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Bed of Nails

Bed of Nails

List Price: $7.50
Your Price: $6.75
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: leftover stew
Review: A Michael Slade novel is like a McDonald's Happy Meal-- it can be lots of fun, but it's not very nutritious. It's gleefully schlocky, like some no-budget horror or SF movie, where the makers know they're not making great art, but revel in the experience of their unique vision, anyway. Like Dean Koontz, Slade throws in everything but the kitchen sink, in this case Jack the Ripper, the tarot, quantum physics, Lovecraft, and cannibalism (there is even a list of sources at the end (!!)) and, like Koontz, Slade will sometimes stop the action to go into a detailed description of an incidental object or idea (in one memorable instance, a long paragraph describing a motorcycle during the middle of a police chase). The writing is often sloppy and haphazard, and we get glittering nuggets of wisdom like this one: "Loosely defined, a puritan is a prig who loses sleep knowing that someone, somewhere, may be having fun." Whoa, dude, what a concept!

Quite frankly, I prefer my fiction to be a little more challenging. This is definitely one case where I'd wait for the movie version, where I could keep one eye on the TV screen and the other eye on a crossword puzzle or something.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: leftover stew
Review: A Michael Slade novel is like a McDonald's Happy Meal-- it can be lots of fun, but it's not very nutritious. It's gleefully schlocky, like some no-budget horror or SF movie, where the makers know they're not making great art, but revel in the experience of their unique vision, anyway. Like Dean Koontz, Slade throws in everything but the kitchen sink, in this case Jack the Ripper, the tarot, quantum physics, Lovecraft, and cannibalism (there is even a list of sources at the end (!!)) and, like Koontz, Slade will sometimes stop the action to go into a detailed description of an incidental object or idea (in one memorable instance, a long paragraph describing a motorcycle during the middle of a police chase). The writing is often sloppy and haphazard, and we get glittering nuggets of wisdom like this one: "Loosely defined, a puritan is a prig who loses sleep knowing that someone, somewhere, may be having fun." Whoa, dude, what a concept!

Quite frankly, I prefer my fiction to be a little more challenging. This is definitely one case where I'd wait for the movie version, where I could keep one eye on the TV screen and the other eye on a crossword puzzle or something.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Putrid
Review: A vast, empty train wreck. Obviously, the current incarnation of Michael Slade has forgotten everything that made previous novels so enjoyable.

Absolutely awful. One of the worst books I have ever read.

So badly written, you won't believe your eyes.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BED OF NAILS - A Divurgent Opinion
Review: Contrary to another reviewers comments, I found BED OF NAILS to be one of the better entries in the Special X Canon; I have a personal fondness for HEADHUNTER as being the best of the best due to the shock ending, and RIPPER (to which BON is a sequel) as a tie for Number One, if for nothing else the twists on the old TEN LITTLE INDIANS plot device. BED OF NAILS would tie, in my opinion, with EVIL EYE in terms of plotting, characterizations, and old fashioned story telling.

A previous reviewer referred to the late Alexis Hunt as "Chandler's wife". I have to wonder how deeply this reader read the novel, or if he has read any previous works. Alexis Hunt was NOT Chandler's wife; she was his lover, his companion, but they were not married. I also wonder about the missing two novels from said reviewers account; my Slade Collection totals ten novels, but these oversights can be ignored.

Perhaps one must read all the novels to appreciate what Slade did with BED OF NAILS, but I don't think so. A more careful reading of the novel, as opposed to skimming through it may have made things more clear. The details of the WHC were wonderful within the context of the novel, and the final revelation of who the Goth is, while slightly predicitable, is more than satisfying. I even enjoyed the chase through the caverns.

As for Chandler shaking his fist at God, as quoted in a previous review, well... all I can say is that I found it to be a pretty accurate feeling when confronted with a horrendous loss that cannot be explained logically.

Will there be a sequel to BED OF NAILS? The ending leaves it open, but personally speaking, I'd like to see Chandler drive a stake through the Ripper's heart.

Read it. Read all the Slade novels. If you enjoy well written thrillers with some nice plot twists along the way to keep you guessing, there's none finer out there.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bed of Nails
Review: First, let's get something out of the way: I'm a Slade fan. I get my Special X tales in hardback as they come out, brought back from Canada by a colleague because I can't wait for them to arrive in the UK (where they're not as easy to find as they should be). All my paperbacks are currently being replaced by hardcovers. I visit the Special X website and contribute regularly to online discussions with other fans and Slade himself.
So I'm maybe a tad biased.
You'd expect a glowing review.
After all, can't you tell I've been reading a Slade by the way I'm writing this?
I'll be fair.
Here goes...
Followers of the series can relax, he's pulled it off again.
The book's very good. As good as anything that's gone before in the series, so no problems with quality control. This might not end up as your personal favourite, but it earns its place on the shelf with its peers.
When you read a Slade, you already know certain things; you expect people to not merely move from place to place, but to angle there. You expect a history lesson to leave you bedded in concrete foundations for the scene or chapter to come. You expect slick and rapid dialogue as the characters exchange information and reach a conclusion that moves them forward or sends them off onto a tangent. And you know that of the who, the how and the why, you'll never, ever score 3 out of 3.
These are the cogs and gears of a Slade book, without which the movement just doesn't work.
The plot is one of revenge on a grand and gory scale. The Ripper himself is safely behind bars, but instead of aiding the authorities (as per Hannibal Lecter), is intent on raining death onto Zinc Chandler of Special X. Using like-minded and equally psychotic help on the outside, a trap is baited and set. Chandler is lured, both by the case and personal interests in one of the party, to a research trip to the Cook Islands.
The history lesson is a tale of heroic explorers and cannibalistic islanders. The first section of the book is a window into the world of the (lawyer turned) writer and of horror conventions and their audience. The climax is claustrophobic and violent. I was pulled back to nights of reading books by torchlight under the covers, something that would probably enhance the final chapters pretty nicely.
The ending doesn't disappoint, the epilogue promises more to come.

