Horror Books

As an avid horror fan, I must say Vincent Price is the long-standing king of horror. When I think of horror movies, he immediately comes to mind. Finally, a book that specializes in the work of a true master who truly loved his work. Having recently purchased this, I look forward to mulling through its contents and watching the many films of "The Master of the Macabre." Long live Vincent Price!!!

True fans of Vincent Price don't really care whether or not we're watching something badly made like SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN or some auteur-approved masterpiece like TOMB OF LIGEIA. As long as Vincent Price is in it, hamming it up and acting all others right off the screen we are in hog heaven. It's a strange, fervid fraternity and way back when someone started calling us The Price Club and the name just stuck.

Denis Meikle has given us a book that clears up some of the myths surrounding Price's career, but he seems determined to create a new one, based somewhat on Victoria's great book. His thesis is that the McCarthy hearings and the "graylist" of which Price was the victim made him scared that he would never work again, so that afterwards, from the mid 1950s on, he consented to appear in any piece of schlock if the "price was right." Again and again he evinces this theory to explain, for example, why VP appeared as "Egghead" on TV's BATMAN. Price himself often stated that he wanted money to but more modern art with, but Meikle discounts this simple explanation.

I am the proud owner of a signed copy of Price's awesome book THE ART IN MY LIFE and I think that he indeed loved art and that he wasn't just "running scared" from the HUAC police.

But everyone deserves a forum for their views and Meikle makes a good case for his.

When I was a kid way, way back in the late sixties to the early
seventies I never failed to catch a great Price film on the late night Creature Features. This book is hard to put down.
Dennis Meikle does'nt white wash the Master of Menace, nor present him in any unfavorable light. All of Price's successes
and failings are told here in a very respectful manner. As a
matter of fact there were some parts of Price's life I did'nt want to know. This is the story of a great actor the likes of whom we will never ever see again. Well illustrated. A really
excellent book.

I just finished reading this excellent book on Vincent Price. It concentrates just on his work in the horror film genre which is primarly what he is remembered for. Denis Meikle follows Vincent's career chronologically film by film, giving details of the production as well as what was going on in Price's life at the time. While this is not an exhaustive work on this wonderful actor, it makes a great companion piece to his daughter's book "Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography" which covers his personal life and Lucy Chase Williams' excellent "The Complete Films of Vincent Price" which covers all his film output. All together, these tell the story of one of the last true renaissance men. Recommended.

Vincent Price came into horror films by way of the studio system. His body of work is amazing, and he showed a fine sense of comedic timing in His Kind of Woman, with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell, playing an OTT hammy actor. Later this tough for droll comedy would show in two gems - The Raven and The Comedy of Terrors. However, he really gathered attention in 1952 with House of Wax. After that wonderful performance, it was non stop fun all the way.

Many of his films were for William Castle or Roger Corman, and often considered Drive-In fodder - such as The Fly, The Bat, House on Haunted Hill. It was the series of Poe movies that firmly linked the word horror to Price - and I think it was a term he enjoyed completely. At the time the Corman-Price-Poe series of movies - The Pit and The Pendulum (with Scream Queen Barbara Steele), House of Usher, Tomb of Ligeia, Masque of the Red Death, Haunted Palace (which was really Lovecraft not Poe, but what the hey...) were often dismissed. But looking back, you will see finely crafted horror films that are still a pleasure to what now, with many of Price's wonderful performances.

Even later, he continued to seek out this same spotlight with the campy Theatre of Blood and the Dr. Phibes duo of films or the more serious Cry of the Banshee and Conqueror Worm (one of his most underrated performances).

He scared us with a gentle boo, mesmerising with that voice, thrilled us with the wondrous menacing laugh, enchanted us with his devilish twinkle in his eye...he entertained us cooking fish in his dishwasher on Johnny Carson.

His legacy lives and this is wonderful tribute to the master! Loaded with pictures, it is a must for Price fans.

