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Darkness on the Edge of Town [Mass Market Paperback]

Brian Keene
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)


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Book Description

February 1, 2010
One morning the residents of Walden, Virginia, woke up to find the rest of the world gone. Just . . . gone. Surrounding their town was a wall of inky darkness, plummeting Walden into permanent night. Nothing can get in - not light, not people, not even electricity, radio, TV, internet, food, or water. And nothing can get out. No one who dared to penetrate the mysterious barrier has ever been seen again. Only their screams were heard. But for some, the darkness is not the worst of their fears. Driven mad by thirst, hunger, and perpetual night, the residents of Walden are ready to explode. The last few sane prisoners of this small town must prepare a final stand against their neighbors, themselves, and something even worse . . . something out there . . . in the darkness.
--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 264 pages
  • Publisher: Leisure Books; First Edition Thus edition (February 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0843960914
  • ISBN-13: 978-0843960914
  • Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 0.8 x 7.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #860,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BRIAN KEENE is the author of over thirty books, including Darkness on the Edge of Town, Dead Sea, Urban Gothic, Ghoul and The Rising. He has also collaborated on novels with J.F. Gonzalez and Nick Mamatas. He also writes comic books such as The Last Zombie, Doom Patrol and Dead of Night: Devil Slayer. His work has been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French and Taiwanese. Two of his works -- Ghoul and The Ties That Bind -- have been adapted for film. Keene's work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher's Weekly, Fangoria, and Rue Morgue Magazine.

Customer Reviews

It read like a long short story that he just didn't know how to end. Old Fan  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
It is descriptive with great character depth. hjtras  |  12 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 62 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great one! February 17, 2010
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Walden is your average small town. That is, until residents awoke to complete and total darkness, darkness that only covered the town itself. People who attempt to leave do not return and are presumed dead. Once they enter the darkness they fall victims to whatever evil is residing inside. The narrator of the book is Robbie, a pizza delivery guy, who is detailing everything in a journal which may serve as the only witness of what occurs in Walden. The other key characters are Robbie's girlfriend and a few of his neighbors. Dez, a rambling homeless man, plays an integral role in the novel. He seems to be the only citizen able to explain the darkness, and it's source. Unfortunately, Dez is known to be a bit "eccentric", so his knowledge of the Darkness almost implicates his involvement in the catastrophe. The Darkness itself is also a very active character within the story. It overtakes the people of Walden. It tricks them by manifesting into their loved ones, calling them into the darkness.

People have compared it to King's The Mist, and while I thought that too in the beginning, the overall theme is completely different. Keene does an outstanding job of portraying what happens to people when catastrophe hits. And in typical Keene style, he leaves you guessing at the end. Highly recommended, especially to existing Keene fans.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great for new fans or longtime Keene readers April 1, 2010
By Daimion
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the second book by Brian Keene that I have read so far this year. "Darkness on the Edge of Town" finds Keene back in the more traditional horror genre where he has made his name. It's a place where he's more comfortable, and a place that will feel more familiar to his long time readers.

If you read my earlier review of "Terminal" you know that it wasn't a happy book. I would have to say that this isn't a happy book either - and it's proud of that fact. So what is the story, you ask? "Darkness on the Edge of Town" tells the tale of Walden, Virginia. They awaken one morning to find the entire town cloaked in darkness. There is no power, no phone service, no television - nothing. There also appears to be a barrier at the edge of town that cuts it off from everything that surrounds it. No one knows why the Darkness is there, what caused it, or when it will dissipate. It soon becomes clear that there is no escape, and the town starts to dissolve into chaos as the Darkness takes it's toll.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great addition to the Keene library, and does a lot to expand upon the underlying "Keene-verse", the Thirteen, and the Labyrinth. Long time fans will find a good bit of meat added to the underlying Labyrinth story, and a few potentially major things are teased for, what I presume, will be future stories. If you like horror novels, if you like the idea of a wide tapestry woven throughout an author's own universe, and you like just a good fun read - check out Brian Keene. You won't be disappointed.
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39 of 50 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars A rare miss for Keene February 8, 2010
Format:Mass Market Paperback
**Could be some very very very very minor spoilers**

I've always loved Keene books, and I've always looked forward to his books. I'm sorry to report that Darkness on the Edge of Town is a rare miss or Keene.

