Horror Books

I checked this book out of the library, and enjoyed it so much that I'm buying my own copy. Great pictures and really great stories. The mostly one-sided feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford is a great example. I love Bette Davis as an actor, her sharp mind and acid tongue, but, oh, what she was like to work with!

This book is not only beautiful to look at, it is so beautifully written! The text gives great insights into the genres of classic horror films and fills them with little-known details of how the films were made. Vieira understands that films are made by people and he explores the personalities behind some of the most indelible cinematic creations ever. For any fan of horror films, this is a must own, must read!

I read everything published on the horror movie genre, and a lot of it is repetitive (there is almost nothing new to be unearthed after so many decades), but Mark Vieira has written anecdotes and observations that are fresh and lively. With a slightly wicked delight in gossipy tales of professional jealousy and schadenfreud, he has also gotten access to the clearest most beautiful pictures I've seen on the subject. His interest and knowledge of photography is outstanding. Where did he get the juicy tidbits of personal knowledge he relates about the great figures of genre filmmaking?

It is one of the most familiar faces from Hollywood: huge, boxy forehead, heavy lidded eyes, railroad-track surgical scars, and bolt through the neck. Frankenstein (or more properly, Frankenstein's monster), in a gorgeous, detailed black and white photo (which for all the fussing over its production would have been called a glamour shot if the subject were someone else) stares from the cover of _Hollywood Horror: From Gothic to Cosmic_ (Harry N. Abrams) by Mark A. Vieira. In his Acknowledgements section, Vieira thanks his dad for letting him watch horror movies "on the Early Show, the Late, Late Show, and everything between." He also thanks him for making trips so he could buy _Famous Monsters_ magazines. One cannot doubt that he has a lifelong enthusiasm for his subject, and the format of his book makes this clear. It has large, glossy pages filled with black and white images of celluloid nightmares, and most of them are by the studio photographers (some of them famous, like Ernest Bachrach) who were responsible for the stills that would sell the film to the public. Although for many the pictures will be the show, Vieira's intelligent text and cataloguing of the films is worth reading on its own.

Vieira has chronologically divided the genre into the Gothic, Psychic, Atomic, and Cosmic. Boris Karloff's career stretches over them all, starting from his Frankenstein role, for which his costume weighed all of 48 pounds. Dracula and Frankenstein made lots of money, with violence and the sexuality (both of which seem wonderfully understated in our times) before the Production Code came out drew the "grandstanding censure of women's clubs, clergymen, and politicians." The Psychic section of the book is largely given to the films of Val Lewton, who refused to go along with any previous horror formula. Cutting in mere suggestions of horror into a love story about normal people was just what budget-conscious RKO went for. The Atomic years were a reaction to the atmosphere of the Cold War, and routine horror films "began to portray science as a tool more evil than Dr. Frankenstein had ever anticipated." The first of many films to show how nuclear devices could bring forth monsters was 1953's _The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms_, with a custom-designed dinosaur awakened by an atomic test. Vieira ends with the Cosmic films, paying most attention to a movie monster that is among the most realistic ever, and which has caused more serious analysis than even Frankenstein's monster: HAL the computer from _2001_. The years tick by and we have yet to make a machine nearly as smart (or fortunately, as diabolical) as HAL.

The final portion of the book also includes films that are quite dissimilar from the monster movies covered in other pages. In a book like this, one will always think of films that ought to have been included or excluded, but Vieira is calling the shots. He has included _Psycho_, which is not really a monster film but has plenty of terror. For real scares, read about how Alfred Hitchcock treated Tippi Hedren during the shooting of the filming of the climactic sequence of _The Birds_, or how Frank Sinatra treated Mia Farrow while she was making _Rosemary's Baby_. Also here are _Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?_ and _Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte_, in which the real monsters are the actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, aging grandes dames of cinema, who were at each other's throats onstage and off. There are some eccentric choices here, but Vieira's book is a fine-looking survey of a genre of films that, like so many of their monsters depicted, just does not die, and if it does, it comes back with surprising transformations.

