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Crawlers!
The morning after a bizarre meteor shower, the residents of Mount Crag awaken to find a new breed of flowers blooming throughout their community. These flowers are beautiful and unlike anything anyone on Earth has ever seen. But before long the large flowers start popping off their stems... and begin to hunt their prey... and soon the flowers are taking control of anyone foolish enough to get in their way!
Crawlers! is a pulpy throw-back story in the tradition of The Day of the Triffids, and Ray Garton has delivered another winner with this nerve-wracking tale of the apocalypse!
Crawlers! is a pulpy throw-back story in the tradition of The Day of the Triffids, and Ray Garton has delivered another winner with this nerve-wracking tale of the apocalypse!
- GenresHorrorDyscalculiaNovella
108 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
26 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Ray Garton
180 books563 followersRay Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 23, 2014
Gives a new twist to the term Flower Power. Ray Garton is great.
July 8, 2018
A nice little novella from Mr. Garton with just the right amount of wtf and washed in the appropriate amounts of blood.
December 5, 2016
Ray Garton returns to Mt. Crag in this sci-fi fused horror novella that will make you think twice the next time you have to buy flowers for your wife. Garton’s return to the sleepy mountainside town from his Folks series will warm the cockles of many of his readers, unfortunately, what he does to the town later will chill those cockles before they get a chance to get too comfy.
It all starts with a meteor shower… and just like that, there are flowers everywhere; strange alien flowers that no one has ever seen before and they are growing everywhere. When people start picking them, putting them in pots, and bringing them inside, it doesn’t take long for them to realize that these flowers are not as pretty as they look.
Garton has a knack for building suspense and character in few words. The people of Mt. Crag are a full cast of multidimensional, eclectic people learning about the plants at the same pace as the reader until Garton switches gears once the brakes are cut and reveals some of the cards he’s playing with. You may find yourself yelling at his characters to watch out as the dangers they are about to face begin to unfold. His ability to create an entire cast full of independently unique characters so quickly only forces the horrors to shroud over the canvas of his outlandish premise.
CRAWLERS will make readers yearn for those cheesy B-movies from the fifties and it’s obvious that Garton is a big fan of those corny old movies where something strange attacks a town in the middle of nowhere. As characters fall victim to the invasion and others are trying to find loved ones and escape, Garton’s poker face never flinches and his take no prisoners approach to the art of entertainment will guarantee that readers haven’t been this shocked since the ending of Stephen King’s, THE MIST.
Ray Garton didn’t get this far in his career by pulling his punches and CRAWLERS is a knockout for fans of horror, sci-fi, creature features, and Gardening Monthly. If you don’t have a green thumb, this book will definitely not inspire you to get one after reading – In fact… You may want to load up on some weed killer. (Cory Cline)
It all starts with a meteor shower… and just like that, there are flowers everywhere; strange alien flowers that no one has ever seen before and they are growing everywhere. When people start picking them, putting them in pots, and bringing them inside, it doesn’t take long for them to realize that these flowers are not as pretty as they look.
Garton has a knack for building suspense and character in few words. The people of Mt. Crag are a full cast of multidimensional, eclectic people learning about the plants at the same pace as the reader until Garton switches gears once the brakes are cut and reveals some of the cards he’s playing with. You may find yourself yelling at his characters to watch out as the dangers they are about to face begin to unfold. His ability to create an entire cast full of independently unique characters so quickly only forces the horrors to shroud over the canvas of his outlandish premise.
CRAWLERS will make readers yearn for those cheesy B-movies from the fifties and it’s obvious that Garton is a big fan of those corny old movies where something strange attacks a town in the middle of nowhere. As characters fall victim to the invasion and others are trying to find loved ones and escape, Garton’s poker face never flinches and his take no prisoners approach to the art of entertainment will guarantee that readers haven’t been this shocked since the ending of Stephen King’s, THE MIST.
Ray Garton didn’t get this far in his career by pulling his punches and CRAWLERS is a knockout for fans of horror, sci-fi, creature features, and Gardening Monthly. If you don’t have a green thumb, this book will definitely not inspire you to get one after reading – In fact… You may want to load up on some weed killer. (Cory Cline)
February 22, 2017
"It’s not often that the ending to a book has me walking around in a daze for hours after finishing it. Crawlers has just done that to me."