Human Brit Chambers earns a living as a Were-creature Consultant. Human Power Committee member Pandor Evans hires Brit to destroy the indestructible Sacred Scepters, which legend says can, if applied, eliminate all magic. At the same time, Diablo wants to possess them so he can use them to rule the world.

Diablo's minions are killing those individuals with knowledge of the scepters. His assassins are successful except with Brit, who has Carpathian knives willingly protecting her. As she continues on her quest to simply save the world, a new problem occurs that sidetracks the courageous heroine. Courtesy of her best friend were-tiger Shayla has accidentally turned Brit into a blood donor of the Lord of the Vampires Daison.

The setting is incredible as readers will accept the ABCs of "Wallace World" due to relationships such as Brit has with Shayla a were-tiger though some might say with best friends like her who traps the heroine in a contract with a vampire one needs no enemies. Brit makes the supernatural seem normal as she deals with were-creatures, vampires, witches, warlocks and assorted ilk as an everyday occurrence even when she is not off saving the world. Fantasy fans will want to read this delightful tale starring a wonderful brave woman trying to do the right thing yet keep her vintage blood flowing inside her arteries and veins.

Harriet Klausner

This one's a keeper. I read it and will probably read it again. It's that kind of book.
Took me on a trip and I hated to see it end.
Wallace is a great artist and paints a magical world with her words.

Vintage Blood and the Sacred Scepters, the first book in the Werecreature Series by A.B. Wallace, is not a book that fits into any one genre, into any particular niche. It's horror, science fiction and fantasy all rolled into one, with a hint of P.I./crime thrown in for good measure. In a world in which magic, shapeshifters, witches, vampires and enchanting fauna all are commonplace, Brit Chambers, an entrepreneur and human, finds herself in the middle of a diabolical scheme to rid the world of magic.

Her best friends are weretigers. She employs warlocks. And she is the property of Lord Daison, a vampire. Not only must Brit find a way to free herself from the pact with the Lord, but she must also save the entire world as she knows it. Not an easy task, by any stretch of the imagination, especially when faced with the possibility of being drained of your blood by a vampire to whom you are attracted, but repulsed by at the same time. But if anyone is capable of succeeding and saving this magical world, it is Brit. She is as strong as they come, reminiscent of Jennifer Garner's character on the ABC show, Alias. She's compassionate, ready to assist any thing or any person she sees in trouble, unable to defend themselves. She could even be considered compassionate to a fault, so strong is her desire to help others, to right injustices that she often acts before considering the consequences to herself. She's loving and kind. She's intelligent and quick-witted as well as a physical and emotional force to be reckoned with. It's these qualities that get her past the many obstacles in her path.

The Sacred Scepters, hidden away long ago, must be found and destroyed before the evil Diablo, whose real identity is unknown, can find them himself and use them for his own purposes. Brit Chambers has been hired by Pandor Evans, who works for the group Human Power. Evans knows the location of the scepters, but he doesn't know how to destroy them. It is Brit's job to get this information for him. In the process, she learns not only valuable lessons about herself, but about those with whom she is involved: who is evil and who is truly loyal, who her real friends are, and who are enemies.

A.B. Wallace weaves an intricate tale with colorful characters and creative settings, from Lord Daison's beautiful palace to Brit's very own small apartment in the aptly named Box City. As a bonus, dark and sensual renditions of the characters, done by T. Kelly, are sprinkled throughout the book. Wallace's writing is crisp and imaginative, leaving the reader with no choice but to keep turning the pages. At times frightening and suspenseful, this book is also laugh out loud funny in places, erotic and emotionally engaging as well. A fast-paced, exciting novel, Vintage Blood and the Sacred Scepters is also just plain fun. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Blue, Pretty-Scary

Brit Chambers, a human, as well as Werecreature Consultant finds herself in a mating ritual and maiden to her best friend Shayla. Shayla must prove her worthiness in order to mate with a clan warrior and as a candidate she offers the powerful vampire Daison, Lord of the Weretigers, a simple gift.

