Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road

Book Description

In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie. Faced with overwhelming sadness and isolated from the world in his home on the lake, Peart was left without direction. This memoir tells of the sense of loss and directionlessness that led him on a 55,000-mile journey by motorcycle across much of North America, down through Mexico to Belize, and back again. He had needed to get away, but had not really needed a destination. His travel adventures chronicle his personal odyssey and include stories of reuniting with friends and family, grieving, thinking, and reminiscing as he rode until he encountered the miracle that allowed him to find peace.

Customer Reviews:

All of us get lost in the darkness..........2007-09-26

The greatest lesson Neil left me from Ghost Rider is to cultivate a mutual bond and solid friendship with my yet-to-be born children that's as precious as what Neil and Jackie shared with Selena.

What touched me the most was Selena's second memorial. Neil's pure, haunted poetry conveys the pain and loneliness more poignantly than anywhere in his memoir.

His `Show, Don't Tell' passages of him looking at concert halls in the distance are equally riveting. We witness Neil's renewed hope, growth, compassion, and understanding on `The Healing Road'--two steps forward, one back--despite the sickening unfairness of what happens to him. The lyrics to the Rush song "Everyday Glory" come to mind. Just getting out of bed is "One Little Victory".

Unfortunately, the end does get tedious, simply because Neil's thoughts and feelings are conveyed via his letters to Brutus. Employing present tense action and dialogue would redeem it.

By default of the low number of pages of salvation in the last chapter, the ending comes off a little trite. After witnessing him suffering for so long, one longs to see him truly happy for at least 20 pages! For those that have never fallen in true soulmate love, the "Speed of Love" as it happens with Carrie (lucky woman!) may seem unreal.
But that's our dear, shy Neil. Alas, we're not going to get a detailed description of her wedding gown. I hope that they have lots of babies, so the hole left in his heart may close a bit.

I'm not sure what editorial help Neil received at publication, but input from a neutral outsider may have helped to tighten up what obviously is a wrenching memoir to write and edit objectively.

I'm shocked at the lack of compassion expressed in the opinions of certain reviewers here.

Grievers often experience feelings of resentment and jealousy toward others, it is easy--and normal--for them to in the healing process. So yes, he was mean-spirited, bitter, and angry, but he recognized that in hindsight. One reviewer admitted to skipping pages, so it's not surprising that he/she missed this. "All of us get lost in the darkness."

I truly hope that the insensitive critics of this book, and of Neil's emotions/feelings/progress, never find themselves in his situation. However, if they do, I hope that they find healing in a second read of Ghost Rider, and seek a positive way to distract themselves from crippling loss and loneliness.

Sharing a story like this is an act of charity, because individuals challenged with life after the death of family may turn to it for solace. It's already helped another widowed Amazon reviewer. Yet some think greed is Neil's sole motivation for writing.

"GET OVER IT!" Is that their attitude towards people that hurt? One blog from a Rush fan I recently visited had a picture of the World Trade Center in flames, with `GET OVER IT' emblazoned across them on this year's anniversary of the attacks. How can they say that? How can they dismiss everyone that lost loved ones, businesses, real estate, dreams? As a New Yorker--and a human being--I'm appalled.

put down the pen and pick up the drumsticks.......2007-09-24

It seems to me Neil is trying to hard to be like the sagely authors of the books he reads. It's worth reading if you're a lifelong RUSH fan like me I guess. Just very boring at times. You're a gifted musician, just not a very gifted author.

Excellent.......2007-09-24

55000 miles of trying to heal. What is one to do when you live your whole life with a belief of if you do good, you in turn receive good. Then a car wreck and a incurable disease makes you think otherwise. After being a hermit for a few months you know you have to get moving. Before you go far though you have to be told that you thought the bad was over, but it's not. You're best friend will be staying in the friendly confines of a 6 by 9 for awhile. Book made me almost feel as if I was right there traveling with Neil. Have recommended it to a brother and will definitely reread again and again. Have ordered all 4 of his books and have finished Ghost Rider and R30. Now am on Traveling Music and cant wait to get on to The Masked Rider. Enjoy, your humble reviewer.

one star??? come on........2007-09-10

I just need to clarify something for the potention readers of this book. All the previous reviews have been fairly spot on, but the reviewer who gave it one star is clearly off. It IS a dry, literal account of his meanderings for much of the book, and at first I was dismayed because I, too, was looking for something about dealing with grief and there didn't seem to be much substance on that. However, it occurred to me halfway through that perhaps this is how he deals with it: Traveling, denial, smoking, drinking, sarcasm, jealousy. It got him through, so who are we to judge? At least he's honest about his prejudices, which is more than I can say for most of us.
Furthermore, this reviewer claims he never explains why things went sour with "that woman." Yes he did. It was very obvious, or does it take a woman to extrapolate that? (No offense, guys, but you understand.) SHE BLEW HIM OFF. End of story.
Basically, if you have a decent attention span, like traveling the U.S., and are a Rush fan (that helps) you will enjoy this. I was glad to finish it, for sure, but don't let the reviewers sway you. There IS a lot for the reader in this book. (Just not about dealing with grief.)

Ghost Rider.......2007-08-27

I read Ghost Rider by Neal Peart. The First part of the book wasn't to bad, but when it got to the middle of the book it started to get real boring. This book has way to many letters in it that Neal wrote to his friend in jail. He should have called the book, letters to a friend in jail. I enjoyed reading about Neals rides and the different places he went, but I didn't need to read every single letter he wrote to his friend, it made for a very boring book. I'd give it 2 to 2 1/2 stars for the beginning of the book and then 1/2 a star after that. Neal should stick to music, he's much better at that.
Long Way Round was a much better story of 2 motorcyclist who rode from England to New York and took the long way round to do it. That one I'd give 5 stars to.

Average customer rating:

Down the drain with the UN
Small Town Terror
Zombies, government, incompetence, and the Lone Star State
Great Zombie Book.
Are you ready to go back Down the Road?

Down the Road: On the Last Day
Bowie Ibarra
Manufacturer: Permuted Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0978970721

Book Description

The walking dead. A global crisis. The remnants of America. Around the globe, the dead are rising to devour the living. Hospitals are overrun, and martial law has been declared. The streets are in chaos. Society is disintegrating. In a small south Texas town, the mayor has rallied his citizens against the living dead and secured their borders. Isolated in the countryside, the community holds their own. But when two strangers from San Antonio stumble into town, they bring news of a global peacekeeping force sweeping toward the city. Led by a ruthless commander, the force is determined to secure the republic of Texas on its own terms, and establish a new, harsh government for the plague-ravaged nation. Will the independently fortified Texas town hold out against the flesh-eating zombies and the tyrannical foreign army traveling down the road?

Customer Reviews:

Down the drain with the UN.......2007-09-27

I agree with Patrick S. Dorazio on his review - the story is good but the execution is very flawed. It's too obvious that the author does not think highly of the UN which in itself is not a crime however to assume that European UN peacekeepers would start slaughtering innocent US civilians... I personally could see a planned military coup as being more realistic.. after all the Europeans and other UN members would be too busy fighting their own zombie plague before even thinking of "helping" another nation. The end was also a letdown and I think he can do much better. Maybe next novel...

Small Town Terror.......2007-08-13

I can honestly say that Bowie's take on the zombie attack genere is the most original. I guess its because he tells the story through the eyes of small town life. Its easy to think that small towns will band together but he takes into consideration the different personalities still imbedded in the town. He uses the people and the town and builds so much structured charisma that youd think you could smell the pie sitting on the window sill. He uses the town almost like a character itself, and the people are rich in history and personal struggle. It reminded me of a mix between 28 days and 28 weeks later, showing personal stuggle during a time of great stress and small military side that arrogantly tries to fix what seems to be working.
The story is a fast read, and his words are chosen very carefully. To me it was like reading Fight Club or any Koontz books, it may be a short book but still it reads very quickley. And for anybody that is busy it is a great pick. I appreciate Mr. Ibarra's take on small town life and the struggles they may have during a zombie invasion, it is great to read a book that takes the zombies out of the urban jungles and puts them into your back yard, or even DOWN THE ROAD.