See here for the full review:
Crawlers
See here for the full review:
Crawlers
October 29, 2016
I loved the introduction to this novella, which gives you a fun, honest and raw personal glimpse into author, Ray Garton’s life. Plus, I think we may be around the same age, his childhood kind of mirrors mine. So, I felt like we were reminiscing together about the old days of Horror. What I found amusing is that he lists all the famous, Horror or Sci/Fi authors he grew up reading and have influenced him. They are the exact same on my list, except he is missing one person on his, that is Ray Garton himself. Where are on my list he is right alongside with the best of them…….
I loved the new cover to this re-released novella, in that it’s very deceptive. It’s a cool looking, light show that makes you want to lay out on your lawn and watch the sky with stars and meteor showers. “Crawlers” was originally published in 2006 by Cemetery Dance Publications. Which I completely missed. I find Ray Garton to be very talented because he can write in all areas of the Horror genre. From extreme/splatterpunk, crime/noir, graphic violence, and sexual content, chilling hauntings, the occult, alien invasions to creature features.
“Crawlers” is only a 100-page novella, that is very intense and terrifying on so many levels. Non-stop action kicks off, right from chapter 2 and it is relentless. I started the story last night and finished it in hour ½. From the first chapter, you meet all the main players and there are a lot. Yet, this is what I look for in our new generation of Horror writers, characters that are fleshed out. Makes you care for and attach to them. Mount Crag is a small town, so they all know each other and by the middle, you know all of them. The story is set up quickly and by the last line of the first chapter, warning bells were going off in my head. I felt my stomach tighten and the flight or fright panic, syndrome was kicking in due to my phobia. As Naomi and I couldn’t believe our eyes. Across town in the Diner, the word is beginning to spread as fast as the Flowers. We have Pete, the town’s local, conspiracy theorist, that’s just adding his crazy government nonsense to the panic that is already building. Yet, they are just so pretty, and the eight flower petals are a nice burgundy color. They sprung up overnight and everyone in town wants one. Yet, something has a hidden agenda and the plan will soon be revealed. As I continue to turn the pages I now hear the bloody screams and cries that beckon me for help. It’s too late though, their trapped and no heroes will be found here. The ending was just unbelievable, left me speechless, yet I felt someday it could be plausible, you just never know. I do suggest to keep looking for “The Truth Is Out There” …….
I loved the new cover to this re-released novella, in that it’s very deceptive. It’s a cool looking, light show that makes you want to lay out on your lawn and watch the sky with stars and meteor showers. “Crawlers” was originally published in 2006 by Cemetery Dance Publications. Which I completely missed. I find Ray Garton to be very talented because he can write in all areas of the Horror genre. From extreme/splatterpunk, crime/noir, graphic violence, and sexual content, chilling hauntings, the occult, alien invasions to creature features.
“Crawlers” is only a 100-page novella, that is very intense and terrifying on so many levels. Non-stop action kicks off, right from chapter 2 and it is relentless. I started the story last night and finished it in hour ½. From the first chapter, you meet all the main players and there are a lot. Yet, this is what I look for in our new generation of Horror writers, characters that are fleshed out. Makes you care for and attach to them. Mount Crag is a small town, so they all know each other and by the middle, you know all of them. The story is set up quickly and by the last line of the first chapter, warning bells were going off in my head. I felt my stomach tighten and the flight or fright panic, syndrome was kicking in due to my phobia. As Naomi and I couldn’t believe our eyes. Across town in the Diner, the word is beginning to spread as fast as the Flowers. We have Pete, the town’s local, conspiracy theorist, that’s just adding his crazy government nonsense to the panic that is already building. Yet, they are just so pretty, and the eight flower petals are a nice burgundy color. They sprung up overnight and everyone in town wants one. Yet, something has a hidden agenda and the plan will soon be revealed. As I continue to turn the pages I now hear the bloody screams and cries that beckon me for help. It’s too late though, their trapped and no heroes will be found here. The ending was just unbelievable, left me speechless, yet I felt someday it could be plausible, you just never know. I do suggest to keep looking for “The Truth Is Out There” …….
March 26, 2017
Three and a half stars
Flowers that kill. I've read a few science fiction books with a plot centering on such a contrary idea. The most famous novel of this variety has to be Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham although it is a toss up whether the real nightmare in the book is man eating plants, stumbling blindly (literally) through the apocalypse, or listening to long winded lectures about how to deal with these dilemmas.