The horror movie has evolved from its origins in German Expressionism to our current day of graphic gore.Mr.Vieira is both entertaining and informative as he guides us along this shadowy path.We are offered behind-the-scenes anecdotes of the actors,directors,writers,producers and even the composers of some of the film scores.Quite fittingly we are given a glimpse of Universal's make-up wizard Jack Pierce.His painstaking creations persist more than sixty years later(even though we are told they did not look good in color).
All of the major as well as the lesser known works are covered.They are arbitrarily grouped under the titles of"The Gothic","The Psychic","The Atomic",and "The Cosmic".These unifying headings help the author to correlate relevant social and historical events with metaphorical images(eg 1950's Aliens as Cold War invaders).The section devoted to Val Lewton was especially enjoyable.I was able to better appreciate these artfully done low budget horror movies when viewing the recently released DVD collection.
I would highly recommend this book to the enthusiast and to the casual fan.Mr.Vieira obviously has a passion for this genre and it is infectious.An added bonus is the sumptuous black and white photographs many of which are rare studio stills.This is a book I was sorry to finish but I know I will be referring to it often in the future.

What a terrifically fun book to read! It brought back so many fond memories of going to these scary movies back in the 70's. The author knows his stuff and his enthusiasm shines through loud and clear--no stuffy criticism here. I am completely hooked on this book.

Reading this book is fun. Being a horror film buff, this book is a practical and thoughtful encyclopaedia and always brings me so much fun when exploring the anxieties and common fears in historical and social context of 1970s horror. In this period of 70s horror remakes (such as The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, Dawn of the Dead), this book can be a very essential guide to help us re-exmine the originalities and significance of these 70s classics. Highly Recommanded.

I've read a fair bit of horror film criticism and analysis, and Muir is one of the very best writers I've come across in the field. What it comes down to is that he covers the films with precisely the correct amount of depth, as he goes well beyond the simple capsule reviews, but avoids ridiculous, pretentious analysis where the films quality as either art or entertainment is ignored entirely in favor of exploration of theme and social commentary. (Which, of course, generally results in a lotta ludicrous garbage, beyond the extreme tedium.) This isn't to say he isn't interested in social commentary, he's just good at actually analyzing the film for what it is, rather than what he'd like it to be. (Course, he misses and overreaches at a few points, but that's just the inevitable disagreement on my part, rather than a general trend.) He writes cleanly and clearly, and without a hint of pretention. He also includes a ton of information for the bulk of the films, including extensive credit listings and a detailed synopsis to go along with a lengthy commentary. There are also quite a few shorter, near capsule-type reviews, but those are still more detailed than you'd see in most basic guides. Muir perhaps is slightly to forgiving for my tastes, but it's better to be a bit too favorable when it comes to film analysis than to critical, as it's tougher to come up with something interesting to say about a film that you hated. Obviously, this book isn't even close to comprehensive, but that would be pretty much impossible, and he does cover a remarkable range of films. Overall he emphasizes American films most, but still works in quite a few more prominent european films from the decade. (i.e. Suspiria, Deep Red, Zombi, Tombs of the Blind Dead etc.) Finally, the book ends with a number of helpful and/or amusing appendices at the end.

This book is damn expensive, so hopefully you can get it for free at a library, but if you can't it would probably still be worth picking up if you're really interested in horror films. Muir's books on Craven and Carpenter are also excellent, and follow the same basic format. (Though his book on Raimi was kinda disappointing, as it's more about filmmaking than the films themselves) Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in either of those guys, though those books are a bit out of date at this point. Anyway, I like it a lot. Hopefully we'll hear something more on Romero or euro-horror from Muir in the future.

Being a horror film buff, I've read many books dealing with the subject matter Mr. Muir covers, but I've never come across a book that so deftly manages to be both thoughtful/scholarly, while also extremely entertaining. Not many reference books manage to be page turners, but if you like horror films you'll find yourself unable to put it down. Muir's enthusiasm and extensive knowledge are evident, and in many ways reading the book is like having a discussion with a fellow horror fan.

As a person who is quite familiar with a good deal of the films Muir discusses, I was also pleased to discover many I had never heard of. It's led me to viewing a few gems that I might have missed otherwise. If you're a fan of the genre (or even just curious), don't hesitate to pick this up - you won't regret it.

