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Post by killercrab on Jun 4, 2008 0:37:12 GMT
 THE VENOMOUS SERPENT by Brian Ball ( Horror No.3) - New English Library , 1974. ' This was no gentle sprite , no kindly thing looking for a habitation amongst creatures it had known when on earth. It had come back from the grave. It was a REVENANT.' Brian Ball's THE VENOMOUS SERPENT is the cast iron knackers Nel vets book of choice.Hailing from delerious '74 when New English Library could do little wrong for the dedicated horror trash fiend with 30p to spare - it's a supernatural thriller steeped in the Derbyshire countryside that refuses to apologise or make rational excuses for it's premise. " Strike for the evil heart , then truly cut off her head!" Ball opens his account describing how the local yokels fail to rid the town of Stymead of the venomous serpent - the best they can manage is too brick her up beneath a stonkin' great brass engraving. Better than nothing I guess. We fast forward to '74 - meeting Andy and curvey Sally - two arty beatniks renting an old farm - selling off antiques to the tourists. Sally returns one day with a brass rubbing - yep she's found the abandoned church. Excited at the possibilities for multiple sales of the rubbing - it's not long before things start to go pear shaped if not the total banana. Andy experiences nasty dreams - imagining the moonlight is bringing the brass rubbing of Lady Sybil and her familiar ( the nigget) to life.He goes mental when the creature starts suckling at her breast.... Rather fun too is how the author references his other works - LESSON FOR THE DAMNED and DEVIL'S PEAK without interupting the flow of the story. There's also a wonderfully miserable old bastard innkeeper , a knob end of a copper called Postlethwaite - and a rather useless clergyman. If this sounds up your street - welcome to the hounds of Nel club... Ade |
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 4, 2008 0:48:46 GMT
I want to read this again! And Devil's Peak, which isn't as good - largely because it mostly takes place in a snowbound greasy spoon - but still has some great moments. Still never read Lesson For The Damned, a bit of a disappointment by all accounts? |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 4, 2008 1:05:11 GMT
Never read any other Ball books myself - though he's got a bunch I fancy. The aforementioned and his Witchfinder jobs - MARK OF THE BEAST and EVIL AT MONTEINE. I'm hoping this thread will build into a comprehensive look at the Nel Horror series. Bring on the reviews , scans and adulations...
ade
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 4, 2008 1:15:11 GMT
I'm hoping this thread will build into a comprehensive look at the Nel Horror series. Bring on the reviews , scans and adulations... I might even finish my review of Martin Jenson's Village of Fear... |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 4, 2008 1:16:15 GMT
 THE VILLAGE OF FEAR by Martin Jenson ( Horror No.2) - Nel 1974 'There seems no end as every fresh horror is revealed , till the very fires of Hell are burning in their midst.' Can't attempt a review as it's yonks since I read this - but I certainly enjoyed it. Not supernatural I recall - but certainly pretty cool regardless - maybe someone else has a better memory? Martin Jenson also wrote two more horrors than I'm aware of - AN ODOUR OF DECAY released in '75 ( Franklin M bigged this up ) and THE ECHO ON THE STAIRS circa '77. Ade |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 4, 2008 1:17:28 GMT
I might even finish my review of Martin Jenson's Village of Fear... >>
Bloody hell I was uploading a scan whilst you were typing ! Bring it on Steve...
ade
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 4, 2008 1:32:33 GMT
it's yonks since I read this - but I certainly enjoyed it. Not supernatural I recall - but certainly pretty cool regardless was perhaps an odd choice for the NEL Horror series (but then it was quite an odd little series). It's hardly a horror book at all in many ways but it's classic NEL, full of great characters. All the Jensons are well worth picking up for anyone who enjoys nothing more than spending a couple of hours in the unique NELiverse. |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 4, 2008 2:26:05 GMT
And Devil's Peak, which isn't as good - largely because it mostly takes place in a snowbound greasy spoon - but still has some great moments. >>
I'm sold on that cover Steve. I take it that the book is also set in Derbyshire?
ade
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Post by Dr Terror on Jun 4, 2008 11:58:41 GMT
Still never read Lesson For The Damned, a bit of a disappointment by all accounts? The ending could have been better, but overall I enjoyed it. |
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Post by benedictjjones on Jun 4, 2008 13:07:31 GMT
LOVING THE COVER OF DEVILS PEAK - HOW COMES BOOKS DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT ANYMORE...
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 4, 2008 23:22:14 GMT
I take it that the book is also set in Derbyshire? is definitely part of Brian Ball's 'Peak District cycle (mythos?)' but it takes place more up towards Sheffield, as I remember. Still never read Lesson For The Damned, a bit of a disappointment by all accounts? My memory obviously isn't all it might be though. Just after I posted the comment above I read Sevy's review in this very section of Vault, which begins; "I'd been looking forward to the day when Lesson for the Damned worked its way to the top of the 'to be read' pile - and now that it has, thankfully it in no way disappointed." OK, so not a disappointment at all then. And Charles enjoyed it too. I must have been thinking of Curt's review at Groovy Age, I know he didn't rate it much. The cover of Devil's Peak certainly falls well and truly into the "they don't make 'em like that anymore" category. Is it just me, or does the bloke look like he's locked himself out? |
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Post by dem bones on Jun 5, 2008 0:01:36 GMT
We never did quite confirm which was the fifth book in the series, did we, although Curt put forward a very convincing argument in favour of for Cyril Donson's Draco the Dragon Man - NEL's numbered series?. Anyone got Plastic Man? That was maybe the first NEL I ever read - my copy long lost - and I remember thinking "this is really horrible"! |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 5, 2008 16:55:12 GMT
Is it just me, or does the bloke look like he's locked himself out? >>
Perhaps he forgot his keys ...
Anyone got Plastic Man? >>
Sorry not here - but I'd love to hear about it!
ade
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Post by nightreader on Jun 5, 2008 19:24:41 GMT
I do have both 'Plastic Man' by Jeremy Brent (definitely Horror No. 4) dated August 1974 and 'Draco The Dragon Man' by Cyril Donson dated October 1974... here they are...   Not the most brilliant NEL covers I thought. Nothing on 'Draco' to indicate it's No.5 either... Haven't read either I'm afraid...yet....  |
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Post by killercrab on Jun 5, 2008 20:14:44 GMT
Thanks for the scans - Draco has a gothic thing going - wonder if the contents match?
ade
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