a b c d Holland, Steve (21 March 2013). "James Herbert obituary". Guardian.co.uk. London . Retrieved 24 March 2013.

Editions of The Dark by James Herbert - Goodreads

A tad boring' is not a good thing to say about a horror book. It wasn't bad, but the writing was so eighties' thriller that it was slightly annoying. The characters were about as empty as empty can be. The plot itself, however, was not too bad. I mean, nothing really surprising, but still kept me reading one more chapter way more often than I'd care to admit. So it wasn't all bad. Just... you know, mostly bad. Williamson, J.N., ed. (1987). Masques II: All-New Stories of Horror and the Supernatural. Baltimore: Maclay & Assoc. ISBN 978-0-940776-24-1. The opening chapters to Moon are fairly slowly paced, it takes its time and has no problem keeping the mystery and main themes of the book hidden for a while. Once things get going and the cards slowly began to reveal themselves I was hooked, The main idea here being a logical man finding himself to possess a power that links his mind to that of a murderer is cool and had me set for cat and mouse thriller, sadly it doesn't pan out that way. From the title and the cover art I had assumed that it was going to be a werewolf tale. But, I was wrong. There are no werewolves in the novel whatsoever. There is a mysterious killer however. Anyway, I am not going to delve in the story in detail. In brief the major events of the novel take place in the island of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel near the French coast. The island really exists. So what of this book - it is from the phase where horror was full on almost tangible - yes Herbert can be visceral and graphic but also subtle and menacing and this book to me captures both aspects of his writing.

He fled from the terrors of his past. Finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the 'sightings' began. Visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils. Violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts became intense.

The Dark by James Herbert | Goodreads The Dark by James Herbert | Goodreads

Bishop is a psychic investigator tasked with investigating a seemingly nondescript house where he uncovers a scene of brutal mass suicide. It turns out the events that took place inside was some form of ritual that saw the leader imbued with powers that can control the dark. James Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction. What I like about James Herbert is that he has some excellent ideas and he can really tell a good story. Our protagonist Childes has fled to this island "from the terrors of his past" , fighting his demons (don't they all!!!) while trying to maintain his relationship his Amy! Oh, did I tell you that he also get visions of horrible murders and mutilations. Then people in his vicinity start dying, bodies keep pilling up and finally get to the climax -- which was very abrupt in my opinion.

Herbert's final novel has an eerie political edge. Ash imagines Princess Diana and her secret son as well as Lord Lucan, Colonel Gaddafi and Robert Maxwell living together in a Scottish castle. [15] This book was really creepy, heart stopping and mind boggling. Throughout the book from beginning to end, it's filled with gore, bloodshed and massacre. It brings the controvsial "debate" in whether whatever causes the bloodshed is based on scientific meaning or some sort of unknown forces that are trying to get rid of the human or at least the physical part of mankind.

The Dark by James Herbert | Waterstones

James Herbert was born in London in April 1943 and died on the 20th of March 2013 (a day I will never forget). He is my personal favourite horror writer of all time as most of his works are based on the paranormal, mutations and the damn uncompromisingly explicit. He is very unlike Stephen King whose works are based on the human psyche and things that humans are capable of. He is one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his novels have sold more than 55 million copies worldwide. arguably the most successful writer of the horror genre. Yet despite his worldwide fan base, surprisingly little is known about the man himself. In this work, Craig Cabell has written an in-depth biography of the The main character is basically a guy who teaches computing to schoolkids and who ends up teaching at a girl’s school on an island as he tries to get away from his past. He has some psychic powers, despite the fact that he doesn’t really believe in them, and he finds himself witnessing all sorts of horrible things, including some brutal killings. Potter, Adam Lee (5 September 2012). "James Herbert: My new thriller about Princess Diana's secret son". Daily Express . Retrieved 1 September 2017.

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I was absolutely loving this until around three quarters of the way through. It started off as a classic horror story with paranormal and mystery elements which I enjoy reading but it soon became a slog to get through. I think that Herbert was trying to make this more complex than it needed to be and it did not pay off. While Herbert is known primarily for his horror and fantasy novels, he has also ventured into other genres. Some of his books have elements of mystery, romance, and even thriller. So, whether you're a fan of these genres or general fiction, you're likely to find a James Herbert book that suits your taste. Uninspiring & boring for large parts, The Dark is not the strongest of his work & you’ll find yourself inadvertently skimming over paragraphs hoping to get to a more interesting part. Jones, Stephen, ed. (1992). James Herbert: By Horror Haunted. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-450-53810-0.

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The Dark is the 7th James Herbert novel first released in 1980. For those used to his writing style this will feel like putting on a comfortable pair of old slippers. You know you need to replace them but they’ve still got a certain appeal that just relaxes you. Previous EP Review: Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons – Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons (UDR Records)I can see why Stephan King loves Herbert! Stunning displays of violence perpetuated by 'normal' people and London is ripped asunder. The Dark is one of my favorite Herbert novels, and I think he set a record for introducing characters before they succumb to some sort of nasty foo. First published in 1980, The Dark rides the paranormal wave that was so popular in that era. Williamson, J.N., ed. (1988). The Best of Masques. New York City: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-10693-8. In 2010 several great things happened to this man, he was awarded with ‘Master of Horror’ at the world horror connection, the award was presented by his very good friend Stephen King. The Fog felt very raw in its depiction of horror, possibly due to it being Herbert's second novel, despite the writing being kinda mediocre. By the time Herbert wrote The Dark he had become a slightly better writer, however, the rawness was gone, and the book definitely suffered for this. The Dark felt disjointed at times, overblown, and, the cardinal sin, boring. Yes! there are big (really big at times) scenes involving pretty decent horror, but the book is constantly bouncing around the point-of-view from the main characters, and minor characters who are just there for the body count.