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Clickers #2
Clickers II
The first wave was just the beginning . . .
The United States is in ruins. It has just suffered one of the worst hurricanes in history, the people are demoralized, and the president is a religious fanatic. Then things get really bad - the Clickers return.
Thousands of the monsters swarm across the entire nation and march inland, slaughtering anyone and anything they come across. But this time the Clickers aren't blindly rushing onto land - they are being led by an intelligence older than civilization itself. A force that wants to take dry land away from the mammals.
Those left alive soon realize that they must do everything and anything they can to protect humanity - no matter the cost.
This isn't war, this is extermination.
The United States is in ruins. It has just suffered one of the worst hurricanes in history, the people are demoralized, and the president is a religious fanatic. Then things get really bad - the Clickers return.
Thousands of the monsters swarm across the entire nation and march inland, slaughtering anyone and anything they come across. But this time the Clickers aren't blindly rushing onto land - they are being led by an intelligence older than civilization itself. A force that wants to take dry land away from the mammals.
Those left alive soon realize that they must do everything and anything they can to protect humanity - no matter the cost.
This isn't war, this is extermination.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
34 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
J.F. Gonzalez
80 books364 followersJesus F. Gonzalez was an American author, primarily of horror fiction (writing under the pseudonym J. F. Gonzalez). He has written many notable novels and has done collaborations with Bram Stoker Award winners Mike Oliveri and Brian Keene. His novel Survivor has been optioned for film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 18, 2015
After reading the original Clickers last month with some friends from the Horror Aficionados group over at Goodreads, many of us decided we wanted to continue on to read the sequel. This one featured Brian Keene as co-author rather than Mark Williams.
While I enjoyed the creature feature aspects of this story, (which I think were actually better than in the original Clickers), I did not enjoy the involvement of politics and religion.
When I'm reading what I think of as a B-movie type book, I want action! I want scrappy, brave characters running all over the place, trying to survive! I want bloody, messy kills! All of this can be found in this tale, true, but layering politics and religion over it took away some of the enjoyment for me. I couldn't help but feel that this book was trying to make a statement, and I generally don't like statements in my creature feature reading, other than general environmental ones, which are par for the course in this sub-genre.
Overall, this book was fun and even well written, but I didn't enjoy these serious subjects lumped on top of my Clickers and Dark Ones.
While I enjoyed the creature feature aspects of this story, (which I think were actually better than in the original Clickers), I did not enjoy the involvement of politics and religion.
When I'm reading what I think of as a B-movie type book, I want action! I want scrappy, brave characters running all over the place, trying to survive! I want bloody, messy kills! All of this can be found in this tale, true, but layering politics and religion over it took away some of the enjoyment for me. I couldn't help but feel that this book was trying to make a statement, and I generally don't like statements in my creature feature reading, other than general environmental ones, which are par for the course in this sub-genre.
Overall, this book was fun and even well written, but I didn't enjoy these serious subjects lumped on top of my Clickers and Dark Ones.
December 3, 2016
When it comes to sequels, the law of diminishing returns usually applies. In rare cases, however, a follow-up can equal or even surpass the original. And while I enjoyed the first CLICKERS novel, CLICKERS II: THE NEXT WAVE surpassed it in every conceivable way.
This is a polished, fast-moving, epic tale featuring several memorable characters and a great deal of suspense. Brian Keene was already one of my favorite writers, so I expected to enjoy the book because he co-wrote it, but I hadn't read much J.F. Gonzalez until I recently began the CLICKERS series. Now I'm a big Gonzalez fan too.
What's so cool is how cohesive the novel is despite being written by two people. Clearly, J.F. and Brian had an outstanding working relationship (as well as a strong friendship), and the power of that relationship is exhibited in the humility, respect, and focus each writer demonstrated in the creation of this novel.
This is a fun, ferocious read. Highly recommended!
This is a polished, fast-moving, epic tale featuring several memorable characters and a great deal of suspense. Brian Keene was already one of my favorite writers, so I expected to enjoy the book because he co-wrote it, but I hadn't read much J.F. Gonzalez until I recently began the CLICKERS series. Now I'm a big Gonzalez fan too.
What's so cool is how cohesive the novel is despite being written by two people. Clearly, J.F. and Brian had an outstanding working relationship (as well as a strong friendship), and the power of that relationship is exhibited in the humility, respect, and focus each writer demonstrated in the creation of this novel.
This is a fun, ferocious read. Highly recommended!
July 10, 2017
I dove into Clickers II: The Next Wave immediately after finishing the first Clickers novel. I had kind of expected the sequel to be more of the same, but was immediately impressed with how much larger the scope of this sequel is. Clickers II is bigger and better than its predecessor, with the sea-borne threat even more dangerous this time around. Whereas Clickers was a pulpy, small-town creature feature B-movie set to print, Clickers II ups the ante and becomes a full-blown disaster flick.
Hurricane Gary is plowing along the Eastern seaboard, dredging up a fresh swarm of giant killer crabs from the ocean. Ten years after the carnage at Philipsport, the USA is taken completely by surprise when the monsters start running rampant. Turns out a massive government cover-up has kept the Clickers a secret, and Rick and Melissa, two of the prior novel's survivors are on the run and hunted by government assassins. Who'd ever have thought these high-level decisions would come back to bite the country in its big ol' backside?
Following the untimely death of co-writer Mark Williams, J.F. Gonzalez is joined with Brian Keene this time around, and the two have done a wonderful job of proving just how elastic this crazy premise can be. While the first Clickers was focused on small-town scares, this sucker brings in the might of the American military, a crazed religious nut going bonkers in the White House, and plenty of carnage all up and down the seaboard, from Pennsylvania to Florida and with plenty of stops in between.
