Fear

Rating:
Summary: Fans of splatter, take notice
Review: I must admitt, it's been quite some time since I've read this novel...but I do still quite vividly remember the gut-wrenching violence that filled its pages. The plot was something appropriately implausible--the "Fear" was some sort of alien entity that possessed one (and eventually many) person and essentially turned them into homicidal maniacs. By the end of the book, after many separate deaths each attempting to be more gruesome than the rest, the citizens of the small town plagued by "the Fear" go on a genocidal rampage, wiping each other out. Of course, only a brave young boy and the lone adult not taken in by the madness can stop it in the end.

Written in the late eighties, this novel no doubt tried to cash in on the splatter genre. The plot was quite convoluted, but I have enjoyed some good gore in the past, and this book has copious amounts. Gates gets two stars alone for the sheer variety and hideousness of his homicides. It's not for the squeamish or easily offended; just about every perverse method of torture or death is used, and there are quite a few rather grisly scenes involving the sadistic murder of young children. I think he even threw in some incest for good measure.

I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone, unless they're into heavy, heavy gore. Overall, less gratuitous violence and more plot would have been wonderful; then again, I do believe this was an earlier work of the author's, so I can perhaps forgive this. I actually walked away from this book somewhat depressed; the wanton destruction has a somewhat visceral thrill to it, but eventually I feel even the most die-hard gore hounds will be repulsed.

Rating:
Summary: Fans of splatter, take notice
Review: I must admitt, it's been quite some time since I've read this novel...but I do still quite vividly remember the gut-wrenching violence that filled its pages. The plot was something appropriately implausible--the "Fear" was some sort of alien entity that possessed one (and eventually many) person and essentially turned them into homicidal maniacs. By the end of the book, after many separate deaths each attempting to be more gruesome than the rest, the citizens of the small town plagued by "the Fear" go on a genocidal rampage, wiping each other out. Of course, only a brave young boy and the lone adult not taken in by the madness can stop it in the end.

Written in the late eighties, this novel no doubt tried to cash in on the splatter genre. The plot was quite convoluted, but I have enjoyed some good gore in the past, and this book has copious amounts. Gates gets two stars alone for the sheer variety and hideousness of his homicides. It's not for the squeamish or easily offended; just about every perverse method of torture or death is used, and there are quite a few rather grisly scenes involving the sadistic murder of young children. I think he even threw in some incest for good measure.

I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone, unless they're into heavy, heavy gore. Overall, less gratuitous violence and more plot would have been wonderful; then again, I do believe this was an earlier work of the author's, so I can perhaps forgive this. I actually walked away from this book somewhat depressed; the wanton destruction has a somewhat visceral thrill to it, but eventually I feel even the most die-hard gore hounds will be repulsed.

Rating:
Summary: A new dimension to FEAR
Review: I think Patrick Gates is one of the best horrorwriters of alltime (he once got labelled the next Stephen King, to give you an indication). This book isn't his best (For that read 'Grimm Memorials' and 'Jumpers') but it's scary, and engaging in it's own right.
A magazine once said Gates' books are the literary equivelant of a Freddy Krueger movie. Although that description doesn't do him enough justice I think it's also partly true. It are his amazing setpieces and images that have a way of staying with you, more so than the overall plot, which can be called thin:
'Fear' is a tour de force horror/ gore novel about an alien being which posseses people's minds and makes them commit heinous murders and atrocities. In the best horror/ b-movie tradition only a few people are left alive to defeat the monster.
To give you an idea off those 'setpieces' I mentioned. Near the end Gates dishes up a roaring mass of nasties and beasties for the main antagonists to fight. An old women with a chainsaw and even the monster from that movie ALIEN are included there!
I won't spoil the ending but it's original and can even be called intellectual.
YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT.

I have a few more words for the writer though. What ever happened to you after 'Jumpers'? I'd love to have some more of your work to read! Drop a line!