Hobgoblin

Rating:
Summary: John Coyne, Where Did You Go?
Review: For a while during the late 70's and early 80's, John Coyne's Thriller/Horror books were everywhere. Each book he wrote got better and better: "The Searing," "The Fury," "The Piercing," "The Shroud," and his best, in my opinion, "Hobgoblin". Once the 1990s hit, the author seemed to set aside his pen in favor of working with the Peace Corps. While his attention is on a good cause, I'd love to see him come back to writing.

Hobgoblin is a fantasy roleplaying game based on ancient Irish mythology. Scott Gardiner is a lonely prep school student who escapes reality every now and then, playing under the guise of his character Brian Boru. The line between reality and fantasy begin to blur as events and creatures from the game begin showing up in the real world.

Unfortunately, this book is currently out of print. If you want a book with suspense, a little horror and a little fantasy, this one is definitly worth seeking out.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably disappointing
Review: I bought this book for a quarter and I STILL feel ripped off. "The Dungeons are real. The Dragons are real. The Terror is here." Give me a break! The story is misadvertised and the buyer is led to believe there is something supernatural to the goings-on at this castle. Yeah, right - Scooby-Doo, where are you?! The characters are almost all stereotypical high-school morons - an entire school full of bullying, mocking jackasses? ok. No more than halfway through the book it becomes painfully obvious that there is NOTHING supernatural going on, and this is poorly foreshadowed when we're told 'there isn't any Mrs. Rochester hiding in the attic' - which is basically what IS going on. There IS suspense of a sort, although I don't know if I can credit that, or my determination to finish every book I start - but at the end it deteriorates into a nearly laughable bloodbath reminiscent of any slasher film you care to name. The only way loose ends are tied up is by killing off everyone who hadn't already been psychoanalyzed - and a few who had, for good measure. Saved a lot more tedium, though, by avoiding more amateur psychoanalysis - I will say THAT much.
I would recommend this book if you're flying from NY to Australia and are in desperate need of something - ANYTHING - to pass the time. Or if you don't mind a flimsy ending.

Rating:
Summary: A great escape.
Review: I first read this book in 1982 and have read it again a few times. Each time I read it I am reminded of just how well it is written. Whether you are into fantasy role playing games or not, this book is a great escape story and a thoroughly enjoyable read. What a nice break from today's formula of retired/fired cop/lawyer/investigator called back to duty to solve the latest murder/kidnapping/white collar crime.

The author integrates a unique story line that is easy to read yet intricate enough to hold a mature interest. Anyone from teenagers on up would enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hobgoblin by John Coyne
Review: I got Hobgoblin back in the early eighties, when it first came out, and I still have my original book. At the time there was a huge amount of paranoia revolving around roleplaying games, and people were convinced that roleplaying was either Satanic or caused psychological breakdowns, especially in particularly sensitive young adults. And who would indulge in a fantasy roleplaying game other than a sensitive young adult unsatisfied with his real life?

I loved the book back when I was a kid for the imagery and intrigue. Today I actually recommended it to a roleplaying friend who's a bit too grown up to appreciate the suspense felt by a kid, but I'm sure it'd bring back memories of roleplaying and the concerns of that time. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in roleplaying, fantasy, or just a flashback to the early eighties.

In fact, I may read it again since I have it out. After I repair the spine.

Rating:
Summary: Hobgoblin by John Coyne
Review: I got Hobgoblin back in the early eighties, when it first came out, and I still have my original book. At the time there was a huge amount of paranoia revolving around roleplaying games, and people were convinced that roleplaying was either Satanic or caused psychological breakdowns, especially in particularly sensitive young adults. And who would indulge in a fantasy roleplaying game other than a sensitive young adult unsatisfied with his real life?

I loved the book back when I was a kid for the imagery and intrigue. Today I actually recommended it to a roleplaying friend who's a bit too grown up to appreciate the suspense felt by a kid, but I'm sure it'd bring back memories of roleplaying and the concerns of that time. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in roleplaying, fantasy, or just a flashback to the early eighties.

In fact, I may read it again since I have it out. After I repair the spine.

Rating:
Summary: A Rich Recipe of Gothic Horror and Fantasy
Review: This is a pretty good book... people whine about how it is out of print, but if you live in a town bigger than 80,000 or so, your public library will about definitely have it. I had one problem with the book: the premise that the 100 year old crippled crazy man could go around and kick the football players' (expletives).

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable suspense novel
Review: Though this novel is now out of print, it is usually available at public libraries or secondhand paperback bookstores. It is an intriguing novel about a teenager whose perception of reality becomes blurred when his favorite hobby, a Dungeons & Dragons-type roleplaying game based on Irish mythology called "Hobgoblin", seems to intrude upon reality. When Scott Gardner, the teenaged protagonist of the novel, thinks he sees a Black Annis creeping around the woods of his new home, I guarantee that you will be hooked into reading this story. This novel came under some criticism, perhaps justifiably, when it was released because the lead character "matures" (?) by giving up role-playing games at the end of the novel. As a role-player myself, I found that the character's motivations were entirely plausible, and that this novel of horror and suspense would be enjoyed by a wide variety of people. The characters are uniformly well-drawn, and the fantasy world of Irish legend, as drawn by the author, is both inviting and sinister at the same time. When I first read this novel as a teenager myself, I very much identified with the main character. As an adult, my appreciation of HOBGOBLIN has not diminished. Though the novel may have its flaws, I can only say that I have read it several times, and I rarely re-read anything. It should not be be confused with the ignorant, tabloidistic "Mazes and Monsters" novel which also was published around the same time. There is no comparison between the two books.

Rating:
Summary: Role Playing Games, Anyone?
Review: Written back in the days when Dungeons & Dragons was at it's most popular, this is a book about a teenage boy who gets caught up in the character he plays in a role playing game based on Irish mythology. It is a thrill of a book with many twists and turns. The lead character may just be a bit insane but he is not completely off his rocker. The things he sees may not be real but there is deffinately something strange going on in this town he and his mother have come to live in. John Coyne puts together a great tale of seemings and dreamings. What is real? What is fantasy? "Hobgoblin" comes to a close with a very satisfying end. All is explained, there are no loose ends. I highly recomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably disappointing
Review: Written back in the days when Dungeons & Dragons was at it's most popular, this is a book about a teenage boy who gets caught up in the character he plays in a role playing game based on Irish mythology. It is a thrill of a book with many twists and turns. The lead character may just be a bit insane but he is not completely off his rocker. The things he sees may not be real but there is deffinately something strange going on in this town he and his mother have come to live in. John Coyne puts together a great tale of seemings and dreamings. What is real? What is fantasy? "Hobgoblin" comes to a close with a very satisfying end. All is explained, there are no loose ends. I highly recomend this book.