continued releasing hardcovers for even their midlisters. Its main problem, imo, was the same as those of Abyss and Leisure: the books are way too damn long. I know people love Stephen King and his doorstops, but in general I feel the genre works best at shorter page counts. The bloatedness wasn’t even the fault of the authors much of the time, but encouraged or mandated by the publishers.
At 370-some pages, this doesn’t suffer as much as some, but it still took well over 100 pages before any hint of creepiness or tension was introduced, outside of a (seeming) dream sequence. But I can forgive that as the setup and character work were well done. And how can you beat this setup: a famous rock band, after grieving the loss of their lead guitarist to an overdose, decides it’s time to get back together and rehearse for a potential new album. The location? A remote, secluded old monastery that’s recently been converted into a recording studio. Of course, rumors and legends of hauntings relating to the occult and such abound, but lead singer Jenny doesn’t believe in all that superstition. Once they become snowbound and people start ending up dead, she just might change her tune.
This was a fun read pretty much throughout, despite the padding, with a few genuinely chilling moments. The characters were somewhat caricature-ish — you have the drunk asshole, the quiet one, the stud, the bitch, etc. — but protagonist Jenny was well-drawn and sympathetic, and I wanted to see her make it through. She’s a bit full of herself, but I suppose being a famous singer with millions of adoring fans will do that to most anyone. The mystery of just what the hell was happening was intriguing as well, and kept me hooked, even if it wasn’t entirely original. Was their guitarist’s death really an accident, or is someone — or something — hunting them? Is HE hunting them?
Anyone into isolated, snowbound terror as well as locked-room mysteries (with possibly a supernatural flair) should dig this one. My only real disappointment was discovering that Caveney has written very little horror, and is more well known for his children’s books. Oh well, I’ll still be looking into his other genre work....more
Though labeled “mystery” on the spine, this is equally an MR Jamesian tale of ghostly terror, and quite an effective one at that. It’s very much a sloThough labeled “mystery” on the spine, this is equally an MR Jamesian tale of ghostly terror, and quite an effective one at that. It’s very much a slow burn, jumping back and forth between early 1960s Cambridge, England — where youngish American scholar David is visiting in an attempt to decipher an ancient poem that’s become known as “The Westchurch Manuscript” — and the 12th century in the same area of England, the time when the poem was written. David begins experiencing inexplicable apparitions and moments of fear once he starts studying the papers, and discovers that everyone who’s ever had anything to do with the manuscript has met an unfortunate end. Could the monk-like shadowy being he catches glimpses of be the same person who wrote the poem, and whom David believes was burnt at the stake for witchcraft? Is something demonic at work? And what does it all have to do with chess?
I’ll leave that for you to discover, as it’s an intriguing mystery all the way through, despite the somewhat glacial pace, with a number of chilling moments. The shifting back and forth through time was a compelling way to tell the tale, as we the reader get sort of an inside view into the origins of the manuscript, and how it connects with the modern day hauntings, and as David learns more through hints and references in his research, we get to see it play out in “reality.” The only downside was that every time I’d start to get into an aspect of the story, it would suddenly jump 800 years backwards or forwards. Then I’d get back to being entirely enveloped only to have the rug pulled again. But each time period ended up being equally engrossing, imo, and my only real disappointment was discovering that this was Thomas Bontly’s sole foray into supernatural fiction.
But I’ll likely be reading more of his work regardless, as his writing style is engaging and he certainly knows his way around building and unraveling layers of puzzles as well as creating enigmatic characters you want to learn more about, all with eerie, unsettling atmosphere and the smell of dusty old libraries. This was definitely worth the cool $1.50 I paid while out book-hunting last week, and knowing what I know now I would have paid substantially more....more
This eerie, snowy chiller should probably be read around Christmas instead of July, but then I’ve always been the type to read wintry stories in the sThis eerie, snowy chiller should probably be read around Christmas instead of July, but then I’ve always been the type to read wintry stories in the summer and vice versa. It’s a short read — my hardcover is 130-some pages but really it’s about half that, as the book is tiny, with very few words per page — but I felt it was the perfect length for this sort of freaky, Twilight Zone-ish story.
