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Zerfleischt
Kannibalismus, Mord, Vergewaltigung – wenn die Zivilisation endet, wird die Erde zur blutbesudelten Hölle. Und der Mensch wird weniger Mensch sein.
Dieser Roman des Amerikaners Tim Curran ist ein Albtraum von epischem Ausmaß – ohne einen Spritzer Mitleid.
Tim Lebbon: »Schockierend und brutal.«
Brian Keene: »Zerfleischt ist Dynamit! Bestialisch, heftig und verstörend!«
Amazon.com: »Der Roman ist so hart, Hostel ist dagegen ein Disney-Film.«
VIRUS: »Zerfleischt ist ein beinhartes Splatter-Gemetzel […] ein finsteres, blutiges und kompromissloses Genre-Highlight.«
Dieser Roman des Amerikaners Tim Curran ist ein Albtraum von epischem Ausmaß – ohne einen Spritzer Mitleid.
Tim Lebbon: »Schockierend und brutal.«
Brian Keene: »Zerfleischt ist Dynamit! Bestialisch, heftig und verstörend!«
Amazon.com: »Der Roman ist so hart, Hostel ist dagegen ein Disney-Film.«
VIRUS: »Zerfleischt ist ein beinhartes Splatter-Gemetzel […] ein finsteres, blutiges und kompromissloses Genre-Highlight.«
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
27 people are currently reading
693 people want to read
About the author
Tim Curran
149 books596 followersTim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 25, 2020
Wow, some roller coaster thoughts on this one...
Okay, real life has been kicking my ass recently. I averaged about 23 pages a day for more than two weeks, which is not ideal for me, but I just don't have the time.
So, this book is very good, but it had the potential to be great.
Curran throws you into this chaos unapologetically, right from the first page. There are some really sick, twisted visuals you will get from this story, and it will turn your stomach, guaranteed. Not just grossing you out for the sake of it, but the depths of depravity is, well, truly astonishing.
And that is probably why this story is scarier than any zombie story I have ever read or seen. This concept of:
What if, out of the blue, humanity degenerates back into the caveman stage, where there are no morals or morality, love or empathy, just the simple needs of shelter, food and procreation? It makes me think of the saying:
I have decided to live my life by the code of a dog. If you can't eat it or fuck it, you piss on it.
And yes, there is a lot of pissing to claim territory in this story. Your scent marks ownership.
Here's the thing; Me, I can handle seeing a lot of things that may gross people out, as long as I don't smell it. So, when I became a father and had to look after my baby while my wife was working night shift, we had a nappy incident which showed some ingenuity on my part. New fathers, listen up! If you spray a shirt with deodorant generously, you can tie the sleeves behind your head and get through a nasty event without puking on your child. Sure, you may still gag, but at least there is some protection.
What's the point, Mort?
I could basically smell the nasty odors because they were described so vividly in this story.
Well done, Mr. Curran!
Okay, this story takes place during a single day, and while there are many angles, it is basically about the one man and girl who doesn't turn into these savages, but has no idea how to stop it.
Of course, I did say the story could have been great, and here is where the author went wrong, in my opinion:
This story could have been shorter - it is actually 330 pages on Kindle - if he didn't try to describe how they reverted back to savages in every single way conceivable. We get it, okay?
Example: I have only come across the word 'atavistic' once before. I actually had to look it up to confirm I had the right definition in my head. In this story, if I am not mistaken, it appears six or seven times.
My final thought is this:
Truly sick story for extreme fans only, and if you can get to the end, I think it was exactly the right ending.
Okay, real life has been kicking my ass recently. I averaged about 23 pages a day for more than two weeks, which is not ideal for me, but I just don't have the time.
So, this book is very good, but it had the potential to be great.
Curran throws you into this chaos unapologetically, right from the first page. There are some really sick, twisted visuals you will get from this story, and it will turn your stomach, guaranteed. Not just grossing you out for the sake of it, but the depths of depravity is, well, truly astonishing.
And that is probably why this story is scarier than any zombie story I have ever read or seen. This concept of:
What if, out of the blue, humanity degenerates back into the caveman stage, where there are no morals or morality, love or empathy, just the simple needs of shelter, food and procreation? It makes me think of the saying:
I have decided to live my life by the code of a dog. If you can't eat it or fuck it, you piss on it.
And yes, there is a lot of pissing to claim territory in this story. Your scent marks ownership.
Here's the thing; Me, I can handle seeing a lot of things that may gross people out, as long as I don't smell it. So, when I became a father and had to look after my baby while my wife was working night shift, we had a nappy incident which showed some ingenuity on my part. New fathers, listen up! If you spray a shirt with deodorant generously, you can tie the sleeves behind your head and get through a nasty event without puking on your child. Sure, you may still gag, but at least there is some protection.
What's the point, Mort?
I could basically smell the nasty odors because they were described so vividly in this story.
Well done, Mr. Curran!
Okay, this story takes place during a single day, and while there are many angles, it is basically about the one man and girl who doesn't turn into these savages, but has no idea how to stop it.
Of course, I did say the story could have been great, and here is where the author went wrong, in my opinion:
This story could have been shorter - it is actually 330 pages on Kindle - if he didn't try to describe how they reverted back to savages in every single way conceivable. We get it, okay?
Example: I have only come across the word 'atavistic' once before. I actually had to look it up to confirm I had the right definition in my head. In this story, if I am not mistaken, it appears six or seven times.
My final thought is this:
Truly sick story for extreme fans only, and if you can get to the end, I think it was exactly the right ending.
March 26, 2024
But then it was gone and he pumped into her and she squirmed with the feel of it, knowing this was who and what she was and who and what he was, that they were joined in the ancient dance of the heat, his hands wrapped around her neck and her nails dug deep into his flesh and the blood ran and the world swam with tiny black dots and a voice in her head screamed until it became a howling, an atavistic baying, as every cell in her body electrified with primal starving estrus, yes, yes, yes, just like this, just like this, do it faster and faster, kill me, kill me, kill me.
