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Post by killercrab on Jul 20, 2009 17:51:40 GMT
About half way through it. There's this great bit where the flooded village dries up and there's a guy ( possibly a zombie) crawling about in the mud with broken legs. Later he totters off - it's a highly evocative sequence and very much a GNS moment. The chapter is titled Village of the Living Dead - simple genius. I think because Deathbell is such a good book - any sequel is wont to be inferior storywise- but GNS is cranking out some good stuff here regardless. Better than The Wood you hear ? - oh definitely. A proper review ? - unlikely - but I'll try and string a few words together ! KC
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albie
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 134
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Post by albie on Oct 8, 2018 10:17:49 GMT
Possibly the worst novel I ever half read. The descriptions of the bell's noise attacking people are so weirdly bad. Some people say Hutson is the worst horror writer in publication. They should read this.
Not to say I've hated all his books. One was good. I cannot recall the name. Something to do with a wood. Possibly a sequel.
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Post by helrunar on Oct 8, 2018 19:44:43 GMT
Maybe it was the legendary Sucking Pit? That was set in Hopwas Wood. www.tor.com/2014/09/12/summer-of-sleaze-guy-smith-the-sucking-pit/An example cited in this review of the unique literary stylings of Mr Smith: “But it was the expression on those distorted features that had you almost throwing up! The face was frozen into a wax-like mask of sheer terror! Eyes bulged until surely they must burst like soap bubbles, the mouth still open in a scream that had never really ended. Still shrieking, you could almost hear the cries.”Remember, when your face freezes into a wax-like mask of sheer terror, be sure to peel, remove, and place in the frozen compartment of your fridge for next year's Halloween costume. cheers, Helrunar
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Post by dem bones on Oct 8, 2018 20:41:49 GMT
If it's a sequel it's most likely The Walking Dead. Of course, it might even be The Wood. Albie, if Death Bell is even close to the worst novel you ever "half read," you've got off very lightly.
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albie
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 134
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Post by albie on Oct 9, 2018 10:39:56 GMT
The story may have been the sucking pit or the wood. I know it all centred around a wood. One scene had a zombie raping a woman in a grave or pit despite him having no organs to perform the act.
You mean there are worse than DEATH BELL? Lordy. I want to read them just to prove this.
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Post by dem bones on Oct 9, 2018 13:51:57 GMT
The story may have been the sucking pit or the wood. I know it all centred around a wood. One scene had a zombie raping a woman in a grave or pit despite him having no organs to perform the act. You mean there are worse than DEATH BELL? Lordy. I want to read them just to prove this. Here's a starter pack: Pierce Nace - Eat Them Alive Arabella Randolph - The Vampire Tapes Etienne Aubin - Dracula And The Virgins Of The Undead Marc Sonders - Blight (if only for the outrageously anti-climactic ending) Dennis Wheatley - Gateway To Hell Upton Smyth - The Last Of The Vampires: A Tale Martin Noble - Bloodbath At The House Of Death R. Chetwynd-Hayes - The Psychic Detective Ken Macaulay - The Nuclear Nazis Valentina Cilescu - Kiss Of Death (sizzling vampire erotica ...) Anything by Anne Rice GNS has written a few I'd regard as "worse" than Death Bell - The Camp, for one - but nothing I've read of his is quite in the same league as any of the above. Am dearly fond of most of them.
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 22, 2020 15:37:24 GMT
A Guy N Smith classic! That is, other than the sense in that all Guy N Smith novels are classics in their own ways. Deathbell came early in his Hamlyn run, gave zine Graveyard Rendezvous its name and, being popular enough to have a sequel a few years later, counts as a definitive part of his 80's oeuvre. Well yes, sure, you say, but is it any good? Well then... I would say yes. I mean, the "bad" first. The hero Julian Dane is a colourless do gooder who isn't in a lot of the text and doesn't have much bearing on events until the climax. More effective than, say, Les Earnshaw in Abomination, but less so than the actually active heroes of others. The substance is mostly ghastly vignettes, the second half lags a bit, with one chapter being basically redundant, and the climax involves a big villainous info dump. Mileage may vary on the feral deaf mute "village idiot" character Donald Hughes who enjoys trapping and Western films (older cousin of Benjie in Crab's Moon?) portrayed in unedifying but sympathetic fashion, at least until the bell madness takes over. And of course mileage may vary on the whole Smithness of the thing.
But, generally, it's a winner. The story essentially is of the doom of Turbury (recalling Latin uproar, disturbance), small village on the Welsh borders, when a new master comes to Caelogy Hall (Latin caelo to cut, carve, hew?) and hangs an ancient Tibetan bell whose tones cause death and brutal madness. The essential idea of an evil sound, physically and psychologically tormenting is a fine one, many of us can probably recall terrible headaches and worse earaches, but even more chilling, to me at least, is the idea of contemptuous evil, working in plain sight, simply saying no to the bonds of community and kindness that hold rural places together and showing up their ultimate vulnerability, and perhaps our own too. Smith mounts things with some patience, before anything really nasty the bell fells an old timer, then the wife of the workman who put the thing up, then torments a busload of deaf children. This is not a novel in which people you might expect to be tastefully spared are necessarily so, more one of real attack and relentless oppression. Nicely grim atmosphere builds, and then bursts out with a vicious rape murder and bursts again and again, on one occasion, the fate of an unsuspecting copper getting into some real good hallucinatory hysteria. Not quite enough of the full on supernatural or at least visionary here, but what's there is terrific. Smith's style is more raving than polished when he really gets into something weird, and all the better for it.