Zombies, government, incompetence, and the Lone Star State.......2007-05-08

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (4/07)

"We have to kill her"--thus opens Bowie Ibarra's second zombie novel "Down the Road: On the Last Day," set in the same world as his first book "Down the Road," although the second novel is a stand alone work in itself. This fantastic opening sentence draws the reader in as a father and mother come to terms with knowing they must kill their daughter before she kills them; their daughter has been infected with the zombie disease which in the last few days has begun to spread across the globe.

Numerous characters living in the town of Beeville, Texas are the focus of the novel as they struggle against the zombie threat, having to secure their town, kill zombies, and often put loved ones to death before they turn into zombies. For a good part of the novel, the town has lost contact with the outside world, but then television is restored and the townspeople learn the President of the United States is allowing United Nations forces to enter the country to help secure it. These forces are urging people to go to FEMA security camps where they will supposedly be safe. The people of Beeville, however, feel safe already because they have effectively blockaded their town from zombies entering or any potentially infected humans. With the world in crisis, the US government has broken down, and the United Nations forces appear to be seeking world-domination. When the UN forces reach the town of Beeville, they warn the townspeople if they do not surrender and go to the FEMA camp, they will be considered terrorists. When the people refuse, a showdown occurs.

The novel offers some criticism of government ineffectiveness, in the wake of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. The novel's setting in Texas is interesting because Texas is the only part of the United States that was once its own separate country, and once the United Nations is taking over the country, the town of Beeville, Texas remains the last vestige of independent and democratic America, with images of the Alamo and the Waco showdown in the background. The people of Beeville are capable of caring for themselves, but government intervention causes the zombie situation to become far worse for the townspeople.

Overall, the novel is fast-paced and enjoyable to read. The apocalyptic situation reminded me of Stephen King's "The Stand" but I felt "Down the Road" was actually more fun and better thought out. I felt the beginning had too many characters, and not as much character development as if the book had focused on the viewpoints of just two or three main characters rather than twenty, so that occasionally I could not distinguish between them; however, overall, the multiple characters kept the action fast-paced as the zombie threat was depicted in various parts of the town. I wish more had been explained about how the plague of zombies started. There was a passing reference to the character George Zaragosa, the main character from Ibarra's first novel. But what happened to him is not really clear from reading this second novel, and I only knew he was from the first novel from reading the advertisements for the publisher's other books in the end pages. It sounds like George brought the plague into the United States from a visit to Mexico, which suggests further political commentary on the US's failure to keep its borders secure from aliens.

"Down the Road: On the Last Day" is enjoyable reading for anyone who likes apocalyptic stories and a fast-paced action or horror novel. Those who choose to read at a deeper level will enjoy the novel's social criticism.

Great Zombie Book........2007-03-17

The book had alot of actions. Zombies moved and acted like our old favorite zombies.I would have enjoyed the book more if it had alittle less sexual content. It was like a horror with a little porn. ;)

Are you ready to go back Down the Road?.......2007-02-28

A Plaque is sweeping the country. The Dead are rising and they are attacking and devouring the living. The Government is trying to contain it but with no success. Civilians are taking up arms and banding together in hopes of surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. Civilians in a small south Texas town has banded together and fought off the Zombie Hordes. They have successfully quarantined their town from the the chaos that has consumed the outside world. Everything seems to be going good and they believe that they will be able to survive the zombie plague. Two strangers from San Antonio soon arrive with news that will threaten the towns very existence. They learn that it isn't only the undead they have to fear. A global peacekeeping force lead by a brutal and ruthless commander is heading towards their town. He mission is to round up all civilians and send them to refugee camps. Anyone who will not give up their arms and comply with his orders are mercilessly executed.

A showdown to about to happen in this small Texas town. The residents will have to not only fight the endless hordes of the bloodthirsty dead, but a madman and his army of thugs that wants to destroy all remnants of American life. The town will have to unite and fight for not only their way of life, but their very existence. It is time to go back Down the Road.

I loved Mr. Ibarra's first story so when got my copy of On The Last Day I was expecting nothing but great things, but I must say that my expectations were actually exceeded. I enjoyed On The Last Day more than I did his first installment. I was completely consumed in the world Mr. Ibarra created. Zombie fans will be completely satisfied with this story. It has loads and loads of blood and guts, and action from beginning to end. On The Last Day is also a very deep story with great pacing and deep characters. Mr. Ibarra is starting to perfect a writing style all his own. He is becoming one of the premiere names of Zombie fiction and he will be a force to be reckoned for a long time. Permuted Press is producing some of the best Horror Fiction available today and On The Last Day has to be one of the best releases to date. I cant wait to see what they give us next.

I highly recommend On The Last Day to all Zombie Fiction fans. It is one of the best Zombie stories ever written in my opinion. Go grab a copy for yourself and see what I mean.

Average customer rating:

BORING, BORING, BORING
B.S. Levy
A wonderful romp through racing history
From a "storied" era of International Motorsports.
Levy Strikes Gold Again from the Debris of Finzio's Sinclair

Toly's Ghost (Last Open Road)
B. S. Levy
Manufacturer: Think Fast Ink
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Sports | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0964210762

Customer Reviews:

BORING, BORING, BORING.......2007-05-21

This book can't hold a candle to any of Levy's first 3. I found it to be exceedingly boring, and owning and having read all of Levy's books, I doubt very much if I will buy his next one!!!

B.S. Levy.......2007-01-11

Good continuation of the Last Open Road series. I enjoyed it very much.

A wonderful romp through racing history.......2006-10-27

Kinda long, but yet another wonderful tale. Don't keep us waiting too long to see what happens next!

From a "storied" era of International Motorsports........2006-07-20

Other reviewers have decried the relative weakness of the Buddy Palumbo and Big Ed Baumstien characters in this book, and rightly so. Buddy's humanity and Big Ed's worldliness certainly spiced up the first three books and made the fictional component interesting and unpredictable.

Some sections of "Toly's Ghost" read more like a non-fiction, with the fictional characters merely discussing the events of the day. I did find it interesting how Levy communicated the character's feelings about things that were going on in racing and in the world at large. The historical accounts and the fictional character's reactions to them have an interesting symbiotic relationship in this book that I can't recall being as pronounced in prior books in this series.

Some of my enjoyment of this book was in figuring out who the fictional characters are based on; I have an idea who Cal Carrington and Gina LaScala are based on but I won't tip my hat as I have a feeling that will be more obvious in the next book.

Levy does something very artful with the Toly Wolfgang character (based loosely on real-life Ferrari driver Wolfgang Von Trips); he paints him as an aristocrat with a shadowy past but in spite of this, the reader becomes hopeful that Toly will win the world championship in spite of his "outsider" status in the world of International motor racing.

There are many other characters in this book that are noteworthy- I found them interesting because they are strugging with motor racing's passage from a sport of and by gentlemen to a business venture.

Overall I feel "Toly's Ghost" is well worth the time for anyone to read and savor; not only on its own merit as a fine piece of historical fiction, but also because it is likely a bridge to Levy's next series of books which likely will cover motor racing's most spectacular and tumultuous era.

