|
Post by vaughan on Jun 27, 2009 7:04:59 GMT
Hm - three pages of GNS material, and no mention of this one. How come? Cannibals tells the tale of Invercurie, an off the beat piece of coastal land with a sparse collection of cottages, groups of ye ole locals, and a secret.... It's not a spoiler to tell you that the secret is the cannibals. Guy N. Smith works here with his usual threadbare style, although I'd suggest he gives this one a little more time to brew than usual. However, the book works on such a small scale (a hamlet) that is never truly breaks out into something terrific. Essentially what we have is a reworking of Wes Craven's movie - The Hills Have Eyes, but set in a small town. The movie came first, and while the book isn't truly related, the movie and book really ought to be double-billed on a Saturday afternoon. After just reading Lewis' Spiders, I was ready for an "anything goes" approach. GNS doesn't do that here though, with the story staying strangely restrained in scope and scale. Having said that, the gore is pretty good. Sadly, not everyone who should die does (you'll figure it out!) As an aside - I have been struck by the niceness of some of the people on this site. As a starter in the pulp collecting, I don't have much to give back..... BUT.... I actually DID find a second copy of Cannibals in a local store! So.... if there is anyone out there that wants it, write in this thread and I'll send it off. I'd say Cannibals won't win over anyone new, but if you're a GNS fan, it's decent.
|
|
|
Post by killercrab on Jul 1, 2009 22:12:04 GMT
Essentially what we have is a reworking of Wes Craven's movie - The Hills Have Eyes, but set in a small town. >>
That doesn't sound half bad - it's one of those GNS books I keep meaning to pull off the pile. I think I'll be reading Demons next though - but your review has certainly swayed me towards Cannibals!
ade ( The Hills Have Eyes fan - *both* versions:)
|
|
|
Post by killercrab on Jul 1, 2009 23:14:50 GMT
There is no question which was best, I've already told you, it was Monster Mag.
>> Right , right I keep forgetting. A member of the board is interviewing Dez soon, perhaps he can provide clarity on the banning of issue 2. >> That's me KC ! I will certainly ask him why and any other questions you have - just post them here. ade ( of course HOH was the best mag going ... he mumbles )
|
|
|
Post by dreadlocksmile on Jul 23, 2009 10:25:57 GMT
Nice review Vaughan. Glad to see you've joined in on posting up your reviews on here!
I haven't had the pleasure of reading 'Cannibals' yet, but when I do I'll post up my review as well. I do enjoy comparing my opinions on novels with other peoples.
Anyway...keep up the good work Vaughan...and we want to see reviews of all those GNS books I sent you next...
Hahahahahahaha...
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Feb 19, 2016 17:30:36 GMT
Guy N. Smith - Cannibals (Sheridan 1994: originally Arrow, 1988) Les Edwards Blurb: A peaceful holiday becomes a nightmare struggle for survival. Deep in the mountain caves of Blair Long lurks a band of monsters – half-human creatures hideously mutated after generations of inbreeding.
This is the dark secret of a remote Highland village – a secret kept safe until a local fisherman builds some holiday chalets to attract tourists. Then the shameful conspiracy of silence is shattered at last – as the horrendous creatures shamble from their lair to mutilate and kill the unsuspecting visitors.Invercurie, an isolated hamlet on the Scottish coast. To while away the long summer months, fisherman Douglas Geddis, a widower nearing sixty, knocks out a row of wooden chalets which he advertises as holiday homes. The small community are incensed. As Mary Brown, the Minister's formidable daughter has it: "Invercurie's a God-fearing place with nae room for sin" - or strangers, planning permission, schools (until the law demanded it), toasters, indoor bogs, or a varied diet (the grocers store is a strictly two soups concern). They already have enough problems coping with they who nobody likes to talks about, without inviting nosey, interfering outsiders into their lives. Douglas Geddis is despised as "a traitor to his ain kin." Eddie Drake, unhappily married University lecturer, has ran away with his nineteen year old student Sarah Bryant, because his wife stopped him from going to the pub on Friday nights and watching Match Of The Day. The scandal made page seven of a national gutter rag. A cheap holiday chalet in the back of beyond seems the answer to their prayers, even if the local yokels are backward, hostile miseries. Geddis is delighted to attract his first customers, and assures Eddie and Sarah they've arrived at the most beautiful, peaceful hamlet on God's earth. Just make sure to lock your doors at night, don't venture outside unless you have to, steer clear of the mountains and, never, ever explore the caves of Blair Long. Eddie, less than impressed with the luxury accommodation, suspects the old fool is running an illegal distillery and insists poor Sarah accompany him on an expedition to the summit so they can expose him in the newspapers... [To be continued ...]
