Customer Reviews

SLITHER

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

People, the other white meat! When a routine zoological excursion turns deadly, a small team of researchers are stranded on a lethal island chocked full of dead bodies and giant trichinosis worms with attitude. But, wait, the mystery deepens! These oversized parasites are not nature's intended denizens and as time is running short, the research team begins to discover a horrific undercurrent with worldwide implications. Horror, death, betrayal, sex, and lots of worm data coalesce to create a grisly little tale of worms, their unwitting hosts, and one experiment with cataclysmic effects. Welcome to this island paradise, enjoy the worms!


Okay, this story does reek of the typical "monster that stepped on Cincinnati" atmosphere, however horror master Edward Lee pulls the tale off with a aplomb proving that common parasites (and other ordinary animals of our world) when amped up in size can be the most dreadful of monsters, filling the reader with revulsion and a unique sense of foreboding that compels him or her to read onward until the very end. The villainous super worms prove themselves to be worthy enemies with their unique system of infecting a live host. Of course, the grisly nature of a parasite's life is vividly evoked, producing some rather large, agile, and discomfortingly realistic villains who have no qualms with supping off the island's reluctant research crew. Remember, watch where you step . . . something might be waiting for you just around that bend!

The creation of an interesting, and suitably disgusting villain is then expertly complemented with an atmosphere rich in tropical intrigue and growing paranoia. Who is to say what is hiding in that dense green foliage? What are these strange ova that have started to wander into camp, scaling trees and pulsing their way relentlessly toward the heat given off by the living? What was that flash of pink beneath the tent, that barely discernable slither, that eternal silence filled with a throbbing otherworldly terror? As the situation worsens, and "things" start to appear, our characters describe the lush, and not so welcoming surroundings, intermingling description with a feeling of desperation and mounting terror in the face of the unknown. Indeed, the atmosphere is what truly makes the tale, capturing the reader in a finely drawn web, immersing them in a strange little story made all the more enjoyable by its telling.

And what of our witless characters who, wondering around on a routine mission, suddenly discover themselves in a situation far from the bounds of protocol and routine? What of their emotions, their desperations, their endless romantic flings? Yes, in the face of death they remain resilient and strangely amorous. Hmm, interesting . . . The cast of characters is sparse, but well developed, albeit mostly unsympathetic. We have the brothers grim --- Slydes and Jonas as well as their bit of fluff Ruth on one side of the island surreptitiously searching out pot plants and then on the other side we have our ill fated researchers. There is Trent, army officer and official guide for the group. Then there is Annabelle, the voluptuous and two timing photographer. And, not to be forgotten, my two personal favorites, Nora and Loren, the scientists/nerds who despite Annabelle's condescending remarks are truly the stars of the show. Each character is allowed to tell a portion of the tale through their perspectives, allowing the reader to gain an insight into the inner workings of their minds and their tumultuous relationships with other characters. While few of the characters are truly likable (with the acceptation of the scientists) they all prove rather interesting and suitably backstabbing. Never fear the giant worms, your two-timing comrades are here!

Complimented by a writhing blood-sucking, parasitical beast of formidable proportions (with a penchant for human flesh), a dreary atmosphere of gore soaked paranoia, and characters to die for, the book has much to live up to in its conclusion and it does succeed. The author decides to throw a ringer in the end, making for a totally unpredictable and suitably dire finale fraught with much worm carnage. Who will live, who will die, who will become part in another romantic interlude? Only the ending will reveal all!!!

But, alas, dear reader, the novel did fall prey to some serious flaws, even in the midst of all its gory glory. Firstly there was TMWD, as I call it, or Too Much Worm Data. I realize that this scientific penchant lends the tale an aura of realism and seriousness but, quite frankly, if I was forced to hear one more detail concerning a worm's life, its scientific names, the scientific names of its brethren, and its momma's social security number, I intended to launch the book at whoever was nearest me. Yes, worms are fascinating, but enough already, I just want to see them eat somebody (preferably a character that I don't like . . .)

Also, the writing style, while descriptive and atmospheric could veer into the colloquial at times especially with Syldes and Jonas. The author, in an attempt to convey their evil, redneck ways complete with foul language in every conceivable sentence and two timing drug deals combined with illegal poaching and murder, went a little over the top, annoying the reader at times with the very baseness of the characters themselves. This writing error, if it can be labeled as such, was only present in the Syldes and Jonas chapters and did not greatly mar the novel's overall worth.