Want to read
December 16, 2016This is copy 29 of 100 copies printed and is signed by Tim Curran.
January 10, 2012
In 2005 John Hillcoat directed a Australian western named The Proposition. I went to see this movie in the theater, it's one of those movies that has to be seen on the big screen to work. It is bay far the dirtiest movie I have ever seen. and by that I mean dirt - dirt. Flies buzzed on the screen, you could almost feel the sweat and grime. After the movie I felt like I needed a shower. Name any gore movie you like I still consider it to be the most visceral movie I have ever seen.
Now this novel had the same effect on me, don't even consider this book if your mind cannot handle thinking about bucket after bucket of blood, sweat,poop and general slime. There are two kinds of gruesome horror novels ones that use the viscera to season a strong story like Poppy Brite's Exquisite Corpse,Early Clive Barker or John Shirley's Cellars to name a few. The other kind of gore novel just strings together demented acts with a paper thin connection and fails to tell a story or build characters. I am glad to say Devil Next Door is more exploitation, well it's still kinda that but it also tells a story and still has somewhat of moral center.
That is a tough balance to strike when you have a book filled with Murder, rape, cannibalism as Civilization crashes down into wild insanity. It's the story of a man named Louis who is one of only a handful of people in a small fictional Indiana town named Greenlawn. over a long day the people in the town begin to lose their minds, one violent act after another builds until the whole town, and every where beyond turns towards brutality.
The story is not that original I mean my first thought was Romero's The Crazies, but really I enjoyed the story telling enough that I just rode with it. Curran does an excellent job building characters, even the secondary ones pop to life quickly. The thing that sets this story apart is the not so subtle message about environmentalism and overpopulation. The concept is basically that nature rips out the genes that make us civilized so we will kill each other and balance out the population.
At that point the madness is on, every base lust, desire, or emotion gets free reign. To me the finest moment and most creepy moment in the novel came when the main characters called 9/11 to get help. Someone answers, but all they hear at first is breathing. It was such a great moment of expressing the terror at losing something we consider a safety net of society. Brilliant moment.
Was it a perfect novel? No, but I now am sold on the author and want to read more of his stuff. There were minor plot holes(nothing I couldn't over look) and I am pretty sure human's stripped of civilization might not act of awful. Then again the true horror of this novel trying to survive in a world where Civilization is torn from us. and if it happened like insanity is just the beginning. Can't miss for fans of end of the world novels or extreme horror.
Now this novel had the same effect on me, don't even consider this book if your mind cannot handle thinking about bucket after bucket of blood, sweat,poop and general slime. There are two kinds of gruesome horror novels ones that use the viscera to season a strong story like Poppy Brite's Exquisite Corpse,Early Clive Barker or John Shirley's Cellars to name a few. The other kind of gore novel just strings together demented acts with a paper thin connection and fails to tell a story or build characters. I am glad to say Devil Next Door is more exploitation, well it's still kinda that but it also tells a story and still has somewhat of moral center.
That is a tough balance to strike when you have a book filled with Murder, rape, cannibalism as Civilization crashes down into wild insanity. It's the story of a man named Louis who is one of only a handful of people in a small fictional Indiana town named Greenlawn. over a long day the people in the town begin to lose their minds, one violent act after another builds until the whole town, and every where beyond turns towards brutality.
The story is not that original I mean my first thought was Romero's The Crazies, but really I enjoyed the story telling enough that I just rode with it. Curran does an excellent job building characters, even the secondary ones pop to life quickly. The thing that sets this story apart is the not so subtle message about environmentalism and overpopulation. The concept is basically that nature rips out the genes that make us civilized so we will kill each other and balance out the population.
At that point the madness is on, every base lust, desire, or emotion gets free reign. To me the finest moment and most creepy moment in the novel came when the main characters called 9/11 to get help. Someone answers, but all they hear at first is breathing. It was such a great moment of expressing the terror at losing something we consider a safety net of society. Brilliant moment.
Was it a perfect novel? No, but I now am sold on the author and want to read more of his stuff. There were minor plot holes(nothing I couldn't over look) and I am pretty sure human's stripped of civilization might not act of awful. Then again the true horror of this novel trying to survive in a world where Civilization is torn from us. and if it happened like insanity is just the beginning. Can't miss for fans of end of the world novels or extreme horror.
September 23, 2015
What befalls the human race? Nuclear war? A virus? The Apocolypse? None of these.
This was my first read by Tim Curran and I'm not disappointed. This was a very well-written book. He had great character development. His descriptions were very realistic and you had no problem using your senses while seeing it all in your mind's eye. Tons of cannibalism (think Cannibal Holocaust) and extreme gore, described in graphic detail.
I was very surprised as to why all of this was happening. He had a very scientific, detailed explanation that was very well-written. This is not to say that it is plausible to this level, (I)en masse(/i), but makes you think in regards to senseless brutality in humanity on a more individualistic scale.
Two reasons I did not give 5 stars: 1)the main character was very weak as far as his decision making and his unrealistic choices in relation to the situation at hand; he was a bit selfish as well. 2)the ending sucked. To me, it kinda left room for a sequel. It didn't answer if this was permanent? Temporary?
All in all a good read for fans of hardcore gore.
This was my first read by Tim Curran and I'm not disappointed. This was a very well-written book. He had great character development. His descriptions were very realistic and you had no problem using your senses while seeing it all in your mind's eye. Tons of cannibalism (think Cannibal Holocaust) and extreme gore, described in graphic detail.
I was very surprised as to why all of this was happening. He had a very scientific, detailed explanation that was very well-written. This is not to say that it is plausible to this level, (I)en masse(/i), but makes you think in regards to senseless brutality in humanity on a more individualistic scale.