Levy Strikes Gold Again from the Debris of Finzio's Sinclair.......2006-07-01

Despite being too long for "those racing people" to read, let alone get through, B.S. "Burt" Levy's latest work "Toly's Ghost" spends more time recounting the glory days of pre-displacement regulated Formula and GT racing than building greatly on the character of Buddy, Julie or Big Ed Baumstein. However, none of this is in the negative column. Through the well-developed characters of Cal Carrington and journalist Hank Lyons, Cal relates his exploits to Buddy from tracks as far afield as Riverside and the cart tracks of Sicily. Nowhere yet has the true flavour of that era's experiences been put together as well as Levy's 'novel' accomplishment. A recommended read especially for those who have been waiting since the last installment from The Last Open Road series.

Looking forward to the next installment,

Chip Lamb
Contributing Writer
Sports Car Market
Classic Motorsports

Average customer rating:

A must read for Halloween
DEL REY ANTHOLOGY OF LOVECRAFT'S BEST
Masterful
In an Octopus's Garden
Brilliant

The Road to Madness
H. P. Lovecraft , John Jude Palencar , and Barbara Hambly
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345384229
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Amazon.com

"There is a melancholy, operatic grandeur in Lovecraft's most passionate work," writes Joyce Carol Oates in The New York Review of Books, "... a curious elegiac poetry of unspeakable loss, of adolescent despair, and an existential loneliness so pervasive that it lingers in the reader's memory, like a dream, long after the rudiments of Lovecraftian plot have faded." Del Rey has reprinted Lovecraft's stories in three large-format paperbacks. This third volume collects one poem, one story fragment, and 26 tales not included in the first two, including "Herbert West--Reanimator," "The Lurking Fear," "Dagon," "The Unnameable," and the classic short novel "At the Mountains of Madness." Introduction by Barbara Hambly. Beautiful cover art by surrealist John Jude Palencar.

Book Description

One of the most influential practitioners of American horror, H.P. Lovecraft inspired the work of Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker. As he perfected his mastery of the macabre, his works developed from seminal fragments into acknowledged masterpieces of terror. This volume traces his chilling career and includes:
IMPRISONED WITH THE PHARAOHS--Houdini seeks to reveal the demons that inhabit the Egyptian night.
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS--An unsuspecting expedition uncovers a city of untold terror, buried beneath an Antarctic wasteland.
Plus, for the first time in any Del Rey edition:
HERBERT WEST: REANIMATOR--Mad experiments yield hideous results in this, the inspiration for the cult film Re-Animator.
COOL AIR--An icy apartment hides secrets no man dares unlock.
THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN--The intruders seek a fortune but find only death!
AND TWENTY-FOUR MORE BLOOD-CHILLING TALES

Customer Reviews:

A must read for Halloween.......2007-10-08

Years ago I found a tattered old paperback of Lovecraft's work in a used book store. I took it with me up to my uncle's cabin in New Hampshire and, After everyone else had gone to bed, I stretched out on the couch, in a dimly lit room, with a deer's head hanging over me, and read The Lurking Fear. I was hooked, if not more than a little creeped out. Lovecraft's style has a slightly pulpy feel to it, and he frequently uses punch-line endings, but his mastery of atmosphere and mood, coupled with his skill with language, make his stories nothing less than genius. This volume offers a wonderful over view of his history and is certainly a great place to start on your exploration of his work. If you can get yourself to some secluded, and darkened room it will only further add to the effect, especially if there's a deer's head involved. Trust me.

DEL REY ANTHOLOGY OF LOVECRAFT'S BEST.......2006-06-18

This is an anthology of some of the best works of Howard Philips Lovecraft (HPL), a pulp horror- and science fiction- writer of the 1920s and 30s. Lovecraft had a distinctive style of writing, meant to convey through description an atmosphere of awe and wonder of the universe, which he believed a rational mind would experience as horror. His works have influenced generations of writers including Stephen King, Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, and Robert Howard. The content of THE ROAD TO MADNESS is some of HPLs most evocative, chilling, and enduring tales. And I almost missed them.

You see, I thought I had everything by Lovecraft. But I would catch allusions to things like the "Martense kin", "the U-Boat", and Arthur Jermyn. I couldn't find these references in any of my books, when I realized I was missing THE TOMB. Rather than buy this out-of-print book, I picked up ROAD TO MADNESS. It has served me well as a general collection of the most enduring elements of Lovecraft's fiction. The 3 Del Rey collections (ROAD TO MADNESS, BEST OF HP LOVECRAFT, DREAM CYCLE OF HP LOVECRAFT) are pretty comprehensive of HPLs corpus. I am posting below a list of the contents of THE ROAD TO MADNESS under the heading of other sources for the same stories, to let you decide how much overlap it has with other anthologies you might own.

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS AND OTHER TALES
"At the Mountains of Madness "
"The Evil Clergyman"
"The Shunned House"

THE DOOM THAT CAME TO SARNATH
"The Crawling Chaos"
"The Festival"
"In the Walls of Eryx"
"memory"
"Nathicana"
"The Tomb"
"The Tree"
"Under The Pyramids"

THE LURKING FEAR AND OTHER STORIES
"Dagon"
"Arthur Jermyn"
"The Lurking Fear"
"The Moon-Bog"
"The Temple"
"The Unnameable"
"The White Ship"

THE TOMB AND OTHER TALES:
"The Alchemist"
"The Beast in the Cave"
"The Book"
"The Festival"
"He"
"The Horror at Red Hook"
"In the Walls of Eryx"
"Poetry and the Gods "
"The Street"
"The Tomb"
"The Transition of Juan Romero"
"Under the Pyramids"

[Possibly no other source]
"Cool Air"
"Herbert West, Reanimator"

Masterful.......2005-10-10

I have thought long and hard of how I should contribute a review of The late Howard Philips' Lovecraft for fear that I would not do as good a job as the writer justly deserves. After reading not only what is considered his greatest stories, but a great many of his less famed ones as well, I think that finally I've found a means to give definition to the man's craft. In this review, I will speak of his writing in general, and not just the book above, which caters to a handful of his stories anyway.

Lovecraft's writing has been called fantastic and macabre, has been labeled under the categories of horror, fantasy and science fiction, and after reading most, if not all of his printed stories, I can honestly attest to the fact that all of these terms are true. However, they are not what people today might consider a true science fiction, fantasy or horror story. His science fictions are not set on a starship enterprise, or in the future where we war with other alien races over territories in space-instead, Lovecraft brings an alien germ to our planet, which can't be studied or compared with our own deadly germs since its properties are unknown, in which case, we can do nothing but hope it goes away before it kills us all, or...he brings to us an alien race that has dwelt secretly among us in order to conduct bizarre and often gruesome experiments with our bodies.

His fantasies are not set in any imaginary world like in Lord of the Rings. Pretty much all his stories start off with a good foot in reality, leaving little room for fantasy. In fact, the fantasy doesn't come into play until the very end of each story-until the very last few chapters, and sometimes, until the very last few paragraphs.

For me, I feel the most dominant element here is horror. Lovecraft often makes much emphases on secret occults, that no neo-pagan would appreciate, which are often described as evil and sacrifice both animals and children to their evil Gods. The man, or main character, who for some reason feels he needs to unearth these cults-almost always finds himself on the brink of insanity-if not completely insane-by the time he discovers the things these secretive people worshipped are not as fabled as he originally thought. Even in Lovecraft's fantasy stories, the protagonist always meets with sudden and unexpected shock after discovering the many worlds which converge with ours-often ending up dead or in a state of maniacal laughter which later gets him thrown into a sanatorium. So, no matter what genre a Lovecraft story may seem to embrace, all embrace some aspect of horror.

