Apr 2023

Book Review: “Some Will Not Sleep” by Adam Nevill

26th Apr 2023Leave a comment

Adam Nevill’s “Some Will Not Sleep” is book 14 of 2023.

Nevill’s is a name I’d heard of in horror circles. He penned “The Ritual”, which others have recommended to me. Alas, I have yet to read the book or see the movie. But, based on “Some Will Not Sleep”, I will give it a shot at some point.

“Some Will Not Sleep” is, as the subtitle suggests, a collection of “selected horrors” from Nevill. The stories—from various points in his career—cover many horror subgenres.

As with Clive Barker’s “Books of Blood Volume 1”, not every story is solid gold. But there are far more hits than misses in Nevill’s collection. And when the horror hits, boy, does it hit. Some tales within are absolute fire and disturbing in imagery, plot, and implication. I particularly enjoyed his unique twists on tried-and-true horror formulas.

Give “Some Will Not Sleep” a shot if you are on the fence about Nevill’s work. The man’s shorter fiction is easy to read and packs a punch.

I want to read more from Nevill, which is the best compliment I can give.

Book Review: “Das unheimliche Labor” by R. L. Stine

23rd Apr 2023Leave a comment

It seems fitting that my 13th—my lucky number—read of the year is also my first German book ever.

I debated reviewing it because it’s a children’s book. But then I thought, “Why the hell not?” I’m proud to have finished a text in German, and I had a good time doing so.

My German isn’t great—it’s a complex language!—so adult books are off the table, at least for now. Yet, having loved “Goosebumps” as a kid, I reasoned that reading “Gänsehaut” in German would be a good starting point.

Which brings me to R. L. Stine’s “Das unheimliche Labor”! The story follows two kids who are the children of a mad scientist. Their father—who specialises in experiments on plants—has recently lost his job. The reasons for this are mysterious. The unemployed doctor has now set up a lab in his basement at home, which the children cannot enter. But, of course, the kids can’t help their curiosity.

Some of the German was beyond my capabilities—quite a bit. But I got the general gist of where the story was going and who each character was. It was great practice, and I will dive straight into another German “Goosebumps” book.

As an adult, I love horror, even horror made for kids (I adore the “Goosebumps” movies!). “Das unheimliche Labor” is no different; I had a blast with it. The twists are clear, and the threat isn’t too serious. Of course, nobody will die as they do in Stephen King’s novels. But it’s pure, innocent, goofy fun.

And that’s what all reading should be: fun.

Book Review: “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson

15th Apr 2023Leave a comment

“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson is book 12 of 2023.

I’ve always been curious about this book since my emo teen years. Avenged Sevenfold’s “Bat Country” begins with a specific quote. “He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.” That led me to discover Thompson’s use at the beginning of his 1971 Gonzo novel.

The book begins with Thompson—under the name Raoul Duke—and his attorney setting out for Las Vegas. They have a rented car, which they’ve stuffed full of every drug under the sun, and a job to cover the Mint 400 race. Along the way, they get into various escapades, and the task changes to infiltration. Finally, hundreds of cops attend a Drugs and Narcotics Conference. At what better place could two acidheads hang out? Some of the events get quite stomach-churning, but Thompson shies from nothing. He observes even the most depraved events with a keen, drugged-up eye.

I wouldn’t say there’s a story to “Fear and Loathing”, but each chapter focuses on its mini turmoil. The book focuses a hilarious lens on the American Dream and the sixties hippie movement. Despite the looseness of the plot—if one can call it such—”Fear and Loathing” is very readable. I tore through it in a few days. I’m unsure what I’ve read now that I’ve finished it. But I had a blast with it.

The review on the back cover was correct; Thompson is brilliant and outrageous.

Book Review: “Books of Blood Volume 1” by Clive Barker

10th Apr 2023Leave a comment

Book 11 of 2023 comes from an author I’ve always meant to read: Clive Barker.

“Books of Blood Volume 1″—the first in a six-book series—contains Barker’s various short stories. I’d always loved 1987’s “Hellraiser”, adapted by Barker from one of his books, “The Hellbound Heart”. So a collection of his shorter fiction seemed like a decent place to start. Having finished the short “Volume 1”, I still think it was a good idea.

Considering that “Books of Blood” was Barker’s first published work, it’s pretty good. In general, the quality of the stories is uneven, but the highs far outshine the lows. ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ and ‘Pig Blood Blues’ are exceptional horror tales. The other pieces also have something to offer. At its worst, “Volume 1” is okay, but at its best, it’s spellbinding. I see why it made such a splash when it arrived in the eighties; it signals more excellent works to come.

I recommend “Volume 1” and look forward to reading Barker’s follow-up books.

Book Review: “Dreamcatcher” by Stephen King

6th Apr 2023Leave a comment

For book ten of 2023, I took on Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher.

I’d heard in circles—and from King himself—that Dreamcatcher wasn’t anything special. Some considered it poor, as far as King’s standards go.

The story revolves around a group of boys/men (it bounces forward and backwards in time). This group once did something heroic as children, and that action now affects them as adults. In the present, they are on their yearly hunting trip when a bewildered man stumbles out of the forest. In the snowy stillness, the man rants and raves about lights in the sky and clutches his bloated gut.

Having demolished it in a few days, all I can say in response to the criticisms of this book is: “Huh?” I adored Dreamcatcher. It had everything that made me fall in love with King’s writing in the first place. Excellent horror, gross-out scenes, unpredictable twists and turns? Check. Fantastic characters, unpulled gut punches, and incredible tension? Check. Sure, the middle slows down the action, but it’s so King can weave the threads together for the finale.

The ending hit me like a ten-tonne truck, and I dare anyone to read the last 20 pages or so and not have goosebumps.

Undeserving of its less-than-stellar reputation, I can give Dreamcatcher two thumbs up.