Two reasons I did not give 5 stars: 1)the main character was very weak as far as his decision making and his unrealistic choices in relation to the situation at hand; he was a bit selfish as well. 2)the ending sucked. To me, it kinda left room for a sequel. It didn't answer if this was permanent? Temporary?
All in all a good read for fans of hardcore gore.
March 25, 2012
Das Cover
passt bei diesem Buch wie die Faust aufs Auge. So verstörend und krank, wie es im Auge des Betrachters wirkt, so hart schlägt auch der Inhalt dieses Buches in die Magengegend ein. Dieses matschige, giftige, extreme Grün gepaart mit dem knallroten, blutigen Schriftzug „Zerfleischt“ und dem Schatten eines kleinen Mädchen, welches an einer Leine das wahrhaft Böse hält, sprach mich und mein dunkles Horror-Thriller-Herz sofort an. Und das Cover verspricht nicht zu viel, denn das Buch IST ein wahrer Albtraum.
Der Schreibstil
ist super einfach verständlich und schnell lesbar. Tim Curran ist ein Geschichtenerzähler, dem man stundenlang zuhören kann. Sein Stil erinnerte mich leicht an den von Gifune, denn seine Erzählweise ist deutlich, klar und einfach zum folgen.
Seinen Gedankengängen und Handlungen konnte ich super folgen, auch wenn er viele verschiedene Handlungsstränge einbringt in sein Werk, merkte ich schnell, welche wirklich von wichtigere Relevanz waren und welche einfach nur erwähnt werden mussten.
Die Charaktere
sind in einer hohen Zahl vertreten, was mir persönlich nicht so gefallen hat, aber wie schon erwähnt, man kommt nicht wirklich stark durcheinander und merkt schnell, dass es der Story gut tut, dem Leser ein möglichst breit gefächertes Bild der Verwüstungen zu bieten.
Die beiden Protagonisten Louis und Macy waren mir von Anfang an sympathisch und besonders Louis ist mir verdammt stark ans Herz gewachsen. Der Autor beschreibt durch das Buch hinweg seine Erlebnisse und Gefühle für das, was um ihn herum alles geschieht. Ein toller starker Charakter, zudem man sofort Nähe und Sympathie empfindet. Umso schrecklicher sind dann all die Ereignisse, welche Louis durchleben muss.
Die Härte
ist so hart, härter kann es denke ich kaum noch gehen.
Curran nimmt in diesem knallharten Thriller-Horror-Mix absolut kein Blatt vor den Mund. Vergewaltigungen, Mord, Zerfleischungen, Fäkalien, Kannibalismus, extreme Gewalt und Abschlachterei werden hier bis ins kleinste Detail haargenau beschrieben. Wer dies nicht verträgt, sollte wirklich die Finger von diesem Buch lassen. Es gibt stärker und schwächer verstörende Szenen, so dass ich nach der ersten Hälfe des Buches dachte „Okay, es ist zum Aushalten und doch nicht so schlimm“, dann aber während der zweiten öfters mal tief Durchatmen musste.
Ich bin literarisch schon so einiges gewöhnt, aber Tim Curran hat es geschafft, selbst mich harteingesottenen Leser neue Dimensionen der Abartigkeit aufzuzeigen. Besonders krank und verstörend daran war, dass es hier nicht um irgendwelche Fantasywesen oder Monster geht, sondern um diejenigen unter uns, die wir alle selbst sind: Menschen.
Die Message
des Autors liegt auf der Hand: Tim Curran hat hiermit absolut kein billiges Gemetzel abgeliefert, sondern zeigt uns Menschen ganz klar unsere Grenzen auf und führt uns vor Augen, was es bedeutet, weniger Mensch zu sein. Was wir als Menschen abstoßend finden und wovon wir uns abgrenzen wollen, präsentiert er als Urtrieb eines jeden von uns. Der Mensch wird weniger Mensch sein, sollte er irgendwann an diesen Punkt stoßen, welcher ihn zurück in die Vergangenheit wirft, als jeder noch Jäger und Sammler war.
Das Ende
ist nah, aber lest selbst – auf eigene Gefahr!
passt bei diesem Buch wie die Faust aufs Auge. So verstörend und krank, wie es im Auge des Betrachters wirkt, so hart schlägt auch der Inhalt dieses Buches in die Magengegend ein. Dieses matschige, giftige, extreme Grün gepaart mit dem knallroten, blutigen Schriftzug „Zerfleischt“ und dem Schatten eines kleinen Mädchen, welches an einer Leine das wahrhaft Böse hält, sprach mich und mein dunkles Horror-Thriller-Herz sofort an. Und das Cover verspricht nicht zu viel, denn das Buch IST ein wahrer Albtraum.
Der Schreibstil
ist super einfach verständlich und schnell lesbar. Tim Curran ist ein Geschichtenerzähler, dem man stundenlang zuhören kann. Sein Stil erinnerte mich leicht an den von Gifune, denn seine Erzählweise ist deutlich, klar und einfach zum folgen.
Seinen Gedankengängen und Handlungen konnte ich super folgen, auch wenn er viele verschiedene Handlungsstränge einbringt in sein Werk, merkte ich schnell, welche wirklich von wichtigere Relevanz waren und welche einfach nur erwähnt werden mussten.
Die Charaktere
sind in einer hohen Zahl vertreten, was mir persönlich nicht so gefallen hat, aber wie schon erwähnt, man kommt nicht wirklich stark durcheinander und merkt schnell, dass es der Story gut tut, dem Leser ein möglichst breit gefächertes Bild der Verwüstungen zu bieten.