I know plenty of readers will be bothered by the depiction of the US President as a Christian zealot (cuz, gee, we've never had one of those before...), but I appreciated the honest assessment of our modern-day GOP. President Tyler is the type of science-denying, news media-hating, religious nut who spends most of his time on his knees, offering up thoughts and prayers instead of decisive action when America truly needs it. Although this novel was written in 2006, it's pretty clear the authors had a really good understanding of just how much farther one of the country's two major political parties had to fall, and it's pretty clear things have only gotten worse in the intervening decade. Kudos to the authors for being so prescient, and politically speaking, this book is even more scarily relevant now. All that's missing are the president's Russian handlers!
Thankfully, the blood 'n' guts of this sucker is darn enjoyable, too, and there's bucketfuls of both. When the Clickers make their first invasion, storming the beaches of New Jersey, it's wonderfully epic and very well paced. There's not a lot of slowing down, catch your breath moments in this book, and Gonzalez and Keene sustain a breakneck pace all the way through.
Clickers II: The Next Wave has all the fun of its predecessor, but greatly improves on the former with better built characters, the sense of a sweeping epic, and much more depth to go alongside the fist-pumping action. If you read and enjoyed the first book, you definitely need to check out part two! As for me? Well, I'll be diving into the depths of Clickers III later this evening.
Hurricane Gary is plowing along the Eastern seaboard, dredging up a fresh swarm of giant killer crabs from the ocean. Ten years after the carnage at Philipsport, the USA is taken completely by surprise when the monsters start running rampant. Turns out a massive government cover-up has kept the Clickers a secret, and Rick and Melissa, two of the prior novel's survivors are on the run and hunted by government assassins. Who'd ever have thought these high-level decisions would come back to bite the country in its big ol' backside?
Following the untimely death of co-writer Mark Williams, J.F. Gonzalez is joined with Brian Keene this time around, and the two have done a wonderful job of proving just how elastic this crazy premise can be. While the first Clickers was focused on small-town scares, this sucker brings in the might of the American military, a crazed religious nut going bonkers in the White House, and plenty of carnage all up and down the seaboard, from Pennsylvania to Florida and with plenty of stops in between.
I know plenty of readers will be bothered by the depiction of the US President as a Christian zealot (cuz, gee, we've never had one of those before...), but I appreciated the honest assessment of our modern-day GOP. President Tyler is the type of science-denying, news media-hating, religious nut who spends most of his time on his knees, offering up thoughts and prayers instead of decisive action when America truly needs it. Although this novel was written in 2006, it's pretty clear the authors had a really good understanding of just how much farther one of the country's two major political parties had to fall, and it's pretty clear things have only gotten worse in the intervening decade. Kudos to the authors for being so prescient, and politically speaking, this book is even more scarily relevant now. All that's missing are the president's Russian handlers!
Thankfully, the blood 'n' guts of this sucker is darn enjoyable, too, and there's bucketfuls of both. When the Clickers make their first invasion, storming the beaches of New Jersey, it's wonderfully epic and very well paced. There's not a lot of slowing down, catch your breath moments in this book, and Gonzalez and Keene sustain a breakneck pace all the way through.
Clickers II: The Next Wave has all the fun of its predecessor, but greatly improves on the former with better built characters, the sense of a sweeping epic, and much more depth to go alongside the fist-pumping action. If you read and enjoyed the first book, you definitely need to check out part two! As for me? Well, I'll be diving into the depths of Clickers III later this evening.
March 14, 2016
Yowza! What an upgrade! The original CLICKERS was an excellent, intimate little story. You know, boy meets girl, girl gets head swallowed whole by giant lizard monster, pretty standard stuff. CLICKERS II ups the stakes, ups the ante, ups the characters, ups the gore - it takes just about everything to the next level.
At first I wasn't sure if this would be the sort of sequel where a whole new cast of characters steps in to replace the original crew, with the exception of maybe a cameo. A lot of movies, B-movies especially (and the CLICKERS series is definitely the prose form of a B-movie series) end up that way. But I turned out to be wrong. The cast was just bigger, but all of the survivors of the original were woven into the fabric of the story, more or less organically. There were a few coincidental meetings that made me roll my eyes, but, you know, suspension of disbelief and all that. And, besides, once the main crew stopped beating their four or five individual paths and came together, the story really started to gel.
Taking place in 2006, Keene and Gonzalez present us with a George W. Bush analogue in President Tyler, a religious nut who seems harmless until the shit hits the fan and decisions need to be made. I enjoyed the political satire quite a bit. It could have been handled with a little bit of a defter touch, but in a gonzo horror novel I guess that's not the greatest crime.
A little more irritating to me personally was how the military is portrayed. I know, they say doctors shouldn't watch medical dramas, etc., but I reached a point where I couldn't just go with the flow. I was willing to give a pass on a retired O-6 bossing the Secretary of Defense around and some oddball stuff like that, but when people were assigned ranks like "Chief Lieutenant" and somebody declared a CNN broadcast to be a mandatory briefing and called a bunch of marines "soldiers" I was just shaking my head. Then again, though, this is part of Keene's 13 universe, so maybe CLICKERS II takes place on a level where all of that is perfectly reasonable. Yes. I've chosen to decide to believe that.
Aaaaanyway, some little technical details aside (YMMV, of course, and I assume the marine biologists in the crowd will have a whole other perspective) and some editing issues, this is a really killer book. There's some personal, claustrophobic horror, and there's major devastation and even a civil war. This is a gripping, exciting book. Oh, and my chief complaint about the last book, which was that The Dark Ones felt like an afterthought and a distraction, was completely reversed this outing. I thought they were excellently integrated into the whole, and got a chance to not only be a coherent part of the universe but to be genuinely terrifying in their own right. The addition of a Dark One character may have had a little something to do with that.
