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Wolf Creek #1
Origin
The outback's a great place to disappear: lots of country and no one around. Plenty of space for someone to hide. Or to hide a body.
When wiry youngster Mick Taylor starts as a jackaroo at a remote Western Australian sheep station, he tries to keep his head down among the rough company of the farmhands. But he can't keep the devils inside him hidden for long.
Mick's surprised to discover he's not the only one with the killer impulse. Is Cutter, the station's surly shooter, on to him? And do the rough cops following the trail of the dead have their own agenda, outside the law?
In the first of a series of Wolf Creek companion novels, the cult film's writer and director Greg McLean and horror writer Aaron Sterns take us back to the beginning, when Mick was a scrawny boy, the only witness to the grisly death of his little sister. Origin provides an unforgettably bloody answer to the question of nature vs nurture. What made Mick Taylor Australian horror's most terrifying psycho killer?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2014
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232 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 24, 2015
If you ever wanted to know what turned Mick Taylor into the monster he is depicted to be in the Wolf Creek franchise of films, then contemplate no longer. Here be your answers, and as you might expect, none of them are especially pretty ...
Wolf Creek: Origin is a solid, fill-in-the-gaps read that characterises Mick as far less of the catoonish buffoon he became in Wolf Creek 2 and much more of a psychotically troubled late-teenager with a bad temper and a desperate desire to no longer be the child he was in rural Queensland. The book effortlessly entwines flashbacks to these childhood years with Mick's efforts to fit in as a newly arrived station hand in outback Western Australia. Of course, things go to hell in a hand basket pretty damn quick, and it isn't long before Mick learns he has taken up residence in the serial-killer centre of Australia, and has to face down several other individuals who can sense his desire for blood and mayhem.
In short, it's kind of like that Dexter guy and his Dark Passenger, only Mick will kill anyone who gets in his way, and screw the need for any kind of moral compass.
The rest of the cast is detailed just enough for the reader to get a sense of their motivations, but only the girl who takes a shine to Mick (I knew I should have been more of a bad boy when I was young) gets given any kind of halfway decent development and character arc.
Though it far from stains the pages red with blood, the gore is intense when its depicted, with the depravity factor being notably high. This is especially the case when Mick starts knocking heads with some of the other killers, so bear this in mind when making your decision to spend a few hours in the company of a young Mick Taylor.
All in all, Wold Creek: Origin is a decent page-tuner that is reasonably well-written (even if it is in the present tense), and fans of Wolf Creek and its movie sequel should find a great deal of enjoyment within these pages. For the rest of us with a casual interest, there are worse movie tie-ins out there with which to pass the time of day.
3 Life Altering Angry Shoves for Wolf Creek: Origin.
Wolf Creek: Origin is a solid, fill-in-the-gaps read that characterises Mick as far less of the catoonish buffoon he became in Wolf Creek 2 and much more of a psychotically troubled late-teenager with a bad temper and a desperate desire to no longer be the child he was in rural Queensland. The book effortlessly entwines flashbacks to these childhood years with Mick's efforts to fit in as a newly arrived station hand in outback Western Australia. Of course, things go to hell in a hand basket pretty damn quick, and it isn't long before Mick learns he has taken up residence in the serial-killer centre of Australia, and has to face down several other individuals who can sense his desire for blood and mayhem.
In short, it's kind of like that Dexter guy and his Dark Passenger, only Mick will kill anyone who gets in his way, and screw the need for any kind of moral compass.
The rest of the cast is detailed just enough for the reader to get a sense of their motivations, but only the girl who takes a shine to Mick (I knew I should have been more of a bad boy when I was young) gets given any kind of halfway decent development and character arc.
Though it far from stains the pages red with blood, the gore is intense when its depicted, with the depravity factor being notably high. This is especially the case when Mick starts knocking heads with some of the other killers, so bear this in mind when making your decision to spend a few hours in the company of a young Mick Taylor.
All in all, Wold Creek: Origin is a decent page-tuner that is reasonably well-written (even if it is in the present tense), and fans of Wolf Creek and its movie sequel should find a great deal of enjoyment within these pages. For the rest of us with a casual interest, there are worse movie tie-ins out there with which to pass the time of day.
3 Life Altering Angry Shoves for Wolf Creek: Origin.
July 16, 2015
As an Aussie reader with noir my genre of choice, I've long been craving an outback noir full of dusty murderous open spaces and locals who could shake your hand as easily as they could take your life. In ORIGIN, the first of the Wolf Creek prequel novels by authors Sterns and McLean I get just that, and then some.
Jackaroo Mick Taylor, who later appears on the big screen in the feature film as a more seasoned killer in WOLF CREEK, one of the best Australian horror movies made, gets his taste for blood through an all too easy penchant for murder while on a remote Western Australia sheep station. Its here he also assumes a vigilante role, hunting down his peers and inadvertently helping the police in the process.
