The Lost

Woodstock, Helter Skelter and Ray Pye. You're probably only familiar with the first two but it's the third one that will get your attention. Getting attention is one of the things Ray is good at as you will learn in The Lost by Jack Ketchum.

In 1965 Ray, Tim and Jennifer were drinking at the local campground when Ray decided to get some attention. He pointed out two young women camping just down the hill and wondered aloud what it would be like to kill them. Before long he had his answer along with two people who would do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.

Four years later we find Jennifer depending on the drugs and alcohol to help her make it through the days and clinging to Ray in a search for love. Tim is in love with Jennifer and clinging to Ray for the drugs and some sense of guidance in life. Ray is pleased as punch to have these two hanging on his every word and action. Ray is the king of the teens and the bane of the local police force. Nobody was ever charged with the murder of the two campers but the local detectives have no doubt it was Ray Pye. The problem is they could never find the evidence needed to arrest him. Everybody knows Ray is dangerous and thinks it's only a matter of time before he proves it.

Jack Ketchum has the ability to scare readers by writing about the kind of people they see every day. I can think of a guy I went to high school with and another I did factory work with that could have easily been Ray Pye. I've worked with people like Jennifer and Tim. Jack's characters aren't just words on paper. They leap off the pages and become real to you. You will care how the characters feel, you will worry about what is happening to them and sometimes they will simply scare the hell out of you. How well are the characters developed? I took an extended break at work while reading The Lost to see what was going to happen next to the cat in the story.

Like the other work by Jack Ketchum I've read this book is on my re-read list. It's not as graphic as Off Season or Weed Species were. I think it would make a great introduction to Jack's writing for those that might have held back because of the graphic depictions in some of his other work.

This book is like a roller coaster. You have the initial jolt to your system as the cars begin to leave the station, the nerve wracking climb up the first hill not knowing what to expect, the terrifying thrills as you are propelled through the ride and finally returning to the station knowing that you are ok but unsure about the people around you.

Something I enjoyed about this Dorchester release of the book was the cover. As the story progresses you will find yourself trying to guess exactly who the girl on the cover is. If you can find some of the special printings though, buy them.

The title "The Lost" was a great choice because it can easily be applied to all of the characters and settings in this novel. If you ever spend time in a small and dying town you'll see what I mean. Great choice.

A special "Thank you!"to Jack for allowing me to quote the following paragraph:

He still remembered that night four years ago as though it had happened yesterday. Specific events would come back to him at peculiar times. He'd be sipping a cherry Coke at the corner of a soda fountain waiting for Ray and he'd remember pulling up and finding them both gone and finding the note telling them both to stay put and he'd remember Jennifer's panic, not knowing what in the hell had gone wrong but both he and Jennifer scared to drive away, scared of Ray and just as scared to stick around some dead girl's body. Not knowing what to do, whether to load the tent and all their gear into the car or not and consequently not doing anything, just waiting by the cold remains of the fire.

Hopefully the movie adaptation of the novel will be picked up for large scale distribution this year. You can see more about it at www.thelostmovie.net complete with pictures, soundtrack clips and a message board.

Horrorween

Horrorween by Al Sarrantonio is ok. It's not the great horror novel but it gets the job done.

Essentially you have two short stories, Hornets & The Pumpkin Boy, along with a novella, Orangefield. Each of these stories were published on their own originally and that's how they read in this book. While there are small elements that connect them along with the monster "Sam" aka: Samhain. Horrorween won't be on my re-read list but it's ok. Consider it to be safe horror.

Because we have three stories I'll cover them individually.

Hornets - What happens when a writer suffers writers block? Does it affect just the writer or those he loves? How much is he willing to trade to great stories again? The writer in Hornets has to write a horror story for children but has hit the block. It's only after his wife threatens to leave him that he has the idea to conver Samhain, the Lord of Death, to a spooky but friendly children's character named Sam. This explains why he isn't referred to as Samhain much during the rest of the book. A good short story.

Intermission - Samhain talks with a dark force/power that needs him to set it free.

The Pumpkin Boy - Sci-fi horror. There is what appears to be a boy with a pumpkin for a head wandering the fields of Orangefield. Young Jody Wendt sees the Pumpkin Boy and can't help but follow him in the hopes of learning more about him. A police officer from Hornets reappears in The Pumpkin Boy to help connect to the two stories but to also serve a vital role. Where does this Pumpkin Boy come from? Why does he lead small children from their homes and across the pumpkin fields? What secret does the new detective in town keep that can answer these questions? Like Hornets this is a good short story, especially if you like a bit of sci-fi / technology thrown in with your horror.