In any case, if you liked the first CLICKERS even a little bit, you'll definitely want to pick up the sequel, and to be honest, if this is where you're jumping into the series, you'll probably be fine, too. Now I'm off to complete the trilogy!
At first I wasn't sure if this would be the sort of sequel where a whole new cast of characters steps in to replace the original crew, with the exception of maybe a cameo. A lot of movies, B-movies especially (and the CLICKERS series is definitely the prose form of a B-movie series) end up that way. But I turned out to be wrong. The cast was just bigger, but all of the survivors of the original were woven into the fabric of the story, more or less organically. There were a few coincidental meetings that made me roll my eyes, but, you know, suspension of disbelief and all that. And, besides, once the main crew stopped beating their four or five individual paths and came together, the story really started to gel.
Taking place in 2006, Keene and Gonzalez present us with a George W. Bush analogue in President Tyler, a religious nut who seems harmless until the shit hits the fan and decisions need to be made. I enjoyed the political satire quite a bit. It could have been handled with a little bit of a defter touch, but in a gonzo horror novel I guess that's not the greatest crime.
A little more irritating to me personally was how the military is portrayed. I know, they say doctors shouldn't watch medical dramas, etc., but I reached a point where I couldn't just go with the flow. I was willing to give a pass on a retired O-6 bossing the Secretary of Defense around and some oddball stuff like that, but when people were assigned ranks like "Chief Lieutenant" and somebody declared a CNN broadcast to be a mandatory briefing and called a bunch of marines "soldiers" I was just shaking my head. Then again, though, this is part of Keene's 13 universe, so maybe CLICKERS II takes place on a level where all of that is perfectly reasonable. Yes. I've chosen to decide to believe that.
Aaaaanyway, some little technical details aside (YMMV, of course, and I assume the marine biologists in the crowd will have a whole other perspective) and some editing issues, this is a really killer book. There's some personal, claustrophobic horror, and there's major devastation and even a civil war. This is a gripping, exciting book. Oh, and my chief complaint about the last book, which was that The Dark Ones felt like an afterthought and a distraction, was completely reversed this outing. I thought they were excellently integrated into the whole, and got a chance to not only be a coherent part of the universe but to be genuinely terrifying in their own right. The addition of a Dark One character may have had a little something to do with that.
In any case, if you liked the first CLICKERS even a little bit, you'll definitely want to pick up the sequel, and to be honest, if this is where you're jumping into the series, you'll probably be fine, too. Now I'm off to complete the trilogy!
Want to read
October 26, 2016This book is copy numbered PC of 500 copies.
March 22, 2024
The 2nd installment of the series does not disappoint! More Clickers and Dark Ones, more carnage, more bloodshed, and a government cover-up (with a fantastic nut job of a President).
January 30, 2014
Many times sequels don't measure up to the original, sometimes it's best to leave a successful book stand alone. I'm so glad that this is not the case here. Clickers, originally published in 1998, was such a fun read I never expected the follow-up to be as good, but honestly it was even more entertaining than the first installment.
This time, JF Gonzalez teamed up with the legendary Brian Keene. A match made in Horror Heaven or would it be more appropriate to say Horror Hell? The two writers compliment one another extremely well, bringing back those crab-lobster-scorpion things known as Clickers and their scaly conterparts, The Dark Ones. The Clickers are bigger and The Dark Ones are smarter. It's a number of years later and amidst another Category 5 Hurricane the action begins and the attack is fast, furious and much broader than before.
Colonel Augustus Livingston, retired, is called back to active duty. He was in Phillipsport, Me to lead the clean-up after the original invasion some years ago. I genuinely liked this character, he's fed up with bureaucracy, as many of us are, and gets to speak his mind and take action. Rick Sychek, who also survived the original attack (and has been living under an assumed identity ever since) is also back and brought into the middle of things despite his desire to be as far away from the invasion as possible. The president of the U.S. is key to this story and I won't say more, because I don't want to spoil it for you. But, he's certainly memorable.
Clickers II: The Next Wave won't disappoint. It was just plain fun to read. I would certainly recommend you read Clickers first and there at 2 more books in the series. There are no cliff-hangers per se, so far the two stories compliment one another very well.
Available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.
This time, JF Gonzalez teamed up with the legendary Brian Keene. A match made in Horror Heaven or would it be more appropriate to say Horror Hell? The two writers compliment one another extremely well, bringing back those crab-lobster-scorpion things known as Clickers and their scaly conterparts, The Dark Ones. The Clickers are bigger and The Dark Ones are smarter. It's a number of years later and amidst another Category 5 Hurricane the action begins and the attack is fast, furious and much broader than before.
Colonel Augustus Livingston, retired, is called back to active duty. He was in Phillipsport, Me to lead the clean-up after the original invasion some years ago. I genuinely liked this character, he's fed up with bureaucracy, as many of us are, and gets to speak his mind and take action. Rick Sychek, who also survived the original attack (and has been living under an assumed identity ever since) is also back and brought into the middle of things despite his desire to be as far away from the invasion as possible. The president of the U.S. is key to this story and I won't say more, because I don't want to spoil it for you. But, he's certainly memorable.
Clickers II: The Next Wave won't disappoint. It was just plain fun to read. I would certainly recommend you read Clickers first and there at 2 more books in the series. There are no cliff-hangers per se, so far the two stories compliment one another very well.
Available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.