I would also like to state that the writing itself-although very well done-is not what we have grown accustomed to in our modern age where writers are forced to get to the point as quickly as possible. Lovecraft's old style of writing almost always covers the character's professional background, (there wasn't any attempt to bring emotional involvement between reader and character from what I can recall) before actually getting to the story. And when the story finally begins, he tediously lays down fact after fact as a mystrey slowly unravels before the story starts to really kick in. Like I've already mentioned, the fantasy doesn't come into play until the very end of each story. There is also little to no dialog in most of his stories, which was typical for his time. And the writing itself described no action-it's all pretty much telling. This, to some, may seem to drag. Some may also find his writing far fetched. I'll give an example here, from this small piece which for some reason I grew fond of, from his story, `Shadow Out of Space':

"Primal myth and modern illusion joined in their assumption that mankind is only one-if not least-of the highly evolved and dominant races of this planet's long and largely unknown career. Things of inconceivable shape, they implied, had reared towers to the sky and delved into every secret of nature before the first amphibian forbear of man had crawled out of the hot sea three hundred million years ago."

And it's not just this one piece-the whole of all his stories are like this, and it's true some people will not much care for his style of writing. It is not what we are use to.

Lovecraft has spent countless hours during his lifetime motivating young amateur writers who found inspiration in his work. He has even developed a literary cult which still exists today (and they have no shame calling themselves just that) which use his mythological monstrosities to create a foundation for their own stories. (Lovecraft encouraged this). Somehow, and this one is beyond me, even a card game was developed based on his monsters, as well as a few PC games. And here and there, throughout other fictions, I can't help but notice the similarities between his fiction and the fiction of today's writers.

If you wish to own a large and fulfilling collection of his works, these are my three recommendations: "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and The Macabre", "The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft: Dreams of Terror and Death", and, "The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness." Each of these contain several of his stories, including all his best, some of which were turned into movies such as, `The Dunwich Horror,' `The Shadow Over Innsmouth,' which became a movie called, `Dagon,' and, of course, `Re-animator.' All utterly failed to capture the true Lovecraft.

If you want to just get a taste of the Lovecraft experience (which it has come to be known) I recommend these three popular favorites: "The Call of Cthulhu (Horror)," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth (Horror)," "The Whisperer in Darkness (Science Fiction," "The Colour Out of Space (Science Fiction)" "The Doom that came to Sarnath (Fantasy)," and, "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (Fantasy)." All of which I'm sure you can find individually somewhere.

In an Octopus's Garden.......2005-07-25

Literary theorists swear up and down to their youthful, naive charges that there are only three conflicts in fiction: Man versus Man, Man versus Nature, and Man versus Himself.

Providence recluse and Grandmaster of Horror H.P. Lovecraft, while proving handy at mastering all three of the aforementioned timeless old chestnuts, suggests there is a fourth category: Man versus Thing.

Any connoiseur of the frenzied scribblings of old Adbul Al-Hazred in the Necronomicon will find this second Del Rey collection indispensable as 1) a grimoire chock-full of searingly useful material on the recondite pursuits of those lovable, tentacled beings we know and love as the Elder Gods---mind your manners, sonny boy, they were devouring souls and mastering the Time-Space Quanitplex back when your ancestors were hobnobbing with euglena and paramecium; and 2)Scaring yourself silly.

Man versus Thing, indeed.

Lovecraft was a God among insects, a true literary Giant in the Earth, and the potent, vicious, soul-unhinging madness flowing from his deliciously warped mind is astonishing. Lovecraft took the great disillusionment that stemmed from the Great War and ratcheted it up to the next step, pounding the final nail in the coffin of scientific positivism, and his horror is Cosmic; therein lies his peculiar brilliance. Lovecraft is more than purpled prose and tentacles, in that he has created a world peopled with bloodless, bookish men of science and set them up against uncaring stellar horrors, leaving them with no appeal to God or Goodness. The crucifix won't help you against the horror bubbling out of *that* particular crypt, my good man!

In Lovecraftian fiction, Mankind thinks that by harnessing the marvels of science and high technology, He will improve himself and advance the cause and course of civilization.

Lovecraft knew better. In the Lovecraftian universe , Man is still a primitive, shambling neanderthal in trousers who lives in a dark, slimy, relatively unexplored cave. Science is a guttering tallow candle he holds before him in his trembling hand, throwing light on bulbous, slithering neighbors we had previously only dimly imagined.

And that's the *good* news. The bad news is that Man's newfound, eldritch buddies are now awfully interested in him. And hungry.

The supreme horror discovered by Lovecraftian heroes throughout the stories here---from the refugee from a German U-Boat in "The Temple", to the curious scholar who fumbles with a singularly wrong Device (shades of the Lament Configuration, possibly?), to the hapless spaceman trapped "In the Walls of Eryx"---all of them learn that Science is no friend, and Good and Evil are remote and relative terms on this tepid, livid blue-green orb hurled through cold and unblinkingly alien galaxies.

The stories collected in "The Road to Madness" offer a spyglass into Lovecraft's literary development, but that's less interesting than the gleefully ghoulish, elegant sliminess of some of the ghastly tales offered here like gemstones in the darkness: "Cool Air", "He" and "The Terrible Old Man" chronicle the dangers of befriending or robbing antique old gentlemen in Yankee alleys or Paris garrets; "The Unnameable" is a tasty little ghoul's kiss in a graveyard in which Lovecraft taunts the typical critical assessment of his prose style; "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" serves as a clever riff on the Strange Travelogue Tale, ghost-written for illusionist Harry Houdini.

But these tales, tasty as they are, are but molehills to the mountains offered up by the three jewels in this Lovecraftian crown. "At the Mountains of Madness" is surely Lovecraft's masterwork, chronicling forgotten horrors that threaten the sanity of an Arctic expedition---and possibly the world. "Herbert West: Re-animator" offers an epic account of what some good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity and a syringe of corpse-reviving re-agent can accomplish. "The Horror at Red Hook", a jaunt into some of Brooklyn's seamier quarters, advances a sound argument for urban renewal if ever there was one.

Road to madness? Quite possibly. Road to soul-crushing terror and tentacled nightmares? Absolutely. Enjoy.

JSG

Brilliant.......2005-06-13

The late Howard Phillip Lovecraft defined 20th Century Horror. The list of horror, fantasy, and science fiction authors that were influenced by him is enormous (Stephen King, Clive Barker, Neil Gaimon, George Romero, Dean Koontz, Robert Bloch and many mnay others) some of the earliest members of which were even directly aided by him(Bloch for example). As has been noted one of the few down sides to his work is that it was directly influenced by the era and location that he lived in(late 1800's through 1930's in Rhode Island) and shows a level of racism most modern people find distasteful.

Aside from that though his stories are first rate. In large part he is scary becuase his stories are direct reflections of his world view. To Lovecraft man kind was an absolutely insignifigant speck in a universe that frankly didn't care. He was absolutely a materialist which is why his monsters are aliens and other physical beings and his magic more of an alien science then some thing supernatural(incidentaly he was in the process of coauthoring a book denouncing the supernatural with the late Harry Houdini before the great magician died sadly only an outline remains).

Of his creations a few bear particular note in this collection. For one this includes Herbert West Reanimator the story that inspired the dreadful Reanimator movie. Any one who has ever seen this useless movie would be well served by reading the original story if only to see how much better the original tale was. Another enduring creation is of course the dreaded Necronomicon. A dreaded tome of black magic invented by the late author as a plot device that has since been ripped off by dozens of occultists hoping to make a quick buck. The last work I would specificly point out is "Imprisoned with the Pharophs" a tale he ghost wrote for Harry Houdini.

Ghost Rider: The Road To Damnation (Marvel Graphic Novel)

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For a first, it was great!
The long hard road out of Hell
The Road to Mediocrity
Husband is Happy
Of Hellfire and Harleys

Ghost Rider: The Road To Damnation (Marvel Graphic Novel)
Garth Ennis
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785121226

Book Description

Stunning art and a story that only Garth Ennis could tell! He's paying the price for his deal with the Devil - is the Ghost Rider condemned to ride the highways of Hell for all eternity? His saving grace could be in the form of an unlikely ally - an industrious angel with a deal that would free Ghost Rider once and for all! Collects Ghost Rider #1-6.