As a died-in-the-wool horror fan, I really appreciate the thought and care put into this reference book. Muir makes a compelling case for this decade's importance in the genre (I think the 70's would win hands-down in a contest of the greatest number of significant or classic horror films in a decade. Look at the evidence: Halloween, Alien, Carrie, The Exorcist, Suspiria, Jaws, The Stepford Wives, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc., etc.). Further, Muir gives good analysis, and that is very appreciated, even when he occasionally gets carried away (he has a tendency to state a thesis--check out his analysis of some of Tobe Hooper's formalist techniques in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre--and then repeat himself over and over just to make sure that we, the readers, get it); there are also a number of small errors in details from certain films that annoyed me just because they are so careless: it is the TANZ Academy that Jessica Harper travels to in Suspiria, not the TAMM Academy, and it is the ALLARDYCE family that rents the evil house to Karen Black and Oliver Reed in Burnt Offerings, not The ALLODICES (I happen to be a big fan of both films so these mistakes particularly stuck out like bleeding limbs to me). But those are minor quibbles really; mostly I'm just grateful that Muir is not only a fan, but an intelligent writer and critic as well. I agree with another reviewer: let's next have a book on Horror Films of the 1980's, Mr. Muir!

Ruby is one of my all time favorite authors. In my opinion she is far better than Mr. King himself. This book is not long, under 400 pages, but tells a grim story of a traveling carnival and its deeply dark House of Illusions attraction. Ms. Jensen does a wonderful job of drawing in her readers within the first ten pages of her book, as she does with most of her stories. I really enjoyed this one, true horror fans will as well. Read up! You won't be disappointed!

This book was difficult for me to rate. It was very scary, but I hated the ending. I wanted a better explanation of what happened. I felt like she was in a hurry to meet her deadline and just ended it!

Traveling carnival, kids of worker show up unexpectantly,
mysterious clowns, curiosity, secrets, and
THE HOUSE OF ILLUSIONS (let us not forget that!).
Strange, very strange happenings in this house of mirrors
with it's disappearing staircase.
Can the kids solve the mystery? Or are they just in danger
of their lives? They are very afraid and SO WAS I!
I owned and loaned two books with this title,
although they are usually very hard to find.
I want to read it for the 4th time,
but each copy I loaned out, I never got back.
It must have been passed on and on.

This book was one of the best horror books I've ever read. I couldn't stop reading it and I am reading it for the second time!!

This is what started it all, my infatuation with Ms. Jensen's books. I bought this 384 paged book at a used book store, not expecting much from it. I automatically assumed that it was another piece of "fluffy" summer reading. What I got instead ws a fantastic horror novel, filled with really creapy images! This was one of those rare books that actually had me too freaked-out to turn to the next page!
The story centers around two sisters, Jodi and Amy, whos mother sends them to live with her ex-husband for the summer. The two sisters arrive at the airport with mixed feelings about meeting their dad whom they've never seen before. Little did they know that they would be spending their summer with a traveling carnival! Yes, their father decided to join a carnival.
At first, the carnival seemed friendly. A place filled with interesting charactors and fun rides. Especially the House of Mirrors, the sideshow attraction that holds more than what you see on the surface.

Then the first body is found, crumpled into an unrecognizable mass of blood and bones. Then the truth behind the House of Mirrors is untangled. A truth filled with grotesque clowns and an evil magician who wants more than to hear children scream in his House of Illusions where nothing is as it seems...
This book was almost impossible to put down! It had me staying up late into the night, too scared to turn the page and too glued to stop. What I like most about this book is that it doesn't have a huge "Stephen King ending" where everything is put into a final statement. This book makes you think. This was refreshing. The only problem I had with the book was some of the diologue. Some of it was very unrealistic and melodramatic. I couldn't picture real human beings using the same phrases that some of the charactors used. But oh-well, this can be forgiven. The rest of the book was great!
On the surface, this book might seem a little cheesy, but if you keep reading, you'll find that it's a fast pace horror novel filled with killer clowns, gruesome murders and some very creepy moments!

I love this book! As a DJ with 15 years in the business, the author has said what everyone else was afraid to say. This is the all-out truth about DJ myths and marketing. Highly recommend this book.

I received How To Avoid DJ Horror Stories as a shower gift. As a bride-to-be, this book quickly became my best friend! It is as funny as it is informative. (The cartoon illustrations are really funny!) I learned so much from reading it that when it came time to interview DJs, I was able to spot, ahead of time, some of the myths and sleazy tactics referenced in the book. It actually saved me time (a precious commodity when planning a wedding). I especially liked Chapter 13, AFAQs (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions). The author literally answered every question that crossed my mind. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy the book was to read; it felt like the author was actually talking to me. How To Avoid DJ Horror Stories is a "must have" for any bride going the DJ route. Highly recommended!!!