Die beiden Protagonisten Louis und Macy waren mir von Anfang an sympathisch und besonders Louis ist mir verdammt stark ans Herz gewachsen. Der Autor beschreibt durch das Buch hinweg seine Erlebnisse und Gefühle für das, was um ihn herum alles geschieht. Ein toller starker Charakter, zudem man sofort Nähe und Sympathie empfindet. Umso schrecklicher sind dann all die Ereignisse, welche Louis durchleben muss.
Die Härte
ist so hart, härter kann es denke ich kaum noch gehen.
Curran nimmt in diesem knallharten Thriller-Horror-Mix absolut kein Blatt vor den Mund. Vergewaltigungen, Mord, Zerfleischungen, Fäkalien, Kannibalismus, extreme Gewalt und Abschlachterei werden hier bis ins kleinste Detail haargenau beschrieben. Wer dies nicht verträgt, sollte wirklich die Finger von diesem Buch lassen. Es gibt stärker und schwächer verstörende Szenen, so dass ich nach der ersten Hälfe des Buches dachte „Okay, es ist zum Aushalten und doch nicht so schlimm“, dann aber während der zweiten öfters mal tief Durchatmen musste.
Ich bin literarisch schon so einiges gewöhnt, aber Tim Curran hat es geschafft, selbst mich harteingesottenen Leser neue Dimensionen der Abartigkeit aufzuzeigen. Besonders krank und verstörend daran war, dass es hier nicht um irgendwelche Fantasywesen oder Monster geht, sondern um diejenigen unter uns, die wir alle selbst sind: Menschen.
Die Message
des Autors liegt auf der Hand: Tim Curran hat hiermit absolut kein billiges Gemetzel abgeliefert, sondern zeigt uns Menschen ganz klar unsere Grenzen auf und führt uns vor Augen, was es bedeutet, weniger Mensch zu sein. Was wir als Menschen abstoßend finden und wovon wir uns abgrenzen wollen, präsentiert er als Urtrieb eines jeden von uns. Der Mensch wird weniger Mensch sein, sollte er irgendwann an diesen Punkt stoßen, welcher ihn zurück in die Vergangenheit wirft, als jeder noch Jäger und Sammler war.
Das Ende
ist nah, aber lest selbst – auf eigene Gefahr!
January 23, 2019
The world doesn't end with a mushroom cloud. Nor a asteroid, a virus, an emp. It ends with us.
This book is bloody, disgusting,twisted, and perverted. And it has to be. If you are going to tell the story of mankind's end...we all wear a thin veneer of civilization. This book is what happens when it is stripped away.
If you read King's Cell and thought it was a bit too much, then don't read this. If you recognize that all of us still have an animalistic nature ,sometimes barely repressed, then do read this.
This book is bloody, disgusting,twisted, and perverted. And it has to be. If you are going to tell the story of mankind's end...we all wear a thin veneer of civilization. This book is what happens when it is stripped away.
If you read King's Cell and thought it was a bit too much, then don't read this. If you recognize that all of us still have an animalistic nature ,sometimes barely repressed, then do read this.
December 26, 2010
The concept is so disturbing. It's a day that slips into insanity, but the true horror waits for the sun to go down. Very visual
May 17, 2017
Atavism. The quickest summary of THE DEVIL NEXT DOOR. Also a word that is repeated throughout the book and which I had to look up to find the description. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to use it in a normal conversation at some point but I'm going to try. Anyway, THE DEVIL NEXT DOOR is about humankind suddenly devolving to their base instincts: to hunt, to kill, to eat, to mate. Not the pretty "do what's necessary to survive", but instead a brutal, violent, animalistic "kill them before they kill you" approach.
The story follows Louis Shears, a man who starts to notice the wrongness with the world when on the way home he see two men with baseball bats beat a young teenager. Then when Louis goes to help, the kid as best as he can with broken limbs attacks Louis. And then to compound the craziness, the responding cops literally kick and walk on the dead kid's body. The craziness, the atavism, strikes randomly across the town of Greenlawn, Indiana, enveloping people and converting their actions to bestial. Macy, a high school girl and neighbor to Louis, stabs a fellow student in the cheek with a pencil but then she comes out of it. Macy is sent home and runs into Louis who is trying to figure out what is going on. The two of them try to stay both safe and sane as everyone else become cannibalistic killers intent on acting upon base impulses. Territory is marked via pee. Dens are created. Mates are stolen.
The first half of the book is extremely brutal. My short summary is from the first twenty pages, and I skipped a few scenes from those pages. The book does not flinch in the descriptions and scenes; they are savage and blunt. And at first they seem disconnected from each other. Something that Curran probably did on purpose to help make the novel seem more disconnected from reality Unfortunately it makes the plot seem lacking at the same time. However, somewhere around the middle of the book, I realized that I was now pulled into the life and survival of the main characters. That I cared about what was happening to them. It didn't stop the characters from making a few basic "horror movie" mistakes: "No, what are you doing? Don't leave the group. Something bad is going to happen. (10 pages later) Yup, see. I told you." The ending was a tad sad and bleak but it also fit the mood of the entire book. On an extra note, I read the bulk of the book on some plane rides across the country. This helped because after being pulled into a different world in the book, it kind of felt like the plane was its own little pocket of sanity and that I was about to land in a different, atavistic world.
The story follows Louis Shears, a man who starts to notice the wrongness with the world when on the way home he see two men with baseball bats beat a young teenager. Then when Louis goes to help, the kid as best as he can with broken limbs attacks Louis. And then to compound the craziness, the responding cops literally kick and walk on the dead kid's body. The craziness, the atavism, strikes randomly across the town of Greenlawn, Indiana, enveloping people and converting their actions to bestial. Macy, a high school girl and neighbor to Louis, stabs a fellow student in the cheek with a pencil but then she comes out of it. Macy is sent home and runs into Louis who is trying to figure out what is going on. The two of them try to stay both safe and sane as everyone else become cannibalistic killers intent on acting upon base impulses. Territory is marked via pee. Dens are created. Mates are stolen.