Customer Reviews:

For a first, it was great!.......2007-07-13

This was the first Ghost Rider comic that I have ever read, and it was fantastic! I'm glad Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher MAX) was the writer for this dark, gruesome tale. I felt that the movie shouldn't been made and people at the theater just handed you this instead. The art is amazing! Very much worth the price. Remember when you read this: It is about Hell and Damnation. Don't expect it to be your typical superhero story.

The long hard road out of Hell.......2007-03-07

Anyone familiar with the tumultuous history of Ghost Rider in comics knows that the character has never been handled particularly well. With the release of the movie starring Nicolas Cage (who I feel is quite miscast; for me, Kurt Russel would have been the best choice to be Johnny Blaze, but I disgress), Marvel is naturally blitzing everything Ghost Rider that they can, beginning with this mini-series released before the current series by Daniel Way. Written by legendary Preacher creator and current Punisher writer Garth Ennis, Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation finds Johnny Blaze trapped in Hell with no chance of escaping. Until he is made an offer by a mysterious angel to return an evil entity called Kazan back to where he came from, and in return, he can be free. So, off he goes, but not before running into a murderous archangel named Ruth, and a demonic, [...] cowboy named Hoss. If you're an Ennis fan, you'll be happy to find his trademark dark humor throughout this TPB, as well as his stabs at religion and violent absurdity. You'll also find Ennis making many stabs at the character of Blaze himself; fully showing off just how gullible he is. The best part of Road to Damnation is undoubtadly the stunning artwork of Clayton Crain; whose bloody CGI-esque renderings are simply mouth watering. Not to mention that for a book not under Marvel's mature themed MAX line (or even the Marvel Knights line), Road to Damnation features a boat load of gore and mature content that came as a surprise to me. If there's any downsides to the TPB, it's that it ends too quickly, and some of the dialogue is far from the best to come from Ennis. That aside, Road to Damnation is probably one of the best takes on Ghost Rider in recent memory, and whether you're a fan of the character or Ennis, you should give this a look.

The Road to Mediocrity.......2007-02-13

With the new GHOST RIDER movie coming out, Marvel's taken the opportunity to cash in by producing some new GHOST RIDER comics, of which the miniseries collected here is one. The movie looks pretty awful, but I decided to take a chance on some of the character's new comics.

What you'll notice first and foremost about THE ROAD TO DAMNATION is the art by Clayton Crain (Venom vs. Carnage). The Rider has never looked better (he certainly looks for better in this book than in the terrible CGI on display in the movie's preview. . .). Just as Crain provided stunning renditions of Venom, Carnage and Toxin, so here his style is wonderfully suited to rendering Ghost Rider and the various landscapes and critters of Hell. That said, many of the panels featuring those critters are so busy that even with the tremendous amount of detail it can take a while to figure out what exactly you're looking at. And while Crain excels at portraying the grotesque, his normal humans often look odd, occasionally to a distracting degree.

Providing the script is the legendary Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher, The Boys, etc.). Unfortunately, he doesn't have much to work with. He's got his moments of epic scope and myth, he's got his black humor, he's got the occasional jabs at religion -- but it's nothing you haven't seen from him before, and, given that this is a regular Marvel book, it's generally kept lite. He's also very limited in where he can actually go with the character -- and Johnny Blaze himself is immediately recognized as gullible and fairly stupid, which generally doesn't make for a terribly interesting protagonist.

So: there's nothing new here, really. You've got visuals ranging from the absolutely stunning to the off-puttingly stylized, you've got a script that, while not terrible, is far below par for Garth Ennis, and you've got a character who looks kind of cool but isn't really all that interesting. A pretty mediocre book, all told. I'll give it three stars rather than two because if you're going to buy it, chances are you already know all of this and are okay with it.

Husband is Happy.......2007-01-09

This was a gift for my husband. I can tell you, unless he is lying, that he is very happy with it, and was surprised that it was so inexpensive. The box came a bit broken up, but the shipper had packed it so well that there wasn't a single scratch. It also arrived much earlier than expected. My husband said this was a perfect gift for a Ghost Rider fan. Sorry I can't be more help. I am not a comic book buff.

Of Hellfire and Harleys.......2007-01-09

It has been said before that Ghost Rider is high on style and weaker in substance. I have to agree. The original early 70s book, while retro-cool today (then it was 'nowtro') is weak in the storyline department, although damn cool looking. I remember the short lived series in the late 80s also having difficulty keeping up with its imagery. Now, this graphic novel is beautifully done, the illustrations are breathtaking and the whole thing has an aura that makes selling your soul seem like a good idea. BUT, the small format of the comic book made it difficult to figure out some of the images. There were plenty of times I was wondering what the hell I was looking at. The artwork also can't decide whether it wants to be realistic or highly stylized, and the lack of direction is off-putting. The story also needs work.
Basically, this is a prestige piece for the obsessive collecter (like me and you, especially you if you're still reading this) or the long-time fan. Not recommended for people new to Mr. Blaze. For those I would recommend the recent Marvel incarnation.

Average customer rating:

Back to the Front
The trilogy moves from brilliant to sublime
The final chapter of Regeneration Trilogy
Great war literature -- great book
I was disturbed and intensely involved with this book

The Ghost Road
Pat Barker
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452276721

Customer Reviews:

Back to the Front.......2006-03-31

I reviewed REGENERATION, the first volume in Pat Barker's WW1 trilogy, when I first read it and liked it. I did not submit a review of the second volume, THE EYE IN THE DOOR, because it did not seem to sustain the promise (or answer the questions) of the first, and I felt it necessary to see how this third volume would pull the threads together. My verdict: while THE GHOST ROAD is certainly a more focused book than its predecessor, it still does not quite sew the trilogy into a coherent whole.

Barker's method is to take a huge subject that has been much written about, the first World War, and to examine it from unusual angles. Almost all the first two books and the first two-thirds of this one take place in Britain rather than in France. They do not show the war itself, but its effects on the damaged minds of soldiers who return from it, and on social attitudes at home. The brilliance of the first volume was to take two real people -- the poet Siegfried Sassoon and the pioneering psychiatrist William Rivers -- and trace their interaction at Craiglockhart mental hospital, where Sassoon has been sent after publishing a denunciaton of the war. I doubt that Barker had a trilogy in mind when she wrote the first book, and it might have been difficult to have extended it further in the same vein. THE EYE IN THE DOOR suffers from having too many characters; there is a bit of Sassoon, a bit of Rivers, and a bewildering array of new people, but the main character is a relatively minor figure from the first book, Billy Prior. The main subject of the story is the strongly prejudiced reactionism in wartime Britain, taking as its targets pacifists, socialists, and homosexuals. It is a hard book to follow, and it rather loses its way.

THE GHOST ROAD more or less gets back on track, by giving more of the book to Rivers, by building Prior into a richer and more sympathetic character, and finally moving the action into the trenches for the last chapters. But the focus on war poets which gave such character to the first book has all but vanished in this one. Sassoon barely appears. Wilfred Owen, who figured as a secondary character in the first book, returns here and dies (as he did) in the last days of the way, but he is treated so peripherally that it is hard to see why the author cites no less than six books on him in her concluding bibliography.

This change of direction is a pity, because Barker is much more successful finding the humanity in her real characters than she is inventing others out of whole cloth. She seems to want to use Billy Prior, for example, in protean fashion, to represent whatever she needs at any given moment: a homosexual and yet a lover of women; an officer and gentleman who nonetheless comes from a working-class background; a soldier turned civil servant turned solider again. The lack of focus in Prior's own life risks the narrative focus of the last two books; his decision to return to France comes as a relief, because it simplifies everything.