The plot is pretty simple. There is a darkness that seems to be on just the edge of the a town, hence the name. The people in the town, can't cross it, and they heard the screams of the people that have tried. However, something is in the darkness that's watching the town, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.

I had several problems with this book. The biggest problem I had is that, well, nothing happens. Nothing to much, just one or two things, and that's it. The darkness can take the form of others that the people know. Could be a family member, or someone you know, just to lure you into the darkness. I really meant what I said, nothing happens. It was a dull read.

The characters are just okay. The main character is named Robbie and he's keeping a journal on what is happening. Most of the characters were so flat and had no depth to them. I just liked one, Dez, who was the local homeless crazy guy, but he knew what the "Darkness" was. What he said about the Darkness and where it came from was pretty interesting. Now, did he really know, or was it just the ramblings of a crazy man. Either way, he was the only character that had any depth.

The writing style left a lot to be desired. There was no plot twists, nothing to really keep the reader hooked. I just finished it to see what would happen, and nothing does. Not a thing. When I read Keene, I do expect horror, and we didn't even get a lot of that. I guess Keene wanted to show the "horror" of what man can do to man when darkness takes over your soul. I guess he did that, but that's not what I expected.

Some have said that he ripped off Stephen King's The Mist, okay maybe. I feel he also ripped off Harry Potter. The Darkness was called, "He who shall not be named" and the Darkness fed of the misery of others. If that's not talking about Voldermort and the Dementors, then I don't know what is.

For me, this book was a major let down. This was a very rare miss for Keene. I hope his next book is up to his usual standards.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best horrors I've read in years
This book was legitimately terrifying and heart racing.

Residents of a small town wake up to find that they're covered in an impossible shroud of darkness. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Mr. Joe Newman
3.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Miserable
This is dystopian apocalyptic fiction to the extreme. I read scads of dystopian books but never has one left me feeling so hopeless. There is truly no way out of this mess! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Carla C. Thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars Effective and Scary
Brian Keane spins another good yarn filled with claustrophobic dread, disturbing imagery, and relentless terror. Read more
Published 1 month ago by KStateKev
3.0 out of 5 stars Creepy
I really liked this book but I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room when I was done. You'll have to read it to understand why. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Piper
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting take on the apocalyptic genre
I think Brain Keene may be one of those that I, unfortunately, had previously dumped into that category of "paper thin characters and gore galore to hold up a vapidly repulsive... Read more
Published 4 months ago by bohemianroxie
4.0 out of 5 stars First time reading Keene
Started the book without a thought of its content. Maybe a horror story. Much more than that. Maybe a look at the human soul

A page turner. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ksl
5.0 out of 5 stars Horror At Its Best
I read this book at the recommendation of an acquaintance and I loved every page. The story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and made the book hard to put down. Read more
Published 7 months ago by R. Browning
1.0 out of 5 stars His Writing is as Rotten as His Corpse Descriptions
I honestly don't know why I keep coming back to the well with Brian Keene. His novels are so incredibly formulaic and predictable: Semi-loser main characters, otherworldly... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sean Rallis
3.0 out of 5 stars So close, yet so far.
So close, yet so far.
Keene had an opportunity here to really hit one out of the park, but it falls short on so many levels. The best part is the second to last chapter. Read more
Published 11 months ago by W. Reagan
4.0 out of 5 stars Above Average
I enjoyed this book. It had just enough creep factor for me and while the storyline wasn't the most original, I think it's one of Keene's better books.
Published 17 months ago by A Customer
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