The first half of the book is extremely brutal. My short summary is from the first twenty pages, and I skipped a few scenes from those pages. The book does not flinch in the descriptions and scenes; they are savage and blunt. And at first they seem disconnected from each other. Something that Curran probably did on purpose to help make the novel seem more disconnected from reality Unfortunately it makes the plot seem lacking at the same time. However, somewhere around the middle of the book, I realized that I was now pulled into the life and survival of the main characters. That I cared about what was happening to them. It didn't stop the characters from making a few basic "horror movie" mistakes: "No, what are you doing? Don't leave the group. Something bad is going to happen. (10 pages later) Yup, see. I told you." The ending was a tad sad and bleak but it also fit the mood of the entire book. On an extra note, I read the bulk of the book on some plane rides across the country. This helped because after being pulled into a different world in the book, it kind of felt like the plane was its own little pocket of sanity and that I was about to land in a different, atavistic world.
April 11, 2020
Whoaaa~!~
I was very surprised reading this, there is a lot of gore and nasty things going on, like a lot of killings and eviscerating, brain, hearth, flesh,p*ssy/c*ck eating, in a word, all the things expected that a horde of savage cannibals will do.
Honestly, the idea isn`t a new one, I found it in a graphic novel, Crossed: Badlands by Garth Ennis or in the movie, Ghosts of Mars, by John Carpenter, but the execution was superb!
A small town, like all the American states, is ravage by a mysterious kind of a virus that transforms his inhabitants in primordial animals with no mind whatsoever, having just the instinct to hunt, kill and eat human flesh.
Not for the fainted hearts, but I enjoyed a lot this one. The ending was quite as expected for me, and it felt a little rushed, but still a strong novel it was.
Good, good stuff! This is my second novel by Curran and I`m heavily impressed by his talent!
: end-of-world, favorites
I was very surprised reading this, there is a lot of gore and nasty things going on, like a lot of killings and eviscerating, brain, hearth, flesh,p*ssy/c*ck eating, in a word, all the things expected that a horde of savage cannibals will do.
Honestly, the idea isn`t a new one, I found it in a graphic novel, Crossed: Badlands by Garth Ennis or in the movie, Ghosts of Mars, by John Carpenter, but the execution was superb!
A small town, like all the American states, is ravage by a mysterious kind of a virus that transforms his inhabitants in primordial animals with no mind whatsoever, having just the instinct to hunt, kill and eat human flesh.
Not for the fainted hearts, but I enjoyed a lot this one. The ending was quite as expected for me, and it felt a little rushed, but still a strong novel it was.
Good, good stuff! This is my second novel by Curran and I`m heavily impressed by his talent!
: end-of-world, favorites
February 3, 2022
This was a fantastic introduction to the world of Tim Curran. I couldn't stop turning the pages I had to know what happened next. Very gory, a must for all horror lovers.
August 30, 2020
Tim curran is one of the most disgusting, demonic, perverted, tabooless you can imagine - and I like him. I've read 5 novels by him and not all are the same vein. Some are more horror-lovecraftian thing and then others are just - "See how perverted, disgusted humans can be" -> Biohazard had some pretty awful images.
This one is identical in some ways. Humans are disgusting and capable of the most unimaginable things. One might say that yeah Nazi were awful but were they the worst? Probably not. There are a lot of awful ways to kill people and the Inquisition really put that working. There are other more sadistic ways if you want to imagine and all of them someone tried before. So, yeah nazis killed millions but in the same war the Japanese were way worst - the tests they did were very disgusting. Okay , probably a topic for another day.
We are talking about this one.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about rape, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about fecces, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about blood, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about incest, cannibalism, juvenile porn, infanticide - yeah don't read this novel.
IF this don't upset you - well, first of all, you may go some specialist because something is wrong with you :)
Now, what I am saying is that each page is filled with something of the above. The story goes from page one to the last really fast forward even if the story takes place in 24/48h spam.
In this story we follow two main characters Macy (an underage girl) and Louis a 30/40 year old guy. Then each other chapter we follow a different character just to enrich our tale of story and a global vision (only local).
As I said it's very graphic, gore and exploitation. If you got arouse in some scenes- probably you are not alone - don't worry :)
I am going to put some scenes - I am going to put in spoilers but not because they are spoilers but somewhat graphic.
.
"
Another interesting point is the all Killer Ape theory the writer here talks about
- Love is a romanticized adaption of the breeding / brooding impulse
- Materialism is simply an expression of the animal instinct to covet
- Nationalism our flag-waving patriotism, nothing more than the ancient animal drive to maintain and defend a territory and war nothing but an overblown, exaggeration of territorial impulse to raid, kill to take what belongs to another and make it your own.
Why everything happend we don't know. It's never truly explain the meaning and reason for all. Some theories and such.
This one is identical in some ways. Humans are disgusting and capable of the most unimaginable things. One might say that yeah Nazi were awful but were they the worst? Probably not. There are a lot of awful ways to kill people and the Inquisition really put that working. There are other more sadistic ways if you want to imagine and all of them someone tried before. So, yeah nazis killed millions but in the same war the Japanese were way worst - the tests they did were very disgusting. Okay , probably a topic for another day.
We are talking about this one.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about rape, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about fecces, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about blood, don't read this novel.
If you hate or are disgusted reading about incest, cannibalism, juvenile porn, infanticide - yeah don't read this novel.
IF this don't upset you - well, first of all, you may go some specialist because something is wrong with you :)
Now, what I am saying is that each page is filled with something of the above. The story goes from page one to the last really fast forward even if the story takes place in 24/48h spam.
In this story we follow two main characters Macy (an underage girl) and Louis a 30/40 year old guy. Then each other chapter we follow a different character just to enrich our tale of story and a global vision (only local).
