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OtherRealms Issue 25 Part 15
Electronic OtherRealms #25
Summer/Fall, 1989
Part 15 of 17
Copyright 1989 by Chuq Von Rospach
All Rights Reserved
OtherRealms may not be reproduced without permission from Chuq Von Rospach.
Permission is given to electronically distribute this
issue only if all copyrights, author credits and return
addresses remain intact. No article may be reprinted or re-used
without permission of the author.
The Agony Column
Reviews by Rick Kleffel
Copyright 1989 by Rick Kleffel
"Why Horror?" Variety. Sure, horror fiction has its black sheep and
bestsellers, and, of course, it is these that most people associate
with the genre. But it is not limited to these headliners. In fact,
these days horror seems to have fewer limits than other genres, if
you're willing to be curious and spend some time looking beyond
slash'n'splash that most people associate with the horror genre. The
common thread that ties together all of these different works is an
answer to the question "Why horror?". Because each and every one of
them, at the most basic level, deals with human emotions. They're books
about people.
The Grotesque [*****] (for splatterpunks)
Patrick McGrath
0-671-66509-x, Poseidon Press, $17.95
Those who wish to see horror fiction redeemed as "literature" need look
no farther than Patrick McGrath's magnificent The Grotesque. In the
wake of Stephen King, Clive Barker and the "splatterpunks", it's easy
to forget that horror fiction had its start in the rarified realms of
high literature, with such works as Henry James' The Turn of the
Screw. Admirers of the school of "quiet horror" will find blissful
release in the beautifully wrought prose of McGrath's first novel, a
tale of emotions twisted beyond release, contained within the mind Sir
Hugo Coal, a man unable to move, unable to speak, but fully able to
see, hear, think and imagine the worst of about what goes on beyond the
realm of his senses. Hugo's bitterness gives the work a bracing sense
of humor, and his imagination of the grotesque lends a surreal
sensibility to the narrative. The Grotesque may not appeal to those who
look for page-turning, stomach-churning violence in their horror
novels, but the elegant prose and disturbing imagery will doubtlessly
please the connoisseur in search of something truly different.
Carrion Comfort [*****]
Dan Simmons
0-913165-37-9, Dark Harvest, $21.95
Science fiction readers should quickly recognize the name of Dan
Simmons, whose newest SF novel Hyperion has recently been released to
much acclaim. But horror readers will also recognize this writer, whose
chilling and atmospheric novel Song of Kali won a World Fantasy Award
in 1986. Carrion Comfort, while distinctly different from Song of Kali,
is every bit as good as its predecessor. Surprisingly, Simmons has
opted to write what on the outside looks like a Dean Koontz-style
international thriller about a cabal of "mind vampires", who can
control the actions of others and "feed" when exercising their power.
The action is nearly constant, and this reads like the best Frederick
Forsyth page-turner ever to come into the hands of horror fans. The
author uses this format to explore "the root of human violence".
Simmons is amazingly successful in his fusion of a slick style with a
serious content there are no sermons, no dead-stops in the action where
one character or the other theorizes about this-and-that. It is the
plot, the experiences of these fully-fleshed people that carries the
thoughtful content of Simmons' concepts. One wouldn't think it could be
done, but Simmons' novel is an unqualified success -- and one that
could be unhesitatingly recommended to readers of all styles of
fiction. Combine this with illustrations by the author and Dark
Harvest's classic publishing presentation and you have the collector's
edition book of 1989.
The Book of The Dead [****+]
edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector
0-553-27998-X Bantam Paperback, $4.50
0-929480-08-2 Mark V. Ziesing Hardcover, $22.00
Of course, the other collector's edition of 1989 is the much heralded
Mark V. Ziesing edition of Skipp and Spector's The Book of the Dead.