A second chapter of child tormenting doesn't add greatly to the first and the general doings of the protagonists don't make enough of an impact (love interest Vicki Mason isn't an especially active presence either) so in the latter half instead of a lull building up suspense again it's just a lull. But then a bank manager with ideas above his station turns up and you just know he's going to get his, which he does so horrifically you almost feel sorry for him, and there's a church attack and soon enough Julian Dane is up at Caelogy for the climax, which apart from the info dump is nice and bloody. And so it ends.
Whatever its imperfections this is all round one of the strongest I've read from Smith. Structured, focused and driven, with a solid foundation that even suggests some depth of feeling regarding traditional English villager and its intruders, with little of the cheerfully crap and some memorably nasty shocks. Probably won't convert any naysayers but pretty essential for the interested.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 22, 2020 17:03:21 GMT
A Guy N Smith classic! [...] Whatever its imperfections this is all round one of the strongest I've read from Smith. Structured, focused and driven, with a solid foundation that even suggests some depth of feeling regarding traditional English villager and its intruders, with little of the cheerfully crap and some memorably nasty shocks. Probably won't convert any naysayers but pretty essential for the interested. Absolutly! It is one of his novels I re-read a few times, while others I just couldn't get into. Mostly the later ones. Deathbell just works, the plot is original, the idea is horrific. It is something relatable, this noise driving people nuts, the bleeding ears, the rage. But I have no recollection about the sequel. Another one for the re-read list.
Edit: I have to change the cover as it is a victim of p*o*f*u*K
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Post by Swampirella on Jan 22, 2020 17:58:35 GMT
A Guy N Smith classic! That is, other than the sense in that all Guy N Smith novels are classics in their own ways. Deathbell came early in his Hamlyn run, gave zine Graveyard Rendezvous its name and, being popular enough to have a sequel a few years later, counts as a definitive part of his 80's oeuvre. Well yes, sure, you say, but is it any good? Well then... I would say yes. I mean, the "bad" first. The hero Julian Dane is a colourless do gooder who isn't in a lot of the text and doesn't have much bearing on events until the climax. More effective than, say, Les Earnshaw in Abomination, but less so than the actually active heroes of others. The substance is mostly ghastly vignettes, the second half lags a bit, with one chapter being basically redundant, and the climax involves a big villainous info dump. Mileage may vary on the feral deaf mute "village idiot" character Donald Hughes who enjoys trapping and Western films (older cousin of Benjie in Crab's Moon?) portrayed in unedifying but sympathetic fashion, at least until the bell madness takes over. And of course mileage may vary on the whole Smithness of the thing. But, generally, it's a winner. The story essentially is of the doom of Turbury (recalling Latin uproar, disturbance), small village on the Welsh borders, when a new master comes to Caelogy Hall (Latin caelo to cut, carve, hew?) and hangs an ancient Tibetan bell whose tones cause death and brutal madness. The essential idea of an evil sound, physically and psychologically tormenting is a fine one, many of us can probably recall terrible headaches and worse earaches, but even more chilling, to me at least, is the idea of contemptuous evil, working in plain sight, simply saying no to the bonds of community and kindness that hold rural places together and showing up their ultimate vulnerability, and perhaps our own too. Smith mounts things with some patience, before anything really nasty the bell fells an old timer, then the wife of the workman who put the thing up, then torments a busload of deaf children. This is not a novel in which people you might expect to be tastefully spared are necessarily so, more one of real attack and relentless oppression. Nicely grim atmosphere builds, and then bursts out with a vicious rape murder and bursts again and again, on one occasion, the fate of an unsuspecting copper getting into some real good hallucinatory hysteria. Not quite enough of the full on supernatural or at least visionary here, but what's there is terrific. Smith's style is more raving than polished when he really gets into something weird, and all the better for it. A second chapter of child tormenting doesn't add greatly to the first and the general doings of the protagonists don't make enough of an impact (love interest Vicki Mason isn't an especially active presence either) so in the latter half instead of a lull building up suspense again it's just a lull. But then a bank manager with ideas above his station turns up and you just know he's going to get his, which he does so horrifically you almost feel sorry for him, and there's a church attack and soon enough Julian Dane is up at Caelogy for the climax, which apart from the info dump is nice and bloody. And so it ends. Whatever its imperfections this is all round one of the strongest I've read from Smith. Structured, focused and driven, with a solid foundation that even suggests some depth of feeling regarding traditional English villager and its intruders, with little of the cheerfully crap and some memorably nasty shocks. Probably won't convert any naysayers but pretty essential for the interested. Yet that's the only one of the many I've read that I just didn't care for....go figure!