As I said it's very graphic, gore and exploitation. If you got arouse in some scenes- probably you are not alone - don't worry :)
I am going to put some scenes - I am going to put in spoilers but not because they are spoilers but somewhat graphic.
.
"
Another interesting point is the all Killer Ape theory the writer here talks about
- Love is a romanticized adaption of the breeding / brooding impulse
- Materialism is simply an expression of the animal instinct to covet
- Nationalism our flag-waving patriotism, nothing more than the ancient animal drive to maintain and defend a territory and war nothing but an overblown, exaggeration of territorial impulse to raid, kill to take what belongs to another and make it your own.
Why everything happend we don't know. It's never truly explain the meaning and reason for all. Some theories and such.
December 27, 2010
Again a very good novel of hardcore horror from Tim Curran.
While Biohazard was a mash-up between Fallout and Resident Evil gone XXX, this The Devil Next Door is just as extreme as Biohazard was. This one starts off as The Crazies but quickly turns into Cannibal Holocaust ( almost literally ) set in the suburbs. The violence is brutal and vicious and turns more and more extreme till the end of the novel. The characterization is again spot on for a novel of this kind and the author surprisingly throws in a lot of intellectual stuff which may go a bit overboard at times. Still, it never ever bores and I was again entertained and pulverized by the vicious nature of the novel.
On to Skin Medicine I go !
While Biohazard was a mash-up between Fallout and Resident Evil gone XXX, this The Devil Next Door is just as extreme as Biohazard was. This one starts off as The Crazies but quickly turns into Cannibal Holocaust ( almost literally ) set in the suburbs. The violence is brutal and vicious and turns more and more extreme till the end of the novel. The characterization is again spot on for a novel of this kind and the author surprisingly throws in a lot of intellectual stuff which may go a bit overboard at times. Still, it never ever bores and I was again entertained and pulverized by the vicious nature of the novel.
On to Skin Medicine I go !
April 5, 2013
Well what can i say that has not already been said - The bloodiest Goreist and most vile description of mans depravity I have read since Jack Ketchum's Off Season. Bloody marvelous book, my only grumbles are as follows
Louis is a pathetic character, his inability to accept the situation, and to do the most dumbass things over and over again, just ruined it, and like other commentators before me, the violence becomes mundane when there was so much of it, I was hoping for an open ending, that may have led to a sequel, perhaps the regression fades and people behaviour as they become aware of all they had done. Still an excellent horror book - read this if you like Patrica Leweski or Edward Lee.
Would love a big screen version, it would be XXXXXXXXX rated.
Louis is a pathetic character, his inability to accept the situation, and to do the most dumbass things over and over again, just ruined it, and like other commentators before me, the violence becomes mundane when there was so much of it, I was hoping for an open ending, that may have led to a sequel, perhaps the regression fades and people behaviour as they become aware of all they had done. Still an excellent horror book - read this if you like Patrica Leweski or Edward Lee.
Would love a big screen version, it would be XXXXXXXXX rated.
March 9, 2014
Imagine the grittier parts of Ketchum's "Off Season" - now imagine a novel filled to the brim with those grittiest parts - you will now have an idea of what this novel is like to read. Tim Curran is not a gentle wordsmith, he writes as if his words are emitted from a double barrelled shotgun. Not for those of us with a gentle persuasion but a feast for those who enjoy their novels dripping with blood and other squirm inducing substances. The only problem I had with the story is that the main character is an absolute moron and he shouldn't have lived much beyond the first chapter but I did enjoy the antics never the less. A good solid, gore soaked, read and a different take on the zombie apocalyptic genre of horror.
July 17, 2017
Amazing descent into madness, written in a tipical Tim Curran way that will numb you into a bloody pulp of atavistic fears and instincts. Also, the author really loves to use the word "atavistic", like, alot. ;)
November 30, 2024
*Spoiler Alert!*
"The Devil Next Door" is a novel that delves into the apocalyptic zombie-vampire genre. The story is filled with disturbing elements of gore, murder, and cannibalism, making it a rather graphic and intense read.
The main character, Louis, is portrayed as a decent and compelling figure. However, it felt a bit odd how he was so determined to protect Many, who was essentially a stranger to him. This aspect of the narrative seemed somewhat forced and hard to believe.
Throughout the book, there is a recurring theme of humanity’s regression into primal behaviors driven by hunting, sexual impulses, killing, and territorialism. While this was initially interesting, it became repetitive as the same ideas were rephrased and described multiple times.
The ending was somewhat disappointing. There was no clear explanation as to why Louis had not been initially affected or what caused the apocalyptic situation. This lack of resolution left many questions unanswered and felt unsatisfying.
Overall, "The Devil Next Door" was an okay read. The story leaned heavily on gore, which seemed more for shock value rather than serving the plot. The graphic descriptions were less off-putting because the characters were essentially intelligent zombies, not humans, which somewhat lessened the vulgarity.
Despite its shortcomings, the book did have its moments and may appeal to fans of the genre who enjoy intense and graphic narratives. However, it left me wanting more depth and clarity in the storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
Where to begin with this one?
It starts out strong: brutal, gory; a cannibal apocalypse rife with primal brutality. The imagery is strong: it’s like a movie playing out in your head. And then it repeats itself for over 300 pages. You become numb to the shock and the gore. I skimmed the last 100 or so pages, I was just ready to get to the finish line. And it’s not even that it’s a slow burn. It’s non stop action. But it’s page after page and scene after scene of basically the same thing. I wanted to love this. I had high hopes that I was going to love it. And I don’t hate it. It’s a great premise and a familiar trope. It just lost me about halfway through.
It starts out strong: brutal, gory; a cannibal apocalypse rife with primal brutality. The imagery is strong: it’s like a movie playing out in your head. And then it repeats itself for over 300 pages. You become numb to the shock and the gore. I skimmed the last 100 or so pages, I was just ready to get to the finish line. And it’s not even that it’s a slow burn. It’s non stop action. But it’s page after page and scene after scene of basically the same thing. I wanted to love this. I had high hopes that I was going to love it. And I don’t hate it. It’s a great premise and a familiar trope. It just lost me about halfway through.