Hand in hand, Magda the Enchantress and Brit approach. Brit holding Shayla's offering: a single long stem red rose, a symbol of human blood. Emotions suddenly flare when it is unveiled that the rose is not the actual gift, but Brit herself! Brit's life is turned upside down when she opts to save her friends.

Brit reluctantly concedes to the offering, now making her the property of Lord Daison. Her greatest fear is whether he will drain her of the precious life sustaining fluid that courses through her veins. Though none of this impedes the headstrong Brit from conducting business as usual. During daylight hours she proceeds towards her appointment with Pandor Evans who is on the Human Power Committee. Evans wants to hire Brit to acquire information about the Sacred Scepters.

The legend: He who holds the scepters acquires their power. The power to rid the world of magic! But Evans is not the only one who searches for them, so does Diablo. Without hesitation Brit takes the job well aware of Diablo's murderous profile.

A treacherous journey through underground rail stations, heartbreak of death, and the sweet fragrance of victory in life await readers of Vintage Blood and the Sacred Scepters. A. B. Wallace has done an exceptional job of storytelling and bringing terrifying mythical creatures to life. This novel will make a great addition to the avid readers library collection!

Reviewed by Betsie

Set on an unknown magical world where vampires, werecreatures of all kinds, witches, warlocks, enchantresses, and humans all co-exist. Brit Chambers is human. She is a feisty "Werecreature Consultant" hired to find information on how to destroy the Sacred Scepters. The scepters, according to myth, have the power to rid the world of all magic.

Pandor Evans, on the Human Power Committee, has knowledge of where the scepters are hidden. He wants them destroyed. But someone else, dubbed Diablo, is also after them. Diablo plans to locate them and rule the world. Diablo has sent out assassins to kill all who possess knowledge of the scepters, including Brit.

Carpathian knives are very rare. They have a will of their own and choose their own wearers. They reside on leather armbands Brit had specially made for them. Whenever Brit needs the knives, they slip off the armbands and crawl into her palms. Since Brit has the Carpathian knives and has trained in combat arts all her life, she can pretty much take care of herself. However, she now has another problem. Thanks to her best friend, a weretiger named Shayla, Brit has become Daison's (Lord of the Vampires) personal blood bank.

***** This is the first in the brand new Werecreatures Series. If the rest of the series turns out to be as good as this beginning, then we are in for a special treat. The book begins at the best possible time - in the middle of a big problem. Therefore, it will capture your attention almost immediately and holds your fascination until the climatic ending. Author A.B. Wallace is one to keep your eyes on! BRAVA! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This book is sooooo good. I'm only 12 years old and i dont like to read but this book wa too good to put down. I got in trouble by my parents becuse I stayed up past my bed time reading it. But I just couldnt put it down. In my opinoin its the best boo in the world!!!!!

Wow.......Stephen King look out! This is one book that you can't put down. The story flows from beginning to exciting end and carries you along on a suspensful and scary ride. I'm hooked! I can't wait for the next book from this author.

I read alot of King and Koontz and this is on par with these two writers. If you like these two writers then this is a must read for you. I think I just read the next big thing to come out of the horror/suspense genre. This book flows smoothly from beginning to end. The character and scenery descriptions are fabulous! Watch out King and Koontz, there's a new kid in town and his voice will carry!

I am not a great fan of horror fiction; I lean more toward sci-fi and supernatural romance. However, this suspenseful, thoughtful and moving story about a young family in crisis and fighting for the "lives" of two young boys - one living and one already passed on - is a book that will keep you glued to your chair and guessing what will happen next right up to the last page. The final showdown between good and evil is one that will fill your heart with both sadness and joy, but will definitely move you to tears. There's lots of blood and guts for those of you who love that sort of thing, but there's also real human drama, and the main characters are well-written and very sympathetic. I say "well done" to this bright new Southern author, Robert Howell, and hope this is the first of many more novels to "carry" us away to his quirky Southern towns. Buy it - you'll have a great read! ... Pam White, SC

I love reading suspense/horror books and this book ranks at the top right along with Dean Koontz and Frank Peretti. When I started reading this book I could not put it down. Lots and lots of suspense and one of the best endings that I have every read. I recommend this book to everyone and look forward to reading more books from the author.