January 10, 2024
LE DOY 3 ESTRELLAS PORQUE ESTA VEZ LOS CLICKERS VAN A POR TODO. Y PORQUE LA TRAMA TIENE UNA COMPLEJIDAD MUCHO MAYOR... YA DICHO ESO, EL PRIMER LIBRO ME GUSTÓ MÁS QUE ESTE.
La segunda entrega de Clickers presenta literalmente una ofensiva a gran escala por parte de las criaturas contra los Estados Unidos. Ambientada unos 10 años después de la historia original, esta novela nos muestra básicamente como todo lo acontecido en el primer libro ha sido encubierto por el gobierno estadounidense, y como los sobrevivientes del primer ataque han sido o "silenciados" por la CIA, o han escapado y viven en la clandestinidad, temerosos de que su gobierno los encuentre y los asesine.
Es muchos aspectos este libro nos muestra todo lo malo de una administración política corrupta, negligente e incapaz, que por motivo de carecer de liderazgo competente se sume en el caos cuando las criaturas resurgen y atacan indiscriminadamente a la población, no solo de un pequeño pueblo como en el primer libro, sino de toda la costa este de los Estados Unidos. El ataque es devastador para la población civil, y para cuando los militares tratan de contener la situación, las bajas ya se cuentan en millones. Lo peor de todo es el Presidente norteamericano, un maniaco ultrareligioso que brilla por su incompetencia total para afrontar la crisis. Sus decisiones dividen al gobierno y ocasionan una especie de golpe militar, que agrega más caos a una situación de por si desesperada. Solo dos de los personajes del primer libro vuelven para este relato, pero si hay un verdadero protagonista aquí, ese es el Coronel de los Estado Unidos (retirado) Augustus Livingston, quien funge cono el opositor de la administración política ultraconservadora imperante, y organiza al ejercito para pelear y repeler la invasión de las criaturas de las profundidades.
De más esta decir que las fuerzas invasoras aprovechan el caos de la situación para destruir todo a su paso, llegando incluso a invadir grandes ciudades como Washington y New York. Como en la primera novela, los Clickers son implacables al momento de atacar. El gore de las muertes es tremendo, sin hacer distinción en la edad o género de las victimas. Las cosas empeoran cuando la segunda especie de las profundidades marinas (que ya había hecho su aparición en el primer libro), entra en acción. Estos segundos monstruos son los que verdaderamente dirigen el ataque de los Clickers, y en esta novela se descubre el grado de inteligencia que tienen y la complejidad de su sociedad y especie. Dejando al lector con muchas preguntas aún sin responder sobre de donde vienen y hasta donde están dispuestos a llegar para cumplir sus objetivos.
Es un libro entretenido sin duda, aunque se hace extrañar el ambiente de "pequeño pueblo" que tenía el primero. La apuesta es más grande ahora, y se nota que los autores trataron de llevar la historia al siguiente nivel. Hay ciertas partes que son algo ridículas (las relacionadas al presidente en mi opinión son de no creer), y una escena más o menos a la mitad es de verdad perturbadora... por razones que prefiero no comentar. Pero vale la pena leerlo.
Ya veremos como le va a la tercera.
La segunda entrega de Clickers presenta literalmente una ofensiva a gran escala por parte de las criaturas contra los Estados Unidos. Ambientada unos 10 años después de la historia original, esta novela nos muestra básicamente como todo lo acontecido en el primer libro ha sido encubierto por el gobierno estadounidense, y como los sobrevivientes del primer ataque han sido o "silenciados" por la CIA, o han escapado y viven en la clandestinidad, temerosos de que su gobierno los encuentre y los asesine.
Es muchos aspectos este libro nos muestra todo lo malo de una administración política corrupta, negligente e incapaz, que por motivo de carecer de liderazgo competente se sume en el caos cuando las criaturas resurgen y atacan indiscriminadamente a la población, no solo de un pequeño pueblo como en el primer libro, sino de toda la costa este de los Estados Unidos. El ataque es devastador para la población civil, y para cuando los militares tratan de contener la situación, las bajas ya se cuentan en millones. Lo peor de todo es el Presidente norteamericano, un maniaco ultrareligioso que brilla por su incompetencia total para afrontar la crisis. Sus decisiones dividen al gobierno y ocasionan una especie de golpe militar, que agrega más caos a una situación de por si desesperada. Solo dos de los personajes del primer libro vuelven para este relato, pero si hay un verdadero protagonista aquí, ese es el Coronel de los Estado Unidos (retirado) Augustus Livingston, quien funge cono el opositor de la administración política ultraconservadora imperante, y organiza al ejercito para pelear y repeler la invasión de las criaturas de las profundidades.
De más esta decir que las fuerzas invasoras aprovechan el caos de la situación para destruir todo a su paso, llegando incluso a invadir grandes ciudades como Washington y New York. Como en la primera novela, los Clickers son implacables al momento de atacar. El gore de las muertes es tremendo, sin hacer distinción en la edad o género de las victimas. Las cosas empeoran cuando la segunda especie de las profundidades marinas (que ya había hecho su aparición en el primer libro), entra en acción. Estos segundos monstruos son los que verdaderamente dirigen el ataque de los Clickers, y en esta novela se descubre el grado de inteligencia que tienen y la complejidad de su sociedad y especie. Dejando al lector con muchas preguntas aún sin responder sobre de donde vienen y hasta donde están dispuestos a llegar para cumplir sus objetivos.