Intermission - Samhain talks with a dark force/power that needs him to set it free.

Orangefield - This is the most graphic of the three stories. The name of the town all three of the stories have taken place in. Very little in common with the first two stories and stands on it's own. Sam really takes on the monster role in this story with the various ways he motivates people to do his bidding. To set the dark force free three suicides are required. It's not specified why three or why they have to be suicides. Why not sacrifices of loved ones? There is also a time line continuity problem with one of the characters. In two days he will go from raving lunatic to a level headed, as level as he can be, after being arrested, processed by the court, presented to a judge, then experiencing shock therapy, talk therapy and medicine therapy. All within two days? It's a bit much. Of all of the characters to appear in this story I found The Pumpkin Tender to be the most realistic but that is probably because we both have a military background.

Afterward - Samhain talks with a dark force/power that needs him to set it free.

I found the ending to be a bit of a let down. It seemed too predictable plus it was a very open ending for a sequel. Speaking of which, a sequel was written. It seems Al comes back to Orangefield a few times to tell stories. Nothing wrong with that. Look at how many stories Stephen King got out of Castle Rock.

The book is a nice distraction and easy to read. Hardcore horror fans will want more but for the casual reader it's a nice horror treat.

Off Season

Off Season: The Unexpurgated Version was Jack Ketchum's first novel. When Jack worked with Ballantine on the release of the first version so much had to be changed to accommodate the publisher that he threw it out and wrote a second version. That version had to be toned down before the publisher would put it on the shelves. The version pictured here is from the Dorchester Publishing release. Consider this version to be an author's cut. It even comes with additional material from the author like so many DVDs these days have additional director's material. Got it? Good.

Take a good look at the cover here. I hate it when a book, or movie, or anything uses artwork for promotion that doesn't match the actual product. That is not the case with this book. The cooking pot, the bones, the axe and butcher knife, even the kids toys (keep that in mind), are within the pages of this book just as they are depicted on the cover. Consider the cover a warning to the reader: You are about to experience humanity in it's most brutal form. I was very surprised to have seen this book for sale at Wal-Mart for a short period in 2006. They didn't know what they had put on their shelves.

The short version of the book is: Three couples rent a cabin in the woods during the off season. They encounter an inbred family of cannibals. Very graphic chaos ensues. While it sounds like any number of slasher movies or stories you have experienced in the past don't sell this book short.

Jack does an incredible job of putting the reader in the minds of the characters, both victims and cannibals, in this book. I particularly enjoyed reading the thoughts of the family members. It made them scarier because it made them more human to me.

His descriptions of the various settings provide enough detail for you to easily picture what he saw while writing. The sights, sounds and smells are all there for you to enjoy.

The violent acts described in this book leave little to the imagination. While that can be overkill in a movie it works wonders in the story. Jack does not seem to get graphic just to get graphic. Each scene described pushes the story forward and helps the reader understand the mindsets and motivations of the characters.

Beyond the shocking scenes in this book you will find scenes that will scare you. That's what I love about Jack's writing. He can disgust you and terrify you all at the same time. I had somebody walk up behind me as I was reading one particular scene and it scared the hell out of me. Creating that feeling of terror in the reader is something that Jack does with a style and grace all his own.

If your only exposure to horror writing has been the main stream authors you are in for a whole new experience with Jack Ketchum. His work is violent in ways you most likely have not experienced before. Set aside any notions you have on what horror writing is and experience something new.

I am thankful for receiving permission to quote the following from the book:

She watched with pleasure as the water began to boil. They had hunted every animal but there was no flesh like man's, she thought. It was sweet and more subtle than game. Delicate streaks of fat ran through even the leanest meat. If you placed a piece of venison or bear in a pot to boil, it would lie at the bottom like a stone. But man's flesh had life. It would bounce and swirl inside the pot. The other was just meat, just a meal. Her toothless gums worked rapidly from side to side and her fat stomach rumbled in anticipation.

The pregnant girl wandered back to the cage. Three of the children were amusing themselves by poking sticks through the open spaces in the bottom of the cage at the bare feet of the two new captive women. The eldest boy, a year younger than the girl, stood beside the cage and watched them closely. The girl smiled at him but he did not return the smile.