Vulgarian Goulash is not for the squeamish. Lance is an entertaining and descriptive story teller. Each story stands on its own. His stories are carefully crafted, clever, humorous, disturbing and, in some cases, evokes a very visceral reaction. A GREAT read.

In a word, disturbing. This collection of short stories is unlike you have ever read. The stories move swiftly and in many instances reach a disturbing climax. Few happy endings, but the stories are not easily forgotton. Unlike some fiction, Lance weaves a political undercurrent throughout the book. Yes, we have much to fear from authoritarian leaders. But there's no getting around man's inhumanity to man. Disturbing.

Vulgarian Goulash has left one deep, dark imprint on my psyche. I read several of the stories while traveling through airports on my way to Chicago for a holiday, and the images that were retained haunted several of my susequent days of leisure. Pure enternainment at its most crass. The stories work on several different levels at once, creatively engrossing one in the storyline while introducing political, theoretical, ideological, phenomenological and several other lines of thought to characters from all walks of life. With his piercingly clever style of writing and dark, steamy imagination, Lance will chisel pretty deeply into the people who read it. Can't wait until the movie comes out!

Vulgarian Goulash is a book of short stories that are extremely well crafted and utterly unusual. While the sex and violence are hard-hitting, they are part and parcel of our daily life; what we cannot escape even though we do our best to deny such is the case.
Vulgarian Goulash gives you a Lynchian "Blue Velvet" feel that lingers with you for days. But, this book is filled with incredible ideas; unlike any you've ever experienced; truly unique and worthy of a read. Do yourself a favor. Read VULGARIAN GOULASH today.

Steven Lance's "Vulgarian Goulash" is a psychologically
intense collection of provocative short stories that create
a chilling and thought provoking look at the decadence of
the human condition. Sexually charged, it delivers a shockingly bizarre twist of fate for each of the story's participants. The author has a stunning descriptive ability that lingers in your mind. Get ready for a trip down a twilight road that leads to the depths of human depravity.

The Watcher is a fantastic book. It's a very exellent book that gives us readers heaps of fun. Out of alll the horror books I've read, I think The Watcher is the most terrifying novel. It's so unrealistic and thats why I love it.

It didn't take me long to read this great book! I usually hate to read, but this book grabbed my attention and kept it. It usually takes me like a couple of weeks to read most books, but I read this book in two short nights because I couldn't put it down! Plus I had a book report to do on the second night, but that's not important, what's important is, is that this is a great book and you, yes YOU should read it now. You won't regret it! I won't tell you everything that happens in the book because blabbermouth above ^ already did that. No offense to blabbermouth.

Catherine Belmont's favourite soap opera is Lost River. She's so involved in it she dresses like the main character, Cassandra Bly and even gets her hair cut in the same style. Catherine starts to think she is Cassandra. Weird things start to happen to her, things that happen to Cassandra in Lost River. Then Catherine gets kidnapped and taken to a cabin in the mountains.

If you like supense or spine-tingling tales your sure to love The Watcher. It's a REALLY twisted tale, especially the ending! Cathrine is my favourite character. Although Travis is kind of weird. Oh well, I guess"it's for me to know and YOU to find out!" P.S.I gave it 9 out of 10 for it's super supense!

The main character in this book is Catherine Belmont, she lives with her mother in an apartment. Her father past away when she was very small. Albert is the landlord and lives downstairs ,but Catherine calls him old Albert because his very grouchy. Catherine loves soap operas and she often day dreams about being one of the stars in the show. She is hooked on a soap opera called- lost river. She watches it during her lunch time in school at Mr. Andersens appliances. Catherine imagines that she is Cassandra Bly the star of the show. Both of them look very alike physically. Her best friends are Liz and Kate.Both of them think that Catherine is obsess with Cassandra Bly, because Catherine dresses like her and she even cut her hair exactly like her. Kate is also her neighbor and he is in love with her, but Catherine does not like him. One day Catherine meets a guy named Travis which she is really attracted to and thats when she realizes that many of the things that are happening to Cassandra Bly in the soap opera start happening to her. Catherine starts to get really scared because now she has to watch the soap opera to see whats going to happen to her next! I think that this book is nice but is not as scary as it looks in the cover.