In such a vast field as DJ services, it nice to be able to find the true gems among the pack. This book was instrumental in helping me select a DJ for my wedding, and I was EXTREMELY pleased with the results. If you want to know how to identify a "line" when you hear one from a DJ, GET THIS BOOK!

I've been a Disc Jockey for 25 years and have seen it all - this is hilarious - be careful who you book though. Read this and you should get a good Disc Jockey and have a great wedding/party!

Mr. Harrison is probably a good mobile dj but he makes the mistake of assuming regional preferences (such as clients not wanting lighting) and that most weddings go 4 hours is true all over. More importantly, there are numerous occasions where he states his opinion as fact. If these were truly facts, there would be documentation to back them up. There is a lot of good advice in this book but it's mixed in with a lot of opinions and outdated information which the target audience would like have difficulty sifting through.

If you like scary books this is the book you should be reading. Ever sense Ian's death his cousin Spencer Turner feels it is his fault. Spencer tried to save Ian from his drowning death but he almost drown when he tried to save Ian. Spencer has tried to contact the spirit world to let Ian know he is sorry that he tried to save him. Spencer gets so desperate he spends his last $30 on a machine called The Howler. When he decides to play a trick on his friend Scott it all goes wrong. He release 5 ghoses from Scott's attic. that had been locked up for more than a centry. He finally gets to see Ian again while he is dead and Ian forgives him and gets rid of the 5 ghosts. The setting is mostly at Spencer's house. Some of it takes place at Scott's attic and at their school. But the story starts out at the pond that they were ice-skating at when Ian drown. Do you think we really are able to reach the spirit world with a little machine???

Ever sence Ian's death his cousin Spencer Turner feels it is his fault. Spencer tried to save Ian from his drownding death but he almost drownd too. Spencer has tried to contact the spirt world to let his cousin know he is sorry. Spencer gets so desperate he spends his last $30 and a machine called The Howler. When he decides to play a trick on his friend Scott it all goes wrong. He release 5 ghost from Scott's attic that had been locked up for more than a centry. He finally gets to see Ian again and Ian frogives and gets rid of the five ghosts.

The desperation of the main character in this story is so true and powerful that it indeed feels like you are living through it, and for me it was like living through a nightmare. Buy this book.

This and Camp Nowhere are definitely the best books in the Nightmare Room series thus far. This book is a movie in itself, and R.L. saves it from being a ridiculous idea into a somewhat heartfelt and scary horror adventure. I highly recommend it - great reading and a classic.

The Nightamre Room #7: The Howler is probably R.L. Stine's best book yet in his newest creepy Goosebumps type series, with a unique twist and excellent story that distinguishes this book from past books. Probably one of his scariest books he's written, and with a story that is sure to keep eyes glued, I loved this story more then any of the others in THE NIGHTMARE ROOM series. Spencer Turner was devastated at the shocking death of his cousin Ian last winter when they were skating on the ice with some friends. Even as Ian fell through the ice, Spencer had tried his best to save him -- but he almost got killed himself trying to do so. Spencer survived, but his cousion Ian did not. Ever since, Spencer wants to contact Ian's ghost and tell him how much he had tried to save him, and how sorry he is of Ian's tragic death. He becomes so desperate that he eventually purchases an item called the Howler from a ghost supplies shop. The Howler is able to make Spencer hear the howls of ghosts -- and even though Spencer is terrified, he'll do all it takes to reach Ian...somehow. But maybe he gets more then he bargained for. The terror that ensues will make Spencer wish he'd never even dream of buying the terrifying Howler. This was a spine-tingling, scary, and page turning book in R.L. Stine's terrifying new series, The Nightmare Room.

I Only Have Fangs for You (The Young Brothers, Book 3)

Absolutely loved this book. Recommend the whole series to anyone who loves a good entertaining story. This books gives the final brother the love of his life with a definate twist at the end.

Such a cute story. I can just imagine that women far and wide will fall in love with Sebastian, if they haven't already from the two previous books. He's sweet, funny, sexy, and with a boyish grin to boot. I loved the fact that even those he love (like his family) assume the worst of him...but only in that we love him, anyway sort of way...and he is flabbergasted upon discovering this. He's definitely found his match in Mina. The meetings of super-everythings (given like an AA meetings) were hilarious. I feel this book has definitely surpassed the first two.