The Cthulu Mythos stories established the "shared world" concept in
horror before many of today's SF writers were even published, but
still, it's rather surprising to find a shared world anthology based on
a movie -- except when that movie is the lambasted/respected Night of
the Living Dead. This collection in itself should give the average
reader a sample of the extreme variety in horror. The keyword is
extreme. Skipp and Spector are best known for being leaders of the
so-called "splatterpunks", and this collection won't disappoint their
fans. Their intro is a highlight of the book, one of the funniest
pieces about horror ever printed. But it's the fiction that's the real
feature here. David Schow explores the extremes of violence in
"Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy", as does Doug Winters in his truly deadpan
satire, "Less than Zombie", while Ramsey Campbell shows up the
splatterpunks with the violence-less, gore-less, but nonetheless
chilling "It Helps if You Sing". In general, the best works are those
that attribute some intelligence to the flesh-eating zombies,
particularly Nicolas Royle's dense and poignant "Saxophone". The
centerpiece of the collection is Joe Lansdale's "On the Far Side of the
Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks", a kind of apocalyptic
Python-meets-Peckinpah western with a surprisingly effective touch of
romance and friendship. Ziesing's package is beautiful as can be,
nicely laid-out, easy-to-read and eerily (though sparsely) illustrated
by the inimitable J.K. Potter. While this collection may be a bit too
much for the faint-of-heart, true Horrorwith-a-capital-H fans will get
their fill of the kill -- and then some -- with The Book of the Dead.
Ancient Images [****+]
Ramsey Campbell
0-684-19081-8 Scribners $18.95
Last year Ramsey Campbell excelled with The Influence, creating an
elegant classic of the horror genre, and while this years model doesn't
quite reach the literary classic mold of that work, it's a welcome
change from this talented writer, for he's given us the first totally
atmospheric page-turner ever written. Ancient Images deals with the
series of deaths that follows the discovery of a "lost" Karloff film,
and reflects Campbell's encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema. On
this count alone, horror movie fans will find the book fascinating. But
they'll doubtlessly be surprised by the depth of the characters, especially
Jenny, one of the best heroines ever written by a male writer. In terms
of pure terror, there are images in this book the reader will never
forget, images that are more powerful for their lack of violence and
gore. Literate, heart-stopping, nostalgic and emotional, this novel
will please a wide audience of horror fans. Don't let it slip past
unread, like the half-seen shadows that elude the characters.
Blue World [****]
Robert R. McCammon
0-246-13455-0, Grafton Press (UK), Approx $30.00
With short stories a staple of the genre, every novelist sooner or
later manages to publish a collection of his or her work. In the case
of Robert R. McCammon, the British-only release of Blue World is a
welcome addition to his novels, which have won him a good a deal of
acclaim and a number of awards. Blue World is characterized by variety,
and is itself a great introduction to the diversity that can be found
in mainstream horror. The stories include the haunting "Nightcrawlers",
adapted for TV's new version of "The Twilight Zone", and the title
story, a straight-ahead mystery concerning the fate of a priest
obsessed with a porno star, who in turn is the target of sadistic
serial killer. Particularly moving is "Yellchile's Cage", a very
imaginative, upbeat prison story, and "Something Passed By", a surreal
sf story concerning life after the laws of physics change. For some
reason, Robert R. McCammon (an American writer) seems to get very
little exposure in America; perhaps Blue World, in all its variety, can
change this.
Valley of Lights [***+]
Stephen Gallagher
0-812-51832-2, Tor paperback, $3.95
Down River [****+]
Stephen Gallagher
0-450-49129-3 New English Library, approx. $30.00
British writer Stephen Gallagher, on the other hand, is about to get as
much exposure as any American writer could hope for -- a major motion
picture is ostensibly "soon to be released" based on his second novel,
Valley of Lights. Reading that novel, and his latest Down River, one
can see why. He has all the makings of Britain's answer to Dean Koontz
(at his best); carefully researched, accurate locales; extremely clever
innovations of time-tried lite SF/horror themes grafted onto tightly
wound urban thriller plots; and realistic characters who come to live
and breathe in the minds of the readers. Valley of Lights, set in a
grittily rendered Phoenix locale, pits Police Sergeant Alex Volchak
against an ancient, body-hopping serial killer. The relationship that
develops between the two is fascinating, while the logistics of this
"bodyhopper" drive the plot forward at a furious pace. Down River
introduces Johnny Mays, a bad cop who keeps track of his grudges in a
small notebook. He is gleeful when he is made partners with Nick
Frazier, his sole childhood friend, a moody man contemplating his
ruined romance and dead-end career. When a chase of some teenaged
joyriders goes wrong, Johnny's car winds up in the lake, but his body
is never found. Is he dead? He certainly was insane. Gallagher
skillfully whirls the undead/bad cop/revenge plot around in the
reader's head, while developing a curiously sympathetic portrait of a
small-time psycho. The writing is almost Iyrical in passages, the mood
sometimes nostalgic, with the plot providing an ever-increasing
tension. It's a mature but exciting novel, and an encouraging sign to
see an excellent novelist exceed the boundaries of his genre.