Weird Tales - 32 Unearthed Terrors has a Story from each year the classic horror and fantasy magazine was published; 1923-1954. Introduction by Robert Bloch and Edited by Stefan R. Dziemianowicz (Try writing that last name on papers your whole life!), Robert Weinberg, and Martin H. Greenberg. The stories can be disturbing as I had a nightmare after day two and halfway through the book. Please be WARNED - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

Visit your local mom & pop used book store and you might get lucky like I did and find this book in excellent condition for only $12. If you can find this book anywhere get it! Included is my favorite Robert E. Howard's The Shadow Kingdom 1929. Prior to each story is some interesting information about each author. Example; For sheer storytelling wallop, no one could match Robert E. Howard. His action-packed tales of noble barbarians, savage warriors, and frontier justice propelled him quickly from an inauspicious start in Weird Tales in 1925 to the height of reader popularity. In his time, Howard was the major exponent of the fantasy subgenre now called sword and sorcery. His most famous creation along these lines, Conan the Cimmerian, all but obscures the exploits of his other heroes Bran Mak Morn, King of the Picts, and Kull, King of Valusia. Kull's first adventure, "The Shadow Kingdom," is a good example of the depth Howard could give a type of story know for its gore. It appeared in 1929, predating Conan by three years. In fact, the first Conan story was a rewrite of a Kull story.

The copyright of this book is 1988 and I have to tell you REH's other heroes are making a comeback and people are reading and enjoying them immensely and each and every year there are new fans of REH who is the best of the best in storytelling. Must reads: Rogues in the House, Red Nails, Beyond the Black River, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH by Mark Finn, The Last of the Trunk and Selected Letters of REH by Paul Herman, The Dark Barbarian by Don Herron, Two-Gun Bob, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price, Weird Tales & Weird Works of REH, The Beast from the Abyss about Cats (My favorite) and can be found on the internet.

This book has many classics like "The Loved Dead" and "The Parasitic Hand." It has something for every horror fan.

This book purports to reprint the best story of the year for each year the magazine "Weird Tales" was published, from 1923 through 1954. Not surprisingly, many of these tales range from creepy to truly scary.

Two of the stories, C.M. Eddy's "The Loved Dead," and Robert Barbour Johnson's "Far Below," I had actually heard of in urban legends passed around in grade school and middle school myself. The actual stories, dealing with necrophilia and New York's subway system, were much scarier than any rumors.

Also included are Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" and stories authored by C.L. Moore, Fritz Leiber, Henry Kuttner, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Isaac Asimov & James MacCreigh, August Derleth, and Richard Matheson, Seabury Quinn, Jack Williamson, H. Warner Munn, Robert E. Howard, and Edmund Hamilton.

I first read this book late at night and alone, while ill and unable to sleep. Please do not make my mistake.

Though hardly a runaway success in its day, and a publication that faced financial hardships for much of its existence, the pulp magazine known as "Weird Tales" is today revered by fans and collectors alike as one of the most influential and prestigious. Anthologies without number have used stories from its pages, and the roster of authors who got their start therein reads like a "Who's Who" of 20th century horror and fantasy literature. During its 32-year run, from 1923-1954, and in its 279 issues, "Weird Tales" catered to a select readership that could not help but be impressed by early efforts from the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, C.L. Moore, Henry Kuttner, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson and dozens of others. "Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors," unlike some of the other books that have cherry picked the best from the magazine's pages, takes a slightly different approach. Its editors have selected one story from each year of the magazine's run; not necessarily the "best" story of that year, but the one that the editors felt has been the most unjustly underappreciated, or too rarely anthologized, or simply most in need of a reappraisal. The result is 655 pages of some of the finest imaginative writing that any reader could ask for. Simply put, this is one helluva collection.

