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Rats #3
Domain
The long-dreaded nuclear conflict. The city torn apart, shattered, its people destroyed or mutilated beyond hope. For just a few, survival is possible only beneath the wrecked streets - if there is time to avoid the slow-descending poisonous ashes. But below, the rats are waiting.
421 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
191 people are currently reading
2827 people want to read
About the author
James Herbert
100 books2,377 followersJames Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
December 17, 2021
This time we have the setting of London in the middle of five nuclear bombs. Will anyone survive? Steve Culver and Alex Dealey barely manage to skip extension. Soon a second threat is coming up: our well known black furred rats. Then it is men against rats again. Who will be the winner at the end. Well. This was a very long book with two major disasters. And as with many double plots it was a bit overloaded. I would have loved to see the rats having a comeback only. But the 80s atomic catastrophe story felt a bit dated and tedious at parts. The motif is a bit worn since then. What I really liked is the narration from the rats' perspective, some extremely creepy scenes and the philosophical question whose domain this new world is. Overall recommended but with some lengthy parts and a bit tedious frame story.
August 19, 2018
Best in the trilogy of James Herbert's horror genre. I like the beginning where the main protagonist; a motor cycle courier; follows a civil servant who calmly walks among the chaos with purpose. Everybody else is running to and fro during a nuclear attack in London and this smartly dressed man nonchalantly disappears down a tunnel and bangs on a matal door. He disappears into a bunker and the courier crashes in behind him...the rest is an epic story which is the last in the Rats trilogy. I really enjoyed this book in my youth.🐯👍👍🐯
January 18, 2020
James Herberts third book in the Rats saga, after The Rats and Lair, and how would Domain measure up to those two aforementioned books. I absolutely loved The Rats and aside from the ending of Lair I loved that book too, so was wondering how things would unravel in this affair.
Set a few years after the events of Lair, the threat of nuclear war is all too real, and after a series of deadly bombs go off in London, destruction and panic then set in as one would expect.
The main protagonist of the story is Steve Culver, and after he rescues civil servant Alex Dealey, whom it turns out knows the way to a secret government bunker, Steve had to guide and direct Alex, who it seems his vision has taken a turn for the worse following the explosions and the two begin to rely on each other.
As the populace is in complete disarray, the rats are once again making their move, sensing the human race in the cities are under threat, the rats sense they are no longer the force they were, so they are far more brazen in their attacks.
Culver, against the wishes of Dealey, sees a woman under attack from the vicious creatures, and decides to intervene and help the lass, creating a bond between them, making up for something he blamed himself for years prior.
This was an interesting read, however it is longer than the first two novels, I also found the nuclear plot an interesting concept, unfortunately for me a lot of this book plods along at a snails pace, apart from Culver there isn't many other interesting characters and a lot of the plot is them holed up in bunkers, it did have its moments though, and maybe it's just me as I noticed a lot of people seem to have this as their favourite of the saga, so maybe I will give it a re-read and hopefully my outcome changes, but at the moment, it's definitely my least favourite of the Rats series.
2.5 Stars ⭐⭐
Set a few years after the events of Lair, the threat of nuclear war is all too real, and after a series of deadly bombs go off in London, destruction and panic then set in as one would expect.
The main protagonist of the story is Steve Culver, and after he rescues civil servant Alex Dealey, whom it turns out knows the way to a secret government bunker, Steve had to guide and direct Alex, who it seems his vision has taken a turn for the worse following the explosions and the two begin to rely on each other.
As the populace is in complete disarray, the rats are once again making their move, sensing the human race in the cities are under threat, the rats sense they are no longer the force they were, so they are far more brazen in their attacks.
Culver, against the wishes of Dealey, sees a woman under attack from the vicious creatures, and decides to intervene and help the lass, creating a bond between them, making up for something he blamed himself for years prior.
This was an interesting read, however it is longer than the first two novels, I also found the nuclear plot an interesting concept, unfortunately for me a lot of this book plods along at a snails pace, apart from Culver there isn't many other interesting characters and a lot of the plot is them holed up in bunkers, it did have its moments though, and maybe it's just me as I noticed a lot of people seem to have this as their favourite of the saga, so maybe I will give it a re-read and hopefully my outcome changes, but at the moment, it's definitely my least favourite of the Rats series.
2.5 Stars ⭐⭐
September 19, 2015
3.5 stars.
Okay, so I loved James Herbert's first two excursions into a land being overrun by nightmare rodents. Herbert's The Rats, and its follow up Lair, concerns a plague of giant black rats sweeping through southern England, and they are wonderful examples of genre fiction. They were both written, and set, during the nineteen seventies and yet, other than the odd reference to wearing a 'tweed jacket' and driving a 'Ford Capri', both hold up remarkably well. Domain, which was written some eleven years after the first rats book, really doesn't manage the same timeless quality. This may be because Herbert chooses to take us away from a regular world setting, opting instead to unleash his rodents upon the survivors of a first wave nuclear strike - although the nineteen eighties were doubtless a time when people contemplated such catastrophe, and this story would have been perfectly fitting in the time it was written, it just didn't sit quite right among certain other dated aspects of the book.
Incorporating the same formula of marauding rodents which had previously worked so well, you would expect success based on a heady mix of bloody carnage and desperation. The main protagonist is Steven Culver, a pilot who, after the bombs start to drop, finds himself holed up in a secret underground bunker, after he aids Government man Alex Dealey.
The initial opening section of the book covers different points of view leading up to, and as the missiles rain down. This is powerfully done. Even the early periods of getting to, and surviving in the underground bunker are executed well. But a range of fairly stock characters are soon enduring wave after wave of rodent attacks, and it just began to feel a chore getting through to the end.
It is not a badly written book, and if you were to pick this up never having read one of its predecessors, then in all likelihood you'll quite enjoy it. But, at least for me, book three is the weakest of the trilogy.
Footnote: I say trilogy, but there is a further continuation of the saga in graphic novel format.
Okay, so I loved James Herbert's first two excursions into a land being overrun by nightmare rodents. Herbert's The Rats, and its follow up Lair, concerns a plague of giant black rats sweeping through southern England, and they are wonderful examples of genre fiction. They were both written, and set, during the nineteen seventies and yet, other than the odd reference to wearing a 'tweed jacket' and driving a 'Ford Capri', both hold up remarkably well. Domain, which was written some eleven years after the first rats book, really doesn't manage the same timeless quality. This may be because Herbert chooses to take us away from a regular world setting, opting instead to unleash his rodents upon the survivors of a first wave nuclear strike - although the nineteen eighties were doubtless a time when people contemplated such catastrophe, and this story would have been perfectly fitting in the time it was written, it just didn't sit quite right among certain other dated aspects of the book.
Incorporating the same formula of marauding rodents which had previously worked so well, you would expect success based on a heady mix of bloody carnage and desperation. The main protagonist is Steven Culver, a pilot who, after the bombs start to drop, finds himself holed up in a secret underground bunker, after he aids Government man Alex Dealey.
The initial opening section of the book covers different points of view leading up to, and as the missiles rain down. This is powerfully done. Even the early periods of getting to, and surviving in the underground bunker are executed well. But a range of fairly stock characters are soon enduring wave after wave of rodent attacks, and it just began to feel a chore getting through to the end.
It is not a badly written book, and if you were to pick this up never having read one of its predecessors, then in all likelihood you'll quite enjoy it. But, at least for me, book three is the weakest of the trilogy.
Footnote: I say trilogy, but there is a further continuation of the saga in graphic novel format.
June 26, 2016
And so my journey through James Herberts' early works continues (all be in through the night which may in hindsight might not have been the smartest thing).
This concludes what is often seen as the Rats trilogy (as I have said before there is a short graphic novel set in the same universe - which is actually the 4th part) and of all of them this is the bleakest - I guess Mr Herbert wanted to go out on a high note.
By now however the power of the first two books had started to wane (a little) the book still was full on visceral (the first part of the book which deals with the world situation and it's incredibly powerful and considering the times it was written in and the mood of the media it captured the fears perfectly. I remember reading it in silent disbelief only to be shocked how plausible it could be). However giant killer rats, hadn't we been here before?