Afterthought:
As I read, I couldn't help wondering if there was a subtext buried in there; a kind of basic manual on writing a horror novel, or a prod to inspire others to try it out for themselves. There's the golden rule writ large: "Write what you know."
So here's Slade doing just that, having visited conventions and practiced as a lawyer, as do the characters. There's the field trip to the Cooks to gather inspiration and information, as we know Slade has in the past, taking in London and Africa.
Definitely food for thought.
Anyone fancy taking on the man?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: welcome to the world of slade
Review: Have you ever sat at home waiting for an unbourn child to come into the world if you have you will understand what its like to get your hands on a new slade book.sweaty hands ...knees trembling...you need a coffee like never before.Then the door rings...its the post OH MY GOD ITS THE POST...you sit down book in shaking hands and you start, and for the whole day your not in the real world your with slade and his family, Zinc Chandler ,Rober DeClercq, jenna bond, alex the list goes on.It will take you on a journey of mystery murder and possibly the toilet but you will come to love these people like your own ,you see im proud i have a secret that started in 1989 when i first opened HEADHUNTER (slades first book, published in 84)thats when i became a sladist hook line and sinker from the first word to the last slade has had me on a journey ill never forget, with all 10 books im like an animal with a thirst for knowledge.(and a good scare).Start form the beginning ,you dont have to but the experiance will be a lot more powerful. They will become family friends and loved ones, thats the power of the writing ,he never pulls a punch he always goes for the throat.so read this book if you wanna join the family but a word of advice KEEP THE LIGHT ON you never know whos coming behind you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Maybe I need to read some of "Slade's" earlier work...
Review: I generally love novels that get involved in the little details. Sometimes, the extemporaneous parts of a book bring as much flavor to the text as the overall story itself. In this case, however, the extra information handed out by "Slade" accomplishes nothing but bringing the book to a painfully grinding, wisdom tooth extracting halt. A hundred pages could've been removed from the story without anything being lost, and it might've made things more interesting. I'm new to "Slade's" work, so maybe this isn't a new thing, but there were times when it seemed that the author was including information just to show that they've done some actual research on the subject matter. A nice enough read by the fireplace in the dead of winter, but I doubt I would've stayed with it if I had any sort of outdoor activities as an alternative.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Maybe I need to read some of "Slade's" earlier work...
Review: I generally love novels that get involved in the little details. Sometimes, the extemporaneous parts of a book bring as much flavor to the text as the overall story itself. In this case, however, the extra information handed out by "Slade" accomplishes nothing but bringing the book to a painfully grinding, wisdom tooth extracting halt. A hundred pages could've been removed from the story without anything being lost, and it might've made things more interesting. I'm new to "Slade's" work, so maybe this isn't a new thing, but there were times when it seemed that the author was including information just to show that they've done some actual research on the subject matter. A nice enough read by the fireplace in the dead of winter, but I doubt I would've stayed with it if I had any sort of outdoor activities as an alternative.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Great Read With a Few Flaws
Review: I have been a fan of Michael Slade since the beginning and always pick up the next novel as it hits bookstores. There have been a few that threw me because the heroes all seem to either die or get hacked up. At least Zinc Chandler has made it this far with most of his body parts!

I loved the way things ended in this story but my only criticism is the same thing several other people mentioned. Way too much background on cannibals and the South Seas. It is only a minor complaint. Because of his earlier books, I know what the red serge is and what RCMP means! I don't mind learning something new, but only so much! That's what non-fiction books are for!

Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that he/she is an Alice Cooper fan either. Halo of Flies is one of my favorite songs. Rock on Michael!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Slade is somewhat back
Review: I have to say, I was worried when Slade changed from a group of guys, to a father-daughter grouping. But, I was proven wrong. The sex, the violence, ah, reminds me of the books from the beginning. Though not as gruesome, and not as fun as Ripper. And the ending is not as surprising as Headhunter, but they did keep me guessing til the very end. I gave it only 4 stars because I'm comparing it to the other books. This isn't as dark and twisted as early novels. But it was definitely a great read, especially for the true Slade fans out there.


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