The riveting seguel to The Shining

Doctor Sleep

By Stephen King

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining but Stephen King fills in the gaps so well at the beginning that this could be easily read as a stand-alone novel. Of course, it would be better to read The Shining first but it is not totally necessary. On the other hand, If you've seen the movie and have not read the book, you should because you will get confused. ("Honey, why is that nice old black man in the book? Wasn't he killed off in the movie?)

Having said that, it's nice to see King return to Danny Torrance. You would think that a winter at the Overlook Hotel would mess you up and it did. Those addiction genes from Daddy Jack doesn't help either. Doctor Sleep goes through a period of 40 years after The Shining. Danny (now Dan) has been through a lot. He went the AA route (King's knowledge and understand of the Twelve-Step program is quite impressive) and is now an orderly in a hospice. He exhibits a special gift to soothe and guide the dying, earning the name Doctor Sleep. During the same time frame,a young girl named Abra Stone grows up with a talent that makes Dan's "shining" ability look like a pocket flashlight. Eventually they will meet up and ally together to fight off the True Knot, a group of travelers that have an appetite for children who shine.

The True Knot may be one of King's best villain, or should I say group of villains. They are a close knit clan; very old and very evil. One of the most scare-packed two line dialogue I've ever read happens near the beginning of the novel when Andi, a new recruit to the True Knot, asks their leader Rose, "Am I still human?" To which Rose replies, "Do you care?"

And this illustrates one of King's strengths that keeps him at the top of his game. Stephen King, in relation to the newer writers of horror, is a bit old fashioned. He distinctly believes in Good and Evil, complete with capital letters. In almost all of his novels, whether it's The Shining, The Stand, Misery or Doctor Sleep there is no doubt who the good guys and bad guys are. I think this is a strong reason for his popularity...aside from the fact he writes like a son-of-a-bitch. His books may be damn scary but we never lose sight of our grounding. We root for the good guys and maybe they'll win. Then again, maybe they will not but we know who they are. The author is still working on the same themes he explored in The Shining but even if the two books are 40 years apart the themes and how King deals with them remains as fresh and vibrant as ever.

Now a word about the good guy. King clearly has a lot of empathy for Dan Torrance. I suspect he identifies a lot with him and written more than a little of himself into the character. The author doesn't just focus on the supernatural aspects but write Ben into the real world; struggling with alcoholism, struggling with child abuse, and wondering about his own role in the world. He was a child in The Shining. Now he is a fully developed resident of the literary universe.

Abra Stone is no less amazing. She is one of the best child characters King has put together. Trisha McFarland from The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon can move to the second row. Abra is cute, smart and, in spite of her "superpowers", is quite vulnerable. King's early child characters always seemed a little too smart for their age. Abra seems just right whether she is 6 or 13.

Th battles between Team Dan/Abra and the True Knot are the highlights of the novel. Yet there are no slow moments in this 500+ page book. Whether it's Dan struggling with his mundane and/or supernatural demons or Abra and her family discovering her special talents, this tale stays alive. I have to place this novel in the top ten if not the top five of King's best. And if you haven't read The Shining or seen the movie and want to get the full experience, then read the book. But whatever you do, avoid that god-awful travesty of a movie.

Method Acquired: Purchased

A 60's rite of passage

Creepy Archives, Vol. 1

Published by Dark Horse Comics

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I was growing up, anything that smacked of horror was forbidden in my family. The only comic books allowed were Illustrated Classics and Disney. However my lifelong obsession with horror fiction began at the age of 6 when a babysitter allowed me to watch the movie Frankenstein while my parents were out. I was hooked. I was an avid reader even then and I devoured anything I could as I got older including classic horror like Poe and those great paperback Alfred Hitchcock Presents story collections that I could buy for 50 cents and hide under the mattress. As for comic books, I would read my friends' collections although Spiderman was the only one I really got into.

One day on a boy scout camping tip, one of the scouts brought along a couple issues of Creepy. We pored over them by flashlight in our tent. We never saw anything like it. Here were really scary stories perfect for the 14 year old male mentality. The gore was not as excessive as the earlier EC Comics, which we were then unaware of, but certainly more than kids in the mid 60s were familiar with. But what really stood out was the art. This was not Blondie and Dagwood. This was intricate lines and shadows all in black-and-white, perfect to illustrate horror. These magazines, not called comic books in order to get past the strict comic book codes, were not that easy to come by even then. So I have only seen 4 or 5 of them...until now.

