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Δίψα για αίμα
Ξημερώνει Κυριακή και ο ανθρώπινος πολιτισμός έχει καταρρεύσει. Σε κάθε γωνιά του κόσμου, οι ενήλικες έχουν κυριευθεί από μια δολοφονική παραφροσύνη. Στο μυαλό τους υπάρχει μόνο μία σκέψη: να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους! Και αυτή τους η δίψα για αίμα είναι ανεξέλεγκτη.
Υπάρχει διέξοδος από αυτόν τον εφιάλτη που απειλεί να καταβροχθίσει το ανθρώπινο γένος ή μήπως είναι αυτό το τέλος του κόσμου;
Υπάρχει διέξοδος από αυτόν τον εφιάλτη που απειλεί να καταβροχθίσει το ανθρώπινο γένος ή μήπως είναι αυτό το τέλος του κόσμου;
389 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
60 people are currently reading
3838 people want to read
About the author
Simon Clark
212 books299 followersBorn, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed By The Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
October 15, 2019
it seems as if this quasi-young adult, sorta post-apocalyptic, kinda zombie-horror, new-fangled Lord of the Flies type novel published in 1995 is somewhat of a cult classic. i think it completely deserves that status and wish it were even more well-known. i have rarely seen it referenced, but given how it straddles different sorts of subgenres, i suppose that is understandable. still, it deserves more attention. at the very least, if you are a fan of any of those subgenres i mentioned, this should be considered as particularly interesting reading material.
one day in April, 17-year old Nick Aten ("yeah, it rhymes with Satan") learns to his extreme surprise and displeasure that everyone age 20 and over has had their mind switched over to something more sinister, more herd-like. in essence, adults have become bloodthirsty, zombie-like beings with minimal intelligence and whose main priority appears to be to capture and quickly, brutally, horribly kill their own children. lesser priorities for these transformed adults is the killing of any other children that may cross their path and the building of odd geometric patterns that they form out of their children's belongings, their children's bodies, and their own dying bodies as well. but above all, their main mission remains to kill their own kids - to the point of tracking them down and hunting them with some kind of uncanny homing instinct.
Nick starts out in a kind of state of shock (rather understandable) but quickly learns to survive, picking up and protecting a few fellow kids on the way, including the obligatory love interest. he is an amiable and amusingly laddish protagonist: recently graduated, with some skills in the fixing of cars, but whose main priorities in life are hanging out, drinking lots of beer, contemplating girls, and planning further engagements with his ongoing rival Tug Slatter within their suburb of Doncaster. the first quarter of the book details Nick & company's sometimes panicky, sometimes steady-handed attempts to drive around and figure things out. the rest of the novel becomes a study in contrasting ways to build communities, as Nick finds himself an increasingly important part of several different kid communes, each of which has reacted to the global disaster in different ways.
the writing is plain, unadorned, at times crude. Clark's greatest skill may be in simply making this all seem real - i did not have to carefully suspend disbelief to enjoy it. despite the atrocities being committed and the horrible ways that kids die, this is not the kind of novel that goes into graphic detail about those kinds of things - visceral, splattery horror elements are rather slight; brief descriptions are the norm. sadistic and rapey behavior from some particularly bad kids are noted and reacted against by the young heroes, but they are not dwelt upon by the author in a leering way. mainly Blood Crazy is a fast-paced page-turner, one of those books that you may find yourself skipping ahead a bit to see if any characters die or if anything especially terrible will happen next, if you are the sort of reader who worries about that kind of thing (i certainly am).
the explanation of why this is all happened to the adults is, for me, what lifts this novel into 4-star material. there is a rather mind-blowing rationale for it all, one that includes the idea that God is simply a projection of our unconscious, in some ways a Jungian symbol that we are all genetically predisposed to believe in. i did not expect to read that in this book! the explanation/revelation occurs during an info-dump that is over 25 pages long. from reviews i've read, this sequence is intolerable to many readers. Clark does try to tart up the dryness of this passage by having it delivered during a sexy massage ("Now turn over, I'll do your front"..."You know I'm getting as much pleasure from this as you are") by a sweet young lady who had just spent the previous few days drugging up our hero and pretty much raping him night after night (upon learning this, Nick is at first irritated but then basically shrugs it off - he has bigger things to worry about). to me, this entire sequence was completely absorbing. it reminded me of the themes and interests of criminally-underrated author Colin Wilson, particularly in his novels The Mind Parasites and The Space Vampires (basis of the laughable movie Lifeforce), and his excellent young adult Spider World series. any info dump that reminds me of Colin Wilson is a good thing. and any info dump that actually expands my mind and challenges my preconceptions of evolution is an even better thing.
one day in April, 17-year old Nick Aten ("yeah, it rhymes with Satan") learns to his extreme surprise and displeasure that everyone age 20 and over has had their mind switched over to something more sinister, more herd-like. in essence, adults have become bloodthirsty, zombie-like beings with minimal intelligence and whose main priority appears to be to capture and quickly, brutally, horribly kill their own children. lesser priorities for these transformed adults is the killing of any other children that may cross their path and the building of odd geometric patterns that they form out of their children's belongings, their children's bodies, and their own dying bodies as well. but above all, their main mission remains to kill their own kids - to the point of tracking them down and hunting them with some kind of uncanny homing instinct.
Nick starts out in a kind of state of shock (rather understandable) but quickly learns to survive, picking up and protecting a few fellow kids on the way, including the obligatory love interest. he is an amiable and amusingly laddish protagonist: recently graduated, with some skills in the fixing of cars, but whose main priorities in life are hanging out, drinking lots of beer, contemplating girls, and planning further engagements with his ongoing rival Tug Slatter within their suburb of Doncaster. the first quarter of the book details Nick & company's sometimes panicky, sometimes steady-handed attempts to drive around and figure things out. the rest of the novel becomes a study in contrasting ways to build communities, as Nick finds himself an increasingly important part of several different kid communes, each of which has reacted to the global disaster in different ways.
the writing is plain, unadorned, at times crude. Clark's greatest skill may be in simply making this all seem real - i did not have to carefully suspend disbelief to enjoy it. despite the atrocities being committed and the horrible ways that kids die, this is not the kind of novel that goes into graphic detail about those kinds of things - visceral, splattery horror elements are rather slight; brief descriptions are the norm. sadistic and rapey behavior from some particularly bad kids are noted and reacted against by the young heroes, but they are not dwelt upon by the author in a leering way. mainly Blood Crazy is a fast-paced page-turner, one of those books that you may find yourself skipping ahead a bit to see if any characters die or if anything especially terrible will happen next, if you are the sort of reader who worries about that kind of thing (i certainly am).
the explanation of why this is all happened to the adults is, for me, what lifts this novel into 4-star material. there is a rather mind-blowing rationale for it all, one that includes the idea that God is simply a projection of our unconscious, in some ways a Jungian symbol that we are all genetically predisposed to believe in. i did not expect to read that in this book! the explanation/revelation occurs during an info-dump that is over 25 pages long. from reviews i've read, this sequence is intolerable to many readers. Clark does try to tart up the dryness of this passage by having it delivered during a sexy massage ("Now turn over, I'll do your front"..."You know I'm getting as much pleasure from this as you are") by a sweet young lady who had just spent the previous few days drugging up our hero and pretty much raping him night after night (upon learning this, Nick is at first irritated but then basically shrugs it off - he has bigger things to worry about). to me, this entire sequence was completely absorbing. it reminded me of the themes and interests of criminally-underrated author Colin Wilson, particularly in his novels The Mind Parasites and The Space Vampires (basis of the laughable movie Lifeforce), and his excellent young adult Spider World series. any info dump that reminds me of Colin Wilson is a good thing. and any info dump that actually expands my mind and challenges my preconceptions of evolution is an even better thing.
June 1, 2012
This was a pick up at used book Library sale. It has sat down in one of book boxes downstairs for a few years now, but I dug it out after reading Mark Monday's fine GR review on the book. IMHO it's pretty much everything Mark says, so I'm not going to add much as far as commentary goes. One thing I will say is that Stephen King totally ripped this book off when writing his novel, Cell. I don't have a problem with genre writers (especially the Horror and Sci-Fi bunch) borrowing earlier ideas and story lines, and then updating and morphing those ideas into something new. However, what King did, I think, without some sort of acknowledgement, sort of crossed a line. Hell, King even starts his book out with a quote from Freud. (Clark has Jung being important to understanding Just What Happened). In the past I've defended Cell as some sort of nice and nasty return to the King (or Bachman) of old. There are some out there that even wondered if King wrote the book, due to some changes in style. Well, now that I've read both Cell and Blood Crazy, I can easily say that Clark's book is the better one, and certainly more original. King didn't improve on it, he just linked his "sanity crash" to cell phones. Clark, writing in 1995 or so, used electromagnetic overload (or something like that) to explain why people (anyone over 18) would go bat shit crazy.
Actually, the adults, who are killing anyone under 18, are not crazy, and they're not even zombies (though that term is pretty elastic these days). They are nearly mindless (with one interesting, parental twist) when it comes to being individuals, but they do have direction (weirdly, I was reminded more than a bit of the ending of Arthur Clarke's Childhood's End ). There's one stunning scene in the book that really hangs with me, where the "zombies" form a human bridge to cross a freezing (not frozen) river. Awesome, and horrifying. Clark's got a first rate post-apocalyptic imagination. The star-hero of all of this is Nick Aten, who's the kind of guy who probably listens to the Clash a lot, and enjoys his beer. But he's a good son, and a decent guy with, what will prove to be helpful, some necessary rough edges. His voice dominates the story, and in a way that is much more believable than the hugely annoying chatterbox, Temple Williams, from The Reapers Are the Angels. Mark's comment about this book almost having a YA feel to it, seems right. Almost. There' some seriously horrible things going on, but somehow Clark mutes this, without diminishing the Horror of it all. If you're into zombie lit, Blood Crazy is indeed an overlooked gem that deserves a much wider readership. King just lost a star from my rating of Cell.