The psychiartist Rivers has always been an attractive and complex character, I think because his complexity is real and not made up. In this volume, Barker fills him out by delving into his past: his relationship with Lewis Carrol as a child, and his anthropological work in the South Seas at the start of the century. Both are interesting, but their relationship to the overall direction of the trilogy is less clear. Others have commented on the parallels between the Melanesian culture and the situation in the trenches, but I do not find it especially cogent. However, it certainly makes an unusual angle on the war, and the ability to find unusual angles has been Pat Barker's greatest success from beginning to end.

The trilogy moves from brilliant to sublime.......2005-04-22

The books in this trilogy get better as you go. Eye in the Door certainly explores the dissolving bonds of society in war time but Ghost Road seems to move the theme even further into the primitive societal meaning of war.

In Regeneration, Siefried Sassoon must find personal meaning in this horroble meaningless mess called World War I. In Eye in the Door we seen how sexual bonds are losened while society seeks to blame negative events in wartime on homosexuals. Finally in Ghost Road we see war as the sacrifice of the young male to the gods. The upperclass elderly males who direct wars sacrifice the young sons of the working class on an altar of horror. Dr. Rivers makes this connect as he treats the young Billy Pryor for shell shock while remembering the ritual sacrifice of the Melanesian head hunters.

The trilogy is absolutely great and should be read in order to follow the character developement as well as the exploration of war that Barker develops differently with each book.

The final chapter of Regeneration Trilogy.......2003-11-25

THE GHOST ROAD is the final volume of Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, and the winner of the 1995 Booker Prize. Throughout the trilogy Barker performs a phenomenal job of detailing the psychological consequences of trench warfare during the Great War. Set in London and France, THE GHOST ROAD focuses on the principle characters of Billy Prior and the renowned Dr. Rivers and their personal relationships with each other and the First World War. The reader is provided a glimpse into the terrible conditions of trench fighting, and how the medical establishment viewed shell-shock as a medical diagnosis and how it was treated. Through the poetry of Owen, Sassoon, etc, the world can begin to understand the personal horrors they have witnessed of a war that many did not understand. Based loosely on historical events and characters, Barker has created a perspective of modern warfare that does not contain the quintessential happy ending.

I believe each volume of the Regeneration Trilogy should be read in chronological order (REGENERATION, THE EYE IN THE DOOR, AND THE GHOST ROAD) to fully appreciate the merits of each volume. Although the plot is re-summarized at the beginning of each book, the main characters are continually being developed throughout. I just finished reading GHOST ROAD, and I have to admit that it's not my favorite of the three. I don't understand how this volume was awarded the Booker Prize when I believe REGENERATION is the strongest of the bunch. I also enjoyed THE EYE IN THE DOOR because of the exploration of societal issues during The First War, especially scape-goating of homosexuals and pacifists.

Overall, this trilogy is a wonderful glimpse into the atmosphere of Britain during the First World War.

Great war literature -- great book.......2003-10-24

Everyone living in the 21st century who cares about the future of humanity -- not to mention fine literature -- should read this extremely skillfully written, emotionally powerful novel of The Great War. Pat Barker has perfect control over her material, and manages to write with power but never goes over the top or gets melodramatic -- a tough thing to do when you're writing about any war. Starting gently, subtly, even humorously, the book builds quietly until it reaches its final, wrenching chapters. It's a touching, compelling, beautifully told tale that deserves a worldwide audience. I can't wait to read more by Pat Barker!

I was disturbed and intensely involved with this book.......2003-01-10

Not your ordinary war read. I love authors that take a topic of huge proportions, say World War I, and write a book that actually stands taller in the imagination of the reader as great a couple weeks later.

Average customer rating:

Did I miss something?
A Cracking Horror Novel; Move Over Mr. King
best in awhile
Too Bloody Much
A Melodic and Dark Debut

Ghost Road Blues
Jonathan Maberry
Manufacturer: Pinnacle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786018151

Book Description

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel

From a new master of horror comes an apocalyptic showdown between the residents of a secluded, rural town and the deadly evil that confronts them wherever they turn . . .

Evil Doesn't Die

The cozy little town of Pine Deep buried the horrors of its past a long time ago. Thirty years have gone by since the darkness descended and the Black Harvest began, a time when a serial killer sheared a bloody swath through the quiet Pennsylvania village. The evil that once coursed through Pine Deep has been replaced by cheerful tourists getting ready to enjoy the country's largest Halloween celebration in what is now called "The Spookiest Town in America."

It Just Grows Stronger

But then--a month before Halloween--it begins. Unspeakably desecrated bodies. Inexplicable insanity. And an ancient evil walking the streets, drawing in those who would fall to their own demons and seeking to shred the very soul of this rapidly fracturing community. Yes, the residents of Pine Deep have drawn together and faced a killer before. But this time, evil has many faces--and the lust and will to rule the earth. This struggle will be epic.

Customer Reviews:

Did I miss something?.......2007-10-06

Very dissapointed in this book. I don't understand all the 5 star reviews. This novel was anything but a horror novel. Unless I missed something, I'm not sure, but this was just a rambling on about .....I really don't know what it was about. According to the synopsis, there were to be mutilated bodies showing up all over the place. Well no bodies showed up until page 350. If I'm not mistaken , I think this was supposed to be quite possibly an attempt to be a werewolfe novel?

A Cracking Horror Novel; Move Over Mr. King.......2007-10-04

Ghost Road Blues, the first of the Pine Deep Trilogy, has garnered a lot of attention and is the critically acclaimed novel of Jonathan Maberry who has also won the Bram Stoker Award. So with all this publicity and hype, I just had to check it out and Mr. Maberry was very kind enough to give me a review copy.
It's 1976 and something sinister is brewing in Pine Deep. A terrible evil lurks in this normally quiet town and the malevolent being is meticulously killing people faster than lightening. One man however, stands in the way of the ruthless, possessed murderer and squares off against him. That man is Oren Morse or as others call him, "The Bone Man", an African-American blues player with a guitar slung over his shoulder. With the wooden instrument, Morse beats down Ubel Griswold, the vicious murderer, and stops the evil...for now. But as Morse returns to his home, three men surround him and beat the Negro to death, committing a grave injustice. Thirty years on and October is approaching and for the Mayor of Pine Deep, Terry Wolfe, this worries him. Something peculiar yet chilling is dawdling in the air and when three wanted criminals arrive into town, it spells trouble for the inhabitants, especially the Guthries whose lives are torn apart after the encounter with one of the wanted men, Karl Ruger. Unknown to the dwellers of this quaint little town, the three criminals are the least of Pine Deep's problems however, as a ghastly old evil resurfaces and a ghostly figure with a guitar slung over his shoulder wanders the lonely roads in an attempt to help the people to fight the oncoming slaughter nicknamed, "The Red Wave".
It comes as no surprise that Mr. Maberry won the prestigious Bram Stoker award named after the famous Dublin man and the creator of Count Dracula. From start to finish Maberry entices the reader to venture further into the darkness that surrounds Pine Deep. There's a certain eeriness in the way the events unfold and you shiver as a chill crawls up and down your spine while reading the novel. The author succeeds in completing his objective in getting the reader to become emotionally involved by creating engaging characters that you'll either love or loath; the good guys are good and the bad guys are despicably bad. One character in particular, Vic Windgate, stood out for me. He is a vicious, nasty, S.O.B. who hits his wife and her young 14 year-old son and every time he slaps the kid around, you grit your teeth and just want to jump into the story and kick the living s**t out of him! Jonathan Maberry also describes a scene with creepy precision; "In the distance the thunder laughed again and there was a single flash of lightning that scratched a deep red vein in the darkness." His descriptions however are somewhat of a double-edged sword and he does occasionally go into overkill, sometimes painting a picture of a group of people or a town the length of half a page and this can be very off-putting. I found myself skipping certain passages that were over described and it's a shame because it can hinder the reader in enjoying what really is a great read that ends on a superb cliffhanger.
Ghost Road Blues is a terrific horror novel that is unfortunately hampered with overly descriptive passages. Make no mistake however, this will make you want to sleep with the light on and its author is every bit deserving of the award he received and could very well be the new king of horror. The sequel, Dead Man's Song is out now.