Geek Love [****-]
Katherine Dunn
0-394-056902-4, Alfred A. Knopf, $18.95
Katherine Dunn makes her genre debut in a big way in Geek Love, a
strange hybrid of art novel and teeth grinding gritty horror. It
concerns the Binewski Family Fabulon, whose proprietors, Al and Lil
Binewski, have hit upon their own way of breeding a freak show; when
she's pregnant, Lil just fills up on every nearly-toxic substance she
can get her hands on. The results, if they don't live, are bottled up
and placed on exhibit in the Chute. If they do live, they're a part of
the Bineski Fabulon -- from narrator Olympia, the hunchbacked dwarf, to
Arturo (HALF MAN! HALF FISH!), to the Siamese twins, Electra and
Iphegnia, to Chick, the "normal" boy they almost abandon because of his
apparent normality until he reveals himself to be their "masterwork".
Katherine Dunn writes lyrical prose that does not fall into the trap of
being overtly artistic or jarringly hard-boiled -- there's a spot of
unexpected niceness here, and an electrifying jolt of hardcore horror
there. The plot may seem messy, but it's extremely well resolved, and
when you get to the core of the horror, it's worthy of the best of the
genre. This is a book that will, surprisingly, satisfy fans of both
literate and hardcore horror -- a feat worthy of the Binewski Fabulon.
Necroscope III: The Source [*****]
Brian Lumley
0-812-52127-7 Tor, $4.95
Brian Lumley, England's King of B Movie terror really lets it rip in
Necroscope III: The Source. Fans will be happy to note that the first
two books were so well received that the trilogy has been extended to
become a series -- with Necroscope IV already complete and Necroscope V
in the works. Fans will also be happy to note that this series just
keeps getting better and better. Necroscope III gives us elements of
spy fiction, military hardware thrillers, Cthulu Mythos, Heroic Sword
(& Motorcycle!) and Sorcery, shape changing monsters straight out of
John Campbell/Carpenter's "The Thing", and Vampire Kingdoms in
Alienesque castles. Suffice it to say that there's something to please
just about everyone, combined in a rocketship of a plot. Lumley's prose
is just the right shade of purple and his characters not only are, they
need to be larger than life to combat the monstrous evils that await
them and are within them. If you like your thrills in bloody red
technicolor Necroscope III is the one book you must SEE this fall.
Dreamthorp [***+]
Chet Williamson, illustrated by Bob Eggleton
0-913165-39-5, Dark Harvest Books, $19.95
Chet Williamson garnered a lot of praise with last year's Ash
Wednesday, an imaginative and emotional novel of "ghosts" who appear in
an American small town. Unfortunately, while the beautiful prose and
emotions are in place in Dreamthorp, the imagination seems to be
slightly lacking. But fans of small town horror novels with excellent,
indeed blazingly great characterizations, will find more than enough to
delight them in this most recent work. Williamson's Gilbert Rodman is
the creepiest (and bloodiest) psycho in years, and some of the scenes
will have you climbing the walls. Especially notable is strained
relationship between the main character, Tom Brewer, and his son, in
the wake of his wife's death by cancer. It's realistic and moving
without being manipulative. But the supernatural elements are
perfectly predictable. It's a tribute to Williamson's writing talent
that he can write such a gripping book around such a generic premise,
but I look forward to another, more imaginative work. The usual Dark
Harvest package helps matters considerably, with very evocative
illustrations by Bob Eggleton.