These two flaws were minor, however, there was one cavernous flaw that did infest the entire tale, bringing down the reader's enjoyment: the excessive grossness of the subject matter coupled with the unnecessarily detailed accounts of the worm's carnage ranging from the attacks all the way to the host period where the worm's larva grew and multiplied inside a living body, spilling forth from them when the worms were ready to hatch. Likewise, the numerous methods of one human infecting another were stomach churning. Of course, the novel did start as it meant to go on, launching into the grisly details from page one and persisting all the way to the conclusion by which time the reader will have assuredly turned a lovely shade of green. Be warned, no detail is spared, no painstaking moment left to the imagination. Anything gruesome you can imagine will be amplified ten-fold so get ready to get immersed in the sickness.

Conclusion: Even still, with the flaws added into the general framework of the tale, Edward Lee proves to be a masterful storyteller, relaying his bizarre sojourn through the land of horror with enough skill to infiltrate the readers' imaginations and have them tossing and turning with dreams of giant worms and isolated islands. Not for the faint of heart, but overall Slither proves to be a winner. An interesting offering from an author that is new to me, I will be sure and visit Edward Lee's works again in the not so distant future. Recommended. 3.5 stars.

- Ravenova

I've actually read this book twice. This is a pure creature feature with sex monsters and creepy crawlys. This is one of my favorite Lee books. If you like monster flicks you'll love this.

Edward Lee, Slither (Leisure, 2006)

Every once in a while, when you're crushed by multiple heavy tomes where every page takes five minutes to digest, you need something light, easy, and quick. There may not be a better, more satisfying press for that sort of thing these days than Leisure Books. I've read a whole lot of Leisure novels, from the very early days of the press right up to the present, and I've found very few to be less than I expect: good, solid, quick, escapist reads. And that's about as good a definition of Slither as I can find.

Premise: various groups of folks converge on a supposedly deserted island in the Gulf of Mexico, a couple of miles from St. Petersburg, that used to be an old army base. Problem is, some other paramilitary types have turned it into an experimental breeding ground for really, really nasty things. I wouldn't tell you what, but the big spoiler is in the first three words of the back matter, so I won't beat around the bush: worms. Big, ugly worms. Worms that like to infect things like sea life. And possums. And partying college students. Needless to say, if nematodes squick you out, stay far, far away form this book; I'm still poking and scratching and obsessively checking myself for parasites.

In any case, I finished the novel last night, and I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the OMG BIG PLOT TWIST. It's generic and silly (and the kind of thing that, when sprung on a reader, usually destroys a book for me), but Lee integrates it so well into the story that I have to admit I'm grudgingly impressed; this is the most fun I've had reading Ed Lee's stuff since "Doing Colfax" back in the mid-eighties. Decent characters, tight plot, some great descriptive writing (even if it does go over the top now and again). It's not deathless literature, but you don't go to Leisure for deathless literature. You turn to Leisure for books that will gross you out. And Slither delivers mightily. ***

Edward Lee must have done quite a bit of research about worms before writing this novel. The worm-ology used through out the novel sometimes is a bit too much, however, the story takes a twist towards the end that is a change of pace for anyone familiar with Lee's other books. The novel does include alot of blood, guts, gore and plenty of sex that any hardcore Edward Lee fan thrives for in any of his novels.

Something very strange is occurring on Pritchard's Key a small island off the coast of Florida. It was once a Army missile site, but now it lies abandoned to nature and all but forgotten. Local College Students, Poachers, and Drug Addicts who know of its location flock there to party, and grow marijuana. The island is very secluded and is only accessible by boat at the high tide so it is an ideal place for those wanting to do things of the illegal variety.

A couple of Polychaetologists along with a National Graphic Photographer and a Army Warrant Officer have come to the island to study and photograph a local scarlet bristleworm. They soon discover a new species that is unlike anything they have seen before. These worms have parasitic qualities and they are infecting all the living creatures on and around the island, including humans. What everyone is unaware of is that the US Military is conducting secret experiments with the worms on the island and anyone who happens to step foot there become lab rats in their sinister experiments. Pritchard's Key is a place of unspeakable horror and anyone who finds their selves will have to Hell to pay.

I am a long time Edward Lee fan. I have read just about all his work and have never been disappointed. I started Slither with very high hopes and I can say all in all that while not my favorite Lee story by any means Slither is a fun, satisfying read full of Blood, Guts, and Loads of Sex. Fans of Lee and Spatterspunk stories will greatly enjoy the characters, and pacing in this story. The thing they will most enjoy though is the Sex and Gore. Slither while nowhere near Lee's most hardcore story is full of scenes that will make readers with weak stomachs fighting back the bile. Lee is King of Spatterspunk and he makes no apologies to those who cant handle his work. Lee is one of my favorite authors and while I didn't enjoy Slither as much as his other work it was still and good read that keep me hooked to the end.

I recommend Slither to all Lee fans. It is a quick, satisfying read that once again proves that Lee is one of the premiere names in Horror fiction.