Several of the stories here are fairly well known. Lovecraft's complete posthumous novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," an offshoot of his "Cthulhu Mythos," has generously been offered as the token tale from 1941. Fredric Brown's "Come and Go Mad," a gripping tale of paranoia; "Dust of Gods," a C.L. Moore story featuring spaceman Northwest Smith; and Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," featuring the first appearance of King Kull, are all here, and are welcome presences, always. But there are also lesser-known works from writers who would one day become quite well known; "Weird Tales" was as much an incubator and proving ground for horror and fantasy writers as "Astounding Science-Fiction" was for the sci-fi author. Thus, we have stories here such as 1946's "Let's Play Poison," an eerie tale of some devilish children, by a bloke named Ray Bradbury. Richard Matheson, in what can almost be seen as a warm-up for his later, terrific novel "Hell House," here gives us "Slaughter House" (one of the scariest stories in the whole collection, I might add). Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl appeared only once in "Weird Tales," in 1950, with their very amusing tale of a ghostly court case, "Legal Rites," and that story is here, too. Other well-known names in this volume include Edmond Hamilton, with a wonderful story of evolution run amok, "Evolution Island"; Jack Williamson, telling the story of a scientist's matter materialization experiments gone horribly wrong, in "The Wand of Doom"; Fritz Leiber, and his very humorous story of a supernatural firearm, "The Automatic Pistol"; and Robert Bloch's hilarious tale of a witch, a mermaid, a werewolf, a tree nymph and a vampire, "Black Barter."

Even nicer than encountering unknown works from old friends, however, is making the acquaintance of new ones, and this anthology should serve as an introduction to many readers of some terrific authors whose reputations died with "Weird Tale"'s demise. C.M. Eddy's notorious story "The Loved Dead," with its creepy necrophiliac protagonist, should long linger in the memory (it caused a scandalous sensation back in 1924). Nictzin Dyalhis (I LOVE that name!) contributes here a sci-fi tale of the Venhezians saving the men of Aerth from some particularly nasty Lunarians, and pulpy and primitive as "When the Green Star Waned" is...well, I just loved it. C. Hall Thompson, in his 1947 story "The Will of Claude Ashur," attempted a Lovecraft pastiche that, if no Lovecraft, is still awfully darn good. Seabury Quinn, the author who appeared in more issues of "Weird Tales" than any other (165!), is of course represented here, with one of his wildly popular Jules de Grandin adventures, "Satan's Stepson," a tale of demon things and the Black Mass. Another new author here (for this reader, anyway) is Gans T. Field, whose 1938 story "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance" (a modern-day werewolf thriller) made me an instant fan. H. Warner Munn provides an unforgettable story of atrocious torture, "The Chain," and Robert Barbour Johnson, in his story "Far Below," tells a tale sure to chill the bones of anyone who has ever ridden the N.Y.C. subway. (I, unfortunately, do so every day!)

And there are many other wonders to be found in this generous collection; I haven't even mentioned the excellent contributions from August Derleth, Theodore Sturgeon, Henry Kuttner, Clark Ashton Smith and so many others. The book is indeed a treasure trove of fantastic literature, with concise introductions AND illustrations for each story. There is only one quibble that I would like to register here, and that is the inordinate number of typos--hundreds of them, I'd say--scattered throughout the book's almost 700 pages. As a proofreader and copy editor myself, I find it deplorable that such a wonderful collection was so carelessly composed. Had I known, I would have volunteered my services for free back in 1988, to help guarantee that this tribute to such a legendary magazine could have received the immaculate presentation that it so well deserves. Still, the presence of these regrettable printer's errors should in no wise deter any potential readers. The book is still amazing, and remains a very fine introduction and tribute to "The Unique Magazine."

