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A review by lookingglasswar
The Auctioneer by Joan Samson
5.0
The Auctioneer is a 70s paperback horror republished by Valancourt Press with Grady Hendrix, and one of the finest examples of its kind. It's a simple story about a man coming to a tiny rural New Hampshire town and requesting donations for an auction. As the weekly auctions go on, the demands grow more serious -- and yet people are unable to say no as the auctioneer takes over the mechanics of the town's workings and enlists the residents.
As the auctioneer unveils his plans for the town, it's no surprise to the reader that this entails his ideal of a white society. After all, he represents the embodiment of the fear of change and the other that has plagued America since the beginning -- and the violence that results from the delusion of white supremacy. It's tragic that Joan Samson died at the very beginning of her career because this book is a masterpiece of horror fiction.
As the auctioneer unveils his plans for the town, it's no surprise to the reader that this entails his ideal of a white society. After all, he represents the embodiment of the fear of change and the other that has plagued America since the beginning -- and the violence that results from the delusion of white supremacy. It's tragic that Joan Samson died at the very beginning of her career because this book is a masterpiece of horror fiction.