Necroscope 4: Deadspeak (Mass Market Paperback)

by Brian Lumley (Author) "CHRISTENED HARRY "SNAITH," IN EDINBURGH, 1957, Harry is the son of a psychic-sensitive mother, Mary Keogh (who is herself the daughter of a "gifted" expatriate..." (more)
Key Phrases: deadspeak thoughts, teeming dead, border policeman, Harry Keogh, Brian Lumley, Ken Layard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
First published as a paperback original in 1990, this fourth volume in British author Lumley's popular series pays particular homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula, featuring a multinational team of vampire hunters who rely on the latest technology to scour Europe to foil a master vampire's plans to move his nest and expand his troop of thralls. The hunt's conclusion takes Harry Keogh, the "Necroscope" (one who speaks to the dead), into misty Transylvania, where he fights the resurrected Janos Ferenczy in his ruined castle for possession of his lady love, Sandra. Lumley retains much of the florid melodrama that Stoker reveled in, with an increased explicitness suited to the present day. Still, the traditions are there: vampires can change form, are vulnerable to silver and garlic and must receive permission before entering either a dwelling or a mind. Lumley provides more rationale than Stoker, and he also secularizes the legend, toning down the original's Christian aversion to "blasphemous" dialogue. Lumley also broadens the scope, adding much to the story of psychic abilities, centered on the ultra-secret "E-Branch (`E' for ESP)" division of Britain's Secret Service. With their paranormal powers, Harry's E-Branch teammates give the novel an Ian Fleming/Stephen King crossover feel. Despite a tendency to overreach his descriptive power and the dated Cold War background, Lumley (Psychomech) tells a fast-moving tale of the primal horror of an undead parasite worthy of Stoker's original.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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

Review
"Like the vampires it so full-bloodedly portrays, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series just gets stronger. His lively mix of action and monstrosity transmutes the base cliché of the vampire and turns it into a wonderfully contemporary bane."--Fear Magazine

"Brian Lumley's skillful mix of epic fantasy and vampire mythology offers wide-angle horror of a scope too rarely seen in modern fiction. His Vamphyri are vicious, savage, ruthless, and unrepentantly evil-- a feast for the horror fan."--F. Paul Wilson

"An accomplished wordsmith, Lumley wields a pen with the deft skill of a surgeon, drawing just enough blood to titillate without offending his readers."--The Phoenix Gazette
-- Review

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (November 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812530322
• ISBN-13: 978-0812530322
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Necroscope Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward", August 24, 2003

By	"The Woj" (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Great story. Hum....come to think of it, I've read this somewhere else before? Oh yeah, it's the exact same premise as H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward" from 1941. If Lovecraft was still around he might even hire a copyright lawyer for this one. I strongly recommend anyone who has read this book to seek out Lovecraft's story; I even "more" strongly recommend reading Lovecraft first.
Anyway, despite the fact Lumley converted Lovecraft's tale into one of his "Necroscope" novels, I'll forgive him for the unoriginal idea, because this maybe one of the best books of the series. The read is easy and very fast paced. Character development as always is excellent. There is "plenty o' mean & evil" throughout.
Definitely read the Lovecraft story though....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark,Savage,Beastily Brutal,To Die For, May 15, 2001

By	anthony d s bowers (spring city, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This book #4 of Necroscope is by far one of the best in the series of necroscope novels. Possitvely riveting from begining to end.Blazzing with electricity. The key vampire in this novel is unusually dark. Of course, there all Dark. This book was a fast read for me (someone who's not an avid reader).I blew through this novel. It was gluded to my hand. Anybody who likes thrill rides and horror movies is going to love this book. However; I do not reccomend you read it without reading the first four. you'll be completely lost! Trust me. Forget everything you thought you ever knew about vampires! Brian Lumley will set you striaght.When you finish this read,be sure to read all the rest!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a GREAT series!, May 24, 2000

By	Eric (US) - See all my reviews

WOW, that's all that I can say. What a great book this one turned out to be also. Lumley has me hooked with this series through and through. If anyone is looking for a great series, start with this one, but of course start with the first one "Necroscope" Well, I must go now to the store and buy the next. Adieu!