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Post by franklinmarsh on Jul 23, 2008 18:36:43 GMT
Creed - James Herbert - NEL 1991. The No. 1 Bestseller Sometimes horror is in the mind . And sometimes it's real. Telling the difference isn't always easy. It wasn't for Joe Creed. He'd just photographed the unreal. Now he had to pay the price. Because he always thought that demons were just a joke. But the joke was on him. And it wasn't very funny. It was deadly. There was I, all set to reread The Spear, when some idle googling threw up a Herbert line - 'Creed is my Abbot And Costello Versus Frankenstein.' Intrigued, I dove straight in. It's not bad at all with some good passages, and top use of a Nosferatu-style vampire. Dodgy Paparazzo Joe Creed hidden in a mausoleum, gets a couple of pictures of a horrible looking individual having a Sherman Tank over the grave of deceased actress Lily Neverless - just after her funeral. The monkey spanker looks at Creed and delves into his brain. And that particular photo doesn't come out. Seems the tosser is a dead ringer for Crowleyite Nicholas Mallik, occultist, cannibal and lots more besides. But wasn't he strung up in 1939? This is pretty good stuff, with a nail-biting masked ball climax in The Mountjoy Retreat - an old folks home cum insane asylum. Not particularly classic Herbert but more fun than some. Some of it is horribly dated - the paparazzi are desperate for pictures of Fergie's arse (that's the former Duchess Of York not the Man U manager) along with Jack Nicholson and Angelica Houston. I'm always asking this - didn't Lenny Henry own the film rights at one time?
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coral
New Face In Hell
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Post by coral on Jul 23, 2008 20:21:26 GMT
I have absolutely no idea about Lenny Henry, but dear Franklin, you forget to mention that this is the best book ever written. The most humourous of Herbert's books too, starting with the opener "Demons are a shoddy lot these days", and including a great bit where a toilet bowl develops teeth and tries to bite off his wang. Possibly the novel with the most extreme sex scenes until the recent "Nobody True". I read somewhere that Edith Pargeter's "Cadfael" novels were as cosy as a teapot, and I think that applies to Herbert's work too, they're the horror equivalent of cosy as a teapot. They may shock, but never surprise, pulp with research! Did I already say that elsewhere? Anyhoo, here is the excessively swish cover of my edition below. I also have a copy of "Sepulchre", another of my favourites, in the purple cover series as above, signed to my Duff by the great man himself. For anyone who doen't know, probably not many, he designs his own covers, chooses his own colours and fonts, and produces his novels as an integrated package that is individually his own. He was a graphic designer, and dreamed up advertising campaigns, which I believe his success is partly due to, as he has the knack of knowing what the public want, what appeals. Creed was the crowning glory of his career, his later novels, apart from the said "Nobody True", have lacked a little of the raw power of the earlier novels. I do go on
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Post by benedictjjones on Jul 23, 2008 21:23:09 GMT
i enjoyed it but prefered the spear.
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Post by David A. Riley on Jul 24, 2008 8:06:46 GMT
Contrarily, this was the first Herbert book that I actually disliked. Perhaps part of this was because there had been quite a big build-up for it, with articles about the amount of research Herbert did into the life of a paparazzi, even to the extent of accompanying one while he went about his job. And, although this may have enabled Herbert to be reasonably accurate in his depiction of this side of the novel, I found the rest of it unbelievable rubbish.
His more recent Nobody True, apart from the gross-out scene with the rampaging Arab rapists, I found far superior.
Herbert's one of those writers whose books seem to vary considerably.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jul 24, 2008 9:16:05 GMT
From 'the best book ever written' to 'unbelievable rubbish' via 'prefered The Spear'. It's great here, innit? Looks like I'll have to register at Lenny's website and ask him what happened. Hey Coral - that little demon on the cover of your posh version turns up on the spine of my tatty second hand softback! I'll have to search out Sepulchre now. Perhaps it's a boy thing but my eyes were watering during the acid toilet sequence - and not with laughter.
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Post by sean on Jul 24, 2008 16:35:16 GMT
Not too keen on 'Creed' to be honest. But to make up for it I really like 'The Jonah' which most people seem to think is pretty crap.
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coral
New Face In Hell
Posts: 3
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Post by coral on Jul 24, 2008 19:55:17 GMT
Yes, they do vary greatly in content, if not in style. Shrine had me glued to the pages until I finished and remembered to breathe, but there are two I've never finished because they were dull enough to put me to sleep, those were Portent and The Jonah. I think the fact that The Rats was my first contact with nasty horror at thirteen is the reason I have had a lifelong love of James Herbert, before that I'd only read Fontana and Pan, and kids collections and stuff about Borley Rectory and Esther Cox, that sort of thing. Standing outside WH Smith, 18 years old, waiting for it to open so I could get my hands on the the newest novel, having waited in torture for the paperback edition to come out. Ah, those were the days! Apart from Sepulchre, mr Franklin, I'd also recommend The Dark, if you haven't already read it, vaguely similar to Creed, but much more weighty and actiony, if you get my drift
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Post by andydecker on Jul 24, 2008 21:11:00 GMT
I know that I have read this, as I read all the Herberts at the time, but I have absolutly no recollection of it. Not a good sign. He really wrote some boring novels. Portent comes to mind, which was truly awful.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jul 25, 2008 7:36:33 GMT
Darn this! I'm going to seek out Sepulchre, Shrine and possibly The Jonah. I seem to remember the latter as being a bit like Moon - a great read but the 'reveal' leaving me feeling very disappointed. I recently reread Portent. Not earth-shattering (sorry) but remarkably prescient about climate change. Coral - I like The Dark - I reread that, probably for the old board and, now being a dog-owner, was a bit perturbed by one scene involving a man taking a hedge trimmer to his pooch.Although I don't think I could put meself through Fluke again. Looks like I'd better give Nobody True a bash as well. I loved Others and '48.
I've taken the liberty of writing to Sir Leonard Henry via his website to put my mind at rest re the Creed film rights. I won't hold my breath but I'd be interested.
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coral
New Face In Hell
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Post by coral on Jul 25, 2008 20:31:28 GMT
Brill, I'd be quite interested to find that out too. I'm trying to imagine him in the lead role and I'm boggling intensely
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Post by benedictjjones on Jul 25, 2008 20:56:38 GMT
I ENJOYED 'THE DARK' AND '48 BUT some of the details in '48 grated, problem with being a history buff and living near tower bridge.
i used to go out with a girl who went to school with james herberts neice!! (aren't i down with the celebs)
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coral
New Face In Hell
Posts: 3
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Post by coral on Jul 27, 2008 21:16:56 GMT
funny, I thought I was the only one that did that. I balked at frumenty being described as a custard in Edward Rutherfords "London" and never read another page. Nowt queerer than folk.
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Truegho
Devils Coach Horse
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Post by Truegho on Aug 17, 2008 23:09:26 GMT
CREED was okay, but my favourite Herbert novels are THE RATS and THE FOG. Utter classics. Period. Truegho www.horrorwriters.net
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Post by noose on Aug 21, 2012 13:49:58 GMT
Franklin, I've just got off the phone to Mr Herbert after a mammoth 1.5 hour interview - most of which will be appearing in a future issue of PF. And yes, I asked about Lenny Henry, but you'll have to wait and see what Jim says!
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Post by franklinmarsh on Aug 22, 2012 12:29:51 GMT
Well played, Jonny! Len never did get back to me. I hope you asked JH about Laurence James and Terry Harknett....
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