And this is where the impact starts to wane, the story material had obviously been presented in the previous books, the blood and guts had all been described before and so on, if anything this book was a victim of its own success. Now do not think that the impact is gone, far from it you just need to read the stats that say that we are all only feet away from a rat ay any time. However rats have only so many modus operandi so options are rather limited. However when used along sides the horrors of the new world James Herbert has created in these pages it takes on a whole new level.
I think the time of this books writing Herbert was about to embark on his next part of his career where blood and guts would be replaced to a certain extent with implied terror and paranoia. He still could return at a moments notice but now he started to mess with peoples heads in other ways
This concludes what is often seen as the Rats trilogy (as I have said before there is a short graphic novel set in the same universe - which is actually the 4th part) and of all of them this is the bleakest - I guess Mr Herbert wanted to go out on a high note.
By now however the power of the first two books had started to wane (a little) the book still was full on visceral (the first part of the book which deals with the world situation and it's incredibly powerful and considering the times it was written in and the mood of the media it captured the fears perfectly. I remember reading it in silent disbelief only to be shocked how plausible it could be). However giant killer rats, hadn't we been here before?
And this is where the impact starts to wane, the story material had obviously been presented in the previous books, the blood and guts had all been described before and so on, if anything this book was a victim of its own success. Now do not think that the impact is gone, far from it you just need to read the stats that say that we are all only feet away from a rat ay any time. However rats have only so many modus operandi so options are rather limited. However when used along sides the horrors of the new world James Herbert has created in these pages it takes on a whole new level.
I think the time of this books writing Herbert was about to embark on his next part of his career where blood and guts would be replaced to a certain extent with implied terror and paranoia. He still could return at a moments notice but now he started to mess with peoples heads in other ways
October 11, 2012
There is a whole bunch of Brit horror authors, who are more than equal to their more famous American cousins. Ramsey Campbell is like Peter Straub on ketamine, Graham Masterton is the snappier version of ole King, Barker is…Barker, Brian Lumley is Robert Howard meets Lovecraft meet Clancy, Shaun Hutson is like a better-paced John Saul, and James Herbert… James Herbert learned to write like Dean Koontz a decade before Dean Koontz learned to write like Dean Koontz, only James Herbert’s structure of the story is closer to King. Imagine it: Koontz’s descriptions, King’s character treatment, British turn of phrase. Doth your mouth not water?
Domain deals with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, without the endless soapy introductions that some other books *cough, Swan Song* can be faulted at having, and although it has its endearing B film moments, it’s also densely populated with sudden eruptions of awesomeness. And mutant rats.
The following quotes relate the highlights of a section where a protagonist waking up in hospital room in an underground shelter which is suddenly being flooded and invaded by mutant rats.
***
Bryce was slowly becoming aware that something more was wrong, lying there in the subdued lighting of the sick bay with other ailing survivors, listening to the screams and shouts beyond the closed door, the strange rushing sound, the lapping of water around the cot beds inside the medical room itself. Sharp sounds that sounded like ... sounded like gunfire. Bryce sat upright and others around him, those whose sedation allowed, did the same, all of them confused and more than just frightened. A woman shrieked as water drenched the mattress she lay upon. Bryce pushed himself back against the wall when tiny waves lapped over onto his blanket. He was still groggy, and for a moment the cot-filled room swung in a crazy pendulum movement. Someone splashed by his bed and he flinched as ice-cold water slapped his cheek. Other figures followed and Bryce drew in his legs, crouching there in the gloom between his own
Bryce was thrown from the top bunk and the impact as he plunged beneath the surface dismissed the dragging residual effects of the drug. He rose spluttering and coughing, tangled in other arms and legs, pushing against them as they pushed against him. A double bunk toppled onto him and once more he was beneath the water, choking on its brackish taste, the iron frame heavy against his chest. At first he fought against the weight, but as he struggled a notion sifted through the terror, nudging him in a quiet, stealthy manner. Why bother to fight? the thought asked, why resist when death was inevitable? He tried to heave the metal bed from him, its mattress floating down onto his face as if conspiring with the water to smother him.
Wasn't this a better way to die? the inner voice said slyly. Wasn't this preferable to madness and pain? The cot rose a few inches then slumped back as though another weight had been added to it, perhaps someone climbing onto it to keep free of the flood. One or two minutes of unpleasantness before drifting off to sleep, a sleep deeper and more peaceful than you've ever known, one that could never be interrupted, never infringed upon. Never again tainted with living. Yes, it was good, it was desirable. But the pain now; how can I accept the pain now? Easily. Don't resist, that's the secret, that's the way. A few bad moments and then you'll drift. You'll see. Am I already mad? Has the disease struck so fast? No, no, not mad. Dying so effortlessly will be the sanest thing you've ever done. My lungs are tearing. It hurts, it hurts! Not for long. Breathe in the water, one large swallow, then no more pain. I can't. I'm afraid. It's easier than you think. Who are you? I'm your friend. I'm you. Will you stay with me? Always. For ever...
No longer to be a refugee from the holocaust with no certain future, no longer a victim of the disease which spoiled the mind as well as the body. No grief now, little sorrow. A fading sadness. Peacefully, softly drifting. His inner voice had not lied. The weight from his chest gone. Floating. Upwards. Rising. Upwards. Something pulling? Hurting him? Hands on him? No, not that, not now! It was settled! It was accepted! Leave meeeeeee ... He burst through the bubbling surface, water jetting from his lungs, and tried to free himself of the hands that had yanked him from the restful peace. The choking muffled his protests as the two men held him; the pain returned, racking his muscles.
The second engineer, Thomas, was helping the woman who had fallen onto the bunkbed, the added weight that had pinned Bryce to the floor. He dragged her towards the door, the deluge less violent now that the water level inside the sick bay matched the level outside. Yet it was strong enough to make them stagger and fall. Encumbered by the dead weight of the hysterical woman, Thomas flailed around in the gloom beneath the waterline, tugging at the arm that hugged his neck. He broke the hold and pushed himself upright, the woman rising with him. She clung to him, a hindrance that could drown them both. He changed his mind about rescuing her. Thomas pushed her away with a hand around her throat, then smashed a fist into her upturned face. Teeth broke under his knuckles and she fell away from him, sinking, a spasm of bubbles breaking the uneven, choppy surface. Aghast at what he had done but nevertheless relieved to be rid of her, Thomas headed for the door, ignoring the shouts from behind.
Farraday had witnessed the incident and he raged inside, unable to help, his own hands full with Bryce, who was sagging as though eager to drown, unwilling to help himself. To Farraday's surprise, the woman blustered to the surface just a few feet away, her eyes dazed but still pleading. Still helping Webber keep Bryce on his feet with one hand, Farraday reached out for the woman with the other, grabbing one arm as she began to sink again, and pulling her over to him. Her head rested against his chest and she seemed momentarily calmed, as if trusting him to save her. 'Let's get out!' Farraday shouted to Webber. We can't help any more!' He called for the others to follow, hoping they would hear, averting his eyes from the rear section of the sick bay, afraid of seeing something that would compel him to wade down there and help. These two, Bryce and the woman, were enough. They began moving towards the door, a tightly packed foursome, fighting the undertow, careful not to trip over unseen loose objects.
Bryce allowed himself to be carried along, neither helping nor hindering. His mind was in a peculiar turmoil, a jumbled mixture of regret and elation. He knew what it was to die and it wasn't so frightening. Not actually scary at all, was it? Perhaps just a little bit. But infinitely better than living with excruciating pain. Oh yes, anything was better than that. And let's not forget the gross indignity of madness. No, let's not forget that. Ah, pleasant death. Yes. With no true oblivion. No. Then where are you going? I... don't know. They're help... Do you want to be helped? Is that what you really want? More torture? Would you welcome insanity, would you enjoy it? I... Would you? Leave me alone! But I am you, how can I leave you? 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' 'It's okay, Bryce, we've got you. There's another way out of the shelter. We can make it.'He stared into the face of Farraday, barely recognizing the senior engineer. He tried to speak but did not know what to say. 'It's all right,' Farraday told him. 'Just try to help us, try to walk.' He did as he was asked, closing out the distant inner voice that was no longer soothing but angry, telling him what a fool he was being. 'I don't want to die.' 'Save your breath, man.' Farraday's own breath came in short, sharp groans, the effort beginning to tell on him. We can't hear you, so don't try to speak. Conserve your energy.'