Actually, the adults, who are killing anyone under 18, are not crazy, and they're not even zombies (though that term is pretty elastic these days). They are nearly mindless (with one interesting, parental twist) when it comes to being individuals, but they do have direction (weirdly, I was reminded more than a bit of the ending of Arthur Clarke's Childhood's End ). There's one stunning scene in the book that really hangs with me, where the "zombies" form a human bridge to cross a freezing (not frozen) river. Awesome, and horrifying. Clark's got a first rate post-apocalyptic imagination. The star-hero of all of this is Nick Aten, who's the kind of guy who probably listens to the Clash a lot, and enjoys his beer. But he's a good son, and a decent guy with, what will prove to be helpful, some necessary rough edges. His voice dominates the story, and in a way that is much more believable than the hugely annoying chatterbox, Temple Williams, from The Reapers Are the Angels. Mark's comment about this book almost having a YA feel to it, seems right. Almost. There' some seriously horrible things going on, but somehow Clark mutes this, without diminishing the Horror of it all. If you're into zombie lit, Blood Crazy is indeed an overlooked gem that deserves a much wider readership. King just lost a star from my rating of Cell.
April 19, 2011
It's Saturday. Going shopping? For a meal? To the movies? Everything nice and normal, right?
By Sunday, civilization is in ruins. Adults have become murderously insane - literally. They're infected with a crazed uncontrollable urge to kill the young. Including their own children.
THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS...
Time again to raid my bookshelves and dig out another classic novel that I haven't touched for many years.
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark was originally published back in 1995 and as soon as I started reading it I knew it was something that was going to stay with me for a long time. Much like my fascination with zombies, I am both disturbed yet drawn to fiction that covers the end of the world.
When we are first introduced to seventeen year old Nick Aten he is a bit of a slacker. He lives in a quiet suburb of Doncaster and having left school with no qualifications, he is really only interested in drinking beer, having a good time and getting into fights with his life-long nemesis, Tug Slater.
With a flick of a mental switch, overnight everything changes. Every human over the age of 20 develops a psychopathic urge to kill anyone under 20, including their own offspring. Nick is forced to grow up quickly as he is thrust into a battle for survival.
Nick eventually finds himself part of a community of survivors hidden deep in the remote English countryside. Initially there is a sense of order and hope that the worst is over but it’s not long before the rot starts to set in. The way the kids treat one another is as bad, and in some ways worse, than anything that the adults do. In the same vein as Lord of the Flies, Blood Crazy explores the dynamic of the survivors group and the power struggles that erupt within.
Through Nick’s travels we also get insight into the other communities of survivors. I loved that as time passes the groups start to develop their own mythologies and traditions to explain away the apocalypse that has occurred.
Though Nick is the main character my personal favorite was Tug Slater. He is a natural born survivor. Like a bad penny, he keeps turning up just to make Nick’s life that little bit more unpleasant. He is a tattooed thug who delights in making everyone else’s life miserable. Slater is just plain nasty. Can you think of anything worse? The human race appears to be coming to an end and you have to go through it all with someone who really hates your guts and would be happy to see you dead.
The novel has a wonderfully dark tone. From the first page Clark is dropping subtle hints that something terrible is about to happen. There is a palpable sense of menace and the suggestion of horror just beneath the surface of normal everyday events makes this novel difficult to put down. Parents attacking and killing their own children makes this seem a very personal and intimate apocalypse. I could have easily read the entire thing in one sitting but I was keen to eek it out and enjoy the experience.
I’ll be honest and admit that even after all these years Blood Crazy is still one of my favorite books. I find it compelling from beginning to end. Clark’s story is action packed, horrific and thrilling but it also has so much more to offer. It raises some thought provoking questions about religion, the human condition and the nature of self. When the big reveal finally happens, and the reader gets an explanation about what caused the change in all adults, it is both deceptively simple but hugely complex all at once. I'm always impressed with fiction that manages to make me think and question my world view.
Clark is a fantastic author and he really knows how to write the end of the world. He touches upon similar apocalyptic ground in the equally epic King Blood and Night of the Triffids, which I have a sneaking suspicion I will be re-reading again soon. If you are a fan of apocalyptic fiction and you have never read any of his books before I strongly advise you to seek them out. I am sure you will not be disappointed. Oh and if Simon Clark ever reads this – please write a sequel to Blood Crazy.
By Sunday, civilization is in ruins. Adults have become murderously insane - literally. They're infected with a crazed uncontrollable urge to kill the young. Including their own children.
THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS...
Time again to raid my bookshelves and dig out another classic novel that I haven't touched for many years.
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark was originally published back in 1995 and as soon as I started reading it I knew it was something that was going to stay with me for a long time. Much like my fascination with zombies, I am both disturbed yet drawn to fiction that covers the end of the world.
When we are first introduced to seventeen year old Nick Aten he is a bit of a slacker. He lives in a quiet suburb of Doncaster and having left school with no qualifications, he is really only interested in drinking beer, having a good time and getting into fights with his life-long nemesis, Tug Slater.
With a flick of a mental switch, overnight everything changes. Every human over the age of 20 develops a psychopathic urge to kill anyone under 20, including their own offspring. Nick is forced to grow up quickly as he is thrust into a battle for survival.
Nick eventually finds himself part of a community of survivors hidden deep in the remote English countryside. Initially there is a sense of order and hope that the worst is over but it’s not long before the rot starts to set in. The way the kids treat one another is as bad, and in some ways worse, than anything that the adults do. In the same vein as Lord of the Flies, Blood Crazy explores the dynamic of the survivors group and the power struggles that erupt within.
Through Nick’s travels we also get insight into the other communities of survivors. I loved that as time passes the groups start to develop their own mythologies and traditions to explain away the apocalypse that has occurred.
Though Nick is the main character my personal favorite was Tug Slater. He is a natural born survivor. Like a bad penny, he keeps turning up just to make Nick’s life that little bit more unpleasant. He is a tattooed thug who delights in making everyone else’s life miserable. Slater is just plain nasty. Can you think of anything worse? The human race appears to be coming to an end and you have to go through it all with someone who really hates your guts and would be happy to see you dead.
The novel has a wonderfully dark tone. From the first page Clark is dropping subtle hints that something terrible is about to happen. There is a palpable sense of menace and the suggestion of horror just beneath the surface of normal everyday events makes this novel difficult to put down. Parents attacking and killing their own children makes this seem a very personal and intimate apocalypse. I could have easily read the entire thing in one sitting but I was keen to eek it out and enjoy the experience.
I’ll be honest and admit that even after all these years Blood Crazy is still one of my favorite books. I find it compelling from beginning to end. Clark’s story is action packed, horrific and thrilling but it also has so much more to offer. It raises some thought provoking questions about religion, the human condition and the nature of self. When the big reveal finally happens, and the reader gets an explanation about what caused the change in all adults, it is both deceptively simple but hugely complex all at once. I'm always impressed with fiction that manages to make me think and question my world view.
Clark is a fantastic author and he really knows how to write the end of the world. He touches upon similar apocalyptic ground in the equally epic King Blood and Night of the Triffids, which I have a sneaking suspicion I will be re-reading again soon. If you are a fan of apocalyptic fiction and you have never read any of his books before I strongly advise you to seek them out. I am sure you will not be disappointed. Oh and if Simon Clark ever reads this – please write a sequel to Blood Crazy.
May 12, 2020
Εκπληκτικό. Καιρό είχα να διαβάσω κάτι τόσο συναρπαστικό. Βαθύ, ανθρώπινο και ανθρωπιστικό ταυτόχρονα, ωμό, μελαγχολικό αλλά και ηρωικό. Λίγο πριν το τέλος πήγε να μου το χαλάσει, αλλά τελικά το έσωσε. Όσοι δεν το έχετε διαβάσει, κάντε το σύντομα. Πάει καρφί για το καλύτερο μυθιστόρημα τρόμου της χρονιάς.
January 23, 2010
This book came out over 10 years before Cell and I really wonder if Stephen King read it before writing that one. Very very similar, even down to the basic plot and the major metaphor of the crazies equaling birds, and "flocking." Or maybe King was playing a subtle homage to Simon Clark--would not be surprised if that was the case.
A book I read in one giant session because I could not put it down. I've decided that Clark is one of those writers that spectacularly smashes it out of the park or completely misses (I hated Rage of Echoes--which I read first--and didn't realize that awful awful book was him until I was looking for more of his books to read).
Very good apocalyptic book! One day all the adults across the world snap and are compelled to murder their children, or anyone under the age of 19. Has a lot of what I now see as standard Clark themes (this was his second book)--the reluctant predestined hero; the psychotic thug who isn't quite as bad as he appears; plucky female sidekick; hordes of nigh-unstoppable monsters and insane, evil survivors.
Occasionally Clark overthinks things. I sort of grew tired of the many, many pages of random people's hypotheses of what happened--evolution? consumption? aliens? nerve gas or something in the water? religion? I think vast chunks of that could have been cut out. Also am a little confused on the main character's long journey back home. Still unclear on how he wound up so far away.
Other thing is that for the most part he didn't do a very good job of fleshing out secondary characters. Except for how they die...so reading about the gruesome account of so-and-so's terrible death didn't have much meaning to me because I was never really attached to them. Would have been better if he had cut out like 40 or 50 pages of speculation and replaced all that with paragraphs describing or with more happy interactions of all the doomed kids.
But these are just minor improvements that could be made. Will definitely read again some rainy day and buy copies to gift to people.
A book I read in one giant session because I could not put it down. I've decided that Clark is one of those writers that spectacularly smashes it out of the park or completely misses (I hated Rage of Echoes--which I read first--and didn't realize that awful awful book was him until I was looking for more of his books to read).
Very good apocalyptic book! One day all the adults across the world snap and are compelled to murder their children, or anyone under the age of 19. Has a lot of what I now see as standard Clark themes (this was his second book)--the reluctant predestined hero; the psychotic thug who isn't quite as bad as he appears; plucky female sidekick; hordes of nigh-unstoppable monsters and insane, evil survivors.
