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HOSTS
On a Canadian mountainside above the ski resort of Snow Peak, archaeologists have made a fantastic discovery: a First Nation family frozen in ice, superbly preserved. The man is exhumed for examination, but what resides within his mummified body is something science has never seen before.
The experts called in to control the situation have their own ulterior motives, and Sheriff Richard Wade and Doctor Lauren Kemper are about to be the only lifeline for a town plunged into a nightmare.
Snow Peak is isolated, cut-off by the worse snowstorm in living memory. Hampered by the elements and the greed of outside influence, Sheriff Wade and Doctor Kemper are forced to face a new species, mutated, hungry and deadly, in a race against time to save their town.
The experts called in to control the situation have their own ulterior motives, and Sheriff Richard Wade and Doctor Lauren Kemper are about to be the only lifeline for a town plunged into a nightmare.
Snow Peak is isolated, cut-off by the worse snowstorm in living memory. Hampered by the elements and the greed of outside influence, Sheriff Wade and Doctor Kemper are forced to face a new species, mutated, hungry and deadly, in a race against time to save their town.
- GenresHorror
ebook
First published February 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Dylan J. Morgan
17 books50 followersNow living and working in Norway, Dylan J. Morgan was born in New Zealand and raised in the United Kingdom. He writes during those rare quiet moments amid a hectic family life: after dark, with limited sustenance, and when his creative essence is plagued the most by tormented visions.
He is the multi-genre author of eleven books, all available exclusively to Amazon. Focusing on Horror, Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia, and sometimes a hint of Science-Fiction, his books cater for those readers who enjoy a dark, terrifying journey into worlds where a happy ending is seldom seen.
If you’re searching for that light at the end of the tunnel then stop looking—you won’t find it here.
He is the multi-genre author of eleven books, all available exclusively to Amazon. Focusing on Horror, Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia, and sometimes a hint of Science-Fiction, his books cater for those readers who enjoy a dark, terrifying journey into worlds where a happy ending is seldom seen.
If you’re searching for that light at the end of the tunnel then stop looking—you won’t find it here.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 30, 2014
3.5 stars
I've read The Dead Lands and Flesh by this author and thought they were masterpieces of their genre, so I thought I'd try Hosts too. I know it was Morgan's first novel and so his style was not yet developed, but for a debut novel it has much to commend it.
Snow Peak is a small resort town in Canada, in which a deadly parasite threatens fatality for everyone.
The strengths - the terrific establishing of atmosphere. Dylan Morgan is so good at this; in Snow Peak there arrives the snow storm to end all storms. I almost felt cold reading it. His characterisation is also very good indeed, and he also has a real knack of introducing a new POV (character point of view) at just the right time, to keep the novel fresh and interesting. There's also some interesting information about cryonics at the beginning. The story itself is good, too. The weaknesses? Nothing that couldn't be sorted out with a good proofreader and editor to make it as succinct and sharp as his later work; it rambles a bit in places, but I've rarely read a debut novel that doesn't. I saw this book as almost a trial run for the brilliance of Flesh and The Dead Lands, which I can't recommend too highly.
I've read The Dead Lands and Flesh by this author and thought they were masterpieces of their genre, so I thought I'd try Hosts too. I know it was Morgan's first novel and so his style was not yet developed, but for a debut novel it has much to commend it.
Snow Peak is a small resort town in Canada, in which a deadly parasite threatens fatality for everyone.
The strengths - the terrific establishing of atmosphere. Dylan Morgan is so good at this; in Snow Peak there arrives the snow storm to end all storms. I almost felt cold reading it. His characterisation is also very good indeed, and he also has a real knack of introducing a new POV (character point of view) at just the right time, to keep the novel fresh and interesting. There's also some interesting information about cryonics at the beginning. The story itself is good, too. The weaknesses? Nothing that couldn't be sorted out with a good proofreader and editor to make it as succinct and sharp as his later work; it rambles a bit in places, but I've rarely read a debut novel that doesn't. I saw this book as almost a trial run for the brilliance of Flesh and The Dead Lands, which I can't recommend too highly.