February 18, 2024
zerfleischt – Wow….das ist wirklich kein Buch für empfindliche Mägen……teilweise so bildlich beschrieben, dass es mich sogar mal gewürgt hat…..*würg* bitte keine grosse Handlung und Erklärung erwarten…..trotzdem fand ich den Schreibstil sehr lebendig und warum nicht mal das Endzeitscenario so beschreiben…..Empfohlenes Lesealter 21!!
August 13, 2022
**This is definitely not the book for you if you’re someone who’s squeamish or easily triggered by graphic depictions of rape and/or excessive violence.**
It kept me invested in the 2 main characters but there didn’t really seem to be any actual storyline. Plus, the ending was total garbage. I can appreciate the social commentary the author was making on overpopulation and the world being such a mess that the only way to fix it at this point would be to wipe the slate clean and start all over again, but the story just wasn’t there. By the time I made it about 75% of the way through the book, it just felt like it was all about shock value and less about the story itself, and the ending really solidified those feelings.
It kept me invested in the 2 main characters but there didn’t really seem to be any actual storyline. Plus, the ending was total garbage. I can appreciate the social commentary the author was making on overpopulation and the world being such a mess that the only way to fix it at this point would be to wipe the slate clean and start all over again, but the story just wasn’t there. By the time I made it about 75% of the way through the book, it just felt like it was all about shock value and less about the story itself, and the ending really solidified those feelings.
July 3, 2013
This is my first book by this author and I was disappointed as the plot sounded interesting. It was just violence and gore - I read Edward Lee so don't dislike these kind of books but I found this one repetitive and didn't think it had any real story going on. Probably would still read another Tim Curran book as I always like to read at least two of an Author's books before I decide whether or not I love or hate them.
February 5, 2024
This has to be the easiest book in my top 5 list. It is the sickest thing you can ever read and I thought Matt Shaw was sick. There is something wrong with the world almost everyone turn into a caveman for a better word. There is cannibalism, murder, rape, and all type of effed up stuff that can turn your stomach.
October 18, 2021
Bloody, revolting, and awesome!
This book is like a Cannibal Corpse album put to words. If bloody savagery is your thing then you'll absolutely love this book.
This book is like a Cannibal Corpse album put to words. If bloody savagery is your thing then you'll absolutely love this book.
March 25, 2017
It's a decent horror read-3.5 stars. Nothing spectacular, but solid. Plot is simple enough-take your standard American heartland small town (you know, the kind Rockefeller painted and Mellencamp sang about) and in one quick day, everybody goes apeshit and starts killing everyone else, eating each other, and generally acting just like Neanderthal savages. Of course, you have a few that stay 'civilized,' and the plot centers around them.
Again, it's worth reading. The gore really isn't that bad-sure, there is a lot of bloodshed, but it is all in the concept of hunting, not torturing for sport, so it isn't that bad. The philosophy behind why everyone went crazy (as expounded on by one of the main characters) was a good idea, I really liked it. I will be checking out another one by this guy.
Again, it's worth reading. The gore really isn't that bad-sure, there is a lot of bloodshed, but it is all in the concept of hunting, not torturing for sport, so it isn't that bad. The philosophy behind why everyone went crazy (as expounded on by one of the main characters) was a good idea, I really liked it. I will be checking out another one by this guy.
January 20, 2021
Recommended only for those who like this sub genre (torture/graphic literature?)
I was disturbed by this book. Not so much by what eventually became redundant gratuity but by what the book conveyed well: the theme of societal breakdown, of civilization crumbling. I often thought while reading it how I would handle myself in those situations.
I gave it two stars because it was better written and edited than similar books of this ilk. There are even slight glimpses of a Stephen King style.
In summary, a very rough, disturbing read. The author seemed to relish trying to shock, to his detriment. About a third of the way through, I was bored and numb by the gratuity.
I was disturbed by this book. Not so much by what eventually became redundant gratuity but by what the book conveyed well: the theme of societal breakdown, of civilization crumbling. I often thought while reading it how I would handle myself in those situations.
I gave it two stars because it was better written and edited than similar books of this ilk. There are even slight glimpses of a Stephen King style.
In summary, a very rough, disturbing read. The author seemed to relish trying to shock, to his detriment. About a third of the way through, I was bored and numb by the gratuity.
March 13, 2022
Also man wusste wie es Endet, die Charaktere waren ehr eine Mischung aus Weinerlich und Klischee
May 28, 2014
The Devil Next Door details the descent of a small town into a slavering, insane horde of cavemen over the course of 24 hours. As mentioned other reviewers this book bears similarities to Cell, Blood Crazy, Stranger, One Rainy Night, Panic, and Spore among others.
As usual, Curran's writing is good, and the book does not fail on his use of description, dialogue, or other mechanics. While Curran overuses certain unusual words to the point of distraction, and the phrase "he/she knew it" (though not as much as in The Hive), these points are enough to ruin the book. There are some type as well, more than I remember in other books, but again not a ton and not a deal killer.
The issues I have with this book are several fold. First, I am not someone who considers themselves squeamish. The violence in this book, however, is so prevalent and so relentless that it begins to lose all impact. While this may have been one of Curran's goals, to desensitize the reader to the horror in the same way as the main character, but ultimately that feels hollow. The parade of borrow feels almost banal and routine by the end. The constant catalog of atrocities both from the main character and others points of view becomes both repetitive and lacking in any impact. The same issue arose in The Hive with descriptions of the city in the arctic - it becomes so common that you just don't want to read about it anymore.