In Ray Garton's novella Crawlers, you don't have to worry about making such choices. It's killer flowers all the way down. In Mount Crag, it is the morning after a meteor shower and the townspeople wake up to burnt spots on the ground with unusual flowers growing out of them . They are all over town and at first they are simply a curiosity, looking more artificial than real. But it doesn't take long for the plants to show a more sinister side. Crawling attacking flowers with a terrible side effect becomes the order of the day.
Like I said. It's fun and seems more like the old science fiction horror films of the 60s and 70s. In fact, the author acknowledges this in his foreword. The consensus is that this is a quick read that excels in entertaining and has more than a few thrills. Like anything by Garton, it is well written and delivers. It appears Mount Crag is a setting for a few of Garton's tales so I wouldn't advise moving there in the near future. Just enjoy this horror adventure and smell the roses while you can.
Flowers that kill. I've read a few science fiction books with a plot centering on such a contrary idea. The most famous novel of this variety has to be Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham although it is a toss up whether the real nightmare in the book is man eating plants, stumbling blindly (literally) through the apocalypse, or listening to long winded lectures about how to deal with these dilemmas.
In Ray Garton's novella Crawlers, you don't have to worry about making such choices. It's killer flowers all the way down. In Mount Crag, it is the morning after a meteor shower and the townspeople wake up to burnt spots on the ground with unusual flowers growing out of them . They are all over town and at first they are simply a curiosity, looking more artificial than real. But it doesn't take long for the plants to show a more sinister side. Crawling attacking flowers with a terrible side effect becomes the order of the day.
Like I said. It's fun and seems more like the old science fiction horror films of the 60s and 70s. In fact, the author acknowledges this in his foreword. The consensus is that this is a quick read that excels in entertaining and has more than a few thrills. Like anything by Garton, it is well written and delivers. It appears Mount Crag is a setting for a few of Garton's tales so I wouldn't advise moving there in the near future. Just enjoy this horror adventure and smell the roses while you can.
April 1, 2017
OMG! Day of the Triffids meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. So well done!
May 26, 2017
This is the perfect SciFi movie late night feel. I adored the cheesy SciFi movies, where something would take over, or insects would attack, or a natural disaster would be coming and nobody is prepared! I LOVE them. I haven't seen any in a long time but now I'm trying to find and read as many as I can!
This wasn't as good as when spiders attack in Violet Eyes, but it was still very interesting. The ending wasn't a happy one, and I ADORE unhappy endings. I love the idea of reality actually being real where sometimes it doesn't end the best way possible.
Have you ever been afraid of flowers? Well, you should be.
If anything comes from the sky, be weary, be very weary. But who was to suspect the beautiful interesting new flowers springing up everywhere?
I loved how we moved around each chapter to a different perspective. This may annoy someone but for these stories this is the best way to do it. It really gives you the SciFi movie feeling. You don't get to know the characters all to well but you do feel for them. I felt for Myra and her cat, and I loved Pete at the diner. So you connect with these characters and you want them to make it through!
This was such a fresh idea, flowers from space. I read it very quickly, you should try it out. :)
This wasn't as good as when spiders attack in Violet Eyes, but it was still very interesting. The ending wasn't a happy one, and I ADORE unhappy endings. I love the idea of reality actually being real where sometimes it doesn't end the best way possible.
Have you ever been afraid of flowers? Well, you should be.
If anything comes from the sky, be weary, be very weary. But who was to suspect the beautiful interesting new flowers springing up everywhere?
I loved how we moved around each chapter to a different perspective. This may annoy someone but for these stories this is the best way to do it. It really gives you the SciFi movie feeling. You don't get to know the characters all to well but you do feel for them. I felt for Myra and her cat, and I loved Pete at the diner. So you connect with these characters and you want them to make it through!
This was such a fresh idea, flowers from space. I read it very quickly, you should try it out. :)
January 23, 2018
Crawlers is a fun novella. I’ve read most of Garton’s work and while I prefer his longer stories this one was a still a great read. It has a real 80s sci-fi/horror feel. Lots of action and the story starts off pretty quick. I think this could have been made into a full novel but it was enjoyable for what it was.
January 30, 2017
This is my third and so far my favorite Ray Garton book. This novella gets right down to business with a meteor shower, weird flowers that attack, and possessed towns people with fire arms. You wouldn't want to be a character in this Garton story.
