It's been a while since I've talked about or mentioned this book. It remains a favorite horror story to this day and, looking back, it could be considered a lynchpin for the writing style I have today.
So, for my first content post, let me tell you a little about this book, and why you should look for it and give it a read.
When I discovered this book in 2003, the cover you see here was what sold me on it. I was several chapters in before I realized the story had been first published in 1992. Since then, only one other book has grabbed my attention so quickly and held it so firmly throughout, that being Another Fine Myth by the late Robert Asprin.
As for Monster and how it achieved the same, well let me share part of the first paragraph with you.
"It began with blood. It would end the same way.
Angela Warner was on the couch finishing her third beer when Mary Blanc entered Jim Kline's house carrying a loaded shotgun.
...
She knew better than anyone that Jim belonged to Mary. Beautiful, confident Mary---Angela's best friend in the whole town.
Mary. Mary. The one with the loaded shotgun."
Right away, the situation is dire, and it goes bad fast. Two people die from buckshot within seconds and then Mary chases after Jim, intent on killing him too. Out of all the horror stories I've read since this one, I can't recall any that started in a similar fashion. No build up or escalation, just a showcase of the scene, and then straight into the action-horror prose.
And I loved it.
As is common with stories like these, the MC, Angela, doesn't believe Mary when she says the three she went after were monsters. Even when her friend-turned-murderer lists off and details the things she saw happen around them. But as time progresses, and more unsettling things begin to happen around Jim Kline, Angela begins to believe her.
Going back to the cover for a minute, and as a heads-up, there are small spoilers here, the alien aspect being ignored in both the 2002 cover and the 1992 one was an effective factor in making what happens later so unsettling. The only hint we get that something potentially supernatural is going on is the red glow in Jim's eyes, and I did notice some similarities to American Werewolf in London and The Thing as the story went on.
Of course, this being a '90s story, there was also a bit of "explaining the monster" going on. It's not too immersion breaking, and looking back on it now, it serves as good world-building. Still, for horror stories like this one, I and I'm sure others find leaving as much of the monster and its origins to the imagination as possible will only assist in creeping out readers.
Cases in point: Friday the 13th, Alien, and any number of stories from H.P. Lovecraft.
Now, at the time of this post, there is no Kindle or Nook or Kobo version of Monster, so secondhand is the only way you can read it in full. In fact, this seems to be a common thing with Pike's stuff from the '90's, which is a real shame. Hopefully this changes in the future, but until then, eBay and Half-Price Books, or your regional equivalent, are your best friends.
Until next time.