This book (the 3rd and last of the Young Brothers)was full of twist and turns. First the heroin was not typical. The bad guy well you just aren't sure to the end. And the end well let's just say it wasn't.
You will enjoy this book and fall for the Young brothers all over again

There is nothing really to say except READ THIS SERIES! The writing flows, the characters have soo much personality and the storyline is great! I have all her books and intend to keep it that way! You should too!!

Sebastian loves being a single vampire. What's not to like? He always looks young and women love him. Sebastian even runs one of the hottest nightclubs, Carfax Abbey. Mina Weiss is working at as a waitress at Carfax Abbey, only being a waitress is not Mina's real job. She and her organization are out to close Carfax Abbey in order to protect the unsuspecting human patrons. When Sebastian finds out Mina's true mission, he's determined to convince her that he's not a monster. He offers her a challenge, he'll refrain from biting anyone for a month if she'll let him show her just how much fun it is to be a vampire. Let the challenge begin!

I Only Have Fangs For You is more than a just a treat, it's a complete four course meal! Constantly the ladies man in his brothers' books, Fangs For The Memories and Fangs But No Fangs, watching Sebastian finally meet his match was hilariously funny. Kathy Love has a true gift for delivering sexy romance with a side of comedy that will keep me coming back again and again for another serving!


Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

My name is Christian Panaite and I'm from Romania.I was in the team who worked at the production of History of the devil in Princeton High School, NJ.Till then I hadn't heard about Clive Barker but reading "Incarnations" I discovered a new world full with horror and mistery- it was a very interesting experience.Acting in his play was a great event for me -I was Milo Milo and I was very proud that I had the smallest part from the play.There are so many things to say about his books -I think that his style is unique, he is unique ,his world is unique.

In the realm of books filled with a play (or plays) this one is a real delight. Barker always satisfies in drawing the reader into highly imaginative realms of mythology, psychology and suspense - with wonderful surprises along the way.

If you are in the mood for a handful of soul stirring plays, I recommend this one along with The Walls Came Tumbling Down by Wilson.

My only complaint is that Barker's usually intriguing forwards sometimes give too much away, akin to a reviewer who provides just a tad too much insight. However, one could save the forward for after the plays.

Barker is a literary genius who spins the most amazing stories. To visualize them as theatrical releases on the stage is very intriguing.

Great work.

This book of plays was one of the best I have ever read. My fav of the three was Frankenstein in Love. The monolouges by Maria were superb and amasing. Her monolouges made me want to put the play on myself. Colossus was a little harder to get into but it was well worth it. In The History of The Devil speaks for itself. In all three plays the wrighting is some of Clive's best. It's well worth the effort to find this out of print book and keep it for a life time.

Arguably the best play of this collection is The History of the Devil. Where the other two plays are a nice potent dip into the macabre, the Devil is a mind-blowing experience that gets you where it hurts the most: your conscience. What is evil? What is good? Can we judge anything? It isn't surprising that even Dante has a cameo role in this play.

I would love to see this play in production somewhere near me. Although it would not be as visually appealing as the other two plays in Incarnations, since it lacks scenes of cannibalism and dismemberment for instance, it surely must be a wonderful experience to see the actual Devil on stage.

Nice to know is that the actor that gave live to the Devil in the World Premiere of The History of the Devil as presented by the Dog Company at The York and Albany Theatre, London, in 1979 was none other than Doug Bradley, the guy that plays Pinhead in the famous Hellraiser movies.

As a conclusion I can reveal that the end of the play as a very nice twist to it. This collection shows Clive barker at his best. A must read for all fans of the macabre.

A few years ago, I picked up a copy of PANDEMONIUM, a softcover overview of Clive Barker's works. While I found most of the material interesting, what blew me away was the first ever printing of Barker's THE HISTORY OF THE DEVIL. Quite simply, it is one of the best plays I have ever read. It is demanding, thought-provoking, funny, obscene, and brilliant.

HISTORY is centred around the trial of the Devil. It is not so much a criminal proceeding, than it is an evaluation of his works on Earth. If he wins, he may re-enter Heaven. And as his history is re-enacted on stage, lawyers both for and against his case struggle to find a legal way to keep him where he belongs.

As in most of Barker's works, a simple description doesn't do it justice. HISTORY is an amazingly theatrical experience, all rooted in one of the most intriguing views of the Devil that I have read. While not being familiar with the more classical works of Dante and Milton, I can say that Barker's Devil is a far more satisfying and frightening figure than the demon presented in Anne Rice's MEMNOCH THE DEVIL. The play also presents one of the most original and shocking endings I have ever read, in a play or a novel.