Occasionally Clark overthinks things. I sort of grew tired of the many, many pages of random people's hypotheses of what happened--evolution? consumption? aliens? nerve gas or something in the water? religion? I think vast chunks of that could have been cut out. Also am a little confused on the main character's long journey back home. Still unclear on how he wound up so far away.
Other thing is that for the most part he didn't do a very good job of fleshing out secondary characters. Except for how they die...so reading about the gruesome account of so-and-so's terrible death didn't have much meaning to me because I was never really attached to them. Would have been better if he had cut out like 40 or 50 pages of speculation and replaced all that with paragraphs describing or with more happy interactions of all the doomed kids.
But these are just minor improvements that could be made. Will definitely read again some rainy day and buy copies to gift to people.
April 18, 2020
It's 'Lord of the Flies" meets "The Crazies" with a little of Stephen King's "Cell" and maybe, just maybe a little Old Testament Theology thrown in.
Overall it was really good and I liked it a lot then I thought I would. I give it a solid 3.5 stars, but I would've given it a 4 if wasn't for the British Slang, that I totally don't understand. I'll have to find me a tutor to school me.
Overall it was really good and I liked it a lot then I thought I would. I give it a solid 3.5 stars, but I would've given it a 4 if wasn't for the British Slang, that I totally don't understand. I'll have to find me a tutor to school me.
January 2, 2019
Το βιβλίο αυτό ήθελα να το διαβάσω εδώ και μία δεκαετία τουλάχιστον. Δεν ξέρω για ποιον λόγο μου πήρε τόσο καιρό, ίσως γιατί πίστευα ότι οι προσδοκίες μου θα διαψεύδονταν.
Εν τέλει, το βιβλίο μου άρεσε. Περίμενα περισσότερα αλλά δε με απογόητευσε.
Το σενάριο του post apocalyptic είναι πολυφορεμένο μεν, αλλά παραμένει πάντα υψηλά στις προτιμήσεις των αναγνωστών. Εδώ ο Clark ποντάρει σε ένα ταμπού που δύσκολα μπορεί να συλληφθεί σαν ιδέα: Οι γονείς θέλουν διακαώς να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους.
Ο Νικ Έιταν, ο πρωταγωνιστής, είναι ο έφηβος της διπλανής πόρτας. Και το υποστηρίζει ακράδαντα σε όλο το βιβλίο. Οι περιγραφές του είναι πειστικές, αποτελεσματικές και όσο αιχμηρές χρειάζεται. Κάποιες φορές ένιωθα ότι το βιβλίο ήξερε σε τι ηλικιακό δείγμα απευθυνόταν αλλά ευτυχώς η γρήγορη ροή του κι η πλούσια δράση του, κράτησαν το ενδιαφέρον μου.
Είναι σίγουρα ένα δυνατό ανάγνωσμα για τους λάτρεις του είδους, μία ιστορία που έχει αρχή, μέση και τέλος όπως και μία εξήγηση για όλο το "μακελειό" η οποία μπορεί να μοιάζει old-fashioned αλλά έχει μερικά πολύ δυνατά ψήγματα σημερινής αλήθειας.
Ό,τι έπρεπε για first reading entry του 2019.
Εν τέλει, το βιβλίο μου άρεσε. Περίμενα περισσότερα αλλά δε με απογόητευσε.
Το σενάριο του post apocalyptic είναι πολυφορεμένο μεν, αλλά παραμένει πάντα υψηλά στις προτιμήσεις των αναγνωστών. Εδώ ο Clark ποντάρει σε ένα ταμπού που δύσκολα μπορεί να συλληφθεί σαν ιδέα: Οι γονείς θέλουν διακαώς να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους.
Ο Νικ Έιταν, ο πρωταγωνιστής, είναι ο έφηβος της διπλανής πόρτας. Και το υποστηρίζει ακράδαντα σε όλο το βιβλίο. Οι περιγραφές του είναι πειστικές, αποτελεσματικές και όσο αιχμηρές χρειάζεται. Κάποιες φορές ένιωθα ότι το βιβλίο ήξερε σε τι ηλικιακό δείγμα απευθυνόταν αλλά ευτυχώς η γρήγορη ροή του κι η πλούσια δράση του, κράτησαν το ενδιαφέρον μου.
Είναι σίγουρα ένα δυνατό ανάγνωσμα για τους λάτρεις του είδους, μία ιστορία που έχει αρχή, μέση και τέλος όπως και μία εξήγηση για όλο το "μακελειό" η οποία μπορεί να μοιάζει old-fashioned αλλά έχει μερικά πολύ δυνατά ψήγματα σημερινής αλήθειας.
Ό,τι έπρεπε για first reading entry του 2019.
July 29, 2014
Maybe the best post apocalyptic tale I've read. It is a thousand times more interesting then anything I've ever seen in The Walking Dead.
September 20, 2021
I first read this book around about 20 years ago, so I decided to re-read it. It's just as good as I remember, with some excellent set-piece action scenes and characters that you can sympathize with. Great plot and dialogue (although the sex scenes can seem a bit funny) and the reasons for why the adult population suddenly turn into crazies is unique and very believable. I would have given it 5 stars were it not for the ending, which seemed a little rushed and a bit too convenient.
January 15, 2008
Simon Clark writes a tale that could be loosely described as an apocalyptic zombie generation gap philosophical thriller.
That's a lot of genres for one book!
The book itself is written in first person from the protagonist's perspective. The protagonist is a teenaged boy whose name is Nick Aten ("rhymes with Satan"). One day he suddenly finds that all of the adults 20 and older have gone crazy and are killing people 19 and younger. Specifically, parents are killing their own children. Nick meets up with Sarah and her two younger sisters and they try to survive in this new and terrifying world.
The action in the book is fantastic. I couldn't put it down. The explanation for why the adults have gone mad is a bit hackneyed but it fits within the context and action of the book. Religion is basically treated as the "opiate of the masses" but that makes sense when reviewing what happens to the protagonists and the overall goals of the protagonists. Hey, if I woke up in a world where all of the adults were trying to kill me, I would probably give up religion too.
The overall message of the book seems to be that the older generation is naturally at odds with the younger generation. The older generation has all of the money and power, therefore they are the more voracious consumers. The younger generation consumes at the behest of the older. Is the older generation killing the younger generation by consuming too many non-renewable resources, by damaging the environment, and by running up bills the younger generation cannot possibly pay? This book takes that sort of idea and makes it direct killing instead of indirect killing. Incidentally, I found it kind of ironic that the protagonist spends a significant amount of time driving around in an SUV he took from an abandoned suburban home.
As far as weaknesses in the book I felt there were a few. The explanation as to why the adults have gone mad seems kind of wrong. It's a scientific biological explanation that, in my opinion, betrays a lack of knowledge about the scientific principle behind it. However, if you're not a biology major, it probably won't matter.
If I read this book when I was 16-18 years old, I would have thought it was awesome!
That's a lot of genres for one book!
The book itself is written in first person from the protagonist's perspective. The protagonist is a teenaged boy whose name is Nick Aten ("rhymes with Satan"). One day he suddenly finds that all of the adults 20 and older have gone crazy and are killing people 19 and younger. Specifically, parents are killing their own children. Nick meets up with Sarah and her two younger sisters and they try to survive in this new and terrifying world.
The action in the book is fantastic. I couldn't put it down. The explanation for why the adults have gone mad is a bit hackneyed but it fits within the context and action of the book. Religion is basically treated as the "opiate of the masses" but that makes sense when reviewing what happens to the protagonists and the overall goals of the protagonists. Hey, if I woke up in a world where all of the adults were trying to kill me, I would probably give up religion too.
The overall message of the book seems to be that the older generation is naturally at odds with the younger generation. The older generation has all of the money and power, therefore they are the more voracious consumers. The younger generation consumes at the behest of the older. Is the older generation killing the younger generation by consuming too many non-renewable resources, by damaging the environment, and by running up bills the younger generation cannot possibly pay? This book takes that sort of idea and makes it direct killing instead of indirect killing. Incidentally, I found it kind of ironic that the protagonist spends a significant amount of time driving around in an SUV he took from an abandoned suburban home.
As far as weaknesses in the book I felt there were a few. The explanation as to why the adults have gone mad seems kind of wrong. It's a scientific biological explanation that, in my opinion, betrays a lack of knowledge about the scientific principle behind it. However, if you're not a biology major, it probably won't matter.
If I read this book when I was 16-18 years old, I would have thought it was awesome!
January 12, 2011
To begin with, the good points: the concept is interesting, and the first half of the novel is well-paced, with generally witty dialogue and a genuine sense of tension, that grows as you experience, through the protagonist’s eyes, the horror of the situation in which he has found himself. The descriptions of gore are usually solid, even if the narrative can be awkward at times.
Negatively, there’s a lot to say. The aforementioned awkwardness of the narrative usually springs from when the protagonist is trying to understand an unfamiliar concept—and, as a result, beats the reader firmly around the head with it. There are editorial issues, such as sentences which have weak grammar, and the protagonist himself reads as something of a self-insert: he ‘progresses’ (or rather, changes) from something of an idiot to a ‘messiah’, to use the word that has cropped up again and again within the novel. But the change is unbelievable, and incredibly awkward, leaving the reader with a reluctance to accept it at all.
That isn’t the worst of the book, though. The protagonist, once he has found himself outside of his community (where he has a girlfriend whom he appears to love), finds himself in another. There, he is treated, yes, as a ‘messiah’, and has sexual offers from one of the girls. He refuses, but barely – and when he is in yet another community of under-twenties, he is drugged and raped each night for almost a week. Not only does he not take offence to this, but he and the young woman in question end up close friends. Strangely, I wouldn’t think that being raped really brings people together. The young woman’s excuse for this is that she needs to give birth… and that the only other young man who lives there is celibate, therefore ruling him out. The narrator accepts this, with little care for his girlfriend who remains waiting for him.
Overall, this is not a book that I would suggest to anyone, for the negative aspects of it greatly outweigh the positives. I believe that even firm horror fans (I, for one, have read and greatly enjoyed the works of Brian Keene, Richard Laymon and Stephen King, amongst others) will have difficulty looking past the glaring faults of the novel to enjoy it.