He just had time to observe flames licking from the test room area when the complex rocked with thunder and searing white light rushed towards him, melting the protective film over his eyes, stripping the skin from his face. He fell back, carried by the blast, and water smothered his flaming hair, steam rising in a brief cloud from his burnt face. He shrieked and black water eagerly raced in, reducing the sound to a bubbling gurgle. The others had fared no better and, to Bryce, it was just the continuation of the long nightmare. He had been partly protected by the senior engineer who stood directly in front of him and who had taken the full brunt of the explosion.
Farraday's weight had been thrown against him, forcing him down, away from the flames, extinguishing the burning bandages on his mutilated hand, instantly soothing the scorching white heat that had exposed all the nerves on one side of his face, vaporizing the fire that had gristled his right ear. The water welcomed him back. The tidal wave that followed, tightly packed into the narrow corridor, picked up all four of the burnt survivors and hurtled them along in a boiling stream, catching Thomas as it went, scraping their bodies along the walls, smashing into the machinery that finally blocked the tidal wave's path. His neck was broken and other bones had snapped, yet Bryce could hear the voice again, homing in from a distance, soon drawing near. Are you ready now? it asked, just a little sulkily.
Domain deals with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, without the endless soapy introductions that some other books *cough, Swan Song* can be faulted at having, and although it has its endearing B film moments, it’s also densely populated with sudden eruptions of awesomeness. And mutant rats.
The following quotes relate the highlights of a section where a protagonist waking up in hospital room in an underground shelter which is suddenly being flooded and invaded by mutant rats.
***
Bryce was slowly becoming aware that something more was wrong, lying there in the subdued lighting of the sick bay with other ailing survivors, listening to the screams and shouts beyond the closed door, the strange rushing sound, the lapping of water around the cot beds inside the medical room itself. Sharp sounds that sounded like ... sounded like gunfire. Bryce sat upright and others around him, those whose sedation allowed, did the same, all of them confused and more than just frightened. A woman shrieked as water drenched the mattress she lay upon. Bryce pushed himself back against the wall when tiny waves lapped over onto his blanket. He was still groggy, and for a moment the cot-filled room swung in a crazy pendulum movement. Someone splashed by his bed and he flinched as ice-cold water slapped his cheek. Other figures followed and Bryce drew in his legs, crouching there in the gloom between his own
Bryce was thrown from the top bunk and the impact as he plunged beneath the surface dismissed the dragging residual effects of the drug. He rose spluttering and coughing, tangled in other arms and legs, pushing against them as they pushed against him. A double bunk toppled onto him and once more he was beneath the water, choking on its brackish taste, the iron frame heavy against his chest. At first he fought against the weight, but as he struggled a notion sifted through the terror, nudging him in a quiet, stealthy manner. Why bother to fight? the thought asked, why resist when death was inevitable? He tried to heave the metal bed from him, its mattress floating down onto his face as if conspiring with the water to smother him.
Wasn't this a better way to die? the inner voice said slyly. Wasn't this preferable to madness and pain? The cot rose a few inches then slumped back as though another weight had been added to it, perhaps someone climbing onto it to keep free of the flood. One or two minutes of unpleasantness before drifting off to sleep, a sleep deeper and more peaceful than you've ever known, one that could never be interrupted, never infringed upon. Never again tainted with living. Yes, it was good, it was desirable. But the pain now; how can I accept the pain now? Easily. Don't resist, that's the secret, that's the way. A few bad moments and then you'll drift. You'll see. Am I already mad? Has the disease struck so fast? No, no, not mad. Dying so effortlessly will be the sanest thing you've ever done. My lungs are tearing. It hurts, it hurts! Not for long. Breathe in the water, one large swallow, then no more pain. I can't. I'm afraid. It's easier than you think. Who are you? I'm your friend. I'm you. Will you stay with me? Always. For ever...
No longer to be a refugee from the holocaust with no certain future, no longer a victim of the disease which spoiled the mind as well as the body. No grief now, little sorrow. A fading sadness. Peacefully, softly drifting. His inner voice had not lied. The weight from his chest gone. Floating. Upwards. Rising. Upwards. Something pulling? Hurting him? Hands on him? No, not that, not now! It was settled! It was accepted! Leave meeeeeee ... He burst through the bubbling surface, water jetting from his lungs, and tried to free himself of the hands that had yanked him from the restful peace. The choking muffled his protests as the two men held him; the pain returned, racking his muscles.
The second engineer, Thomas, was helping the woman who had fallen onto the bunkbed, the added weight that had pinned Bryce to the floor. He dragged her towards the door, the deluge less violent now that the water level inside the sick bay matched the level outside. Yet it was strong enough to make them stagger and fall. Encumbered by the dead weight of the hysterical woman, Thomas flailed around in the gloom beneath the waterline, tugging at the arm that hugged his neck. He broke the hold and pushed himself upright, the woman rising with him. She clung to him, a hindrance that could drown them both. He changed his mind about rescuing her. Thomas pushed her away with a hand around her throat, then smashed a fist into her upturned face. Teeth broke under his knuckles and she fell away from him, sinking, a spasm of bubbles breaking the uneven, choppy surface. Aghast at what he had done but nevertheless relieved to be rid of her, Thomas headed for the door, ignoring the shouts from behind.
Farraday had witnessed the incident and he raged inside, unable to help, his own hands full with Bryce, who was sagging as though eager to drown, unwilling to help himself. To Farraday's surprise, the woman blustered to the surface just a few feet away, her eyes dazed but still pleading. Still helping Webber keep Bryce on his feet with one hand, Farraday reached out for the woman with the other, grabbing one arm as she began to sink again, and pulling her over to him. Her head rested against his chest and she seemed momentarily calmed, as if trusting him to save her. 'Let's get out!' Farraday shouted to Webber. We can't help any more!' He called for the others to follow, hoping they would hear, averting his eyes from the rear section of the sick bay, afraid of seeing something that would compel him to wade down there and help. These two, Bryce and the woman, were enough. They began moving towards the door, a tightly packed foursome, fighting the undertow, careful not to trip over unseen loose objects.
Bryce allowed himself to be carried along, neither helping nor hindering. His mind was in a peculiar turmoil, a jumbled mixture of regret and elation. He knew what it was to die and it wasn't so frightening. Not actually scary at all, was it? Perhaps just a little bit. But infinitely better than living with excruciating pain. Oh yes, anything was better than that. And let's not forget the gross indignity of madness. No, let's not forget that. Ah, pleasant death. Yes. With no true oblivion. No. Then where are you going? I... don't know. They're help... Do you want to be helped? Is that what you really want? More torture? Would you welcome insanity, would you enjoy it? I... Would you? Leave me alone! But I am you, how can I leave you? 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' 'It's okay, Bryce, we've got you. There's another way out of the shelter. We can make it.'He stared into the face of Farraday, barely recognizing the senior engineer. He tried to speak but did not know what to say. 'It's all right,' Farraday told him. 'Just try to help us, try to walk.' He did as he was asked, closing out the distant inner voice that was no longer soothing but angry, telling him what a fool he was being. 'I don't want to die.' 'Save your breath, man.' Farraday's own breath came in short, sharp groans, the effort beginning to tell on him. We can't hear you, so don't try to speak. Conserve your energy.'
He just had time to observe flames licking from the test room area when the complex rocked with thunder and searing white light rushed towards him, melting the protective film over his eyes, stripping the skin from his face. He fell back, carried by the blast, and water smothered his flaming hair, steam rising in a brief cloud from his burnt face. He shrieked and black water eagerly raced in, reducing the sound to a bubbling gurgle. The others had fared no better and, to Bryce, it was just the continuation of the long nightmare. He had been partly protected by the senior engineer who stood directly in front of him and who had taken the full brunt of the explosion.