The other two plays presented in INCANTATIONS are a mixed bag. FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE is the more satisfying of the two. In a re-imagining of Mary Shelley's work, FRANKENSTEIN occurs in third world dictatorship, full of chaos and mystery. If I am not as enthusiastic as I am about HISTORY, it is that Barker's ideas in FRANKENSTEIN don't wholly combine. It has humour, horror, an astonishing amount of gore (I don't know HOW this would ever be staged), but by the end, the horror has taken over the story. It leaves you wishing for more of a coherent ending. Still, some scenes do remain in the mind, especially the scenes involving the dead, but still animated narrator.

Barker's third play, COLOSSUS, is the least of the three. Ostensibly, it surrounds the Spanish painter Goya, as he stumbles around after a tremendous bombing has destroyed a large portion of an estate. As I don't know anything of Goya, I can't speak as to the effectiveness of the sets in bringing out the mood of his paintings, as Barker suggests. But the play doesn't hold water. It is a amalgamation of confusing characters and odd dialogue. It has an unfinished feel to it. As this was one of Barker's earlier works, perhaps he can be forgiven it biting off more than he can figuratively chew. But as a published work, it functions as a curiosity, not a fully-formed play.

Still, Barker is one of the more interesting writers around. He's always willing to try and push the envelope, instead of resting on his laurels (anyone read Dean Koontz lately?). Read FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE and COLOSSUS for the ideas. Read THE HISTORY OF THE DEVIL for the experience. It really is that good.

I came a bit late to this work of E Robert Orn, having already read his 'Not Quite Hell' and 'The Midnight Lunch Truck', both of which were published after this one. I guess I expected something like a work in progress...something not quite up to the standard of his later work but showing signs of his talent.

How wrong was I? Pretty much as wrong as I could be. This is just as good as the slightly more devilish 'Hell' and 'Truck'. Eloquent and with some excellent turns of phrase, 'Eye' takes you through an event.... skydiving..... that terrifies most of us, with skill, humor and an obvious knowledge of the sport. The descriptions of the exercise are wonderful.

Then ERO does what he does best. He turns the ordinary into something else and deflects your gaze, just enough to set your mind off on the wrong track, before he lands the knockout punch.

Just as that punch lands, you will fondly remember the journey through those azure skies and slightly darker clouds. Great stuff.

This story was incredible as it weaves a nice little family-style outing to go sky diving. We feel as though the characters, Alan, Janice, and TJ are well known to us, as they are brilliantly brought to vivid life by Orn's mastery work. The story moves along nicely, and appears nearly a literary type of story, but hiding just beneath the surface, and between the lines, is something sinister. Something that creeps along, edging to your reality, then plunges you into the very terror of it. I found the story strangely informative at first, and interesting. Then I found it exciting, wonderfully thrilling, and vividly imaginative, while being creepily realistic and frightening. You will believe in monsters that hide behind the clouds! I had already read Not Quite Hell, by Mr. Orn, and have now considered myself a complete Fan! Will be reading The Midnight Lunch Truck soon, and anything else I can find with E. Robert Orn's name on it.

The myths we read about are sometimes fun pieces of literature that some distant person makes up...Or,not. Allen, Janice and T.J. are friends that love the adrenalin rush of jumping out of planes for the fun of it under the canopy of a parachute. They are part of a unique group of people who find fun and camaraderie with others who enjoy the same thing. The day is just like any other, as these three friends prepare to get ready to get into the plane. They joke with each other and watch the clouds seeing shapes and can't wait to be among the clouds themselves. They have no idea what awaits them...

I don't want to give it away, so I'll just say that Robert Orn is a great storyteller and his characters and plot were well written. I really enjoyed this story.

Reviewed by Vickie (Tory Lynn, author of My Charming Protector)

As if I weren't already afraid of heights... E Robert Orn skillfully cajoles you into the sky with Janice, Alan and TJ for an adventurous leap. Once you're there enjoying the immersion into nature and organic freedom with them, the scenery changes to something even more riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride "Into God's Cold Gray Eye".

E Robert Orn paints a vivid picture of life on the Drop Zone. He captures the easy camaraderie of sport parachutists and the banter that flows back and forth prior to a jump. It is after the exiting the plane that things begin to change. What really hides inside those dark storm clouds? Those who have never ventured there will never know.