Negatively, there’s a lot to say. The aforementioned awkwardness of the narrative usually springs from when the protagonist is trying to understand an unfamiliar concept—and, as a result, beats the reader firmly around the head with it. There are editorial issues, such as sentences which have weak grammar, and the protagonist himself reads as something of a self-insert: he ‘progresses’ (or rather, changes) from something of an idiot to a ‘messiah’, to use the word that has cropped up again and again within the novel. But the change is unbelievable, and incredibly awkward, leaving the reader with a reluctance to accept it at all.
That isn’t the worst of the book, though. The protagonist, once he has found himself outside of his community (where he has a girlfriend whom he appears to love), finds himself in another. There, he is treated, yes, as a ‘messiah’, and has sexual offers from one of the girls. He refuses, but barely – and when he is in yet another community of under-twenties, he is drugged and raped each night for almost a week. Not only does he not take offence to this, but he and the young woman in question end up close friends. Strangely, I wouldn’t think that being raped really brings people together. The young woman’s excuse for this is that she needs to give birth… and that the only other young man who lives there is celibate, therefore ruling him out. The narrator accepts this, with little care for his girlfriend who remains waiting for him.
Overall, this is not a book that I would suggest to anyone, for the negative aspects of it greatly outweigh the positives. I believe that even firm horror fans (I, for one, have read and greatly enjoyed the works of Brian Keene, Richard Laymon and Stephen King, amongst others) will have difficulty looking past the glaring faults of the novel to enjoy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2021
αν και δεν ξετρελάθηκα, ήταν πάρα πολύ καλό βιβλίο
από τα βιβλία τρόμου που σε κάνει να νιώσεις, να σκεφτείς, να αισθανθείς ότι διαβάζεις πραγματική λογοτεχνία παρά το ιδιαίτερο θέμα και τις φανταστικές προεκτάσεις
η ψυχοσύνθεση του πρωταγωνιστη και των συντρόφων που συναντά στο ταξίδι του είναι νεανικές όπου πρέπει και απότομαώριμες -΄λογω των συνθηκών- όπου πρέπει και πάλι
αν και σε ίδια θεματική μου άρεσε πολύ περισσότερο το fly-by-nights του λάμλι, το προτείνω ανεπιφύλακτα σε όλους/ες
από τα βιβλία τρόμου που σε κάνει να νιώσεις, να σκεφτείς, να αισθανθείς ότι διαβάζεις πραγματική λογοτεχνία παρά το ιδιαίτερο θέμα και τις φανταστικές προεκτάσεις
η ψυχοσύνθεση του πρωταγωνιστη και των συντρόφων που συναντά στο ταξίδι του είναι νεανικές όπου πρέπει και απότομαώριμες -΄λογω των συνθηκών- όπου πρέπει και πάλι
αν και σε ίδια θεματική μου άρεσε πολύ περισσότερο το fly-by-nights του λάμλι, το προτείνω ανεπιφύλακτα σε όλους/ες
August 5, 2024
Great "End Of The World" novel. Out of all the books of this kind, this one and "Dark Advent" are my favorites. This one never let up for a minute. The adults turned creepy zombies, or whatever was a nice change from just wacked out undead or crazed mutants. I wonder if book two and three are as well done as this.
May 4, 2020
3,5/5 αστεράκια.
Η «Δίψα για αίμα» του Simon Clark δεν είναι απλά ένα μυθιστόρημα τρόμου· η κεντρική του ιδέα είναι τόσο εξωπραγματικά τρομακτική, που δεν θα μπορούσε να τη συλλάβει εύκολα ακόμα και το πιο διεστραμμένο μυαλό.
Αν είστε γονιός, πώς θα σας φαινόταν να ξυπνήσετε μια μέρα και να αρχίσετε να κυνηγάτε τα παιδιά σας για να τα δολοφονήσετε; Κι αν είστε παιδί ή έφηβος κάτω των δεκαεννιά ετών, πώς θα σας φαινόταν αν ανακαλύπτατε πως οι γονείς σας θέλουν να σας σκοτώσουν; Είτε ανήκει κάποιος στη μία είτε στην άλλη κατηγορία, αν πει πως θα «φρίκαρε» μπροστά σε ένα τέτοιο ενδεχόμενο, μάλλον δεν θα ’χε άδικο!
Κι όμως, αυτή την κατάσταση αντιμετωπίζει ο δεκαεφτάχρονος Νικ Έιταν, οι φίλοι του και όλος ο ανήλικος πληθυσμός της μικρής τους πόλης. Εντελώς ξαφνικά, μια μέρα οι γονείς όλων τους ξεχύθηκαν στους δρόμους σαν κανονικά ζόμπι, με μόνο στόχο να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους. Μέσα στον γενικό χαμό, ορισμένα από αυτά κατάφεραν να το σκάσουν. Ανάμεσά τους κι ο Νικ, ο οποίος ξεκινά ένα ταξίδι γεμάτο απρόσμενες περιπέτειες και θανάσιμους κινδύνους. Όλα δείχνουν πως αυτή η τρέλα έχει εξαπλωθεί σε όλη τη χώρα και όσοι είναι κάτω των δεκαεννιά ετών κινδυνεύουν.
Στον δρόμο του, ο Νικ θα συναντήσει κι άλλους επιζώντες και όλοι μαζί θα προσπαθήσουν να συνυπάρξουν, αλλά και να προστατευτούν από τους αιμοδιψείς ενήλικες. Στην πορεία θα προκύψουν προβλήματα, κόντρες και διαμάχες ανάμεσα σ’ εκείνους που θέλουν να έχουν ενεργό ρόλο μέσα στη μικρή, υποτυπώδη κοινότητα. Όσο για τον Νικ, οι περιπέτειές του δεν έχουν τελειωμό: άθελά του θα ταξιδέψει σε διάφορα μέρη, θα γνωρίσει κι άλλα παιδιά που βρίσκονται στην ίδια θέση με εκείνον. Μέσα από αυτήν την εμπειρία θα ωριμάσει, θα γίνει πιο υπεύθυνος κι αποφασιστικός και θα συνειδητοποιήσει, με πόνο ψυχής, πως αυτή η μάχη θα είναι μέχρις εσχάτων: θα επιβιώσουν είτε τα παιδιά, είτε οι γονείς τους. Ένα από τα δύο είδη θα αφανιστεί, ειδάλλως ο κόσμος θα τελειώσει. Ποιος θα καταφέρει να επικρατήσει τελικά;
Η συγκεκριμένη πλοκή φαντάζει εξαρχής εντελώς τρελή! Πρόκειται φυσικά για ένα καθαρόαιμο βιβλίο τρόμου, όμως ακόμα κι ο τρόμος έχει διαβαθμίσεις· και το να σκοτώνεις το ίδιο σου το παιδί ή να δολοφονείσαι από τον γονιό σου -και μάλιστα μαζικά- είναι ίσως το πιο τρομακτικό πράγμα που μπορεί να περάσει από το μυαλό κάποιου. Κι όμως, ο Simon Clark το τόλμησε, έστησε μια ολόκληρη ιστορία επάνω στη συγκεκριμένη ιδέα και πέτυχε ένα εξαιρετικό αποτέλεσμα.
Η πλοκή επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο σε όσους προσπαθούν να επιβιώσουν, δηλαδή στα μικρά παιδιά και τους εφήβους. Πλέον σημασία δεν έχει η ηλικία, ούτε η ταυτότητά τους· καθένας από αυτούς προσπαθεί αρχικά να επιβιώσει κι έπειτα να ενσωματωθεί μέσα σε μια καινούρια ομάδα ή κοινότητα, που αποτελείται από άλλους ανήλικους, που ουσιαστικά δεν γνωρίζονταν μεταξύ τους μέχρι τώρα. Και από το πουθενά καλούνται να δημιουργήσουν από το μηδέν μια νέα κοινωνία, να θεσπίσουν κανόνες για την ομαλή λειτουργία της, να δουλέψουν ώστε να εξασφαλίσουν τα απαραίτητα και να μάθουν να στηρίζονται αποκλειστικά στις δικές τους δυνάμεις. Κι εκτός απ’ όλα αυτά, να διαχειριστούν το απίστευτο γεγονός πως γλίτωσαν τον θάνατο που τους επεφύλασσαν οι ίδιοι τους οι γονείς!
Ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να σοκάρει το αναγνωστικό κοινό περισσότερο με την υπόνοια όσων κρύβονται πίσω από την ίδια την ιστορία του, παρά με μακάβριες περιγραφές. Οπωσδήποτε οι εικόνες με τα φρικτά δολοφονημένα παιδιά προκαλούν σφίξιμο στο στομάχι, όμως αυτό που είναι ακόμα πιο τρομακτικό είναι το να σκεφτεί κανείς ποιος τα προκάλεσε όλα αυτά. Κι ενώ η ανάγνωση προχωράει και η αγωνία για την τύχη των παιδιών και την κατάληξη όλου αυτού μεγαλώνει, παραμένει πάντα υποβόσκουσα η φρίκη για το γεγονός πως υπεύθυνοι για τον θάνατο των παιδιών αυτών είναι οι ίδιοι τους οι γονείς. Αυτή είναι η κορυφαία φρίκη που διαποτίζει το βιβλίο από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος του, και νομίζω πως τίποτα απ’ όσα διαβάζει ο αναγνώστης δεν την ξεπερνά.
Η αφήγηση είναι γρήγορη, οι ρυθμοί καταιγιστικοί, τα κεφάλαια μικρά και περιεκτικά. Η συγκεκριμένη πλοκή δεν χρειάζεται λυρικό λεξιλόγιο ή περίπλοκες λογοτεχνικές πρακτικές για να μείνει χαραγμένη στο μυαλό του αναγνώστη και να τον εντυπωσιάσει· τα καταφέρνει έτσι όπως είναι.