Rating: 4/5

Aidan Lucid
www.thelucidreview.com

best in awhile.......2007-10-03

I thought I should take the time to review this wonderful book. I've read just about every horror/thriller writer out there and I usually stick to the two "big K's," King and Koontz, as I am usually disappointed with everything else that is out there. But Ghost Road Blues really blew past my expectations. I am suprised this is Mr. Maberry's first full lenth novel.

The scenes are well written and the characters are nicely developed. The best books I have ever read make me able to picture myself completely in the charicter's world, which this book does supperbly. Crow is one of the most lovable personalities I have seen in a long time.

I won't give away the plot or story line, but if you like creepy books that are hard to put down then this is for you.

Too Bloody Much.......2007-09-11

I had the honor if meeting Maberry at a book signing and recently began the task of pouring myself into his hard work. The story is great and the characters are extremely vivid and solid. I really couldn't have done it better myself. But the way Maberry takes us there is just so ... painful!

I guess it would be good in a horror novel to do that, inflict pain on the reader, but not like this. Getting through pages of text that could be chopped down to a few paragraphs would have made the experience less like a deleted scene from Hostile and more like an enjoyable horror flick. I can't say Maberry is a bad writer (I've read a lot of garbage in my time), but his editor should have taken some No-Doze while doing his job. I bet at least 100 pages or more could have been cut and the novel would have flowed beautifully.

Maybe some day I'll finish the book and give a full review on content. After page 69 I just couldn't take the pain anymore.

A Melodic and Dark Debut.......2007-07-29

Bram Stoker award-winning Jonathan Maberry comes out with his exciting debut, Ghost Road Blues, the first in an alleged series of three. Maberry lives and breathes in his exciting tale of all-mighty evil power striving itself on a small town of Pine Deep. This story could easily hold its own against some of King's and Koontz's earlier works without breaking a sweat.

If there's a new voice to read these days, it's Jonathan Maberry.

--Joseph McGee, author of In the Wake of the Night, Phil's Place and Darkness Won't Rest: Phils Place II

Buffy the vampire slayer: The gatekeeper trilogy

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Still the best of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novels

Buffy the vampire slayer: The gatekeeper trilogy
Christopher Golden
Manufacturer: Science Fiction Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0739405829

Product Description

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Gatekeeper Omnibus of three novelizations (all 1999) in a trilogy based on the TV show based on the movie: Out of the Madhouse, Ghost Roads, and Sons of Entropy. This special SFBC edition has ISBN 0-7394-0582-9; it lacks a price and has the SFBC number on the back jacket. Copyrighted by Twentieth Century Fox.

Customer Reviews:

Still the best of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novels.......2004-08-03

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is dead and gone and so is "Angel," so all we have left are comic books and novels continuing the adventures of Joss Whedon's characters. As we are about to finish our first decade of the "BtVS" universe in terms of novels "The Gatekeeper Trilogy" by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder is still the standard by which such things are judged, especially if one is ambitious enough to attempt a "BtVS" and/or "Angel" trilogy.

"The Gatekeeper Trilogy" is an epic story that manages to get the Slayer and the Scoobies out of Sunnydale. Unbound by considerations of stage space and shooting budgets the first volume, "Out of the Madhouse" manages to get the Slayer and most of her cohorts to Boston. The plot has to do with the Sons of Entropy trying to unleash chaos on the world at the behest of Il Maestro, who works mainly behind the scenes in Book One. Suddenly all sorts of wicked things come to Sunnydale and it turns out that there have been released from the Gatehouse where the Gatekeeper is dying, leading up to an initial showdown in Boston. The other recurring concern throughout the book is more personal, dealing with what Buffy, Xander, Willow and the gang are going to do when they get finally graduate high school, so there is a concern for the entropy of the group along with the potential destruction of all human life on the planet. Implicit in their concerns is the unspoken knowledge that Buffy is fated to die young as a slayer and their realization that whatever hopes and aspirations they might have seem somewhat secondary to saving the world from big evil.

The middle volume, "The Ghost Roads," is the best in the trilogy. The Ghost Roads of the title are a network of inter-dimensional shortcuts that allow Buffy, Angel and Oz to travel quickly to Europe to search for the son of the dying Gatekeeper. What they do not know is that Spike and Drusilla have the boy and are looking to make a deal with the Sons of Entropy. Meanwhile, back in Sunnydale, the Flying Dutchman has appeared off shore causing problems for Giles and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Even worse, the Sons of Entropy have kidnapped Joyce Summers in an effort to force the Slayer to return so Buffy can be sacrificed by Il Maestro to the greater glory of his demon overlord and the end of the world as we know it. Golden and Holder are clearly working on that higher level in this book: Giles has to leave behind students to die during an escape, Angel tortures a wounded man to get vital information, and Joyce deals with the idea of sacrificing herself so that Buffy can save the world (Note: This is NOT a Buffy book for younger readers).

In the concluding volume, "Sons of Entrophy," the truly tragic figure that emerges from this trilogy is Jacques Regnier, the young boy who has to become the Gatekeeper following the death of his father. His fate is different from that of Buffy as the Slayer, but he is also a Chosen One and there is a certain pathos to his having to grow up too quickly. The creation of the Gatekeeper and the Gatehouse are one of the best ideas to come out of the "BtVS" books. Ironically, Buffy has less to do that most of the other characters in the final volume, but it was definitely great to see that Xander have a bright shinning moment as the substitute Gatekeeper. His character had been the comic relief for the Scooby Gang for so long that you forget he brought Buffy back from the dead at the end of season one. They also do a nice job of getting to what Cordelia is thinking behind her tactless remarks, but Oz is back to quipping a bit too much as he was in Book One and Willow is much more the successful little wicca she ended up being in the series. However, the character who really shines in this volume is Joyce Summers, dealing with being the mother of the Slayer as best she can.

Golden and Holder were perfectly suited to the task of constructing a literary epic for Buffy, not only because they are far and away the best writers working on the Buffy books but also because they have researched the characters and the attendant mythos of the series, having worked on all of the official companion guides for the series. They have come up with a plot line well suited to a three volume tale and you only have to read a couple of chapters to acknowledge this book is so far above the vast majority of the Buffy books. Furthermore, they get beyond the surface level with all of the characters, although admittedly they are guilty of putting too many quips into dialogue. They get the important stuff right. It has been several years since "The Gatekeeper Trilogy" first came out and you still will not find a better Buffy the Vampire Slayer story (Golden's "The Lost Slayer" serial novels come closest).

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The Road to Hell
Jackie Kessler
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0821781030
Release Date: 2007-10-30

Book Description

In Jackie Kessler's debut novel Hell's Belles, she introduced readers to Jesse Harris, a succubus-turned-human with a tart tongue, a way with a g-string, and a soft spot for sexy undercover cop Paul Hamilton. Now Jesse's back, and where she goes, Hell is sure to follow...