Es un libro entretenido sin duda, aunque se hace extrañar el ambiente de "pequeño pueblo" que tenía el primero. La apuesta es más grande ahora, y se nota que los autores trataron de llevar la historia al siguiente nivel. Hay ciertas partes que son algo ridículas (las relacionadas al presidente en mi opinión son de no creer), y una escena más o menos a la mitad es de verdad perturbadora... por razones que prefiero no comentar. Pero vale la pena leerlo.
Ya veremos como le va a la tercera.
April 9, 2022
I enjoyed the original Clickers novel, written by J.F. Gonzalez and Mark Williams, for what it was. But the team-up between Keene and Gonzalez takes this series to the next level. One major advantage is the stronger narrative, spanning the length of the east coast as opposed to a singular town. It pulls off exactly what a creature feature sequel should aspire to - bigger and louder than the original. As creepy as the clickers were in book one, varying their size this time around plays well. Sharp claws and venom only hold so much potential terror when their bearer is the size of a golden retriever. Make it the size of a Cadillac and now we're talking.
Nobody does mayhem quite like Brian Keene and Clickers II: The Next Wave adds a very healthy dose, a necessary jolt to bring this series to life. When I turned the final page, I immediately grabbed book 3 off the shelf, and that is the sign of a killer series.
Nobody does mayhem quite like Brian Keene and Clickers II: The Next Wave adds a very healthy dose, a necessary jolt to bring this series to life. When I turned the final page, I immediately grabbed book 3 off the shelf, and that is the sign of a killer series.
January 11, 2018
Taking place several years after events in the original novel, bestselling authors Brian Keene and JF Gonzalez offer an incredibly intense and suspense- and action-packed sequel. The Clickers have returned but in much larger numbers, swarming the eastern coastline of the United States from Florida to Northeast as a hurricane bears down on the region. While the current White House administration ignores the warning signs, a retired Army Colonel, along with fugitive Rick Sychek and a few others, attempt to thwart the attack and survive. But the worst is yet to come...
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
August 1, 2018
Giant crabs and creatures from the sea spark a second civil war. And the most villainous villain of them all? That's right--it's the President of the United States. The first Clickers book was pretty great. This second one is a total gas. Highly recommended for giant monster fans.
March 22, 2024
Amazing second novel!
Usually this doesn`t happen, but I guess that the co-writing with Brian Keene has it`s advantages.
Overall, like other readers have remarked, the action gets a small step back, but, for me wasn`t such a bad thing. Because we have more room for the characters to be better developed. Still, the pacing and intensity of the novel remained at a very fast rate, impressive for their cohesive unity.
I can`t say that there is or not a secret message embedded in the whole scenario, but I really hated the President and the kidnapper, so I can say that I really felt invested in this one.
Yeah, for me this horror novel checked all the boxes, amazing and gory creatures, well defined characters, extreme situations we get into, a country that`s moving to the brink of a civil war, frenetic bloody action and a good intrigue scenario.
In short, a smash hit for me!
Usually this doesn`t happen, but I guess that the co-writing with Brian Keene has it`s advantages.
Overall, like other readers have remarked, the action gets a small step back, but, for me wasn`t such a bad thing. Because we have more room for the characters to be better developed. Still, the pacing and intensity of the novel remained at a very fast rate, impressive for their cohesive unity.
I can`t say that there is or not a secret message embedded in the whole scenario, but I really hated the President and the kidnapper, so I can say that I really felt invested in this one.
Yeah, for me this horror novel checked all the boxes, amazing and gory creatures, well defined characters, extreme situations we get into, a country that`s moving to the brink of a civil war, frenetic bloody action and a good intrigue scenario.
In short, a smash hit for me!
May 27, 2011
The Next Wave was very good. I will say that first before I begin criticizing it. The only reason why I feel I have to is because, in my opinion, it fell well short of the first clickers novel for several reasons. The first is perhaps my fault. Maybe I shouldn’t have dived right into this book after finishing a five star read like Clickers (I). Maybe I was just a little burnt out on giant monster B-movie plots but I don’t think that was it. I think it is the lack of masterful characterization which made the first Clickers novel so enjoyable for me. There were a few scenes that I found completely over the top and not in a good way, like Tim and Rick’s “ordeal,” and there didn’t seem to be very many main characters. All of them felt like minor characters about whom I didn’t care in the slightest.
My only other complaint is that, like many open-ended horror novels, Clickers (I) was fine that way. I did not feel disappointed. We know at the end of the first novel that there is a good chance it could all happen again but we don’t know for sure. I think of The Mist by King which, unlike the movie, does not provide us with a conclusion at all. Clickers isn’t that open-ended but I do not think it was a good idea to continue the series. The Next Wave was a fun read, hell I gave it four stars because of that, but a lot of the charm was missing. I had much higher expectations for this, especially with Brian Keene in on it, but it let me down a bit. Still, very fun book and I will read Dagon Rising eventually. I am not going to track it down any time soon though.
My only other complaint is that, like many open-ended horror novels, Clickers (I) was fine that way. I did not feel disappointed. We know at the end of the first novel that there is a good chance it could all happen again but we don’t know for sure. I think of The Mist by King which, unlike the movie, does not provide us with a conclusion at all. Clickers isn’t that open-ended but I do not think it was a good idea to continue the series. The Next Wave was a fun read, hell I gave it four stars because of that, but a lot of the charm was missing. I had much higher expectations for this, especially with Brian Keene in on it, but it let me down a bit. Still, very fun book and I will read Dagon Rising eventually. I am not going to track it down any time soon though.
January 19, 2015
It's sad when a personal agenda is handled in such a way that it overshadows the story, especially a story that could have been such a fun romp, which was definitely the case with this book. The Clickers and friends are back, on a much larger scale this time. There's no covering this one up, as the wave hits the entire east coast, and the action and "monster" story elements are great.