It concerns Peter and his wife Ava, out doing some last minute Christmas shopping with their two kids and ole’ Uncle Buster at an outdoor mall, or “lifestyle center” as they call it. When a trackless kiddie train pulls up and the creepy conductor offers the children a ride through the snow-filled shopping center, Peter and Ava hesitate, but assume it’s a regular mall attraction and will stay nearby, so they eventually relent. After that, all I’ll say is that the kids are gone and shit gets weird. “Things are not as they seem,” warns the disheveled, smoking mall Santa to Peter. Weird, Uncle Buster said something similar earlier on, and where the hell did he go?
This packed a lot of tension and nightmarish atmosphere into its short length, and it ended up being quite moving in a lot of ways, almost like a modern day, horror version of A Christmas Carol or It’s a Wonderful Life. And no, that’s not me being spoilery, there’s just a similar vibe, only terror-filled. It’s written very sparsely, but Searls does a great job of keeping the reader on unsteady ground and entirely invested in the outcome. I read the whole thing in probably an hour, so I wouldn’t recommend paying any of the outrageous prices I’ve seen online. But if you happen to come across it relatively cheap like I did, it’s well worth a gander.
Especially if you’re in the mood far a quick late night read that will leave you feeling wholly unsettled....more
A librarian just saw fit to delete the other entry for this due to not meeting their catalog guidelines or something (it still shows up in my reviews,A librarian just saw fit to delete the other entry for this due to not meeting their catalog guidelines or something (it still shows up in my reviews, but not if you search Goodreads for it), so I’m posting it here now. Maybe they think the cover isn’t PC, so it’s best to just censor it. Who knows? But I’m about done writing reviews for this site, since they keep disappearing. The whole reason I started writing reviews here 10 years ago was to try to bring some sort of attention to obscure vintage horror fiction, but that’s the stuff getting deleted now. And it’s always right after I post a review, so my original mission is having the opposite effect of what I’d intended. [image] Dig that gaudy-yet-amazing Richard Corben cover.
Published by Kitchen Sink in October 1985*, the main reason to own this is an 18-page full-color tale of romance and body horror from the great Charles Burns, “Ill Bred”, which has never been reprinted as far as I know. Also included is a fun 10-page piece of 50s-style space-monster schlock from Rand Holmes and a quick little true (and disturbing) story of early American settler and “Indian slayer” Tom Quick by Charles Dallas. [image] It’s worth getting for the Burns alone, as you can see him workshopping many of the horrifying themes and images that would eventually show up in his masterpiece, Black Hole, but the other two entries are a nice bonus. I’m surprised “Ill Bred” has never been published in graphic novel form, as it’s extremely unsettling and bizarre (and gross), and would have fit well with the other demented tales of doomed romance featured in Skin Deep.
Hopefully some of Burns’ early odds and sods like this and his newspaper strips will be collected in the near future. Overall I feel his artwork “pops” a bit more in B&W, but I’ll happily take the occasional fancy newfangled full-color yarn for a slightly different flavor.
*This was the inaugural issue of the relaunch of the horror anthology series Death Rattle, which had its initial run in the early 70s. That’s why the cover says “Vol. 2.”...more
A desert island book for me, and a serious contender for my favorite horror novel of all time. I first read this seven or eight years ago under the tiA desert island book for me, and a serious contender for my favorite horror novel of all time. I first read this seven or eight years ago under the title Satan's Surrogate (1982), which has its own listing here on Goodreads despite essentially being the same book as far as I could tell (this edition has been slightly “modernized,” which I’ve never been a big fan of but isn’t too noticeable here). I’ll let my original review stand, though I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around, which is rare for me. —————————————- I've no idea why McNaughton ended up disowning his "Satan" novels of the late 70s/early 80s. I do know he was unhappy with the erroneous titles and the fact that he had to sex-up the narratives at the behest of the publisher, but I feel that this and Satan's Mistress are top-shelf horror (Satan's Love Child was pretty subpar, and I haven't gotten to Satan's Seductress yet). This is the fourth book in the "series" -- which really has nothing at all to do with Satan -- and is unrelated to the previous three.
