I discovered John Farris as a reader with the paperback publication of "Son of the Endless Night." I knew of "The Fury" but I hadn't felt compelled to read another psychic story when it was released.SOTEN, on the other hand, promised an excitingly different twist on the demonic possession story. It focuses a young man commits a murder while possessed by a demon.
He's tried and a "demonic possession" defense is mounted. Of course-- need I say it--all hell breaks loose at the trial.
After reading that I rushed right out and found a used--hey, all I could get at the time, we didn't have no Amazon in the '80s--copy of "All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By."
As Charles noted recently that phrase is a magnificent combination of words, and the book was touted as remarkable in many Farris articles. It's on many Top 100 Horror lists.
I proceeded to not read it.
That's a super power of mine, even though I knew it was supposed to be fantastic. (David J. Schow discusses just how fantastic it is in this review.)
I read "Shatter" and "Minotaur" and "Scar Tactics" by no "AHTWTHGB."
I don't have an excuse other than the "I was busy defense."
So I've been deprived of the intricate tale of families and history and voodoo it promises. It's one more selection on my shelf of must-read-horror, and I hope to rectify the situation soon.
7 comments:
I haven't read this one either, and I can't quite tell you why. Every time I see it on my stacks I think, "man, I need to get to that one," and then I let it slide. Maybe we should take a bet as to who will get to it first.
i have yet to read john farris, partly because i'm stuck on reading too much crime fiction for my own good. sid, email my friend in jhb, tell her the link is on my blog, another hemisphere. thx, buddy. there's something in it for you somewhere down the line...
Yeah, Charles, I'll race you in not reading it. We'll see who wins.
Wayne, not finding anotherhemisphere yet. It's showing blogger not found but I did e-mail your friend.
I will do so again.
Hey guys, gosh I did not know about this writer,luckily I can say now I do....now to find copies...whoohooo....I love books:)
hey, sid. look on my blog, there is a link. i owe you three hundred babillion dollars. my computer should be home with a new hard drive tonight.
I love having a stack of books that sit in my bedroom, waiting for me to pick them up. Sometimes I look for titles that have sat on a shelf for years, books which probably thought they'd never be read.
My memory jogged by an earlier posting of your's I now am in the middle of a short story collection by William Tenn entitled "The Wooden Star".
Don't feel too bad--I haven't even acquired this one yet!
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