But the president has his own agenda, and the way that it is presented really comes across as ham-fisted. I started to feel like a political agenda was being rammed down my throat, when all I wanted was to root for the good guys to blow away the monsters. Don't get me wrong, I don't have an issue with fiction tackling political issues, but when the story starts to take a back seat to the preaching, it gets old fast.
Also, like many older Delirium hardbacks, this one really needed a closer editorial eye, and that annoys me, personally, and yanks me right out of the story.
I love the work of both co-authors, but this one just didn't work as well for me, and it had so much potential to build on the first book, which is a legitimate cult classic, for good reason. I plan to keep reading the series, but I really hope it goes back to the fun B-movie aspects and becomes less heavy-handed in pushing an agenda.
But the president has his own agenda, and the way that it is presented really comes across as ham-fisted. I started to feel like a political agenda was being rammed down my throat, when all I wanted was to root for the good guys to blow away the monsters. Don't get me wrong, I don't have an issue with fiction tackling political issues, but when the story starts to take a back seat to the preaching, it gets old fast.
Also, like many older Delirium hardbacks, this one really needed a closer editorial eye, and that annoys me, personally, and yanks me right out of the story.
I love the work of both co-authors, but this one just didn't work as well for me, and it had so much potential to build on the first book, which is a legitimate cult classic, for good reason. I plan to keep reading the series, but I really hope it goes back to the fun B-movie aspects and becomes less heavy-handed in pushing an agenda.
November 5, 2015
A short take:
Oversized prehistoric crustaceans maraud coastal cities in the US and kill with abandon. Behind these beasties are yet more monsters. I should've loved reading this book, and the fact that I did not makes me sad.
More thoughts:
Eight years after Bush Junior's last term, watching ultra-conservatives act like arrogant idiots before receiving their inevitable comeuppance is not much fun, nor is it cathartic.
Oversized prehistoric crustaceans maraud coastal cities in the US and kill with abandon. Behind these beasties are yet more monsters. I should've loved reading this book, and the fact that I did not makes me sad.
More thoughts:
Eight years after Bush Junior's last term, watching ultra-conservatives act like arrogant idiots before receiving their inevitable comeuppance is not much fun, nor is it cathartic.
April 30, 2020
While the original was a fun and horrific tale, the larger scope in this one seems to lose a little of the intimacy of its predecessor. Less a creature feature story and more a Kaiju blockbuster, this sequel is a blast in that sense, but pales in the terror department.
May 5, 2022
Like Aliens was to Alien or T2 to the Terminator, this is better than the original.
It's been a few years since the destruction of the first book with most of the horrors swept under the carpet and hidden. The government wants nothing to be let out about these clickers or the dark ones and will take extreme measures to make it happen. But, now after years of waiting the creatures return with a full-on invasion.
Really loved this, much better than the first book with big scenes of destruction and carnage. Liked all the characters old and new, and now I want to see them come back for the final attack.
BRING ON EPIC MONSTER BOSS FIGHTS!!!!
Recommended for monster and deep sea horror fans.
It's been a few years since the destruction of the first book with most of the horrors swept under the carpet and hidden. The government wants nothing to be let out about these clickers or the dark ones and will take extreme measures to make it happen. But, now after years of waiting the creatures return with a full-on invasion.
Really loved this, much better than the first book with big scenes of destruction and carnage. Liked all the characters old and new, and now I want to see them come back for the final attack.
BRING ON EPIC MONSTER BOSS FIGHTS!!!!
Recommended for monster and deep sea horror fans.
January 6, 2024
What a major fucking downgrade from the first Clickers book.
Okay, Clickers 2 was written well, but WTF IS WITH ALL THE POLITICS?!
Seriously, this novel started off strong and could have been a 5/5. This is just so weird to me. The entire novel felt like a political lecture with some story sprinkled in every now and then.
I don’t get it. Like, I don’t give a shit about your political views. I know for a fact JF Gonzalez and Brian Keene can write well cause I’ve seen amazing work from them; but I do not need to be lectured about what ever the heck you believe.
If I was reading a political book, fine. But don’t market this as a horror book when it’s really not.
Okay, Clickers 2 was written well, but WTF IS WITH ALL THE POLITICS?!
Seriously, this novel started off strong and could have been a 5/5. This is just so weird to me. The entire novel felt like a political lecture with some story sprinkled in every now and then.
I don’t get it. Like, I don’t give a shit about your political views. I know for a fact JF Gonzalez and Brian Keene can write well cause I’ve seen amazing work from them; but I do not need to be lectured about what ever the heck you believe.
If I was reading a political book, fine. But don’t market this as a horror book when it’s really not.
December 5, 2020
I read Clickers I earlier this year because I had a yearning for a B-movie type story experience - an over-the-top-brainless-gory-action-packed-monster-infested-read-fest. Just fun fun fun. The funny thing is the president depicted in the story (written in 2011) reminds me of another president in the present. Ha!
May 25, 2021
This book was great not only you have to deal with the enemies from part 1. They also added another enemy the president of the United States. Reminds me of 2020-21 of current politics. Excellent book!
January 28, 2025
Literally not a second was boring !! Amazing
November 6, 2014
Unlike the first Clickers book where we had a small town setting (which was appropriate for the Creature Feature films vibe it was going for.), this time around the Clickers have been upgraded to large disaster film status. It works for the most part because we really see how the Clickers could contend against the military and large city type settings. We get a much larger cast this time around, so while Rick Sychek does return, he doesn't get as much as attention as some of the newer characters like Colonel Augustus Livingston. In fact Livingston might be the most developed character in this series so far. We do get a lot of politics and black shadowy espionage in this book, it comes off feeling epic like a Godzilla or world disaster movie.