Farraday's weight had been thrown against him, forcing him down, away from the flames, extinguishing the burning bandages on his mutilated hand, instantly soothing the scorching white heat that had exposed all the nerves on one side of his face, vaporizing the fire that had gristled his right ear. The water welcomed him back. The tidal wave that followed, tightly packed into the narrow corridor, picked up all four of the burnt survivors and hurtled them along in a boiling stream, catching Thomas as it went, scraping their bodies along the walls, smashing into the machinery that finally blocked the tidal wave's path. His neck was broken and other bones had snapped, yet Bryce could hear the voice again, homing in from a distance, soon drawing near. Are you ready now? it asked, just a little sulkily.
March 7, 2024
Oh, Herbert. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
I had forgotten just how good Jim Herbert was at writing horror. This reminded me. I just couldn't put this book down. Rats are creepy...although our cat used to find them tasty, and wasn't put off by their size. These rats are extra creepy given their McDonalds Supersize. And they have a taste for human flesh, and there's lots of that around after London is the target of a nuclear attack.
One of the best horror books I have ever read.
I had forgotten just how good Jim Herbert was at writing horror. This reminded me. I just couldn't put this book down. Rats are creepy...although our cat used to find them tasty, and wasn't put off by their size. These rats are extra creepy given their McDonalds Supersize. And they have a taste for human flesh, and there's lots of that around after London is the target of a nuclear attack.
One of the best horror books I have ever read.
November 17, 2009
First published back in 1984, James Herbert’s novel ‘Domain’ formed the third and final full length novel to his classic ‘rats’ trilogy (although a graphic novel entitled ‘The City’ was later released in 1993 which followed on with the storyline).
Incorporating a formula that should have guaranteed to produce nothing short of a classic splatterpunk novel from the godfather of the subgenre; not only was Herbert laying down the long-awaited third part to his hugely successful ‘Rats’ series, but he was also once again visiting the post-apocalyptic setting that was so well realised within his 1975 novel ‘The Fog’ (and then later again in his 1996 novel ’48).
The tale begins with the unleashing of five nuclear weapons upon the busy streets of England’s capital city of London. With the city now reduced to rubble and the highly toxic fallout dust still in the air, a small group of survivors have found refuge in one of the many underground government bunkers that are dotted around the city.
Steven Culver, a helicopter pilot before the long-dreaded nuclear conflict, is one of the few lucky survivors to be within the protective underground walls of the bunker. Outside of government personnel and telecommunication maintenance workers, Culver is one of the only civilians to find himself within the bunker’s confines, after helping Alex Dealey (a government official whose job it is to inspect the bunkers).
Upon locating the secret entrance to the underground bunker, Culver and Dealey encounter a horde of giant black rats lurking in London’s underground subway. Culver manages to help the temporarily blinded Dealey into the safety of the secret bunker, whilst also rescuing the sole survivor of the recent rat’s massacre, a young female by the name of Kate Garner.
Inside the bunker, the survivors wait out the following weeks, until finally, now that the radioactive fallout dusk would have dissipated somewhat, an exploratory team is sent out of the bunker and into the deserted streets above. What they are greeted by is a world that has been torn apart. The streets that confront them are little more than rubble, littered with the rotting corpses of the dead. The only signs of life are from roaming rabid animals or the dying remnants of people suffering from exposure to the radioactive after effects of the nuclear fallout.
However, lurking in the shadows, with the knowledge that humanity has now been brought to its knees, the giant black rats are ready to take their revenge on those that have oppressed their lives for so long. The black rats are hungry for human flesh once again...
From the very first pages, Herbert throws the reader head first into the chaotic and terrifying final moments before London is hit by a devastating nuclear attack. Herbert switches viewpoint a number of times, showing these final moments through a host of different characters eyes, until we finally settle upon the characters of Culver and Dealey. These intense first pages hit the reader like a sledgehammer, setting down the whole apocalyptic scenario with an unrelenting barrage of devastation.
Herbert maintains the pace, unleashing the first of many rat attacks that are equal in scale to those found in the previous two novels. Carnage continues until our principal characters have made it into the relative safety of the underground bunker, where the novel sadly begins to lose its thrust. When the exploratory team first look upon the ravaged streets of London, Herbert paints a haunting post-apocalyptic picture that screams with an eerie and tense atmosphere. However, with this over, the ensuing flooding of the bunker simply drags on, with page after page of supposedly desperate action that ultimately begins to become dull and monotonous. The rat attacks, although each one is utterly savage, somehow begin to become almost as repetitive as the constant ‘flooding’ scenes. Surprising as it sounds, the novel finds itself at this stage seriously slipping towards becoming a tedious read.
With the numbers of survivors cut down to an easy to handle grouping, Herbert now takes the tale to the ravaged streets of London which successfully injects a much needed shot of adrenaline into the storyline. Although the threat of the rats is still quite present, Herbert plays more with the post-apocalyptic scenario to bring a new threat to the small survivors; in the way of a marauding gang of survivors, happy to take what they want without any retribution.
The pace once again picks up here, with Herbert stepping on the throttle until the final scenes are acted out within another governmental secret bunker.
One surprising inclusion to the novel is the small short stories that show the final days for a number of unrelated survivors. These miniature tragic tales are snippets of pure post-apocalyptic fiction that are sure to please any fan of the subgenre. One such story details the final days of a loner, who in his very own personal underground shelter, comes to an ironic death. Laced with black comedy, this short tale remains one of the surprising highlights of the book.
Although action packed from early on, Herbert seems to have lost his nerve for the gut wrenching nasty moments that were so predominant in his earlier work. The carnage is still there, but of a more watered-down fashion.
The love interest between Culver and Garner is also too wooden and predictable. Although Herbert avoided the inclusion of his usual pointlessly graphic sex scene, the relationship between the two characters is still too cliqued and downright cheesey.
The final section of the books plays out like a cross between Gregory A Douglas’ 1980 novel ‘The Nest’ and the final sequences from James Cameron’s 1986 blockbuster ‘Aliens’. However, Herbert keeps up the pace, delivering a final set of chapters that are sure to keep each and every reader perched on the edge of their seat.
All in all, the novel was set to be another splatterpunk masterpiece from the godfather of the subgenre. However, somewhere down the line, Herbert seems to have lost track of the passion for this work and instead has produced a weaker final installation into the ‘Rats’ trilogy. This said, ‘Domain’ does still deliver a number of impactful scenes and ultimately concludes well.
The book runs for a total of 421 pages and was originally published by New English Library.
Incorporating a formula that should have guaranteed to produce nothing short of a classic splatterpunk novel from the godfather of the subgenre; not only was Herbert laying down the long-awaited third part to his hugely successful ‘Rats’ series, but he was also once again visiting the post-apocalyptic setting that was so well realised within his 1975 novel ‘The Fog’ (and then later again in his 1996 novel ’48).
The tale begins with the unleashing of five nuclear weapons upon the busy streets of England’s capital city of London. With the city now reduced to rubble and the highly toxic fallout dust still in the air, a small group of survivors have found refuge in one of the many underground government bunkers that are dotted around the city.
Steven Culver, a helicopter pilot before the long-dreaded nuclear conflict, is one of the few lucky survivors to be within the protective underground walls of the bunker. Outside of government personnel and telecommunication maintenance workers, Culver is one of the only civilians to find himself within the bunker’s confines, after helping Alex Dealey (a government official whose job it is to inspect the bunkers).
Upon locating the secret entrance to the underground bunker, Culver and Dealey encounter a horde of giant black rats lurking in London’s underground subway. Culver manages to help the temporarily blinded Dealey into the safety of the secret bunker, whilst also rescuing the sole survivor of the recent rat’s massacre, a young female by the name of Kate Garner.
Inside the bunker, the survivors wait out the following weeks, until finally, now that the radioactive fallout dusk would have dissipated somewhat, an exploratory team is sent out of the bunker and into the deserted streets above. What they are greeted by is a world that has been torn apart. The streets that confront them are little more than rubble, littered with the rotting corpses of the dead. The only signs of life are from roaming rabid animals or the dying remnants of people suffering from exposure to the radioactive after effects of the nuclear fallout.