Ο Νικ Έιταν είναι σίγουρα ο κεντρικός ήρωας του βιβλίου, όμως γύρω του στροβιλίζονται πολλοί ακόμα χαρακτήρες που διεκδικούν την αναγνωστική προσοχή. Και την αξίζουν όλοι τους – είτε είναι καλοί είτε κακοί, είτε εμφανίζονται για λίγες σελίδες είτε καταλαμβάνουν χώρο στο μεγαλύτερο μέρος της αφήγησης. Εξάλλου, καθένας από αυτούς έχει μια προσωπική τραγική ιστορία να αφηγηθεί, που αξίζει να ακουστεί πριν χαθεί στη λήθη. Εξαιρετικά καλοδουλεμένοι όλοι οι χαρακτήρες, με τους περισσότερους απ’ αυτούς να έχουν διασχίσει μόλις το κατώφλι της εφηβείας και να καλούνται να αντιμετωπίσουν καταστάσεις που δεν φαντάζονταν ούτε στα πιο τρελά τους όνειρα – ή μάλλον, εφιάλτες.
Το τέλος της ιστορίας θα πείσει και θα ικανοποιήσει κάποιους, ενώ κάποιους άλλους όχι. Όπως και να ‘χει, και μόνο το ταξίδι ως εκεί οπωσδήποτε αξίζει τον κόπο. Το «Δίψα για αίμα» είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα που αξίζει να διαβαστεί από λάτρεις του τρόμου και μη, μόνο και μόνο για τα πολλά και διαφορετικά μηνύματα που περνάει μέσα από τις σελίδες του και αφορούν εμάς, το μέλλον, τον κόσμο μας…
Η άποψή μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "Book City" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Δίψα για αίμα
Η «Δίψα για αίμα» του Simon Clark δεν είναι απλά ένα μυθιστόρημα τρόμου· η κεντρική του ιδέα είναι τόσο εξωπραγματικά τρομακτική, που δεν θα μπορούσε να τη συλλάβει εύκολα ακόμα και το πιο διεστραμμένο μυαλό.
Αν είστε γονιός, πώς θα σας φαινόταν να ξυπνήσετε μια μέρα και να αρχίσετε να κυνηγάτε τα παιδιά σας για να τα δολοφονήσετε; Κι αν είστε παιδί ή έφηβος κάτω των δεκαεννιά ετών, πώς θα σας φαινόταν αν ανακαλύπτατε πως οι γονείς σας θέλουν να σας σκοτώσουν; Είτε ανήκει κάποιος στη μία είτε στην άλλη κατηγορία, αν πει πως θα «φρίκαρε» μπροστά σε ένα τέτοιο ενδεχόμενο, μάλλον δεν θα ’χε άδικο!
Κι όμως, αυτή την κατάσταση αντιμετωπίζει ο δεκαεφτάχρονος Νικ Έιταν, οι φίλοι του και όλος ο ανήλικος πληθυσμός της μικρής τους πόλης. Εντελώς ξαφνικά, μια μέρα οι γονείς όλων τους ξεχύθηκαν στους δρόμους σαν κανονικά ζόμπι, με μόνο στόχο να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους. Μέσα στον γενικό χαμό, ορισμένα από αυτά κατάφεραν να το σκάσουν. Ανάμεσά τους κι ο Νικ, ο οποίος ξεκινά ένα ταξίδι γεμάτο απρόσμενες περιπέτειες και θανάσιμους κινδύνους. Όλα δείχνουν πως αυτή η τρέλα έχει εξαπλωθεί σε όλη τη χώρα και όσοι είναι κάτω των δεκαεννιά ετών κινδυνεύουν.
Στον δρόμο του, ο Νικ θα συναντήσει κι άλλους επιζώντες και όλοι μαζί θα προσπαθήσουν να συνυπάρξουν, αλλά και να προστατευτούν από τους αιμοδιψείς ενήλικες. Στην πορεία θα προκύψουν προβλήματα, κόντρες και διαμάχες ανάμεσα σ’ εκείνους που θέλουν να έχουν ενεργό ρόλο μέσα στη μικρή, υποτυπώδη κοινότητα. Όσο για τον Νικ, οι περιπέτειές του δεν έχουν τελειωμό: άθελά του θα ταξιδέψει σε διάφορα μέρη, θα γνωρίσει κι άλλα παιδιά που βρίσκονται στην ίδια θέση με εκείνον. Μέσα από αυτήν την εμπειρία θα ωριμάσει, θα γίνει πιο υπεύθυνος κι αποφασιστικός και θα συνειδητοποιήσει, με πόνο ψυχής, πως αυτή η μάχη θα είναι μέχρις εσχάτων: θα επιβιώσουν είτε τα παιδιά, είτε οι γονείς τους. Ένα από τα δύο είδη θα αφανιστεί, ειδάλλως ο κόσμος θα τελειώσει. Ποιος θα καταφέρει να επικρατήσει τελικά;
Η συγκεκριμένη πλοκή φαντάζει εξαρχής εντελώς τρελή! Πρόκειται φυσικά για ένα καθαρόαιμο βιβλίο τρόμου, όμως ακόμα κι ο τρόμος έχει διαβαθμίσεις· και το να σκοτώνεις το ίδιο σου το παιδί ή να δολοφονείσαι από τον γονιό σου -και μάλιστα μαζικά- είναι ίσως το πιο τρομακτικό πράγμα που μπορεί να περάσει από το μυαλό κάποιου. Κι όμως, ο Simon Clark το τόλμησε, έστησε μια ολόκληρη ιστορία επάνω στη συγκεκριμένη ιδέα και πέτυχε ένα εξαιρετικό αποτέλεσμα.
Η πλοκή επικεντρώνεται περισσότερο σε όσους προσπαθούν να επιβιώσουν, δηλαδή στα μικρά παιδιά και τους εφήβους. Πλέον σημασία δεν έχει η ηλικία, ούτε η ταυτότητά τους· καθένας από αυτούς προσπαθεί αρχικά να επιβιώσει κι έπειτα να ενσωματωθεί μέσα σε μια καινούρια ομάδα ή κοινότητα, που αποτελείται από άλλους ανήλικους, που ουσιαστικά δεν γνωρίζονταν μεταξύ τους μέχρι τώρα. Και από το πουθενά καλούνται να δημιουργήσουν από το μηδέν μια νέα κοινωνία, να θεσπίσουν κανόνες για την ομαλή λειτουργία της, να δουλέψουν ώστε να εξασφαλίσουν τα απαραίτητα και να μάθουν να στηρίζονται αποκλειστικά στις δικές τους δυνάμεις. Κι εκτός απ’ όλα αυτά, να διαχειριστούν το απίστευτο γεγονός πως γλίτωσαν τον θάνατο που τους επεφύλασσαν οι ίδιοι τους οι γονείς!
Ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να σοκάρει το αναγνωστικό κοινό περισσότερο με την υπόνοια όσων κρύβονται πίσω από την ίδια την ιστορία του, παρά με μακάβριες περιγραφές. Οπωσδήποτε οι εικόνες με τα φρικτά δολοφονημένα παιδιά προκαλούν σφίξιμο στο στομάχι, όμως αυτό που είναι ακόμα πιο τρομακτικό είναι το να σκεφτεί κανείς ποιος τα προκάλεσε όλα αυτά. Κι ενώ η ανάγνωση προχωράει και η αγωνία για την τύχη των παιδιών και την κατάληξη όλου αυτού μεγαλώνει, παραμένει πάντα υποβόσκουσα η φρίκη για το γεγονός πως υπεύθυνοι για τον θάνατο των παιδιών αυτών είναι οι ίδιοι τους οι γονείς. Αυτή είναι η κορυφαία φρίκη που διαποτίζει το βιβλίο από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος του, και νομίζω πως τίποτα απ’ όσα διαβάζει ο αναγνώστης δεν την ξεπερνά.
Η αφήγηση είναι γρήγορη, οι ρυθμοί καταιγιστικοί, τα κεφάλαια μικρά και περιεκτικά. Η συγκεκριμένη πλοκή δεν χρειάζεται λυρικό λεξιλόγιο ή περίπλοκες λογοτεχνικές πρακτικές για να μείνει χαραγμένη στο μυαλό του αναγνώστη και να τον εντυπωσιάσει· τα καταφέρνει έτσι όπως είναι.
Ο Νικ Έιταν είναι σίγουρα ο κεντρικός ήρωας του βιβλίου, όμως γύρω του στροβιλίζονται πολλοί ακόμα χαρακτήρες που διεκδικούν την αναγνωστική προσοχή. Και την αξίζουν όλοι τους – είτε είναι καλοί είτε κακοί, είτε εμφανίζονται για λίγες σελίδες είτε καταλαμβάνουν χώρο στο μεγαλύτερο μέρος της αφήγησης. Εξάλλου, καθένας από αυτούς έχει μια προσωπική τραγική ιστορία να αφηγηθεί, που αξίζει να ακουστεί πριν χαθεί στη λήθη. Εξαιρετικά καλοδουλεμένοι όλοι οι χαρακτήρες, με τους περισσότερους απ’ αυτούς να έχουν διασχίσει μόλις το κατώφλι της εφηβείας και να καλούνται να αντιμετωπίσουν καταστάσεις που δεν φαντάζονταν ούτε στα πιο τρελά τους όνειρα – ή μάλλον, εφιάλτες.
Το τέλος της ιστορίας θα πείσει και θα ικανοποιήσει κάποιους, ενώ κάποιους άλλους όχι. Όπως και να ‘χει, και μόνο το ταξίδι ως εκεί οπωσδήποτε αξίζει τον κόπο. Το «Δίψα για αίμα» είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα που αξίζει να διαβαστεί από λάτρεις του τρόμου και μη, μόνο και μόνο για τα πολλά και διαφορετικά μηνύματα που περνάει μέσα από τις σελίδες του και αφορούν εμάς, το μέλλον, τον κόσμο μας…
Η άποψή μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "Book City" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Δίψα για αίμα
October 31, 2020
Μια συνηθισμένη υπόθεση στην οποία ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να αφήσει το δικό του μοναδικό σημάδι. Διαβάστε αναλυτικά την άποψή μου στο blog μου.
January 22, 2008
Simon Clark, Blood Crazy (Leisure, 1995)
How this book gets characterized as a young adult novel is completely beyond me. Hey, folks: just because a novel's protagonist is under twenty-one years of age does not make a novel aimed at the young adult market.