There's Nothing Worse Than A Demon With A Grudge

Jesse may no longer be a soul-stealing succubus, but she's got a Hell of a past. She'd love to come clean to her sweet, super-hot boyfriend Paul, but how exactly does a girl start that conversation? There's no name tag that reads: "I Used to Have Sex with Men before Taking Their Souls to the Lake of Fire--Ask Me How!" Just like some people are worth being monogamous for (shudder), some secrets are worth keeping. Like the fact that bad boy incubus Daunuan keeps popping up from the Underworld to put some toe-curling moves on her; that her former associates are trying to strong-arm her back into the fold; and that every supernatural entity on the planet seems to want to have a conversation with her in the bathroom. But someone in the Underworld isn't ready to play nice (go figure), and this time, the stakes are nothing less than Paul's immortal soul.

Book Description

PASSPORT TO HELL

Buffy, Oz, and Angel are Europe-bound, only they're not flying any airlines. They're traveling limbo's "ghost roads" in search of Jacques Regnier. Jacques is the sole heir of the dying Gatekeeper whose Boston mansion is the supernatural barrier restraining thousands of the world's monsters. The evil Sons of Entropy will do anything to destroy the gate -- even if it means trading the power-laden Spear of Longinus to the wicked vampires holding Jacques.

Back home, the ghost ship Flying Dutchman has set sail for Sunnydale, determined to shanghai new crewmen -- dead or alive. For Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles, it's an ocean of trouble, especially when the monstrous Kraken reemerges with a vengeance.

But everyone's assistance will be needed once Buffy locates Jacques, and uncovers the shocking plans the Sons of Entropy have already placed in motion -- a plan that, if successful, will destroy the world and create a horrible new realm ruled by monsters.

Customer Reviews:

Buffy with guns? Buffy killing humans? Whats going on.......2006-04-28

I'll start off by saying I enjoyed the last book, and for the most part enjoyed this book. But their was a few major problems. While in Europe Buffy and friends get attacked by a person with a lot of guns, instead of leaving the guns, which is what Buffy would of done they take them. This is completley out of character for Buffy. After all she's never been big on guns. Another problem is throughout the book Buffy watches humans die with little to no emotion. Sure they are the bad guys but Buffy doe'snt kill humans period. She always finds a way around it. This book does not stay true to the things Buffy stands for, and for that I give it one star. I mean Buffy with guns, come on guys you know more about the Buffyverse than that.

Jhaeman's Reviews.......2005-06-03

GHOST ROADS
Book 2 of The Gatekeeper Trilogy
Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder (1999)

RATING: 3/5 Stakes

SETTING: Season Three

CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Angel, Oz, Giles, Cordelia, Willow, Xander, Spike, Drusilla, Joyce, Sheila Rosenberg, Amy Madison

MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Jean-Marc Regnier, Henri Regnier, Jacques Regnier, Antoinette Regnier, Giuliana Regnier (Gatekeepers); Il Maestro (sorceror); Belphegon (demon); Ian Williams, Micaela Tomasi (traitor Watchers); Claire Bellamy (manager of The Bronze); Brother Anthony, Brother Lupo (Sons of Entropy); Giacomo Fulcanelli (sorceror)

BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Buffy, Oz, and Angel are Europe-bound, only they're not flying any airlines. They're traveling limbo's `ghost roads' in search of Jacques Regnier. Jacques is the sole heir of the dying Gatekeeper whose Boston mansion is the supernatural barrier restraining thousands of the world's monsters. The evil Sons of Entropy will do anything to destroy the gate--even if it means trading the power-laden Spear of Longinus to the wicked vampires holding Jacques. Back home, the ghost ship Flying Dutchman has set sail for Sunnydale, determined to shanghai new crewmen--dead or alive. For Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles, it's an ocean of trouble, especially when the monstrous Kraken reemerges with a vengeance. But everyone's assistance will be needed once Buffy locates Jacques, and uncovers the shocking plans the Sons of Entropy have already placed in motion--a plan that, if successful, will destroy the world and create a horrible new realm ruled by monsters."
REVIEW

A gigantic sea monster, a manticore, and a skeleton-crewed pirate ship called The Flying Dutchman? It must be either back-to-back Scooby Doo episodes or Book Two in The Gatekeeper Trilogy. With the Gatehouse slowing falling to pieces, more and more fantastic (in the old sense of the word) monsters are escaping into the world. In Ghost Roads, we see Buffy, Oz, and Angel traveling through Europe trying to find a young boy who is destined to become the next Gatekeeper--but as these things go, Spike & Dru stand in their way. Back home in Sunnydale, Willow, Giles, Xander, and Cordelia work feverishly to repair the breaches between this world and the "Overworld" where the monsters originate.

Sounds cheesy doesn't it? Somehow it works, especially the Buffy trio vs. Spike & Dru story thread. It's refreshing to see some of the Scoobies outside of their traditional haunts and the authors obviously had fun researching European cities for the book. Teaming Oz up with Buffy & Angel is a surprisingly effective way of shedding some more light on everyone's favorite lycanthrope and helps show him as something more than just Willow's tag-along boyfriend. Dialogue is excellent--Golden & Holder, unlike most Buffy scribes, are able to write Spike & Dru with just the right mix of menace, playfulness, and insanity.

The Sunnydale thread is the weaker of the two and narrowly escapes being cartoony. Scenes like Giles being forced to walk the plank by skeletal pirates are amusing but too close to farce for comfort. It gets surprisingly serious near the end, however, as Joyce gets kidnapped and a major character gets shot, prompting a trip to the Ghost Roads.

The villains of the book, the Sons of Entropy, are well-depicted. In too much fiction, criminal organizations are either stunningly organized and competent or unbelievably ineffectual. Here, the Sons are individualized to show a wide variety of people in the group with a good depiction of the cult mindset. The Sons' leader, Il Maestro, is a fairly typical evil mastermind.

With excellent dialogue & characterization, and a decent plot, Ghost Roads is a satisfactory middle book in the Gatekeeper Trilogy.

(c) 2005 Jeremy Patrick (jhaeman@hotmail.com)

Jhaeman's Buffy Reviews: http://www.geocities.com/jhaeman

run, buffy, run!.......2004-04-06

Ghost Roads is a heck of a lot better than Out of the Madhouse- there are actual conversations in this novel & not just a bunch of action sequences piled up on one another.

The plot gets more interesting as Oz, Angel & Buffy follow the ghost roads in search of the heir to the Gatekeeper. Willow, Giles, Cordelia & Xander try to keep things in check back home in Sunnydale. Of course, the Sons of Entropy are out in full force & as a refreshing change of pace Spike & Dru are thrown into the mix.

Typical of the Buffy books, this one is fast & easy to read & 100% avoidable if you haven't seen every episode of Buffy a gazillion times already. I only read them because I'm Buffy deprived- purely a guilty pleasure.

an excellent part for a great trilogy.......2002-09-01

The Buffy books aimed for adults have always been good and this trilogy is no exception. If you are a fan of the show, you will appreciate how authentic the story line is. Nancy Holder does it again and truly captures buffy and the gang in full action. You cannot stop reading until you have finished all 3 books. Please start with the first book ,"Out of the Madhouse" and continue the books in order. (Ghostroads is book #2) The story will make sense and i promise that you will be fully satisfied at the end. I only wish that this and other buffy books had a chance to be added as shows for the tv series!

good book with a few faults.......2001-04-13

I've only read a third of the book but I dont need to read the whole book to that its great , but I have to say that it wasnt as good as another Buffy book I read The Immortal . That book was more abt the emotional aspects of Buffys life, but this one was baically abt the ghosts and goblins that surround her life .Actually the book duznt really show Buffy all that much neither duz it highlight her relationship with Angel ,the part I love most abt Buffy . Despite all these faults I still call the book great cuz it is great , as simple as that .U cant deny a book the credit it desrves . Its a very interesting book with a good plot , even though it duznt really show Buffy all that much , the other subplots r also ver interesting.

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