This time we get the inclusion of Brian Keene's Labyrinth mythology, with hints of the Black Lodge and Proper Johnson. The real treat in this story for Brian Keene fans is the inclusion of Tony Genova. Up until now he has only been included in short stories like Marriage Causes Cancer in Rats. (As well as some other minor short stories, like the one featuring Ob from the Rising.) For me Tony was plenty of reason to be enthralled in this book, but I understand where some other readers wouldn't share my enthusiasm. However Tony is a important character and so is the existence of the Black Lodge, for those who plan on reading the third book you'll discover why. Regardless if you plan on reading all three books, this one is definitely a must read.
Seriously excited to see more Tony in Clickers 3!
Out of the whole Clickers trilogy the second books falls as my least favorite of the three. (I don't could Clickers vs Zombies as part of the trilogy because it's missing the main cast.) One of the main reasons for this is that the whole subplot featuring Jennifer Wasco fell flat to me. I would of liked a bigger pay off with her character's story line. Perhaps if her knowledge of invasive species exploited a weakness within the Dark One's physiology, I would of felt like her main character status wasn't wasted. I understand her knowledge of invasive species was important, I just would of liked more accomplished with the character. The other thing that bothered me was the supporting cast felt bloated at times, I would of liked it if they scaled back on the minor characters just a little. Their came a point where I just stopped caring about minor characters in general because I couldn't' remember all of their names.
I have read some other reviews where some over sensitive readers where complaining about "Christianity" being attacked in this book. I must say that people need to calm the heck down and get off their high horse. First off my parents are both Christians and I never once felt like the authors were out of line. Secondly it's a horror story, this is the genre where no "religion", "sex", or "race" is sacred. You will get fanatics of all types in horror fiction, including villains who are Rednecks, Muslim, Conspiracy Theorist, Satanist, Atheists, and yes even Christian. The amount of religious fanaticism in this book was the equivalent to what we see in Stephen King's The Mist. So if you are going to judge one then you should definitely judge the other. Just saying. In my opinion I have seen all types of religions go crazy, so it wasn't absurd or offensive to see it happen in a horror novel.
Also while The President of The United States is evil in this book, I never once found it offensive either. I wouldn't even be addressing this if I hadn't read some of the other reviews on this website. I will say that it was very original to make the President the bad guy for a change. This isn't a America bashing book either, because in my eyes the good old USA pulls through for each other and I couldn't think of anything more patriotic then that. Regardless of how others feel I had fun with this book and I definitely am very grateful to both Brian Keene and J.F. Gonzalez for working together on it. It gets a four out of five stars from me.
This time we get the inclusion of Brian Keene's Labyrinth mythology, with hints of the Black Lodge and Proper Johnson. The real treat in this story for Brian Keene fans is the inclusion of Tony Genova. Up until now he has only been included in short stories like Marriage Causes Cancer in Rats. (As well as some other minor short stories, like the one featuring Ob from the Rising.) For me Tony was plenty of reason to be enthralled in this book, but I understand where some other readers wouldn't share my enthusiasm. However Tony is a important character and so is the existence of the Black Lodge, for those who plan on reading the third book you'll discover why. Regardless if you plan on reading all three books, this one is definitely a must read.
Seriously excited to see more Tony in Clickers 3!
Out of the whole Clickers trilogy the second books falls as my least favorite of the three. (I don't could Clickers vs Zombies as part of the trilogy because it's missing the main cast.) One of the main reasons for this is that the whole subplot featuring Jennifer Wasco fell flat to me. I would of liked a bigger pay off with her character's story line. Perhaps if her knowledge of invasive species exploited a weakness within the Dark One's physiology, I would of felt like her main character status wasn't wasted. I understand her knowledge of invasive species was important, I just would of liked more accomplished with the character. The other thing that bothered me was the supporting cast felt bloated at times, I would of liked it if they scaled back on the minor characters just a little. Their came a point where I just stopped caring about minor characters in general because I couldn't' remember all of their names.
I have read some other reviews where some over sensitive readers where complaining about "Christianity" being attacked in this book. I must say that people need to calm the heck down and get off their high horse. First off my parents are both Christians and I never once felt like the authors were out of line. Secondly it's a horror story, this is the genre where no "religion", "sex", or "race" is sacred. You will get fanatics of all types in horror fiction, including villains who are Rednecks, Muslim, Conspiracy Theorist, Satanist, Atheists, and yes even Christian. The amount of religious fanaticism in this book was the equivalent to what we see in Stephen King's The Mist. So if you are going to judge one then you should definitely judge the other. Just saying. In my opinion I have seen all types of religions go crazy, so it wasn't absurd or offensive to see it happen in a horror novel.
Also while The President of The United States is evil in this book, I never once found it offensive either. I wouldn't even be addressing this if I hadn't read some of the other reviews on this website. I will say that it was very original to make the President the bad guy for a change. This isn't a America bashing book either, because in my eyes the good old USA pulls through for each other and I couldn't think of anything more patriotic then that. Regardless of how others feel I had fun with this book and I definitely am very grateful to both Brian Keene and J.F. Gonzalez for working together on it. It gets a four out of five stars from me.
May 26, 2013
Like all good grade B movies, the original CLICKERS novel gets a sequel in the form of CLICKERS II: THE NEXT WAVE. Unlike most sequels though, the story here is just as good as the first one.
It is about ten years after the events in the first book. The government has tried covering up the event at Phillipsport. The truth has been left to conspiracy theorist as all the survivors from that day have been killed or are permanently in hiding. With a familiar catalyst, a hurricane strikes the East Coast and brings with it clickers that are bigger, stronger and more vicious than what was seen before.