Nick Aten ("rhymes with Satan") goes to bed one night convinced that all is right with the world. He wakes up the next morning and finds out how terribly wrong he is; something has caused all of the world's adults to go crazy and start killing their children. Those who have no children just go after everyone under a certain age (undetermined at the beginning of the book). Needless to say, the children are not altogether happy with this. Nick escapes and heads out of town, banding together with various other survivors against millions of people whose whole goal is their destruction.
In other words, it's your basic post-apocalyptic novel. And from that perspective, it's a good enough read. It's hard to review this objectively, since I had it marketed to me as a young adult novel; it reads like an adult novel, and so I'm concerned my ideas about it are going to cross one line or the other, since the two are often entirely different animals. Thankfully, it's a decent book as both, though a little on the adult side for being a YA read.
Simon Clark has a good sense of the dramatic, and the book is paced and plotted well. Granted, postapocalyptic lit is fast becoming its own subgenre, and it's not too hard to plot these days (a reading of The Stand, a reading of Swan Song, and a screening of The Omega Man, and you're pretty much set; elements of all three show up here, of course). His characters are for the most part solid and well-built, with a few cardboard-esque exceptions. The main reason, I'm guessing, this was thought to be a YA novel is the Nick Aten's narrative voice, which is naïve; too much so at times. (One wonders why that's still considered a YA trait, given the popularity of the romance genre.)
Readable, fast-paced, and worthwhile for horror fans. *** ½
How this book gets characterized as a young adult novel is completely beyond me. Hey, folks: just because a novel's protagonist is under twenty-one years of age does not make a novel aimed at the young adult market.
Nick Aten ("rhymes with Satan") goes to bed one night convinced that all is right with the world. He wakes up the next morning and finds out how terribly wrong he is; something has caused all of the world's adults to go crazy and start killing their children. Those who have no children just go after everyone under a certain age (undetermined at the beginning of the book). Needless to say, the children are not altogether happy with this. Nick escapes and heads out of town, banding together with various other survivors against millions of people whose whole goal is their destruction.
In other words, it's your basic post-apocalyptic novel. And from that perspective, it's a good enough read. It's hard to review this objectively, since I had it marketed to me as a young adult novel; it reads like an adult novel, and so I'm concerned my ideas about it are going to cross one line or the other, since the two are often entirely different animals. Thankfully, it's a decent book as both, though a little on the adult side for being a YA read.
Simon Clark has a good sense of the dramatic, and the book is paced and plotted well. Granted, postapocalyptic lit is fast becoming its own subgenre, and it's not too hard to plot these days (a reading of The Stand, a reading of Swan Song, and a screening of The Omega Man, and you're pretty much set; elements of all three show up here, of course). His characters are for the most part solid and well-built, with a few cardboard-esque exceptions. The main reason, I'm guessing, this was thought to be a YA novel is the Nick Aten's narrative voice, which is naïve; too much so at times. (One wonders why that's still considered a YA trait, given the popularity of the romance genre.)
Readable, fast-paced, and worthwhile for horror fans. *** ½
August 21, 2012
Blood Crazy was captivating and very intriguing. I read the book within 2-3 days and that's only because I couldn't put it down. If I did put it down, it wouldn't be for long because I'd want to know what happened next, so I'd end up picking it up and reading at least 5 chapters or more. The book had me at the edge of my seat. I think this may have been the first YA novel I've read within such a short amount of time. If I would have known it was from the perspective of a 17 year old, I would have read it sooner.
The book revolves around this one 17 year old boy, Nick Aten and how he surivived Day 1 and the apocalypse. We go through the struggles, anarchy and complete and utter chaos of surviving the apocaplyse as a 17 year old. We see how people would fight to become leaders and just love having everything in their power that most of their decisions aren't rational, they're based on the fact that they can do whatever they please.
Now, these aren't your typical, dead, moaning and groaning zombies. These ones aren't dead. They're not as capable as the people, but they're pretty close, it's scary.
This book doesn't just have on page on why things are the way they are, there are pages upon pages, in detail as to why they're like this. For a 'zombie' novel, it's very philosophical and you can actually learn things from reading it. Simon Clark did an excellent job with the details. He knows his philosophy and he knows his history. He didn't just say "they're like this because of something in the air" etc, he explained why they were like this, how they became like this, etc and it was bloody brilliant.
I definitely recommend this novel to people who are into apocalyptic and philosophical stuff. It is definitely worth the read and I am glad it was recommended to me. I only wish I would have read it sooner, because it's honestly amazing with all the knowledge in it.
Kudos to Simon Clark for writing such a great novel.
The book revolves around this one 17 year old boy, Nick Aten and how he surivived Day 1 and the apocalypse. We go through the struggles, anarchy and complete and utter chaos of surviving the apocaplyse as a 17 year old. We see how people would fight to become leaders and just love having everything in their power that most of their decisions aren't rational, they're based on the fact that they can do whatever they please.
Now, these aren't your typical, dead, moaning and groaning zombies. These ones aren't dead. They're not as capable as the people, but they're pretty close, it's scary.
This book doesn't just have on page on why things are the way they are, there are pages upon pages, in detail as to why they're like this. For a 'zombie' novel, it's very philosophical and you can actually learn things from reading it. Simon Clark did an excellent job with the details. He knows his philosophy and he knows his history. He didn't just say "they're like this because of something in the air" etc, he explained why they were like this, how they became like this, etc and it was bloody brilliant.
I definitely recommend this novel to people who are into apocalyptic and philosophical stuff. It is definitely worth the read and I am glad it was recommended to me. I only wish I would have read it sooner, because it's honestly amazing with all the knowledge in it.
Kudos to Simon Clark for writing such a great novel.
March 23, 2013
What happens the day all adults go blood crazy and start killing off their children. This book is Nick Atan's narrative of that day and the months after.
True to its genre (survival horror) the book focuses more on the people trying to survive and rebuild their society and less on the blood-crazy adults, who are nothing more than mindless zombies. And the survivors are much more dangerous than the freaks.
The book is somewhat slow to start, the violence is there but it is discreet and there is a lot of set-up for the second half. During the second half the book shifts gears and picks up to a climactic ending.
Overall, while not perfect, it is a satisfying survival horror tale for horror fans
True to its genre (survival horror) the book focuses more on the people trying to survive and rebuild their society and less on the blood-crazy adults, who are nothing more than mindless zombies. And the survivors are much more dangerous than the freaks.
The book is somewhat slow to start, the violence is there but it is discreet and there is a lot of set-up for the second half. During the second half the book shifts gears and picks up to a climactic ending.
Overall, while not perfect, it is a satisfying survival horror tale for horror fans
October 20, 2011
Every adult suddenly goes nuts and starts killing their kids in what reads like a post-apocalyptic zombie novel minus the zombies. Good stuff, right? I thought so until around page 300 where we are introduced to a ludicrous theory on why this madness is occurring. I would have preferred no explanation to the one that was given. That killed the book for me. 2o pages of idiocy tanked this from four stars to two and I couldn't enjoy the rest after that. Bummer.
July 15, 2011
I picked up this book at the dollar store around Halloween. And I have to say it was well worth the dollar. I think the best part of this book was the explaination about the zombie adults. It was awesome to combine the science of evolution with the supernatural of horror.
April 30, 2013
Full review coming. Although it pre-dates 28 days later, hollywood would pitch this as 28 days later or the crazies meets Lord of the flies. Excellent end of the world novel with a scene near they end that disturbed me deeply. Cool book.
July 30, 2015
Awesome!
Great writing and I enjoyed this so much!!
Great writing and I enjoyed this so much!!
August 16, 2023
Το "Πέρασμα" συναντά τον "Άρχοντα των μυγών" κι όλα αυτά στη κινηματογραφική ατμόσφαιρα του "Yellowjackets".
Έκπληξη σε γενικές γραμμές, το μετά αποκαλυπτικό αυτό young adult βιβλίο που τιμά τον εαυτό του, διαβάζεται με μια ανάσα και προσπαθεί να δώσει το δικό του στίγμα στο genre.
Έκπληξη σε γενικές γραμμές, το μετά αποκαλυπτικό αυτό young adult βιβλίο που τιμά τον εαυτό του, διαβάζεται με μια ανάσα και προσπαθεί να δώσει το δικό του στίγμα στο genre.
November 15, 2017
1.5 Stars
Clark, admirably has to be said, does try to take this book in a some sort of horror direction - it definitely was a fascinating concept, but ultimately is bogged down by way too much YA tropes...insta love, poetic language
This book is YA to the CORE!! meaning you spend a shit load of time reading through a teenager's thoughts that come of in a somewhat poetic form. For some weird reason hard core YA writers have this insane need to qualify every action with poetic like words, like as if for some reason the reader will be unable to understand the depth of emotion if this isn't used.
"Memories of the drive come back to me now. Bright and hard but somehow broken and disconnected".
"Baz stared at the blood. Fresh and red and wet".
I know some people don't mind this, but ultimately it's not a form of writing that i've been able to grow to love.
Is it hard core YA if characters don't fall in love??? Imagine a hard core YA novel, with 2 teenage characters and no love story in the works. The HORROR!!! How dare you put 2 teenagers of the opposite sex together and not make them see the stars in each other's eyes.. HOW DARE YOU!!!! This is YA goddammit!!!
I imagine every hard core YA writer has this thought and well voila insta love is born...
and the final nail in the coffin of this book, explaining the horror.
I'm more amused than upset (ok fine, fine, i am a little bit upset) with the direction this book went when it came to this part of this book. It was unbelievably laughable. The book basically uses Like C'mon, if you're going to go down the intellectual route at least have the decency to do it right. This is the problem the bulk of horror books with the M.O of some unexplained phenomena have: EXPLAINING THE CAUSE OF THE HORROR. That's basically where good horror books go to die (not like this was a good book anyways but you know generally speaking). It's one of the issues i had with Dean Koontz's books and i still can't bring myself to read his books to this day..It's one of the issues i had with Run by Blake Crouch.