Next, the plot is lacking. The progression lacks focus as if the main character is not really sure what to do, which leads to him seemingly wandering aimlessly for most of the book. With half of the book from the POV of primitive humans, their simplistic goals are similarly unfulfilling as a reader. The idea off why the people are going crazy is interesting, but the plot progression just doesn't build on it adequately.
Ultimately , I wanted to like this book. The concept of people going crazy is a great one, but many books seem to just miss the mark. The Devil Next Door sadly falls into the category and I can't recommend it to anyone but a Curran completist.
As usual, Curran's writing is good, and the book does not fail on his use of description, dialogue, or other mechanics. While Curran overuses certain unusual words to the point of distraction, and the phrase "he/she knew it" (though not as much as in The Hive), these points are enough to ruin the book. There are some type as well, more than I remember in other books, but again not a ton and not a deal killer.
The issues I have with this book are several fold. First, I am not someone who considers themselves squeamish. The violence in this book, however, is so prevalent and so relentless that it begins to lose all impact. While this may have been one of Curran's goals, to desensitize the reader to the horror in the same way as the main character, but ultimately that feels hollow. The parade of borrow feels almost banal and routine by the end. The constant catalog of atrocities both from the main character and others points of view becomes both repetitive and lacking in any impact. The same issue arose in The Hive with descriptions of the city in the arctic - it becomes so common that you just don't want to read about it anymore.
Next, the plot is lacking. The progression lacks focus as if the main character is not really sure what to do, which leads to him seemingly wandering aimlessly for most of the book. With half of the book from the POV of primitive humans, their simplistic goals are similarly unfulfilling as a reader. The idea off why the people are going crazy is interesting, but the plot progression just doesn't build on it adequately.
Ultimately , I wanted to like this book. The concept of people going crazy is a great one, but many books seem to just miss the mark. The Devil Next Door sadly falls into the category and I can't recommend it to anyone but a Curran completist.
October 5, 2011
I was hoping that I would love all of Tim Curran's novels because of the flawlessness of Dead Sea, and the fun of Biohazard and Resurrection, but I really can not say
anything positive about the Devil Next Door other than that it has an excellent beginning which only brings out how bad the rest of the book is. I guess that isn't
positive after all. Anyway, when an author decides to write a novel that has such an unoriginal plot, they really should try to find some way to make it stand out.
Curran's method seems to be put as much disgusting violence in the book as possible but that only made me think of other books that did it first. In fact, I will
mention several of these survival novels where people go insane for some reason and I won't even include zombie novels since The Devil Next Door is not one.
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
Primitive by J. F. Gonzalez
The Fog by James Herbert
One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon
Cell by Stephen King
These are just the ones I have read and can think of. Out of those five, Gonzalez's Primitive is the most similar and I didn't care much for that either. TDND is not
achieving anything new here and I could barely finish the damn book. Tim Curran is still one of my new favorite authors (nothing can hide the fact that the man wrote
Dead Sea), but The Devil Next Door showed me that he is only human after all. I know he is better than this.
anything positive about the Devil Next Door other than that it has an excellent beginning which only brings out how bad the rest of the book is. I guess that isn't
positive after all. Anyway, when an author decides to write a novel that has such an unoriginal plot, they really should try to find some way to make it stand out.
Curran's method seems to be put as much disgusting violence in the book as possible but that only made me think of other books that did it first. In fact, I will
mention several of these survival novels where people go insane for some reason and I won't even include zombie novels since The Devil Next Door is not one.
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
Primitive by J. F. Gonzalez
The Fog by James Herbert
One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon
Cell by Stephen King
These are just the ones I have read and can think of. Out of those five, Gonzalez's Primitive is the most similar and I didn't care much for that either. TDND is not
achieving anything new here and I could barely finish the damn book. Tim Curran is still one of my new favorite authors (nothing can hide the fact that the man wrote
Dead Sea), but The Devil Next Door showed me that he is only human after all. I know he is better than this.
January 25, 2012
2.25 stars
First off. Tim Curran is talented. Once again he makes you get involved in the story by sharing his characters with you. This is also his downfall for me. He's like Stephen King with his descriptions. King can describe a room in 30 pages and Curran can write about his characters in 40. But the messed up thing is that you go along with it and you are either satisfied by this intellectually stimulating read or if the story does not end well you are disappointing in the time you wasted getting to know the cast. IMO I don't like to read about a struggle and make it out okay, only for things to wind up back at the drawing board. Trying not to spoil it. Not recommendable~Basically it is Cannibalism to the extreme.
First off. Tim Curran is talented. Once again he makes you get involved in the story by sharing his characters with you. This is also his downfall for me. He's like Stephen King with his descriptions. King can describe a room in 30 pages and Curran can write about his characters in 40. But the messed up thing is that you go along with it and you are either satisfied by this intellectually stimulating read or if the story does not end well you are disappointing in the time you wasted getting to know the cast. IMO I don't like to read about a struggle and make it out okay, only for things to wind up back at the drawing board. Trying not to spoil it. Not recommendable~Basically it is Cannibalism to the extreme.
November 13, 2012
What happens when people begin turning back the clock to their primal, animalistic roots?
Well, this book pretty much sums it up!
Not for the faint of heart. It's gory, it's got a bit of rape and child killing.
The book took me a while to get through, not because it was a hard read, but because I didn't care that much about the characters. I wanted to find out what really was going on, and to see how the main characters saw through what was going on, but I held no attachment to them.
Alot of gore for gores' sake, and some was quite disturbing.
Too much fluff, not enough substance in my opinion
Well, this book pretty much sums it up!
Not for the faint of heart. It's gory, it's got a bit of rape and child killing.
The book took me a while to get through, not because it was a hard read, but because I didn't care that much about the characters. I wanted to find out what really was going on, and to see how the main characters saw through what was going on, but I held no attachment to them.
Alot of gore for gores' sake, and some was quite disturbing.
Too much fluff, not enough substance in my opinion
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