However, lurking in the shadows, with the knowledge that humanity has now been brought to its knees, the giant black rats are ready to take their revenge on those that have oppressed their lives for so long. The black rats are hungry for human flesh once again...
From the very first pages, Herbert throws the reader head first into the chaotic and terrifying final moments before London is hit by a devastating nuclear attack. Herbert switches viewpoint a number of times, showing these final moments through a host of different characters eyes, until we finally settle upon the characters of Culver and Dealey. These intense first pages hit the reader like a sledgehammer, setting down the whole apocalyptic scenario with an unrelenting barrage of devastation.
Herbert maintains the pace, unleashing the first of many rat attacks that are equal in scale to those found in the previous two novels. Carnage continues until our principal characters have made it into the relative safety of the underground bunker, where the novel sadly begins to lose its thrust. When the exploratory team first look upon the ravaged streets of London, Herbert paints a haunting post-apocalyptic picture that screams with an eerie and tense atmosphere. However, with this over, the ensuing flooding of the bunker simply drags on, with page after page of supposedly desperate action that ultimately begins to become dull and monotonous. The rat attacks, although each one is utterly savage, somehow begin to become almost as repetitive as the constant ‘flooding’ scenes. Surprising as it sounds, the novel finds itself at this stage seriously slipping towards becoming a tedious read.
With the numbers of survivors cut down to an easy to handle grouping, Herbert now takes the tale to the ravaged streets of London which successfully injects a much needed shot of adrenaline into the storyline. Although the threat of the rats is still quite present, Herbert plays more with the post-apocalyptic scenario to bring a new threat to the small survivors; in the way of a marauding gang of survivors, happy to take what they want without any retribution.
The pace once again picks up here, with Herbert stepping on the throttle until the final scenes are acted out within another governmental secret bunker.
One surprising inclusion to the novel is the small short stories that show the final days for a number of unrelated survivors. These miniature tragic tales are snippets of pure post-apocalyptic fiction that are sure to please any fan of the subgenre. One such story details the final days of a loner, who in his very own personal underground shelter, comes to an ironic death. Laced with black comedy, this short tale remains one of the surprising highlights of the book.
Although action packed from early on, Herbert seems to have lost his nerve for the gut wrenching nasty moments that were so predominant in his earlier work. The carnage is still there, but of a more watered-down fashion.
The love interest between Culver and Garner is also too wooden and predictable. Although Herbert avoided the inclusion of his usual pointlessly graphic sex scene, the relationship between the two characters is still too cliqued and downright cheesey.
The final section of the books plays out like a cross between Gregory A Douglas’ 1980 novel ‘The Nest’ and the final sequences from James Cameron’s 1986 blockbuster ‘Aliens’. However, Herbert keeps up the pace, delivering a final set of chapters that are sure to keep each and every reader perched on the edge of their seat.
All in all, the novel was set to be another splatterpunk masterpiece from the godfather of the subgenre. However, somewhere down the line, Herbert seems to have lost track of the passion for this work and instead has produced a weaker final installation into the ‘Rats’ trilogy. This said, ‘Domain’ does still deliver a number of impactful scenes and ultimately concludes well.
The book runs for a total of 421 pages and was originally published by New English Library.
October 13, 2015
Loved it!!! Best book of the trilogy, non stop, edge of your seat thrilling action and gore....all hope for humanity dwindling with every page turn. I LIKE!
October 23, 2017
Domain is the third book in James Herbert’s The Rats trilogy, and it is safe to say it is my favourite. The first book, The Rats, was an interesting read but it wasn’t quite what I had anticipated. The second book, Lair, was a lot more enjoyable. This third book, Domain, hit even more spots.
Domain has a very different atmosphere to the first two books in the series, and I believe this is what left me to enjoy the book so much. Throughout the series we have been dealing with the fear of something in the real world, a creature made nightmarish. The first two books added something more to make the creatures more grotesque, yet the story was told in a real-world setting. With Domain, we deal with the monstrous creatures following the end of the world as it was once known.
Domain may be considered dated by some, as it deals with what was a fear in the past. The idea of nations hitting the red button, countries being blasted out of existence. There was a time in the past where this was an everyday fear, and James Herbert takes this and then adds in further fears. Some may find it hard to connect to the story, as many of the elements are based upon past fears, but I felt as though it simply added new layers to the story. It may have been dated in some ways, yet it still reaches many very real fears.
A lot of the book does focus on the fears of a destroyed world. The collapse of society, the horrors of radiation, the fears of what has happened to others, and many other end of the world elements are prevalent throughout. These elements of the story are focused upon, yet throughout the knowledge of the rats remains. They appear slowly, creeping in to add additional layers of horror to the story.
Moreover, James Herbert continues as he has throughout the rest of the series – with each additional book, the rats become more. There is more horror to be found, the creatures having developed even further. By the end, we get to see what the series has been building towards throughout, we get to see just how creepy James Herbert can make the creatures.
Without a doubt, Domain was my favourite of The Rats trilogy. Although there is a graphic novel as well, a strange book four, I doubt I will be reading it. I rather like the way things ended here (and, to be honest, some of the reviews I have read have put me off reading the ‘fourth book’).
Domain has a very different atmosphere to the first two books in the series, and I believe this is what left me to enjoy the book so much. Throughout the series we have been dealing with the fear of something in the real world, a creature made nightmarish. The first two books added something more to make the creatures more grotesque, yet the story was told in a real-world setting. With Domain, we deal with the monstrous creatures following the end of the world as it was once known.
Domain may be considered dated by some, as it deals with what was a fear in the past. The idea of nations hitting the red button, countries being blasted out of existence. There was a time in the past where this was an everyday fear, and James Herbert takes this and then adds in further fears. Some may find it hard to connect to the story, as many of the elements are based upon past fears, but I felt as though it simply added new layers to the story. It may have been dated in some ways, yet it still reaches many very real fears.
A lot of the book does focus on the fears of a destroyed world. The collapse of society, the horrors of radiation, the fears of what has happened to others, and many other end of the world elements are prevalent throughout. These elements of the story are focused upon, yet throughout the knowledge of the rats remains. They appear slowly, creeping in to add additional layers of horror to the story.
Moreover, James Herbert continues as he has throughout the rest of the series – with each additional book, the rats become more. There is more horror to be found, the creatures having developed even further. By the end, we get to see what the series has been building towards throughout, we get to see just how creepy James Herbert can make the creatures.
Without a doubt, Domain was my favourite of The Rats trilogy. Although there is a graphic novel as well, a strange book four, I doubt I will be reading it. I rather like the way things ended here (and, to be honest, some of the reviews I have read have put me off reading the ‘fourth book’).
May 11, 2009
I used to be able to say I had never read a horror novel that made me want to stop reading because it was so dark until I read this novel. James Herbert is, quite simply, the most effective horror author to ever come down the pike and "Domain" is the grimmest arrow in his quiver. Describing the book to a friend, I told them: "Well, it starts off with World War III, and then things get worse from there." Radiation poisoning? Check. Burn victims? Check. Suicide and despair? Double check. Flesh-eating giant rats who love to lunch on homo sapiens? Oh, check, indeed.
Don't say I didn't warn you. Hail James Herbert, the true king of horror.
Don't say I didn't warn you. Hail James Herbert, the true king of horror.
February 25, 2025
Somewhere I imagine James Herbert was disappointed by Lair, the second Rats book. It was more of a generic pulp novel than the first, serviceable but underwhelming. So he sets out to prove that he could take that combination of nihilism and rat violence knob and just crank that sucker to the right. When people think apocalyptic rat carnage, they think Domain. The book starts with a bang, for sure. An atomic blast devastates London, nobody knows why or how it's happening. The few survivors and some government insiders who possessed knowledge of a fallout shelter try to survive. Radiation isn't going to be their problem, however. It's going to be the border collie-sized rats to whom it suddenly dawns, that they are the kings of this Domain. A disturbing post-apocalyptic action thriller. The characters are a bit clunky, the love story is ridiculous, and maybe the pacing has some problems but it's a creative twist on apocalyptic animal action.