March 15, 2013
Okay, Dylan Morgan has managed to do what not many have been able to. I stopped in the middle of reading a scene in this book and actually felt nauseated.
In short, parasites invade a small town and invade their hosts in the most personal of ways. Nothing good happens in or around a toilet under any circumstances. This has never been truer than in Morgan's novel, 'Hosts'.
In addition to reading one of the best one-liners I've read in quite some time, the vivid details in which Morgan presents the scenes in this novel were great. I found myself nauseated at several times during the book, and one scene in particular involves a character in a bath tub that made me put my Kindle down and regroup.
This was a well written, and superbly paced novel that practically allowed the pages to turn themselves. Read this book, but don't leave it in the bathroom to read in your "alone" time.
I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they can't be grossed out when reading a book.
In short, parasites invade a small town and invade their hosts in the most personal of ways. Nothing good happens in or around a toilet under any circumstances. This has never been truer than in Morgan's novel, 'Hosts'.
In addition to reading one of the best one-liners I've read in quite some time, the vivid details in which Morgan presents the scenes in this novel were great. I found myself nauseated at several times during the book, and one scene in particular involves a character in a bath tub that made me put my Kindle down and regroup.
This was a well written, and superbly paced novel that practically allowed the pages to turn themselves. Read this book, but don't leave it in the bathroom to read in your "alone" time.
I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they can't be grossed out when reading a book.
September 23, 2017
Snow Peak is a small quiet community that tourist love to plague in the winter for skiing. However, this year it may have been a better idea to go to the Bahamas.
An archeological group has made a huge discovery that will make the head archeologist wealthy and famous, that is if he can make it out of Snow Peak before his discovery kills him and the town.
Snow Peak’s sheriff and the only doctor will have their hands full and not with only the discovery.
Dylan has created a tale that will make you think twice before idly using the facilities. The story offers thrills, chills, a little revolution, and some good old fashion horror at its finest. Get ready to check your drains.
June 27, 2012
This is classic horror stuff - an unknown species runs amok in an isolated village. To make the tale more squirm-worthy, it's a large parasite and humans are the host. The pace is fast and the excitement builds exponentially. To my taste, the character of the villain was somewhat one-dimensional. He didn't seem to have a scrap of humanity in his soul and I find a baddie all the better for having a tiny soft spot for something. The contrast is greater. The good people however, had faults and insecurities and were altogether stronger characters for it.
In terms of the writing, there were one or two classic indie errors but altogether the story line and the pace put them in the shade. I feel sure that any lover of the horror genre who picks up this book with have a great time and will look at the plumbing with considerable suspicion for the foreseeable future! A good read.
In terms of the writing, there were one or two classic indie errors but altogether the story line and the pace put them in the shade. I feel sure that any lover of the horror genre who picks up this book with have a great time and will look at the plumbing with considerable suspicion for the foreseeable future! A good read.
June 22, 2012
I don't know why my reviews were mixed up here, so:
Long story short I enjoyed Hosts, though I wasn't sure I would. Morgan has the right mix of visuals, horror and squirminess to make the tale fun.
Long story short I enjoyed Hosts, though I wasn't sure I would. Morgan has the right mix of visuals, horror and squirminess to make the tale fun.
November 5, 2009
Review by Allison Bohac for Choate Road:
"They emerged in a huge release, flowing into the tub at an alarming rate, gushing from Betty Stenson’s rectum. Slick and coated with blood, parasites surged over the jar.
Malcolm had smelled death before, but the coagulated odor that rose to meet him was unbearable. The stench ballooned in an oppressive cloud, as rank as the week-old corpse of the disposed real estate agent they’d found by the railway track, yet tainted with a gruesome freshness."