|
|
droogie
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 100
|
Post by droogie on Feb 20, 2016 14:31:06 GMT
Thankfully, this is one instance where the cover art was not cropped in any way (as was usually the case where the painting featured much more image than what the books' cover could actually contain).
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Feb 20, 2016 17:06:06 GMT
Thankfully, this is one instance where the cover art was not cropped in any way (as was usually the case where the painting featured much more image than what the books' cover could actually contain). Better still, GNS is playing a blinder thus far though we still have two thirds of book to go. "What on earth have we come to, Frank? This is some kind of third-rate shanty town that caters for the lower echelons of the working class." More happy campers, a whole family of them this time including - oh dear - loveable little Tip the doggie. Super-snob Cynthia Halsey is mortified that Frank, 43, would dare consider this horrible place a holiday destination. And him a bank manager! Why couldn't he take her to Majorca like a proper husband? Little does Cyn know that Frank has ever-so-slightly exaggerated his recent promotion, that he's still merely a glorified clerk with salary to match. Fortunately he'll soon have more pressing matters to concern him. Eddie Drake, bone-headed as ever, revisits Blair Long despite Sarah's protestations that, after finding a mangled carcass outside their chalet, all she wants to do is leave. Eddie had enough of his wife telling him what he could and couldn't do, thank you very much. A local farmer warns him not to be a damn fool, but that just plays to Eddie's stubborn streak. Off he trots with nary a care in the world. The caves smell even fouler today, and there's something really disgusting rotting on the floor. Maybe he should turn back after all ....
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Feb 20, 2016 18:56:47 GMT
I liked this. Nothing like Smith' bitter and sullen cast. Not one happy camper in sight if I remember correctly.
|
|
|
Post by ripper on Feb 21, 2016 19:37:07 GMT
Dem, I will be interested to see what you make of this one. I shied away from getting a copy years ago. At the time I think I was a bit concerned that being from his later period it might have lacked the rawness that first attracted me to his work.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Feb 22, 2016 22:24:25 GMT
Dem, I will be interested to see what you make of this one. I shied away from getting a copy years ago. At the time I think I was a bit concerned that being from his later period it might have lacked the rawness that first attracted me to his work. On p. 96 now (of 208). Agree with Vaughan in initial post that Cannibals is essentially Guy does The Hills Have Eyes - and does it well. While not as raw as, say, Night Of The Crabs, it's hardly subtle. No sign of a hero yet - unless P.C. Phil Drake, who has arrived in the village on the trail of errant brother - survives his jaunt up the mountain, which, nothing personal, I'd prefer he didn't so we can get back to disliking the surviving cast.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Feb 24, 2016 18:33:45 GMT
Latest lucky arrivals, loves young dream, Mike Sallis and Jayne Tomlins. Eighteen, unemployed, him dressed like a Nirvana roadie, her saving it until she gets married (unless ...). They've arrived at the village through sheer bad luck. Even in her darkest hour - little Jamie has vanished up the mountain - despicable Cynthia finds room to disprove of these social inferiors on sight, and it can only be their relative inexperience saw such a fatally sympathetic couple sign up for a GNS novel. Mike has hardly had time to not comb his hair before volunteering to join Phil and Frank in search of the missing trio. They reach the caves. Empty. Nothing to see whatsoever, unless you count a bubbling cauldron. "Now, let's see what those buggers were cooking."
While Phil and Mike are vomiting their guts up, Frank is so appalled at what he's just seen that all he can do is repeat the mantra "I want to die." It's not unlikely that those who enjoy their "horror" nice will sympathise, and they are advised to abandon Cannibals immediately as it is about to get a whole lot worse.