Creepy Archives, Vol. 1 features the first five issues. The full run is slowly being republished by Dark Horse. They are not cheap. The Kindle edition went for a ridiculous $29.95! Fortunately for me, I bought the 1st volume sale at Amazon for a much better $3.99. Unfortunately for you, that's no longer the case but the price at the time of writing this is now $16 which is more reasonable than $29. The color covers, mostly by Frank Frazzeta, and the intricate black and white drawings show up beautifully on my Kindle Fire. They are definitely a blast from the past. As for the writing, it was perfect for a teenage boy in the 60s but seem very dated and a bit campy now. At their worse, the stories are hokey but at their best, when coupled with those great drawings, they are wonderfully...well...creepy. Most are original tales written by Archie Goodwin but there are a few renditions of classic tales including Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and Ambrose Pierce's "The Damned Thing". The tales can get a little formulaic. After all, they had to be delivered in 6 to 7 pages of drawings. Usually the monster twist was very obvious and the bad guy always got his just dessert if usually in a gory way. Yet these were part of the 60s coming-of-age for many of us and no doubt a major influence for later writers, artists and film makers. This is a must for any horror fan.

Method Acquired: Purchased

My Rating System

It's probably time to discuss my rating system. I use the traditional five star system. The problem with that is that one person's four stars could be another person's three stars. I happen to think three star is pretty good while some readers would dismiss those books. So here is one of my explanations for my general ratings for fiction and non-fiction...

5 stars - A must read
4 stars - I really, really like it!
3 stars - Liked it but with reservations
2 stars - Meh!
1 stars - Runaway! Run Away!

For fiction, I have a variation based on my quest to find the perfect novel. Just how close to a perfect novel is this work of fiction? No novel is 100 percent.  But I can adjust my rating to give you an idea of the book's claims to perfection.

5 stars - 99 to 90% perfect
4 stars - 89 to 75% perfect
3 stars - 74 to 50% perfect
2-stars - 49 to 25% perfect
1 stars - 24 to 01% perfect

That should give you a good idea how I rate. Therefore 5 to 3 stars is worth your time while 2 to 1..not so much. I try to read books that I think will be worthwhile and I try to stay in my preferred genres. In other words, you won't see any romance novels reviewed here but plenty of horror, suspense, science fiction, mysteries, humor, literary fiction and some non-fiction. I do not start out by intentionally reading bad books. I don't have the time . But I may occasionally review a popular book that I consider over-hyped or controversial  just to voice my concerns.  But I also like to jump feet first into the works of new and interesting writers, especially the indie types, so I never know how that will turn out.

With that, I'm off to some reading. I appreciate any feedback.

The Perils of inter-faith marriages

When Cthulhu Met Atlach-Nacha

By Alan Ryker 

 

Rating: 3 & 1/2 out of 5 stars 

Inter-faith marriages are a bitch.

Trust me on this. My first marriage was inter-faith. I'm not saying which faiths but I assure you it did not involve Cthulhu. Nonetheless, there was much blasphemy and the gnashing of teeth, usually coming from my mother-in-law.

When Cthulhu Met Atlach-Nacha is a one-act play concerning relational conflict after the rise of the Ancient Ones. We are talking socially relevant stuff here. Just because Cthuhlu and Company slept through the Mayan apocalypse doesn't mean they'll sleep through the next one. And when that happens, people are going to take sides and back their favorite Dark One. Plus, there's going to be some major unspeakable horrors and ritualistic shit happening...

I can't describe it. Until you've torn a toddler apart with your bare hands and fed it to the snapping mandibles of a pair of beetle-men who were once its parents, you just can't know.

Ryker's play can be very funny. There are a lot of in-jokes so it helps to know something about Lovecraftian lore. Yet it is entertaining enough for the average reader to enjoy. It is also not a one punch line joke. There is some nice rapport between the the main characters and some really nice subtlety at the end. I'm almost tempted to say it could be re-titled Who's Afraid of Virginia Soggoth but I won't.

So here are the pluses..
1. It actually has some depth.
2. It is funny
3. Nice take-off on the Cthulhu Mythos.
4. After you read it, you'll really want to see it performed.
4. There are some good housekeeping tips from Martha Stewart.

Forget the last one, although I suspect Ms. Stewart will play a role in the real awakening of the Ancient Ones. You never know.

Method acquired: Purchased

See Langdon Run!...Run, Langdon, Run!

Inferno

by Dan Brown

Rating: 2 & 1/2 out of 5 stars

Yay! A new Dan Brown novel!

I say that not because I am excited about the book, even though I've now read all 4 of the Robert Langdon series. I am excited because I can relax in my recliner, munch on a bowl of popcorn and read all the internet reviews. There is little middle ground in reviews of Dan Brown novels, so there tends to be some amusing fireworks. Either reviewers hate him because he is not James Joyce or love him because he is not James Joyce.

So let's get to the basics. Dan Brown is somewhat mediocre as a writer. Since The DaVinci Code, he has latched onto a formula that he is loathe to give up. Even the casual reader can predict the action just by knowing the formula. His characters are comic book cut-outs and the twists and turns tend to get really silly especially in this Fourth installment of the Langdon series.

