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bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
3.0
I'm no werewolf expert, so far be it from me to judge the wolves in this 1948 horror classic. My frame of reference is the adorable, furry Seth Green, so I didn't really expect them to be scary, but I also didn't expect them to be so human. When they shift, they act exactly as they would in their human form, which makes for hilarious scenes such as this:
"She trotted past the fallen chair, sprang lightly to the desk and grasped the dead man's pencil in her pliant paws".
Werewolf lady then proceeds to write a note while chatting companionably and ignoring her lack of opposable thumbs.
It's good pulpy fun, but not exactly horrifying.
"She trotted past the fallen chair, sprang lightly to the desk and grasped the dead man's pencil in her pliant paws".
Werewolf lady then proceeds to write a note while chatting companionably and ignoring her lack of opposable thumbs.
It's good pulpy fun, but not exactly horrifying.
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
The more I read of Jack Williamson's work, the more I love him. I keep saying that I wish I had discovered him earlier in my life. I'm sure I would have liked him every bit as much as I liked Heinlein, back in "the day." (Whatever that means.)
The thing about Williamson is that he jumps around genres. He's a Science Fiction Grand Master, yet he writes books like this that are most definitely horror.
Darker Than You Think is a book about shape-shifters and witches. The cover calls it "the seminal dark classic of transformation and terror." I believe it is worthy of that description.
It begins with reporter/journalist Will Barbee waiting for an airplane to arrive, an airplane that is carrying four men who have been out of the country for several years, investigating an archaeological site. They are supposedly bringing something back that is very important.
Dr. Lamarck Mondrick is supposed to make a very important announcement after they land.
While he is waiting, Barbee meets April Bell, a beautiful red-headed woman (Williamson seems to love redheads), oddly carrying a small, black kitten. She claims to be a rookie reporter for a rival newspaper in town.
Mondrick and company finally arrive, carrying a mysterious green box, that is being very closely guarded. It is said to have something extremely dangerous inside, and all four men seem to be mildly terrified of it.
But before Mondrick can make his big announcement (he's right in the middle of it, in fact), he dies, mysteriously, from what appears to be an allergic reaction to something . . . say, maybe, a kitten?
Barbee is smitten with April Bell, and a strange relationship develops.
Remember, I said this is about shape-shifters. But not just werewolves. That's what I thought it was going to be about. But these shape-shifters are not bound by any particular shape. They can pretty much become anything that suits them or their circumstances.
Ms. Bell is trouble, we figure that out right from the beginning. She is a sort of witch, but also one of the shifters, and first presents as a white wolf. She is wearing a white fur coat when she first meets Barbee. She claims that she is trying to protect someone she keeps calling the Child of Night.
This story is pretty terrifying, especially for something written in 1948. As Barbee investigates what appears to be the murder of Mondrick, he has some extremely disturbing dreams.
Or are they? And that is one of the things that makes this tale so great. At some points, the reader (at least I was) is quite unsure of whether or not that was a dream or reality. I made some notes in the Bookly app while I was reading, and one note says, "It was a nightmare," and is almost immediately followed by "or was it?"
I did guess, early on, who the Child of Night was. I'm slightly proud of that.
Williamson's writing, here, is very engaging. There were several times that I made myself stop reading, in order to get some sleep. It is a pretty exciting piece of work, and has a somewhat unexpected ending. Well, it may not have been "unexpected" by the time I got that far, but it certainly unconventional.
I highly recommend this book for horror fans. If you're just looking for science fiction, you might not like this one. Fortunately, I like it all!
The thing about Williamson is that he jumps around genres. He's a Science Fiction Grand Master, yet he writes books like this that are most definitely horror.
Darker Than You Think is a book about shape-shifters and witches. The cover calls it "the seminal dark classic of transformation and terror." I believe it is worthy of that description.
It begins with reporter/journalist Will Barbee waiting for an airplane to arrive, an airplane that is carrying four men who have been out of the country for several years, investigating an archaeological site. They are supposedly bringing something back that is very important.
Dr. Lamarck Mondrick is supposed to make a very important announcement after they land.
While he is waiting, Barbee meets April Bell, a beautiful red-headed woman (Williamson seems to love redheads), oddly carrying a small, black kitten. She claims to be a rookie reporter for a rival newspaper in town.