Meanwhile, the entire cannibal tribe scarper down the mountain to attack village and luxury chalets, which is my cue to abandon running commentary (you still have eighty suspenseful and, often blood-splattered pages to go) ....
|
|
|
Post by bluetomb on Nov 17, 2018 0:02:48 GMT
Read this last month but only just got around to writing up. It certainly demands to be written up. Slick, sleek, no nonsense nastiness that hits most of the right spots and even sticks the landing. Guy N Smith keeps going up and up for me.
It begins with a man cowering in the dark of a holiday chalet, shotgun beside him, afraid of what skulks outside. The man is Doug Geddis, middle aged fisherman, widower, resident of the tiny Scottish hamlet of Invercurie. Shunned by his fellows for building chalets on his wife's old land, drawing up much unwanted tourists to disturb their peaceful, God fearing ways. And their dark secret, which is slightly given away by the title and very much so by the gorgeous Sheridan paperback cover art (the earlier Arrow edition was a bit weak). Geddis is a little interesting as such characters go, not ignorant or unbelieving (he knows exactly what's outside), not broke or greedy (he built the chalets with his own savings), not a secret villain (he really is scared himself), he seems driven more by individual spirit, against the nagging of his wife and the too set, too blinkered old ways of the Invercurie people. He might almost be sympathetic if he weren't so dim and if his dimness didn't cost so many lives. But he is at least mildly interesting.
Soon enough university lecturer Eddie Drake and his younger girlfriend Sarah arrive on the scene. They have eloped (!), as his wife was a nag who didn't let him watch Match of the Day and now need to get away from it all for a time. Geddis attempts to impress upon them that they must not go out after dark, or up into the mountains of Blair Long at all, as there are dangerous landslides and/or wild dogs. Eddie is unimpressed, thinking there might be an illegal distillery or something similar up there, and decides to take a look anyway and report anything unseemly to the authorities. Apparently you don't need common sense to be a university lecturer. Something smells bad in the caves up there, but they don't come to any harm, and return to meet new neighbours, the Halsey family. Bank manager Frank, except he's not really a bank manager but a glorified clerk lying to his wife, toxic super-snob Cynthia. And blameless young Jamie and Vicky and loveable Tip the dog. Loveable Tip the dog doesn't last one night. Eddie is unimpressed and wants to take another look up in the caves, though Sarah wants to leave. Strike two against university lecturers. He promises he won't go too far in, but does indeed go too far. Though just the right distance for us. Strike three, and Eddie is out. Sarah soon goes in search, alone. She isn't much brighter and doesn't fare much better. Meanwhile Frank and Cynthia Halsey have lucked through one bout of leaving Jamie and Vicky to play on their own even though something just horrifically mangled their dog, but they don't manage a second. Jamie goes up the mountain by himself. It goes as well as expected. But all this can't hold for too long, and soon we get some actual bona fide appealing campers, young Mike and Jayne. And then Eddie's brother Phil, in search. The cannibals are revealed, and around the halfway mark, action is on...
I had a really good time with this. It's well crafted, with basically every scene driving plot, action, or character in a way that is relevant to plot and action. Sure, it takes some time for everything to click in to gear, but it isn't wasted time. Also, Smith wisely paces the gore, building it gradually, with shocks and gruesome remains giving way to full on page mutant cannibals savaging humans action only when it's all wound up as tight as it can go, nearly two thirds of the way in. Even then he doesn't overplay it, it's graphically nasty, certainly but the prose is tight and the reader's imagination goes the full distance, or where it wants. Another big plus is Smith's grasp of the outdoors, and outdoor activities. I think I said similar about The Black Fedora, somehow, without a "literary" style exactly, he can put us up a mountain, in a forest, on moorlands, cold, tired, under pressure, running, hiding, wielding guns. There's quite a bit of effective tension in Cannibals, especially at the climax, and its a lot of fun.
I perhaps could have done with a slightly higher on page body count, or at least more general on page mayhem. The small scale is fine but I would have liked more cannibal running amuckery in Invercurie. I also have mixed feelings about Smith's obnoxious women trope. But what can you do? This is pretty ripping stuff, and well recommended.
|
|