A secret doorway to the realm of Faerie has been opened up in a small, peaceful college town in Connecticut, allowing its denizens to pass through into our world. And these aren't charming little Disney-style fairies coming through, but the bloodthirsty, shapeshifting imps of old. This is a twisted, tripped-out story that features everything a fan of this genre could want: demonic fae folk; gruesome deaths; an ominous castle with a dark history; a creepy haunted playhouse; walking corpses; some King in Yellow-induced madness; wonky time-shifts; etc.
Woah, et cetera you say? Yes, and I don't want to give away any more of this mind/reality-bending tale. Just know that after the initial setup, this is a fast-paced, delightfully horrific story with good characterization, unsettling atmosphere, super-surreal imagery, and a slowly unfolding mystery that's masterfully executed. This has elevated McNaughton to one of my very favorite horror boom-era authors. Too bad he was the opposite of prolific.
A must for horror fiction fans.
5 Stars. —————————————- ETA: Just wanted to comment on the fact that McNaughton wrote some of the very best party scenes I’ve come across in the genre. Both this and Satan’s Mistress aka Downward to Darkness feature giant shindigs that turn out … well I’d rather not say. He somehow builds an overwhelming sense of dread in the midst of drunken merriment that’s a wonder to behold. And here it’s from the perspective of a blind character, which makes it even freakier....more
Possessed Nazi tank made from ancient magic elven steel goes on rampage, and former US army tank platoon commander/general badass enlists the help of Possessed Nazi tank made from ancient magic elven steel goes on rampage, and former US army tank platoon commander/general badass enlists the help of manic pixie dream girl/comic book artist/fantasy nerd well-versed in elf lore to try and stop it.
That’s pretty much all you need to know to figure out if this would be your thing or not.
It’s ridiculous, but damn fun, filled with Russian espionage, car chases, tank chases, gun fights, tank fights, etc. Oh and a tank that comes to life and likes to crush people into a nice pulpy stew. The somewhat simplistic writing style has the feel of a YA horror novel* from that era at times (like say something by pre-Goosebumps RL Stine or Christopher Pike), though interspersed with sudden bursts of gruesome violence.
I found everything involving the magic haunted Nazi elf tank to be great — ditto the spy action — and I could even suspend my disbelief when it came to the ludicrous nature of its Middle Earth-ish origins, but the one thing I could not abide was the romance between main characters Jim and Sherri. It went way past cheesy and into pure cringe at times, but I can look past that as the rest of the novel was a blast.
It’s too bad this is Townsend’s only horror novel, as I’d have been down for reading more the next time I’m in the mood for some good campy pulp.
* The YA feel makes sense considering every other book by Mr. Townsend (a former tank platoon commander himself) appears to be children’s or YA. This is very much an adult book, however, with a scene of sexual violence that isn’t too gratuitous, but is there....more
The small Vermont town of Cayoga Falls has had a strange history of epidemics during the last few decades. First came the rash of illnesses, followed The small Vermont town of Cayoga Falls has had a strange history of epidemics during the last few decades. First came the rash of illnesses, followed by the inexplicable stillbirths. Later, once everything seemed back to normal, children started to be born with albinism. At least, they look like albinos, but aren't sensitive to the sun. They're also much, much smarter than average children, and may even possess psychic abilities. The rest of the town shuns them, but the young Dr. Larry Kazan means to find out what caused these children's condition, and if it's related to the illnesses from years ago. Unfortunately it seems everyone that has dug into this topic in the past has ended up dead. And no, this isn't your typical "fear the other/different"-type tale.
This was a fast, fun read for me. I've never been too big on creepy kid stories. Creepy children stories, however, freak the shit out of me. One creepy kid, I can handle that. An army of them? Just nuke them from space, I say. Too bad they'd probably sense my intentions and I'd end up having a tragic fatal accident while trimming my fingernails.
The plot here is always moving -- the subtle chills slowly ramping up alongside new revelations -- and there's very little padding, which I very much appreciate when it comes to 80s horror. Nothing kills the mood more quickly for me than having to wade through pages and pages of filler due to some publisher-mandated word quota. Also, the characters were developed just well enough so that I cared what happened to them.
Though I wouldn't say the book is necessarily scary -- much of it felt more like a medical thriller than anything -- it was entertaining, and I'd definitely be down for checking out Leimas's two other horror novels....more
Loading...