This is Dylan J. Morgan’s HOSTS, and honestly, if that image isn’t enough to make you want to hide under the bed and protect your orifices with both hands, you’re a braver person than I.
To back up a bit, Hosts involves an archeological dig outside the ski resort town of Snow Peak that turns up the frozen bodies of an Aboriginal family. However, as one member of the research team quickly discovers, there’s something hibernating within the mummified bodies, and once thawed it comes alive with a vengeance. Soon, the infection has made its way into the town’s plumbing and is spreading faster than the blizzard that’s blowing in, isolating the town and leaving the locals to deal with a prehistoric horror that is both undiscriminating and very, very aggressive.
The isolated-small-town-faces-unknown-threat situation is a classic in the horror genre, and there are few setups more effective for a good scare. While this often means keeping track of a large, unwieldy cast, Morgan keeps HOSTS localized around just a few main characters, and the result is a story that’s more tightly focused. I would advise against getting too attached to any one character, because Morgan is ruthless and people are dispatched almost as quickly as they’re introduced.
HOSTS works largely because Morgan has an eye for both the unequivocally gruesome and the subtly gross. A simple description of the flu—with no parasitic worms in sight— in Morgan’s hands is enough to turn stomachs. It’s this kind of attention to detail that keeps the horror building even in between outbreaks, and prevents the reader from settling into any kind of complacency. I really dig that in a horror novel, and it’s here in spades.
There’s also a running theme in HOSTS that I found incredibly fascinating. Throughout the novel, Morgan details the quieter, more personal horror inherent in the way human beings relate to each other-- the awkward dates, the unrequited affections, the abusive relationships, the loneliness that comes after the death of loved ones. The novel is charged with this intense network of unreciprocated feelings, betrayals, and secret lusting. Introducing an outside threat is just enough to tip some of the players over the edge. While some residents of Snow Peak respond to the threat by coming together, others lash out, often destructively.
This is a double-edged sword, though--while the romantic relationships tangled in the proceedings work well for driving the plot through much of the novel, some of these detours into the personal lives of the characters are involved enough to create lag in the story. Since the strength of HOSTS is in the momentum Morgan begins building from page one, the shift in focus to romantic entanglements can be disorienting, and it can sabotage the sense of urgency at times. Better integration of some of the back story might have kept things moving.
For the most part, though, HOSTS rolls along just fine, delivering gore and catharsis and even startlingly funny observations as it goes (I was a fan of the line 'Richard felt about as conspicuous as a foreskin at a Jewish nudist camp', myself). The main characters are likeable, the handful of human villains are agreeably easy to despise (though they sometimes tend toward functioning better as plot devices than they do as fleshed out characters. Since I was freaking out more over the worms at that point than anything else, though, I find it hard to nitpick their motivations). There’s good stuff, here, and I look forward to what springs from the mind (or body cavity, whichever) of Dylan Morgan in the future.
And if you need me for anything, I’ll be under the bed.
"They emerged in a huge release, flowing into the tub at an alarming rate, gushing from Betty Stenson’s rectum. Slick and coated with blood, parasites surged over the jar.
Malcolm had smelled death before, but the coagulated odor that rose to meet him was unbearable. The stench ballooned in an oppressive cloud, as rank as the week-old corpse of the disposed real estate agent they’d found by the railway track, yet tainted with a gruesome freshness."
This is Dylan J. Morgan’s HOSTS, and honestly, if that image isn’t enough to make you want to hide under the bed and protect your orifices with both hands, you’re a braver person than I.
To back up a bit, Hosts involves an archeological dig outside the ski resort town of Snow Peak that turns up the frozen bodies of an Aboriginal family. However, as one member of the research team quickly discovers, there’s something hibernating within the mummified bodies, and once thawed it comes alive with a vengeance. Soon, the infection has made its way into the town’s plumbing and is spreading faster than the blizzard that’s blowing in, isolating the town and leaving the locals to deal with a prehistoric horror that is both undiscriminating and very, very aggressive.