It is a secluded island--a former Army missile site, now abandoned and left to nature. That's why Nora is heading out to the island in the first place--to help find and photograph some marine worms. But what the group finds is something entirely unexpected: a parasitic worm that inhabits both water and land, that has a taste for human flesh...and that is growing and reproducing at an alarming rate...

Edward Lee's "Slither" plays like an old black and white B-movie: nature at its horrific worst, unleased on a group of unsuspecting citizens (including a gorgeous, promiscuous blond, and a bunch of partying college kids), with a little secretive military presence just for the hell of it. The characters are two-dimensional, the gore is almost gratuitous, and the story is largely predictable (except for a major plot twist near the end, for which I give Lee props).

All of this aside...the book is hard to put down. Maybe it's because "Slither" is the type of guilty pleasure that horror fans dearly love. Blood, sex, horrible flesh-eating monsters from just next door to reality...it's the very B-movie quality that attracts readers to this type of novel. And anyone looking for gore and violence is bound to be satisfied, trust me. Edward Lee's "Slither" may not be great literature, it may not serve much of a literary purpose, it may not even be all that original--but it is a satisfying read that will keep you turning pages and looking over your shoulder for quite some time. Let's face it, worms are everywhere...

A horrifying development is occurring on a small island off the coast of Florida. Due to reefs and rocks the island is only accessible by boat at the high tide. But inaccessibility makes it a target for many. In a short period of time the island is visited by some students looking for a secluded party location, some local poachers, a photographic team from National Geographic, and a military conducting secret experiments. The National Geographic team is looking to photograph the scarlet bristleworm and therefore has a couple of worm experts. But soon their talents are put to the test when it seems that the island is home to some completely unknown species of worm.

Soon the reality of what is occurring on the island begins to be known. These worms are very fast-growing and seem to be able to infect a large number of species. Soon all anyone is really concerned with (other than the military) is being to get off the island before they become horrible infected.

This is a creepy story charged with large doses of sexuality but not a whole lot of gore. The big mystery is figuring out why the military is trying to create these nasty creatures and just how in control they really are. Along the way we learn a whole lot of secrets as everyone has at least one. The story takes some unexpected turns but they are very effective. One of the better worm books I have read. If you like man versus nature gone wild stories then this one should fit the bill. Check it out.

While the amount of fiction I read has declined somewhat in recent years, I can honestly say that this is one of the worst books I have read in years.

Where do I start? How about awful characterization. Every single character is a cliche, including incestuous rednecks, horny teenagers, and nerdy scientists. After reading it, I felt like the author took all his inspiration from Sci-fi channel movies of the week. The scientist characters were especially groan-worthy, constantly referring to latin names for taxa, bragging about their IQ, and for the most part not acting like any scientist I have ever met.

In addition, the female characters are all horribly written, and every one but the main lead seems to come off as a variation of Paris Hilton. And even the main character seems to spend a good portion of the novel preoccupied with how pretty her rival is. Makes me wonder how exactly the author considers women.

Then there is the sex. I am no prude, but there is a difference between writing material of a sexual nature that moves the plot or characterization along, and just filling up a book for the sake of page space. You can only describe a character's breasts so many ways before it just becomes repetitive and boring.

Finally, there is the science. I know, this isn't science-fiction genre, but when you use science to set up your horror, you should make an attempt for it to make sense. I don't know enough about parasites to say whether the parasitology made sense, but the scientists acted in an unrealistic manner, and well there is the whole nature of THE TWIST.

Yes there is a twist at the end, and not only is it completely unexpected, but makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. The author essentially has been leading the reader up to a conclusion that the main bad guys represent a well worn and unoriginal cliche, to a unexpected and silly conclusion which leaves more questions then answers.

Now, I love horror stories about parasites (Hence why I bought this book). Normal parasites are creepy enough and provide unlimited story potential for an imaginative writer of horror or science fiction. However this book is just plain bad. I would suggest reading some of Brian Lumley's short fiction is you want truly scary, not to mention well written, parasite based horror.

I just loved this book. It was very sick and disturbing and had all the trashy sexy stuff that Edward Lee usually puts into his books. I haven't read any books by him that I haven't liked. You always get more than your money's worth by reading his books and you always want to share them with your friends if they like sick stuff too.

The twist at the end was totally unexpected also and just made the book even more disturbing to me.

The part with the guy having to piss because his bladder is full of worm eggs is just sick and has always stuck in my head, I think of it every time I have to piss.

Sex, drugs, aliens and worms, OH MY! Edward Lee's "Slither" is a mindless little horror novel that may make you squirm momentarily, but its cliche sex, booze and marijuana-happy slithery rompings are ultimately quickly forgotten. If you absolutely must indulge this piece of fluff, take it to the beach...and beware the water!