Christian Horror. I never gave it much thought, but I guess it's a thing. Those Left Behind things come to mind. I was never tempted to explore the books. There's, what, thirty five or more books in the series? Frank Peretti writes Christian horror. William Peter Blatty is surely the most respected of the subgenre. The edition of Ray Russell's The Case Against Satan was done by a Catholic publisher.
It's a core element of the genre. If there's evil, there must be good. From The Stand to beloved horror movies ("You have to have faith for that to work, Mr. Vincent"), Christianity has permeated the genre since The Inferno.
I never heard of Thomas Smith or his novel, Something Stirs, when Cemetery Dance announced they were reprinting it in trade paperback. The book was originally published in 2011 by Taberah Press. Taberah specializes in Christian-themed literature. Something Stirs was their very first title.
I was a bit taken aback when I heard CD was doing a religious-themed horror novel. Not that I am one of those individuals who hate Christians. Like any other persuasion, I've known great Christians and not-so-great Christians. I may even agree with their convictions. The jury is still out on that one.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I know Kevin Lucia, the trade paperback and ebook editor, is outspoken about his faith. It makes sense. I quickly decided it didn't matter, and that whether I realized it or not, I had read and enjoyed a lot of books with Christian themes. After all, isn't Robert Cormier one of my all-time favorite writers?
Something Stirs is, I am happy to report, a pretty good book. It's a traditional horror novel, set in a small town where evil is afoot. True to the formula, a family moves to a rural community, and yes, the husband is a horror writer. The house they buy is inhabited by a very nasty demon. It will take faith and strength to defeat it.
I'm not going to run around screaming for everyone to read Something Stirs, but I liked it, and I feel that I got my money's worth. It's a comfortable reading experience, with strong characters and some really cool scenes of horror.
Thomas Smith cites Charles Grant as a major influence on his work, and it shows. While Smith is no Grant, Something Stirs has the chilly ambience of Oxrun Station. Smith even calls his town Grant's Ridge.
I hope Thomas Smith continues to write and that he has a new publishing home with Cemetery Dance. I can happily say with assurance that no demonic entities are buried are beneath the CD offices.
Written by Mark Sieber
It's a core element of the genre. If there's evil, there must be good. From The Stand to beloved horror movies ("You have to have faith for that to work, Mr. Vincent"), Christianity has permeated the genre since The Inferno.
I never heard of Thomas Smith or his novel, Something Stirs, when Cemetery Dance announced they were reprinting it in trade paperback. The book was originally published in 2011 by Taberah Press. Taberah specializes in Christian-themed literature. Something Stirs was their very first title.
I was a bit taken aback when I heard CD was doing a religious-themed horror novel. Not that I am one of those individuals who hate Christians. Like any other persuasion, I've known great Christians and not-so-great Christians. I may even agree with their convictions. The jury is still out on that one.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I know Kevin Lucia, the trade paperback and ebook editor, is outspoken about his faith. It makes sense. I quickly decided it didn't matter, and that whether I realized it or not, I had read and enjoyed a lot of books with Christian themes. After all, isn't Robert Cormier one of my all-time favorite writers?
Something Stirs is, I am happy to report, a pretty good book. It's a traditional horror novel, set in a small town where evil is afoot. True to the formula, a family moves to a rural community, and yes, the husband is a horror writer. The house they buy is inhabited by a very nasty demon. It will take faith and strength to defeat it.
I'm not going to run around screaming for everyone to read Something Stirs, but I liked it, and I feel that I got my money's worth. It's a comfortable reading experience, with strong characters and some really cool scenes of horror.
Thomas Smith cites Charles Grant as a major influence on his work, and it shows. While Smith is no Grant, Something Stirs has the chilly ambience of Oxrun Station. Smith even calls his town Grant's Ridge.
I hope Thomas Smith continues to write and that he has a new publishing home with Cemetery Dance. I can happily say with assurance that no demonic entities are buried are beneath the CD offices.
Written by Mark Sieber
The author does not allow comments to this entry
No comments