A few years ago a group of my friends and I and discussed what books we would choose to have with us if we were ever marooned on a desert island.
This amazing anthology made it to the top of my list.

Robert E. Howad, H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Henry S. Witehead, Clark Ashton Smith, and many more. You literally can't open this book to a boring page.
An amazing book, edited by Martin Greenberg and Robert Weinberg, the folks that defined the fantasy anthology!

an excellent adventure, spiced with hints of symbolism. I loved the dialog between the characters. Well worth reading.

A candid look into the future as this conflict grows. Religon and science are the two giants of civilized mankinds mental and social discourse. The continuing conflict is something which involves all of us. Well done.

The use of people to personify the forces of religon and science was well done. I especially liked the charecter of Thomas. He adds a magical quality to the book.

The use of people to personify the forces of religon and science was well done. I especially liked the charecter of Thomas. He adds a magical quality to the book.

An excellent novel, of the growing dispute between church and state, the scientific state. Setting the novel in Pennsylvania with it's rich religous history was ideal. The development of juvenile law principles, and the rising use of behavior modifying drugs in this system is timely. Cudos to this author for being brave enough to say so.

This book reads like a dream. The language flows effortlessly and the imagery of even the simplest scenes creates vivid pictures in your mind.

It is a psychological tale, yet the pages turn like a mystery. The two main characters are sisters Jane and Blanche. Both past middle age, lamenting the loss of their youth and the personal injustices life has befallen them. Blanche is crippled and at the mercy of Jane - wonderfully delusional and unbalanced. The terror mounts as matters get slowly but progressively dark, as Jane spirals into a deranged world. Jane reminds me of a sinister child in many ways... selfish, cruel, spiteful and completely delusional. And like a child - actions have no consequence, feelings are flippant and opinions are made on a whim. A situation that is a living hell for Blanche, crippled in her room cut off from all contact to the outside world.

As Jane becomes increasingly unhinged, Blanche is subjected to the horrors of Jane's mind that manifect themselves in the most creative of psychological tortues. i.e There is an instance where Jane brings to Blanche's room her lunch tray, and leaving it pointedly covered, exits the room. When Blanche uncovers her lunch tray and settles in to eat... "She saw now what she had not seen before; the entire meal had been carefully sprinkled over with fine, white sand." And therein, the chapter ends. It leaves you to ponder the mental state of a person who would prepare a delightful meal, deliver it on a silver tray and go to the effort of painstakingly covering it with sand. Horror? No... but that's just the beginning...

Clearly, the reader sides with Blanche and waits with baited breath to see her escape, yet Jane is at times portrayed achingly real. You find yourself empathising with this sad, disturbed, fragile creature.

Having seen the movie, i can say in this instance the book and movie complement eachother. Both offering different things, both fabulous!

The two most interesting things about the novel are that
given the film's popularity the book has been out of print for
so long and that it demonstrates how ingeniously the filmmakers
used the components to create a film that stands on its own.
For nowhere in the novel are the descriptions of Jane or Blanche
in any way representative of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. To
be sure, the key elements are here--the vaudeville prologue,
the rat and the parakeet, the relationship between Edwin Flagg
and his mother, the dance on the beach at closing--but the novel
has very little dialogue and none of the film's wit. Readers
waiting to read Baby Jane saying "But ya are, Blanche, ya are!"
will be sorely disappointed. The novel takes itself serioiusly
and is rather dark and frank about the physical abuse of Blanche
by Jane that at the time must have been shocking. Of course
what made the story shocking is something we know now all too
well--that aberrations of all sort take place behind closed doors
with neighbors unaware--and while the baroqueness of the setting
and the characters lives are the stuff of which ficiton is made,
the abuse factor gives 'Baby Jane' its one salient point of
credibility. Those fascinated by the film will learn much
by reading the novel.