I think I'll be reading more from this excellent top notch writer.
5 Stars*****
I think I'll be reading more from this excellent top notch writer.
5 Stars*****
May 16, 2018
Interesting Story
Fiction? Non-fiction? Definitely non-fiction. This is how the government gets you. Naomi was my favorite character, sad ending for her; well played Mr. Garton, well played. Again, the government.
Fiction? Non-fiction? Definitely non-fiction. This is how the government gets you. Naomi was my favorite character, sad ending for her; well played Mr. Garton, well played. Again, the government.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2020
Creepy flower aliens? Check. B Horror movie-esque plot? Check.
I enjoyed this novella a fair bit, I know it's a novella and supposed to be short but I do feel it could have been fleshed out a little more! I read this in one go, it's worth checking out!
I enjoyed this novella a fair bit, I know it's a novella and supposed to be short but I do feel it could have been fleshed out a little more! I read this in one go, it's worth checking out!
January 9, 2024
This was a fun story, about killer flowers and flowers turning humans into killers.
Just a warning: there are about 59 characters / names in this 109 page novella.
And warning / spoiler: the cat doesn't survive :-(
Ray Garton, why did the cat have to die? 😢
Just a warning: there are about 59 characters / names in this 109 page novella.
And warning / spoiler: the cat doesn't survive :-(
Ray Garton, why did the cat have to die? 😢
September 8, 2017
Outer space plants invade a town. This was a decent read although the ending was a bit vague, and painting the government as the bad guys, overused and trite.
August 29, 2023
Creepy, funny, odd and disturbing. Always a good time with Ray Garton!
November 12, 2016
I really loved this book. Unique idea. My only problem is it ended too soon.
November 14, 2016
Note: this review is of a revised edition with a different ending to the Cemetery Dance edition.The first thing that came to mind when reading _Crawlers_ was, "This is like _Little Shop of Horrors_ -- only much, much darker and nastier."
It isn't, after all. Oh, it's much darker and nastier than _LSoH_; it just isn't much *like* it.
Mt. Crag is a small community, apparently in a mountain range, not too far from Iron City. Take from that what geography you will. One night, after a meteor shower, the good (and not so good - but mostly decent people) citizens of Mt. Crag awaken to find strange flowers growing all over the place. As horror readers, we know that this is Not Good and that the *last* thing the good citizens of Mt. Crag should do is take these flowers into their homes and places of business, which, of course, they do. Soon the flowers are doing very nasty things: much more would be spoliation of what is, after all, a not-very-long story.
Garton writes well, without fuss, and shares with writers like Stephen King the ability to create largish numbers of distinct, believable, and _likeable_ people in a believable community. Nobody in Mt. Crag seems to deserve what happens to their town; they struggle to understand it, but never succeed, and -- well, it's bleak is what it is. We, as readers, end up understanding far more than they do, or can. And we come to care about some of these characters - quite quickly in some cases - and hurt when they are hurt. Or die.
All I will say about the ending is that, in a week where I was already depressed, it didn't help: but then, that's not what I want from horror.
If you want a good horror story, here it is.
It isn't, after all. Oh, it's much darker and nastier than _LSoH_; it just isn't much *like* it.
Mt. Crag is a small community, apparently in a mountain range, not too far from Iron City. Take from that what geography you will. One night, after a meteor shower, the good (and not so good - but mostly decent people) citizens of Mt. Crag awaken to find strange flowers growing all over the place. As horror readers, we know that this is Not Good and that the *last* thing the good citizens of Mt. Crag should do is take these flowers into their homes and places of business, which, of course, they do. Soon the flowers are doing very nasty things: much more would be spoliation of what is, after all, a not-very-long story.
Garton writes well, without fuss, and shares with writers like Stephen King the ability to create largish numbers of distinct, believable, and _likeable_ people in a believable community. Nobody in Mt. Crag seems to deserve what happens to their town; they struggle to understand it, but never succeed, and -- well, it's bleak is what it is. We, as readers, end up understanding far more than they do, or can. And we come to care about some of these characters - quite quickly in some cases - and hurt when they are hurt. Or die.
All I will say about the ending is that, in a week where I was already depressed, it didn't help: but then, that's not what I want from horror.
If you want a good horror story, here it is.
