Book Review - Dan Simmons "Carrion Comfort"

In this video, I discuss Dan Simmons' unique take on the vampire genre.
Bookstores if you don't have a local bookstore
- Tattered Cover Bookstore - www.tatteredcover.com
- Biblio - www.biblio.com
- Thriftbooks - www.thriftbooks.com
- Bookshop - bookshop.org
- Better World Books - www.betterworldbooks.com
- Blackwells - blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/home
- Powell's Books - www.powells.com
- Ferguson Books (Bismarck, ND) - www.fergusonbooks.com
- Owl Bookstore (Bismarck, ND) - / bestbookstoreinbismarck
- Main Street Books (Minot, ND) - www.mainstreetbooksminot.com
- Zandbroz (Fargo, ND) - www.zandbroz.com/index.html

[@tsherbs1309]

Interesting book. Its title is a reference to the title of a poem (of despair and anguish and resilience) by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

The book opens with a quote from that poem. Dan Simmons is a very literary writer: he is familiar with a lot of classic works.

[@ryanoneal8480]

This is one of my favorite horror books. I have The Terror waiting on my bookshelf, but haven't picked it up yet.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

The Terror is quite good as well!

[@anthonygarcia2457]

I read The Terror before Carrion Comfort. I enjoyed CC more, but I love how The Terror made you feel like you were in the environment (ice). Anyways CC was great

[@mannylamont5757]

The best villains are the ones who still have a smidgen of humanity left. I would recommend Mr. Shivers by Robert J. Bennett if you haven't read it already.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

From the description, that does look like an interesting book. It reminds me of the old John Wayne movie "The Searchers" where John Wayne became obsessed with finding a girl who had been taken by the Native Americans. He lost his humanity in that search.

[@talksfromtheheart]

I’d be pissed off and mean too if someone chased me with a helicopter!😂 you did a great Kenneth Copeland impression😂

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That's true: I'd probably be a little crabby too! Thank you!

[@NelsonFJ]

After the video, I decided to buy the book (= The only experience I have with Dan Simmons novels is with the "Hyperion Cantos" series; so I decided to give this book a try. Thanks for sharing. I have really enjoyed the book reviews.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Hope you enjoy it! "Hyperion Cantos" is quite good and was actually my introduction to Dan Simmons about 25 years ago.

[@barbarah-p8661]

Thanks for the review. It sounds like a good summer read. :)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It is! I was slow to get into it, but once I did, it was great!

[@TGVScribe]

This is most likely a Dan Simmons book, in addition to The Terror, that I’ll pick up, as I’m a big horror genre fan. (I draw the line at schlocky stories that rely principally on a blood & guts tactic, though, which, in my opinion is a cheap way of trying to scare an audience.). Thanks for this review!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I enjoyed this one, even with the overly detailed chess match at the climax. I agree: the blood and guts thing is the book version of a cheap jump scare.

[@ikonhero]

What I like most about this book is that there are entire chapters written from the perspective of the bad guys, like Melanie, Tony and the Island Club. These are some of the most entertaining sections of the book. It reminds me of False Memory by Dean Koontz where there's a similar style and it's about mind control as well.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That is a good point. It was interesting to see the trouble some of the other characters had.

[@alanpareis734]

Keep doing the reviews, I’m putting this one on hold for the future. Not a Horror/Thriller fan -except perhaps 1930s classic Universal Pix black and white lol. I did just post 2 !! Comments on the 5/21/21 PIU. I think I gave my answers to all you asked -enjoy the ending events of school!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Next week's book won't even be fiction! Maybe something interesting for you as well.

[@cooperbaird1192]

I just finished this novel. I was incredibly disturbed throughout but I loved it. Melanie Fuller is truly a psychotic monster that deserves a movie to herself for the nightmare she creates around her. Dan Simmons imagery is enough to give you nightmares.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Indeed! I've thought about this book a lot since I read it, and Melanie Fuller is a terrifying presence in this book, especially during those moments she almost makes you pity her.

[@Yatukih_001]

Hi cooperbaird. I think that Melanie Fuller is a clinical psychopath but she could also be a narcissistic sociopath. This is why she unnerves you so much. She might also be a sociopathic narcissist more than a psychopath, because she does not seem to care about her image. If we presume she is a psychopath it is odd why she seems to have so little regard for her fellow mind vampires. Soul Laski is an empath. If she sat by the couch today, she would probably be diagnosed as a clinical psychopath, the female equivalent to Carnage in the Spider - Man universe. I think the guy who treats women like puppets in the novel is a malignant narcissist. In a way, Melaine is obsessed with similar things as Iilluminaughtii is - creating ´company villages´ so she can treat their employees like human chess pieces. Melaine does not seem to care much for her image. What makes her so terrifying is that there are people like her who show up regularly on TV, and people are afraid of criticising them.

[@mannylamont5757]

Have you read any books by Sam Delany?

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I have not yet read him.

[@davidstevenson9496]

I have -- but I'd have to look up his books to exactly remember his writing.

[@davidstevenson9496]

I'm Olllld lolol

[@penlist2147]

Nice videi

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you!

[@Cesar82nd]

Song of Kali is one of the most disturbing books.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Very disturbing. I need to re-read it. I feel like I missed a lot.