The Wicked [Paperback]

James Newman (Author), K. Allen Wood (Editor), Mark Allan Gunnells (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2012

AN ANCIENT EVIL RISES...BURNS...KILLS...

After a fire consumes the Heller Home for Children, the residents of Morganville, North Carolina thought they knew evil...

They were wrong.

Unaware of the turmoil in their new hometown, the Littles--David, Kate, and seven-year-old Becca--are moving from New York City to Morganville in hopes of repairing their own lives, which were recently shattered by an act of sexual violence.

Before long, David realizes that his family's troubles are worse than he could ever have imagined.

An ancient demon lurks beneath the town of Morganville, an unholy creature conjured into existence by the Heller Home tragedy.

Its name is Moloch.

It is hungry for the souls of the townspeople.

But most of all, Moloch wants the children. It will not rest until it has them.

All of them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Wicked is a good old-fashioned, unabashed Horror novel. James Newman remembers when horror used to be fun, and he's recaptured it here in all of its gory glory. A terrifying page-turner in the tradition of Graham Masterton, J.N. Williamson, and Richard Laymon."

--Brian Keene
Author of The Rising, City of the Dead and Ghoul

"The Wicked is a well-honed blade."

--Norman Partridge
Author of Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales and Lesser Demons

"Reminiscent of the best of 80's horror and Bentley Little at his most grotesque and unrelenting, The Wicked is the kind of horror we don't see enough of anymore. This is one wild and bloody ride, and in the capable hands of James Newman, it's one worth taking."

--Kealan Patrick Burke
Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy and Kin

From the Inside Flap

Originally published in 2007 in limited edition hardcover, The Wicked has been revised by the author, expanded with a new foreword by Mark Allan Gunnells, a new afterword by the author, and brilliant new artwork and illustrations by Jesse David Young (with additional cover layout by Yannick Bouchard). Also included is a brand new, exclusive tie-in short story written specifically for this release.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Shock Totem Publications (May 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615419003
• ISBN-13: 978-0615419008
• Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 5.9 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,600,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic 80's Horror Done WELL June 9, 2012

By Shroud Magazine's Book Reviews VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

The Wicked, by James Newman, is a frightfully fun exercise in classic eighties horror. The pacing is excellent, all the time-honored elements are there - evil comes to a small town, preying on vulnerable sensibilities, trying to become "flesh" - but most importantly, it's so very well written. The prose is lean, the characterization rings true and even at 325 pages, the story moves like a dragster fueled by the fires of Hell.

David, Kate and Becca Little moved to Morganville, North Carolina in a desperate attempt to start over. After Kate's assault and rape, the Littles are hurting, badly. This may be the only chance they have at saving their family and returning to some sense of normalcy. Especially with Kate's pregnancy looming above them. Because they don't know. Whose child is this? David's?

Or the rapists?

Much worse dangers lurk in the shadowed corners of Morganville, however. Invoked by the fire that destroyed the Heller Home for Children several months before the Littles arrived, an ancient demon has come forth. Its hunger is eternal, and not only does it want to defile and debase and corrupt all human life...

It wants the children. To fuel its unholy fires, and bring it forth from hell. And to defeat it, David must face sacrificing more than just his life...he may have to sacrifice everything he holds dear in this world.

The debate will always rage, one imagines, between those who champion "introspective, literary horror" and those who favor the more visceral sub-genres like splatterpunk and monster fiction (zombies, vampires, etc). And that's the best thing about The Wicked. It's so well written. Boasts a tight narrative that moves well, and there's plenty of regular "life stuff" (regarding Kate's trauma over her rape) for this to be more than just horror.

But it IS horror, at its core. A classic tale of good versus evil, and it's done very well. Also, major credit goes to the publisher, Shock Totem, in the product itself. In a print on demand age when any "Joe" can become a "publisher" and churn out reams of substandard products, not only have they elected to start their novel line with a proven winner in James Newman, but they've knocked this one of out of the park in terms of design. Right town to a little "Totem's Grocery" discount label on the novel's back cover, and those beloved creases of a well-worn paperback.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive Tribute to 80s Pulp Horror June 17, 2012

By Nick Cato

Format:Paperback

The Little family--in an effort to rebuild their lives after a sexual assault--move from New York City to the small town of Morganville, North Carolina. David's a popular book-cover artist, his wife Kate both pregnant and taking care of their 7-year old daughter Becca. Kate's nrother Joel had moved there a few years earlier and is now the town's coroner.

Almost as soon as they move in, bodies begin to pile up, some victims of strange insect stings, others in brutal car crashes. And when a department store Santa gets a little too close to young Becca, the idealic town of Morganville begins to reveal dark secrets that drag David, his family, and their elderly, ex-Marine neighbor George into a dark world of occultic violence and ancient mysteries.

THE WICKED is James Newman's homage to the generic horror novels of the 80s, and in the hands of a lesser author this could have been a real cheese-fest. But Newman manages to give the tired old "Evil in a Small Town" thing a real kick in the pants, placing both children and religious institutions into frightening peril that's anything but campy. The blood flows as freely as any classic Laymon or Garton novel, but unlike many stories THE WICKED pays tribute to, there's a real sense of impending doom throughout, as well as two protagonists we truly care for. The compulsively-readable prose yanked me through it's 325 pages in 2 manic sittings.

Shock Totem's gore-geous retro-80's-looking cover design made me yearn for my teenage years, and Newman's bonus short, 'Boaracle,' is a fine way to top off what is easily going to be the most fun-to-read horror novel of the year. Even those who read the limited edition hardcover from Necessary Evil Press a few years ago will want this nifty, extras-packed edition.

GREAT stuff.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Horror Done Right on Every Level June 10, 2012

By Mark A. Gunnells

Format:Paperback

Just to be upfront, I did write the intro for this edition of the book, so some will say that makes me biased. But truth is, I discovered this book in its original incarnation as a hardcover from Necessary Evil Press years ago, read it and loved it, so when I was asked to do an intro for this new edition, I jumped at the chance because I was such a fan.

As I state in my intro, growing up as a child of the 80s I just loved those mass-market horror novels that seemed to be so prevalent back then, with their garish covers and lurid descriptions. They were often cheesy and exciting and above all else, FUN! With The Wicked, Newman set out to pay tribute to those tales, a homage of sorts. And he succeeded, but at more than just paying tribute to those 80s horror novels. He outdid them. His small-town-invaded-by-ancient-supernatural-evil tale definitely mirrors the formula of a lot of those great 80s chillers, but Newman also elevates the material. Through complex and intriguing characters, a plot that is rich and fast-paced, and most of all through some damn fine writing, he creates a story that sucks you in and just whisks you along til the end. Newman is a major talent, and if you haven't read him, then you're truly missing out. He is a diverse writer that tackles different subjects and different tones, but he always provides excellent storytelling. And The Wicked is a prime example.

And this review wouldn't be complete without talking about the production from publisher Shock Totem. They wanted to take the idea of this book as homage to those 80s horrors and really put that into play, and they created a truly beautiful book. The design, from the cover to the ads in the back, really sells it. And in a stroke of genius it has a "worn and creased" look and a discount sticker on the back. Everything but yellowed pages. I mean, you could almost believe you had picked up one of those classic 80s novels. This is a book the publisher did not just churn out but put real thought into, and I think that should definitely be appreciated.

So bottom line, great book by a talented writer with a great design by a publisher that really cares about the product. You can't go wrong here people.