November 14, 2016
I love Ray Garton's books. They're creepy, terrifying, and strange. Crawlers is no different. It's disturbing, to be quite honest. Kinda makes your skin crawl, and it makes you wonder why. Why is this happening? Why this town? What's the point?
The day after a meteor shower, the residents of Mount Crag notice some really interesting, but strange looking flowers all over the place. There are scorch marks on the ground beneath them. No one really knows where they came from or what type of flower they are, but everyone seems to agree that they're beautiful. Unfortunately for the residents of Mount Crag, these flowers are hiding a deadly secret.
Crawlers, while short, is a fun, thrilling read. You'll find yourself wanting to root for some of the characters, while not really caring either way about a couple of the others. It's complete and utter insanity for these poor characters, and you won't know whether you should make the effort to cheer them on, or just pity them. And by the time you finish, you'll be left with your mouth hanging open and a sort of sad/sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Or, if you're utterly devoid of empathy even for fictional characters, you'll laugh and find the ending highly amusing. Either way, one of those things will happen.
I really enjoyed Crawlers, as well as every other book I've read by Ray Garton (which, sadly, isn't as many as I would have liked, and I clearly need to change that), and I definitely think fans of horror and sci-fi stories will enjoy it, too. I give it 4.5 stars, but only because I wish it was a little longer.
The day after a meteor shower, the residents of Mount Crag notice some really interesting, but strange looking flowers all over the place. There are scorch marks on the ground beneath them. No one really knows where they came from or what type of flower they are, but everyone seems to agree that they're beautiful. Unfortunately for the residents of Mount Crag, these flowers are hiding a deadly secret.
Crawlers, while short, is a fun, thrilling read. You'll find yourself wanting to root for some of the characters, while not really caring either way about a couple of the others. It's complete and utter insanity for these poor characters, and you won't know whether you should make the effort to cheer them on, or just pity them. And by the time you finish, you'll be left with your mouth hanging open and a sort of sad/sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Or, if you're utterly devoid of empathy even for fictional characters, you'll laugh and find the ending highly amusing. Either way, one of those things will happen.
I really enjoyed Crawlers, as well as every other book I've read by Ray Garton (which, sadly, isn't as many as I would have liked, and I clearly need to change that), and I definitely think fans of horror and sci-fi stories will enjoy it, too. I give it 4.5 stars, but only because I wish it was a little longer.
January 25, 2019
Crawlers feels like a B horror/sci fi movie you would find playing late on TV on a Saturday night. This is not a bad thing. Garton embraces the B movie feel and runs with it. His prose is always to the point, but Crawlers is extra lean. He introduces a slew of characters early, which I didn’t like, but uses this to great effect as he quickly flips from one character or set of characters to another. This keeps the action constant and the plot moving. While there’s nothing new here, Garton’s execution is flawless. Literature it ain’t, but fun it is!!
January 31, 2017
This is the updated ebook edition of the story original published in a long OOP Cemetery Dance edition. While the author said this is the preferred ending of his, I would like to get to see the way it originally ended. This story is a throwback older horror stories that we grew up watching on television. It captures the magic and the creepiness of a bygone era and breathes new life into it, very creepy and I will never look at a flower the same way again.
April 4, 2012
Ray Garton gives us a whole different concept of zombies and an aversion to flowers with this one. Just when you thought everybody was doomed he throws in a awesome surprise ending.
Great read!!
Great read!!
November 6, 2016
Ray Garton really knows how to tell an engaging, entertaining story. He's violent, outrageous and willing to take a chance. In this story of predatory flowers from space(?), no one is safe. For a silly premise, The author plays it straight. Lots of fun.
December 16, 2016
Read in one breathless sitting, I just thought this was tremendous fun. SF horror evoking the classic space monster movies of yesteryear (it also brought the 80s classic 'Night Of The Comet' to my mind). Killer ending too.
December 11, 2016
Yawn
It started off interesting but got dull and stupid fast. I think could've been scarier if it was mutated alien flowers not some weapon of mass destruction.
It started off interesting but got dull and stupid fast. I think could've been scarier if it was mutated alien flowers not some weapon of mass destruction.
January 2, 2017
say what?
this isn't a book, it's not even a story. where's the rest of it? what a waste of my time.
this isn't a book, it's not even a story. where's the rest of it? what a waste of my time.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews