Rating: 
Summary: The best debut in recent memory
Review: I have to admit that when I picked up Dale Bailey's The Fallen, I was not expecting much. After all, the book is very thin and it comes from a first time author. There are no reviews or quotes on the book imploring its greatness. But from the very first page, I was gripped by the story and by the author's beautiful style. Not only is The Fallen a great horror story, it is also a very literary one at that.Henry Sleep returns to his hometown of Sauls Run when he gets the news that his father has just passed away. It is in that town that Henry's old flame, Emily, still resides and where his once-friend Perry is now holding the reins of the family business. Only, Henry doesn't believe that his father did commit suicide. And his suspicions are confirmed when strange things begins happening in Sauls Run. Saying anymore about the plot would be ruining a very original and very enthralling story. I will only say that you will be hooked from the very first page and that you will not want to see the book end. It's hard to believe that this is Bailey's first book. The writing resembles that of someone who has been doing it for decades. His prose is beautifully descriptive and even poetic at times, which is something that you rarely find in a horror novel. And yet, The Fallen offers fully fleshed characters that you will care about and love. Even the so-called 'bad guys' will evoke some sympathy from you. My only reproach is that the book was too short. I wanted more. I would have taken a lot more. Then again, the pacing is just perfect in The Fallen. There is never a dull moment, but you will get everything you need to know about the characters and their past, everything you'll need to enjoy this perfectly crafted story. The Fallen is one of those rare gems that takes you my complete surprise. I can't wait to read another book by Dale Bailey. If his next one is half as good as The Fallen was, then we'll be in for yet another great treat!
Rating: 
Summary: A very nice surprise!
Review: I stumbled across 'The Fallen' while crusing for new horror fiction. I had never heard of Dale Bailey. This is a solid novel, and up there with Shannon's "Night of the Beast" and Cleggs "Hour Before Dark" which means among the best of 2002. A real sleeper and a nice surprise.
Rating:
Summary: Short , but powerful
Review: I wasn't certain I wanted to read this book. I saw a preview of it in a book club catalog and decided to give it a try. I am so glad I followed my gut: This was a great book. I was hooked at the first chapter and never looked back.
Henry Sleep is a young man running from something, he's not sure what. He suffers from nightmares he can't explain and has memories of his childhood that are disjointed. He grew up in a place called Sauls Run. After losing his mother at age 12, he spent the next few years hating his father, until he was able to flee town and run from -- what? He couldn't quite remember. His father's suicide brings him reluctantly home to face the stuff his nightmares are made of.
Henry left behind two people, Emily and Perry, who hate him for fleeing Sauls Run and leaving them behind. Henry struggles throughout the story to remember what he did to cause Perry to hate him so.
The story is filled with deep, rich storytelling. The characters are so alive they feel like old friends ... or enemies.
The book is brief and left me eager for Bailey's next effort. Bravo to him for resisting the urge to yammer on long after the story was over, like too many of his colleagues seem to do.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss The Fallen!
Review: If you read only one book this year, let it be this one. The Fallen is a good, engrossing story -- part suspense, part police procedural, part horror/fantasy, part philosophical thriller. Its characters are psychologically complex, doing what is understandable but not predictable. When the protagonist gears up for his fight against evil in the final pages, don't assume you know the rest. You don't. If Henry Sleep has trouble loading a gun, you can bet he is not the typical mass market paperback hero. And this is not the typical mass market paperback. It is literate and sure to make you think if you are so inclined, but entertaining enough to keep you happy if you are not. Don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic First! Truckdrivers LOVE IT!
Review: It takes a bunch to impress this old country boy, but Dale Bailey has done it. Over the years, working in a truckstop and driving eighteen wheelers, you read a bunch of horror and SF books that all read and sound the same. Well, not the Fallen. I was blown away by how well-written this book is! Every chapter played on my mind's eye like them midnight flicks at the all-nite drive-in here in Texas. Full of dread, wonder, and suspense, Bailey's book puts alot of these new fangled spooky writers (and some of the older ones too--you listening, Dean Koontz?) plumb to shame. I hope he does a sequel. Heck, make it a series. These characters are made for a more drawn out story they are so well developed. And the mystery involved is so deep and profound that you'll be thinking about it for days after you finish it wondering if you really saw what you thought you saw. It reminds me of HP Lovecraft where the hero only gets a glimpse of the monster, but it is enough to send his hair white. Bailey does this with the Fallen. A great first book and I cannot wait to get in something else by him!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring! Not worth the cost.
Review: This is the first book I've read by Mr. Bailey, and most likely the last. The Fallen, might have been better off written as a short story. The beginning is okay, but after 20 or so pages the story becomes repetitive. From middle to end is a dud. I've read worse 'alleged' horror novels, but The Fallen is definately rated in the top 10 of BORING.
Rating:
Summary: A classic not to be missed
Review: This was Dale bailey's first novel: powerful and rich. This book is so good, so original, so well written that it's an instant classic. The final confrontation at the end is incredible. The characters are superb, absolutely superb. What a way to start a writing career.
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