May 30, 2018
This sequel has major changes for the series, the first being that is an apocalyptic tale featuring the rats, but not starring them, the second is that this sucker is twice as long at 482 pages and honestly it shows. Too much of the book is a lot of boring characters hiding in a secret government fallout shelter and becoming angry at one another. I refuse to categorize the main protagonist, Culver, as a protagonist as he is a nothing character, the worst in the series. the things I liked about the first are barely here, no social commentary, barely any rats until the end, and a minimal amount of side characters who are doomed but had great backstories. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't care much for it either.
September 5, 2021
The long-dreaded nuclear conflict. The city torn apart, shattered, its people destroyed or mutilated beyond hope. For just a few, survival is possible only beneath the wrecked streets - if there is time to avoid the slow-descending poisonous ashes. But below, the rats are waiting.
This was way better than the previous book! That's for sure. Where "Lair" was slow, boring, you didn't care for the characters and wanted them all to die the most gruesome deaths. In this book you actually care about what's happening to the world and the people stuck in it. The cold war has finally come to London and 5 nukes have been dropped, those that survive are drawn underground and the rats are not ready to feast on those that are left. The premise is amazing and the book starts really strong, with small story snippets of people before the blast, some surviving and some being vaporised by the blast. This is a common thing as the story goes on and is a highlight for me. As for for the rats and characters well first the rats surprisingly are not the focal point in the story, the humans are but it's done in such a way you don't mind. The rats are there and when they strike you know about it, but the story is so well written you forgive there absence. While reading this book i kept finding myself thinking of Stephen kings "the stand" and how this is way better, how you can tell a post-apocalyptic story with amazing characters and world building and make it interesting while having a fascinating villian in less the time and less pages, I've only read 3 books of Herberts but im starting to get the feeling he does things better than king does at times, but I'll need to read more of his books to be sure. For now I will say that this is a fantastic end to the trilogy and Herbert has become a favourite of mine now.
4.5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
98/100 Rats 🐀 🐁
This was way better than the previous book! That's for sure. Where "Lair" was slow, boring, you didn't care for the characters and wanted them all to die the most gruesome deaths. In this book you actually care about what's happening to the world and the people stuck in it. The cold war has finally come to London and 5 nukes have been dropped, those that survive are drawn underground and the rats are not ready to feast on those that are left. The premise is amazing and the book starts really strong, with small story snippets of people before the blast, some surviving and some being vaporised by the blast. This is a common thing as the story goes on and is a highlight for me. As for for the rats and characters well first the rats surprisingly are not the focal point in the story, the humans are but it's done in such a way you don't mind. The rats are there and when they strike you know about it, but the story is so well written you forgive there absence. While reading this book i kept finding myself thinking of Stephen kings "the stand" and how this is way better, how you can tell a post-apocalyptic story with amazing characters and world building and make it interesting while having a fascinating villian in less the time and less pages, I've only read 3 books of Herberts but im starting to get the feeling he does things better than king does at times, but I'll need to read more of his books to be sure. For now I will say that this is a fantastic end to the trilogy and Herbert has become a favourite of mine now.
4.5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
98/100 Rats 🐀 🐁
January 8, 2023
This was great, for me it had a very similar feel to The Walking Dead TV show, but with rats in place of zombies, with the characters almost constantly in peril from multiple dangers, as per usual the characters are well written, and there is a feeling that anyone of them could be next.
If you liked the first 2 books, I think you will like this one.
If you liked the first 2 books, I think you will like this one.
October 25, 2023
SpookTober read #7
Flying through some great scary books this spooky season.
And this one, the last in the trilogy was truly terrifying.
Endless thrills, action and gore.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda/Audible audio
Narrated by David Rintoul
Duration: 14hrs, 21min. 1.50x Speed
Flying through some great scary books this spooky season.
And this one, the last in the trilogy was truly terrifying.
Endless thrills, action and gore.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda/Audible audio
Narrated by David Rintoul
Duration: 14hrs, 21min. 1.50x Speed
August 14, 2015
After two fairly similar (but enjoyable) books in the 'Rats' series, it was difficult to see where James Herbert could go with the idea next and not repeat the same formula, but he managed it, and managed it with style!
It's no spoiler to let slip here that the book is set in a post-nuclear London (the opening of the novel begins in spectacular fashion with the attack itself), and is focused around a group of survivors in the aftermath. The rats themselves hardly appear at all until a fair way into the book, and I've often wondered if the novel originally started as a story sans rats, and he later realised here was an opportunity not to be missed, but maybe that's pie in the sky
I've previously said that 'The Rats' and 'Lair' seemed tame by modern standards - 'Domain' is a definite break from this pattern, and is full of some fairly extreme violence, and throughout the book, the mood is suitably bleak. If there were an award for 'most peril faced by protagonists in a single book', this would be a serious contender. No sooner do the protagonists get themselves out of one scrape then they are facing another - out of the frying pan, into a succession of ever-bigger frying pans, as it turns out. It's a fairly unrelenting series of set pieces, which some people will hate, but which action-lovers will adore.
The post-nuclear world is described beautifully (not sure that's the right adjective to use, but what the hey), and is about as bleak as you could imagine.
In short - it's by far the best of the Rats trilogy, and well worth a read. I think it would be readable even without reading the first two volumes, as Herbert provides enough info on the previous encounters with the rats to give a decent grounding (and let's be honest - they're giant, ferocious man-eating rats - just how much more do you need to know?).
It's no spoiler to let slip here that the book is set in a post-nuclear London (the opening of the novel begins in spectacular fashion with the attack itself), and is focused around a group of survivors in the aftermath. The rats themselves hardly appear at all until a fair way into the book, and I've often wondered if the novel originally started as a story sans rats, and he later realised here was an opportunity not to be missed, but maybe that's pie in the sky
I've previously said that 'The Rats' and 'Lair' seemed tame by modern standards - 'Domain' is a definite break from this pattern, and is full of some fairly extreme violence, and throughout the book, the mood is suitably bleak. If there were an award for 'most peril faced by protagonists in a single book', this would be a serious contender. No sooner do the protagonists get themselves out of one scrape then they are facing another - out of the frying pan, into a succession of ever-bigger frying pans, as it turns out. It's a fairly unrelenting series of set pieces, which some people will hate, but which action-lovers will adore.
The post-nuclear world is described beautifully (not sure that's the right adjective to use, but what the hey), and is about as bleak as you could imagine.
In short - it's by far the best of the Rats trilogy, and well worth a read. I think it would be readable even without reading the first two volumes, as Herbert provides enough info on the previous encounters with the rats to give a decent grounding (and let's be honest - they're giant, ferocious man-eating rats - just how much more do you need to know?).
July 17, 2012
A brilliant final part and a real twist in terms of setting. London is hit by a nuclear strike wiping out most of the characters it introduces in the first 20 or so pages. Its an audacious leap from The Rats and Lair to say the least. We then get a combination of terrific post-nuclear apocalypse story with all the usual tropes; underground government bunkers, irradiated "mutants", the military, groups of disparate survivors trying to make their way underground and into shelter. Then the rats arrive, bigger, hungrier and meaner than ever and things go downhill for the survivors very fast!
This book is better in every way than its predecessors and could be read in isolation in truth. However reading all three gives you the ongoing story of the evolution of the Rats and the twists this takes are genuinely shocking.
Herbert's style may be a bit pulpy for some and some of his characters nothing more than stereotypes but like many great Hollywood films, what it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in unrelenting thrills. You may have guessed, but I loved this book.
This book is better in every way than its predecessors and could be read in isolation in truth. However reading all three gives you the ongoing story of the evolution of the Rats and the twists this takes are genuinely shocking.
Herbert's style may be a bit pulpy for some and some of his characters nothing more than stereotypes but like many great Hollywood films, what it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in unrelenting thrills. You may have guessed, but I loved this book.
February 8, 2013
I have to say DOMAIN is the only book that made me physically ill while I was dipping into it - I've never found the nerve to read it all the way through yet.
Not because of the rats (or The Rats?) but because of the nuclear war premise.