The two most interesting things about the novel are that
given the film's popularity the book has been out of print for
so long and that it demonstrates how ingeniously the filmmakers
used the components to create a film that stands on its own.
For nowhere in the novel are the descriptions of Jane or Blanche
in any way representative of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. To
be sure, the key elements are here--the vaudeville prologue,
the rat and the parakeet, the relationship between Edwin Flagg
and his mother, the dance on the beach at closing--but the novel
has very little dialogue and none of the film's wit. Readers
waiting to read Baby Jane saying "But ya are, Blanche, ya are!"
will be sorely disappointed. The novel takes itself serioiusly
and is rather dark and frank about the physical abuse of Blanche
by Jane that at the time must have been shocking. Of course
what made the story shocking is something we know now all too
well--that aberrations of all sort take place behind closed doors
with neighbors unaware--and while the baroqueness of the setting
and the characters lives are the stuff of which ficiton is made,
the abuse factor gives 'Baby Jane' its one salient point of
credibility. Those fascinated by the film will learn much
by reading the novel.

I absolutely loved baby jane it was such a great book nomatter how bad it was lol. i love the movie also and its soooo hard to find that soundtrack i love that hip song they play when blanche is trying to throw the letter out the window it was hilarious baby jane is one of the all time best thrillers !

Film fans who love the movie version will enjoy the book on which it was based, but should be prepared for how very different the novel is. Readers will see what an arduous task it was to adapt as a screenplay...and what a commendable job they (and the director & stars) did, as well. Since virutally no one nowadays will read the book first, it serves as an interesting character study into the psychology of the Jane and Blanche characters. And if anyone saw the ghastly TV movie remake starring the Redgrave sisters and John Glover, you will hope they hold on tightly to the novel and leave well enough alone!!

When I first began to read "When Paradise Died" I could not stop until I had finished it from front to back! It truly captured my fullest attention. It was truly a great piece of work and I look forward to reading many more by this wonderful author! "When Paradise Died" is truly a spectacular novel full of incredible stories with a fantastic ending!!!

Non-Stop action, fantasy, and adventure.

This is a Harry Poter Book on seriods!!!

"When Paradise Died" totally intrigued me from start to finish. I couldn't put the book down. Total imagination from the author's account of the Garden of Eden, to the Great Flood, to a most spectacular "suprize" ending. This is a Harry Potter book on steroids, made for an adult imagination.

A totally origional approach to the beginning and the end of the world. The author exhibits immagination to the fullest in this bit of extreamly well written occult fiction. The story line covers it all--Witches, erotic mermaids, seductive nymphs, the battle between masculinity vs. femininity for ruler-ship of both the heavens as well as the Earth. Once I started reading "When Paradise Died", I couldn't put the book down. And what a suprise ending. I suspect that this author will go a long way.

I've always thought of John Byrne as a competent, if unspectacular, author, but Whipping Boy was a compelling read. Byrne's hypothesis of "what if there were no guilt" quickly leads the characters in a downward spiral that is all-too-believable. Whipping Boy, when read in a contemporary America of school shootings, child abuse and use of illicit narcotics, is a gripping cautionary tale about the decline of morality and the consequences of a society that too often takes the easy way out.

I have to say this book succeeded in scaring me as no Stephen King book did. It's a shame that this book is out of print. I think horror fans have missed out on a unique take on the horror genre.

A story that unfolds like a great horror movie. John Byrne introduces us to several characters who may seem insignificant at first, but come around to be major forces by the end. The evil charcters in this book are so real that you shake when they are in the page. The hapless victims under the Whipping Boy's thrall are you, me, anybody. When you can see yourself in their shoes, you feel a shiver crawl up your spine and nest in your brain's dark recesses.

I read horror novels a lot. (Don't you?) But this book I hated -- because it was too good. It's a very real and immediate story about the evil that lurks in your own heart, and the hearts of the ones around you. And that made it absolutely terrifying. I know it's hard to find, but that's because no one who owns a copy will give theirs up easily...

John Byrne has created a masterpiece of modern horror. At times it becomes a truly disturbing look into the human conscience. Byrne's characters are genuine, real, and average, which makes the horrors they commit all the more atrocious. This book is a must read.