Erebus - Shaun Hutson. Star 1984 Reprinted 1998
A world beyond Hell itself.
Wakely was just a small farming community but something was terribly wrong there. Something wrong with the livestock, with the people Something unspeakable. Perpetuated by the mysterious Venderburg (sic) Chemicals Group who sought to protect its interests and secrets no matter what the cost to the people of Wakely or, indeed, to the rest of mankind. And who would have thought that red meat could be so deadly?...
Doctor Alec Clayton p.232 'Is mindless violence your only answer?'
Yes! This is a Shaun Hutson novel! This one's for Caroline!
We start with a definition of Erebus, and quotes from William Shakespeare and Ronnie James Dio.
Chapter one gives us the stinking rich Baldwins, off to check up on their new foal, sired by Regal Gent, Derby winner in England and Ireland. The mother horse is a bit on edge. It kicks the shit out of a stablehand, bites a large chunk out of its offspring, which it then tramples. Mrs Baldwin's white mink jacket turns red, and she faints whilst her husband vomits and vomits.
Chapter two is a description of the charming town of Wakely.
Chapter three introduces us to some of the staff of Wakely abattoir, principally new boy being told off for picking his nose by old lag who is polishing off a gigantic breakfast. Then its down to the slaughter room to get rid of some bullocks. Some of the bullocks don't want to go, so new boy and old lag feature in a literal bloodbath.
Let's get down to the plot (such as it is).
Meet Vic Tyler - works on a farm (tough and muscley), has been to agricultural college and worked for the Min Of Ag (intelligent), only returning to take over his father's place when the old boy passed on (sensitive).
Meet Jo Ward - ace reporter for the
Arkham Comet. She's tough, commited, good-looking, American and investigating dodgy local concern Vandenburg (ignore that back cover misprunt) Chemicals.
Meet Geoffrey Anderson - he's Jo's mole in the Vandenburg labs and desperate to meet up with her as he has important info. Unfortunately, just before he can pass on that information, he's garrotted with cheesewire in his car by a dark shadow, rain pouring down the outside of the windcreen, Geoff's lifeblood pouring down the inside.
Vic's noticing odd stuff on the farm. His pig weaners are twice the size they should be. Just before his death, old man Tyler bought some new meal, guaranteed to increase growth in livestock. Hmmmm.....
Vet Dan Hawley is called out to the Tyler farm to help deliver a calf. The calf is an horrific mutant that bursts out of its mother covering Vic and Dan in blood 'n' shit. Vic puts it down with a pitchfork, several times.
He meets fellow farmers in The Black Swan, all chuffed with their animals prodigious growth. Earwigging Jo horns in when the fact that the feed comes from Vandenburg is mentioned.
She and Vic hit it off and he gives her a lift to the local farmers market, just in time to watch in horror as Vic's oversize weaners go apeshit and rip their mother to bloody shreds.
Something is rotten in the state of Wakely. Even the populace are starting to suffer. They're becoming acutely sensitive to light,their skin becomes pale and is shed wholesale, growing (ulp!) hair on their palms, long finger nails and teeth and, if not actually pissing blood, then they're developing a taste for other peoples.
Hutson's fourth novel, although a little clumsy in places, is a perfectly nutzoid pulp mentalist gore festival, a kind of I Am Legend meets The Archers, as things go from bad to worse for poor old Vic and Jo, as they strive to leave the deserted-during-the-day town, now ringed by troops and Vandenburg security, fight off rabid townspeople after dark (many of whom Vic knew - but fortunately he has a formidable range of shotguns) and get to the bottom of Vandenburg's involvement in the outbreak of animal/human violence.
Obvious, ridiculous, brilliant fun.