I was a teenager of the Cold War, and expected never to make it to 1990 without going up in nuclear ash. Programmes like THREADS by the BBC and my research into fallout and the effects of nuclear war still tell me the best way to go would be quickly {shudder}.
Which is where DOMAIN comes in with its Nightmare Fuel. There's a section where a doctor explains - in calm, clinical terms, speaking normally and without emotion, exactly the effects of radiation sickness.
I nearly threw up.
Not because of the rats (or The Rats?) but because of the nuclear war premise.
I was a teenager of the Cold War, and expected never to make it to 1990 without going up in nuclear ash. Programmes like THREADS by the BBC and my research into fallout and the effects of nuclear war still tell me the best way to go would be quickly {shudder}.
Which is where DOMAIN comes in with its Nightmare Fuel. There's a section where a doctor explains - in calm, clinical terms, speaking normally and without emotion, exactly the effects of radiation sickness.
I nearly threw up.
December 11, 2017
Enjoyed thoroughly! But I enjoyed more of the Apocalypse side than the rats!!, it was like "oh here we go again" when the rats were being described, i wish he described the apocalyptic scene more than focusing on the repeative black rats with their yellow incisors! Even though I know the book is the third in the series of the original book the Rats, and i keep telling myself this book was written in early 80's ☺☺
March 24, 2020
And excellent end to The Rats trilogy that doesn’t let up from start to finish. Fast-paced, horrific and a double-whammy - being a creature feature set in the aftermath of a nuclear fallout. Probably the best book of the three. Definitely recommend this one if you haven’t read it yet.
January 17, 2021
This book had me gripped. Such amazing writing and that ending, wow.
August 19, 2024
The rats being underused made me sad. It was published in the mid 80s, and it attempted to capture the zeitgeist of a situation that seemed, at the time, all too plausible. For me, it was distracting, and it unfortunately felt like I'd read/watched it all before, which is unfair because it was clearly a frontrunner of the nuclear disaster trope.
The little side stories each function as additional little horror stories in the same setting and attempt to build on the horror, but...
As I was reading this, I felt that it was very much a novel of its time in history. Having read and watched stories that dealt with nuclear possibilities, their impact varied depending on the strength of the story, but also, and perhaps more importantly when I read/watched them.
The little side stories each function as additional little horror stories in the same setting and attempt to build on the horror, but...
As I was reading this, I felt that it was very much a novel of its time in history. Having read and watched stories that dealt with nuclear possibilities, their impact varied depending on the strength of the story, but also, and perhaps more importantly when I read/watched them.
August 18, 2024
4.5/5 rounded down.
I really enjoyed The Rats, and I thought Lair was even meaner, but Herbert outdoes himself with Domain. Despite being around twice as long as the first two books in the series, Domain moves at a relentless, breakneck pace. It's action and suspense is almost without surcease, and I found myself wishing someone had made it into a movie. This one has it all, and is now my favourite of the series. Hopefully one day I'll find a copy of The City.
I really enjoyed The Rats, and I thought Lair was even meaner, but Herbert outdoes himself with Domain. Despite being around twice as long as the first two books in the series, Domain moves at a relentless, breakneck pace. It's action and suspense is almost without surcease, and I found myself wishing someone had made it into a movie. This one has it all, and is now my favourite of the series. Hopefully one day I'll find a copy of The City.
March 1, 2022
This is the larger of the books in Herbert's Rats trilogy and here we see two threats to the humans. Steve Culver and Alex Dealey have barely managed to survive a nuclear attack and its fallout. Just when they begin to piece a plan together for survival a second, and more deadly threat appears. The (by now) infamous Black Rats, able to survive and thrive through literally anything.
This novel is by far the better when it comes to plot and character building. Gone are the over the top sex scenes that just distracted you from the story in the previous books, the violence and gore thabkfully remain.
I've never had an issue with Herbert's prose. He is great at setting a scene and building tension and he excels at it here.
Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. After my critisms of the previous books I found myself missing all the things that were little annoyances and wanted some absolute nonsense every now and again.
Still, it's a good ending. Full of gore, rats and fun. And the Rats shall inherite the earth!
3 stars!
This novel is by far the better when it comes to plot and character building. Gone are the over the top sex scenes that just distracted you from the story in the previous books, the violence and gore thabkfully remain.
I've never had an issue with Herbert's prose. He is great at setting a scene and building tension and he excels at it here.
Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. After my critisms of the previous books I found myself missing all the things that were little annoyances and wanted some absolute nonsense every now and again.
Still, it's a good ending. Full of gore, rats and fun. And the Rats shall inherite the earth!
3 stars!
July 19, 2025
Once again as with most James Herbert books the writing quality is outstanding full of terrifying detail. its written in such a way there's no mistaking the who where and why of characters places and plot The visual descriptions are exceptional in that they create a vivid imagery in your mind..James Herbert is the master of narration.
January 29, 2023
James Herbert bring the Rats saga to its end with a BANG...quite literally as this post apocalyptic animal attack book begins with the bombs falling on London.
The bulk of this book is some of the best work in the trilogy, unfortunately the ending gets a little repetitive. At least in Lair the ending had an interesting twist, Domain essentially just recreates the bulk of the ending of the original with a single (and unendingly ridiculous even for a book about giant rats) twist.
The post apocalypse section is truly chef's kiss and I would have loved to read James Herbert expand upon this topic even more.
Herbert almost goes the entire book without being cringe but rest assured he gets some racism in there near the midpoint.
All of this makes this one a bit under Lair which from my recollection dated fairly well.
The bulk of this book is some of the best work in the trilogy, unfortunately the ending gets a little repetitive. At least in Lair the ending had an interesting twist, Domain essentially just recreates the bulk of the ending of the original with a single (and unendingly ridiculous even for a book about giant rats) twist.
The post apocalypse section is truly chef's kiss and I would have loved to read James Herbert expand upon this topic even more.
Herbert almost goes the entire book without being cringe but rest assured he gets some racism in there near the midpoint.
All of this makes this one a bit under Lair which from my recollection dated fairly well.
May 19, 2021
The third, and final book (not including the graphic novel that I'm probably not going to read), concludes the horror that is The Rats. Although I enjoyed the story generally, and the sort of short stories that interconnected with our main character, Culver, I found this to be pretty disappointing when comparing it to the first and second book, and feel like I could have got away with out reading it.
For one thing, I was not at all sure why pretty much every character was acting shocked and oblivious to these rats, when the first events that showed these mutated fiends was only a few years ago... Surely they'd still have that inherent fear and suspicion. I struggled to pause my disbelief at the sheer naivety and stupidity of this situation.
As I've noticed a lot with the works of Mr Herbet that I have read thus far, there were a few strange descriptions (particularly to the over sexualised female body). One weird line "sensuous innocence of his son's", made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Another scene which made me stutter in belief (and I keep mentioning belief because this concept of mutated beasts and world war 3 isn't too far fetched, especially with our current world of hostile relationships and climate change) was how Claire, the Doctor... A professional in that respect, overheard her patients' distressed nightly terrors, surely she wouldn't go out of her way to tell someone... It wasn't something that needed to be shared for safety of anyone and it just seemed so out of order, all for the sake of a possible romance plot. I mean doomsday has happened... there's other things to talk about.
And of course we had yet more dated descriptions regarding race and garrishly descriptive sections on horniess and corpses.... A tint of necrophilic thoughts in a character that was rather disturbing to read.
In regards to descriptions, as I'm on that topic, something about the grotesque detail of this one really tipped me over the edge. The way mutated body parts were described made me feel nauseated and it struck me differently. I think it's cause I had just started my new job and we have degus in, which I couldn't help picturing, but warped, when reading, and it made me sad and sick because they are so sweet! So reading it so gory made me cringe even more because I didn't want to think about these precious babies like that.
This began to feel like the same story told three different ways in each book, and unfortunately this one just didn't live up to its predecessors. It was thicker, promising an exciting expansion of the story I enjoyed, yet it felt over long, repetitive and fell flat. It also had me annoyingly baffled at how naive these people were being to the idea of yet another rat outbreak... like at this point, why wouldn't you fear that this could happen again when it's happened twice already?