Mondrick and company finally arrive, carrying a mysterious green box, that is being very closely guarded. It is said to have something extremely dangerous inside, and all four men seem to be mildly terrified of it.
But before Mondrick can make his big announcement (he's right in the middle of it, in fact), he dies, mysteriously, from what appears to be an allergic reaction to something . . . say, maybe, a kitten?
Barbee is smitten with April Bell, and a strange relationship develops.
Remember, I said this is about shape-shifters. But not just werewolves. That's what I thought it was going to be about. But these shape-shifters are not bound by any particular shape. They can pretty much become anything that suits them or their circumstances.
Ms. Bell is trouble, we figure that out right from the beginning. She is a sort of witch, but also one of the shifters, and first presents as a white wolf. She is wearing a white fur coat when she first meets Barbee. She claims that she is trying to protect someone she keeps calling the Child of Night.
This story is pretty terrifying, especially for something written in 1948. As Barbee investigates what appears to be the murder of Mondrick, he has some extremely disturbing dreams.
Or are they? And that is one of the things that makes this tale so great. At some points, the reader (at least I was) is quite unsure of whether or not that was a dream or reality. I made some notes in the Bookly app while I was reading, and one note says, "It was a nightmare," and is almost immediately followed by "or was it?"
I did guess, early on, who the Child of Night was. I'm slightly proud of that.
Williamson's writing, here, is very engaging. There were several times that I made myself stop reading, in order to get some sleep. It is a pretty exciting piece of work, and has a somewhat unexpected ending. Well, it may not have been "unexpected" by the time I got that far, but it certainly unconventional.
I highly recommend this book for horror fans. If you're just looking for science fiction, you might not like this one. Fortunately, I like it all!
smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition
5.0
Closer to 4.5/5, but a very entertaining read that I enjoyed all the way through. The mythology of the magical beings was cool and creative. The big reveal was not hard to guess, but I liked the ending nonetheless. Definitely plan to read more Williamson.
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
5.0
Outlandish story! From werewolves to Malay were-tigers (how many authors in 1940s America had heard of Malay were-tigers?) and on to shape-shifting reptiles and even a prehistoric beast. Such a creature exists in this novel. And a secret clan of pre-human vampires as well. Jack Williamson does everything but throw in the kitchen sink. Then, remembering the US had entered the atomic age, he throws that in as well. How does he end his narrative? Even that is astonishing, as he takes the novel out of its own story and applies a little self-reflexivity. Somehow, it all hangs together. Perfectly.
I don't read much horror or science fiction these days. But Williamson blends the two genres in a literate and erudite fashion. James Frazer's The Golden Bough underlies the anthropological theme, while a newly applied layer of Freudian psychotherapy tops off the psychological element. Mix in a little of Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and a 1940s understanding of quantum mechanics and things are set to go. An incredible novel. Why hadn't I heard of this before?
One other thing. The tone or atmosphere, if you will. That, too, has a certain 1940s touch to it. All the way through, the suggestive nature of things puts you off balance. And the night and day time scenes create a chiaroscuro landscape reminiscent of those Val Lewton produced horror movies created around the same time as Williamson's novel. I speak of I Walked with a Zombie, Cat People, The Ghost Ship, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, The Curse of the Cat People, and Bedlam. Watch the movies while you read the novel. You'll see what I mean.
I don't read much horror or science fiction these days. But Williamson blends the two genres in a literate and erudite fashion. James Frazer's The Golden Bough underlies the anthropological theme, while a newly applied layer of Freudian psychotherapy tops off the psychological element. Mix in a little of Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and a 1940s understanding of quantum mechanics and things are set to go. An incredible novel. Why hadn't I heard of this before?
One other thing. The tone or atmosphere, if you will. That, too, has a certain 1940s touch to it. All the way through, the suggestive nature of things puts you off balance. And the night and day time scenes create a chiaroscuro landscape reminiscent of those Val Lewton produced horror movies created around the same time as Williamson's novel. I speak of I Walked with a Zombie, Cat People, The Ghost Ship, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, The Curse of the Cat People, and Bedlam. Watch the movies while you read the novel. You'll see what I mean.
bookelf's review against another edition
3.0
More fun than I thought it would be when I was over half way trough
morvrun's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
sandman_1961's review against another edition
4.0
Great story. Very atmospheric. I read this and the visions produced were like watching a black and white horror movie.
alexchandler's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5