Mixed in with some new characters such as a religiously fanatic President and marine biologist at the right spot are some familiar characters from the first book. And as before, the characters are really the driving force behind the book. There are the typical victims who are going to die but then the others are the ones that keep you cheering to survive or even booing to die. No matter what way you look at it, the book is pure fun and will be enjoyed! In the time between me finishing the first book and me getting to this book, Gonzalez and Keene have added a fourth book in the series, so I still have two more sequels to read. Yay!
It is about ten years after the events in the first book. The government has tried covering up the event at Phillipsport. The truth has been left to conspiracy theorist as all the survivors from that day have been killed or are permanently in hiding. With a familiar catalyst, a hurricane strikes the East Coast and brings with it clickers that are bigger, stronger and more vicious than what was seen before.
Mixed in with some new characters such as a religiously fanatic President and marine biologist at the right spot are some familiar characters from the first book. And as before, the characters are really the driving force behind the book. There are the typical victims who are going to die but then the others are the ones that keep you cheering to survive or even booing to die. No matter what way you look at it, the book is pure fun and will be enjoyed! In the time between me finishing the first book and me getting to this book, Gonzalez and Keene have added a fourth book in the series, so I still have two more sequels to read. Yay!
July 21, 2011
I reacquainted myself with the original Clickers earlier this year, and the sequel has been sitting on my shelf for a while, so I dived in. Where I was expecting another popcorn book, perhaps demonstrating the law of diminishing returns, I was pleased to find the story evolve, with the book ending up a very different beast as a result. Instead of monsters in a small town, here we have a nation under siege, with characters at all levels (from the streets to the corridors of the White House) threatened by the marauding beasts. Rather than small town monster movie, then, this is more disaster flick than anything else. The writing and characterisation, effective enough in the first novel, is more confident here too. Gonzalez is a more experienced writer, and it shows. His co-contributor, Brian Keene, is also on good form, and this type of horror scenario is one he's shown himself skilled at time and again. The result is a more varied story, on a grander scale, and a worthy development from the original.
July 20, 2023
Clickers (the creatures), the Dark Ones and such saved this book.
The rest is an ode to the US army and stuff. Since I'm not an American, to me 'he's a Vietnam veteran' or 'he did a number of tours to X country which is not the US' and the like doesn't have the same meaning as, I suppose, it does to an American.
I wouldn't have paid much attention to all the above if the book hadn't been trying to shove it down my throat every couple of pages. That and the politics. Not interested.
Bottom line is, I didn't get the creatures as much as wanted and the culmination just fizzled out. The Dark Ones didn't get their proper revenge. I am going to read Dagon Rising next. Since Nick Mamatas's 'I am Providence', I stopped thinking you can't mess a lovecraftian story, so even if there's Dagon in the title of the next book, I'll just wait and see.
The rest is an ode to the US army and stuff. Since I'm not an American, to me 'he's a Vietnam veteran' or 'he did a number of tours to X country which is not the US' and the like doesn't have the same meaning as, I suppose, it does to an American.
I wouldn't have paid much attention to all the above if the book hadn't been trying to shove it down my throat every couple of pages. That and the politics. Not interested.
Bottom line is, I didn't get the creatures as much as wanted and the culmination just fizzled out. The Dark Ones didn't get their proper revenge. I am going to read Dagon Rising next. Since Nick Mamatas's 'I am Providence', I stopped thinking you can't mess a lovecraftian story, so even if there's Dagon in the title of the next book, I'll just wait and see.
January 21, 2011
Set about a dozen years after the first volume, this one is a lot of fun. It carries on the story of most of the survivors of the first volume and introduces a new cast of larger-than-life, pulp-influenced ones who are just as enjoyable. Giant crabs return, driven by their dark overlords who are out for vengeance, and half the country is destroyed... but the real bad guys are the ultra-right politicians in charge of our defense. Multiple viewpoints and short flashes of events from all over the scenes of the action keep the story moving at a frantic pace, and the apocalyptic nature of the plot is very well told. This one would make a really great B movie.
September 4, 2019
Not too long ago, I immersed myself in the world of Clickers by J.F. Gonzalez and Mark Williams. I found it to be an entertaining B-movie romp with a disappointing scene and one very annoying, racist Sheriff. Considering my enjoyment, I thought reading the second Clickers novel would be a really fun choice for a summer vacation read.
I found myself asking, “Could this match or even overcome the detriments of the original?”
Unfortunately, when I read the book, it was actually a little worse than the original.
Read the rest of the review here.
I found myself asking, “Could this match or even overcome the detriments of the original?”
Unfortunately, when I read the book, it was actually a little worse than the original.
Read the rest of the review here.
June 13, 2012
More giant crab action! This time, the Clickers attack the entire East Coast of the United States, eating everyone in their path. A category five hurricane bears down on Washington, DC, as the President--an insane religious zealot--sets off a civil war in the midst of the Clicker invasion. The Dark Ones return! Atlantic City is overrun! Giant crabs are eating the White House! One completely unnecessary sex scene! Fun, pure, uber-violent monster crab goodness. Even better than the original. I can't wait to see the movie.
Click-click!
Click-click!
November 25, 2019
I guess the people moaning about it being political are fans of the republican party which says it all really! It's not political ignore them. It's just what you want if you like horror. Go for it and don't be put off by the Trumpesque fans! 🤣
January 17, 2015
DNF at 60%. Gonzalez rocks while Keene ruins. I'm upset that Keene fucked up an otherwise fun story. If this was more about clickers, less about politics, it could have been great.
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