The isolated-small-town-faces-unknown-threat situation is a classic in the horror genre, and there are few setups more effective for a good scare. While this often means keeping track of a large, unwieldy cast, Morgan keeps HOSTS localized around just a few main characters, and the result is a story that’s more tightly focused. I would advise against getting too attached to any one character, because Morgan is ruthless and people are dispatched almost as quickly as they’re introduced.
HOSTS works largely because Morgan has an eye for both the unequivocally gruesome and the subtly gross. A simple description of the flu—with no parasitic worms in sight— in Morgan’s hands is enough to turn stomachs. It’s this kind of attention to detail that keeps the horror building even in between outbreaks, and prevents the reader from settling into any kind of complacency. I really dig that in a horror novel, and it’s here in spades.
There’s also a running theme in HOSTS that I found incredibly fascinating. Throughout the novel, Morgan details the quieter, more personal horror inherent in the way human beings relate to each other-- the awkward dates, the unrequited affections, the abusive relationships, the loneliness that comes after the death of loved ones. The novel is charged with this intense network of unreciprocated feelings, betrayals, and secret lusting. Introducing an outside threat is just enough to tip some of the players over the edge. While some residents of Snow Peak respond to the threat by coming together, others lash out, often destructively.
This is a double-edged sword, though--while the romantic relationships tangled in the proceedings work well for driving the plot through much of the novel, some of these detours into the personal lives of the characters are involved enough to create lag in the story. Since the strength of HOSTS is in the momentum Morgan begins building from page one, the shift in focus to romantic entanglements can be disorienting, and it can sabotage the sense of urgency at times. Better integration of some of the back story might have kept things moving.
For the most part, though, HOSTS rolls along just fine, delivering gore and catharsis and even startlingly funny observations as it goes (I was a fan of the line 'Richard felt about as conspicuous as a foreskin at a Jewish nudist camp', myself). The main characters are likeable, the handful of human villains are agreeably easy to despise (though they sometimes tend toward functioning better as plot devices than they do as fleshed out characters. Since I was freaking out more over the worms at that point than anything else, though, I find it hard to nitpick their motivations). There’s good stuff, here, and I look forward to what springs from the mind (or body cavity, whichever) of Dylan Morgan in the future.
And if you need me for anything, I’ll be under the bed.
May 12, 2013
'Hosts' is the story of a parasite outbreak in a small town. The terror takes on a personal twist when someone from one of the main character's pasts shows up as an expert on parasites.
I got into the story very quickly, wondering at first what was happening and then worrying for the characters as the outbreak spread. The bad guy was properly evil, and the good guys were well developed and likeable. The horror was very real and got quite gruesome in places.
I would say this was a fast-paced, page-turning kind of read. The tension was kept up throughout and there were some nail-biting moments. Recommended reading for fans of horror.
I got into the story very quickly, wondering at first what was happening and then worrying for the characters as the outbreak spread. The bad guy was properly evil, and the good guys were well developed and likeable. The horror was very real and got quite gruesome in places.
I would say this was a fast-paced, page-turning kind of read. The tension was kept up throughout and there were some nail-biting moments. Recommended reading for fans of horror.
October 23, 2013
This was Awesome. I kept checking the floor and anywhere water could get out of. The parasites got into the water system and now they're coming back out of the water systems. They can hurl themselves at their "HOST", oh it was so eww at some parts but so amazing. I read it within 48 hours, I couldn't put it down.
June 9, 2009
Although slow to get into its stride, once the story gets going, Dylan J. Morgan’s debut zips along at a nice pace and is held together by nicely detailed characters and descriptive prose that results in a thrilling read.
June 25, 2014
An ok read, nothing to particularly love or hate. Good idea for a story, it just felt like the characters needed some more work to make them seem complete. I think this is one of those books that was fine to read, but now that I've finished it, I will not remember or think about it again.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews