I’ve been reading a lot of
horror lately. Maybe it’s summer’s
calling or maybe it’s just that I’m discovering, or should I say rediscovering,
classics. By classics, of course, I mean
the B-grade kind, those that are hard on the gas pedal and light on the rich narrative. I’ve tried to change, to get serious in my
choices, but it seems to be a lost cause.
I always end up dissing whatever may strike other people’s fancy in
favor of those faves of mine which truly know how to grab my attention from
page one.
Finishing up SPAWN OF HELL by the very talented William Schoell, I can easily confirm that indeed, this 1984 chiller about fabricated monsters invading a small town is a pure treat from cover to cover. I know, I sound a bit like a walking blurb but I don’t care. This offering is truly a work of vintage art, one that should be discussed in writing classes as the how-to in creating horror magic on a dime. Because we all know that Mr. Schoell didn’t spend an eternity in finding just the right words or the prettiest of sentences to tell his story. No, the guy just skillfully spewed out the basic threads to create an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that some other reputed authors could and should probably envy.
Despite some evident lack of finishing
touches in his overall delivery and a slew of aggravating typos (it’s a pre-Don
D’auria edition), Schoell has another plus in his favor: he can create loving
characters. People we easily connect
with in between action sequences. So
instead of minimizing character development, he spends a few chapters focusing
on it. This has been criticized by many
who feel that it slows down the plot, and I quite agree. It does boil down to that, but contrary to,
say, Edward Lee or perhaps Gord Rollo (two authors I appreciate from time to
time) who spend little time in focusing on characterization, the end result is
far more superior. ‘Cause when the blood hits the fan, you do pray for the
protagonists’ safety.
Another thing I completely dig
is the way Schoell gets rid of his people.
And I’m not talking about his demise choices here. What I’m specifically saying is that no one
is safe in this novel. Any character
could meet the grim reaper, any time any day.
This makes the read even more enticing, if you ask me. Am I going overboard with this Schoell
lovin’? Hum maybe. But if every novel I venture into could be as
rewarding as SPAWN OF HELL, perhaps
I’d end up with even more horror titles in my reading pile. It’s work like this that makes this genre all
the more worthwhile. SPAWN OF HELL is William Schoell’s
first novel (it was re-published in 1987 by Leisure). He wrote several others after that one. I have no idea if they are as engrossing but I’m more than happy to find out.
POSTSCRIPT: it looks like SPAWN OF HELL will finally hit the digital market very soon. Yes, dear readers, just got word that the
novel will eventually be re-released as THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. More
reason for you to get this gem as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, if you’re really in need of
a fix, you can always hunt down a used copy or better yet, try his latest,
MONSTER WORLD. I hear it’s very
compelling.
Until next post—Martin
