Scare Tactics [Hardcover]

John Farris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1988

Three chilling works, "The Guardians," "The Odor of Violets," and "Horrorshow," take the reader from ancient Babylon to the supernatural power of reincarnated gods. Reissue. AB. PW.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Farris's latest collection consists of a short story, a novelette and a novel. The clever, if predictable, story, "The Odor of Violets," tells of an author who steals another's brilliant unpublished manuscript on the day of its creator's death. The thief publishes the novel under his own name and basks in glory until the dead man's muse cooks up a nasty bit of poetic justice. The novelette, "Horrorshow," is a good deal better, even if the ending isn't totally credible. Concerning the murder of a girl and the discovery of her murderer by a psychic who is himself accused of the crime, it is full of original characters and memorable moments. The novel, The Guardians, is set in the early '60s and bears evidence of having been written then, before Farris became proficient at the craft. The pace is leaden and the plot unnecessarily complicated; the effect is tedious. Altogether, a very uneven collection.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

These three stories by well-known horror novelist Farris are neither gripping nor memorable. "The Odor of Violets" is a predictable moral tale about an author who, having stolen a dying man's novel, receives his supernatural comeuppance. In "The Guardian," a governor's son narrowly escapes death after a series of "accidents"; he is supposedly being victimized by his father's political and personal adversaries. In the most original of the three, drifter Hero Flynn is framed for the murder of a small-town girl in "Horrorshow." This story contains some needed levity: the dead girl appears to Hero, telling him how to avenge her while painting her ghostly nails a pretty shade of pink for her funeral. Not recommended. A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (June 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312930852
• ISBN-13: 978-0312930851
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,173,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars ENTERTAINING COLLECTION, January 21, 2005

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Scare Tactics (Paperback)

SCARE TACTICS by noted author John Farris (The Fury) is a combination of two short stories and a novella. Apparently written early in Farris' career, the collection isn't brilliant, but are nonetheless entertaining.
The first short story, THE ODOR OF VIOLETS, is somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King's SECRET WINDOW. A writer is approached by a dying man who wants him to proofread and critique his novel. The skeptical author is amazed when the book is brilliant; especially since he has been working on a novel for eight years and hasn't come up with anything. Of course, we know where the story is heading. The novice writer dies and the author claims he wrote the book; it becomes a best seller, he is on his way to fame and fortune, until the dead writer's "muse" confronts him with his deed. The ending is predictable but it's hauntingly written.
The second story, HORRORSHOW, is a nifty little thriller about a dead girl who uses the local closed up drive in to reveal her killer's identity. Contrived and a little incredulous, it's still a neat and tidy thriller.
The "novel," THE GUARDIANS, is a little preponderous and at times hard to follow, and has an ending that is a little confusing. Focusing on Jim Practice, the aide to a governor, it tells the story of murder, revenge and deception. Practice is a good leading character, and the villains are notably despicable. Not Farris' best work but not as bad as some critics have labeled it.