Killer Crabs [Import] [Paperback]

Guy N Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Headline; paperback / softback edition (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0450038173
• ISBN-13: 978-0450038174
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,328,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I had my first story published in a local newspaper at the age of 12, followed by 55 more before I was 17. It was a good start to a writing career and I owe much of it to my mother (historical novelist E.M. Weale) who gave me every encouragement. My father, though, was insistent that I followed family tradition and went into banking.

Hence it was twenty years later before I became a full-time author and I had some catching up to do. The 1970's were a boom time for pulp fiction and I made my debut with 'Werewolf by Moonlight' (NEL 1974). It was 'Night of the Crabs', though, which really established me as a writer, virtually overnight in that memorable record, hot summer of 1976. This title was the 'No.1 beach read'. It saw numerous reprints, spawned 5 sequels along with several short stories, as well as a movie.

'Night of the Crabs' enabled me to go full-time. At the time with my wife, Jean, and our four children we were living a reasonably conventional life in Tamworth, Staffordshire. It was time to move on though, and in 1977 we moved to our present home in a remote part of the Shropshire/Welsh border hills.

I was no stranger to country life though, and the further away we were from town and traffic the better. For many years I had been writing for the 'Shooting Times' and several other sporting publications. Then in 1999 I accepted the post of Gun Editor of 'The Countryman's Weekly'. This involved 4-5 articles per week and I relished the challenge.

By this time pulp fiction was virtually out of fashion so diversification suited me, yet my readership has remained faithful to me and technology has made it all possible again with e-books. Thus my backlist is steadily returning to electronic print along with some new books. It is an exciting time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem from the golden age of monster stories., May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Killer Crabs (Mass Market Paperback)

The sequel to Night of the Crabs, this story takes place around the Great Barrier Reef where a series of disappearances leads to the discovery that not all the giant crabs were killed. Before long the marine biologist from the first novel, Cliff Davenport, is called to find a way of dealing with the menace.

There were more monster-rampage paperbacks published over the years than can be counted, but this, like its predecessor, stands out from the crowd as one of the best. There are strong characters, interwoven sub-plots and genuinely chilling scenes.

If Hollywood are looking for a decent monster story to translate to the big screen, then here it is.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "A Frenzied Army of Giant Claws Snap Men in Half", October 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Killer Crabs (Paperback)

In "Killer Crabs", a small Australian tourist island is plagued by a group of abnormally large, bloodthirsty crustaceans. As is typical in this genre, these animals are once again the monsters who must be destroyed, this time by a military team and about a handful of stereotypical gun-toting men: Klin (a renowned fisherman on Hayman Island), Professor Clifford Davenport (who apparently had a run-in with these crabs four years ago in the previous book, "Night of the Crabs"), Shannon (the chief shark-patrol officer on the island), and Harvey Logan (an egotistical professional hunter intent on keeping one of the crabs as a trophy). I don't think I have to tell you what happens to a lot of these crab by the end, but don't assume they become extinct. After all, there are four additional books in this series: "Origin of the Crabs", "Crabs on the Rampage", "Crabs' Moon", and "The Human Sacrifice".

By the title alone, I expected "Killer Crabs" to be extremely cheesy, like a lot of other horror novels published in the 70s and 80s that involved some type of killer creature. However, it wasn't as trashy as I had expected. Sure, there's plenty of graphic violence and sex (especially some nasty dismembering scenes), but it's all essential to the plot and really quite entertaining and suspenseful once you get into it, especially near the end when three of the main characters are stranded on the crab's spawning ground with no way off the island.

Another plus to "Killer Crabs" is that it's very short--just under 170 pages. Even though this book/series is definitely geared toward guys, female fans of horror (speaking as one) should probably enjoy it as well. My only complaint is about some of the main characters, such as Klin (an unsympathetic loner who is also a borderline racist) and Caroline du Brunner (an extremely promiscuous con artist). Still, "Killer Crabs" is a lot of fun and ideal for horror fans.

3.0 out of 5 stars Catchy Title, August 17, 2009

By 

Avid Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killer Crabs (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to say that with a title like "Killer Crabs," I'd be a fool to hold it to high standards. While, I knew that it was to be like a B-grade horror movie, it was slightly disappointing. Sure, there was plenty of violence, gore and sex to fill its pages, but I think it was just a quick way to make money for Mr. Smith.

The characters were rather weak at best. The ending was tied up in a neat little bow. Some of the characters had convenient qualities to them to continue the plot along so that there would be no loose ends in the end.

With all that said, if you enjoy mindless brutal radioactive crab-related horror, then you'll no doubt enjoy this. For me, despite my lowered expectations, I was a little disappointed.