So why do people love Dan Brown so much? In my humble opinion...

1. He is an easy read; the precise definition of summer read or supermarket novel. Actually, that's where I bought my copy. I was stuck for three hours waiting for my car to get fixed and saw this book in the store and said, "Why not? Good time to read it."

2. He blends fact and fiction well enough to cause people to think they have read something intellectual. In most places of work, saying you read Dan Brown's new novel as you chat around the water cooler will get you intellectual brownie points...unless you actually work in a facility of higher learning in which someone will probably slap a "Kick Me" sign on your back.

3. His novels are more puzzle than novel. Everybody loves a puzzle and it makes you feel good when you solve it faster than the brilliant Dr. Langdon. Some of the puzzles are pretty obvious, making you wonder if the good professor got his degree from Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University

4. He does write action quite well. If anything his action scenes are quite exciting.

So what about the new novel titled Inferno? It starts well with all the necessary ingredients: Robert Langdon in a tight spot, pretty girl to help him, mysterious object leading to more mysterious objects that need decoding, etc. Langdon always ties it around a gimmick and in Inferno this gimmick is Dante and the Inferno portion of the Divine Comedy. I really enjoyed all the obscure information about Dante but any historical information from Dan Brown should be met with skepticism. But as the tale continued, I am reminded not so much of a good suspense novel but of those old computer text role-playing games in which you find objects and figure out what they do: "See old book" "Take old book" "Read old book" 'You cannot do that yet". You get the picture. I found it more interesting than "The Lost Symbol" but a lot sillier than The DaVinci Code. By the time I've read three quarters of the novel, my ability to suspend disbelief was asking for two aspirins and an ice pack.

Overall it was a fun read. The perfect thing to read in an auto shop waiting room waiting for my car to get fixed. Can't say I would recommend it but if you gotta read it and realize you're not a bad person if you occasionally indulge in the literary equivalence of a Big Mac, then be my guest.

Method Acquired: Purchased

Don't go near the water!

 The Heavens Rise

by Christopher Rice

 

Rating: 4 & 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Christopher Rice has written a creepy novel of the supernatural but it's more than that. The author has devised a post-Katrina love song for New Orleans. His novel teems with Southern atmosphere and the characters are steeped in the New Orleans tradition. I may be off here, but this story about four teenagers who are changed by a mysterious and tragic event reads like an allegory to New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina. We have four main characters who are destroyed by a strange occurrence and struggle to regain normalcy, maybe never regaining it. I'm purposely being vague about the event. Technically there are three of them but they are connected, Suffice to say, I might not go swimming when I'm in Louisiana. The main success in this novel is how well Rice develops his four characters; Nickie, Anthem, Ben, and Marshall. Even Marshall, who has to be one of the weirdest and most repulsive characters I've come across in a novel, is beautifully managed in this story that spans eight years. The author has a lyrical form of writing but it doesn't detract from the more terrifying aspects. My only complain is the switching of time in the first half of the book. It is a little disorientating and took away from the otherwise excellent buildup. But once you get into the story it takes hold of you. This is the first book by Christopher Rice that I've read but I've been told it is quite different than his usual. It is also his first horror novel. What I can say from this reading is that the author has a style that combines the richly descriptive and psychological style of his mother Anne Rice and the on-your-edge storytelling of Stephen King. I will be checking out his other books but, frankly, I hope he writes another horror novel.

Method Acquired:  Netgalley

Scary fantasy of the best kind

 NOS4A2

By Joe Hill

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

 

This is Joe Hill's third novel. The first two were excellent horror novels. But this third novel with the funny title should be the one that puts him in the household name department and prove he is no fly-by-night wannabee. Sounds a lot like...There was that other horror writer who shone through on his third novel. What's that guy's name again? Oh yeah, his dad.

It is a little unfortunate that Joe Hill is compared to his dad a lot which is why he chose a pen name to begin with. I guess it can't be avoided. Yet NOS4A2 may also be the novel where he will start separating from the King name. Joe Hill has a surrealistic quality that is all his own. Yet he still manages to keep his most fantastical ideas edged in the "real" world. The plot centers around the idea that some people have a talent in stretching or suspending the natural world and can use items as a conduit to realize their ability. For one, It is a bicycle that takes her to places to locate lost objects. For another, there are Scrabble tiles that spell out warnings. And for another, it is a car that takes him to a sinister world of his own making. That's a lot of ideas for one novel but Hill has a real talent for plot structure. It doesn't hurt that he also has a talent for making the most odd notions seem plausible. He also forms strong characters, heroes and villains, that are not overshadowed by the plot; which is sometime a problem for that relative of his. NOS4A2 has a good chance for being the best horror novel by the end of the year and that can only bode well for the author. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys horror and fantasy.

Method Acquired: Library