Scare Care [****+]
edited by Graham Masterton
0-312-93156-5, Tor, $19.95
The theme anthology is perhaps one of horror's greatest strengths;
vampires (Hot Blood), ghosts (Post Mortem), haunted houses (The
Architecture of Fear), movies (Silver Scream), horror fiction by women
(Women of Darkness and Haunting Women) have all yielded excellent
collections of diverse stories. Scare Care is yet another theme
anthology, with the theme of this collection being its attempt to raise
money for abused children. That's right, benefit fever has hit the
publishing world. The emphasis is on the writers in the small press,
although Ramsey Campbell, Graham Masterton and Brian Lumley all make
exemplary contributions. But this excellent collection may be the first
to introduce some lesser known names to the mass American audiences.
Particularly notable are Bruce Boston's "Mammy and the Flies", Marc
Laidlaw's "Mars Will Have Blood", Chris B. Lacher's 'The Pet Door", and
Alan Rodger's "The Night Gil Rhys First Met His Love". The emphasis
here is mostly on short short stories, so readers will be able to get a
little taste of a lot of writers. It's a noble idea, but that wouldn't
mean much if the material wasn't up to snuff. Fortunately, the fiction
is as good as the idea. Now it's up to you to buy it.
The Mummy,
or Ramses the Damned [****+]
Anne Rice
0-345-36000-1 Ballantine, $11.95
Temporarily freed of her vampires, Anne Rice has begun the horror
series she was really meant to write -- The Mummy, or Ramses the
Damned. I think the title's supposed to imply that he's "damned good
looking" -- once he gets out from under all that linen. Well, be that
as it may, this series seems a whole lot better planned and plotted
than her vampire series, and considerably more light-hearted. It's sort
of like an Agatha Christie 1930's mystery with some supernatural
overtones, but she's thought out her device well, and her sensuous
prose is even better served by this more than slightly romantic novel.
It's fast reading, and won't disappoint those want a few small-scale
scares. But scares aren't the point -- it's that opulent atmosphere,
reeking of excess and incense. Anne Rice isn't breaking any new ground,
but she is more than adept at building her elaborate Victorian mansions
on a solid supernatural foundation. Even those who usually immerse
themselves in violence will find themselves fascinated by the jaded,
faded appetites contained in this novel.
Patterns [****]
Pat Cadigan
Ursus Imprints, Kansas City Mo.
0-942681-07X Trade Edition $19.95
0-942681-09-6 Limited Edition $50.00
Just when you think you've seen 'em all, heard 'em all, and read 'em
all, out from another genre comes a new horror writer. So, fresh from
the c-word award lists comes Pat Cadigan, with enough queasy unease to
sway the hardest bitten horror fan. Patterns is a beautiful book from a
new name on the small press scene, Ursus Imprints. It's nicely
designed, from the slick cover and oh-so-neo-romantic frontispiece to
the final credits. But the content is what will win her fans,
demonstrating the vast range of what can pass under the banner of
horror, from the surreal insanity of the title story to the numbing,
drug induced horror of "My Brother's Keeper". The cleverly titled and
written 'Vengeance is Yours" should certainly satisfy mystery, sf and
horror fans, while "Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie" will fulfill the worst
dreams those who love psychological thrillers. "Heal" takes on
everyone's favorite target, televangelists, but she knows you believe
it was written before all this bad news hit the airwaves. The
Nebula-nominated "Pretty Boy Crossover" might even make you want to
give the c-word a second chance -- it's that good, and frightening,
too, in a "cold reality" way. Come to think of it, maybe Pat Cadigan is
hoping to "crossover"; she's certainly got what it takes. We can only
hope she'll continue to turn her eye to the bad side of life.
The Bridesmaid [****+]
Ruth Rendell
The Mysterious Press, $17.95, 0-8926-388-3
"Violent death fascinates people. It upset Philip. He had a phobia
about it." Thus begins Ruth Rendell's latest novel of suspense, The
Bridesmaid, perhaps her finest work to date. Those looking for violence
will be disappointed; those looking for unease and a disturbing descent
into moral confusion and madness have come to exactly the right place.