Other random peeves were the names of the chapter which 9 out of 10 times had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the chapter. Also, what i can only describe as . why was it there? I find it confusing that Clark could go really vivid on those scenes but somehow skimp on the brutality that was sure to be occurring in this book.
I can't in all honesty say there was anything to love about this book. It was so unbelievably lukewarm..
August 3, 2008
I paid a pretty penny for a somewhat beat-up copy of this book and I'll tell you...I'd have paid three times as much knowing what I know now about Blood Crazy. It's 28 Days Later, Lord of the Flies, Jung's The Undiscovered Self, Origin of the Species, and Braveheart expertly collided with the force of a ten megaton bomb.
The novel begins with confusion and plenty of gory action, as 17-year-old Nick Aten (rhymes with Satan) begins to notice strange goings on. The adult population has become murderously insane, preying on anyone under the age of 20. There's plenty of fear and close calls as Nick collects other teens on his desperate journey to safety. The group stumbles on a community of other kids and teens looking to rebuild society from scratch by organizing, scavenging, and defending against the hordes of adult attackers. Many good zombie/apocalyptic novels include elements similar to these and come to satisfying, if not at times hopeless, finales. Instead, Simon Clark sends Nick Aten further, on a hero's quest nothing short of Tolkienesque in its breadth and duration.
Without spoiling this novel for readers who end up spending some decent coin for this read, know that there is much substance lurking once the reader has gotten the details of the apocalypse out of the way. This book offers the gift of hope to its characters...and readers...and gives us good reason not to trust anyone over the age of TWENTY!
The novel begins with confusion and plenty of gory action, as 17-year-old Nick Aten (rhymes with Satan) begins to notice strange goings on. The adult population has become murderously insane, preying on anyone under the age of 20. There's plenty of fear and close calls as Nick collects other teens on his desperate journey to safety. The group stumbles on a community of other kids and teens looking to rebuild society from scratch by organizing, scavenging, and defending against the hordes of adult attackers. Many good zombie/apocalyptic novels include elements similar to these and come to satisfying, if not at times hopeless, finales. Instead, Simon Clark sends Nick Aten further, on a hero's quest nothing short of Tolkienesque in its breadth and duration.
Without spoiling this novel for readers who end up spending some decent coin for this read, know that there is much substance lurking once the reader has gotten the details of the apocalypse out of the way. This book offers the gift of hope to its characters...and readers...and gives us good reason not to trust anyone over the age of TWENTY!
December 12, 2007
Much like 28 Days Later and other films, zombie fans argue whether some antagonists are zombies are not. I've found it to be the same in literature and this is one of the novels that people can certainly argue about because the antagonists are certainly not the living dead, but the book has an outbreak that is quite similar to that of a zombie epidemic. In Blood Crazy, all the adults in the world turn into murderous lunatics set on a path to first murder their own children and then to aid other adults in killing those chilren who remain. Imagine if you will, our current generation of teenagers forced into a situation where they must both work to survive and learn to work together to survive. This book goes well beyond the horror of the scenario to present theories on religion as well. This is a book I highly recommend.
August 7, 2012
I think this one's Clark's best, a post-apocalyptic kinda-zombie novel told from the point of view of child survivors. After the world's adults go crazy and start slaughtering their kids en masse, the children are forced to band together and start their own society while fighting against hordes of murderous grown-ups.
June 25, 2018
starts in my home town i think that is why i have never forgotten this book. The only book to ever scare me! Well worth reading over & over again!!!
September 29, 2018
Ολόκληρη η κριτική στο Smassing Culture
Children of the Corn από την αντίστροφη! Οι ενήλικες αντεπιτίθενται.
Είναι Σάββατο. Το πρωί βγαίνετε για ψώνια. Το βράδυ πηγαίνετε στον κινηματογράφο ή ίσως για φαγητό σε κάποιο εστιατόριο. Όλα είναι απολύτως φυσιολογικά. Σωστά; Ξημερώνει Κυριακή και ο ανθρώπινος πολιτισμός έχει καταρρεύσει. Σε κάθε γωνιά του κόσμου, οι ενήλικες έχουν κυριευθεί από μια δολοφονική παραφροσύνη. Στο μυαλό τους υπάρχει μόνο μία σκέψη: να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους! Και αυτή τους η δίψα για αίμα είναι ανεξέλεγκτη. Υπάρχει διέξοδος από αυτό τον εφιάλτη που απειλεί να καταβροχθίσει το ανθρώπινο γένος ή μήπως είναι αυτό το τέλος του κόσμου;
Το «Δίψα για αίμα» (τίτλος πρωτοτύπου: Blood Crazy) κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις ΟΞΥ ήδη από το 1997. Είναι ένα έργο horror που συνδυάζει στοιχεία occult, εφηβικού δράματος, καθώς και zombie –post apocalyptic θεματικής, αφού μας αφηγείται το τέλος του ανθρώπινου πολιτισμού εξαιτίας μιας πολύ περίεργης ασθένειας που καταλαμβάνει τον ενήλικο πληθυσμό, δημιουργώντας του την ανάγκη να σκοτώσει τα ίδια του τα παιδιά. Ως εκ τούτου, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι ένα βιβλίο τόσο ανατριχιαστικό, όσο και τολμηρό, αφού το θέμα του αποτελεί από μόνο του ένα ταμπού. Επιπλέον, ένας λάτρης του horror εύκολα μπορεί να το δει σαν ιστορική συνέχεια πολλών cult έργων τρόμου, όπως είναι η τριλογία του Lucio Fulci “Gates of Hell” (The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, The House by the Cemetay), το Zombie 2 του ίδιου, το The Evil Dead του Sam Raimi, καθώς και τη δουλειά του G. A. Romero. Παράλληλα, το «Δίψα για αίμα» δε θα ήταν υπερβολή αν λέγαμε ότι ενέπνευσε σε μεγάλο βαθμό τη δημιουργία της όχι και τόσο πετυχημένης ταινίας του 2017 «Mom and Dad» με πρωταγωνιστή το Nicolas Cage, που μας προκαλεί να τη δούμε. Ή και όχι.
Αρκετά τα αστεία, όμως, με τον Nicolas Cage. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι το πρώτο πράγμα που μου ήρθε στο μυαλό διαβάζοντας το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι η αντίστροφη, θα έλεγα, ομοιότητα με το «Children of the Corn» του Stephen King, πράγμα που τον τοποθετεί, για ακόμα μια φορά, σε ένα βάθρο όμοιο με θρόνο στο χώρο του horror . Πολύ περισσότερο, τόσο ο King όσο και ο Clark, φαίνεται να έχουν θέσει τα θεμέλια των έργων τους πάνω σε ένα ταμπού –θεμέλιο του ανθρώπινου πολιτισμού, σύμφωνα με τις ψυχαναλυτικές θεωρίες του Freud και του Jung. Και ενώ τα παιδιά του Gatlin αποφασίζουν να σκοτώσουν τους ενήλικους της μικρής τους πόλης σαν θυσία σε κάτι ανώτερο, οι πρωταγωνιστές του Simon Clark πρέπει να αμυνθούν σε παγκόσμια κλίμακα απέναντι σε κάτι ακόμα μεγαλύτερο, που τους απειλεί και τους καταδιώκει.
Έτσι, βλέπουμε τα παιδιά του κόσμου να δημιουργούν οικισμούς, οι οποίοι δημιουργούν τους δικούς τους νόμους, παραδόσεις, δοξασίες, ακόμα και πολιτεύματα, προκειμένου να επιβιώσουν. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» αποκτά ανθρωπολογικό και πολιτικό υπόβαθρο. Χαρακτηριστικά, ο αναγνώστης μπορεί να ανακαλύψει μέσα από το βιβλίο όχι μόνο τη διαδοχή των πολιτευμάτων (βλέπουμε τυράννους, χαρισματικούς ηγέτες, σφυρηλατημένους δημοκράτες κλπ), αλλά και τη δημιουργία ολόκληρων φυλών που ζουν άλλες κοντά σε ποτάμια, άλλες στο βουνό κι άλλες να ιδρύουν ακόμα και αρχιπελαγικά κρατίδια, ζώντας σε ξεχασμένα yacht μέσα στη θάλασσα. Ακόμα περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον έχει το γεγονός ότι καθένας από αυτούς του οικισμού έχει τις δικές του θεωρίες για το τι συνέβη και τρελάθηκαν οι ενήλικες. Άλλοι το αποδίδουν σε θεϊκή τιμωρία, άλλοι δημιουργούν συνωμοσίες περί πλύσης εγκεφάλου και παγκόσμιας διακυβέρνησης, άλλοι μιλούν για περιβαλλοντική καταστροφή, ενώ δε λείπουν και απόψεις πιο επαναστατικές και εκκεντρικές, που ανάγουν την αλλαγή των ενήλικων σε κάτι πιο βαθύ, πανάρχαιο και ανεξερεύνητο… Στο σημείο αυτό, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» παίρνει προεκτάσεις θεολογικές και ψυχαναλυτικές, ενώ παράλληλα μπορεί να ενταχθεί στην ατμόσφαιρα αυτού που σήμερα αποκαλούμε «νέα τάξη πραγμάτων».
Επιπλέον, το «Δίψα για Αίμα», συνιστά και μια ιστορία ενηλικίωσης και συμφιλίωσης με τον εαυτό. Αυτό φαίνεται πολύ έντονα στον πρωταγωνιστή του βιβλίου, τον Nick Eitan, ένα έφηβο αγόρι που δεν πληροί καμιά από τις προδιαγραφές που θέτει η κοινωνία για μια επιτυχημένη πορεία στη ζωή. Έτσι, τον βλέπουμε σταδιακά να μεταμορφώνεται από ένα παθητικό και ηττοπαθές άτομο σε έναν άξιο σύντροφο και προστάτη του νεοσύστατου κόσμου των παιδιών. Οι λανθάνουσες, μάλιστα, ηγετικές ικανότητες του Nick Eitan εκτοξεύονται μετά από μια πράξη φροϋδικής συμβολικής σημασίας, που παραπέμπει στο γνωστό τραγούδι των Doors “The end” και με την οποία αποτινάσσει από πάνω του την εξουσία των γονιών του. Για το λόγο αυτό, άλλωστε, η στιγμή αυτή είναι από τις πιο έντονες του βιβλίου.