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 22, 2020 18:23:09 GMT
A Guy N Smith classic! [...] Whatever its imperfections this is all round one of the strongest I've read from Smith. Structured, focused and driven, with a solid foundation that even suggests some depth of feeling regarding traditional English villager and its intruders, with little of the cheerfully crap and some memorably nasty shocks. Probably won't convert any naysayers but pretty essential for the interested. Absolutly! It is one of his novels I re-read a few times, while others I just couldn't get into. Mostly the later ones. Deathbell just works, the plot is original, the idea is horrific. It is something relatable, this noise driving people nuts, the bleeding ears, the rage. But I have no recollection about the sequel. Another one for the re-read list.
Edit: I have to change the cover as it is a victim of p*o*f*u*K
The most up to date one I've read is The Black Fedora, which I found a quite intriguing albeit quite tame thriller. That was the most up to date in my pile, otherwise it's all 80's except one 1979 (Locusts). I've been really getting along with the second half of the 80's, but not read too much earlier yet. Liked Accursed, didn't think much of The Pluto Pact. Doomflight is my next GNS read as I'm going alphabetically, so it'll be interesting to see how it works out. Demons seems not to get too much love, at least around these parts, but I thought it a worthy successor to Deathbell. Not as creepy and has a more pronounced second half lapse, but well makes up for it in set pieces. Also has a bit of amusing sharing with Bloodshow and Alligators, all three being 1987.
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 22, 2020 18:49:59 GMT
A Guy N Smith classic! That is, other than the sense in that all Guy N Smith novels are classics in their own ways. Deathbell came early in his Hamlyn run, gave zine Graveyard Rendezvous its name and, being popular enough to have a sequel a few years later, counts as a definitive part of his 80's oeuvre. Well yes, sure, you say, but is it any good? Well then... I would say yes. I mean, the "bad" first. The hero Julian Dane is a colourless do gooder who isn't in a lot of the text and doesn't have much bearing on events until the climax. More effective than, say, Les Earnshaw in Abomination, but less so than the actually active heroes of others. The substance is mostly ghastly vignettes, the second half lags a bit, with one chapter being basically redundant, and the climax involves a big villainous info dump. Mileage may vary on the feral deaf mute "village idiot" character Donald Hughes who enjoys trapping and Western films (older cousin of Benjie in Crab's Moon?) portrayed in unedifying but sympathetic fashion, at least until the bell madness takes over. And of course mileage may vary on the whole Smithness of the thing. But, generally, it's a winner. The story essentially is of the doom of Turbury (recalling Latin uproar, disturbance), small village on the Welsh borders, when a new master comes to Caelogy Hall (Latin caelo to cut, carve, hew?) and hangs an ancient Tibetan bell whose tones cause death and brutal madness. The essential idea of an evil sound, physically and psychologically tormenting is a fine one, many of us can probably recall terrible headaches and worse earaches, but even more chilling, to me at least, is the idea of contemptuous evil, working in plain sight, simply saying no to the bonds of community and kindness that hold rural places together and showing up their ultimate vulnerability, and perhaps our own too. Smith mounts things with some patience, before anything really nasty the bell fells an old timer, then the wife of the workman who put the thing up, then torments a busload of deaf children. This is not a novel in which people you might expect to be tastefully spared are necessarily so, more one of real attack and relentless oppression. Nicely grim atmosphere builds, and then bursts out with a vicious rape murder and bursts again and again, on one occasion, the fate of an unsuspecting copper getting into some real good hallucinatory hysteria. Not quite enough of the full on supernatural or at least visionary here, but what's there is terrific. Smith's style is more raving than polished when he really gets into something weird, and all the better for it. A second chapter of child tormenting doesn't add greatly to the first and the general doings of the protagonists don't make enough of an impact (love interest Vicki Mason isn't an especially active presence either) so in the latter half instead of a lull building up suspense again it's just a lull. But then a bank manager with ideas above his station turns up and you just know he's going to get his, which he does so horrifically you almost feel sorry for him, and there's a church attack and soon enough Julian Dane is up at Caelogy for the climax, which apart from the info dump is nice and bloody. And so it ends. Whatever its imperfections this is all round one of the strongest I've read from Smith. Structured, focused and driven, with a solid foundation that even suggests some depth of feeling regarding traditional English villager and its intruders, with little of the cheerfully crap and some memorably nasty shocks. Probably won't convert any naysayers but pretty essential for the interested. Yet that's the only one of the many I've read that I just didn't care for....go figure! This is the way of literature I believe.
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Post by Swampirella on Jan 22, 2020 20:59:29 GMT
Ah yes, the fine "literature" of Guy N. Smith
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Post by helrunar on Jan 22, 2020 21:04:17 GMT
Thanks Swampi luv for today's laugh. I needed it.
cheers, Hel
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Post by dem bones on Jan 23, 2020 10:28:08 GMT
Edit: I have to change the cover as it is a victim of p*o*f*u*K
Had a scan handy, so saved you the job.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 23, 2020 11:16:09 GMT
Thanks!
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