I bought this book on a whim looking for something new. In my opinion, this book is basically a romance novel with some elements of sci-fi/fantasy sprinkled on it (don't get confused into thinking this is anything like a horror or really even a dark book). A love story was not what I was looking for but I still found it to be a good read for a few reasons.

The viewpoint is through the eyes of a woman deeply religious, chained down by her fears. I thought seeing things through her eyes was an interesting twist, at least for anything I've read before. There are some occasionaly moments of spirituality (not in the religious sense) and self-awareness by her that keep her view point from becoming boring. This is really the only piece outside of the romance that gets any time in this book. But a much more original character is johnny. To be honest, his character is more interesting and mysterious and I wish the story had been told through his eyes (or even another story completely through his eyes). His character really has a lot of possibility for a great story and I think if he was the narrator, this would have been a better book.
There are some things I don't like about the book also. I almost put the book down after the first chapter due to its complete lack of detail what-so-ever and rediculous voice/style that made the book feel like a childrens novel. Luckily, the writing gets better as the pages progress. Another thing I did not like is the whole book pretty much centers around these two characters and how they develope while the plot around them feels like it is thrown in just to fill in gaps or get from point a to b. I think more time should have been put into plot developement. It is about 300 pages with relatively large print so basically all of that time is focused on the love story. In fact, the whole background surrounding johnny starts to feel cheesy by the end of the book because so little is revealed about it that you just have to accept that it doesn't really make sense.

Rarely does this book steer into territory outside of a love story. It has a few moments of "dark" fantasy and drama but don't expect that to be the focus of the book. Take a look at it if you are just looking for an entertaining and quick read.

This is a very well written book with lots of depth and twists in the plot. Susan Kalior captures so many different aspects of life in this book. I would recommend this to anyone to read. She's a tremendous writer and this is a book that you won't want to put down.

I usually do not post reviews of books, but this book struck me so much, I just had to! The characters in this book have so much depth to them. Susan Kalior is an amazing author with such insight. It is a great book which shows us that everything is not as black and white as we may believe it to be. If you love horror, romance, fantasy, suspense...it has it and you will not be let down after reading it. I read it in 24 hours! I couldn't put it down!

johnny is the "ultimate bad boy"! Were he real I would have gobbled him up! This book is about accepting aspects of our nature and other's natures. I LOVE this book.

This amazing character is more than a vampire, more than a were-dragon (of sorts) and more than a warlock. Set in New York City, this eerie thriller carries such an authentic tone to the dark side of life, laced with with philosophical gems that are most uplifting. There is much mystery, and unexpected twists and turns characteristic of this author. The sexual tension is magnificent between this character (embodied chaos) and the heroine (an embodied angel). This manuscript is a true expression of dark fantasy--the dark psychology of humans and how that all peices together with the greater scope of life.

Its nice to have these graphic novels so as not to ruin the orig1nal comicbook versions. Of course these are nice collectibles too! for those insatiable KISS fans!

This book contains issues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Kiss Psycho Circus comic book. Three stories are told: 'The Witching of Adam Moon', 'Nature of the Beast', and 'Smoke & Mirrors'. All of the stories are very compelling to read, especially if you are into dark fantasy or horror. Issue # 3 is my favorite in this book. (Although the entrance of the character Kismet in issues # 4-6 is a welcome addition, not to mention Madame Raven's backstory.)

You do not need to be a fan of the band in order to fully enjoy this book, but fans of the band will enjoy all of the hidden Kiss references. Brian Holguin is one of the best comic book writers in the business and he works very well with Angel Medina/Kevin Conrad. Their visual storytelling style is excellent. Go visit the circus, you won't regret it.

I thought they did an excellent job on this book. I can't wait for book 2. The artwork is spectacular. The storytelling was good, but the overall story was slightly lacking. My biggest complaint was that it was too short. I need more. So raise your glasses to the crew that put all the hard work into this one... Buy it.

You wanted the best you got the best! It's a f***ing great comicbook. See ya at the Psycho Circus tour '99

This book includes issues # 7, 8, 9 and 18 of the awesome comic book Kiss Psycho Circus. Each issue is a one shot story that can be read by anyone- fan of the band or not. (Issue # 9 contains the great origin story!)

Brian Holguin really knows how to write compelling tales, and Angel Medina and Kevin Conrad work really well together as far as the art goes. The art in the last issue is by Clayton Crain, the current penciller. Great art + Great Stories = Must have book!