Καταληκτικά, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι ένα αξιολογότατο βιβλίο που δεν προσφέρει απλά τρόμο, αλλά σε εισάγει σε έναν ευρύτερο προβληματισμό, ο οποίος φανερώνεται με τη μορφή συλλογισμού. Παράλληλα, ο Simon Clark αναδεικνύεται όχι μόνο σε μαέστρο του horror, αλλά και σε γνώστη της ανθρώπινης ψυχής. Πολύ περισσότερο, αυτό που ξεχωρίζει το βιβλίο είναι ότι παρά το δυστοπικό του περιεχόμενο προτείνει λύσεις και τρόπους με τους οποίους ο άνθρωπος μπορεί να κατακτήσει την ευτυχία του. Τέλος, αξίζει να αναφερθεί ότι παρά τα άπειρα πλεονεκτήματα του βιβλίου, κάπου προς τη μέση αποκτά μια μικρή κοιλιά, λόγω της έλλειψης δράσης. Η ατονία αυτή, ωστόσο, αποκτά σημασία όχι απλά γιατί βοηθά στην εξέλιξη του χαρακτήρα του πρωταγωνιστή, αλλά και γιατί προετοιμάζει τον τελευταίο και τον αναγνώστη για την κορύφωση και τις μεγάλες αποκαλύψεις που ακολουθούν. Ως εκ τούτου, η «κοιλίτσα» αυτή καθίσταται απαραίτητη για την πλοκή και το βάθος του έργου.
Children of the Corn από την αντίστροφη! Οι ενήλικες αντεπιτίθενται.
Είναι Σάββατο. Το πρωί βγαίνετε για ψώνια. Το βράδυ πηγαίνετε στον κινηματογράφο ή ίσως για φαγητό σε κάποιο εστιατόριο. Όλα είναι απολύτως φυσιολογικά. Σωστά; Ξημερώνει Κυριακή και ο ανθρώπινος πολιτισμός έχει καταρρεύσει. Σε κάθε γωνιά του κόσμου, οι ενήλικες έχουν κυριευθεί από μια δολοφονική παραφροσύνη. Στο μυαλό τους υπάρχει μόνο μία σκέψη: να σκοτώσουν τα παιδιά τους! Και αυτή τους η δίψα για αίμα είναι ανεξέλεγκτη. Υπάρχει διέξοδος από αυτό τον εφιάλτη που απειλεί να καταβροχθίσει το ανθρώπινο γένος ή μήπως είναι αυτό το τέλος του κόσμου;
Το «Δίψα για αίμα» (τίτλος πρωτοτύπου: Blood Crazy) κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις ΟΞΥ ήδη από το 1997. Είναι ένα έργο horror που συνδυάζει στοιχεία occult, εφηβικού δράματος, καθώς και zombie –post apocalyptic θεματικής, αφού μας αφηγείται το τέλος του ανθρώπινου πολιτισμού εξαιτίας μιας πολύ περίεργης ασθένειας που καταλαμβάνει τον ενήλικο πληθυσμό, δημιουργώντας του την ανάγκη να σκοτώσει τα ίδια του τα παιδιά. Ως εκ τούτου, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι ένα βιβλίο τόσο ανατριχιαστικό, όσο και τολμηρό, αφού το θέμα του αποτελεί από μόνο του ένα ταμπού. Επιπλέον, ένας λάτρης του horror εύκολα μπορεί να το δει σαν ιστορική συνέχεια πολλών cult έργων τρόμου, όπως είναι η τριλογία του Lucio Fulci “Gates of Hell” (The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, The House by the Cemetay), το Zombie 2 του ίδιου, το The Evil Dead του Sam Raimi, καθώς και τη δουλειά του G. A. Romero. Παράλληλα, το «Δίψα για αίμα» δε θα ήταν υπερβολή αν λέγαμε ότι ενέπνευσε σε μεγάλο βαθμό τη δημιουργία της όχι και τόσο πετυχημένης ταινίας του 2017 «Mom and Dad» με πρωταγωνιστή το Nicolas Cage, που μας προκαλεί να τη δούμε. Ή και όχι.
Αρκετά τα αστεία, όμως, με τον Nicolas Cage. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι το πρώτο πράγμα που μου ήρθε στο μυαλό διαβάζοντας το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι η αντίστροφη, θα έλεγα, ομοιότητα με το «Children of the Corn» του Stephen King, πράγμα που τον τοποθετεί, για ακόμα μια φορά, σε ένα βάθρο όμοιο με θρόνο στο χώρο του horror . Πολύ περισσότερο, τόσο ο King όσο και ο Clark, φαίνεται να έχουν θέσει τα θεμέλια των έργων τους πάνω σε ένα ταμπού –θεμέλιο του ανθρώπινου πολιτισμού, σύμφωνα με τις ψυχαναλυτικές θεωρίες του Freud και του Jung. Και ενώ τα παιδιά του Gatlin αποφασίζουν να σκοτώσουν τους ενήλικους της μικρής τους πόλης σαν θυσία σε κάτι ανώτερο, οι πρωταγωνιστές του Simon Clark πρέπει να αμυνθούν σε παγκόσμια κλίμακα απέναντι σε κάτι ακόμα μεγαλύτερο, που τους απειλεί και τους καταδιώκει.
Έτσι, βλέπουμε τα παιδιά του κόσμου να δημιουργούν οικισμούς, οι οποίοι δημιουργούν τους δικούς τους νόμους, παραδόσεις, δοξασίες, ακόμα και πολιτεύματα, προκειμένου να επιβιώσουν. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» αποκτά ανθρωπολογικό και πολιτικό υπόβαθρο. Χαρακτηριστικά, ο αναγνώστης μπορεί να ανακαλύψει μέσα από το βιβλίο όχι μόνο τη διαδοχή των πολιτευμάτων (βλέπουμε τυράννους, χαρισματικούς ηγέτες, σφυρηλατημένους δημοκράτες κλπ), αλλά και τη δημιουργία ολόκληρων φυλών που ζουν άλλες κοντά σε ποτάμια, άλλες στο βουνό κι άλλες να ιδρύουν ακόμα και αρχιπελαγικά κρατίδια, ζώντας σε ξεχασμένα yacht μέσα στη θάλασσα. Ακόμα περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον έχει το γεγονός ότι καθένας από αυτούς του οικισμού έχει τις δικές του θεωρίες για το τι συνέβη και τρελάθηκαν οι ενήλικες. Άλλοι το αποδίδουν σε θεϊκή τιμωρία, άλλοι δημιουργούν συνωμοσίες περί πλύσης εγκεφάλου και παγκόσμιας διακυβέρνησης, άλλοι μιλούν για περιβαλλοντική καταστροφή, ενώ δε λείπουν και απόψεις πιο επαναστατικές και εκκεντρικές, που ανάγουν την αλλαγή των ενήλικων σε κάτι πιο βαθύ, πανάρχαιο και ανεξερεύνητο… Στο σημείο αυτό, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» παίρνει προεκτάσεις θεολογικές και ψυχαναλυτικές, ενώ παράλληλα μπορεί να ενταχθεί στην ατμόσφαιρα αυτού που σήμερα αποκαλούμε «νέα τάξη πραγμάτων».
Επιπλέον, το «Δίψα για Αίμα», συνιστά και μια ιστορία ενηλικίωσης και συμφιλίωσης με τον εαυτό. Αυτό φαίνεται πολύ έντονα στον πρωταγωνιστή του βιβλίου, τον Nick Eitan, ένα έφηβο αγόρι που δεν πληροί καμιά από τις προδιαγραφές που θέτει η κοινωνία για μια επιτυχημένη πορεία στη ζωή. Έτσι, τον βλέπουμε σταδιακά να μεταμορφώνεται από ένα παθητικό και ηττοπαθές άτομο σε έναν άξιο σύντροφο και προστάτη του νεοσύστατου κόσμου των παιδιών. Οι λανθάνουσες, μάλιστα, ηγετικές ικανότητες του Nick Eitan εκτοξεύονται μετά από μια πράξη φροϋδικής συμβολικής σημασίας, που παραπέμπει στο γνωστό τραγούδι των Doors “The end” και με την οποία αποτινάσσει από πάνω του την εξουσία των γονιών του. Για το λόγο αυτό, άλλωστε, η στιγμή αυτή είναι από τις πιο έντονες του βιβλίου.
Καταληκτικά, το «Δίψα για Aίμα» είναι ένα αξιολογότατο βιβλίο που δεν προσφέρει απλά τρόμο, αλλά σε εισάγει σε έναν ευρύτερο προβληματισμό, ο οποίος φανερώνεται με τη μορφή συλλογισμού. Παράλληλα, ο Simon Clark αναδεικνύεται όχι μόνο σε μαέστρο του horror, αλλά και σε γνώστη της ανθρώπινης ψυχής. Πολύ περισσότερο, αυτό που ξεχωρίζει το βιβλίο είναι ότι παρά το δυστοπικό του περιεχόμενο προτείνει λύσεις και τρόπους με τους οποίους ο άνθρωπος μπορεί να κατακτήσει την ευτυχία του. Τέλος, αξίζει να αναφερθεί ότι παρά τα άπειρα πλεονεκτήματα του βιβλίου, κάπου προς τη μέση αποκτά μια μικρή κοιλιά, λόγω της έλλειψης δράσης. Η ατονία αυτή, ωστόσο, αποκτά σημασία όχι απλά γιατί βοηθά στην εξέλιξη του χαρακτήρα του πρωταγωνιστή, αλλά και γιατί προετοιμάζει τον τελευταίο και τον αναγνώστη για την κορύφωση και τις μεγάλες αποκαλύψεις που ακολουθούν. Ως εκ τούτου, η «κοιλίτσα» αυτή καθίσταται απαραίτητη για την πλοκή και το βάθος του έργου.
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