Although this review seems to have ripped into this last installment rather heavily, I'd like to leave it on a positive. I did enjoy following this cast of characters, I cared for them when deaths and other attacks occurred and I was interested to see the state of affairs after all that happened. It added a lot to the development of a world war three concept, but the rats portion wasn't as big of a theme and driving point as in previous books even though it did seem a logical, if not convienent, addition in the effects of an act of war and the end of civilisation.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
For one thing, I was not at all sure why pretty much every character was acting shocked and oblivious to these rats, when the first events that showed these mutated fiends was only a few years ago... Surely they'd still have that inherent fear and suspicion. I struggled to pause my disbelief at the sheer naivety and stupidity of this situation.
As I've noticed a lot with the works of Mr Herbet that I have read thus far, there were a few strange descriptions (particularly to the over sexualised female body). One weird line "sensuous innocence of his son's", made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Another scene which made me stutter in belief (and I keep mentioning belief because this concept of mutated beasts and world war 3 isn't too far fetched, especially with our current world of hostile relationships and climate change) was how Claire, the Doctor... A professional in that respect, overheard her patients' distressed nightly terrors, surely she wouldn't go out of her way to tell someone... It wasn't something that needed to be shared for safety of anyone and it just seemed so out of order, all for the sake of a possible romance plot. I mean doomsday has happened... there's other things to talk about.
And of course we had yet more dated descriptions regarding race and garrishly descriptive sections on horniess and corpses.... A tint of necrophilic thoughts in a character that was rather disturbing to read.
In regards to descriptions, as I'm on that topic, something about the grotesque detail of this one really tipped me over the edge. The way mutated body parts were described made me feel nauseated and it struck me differently. I think it's cause I had just started my new job and we have degus in, which I couldn't help picturing, but warped, when reading, and it made me sad and sick because they are so sweet! So reading it so gory made me cringe even more because I didn't want to think about these precious babies like that.
This began to feel like the same story told three different ways in each book, and unfortunately this one just didn't live up to its predecessors. It was thicker, promising an exciting expansion of the story I enjoyed, yet it felt over long, repetitive and fell flat. It also had me annoyingly baffled at how naive these people were being to the idea of yet another rat outbreak... like at this point, why wouldn't you fear that this could happen again when it's happened twice already?
Although this review seems to have ripped into this last installment rather heavily, I'd like to leave it on a positive. I did enjoy following this cast of characters, I cared for them when deaths and other attacks occurred and I was interested to see the state of affairs after all that happened. It added a lot to the development of a world war three concept, but the rats portion wasn't as big of a theme and driving point as in previous books even though it did seem a logical, if not convienent, addition in the effects of an act of war and the end of civilisation.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
April 5, 2015
So, I seem to make a massive mistake when it comes to James Herbert books, specifically ones to do with his "The Rats" trilogy...
Me being the stupid idiot I am, took "Domain" with me to London and read it on the train. No, not a good idea. I don't know if anyone remembers the incident of me reading "The Rats" on the way to London before but, lets just say there was a bit in the tube and then rats happened and in real life with me, the tube actually stopped in the tunnel and I genuinely freaked out.
I guess the difference here is what happened in the beginning will not happen to London, at least not while I am alive. But to be frank with you, this book REALLY did shit me up and that is putting it bluntly what with lack of better wording to describe that particular feeling.
That being said, this was my favourite of the three books. In the past, I did have issues with the lead characters not having much depth to them, they were kind of boring, but this time round, each character had depth and intrigue and they were a pleasure to read. So yes, a vast improvement.
Description and describing of certain things were also impeccable to the point my stomach was badly churning at some points and I would have to throw the book down for an hour or so to re-remember how to breathe.
Even the ending was decent, but that was probably because I spent the majority of the time wondering how the hell it was going to end, because there honestly seems to be absolutely no hope for the characters at all.
Herbert is a brilliant writer and certainly knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as being able to pull a multitude of emotions out of you that you weren't sure you could ever express. I can see why people may feel sickened by reading this, but hey, I like a good end-of-the-world book and this screams that all over. And ut really is sickening... rats eating your eyeballs? That is not the worst of it in all fairness and total annihilation of the capital of England is going to be destructive and gut-wrenching. In all fairness, this book is a story of two halves that do ultimately meet together, one being the rats themselves and the other being the nuclear warheads... but it pulls together nicely in to a story that can only be described as absolute hell.
Which means I loved it.
Me being the stupid idiot I am, took "Domain" with me to London and read it on the train. No, not a good idea. I don't know if anyone remembers the incident of me reading "The Rats" on the way to London before but, lets just say there was a bit in the tube and then rats happened and in real life with me, the tube actually stopped in the tunnel and I genuinely freaked out.
I guess the difference here is what happened in the beginning will not happen to London, at least not while I am alive. But to be frank with you, this book REALLY did shit me up and that is putting it bluntly what with lack of better wording to describe that particular feeling.
That being said, this was my favourite of the three books. In the past, I did have issues with the lead characters not having much depth to them, they were kind of boring, but this time round, each character had depth and intrigue and they were a pleasure to read. So yes, a vast improvement.
Description and describing of certain things were also impeccable to the point my stomach was badly churning at some points and I would have to throw the book down for an hour or so to re-remember how to breathe.
Even the ending was decent, but that was probably because I spent the majority of the time wondering how the hell it was going to end, because there honestly seems to be absolutely no hope for the characters at all.
Herbert is a brilliant writer and certainly knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as being able to pull a multitude of emotions out of you that you weren't sure you could ever express. I can see why people may feel sickened by reading this, but hey, I like a good end-of-the-world book and this screams that all over. And ut really is sickening... rats eating your eyeballs? That is not the worst of it in all fairness and total annihilation of the capital of England is going to be destructive and gut-wrenching. In all fairness, this book is a story of two halves that do ultimately meet together, one being the rats themselves and the other being the nuclear warheads... but it pulls together nicely in to a story that can only be described as absolute hell.
Which means I loved it.
May 1, 2017
I've probably read Domain at least half a dozen times, I love it. I've always been a fan of post apocalyptic fiction and I think this is the first example of the genre that I read.
It's a book that doesn't bother with any build up. Right from the moment you open the book it's all go. Sirens are blaring and the world is four minutes away from nuclear armageddon and you're swept up and carried along with the panic and the mayhem.
The pace slows a little after the opening spectacle but this is mostly a good thing as it gives you a chance to get to know the protagonist and supporting characters a little. There's a lot of the supporting characters and they're surprisingly well fleshed out considering there's such a high rate of attrition. A couple of them aren't so interesting and there are some dream sequences the book could have well done without, but on the whole they're good enough for the part they play in the story.
Special mention should go to the short stories that are woven through the main plot. They're all particularly entertaining and help to stop the main narrative from becoming a bit tedious during the periods of inactivity. They're something that James Herbert used a few times but I think they work best here, particularly the restaurant and the cinema.
Just as the book feels like it might start to get a bit bogged down, it's all go again and from this point onwards it hardly stops.
If you like your horror gory, or you're a fan of post apocalypse fiction then this is a must read book.
It's a book that doesn't bother with any build up. Right from the moment you open the book it's all go. Sirens are blaring and the world is four minutes away from nuclear armageddon and you're swept up and carried along with the panic and the mayhem.
The pace slows a little after the opening spectacle but this is mostly a good thing as it gives you a chance to get to know the protagonist and supporting characters a little. There's a lot of the supporting characters and they're surprisingly well fleshed out considering there's such a high rate of attrition. A couple of them aren't so interesting and there are some dream sequences the book could have well done without, but on the whole they're good enough for the part they play in the story.
Special mention should go to the short stories that are woven through the main plot. They're all particularly entertaining and help to stop the main narrative from becoming a bit tedious during the periods of inactivity. They're something that James Herbert used a few times but I think they work best here, particularly the restaurant and the cinema.
Just as the book feels like it might start to get a bit bogged down, it's all go again and from this point onwards it hardly stops.
If you like your horror gory, or you're a fan of post apocalypse fiction then this is a must read book.
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