Like Flannery O'Conner, Rendell manages to show us the limits of each
character's point of view, to show the mistakes they make even as they
are making them. Philip, with his curious but understandable phobia
meets a woman of his dreams, a woman who curiously resembles the marble
statue he's always though embodied feminine beauty -- Senta Pelham.
Senta is a delicate, erotic creation, who slowly but surely leads
Philip to the point where she proposes he prove his love for her by
killing someone, anyone. Rendell's narrative is compelling, especially
when detailing the ordinariness of her character's lives, for it is the
small events which reveal the larger patterns of madness. Don't let the
apparent normality of this novel deceive you into thinking that there
are no shocks here -- this is vintage horror, quiet but every bit as
disturbing as its blood-smeared relatives.
The Grocery List
Sooner or later it has to happen. It'll happen to you. You'll have to
go grocery shopping. Now admit it -- when you get into that store,
what's the first place you'll go? The liquor section? OK, well, the
second place. That's right; those gold lame coated racks next to the
greeting cards. Next to the motorcycle and skateboard magazines. The
book racks. Where you can find the finest in today's trashy fiction.
You can admit it. Frank Zappa did, and now he's respectable. "I love
monster movies -- and the cheaper they are, the better they are." All
this literature, all this social redemption, the vast variety of horror
in all its infinite forms, all that enlightenment -- after a while,
something's gotta give.
Cold In July [*****]
Joe R. Lansdale
0-553-28020-1, Bantam Books, $3.95
Even the worst of us has our best sides, and this Lansdale hardboiled
mystery will peel your paint but also put some vitamins in your blood.
Those are five serious stars -- this guy's good. If it was a hardback,
I might have thought it was quality fiction. But, hey, I just laid back
and had a good time as Richard Dane met the father of the burglar he
thought he shot in self-defense. When Jim Bob Luke, the Texas detective
showed up, I knew things were gonna get dirty. And I wasn't
disappointed.
In Darkness Waiting [****+]
John Shirley
0-451-40080-1, Signet, $4.50
Yes, this is John (HeatSeeker) Shirley with "some small town in danger"
horror that will really scare you. He takes ideas straight out of his
short stories (Empathy Suppression Syndrome, enzymatic secretions,
brain tumors with a mind of their own), runs with them, and emerges,
from your eye socket, bloody but triumphant. None of that reassuring
stuff here.
The Shinglo [****-]
Alex Kane
1-55773-171-3, Charter, $3.95
When I saw this book, I said it was the kind I wouldn't buy. When I was
sent this book, I thought it was the kind I wouldn't read. When I read
this book, it turned out to be the kind I really like. Well-written,
dense, with some great, memorable moments of humor ("NOW look what you
did!"). I'd look out for more from this writer.
The Dragon [***+]
William Schoell
0-8439-2758-5, Leisure, $3.95
In his hilarious afterward, William Schoell says that he is "not the
future of horror". Be that as it may, if he's the present, I can live
with it. This is one of those books that's so easy to read, you can't
help yourself, any more than you can help yourself in the face of one
of those cheapo chocolate cakes. But with six "pregnant men" giving
birth to giant slugs that ravage a town, you won't care about those
extras calories, will you?
Antibodies [***-]
David Skal
0-373-30308-4, Worldwide, $3.95
Photographic proof! Cyberpunk is descended from horror! Uh-oh, Isaac
Asimov himself presents one of the most disturbing books ever to get
the "purple cover with batwings" treatment. Garbage disposals, anyone?
You don't need those hands. We can make you faster -- stronger --
better than before. But something could go very wrong. And don't try to
get your money back.
Beneath Still Waters [**]
Mathew J. Costello
0-425-11532-1, Charter, $3.95
Great cover, looks like quality stuff. Skull-like creatures rushing at
you under the water. Is your small town suffering a satanic sacrifice
problem? Just DAMN up the river and -- instant sunken city in the
reservoir. But twenty years later, don't drink the water. You didn't
think those were Horatio's spare skulls on the cover, did you?
Costello's writing is fair enough, but some mildly interesting premises
don't really pay off.
Well there's your Grocery list, with Variety galore -- shredded raw
meat, ground raw meat, chopped raw meat, and pounded raw meat. What,
you were expecting, maybe, health food?
------ End ------