This could've easily conformed to the stereotypical horror and followed the blood stained trail blazed by the movie, yet the authors took Mick down a deep and darker path than his older big screen counter part and set him loose amongst others of his ilk and drunken big city traveling business men.
Despite there being a high degree of violence and explicit sex, (Mick's love interest is a pretty well written and complex character in her own right), ORIGIN provides a surprising amount of depth to the core character, documenting the events that slowly turned his heart black and honed his skill for hunt into what they ultimately become.
There are some nice nods to Wolf Creek too which, as a fan of the feature film, was a nice easter egg.
Australia - this is the penultimate outback noir novel.
Review first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Jackaroo Mick Taylor, who later appears on the big screen in the feature film as a more seasoned killer in WOLF CREEK, one of the best Australian horror movies made, gets his taste for blood through an all too easy penchant for murder while on a remote Western Australia sheep station. Its here he also assumes a vigilante role, hunting down his peers and inadvertently helping the police in the process.
This could've easily conformed to the stereotypical horror and followed the blood stained trail blazed by the movie, yet the authors took Mick down a deep and darker path than his older big screen counter part and set him loose amongst others of his ilk and drunken big city traveling business men.
Despite there being a high degree of violence and explicit sex, (Mick's love interest is a pretty well written and complex character in her own right), ORIGIN provides a surprising amount of depth to the core character, documenting the events that slowly turned his heart black and honed his skill for hunt into what they ultimately become.
There are some nice nods to Wolf Creek too which, as a fan of the feature film, was a nice easter egg.
Australia - this is the penultimate outback noir novel.
Review first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
January 9, 2014
One of my rare 5/5 reviews.
All I can say is 'wow!'
Sterns and McLean managed to seriously creep me out with this new release.
Being inside Mick Taylor's head throughout the entire narrative was masterfully done.
The sense of the Australian outback; the sense of the onset of madness; and the threat from the antagonist is fantastic.
The flawed narrator ploy for Mick Taylor's narrative oversight works wonderfully, and the final, brilliant ending left me wanting more.
Bravo to the author/s for sculpting such a brilliant, creepy, internal horror.
All I can say is 'wow!'
Sterns and McLean managed to seriously creep me out with this new release.
Being inside Mick Taylor's head throughout the entire narrative was masterfully done.
The sense of the Australian outback; the sense of the onset of madness; and the threat from the antagonist is fantastic.
The flawed narrator ploy for Mick Taylor's narrative oversight works wonderfully, and the final, brilliant ending left me wanting more.
Bravo to the author/s for sculpting such a brilliant, creepy, internal horror.
December 23, 2015
When I first saw the movie, "Wolf Creek", I thought it was horrifying, so when this book came along and offered to explain how the serial killer, Mick Taylor, came to be, I just had to read it.
I have an odd fascination in trying to see how the minds of serial killers work. I love to read books about true crime and those written by behavioral scientists and forensic psychologists. I devoured the books by John Douglas and his associates. I always thought it would be cool to specialize in that area, until I realized that I don't think my mind could take seeing these types of horrors day after day.
I still enjoying reading books like these and I figured this is as close as I really want to get to this type of horror. It was fascinating to see how an incident when Mick was a child, was the beginning into his descent into madness. The author did a great job getting into his mind and into his thoughts. He tries...he tries hard to be normal, but I think his darkness is stronger.
I enjoyed this novel and learning about Mick, and some interesting factoids about the Australian outback was a bonus.
4 stars and recommended.
I have an odd fascination in trying to see how the minds of serial killers work. I love to read books about true crime and those written by behavioral scientists and forensic psychologists. I devoured the books by John Douglas and his associates. I always thought it would be cool to specialize in that area, until I realized that I don't think my mind could take seeing these types of horrors day after day.
I still enjoying reading books like these and I figured this is as close as I really want to get to this type of horror. It was fascinating to see how an incident when Mick was a child, was the beginning into his descent into madness. The author did a great job getting into his mind and into his thoughts. He tries...he tries hard to be normal, but I think his darkness is stronger.
I enjoyed this novel and learning about Mick, and some interesting factoids about the Australian outback was a bonus.
4 stars and recommended.
August 19, 2015
Fantastic tale of Mick Taylor's dark beginnings. Gruesome, bloody with plenty of black humour and thrills. Recommended for fans of the Wolf Creek films.
February 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this one, very disturbing but very interesting. I actually found myself caring about Mick Taylor which I'm not okay with! Only giving 4 not 5 stars because of the ending which felt a little too convenient, but it was still good in my opinion.
June 7, 2014
Co-author Aaron Sterns was at World Horror Con and I saw him speaking on a panel about Extreme horror. I enjoyed meeting him so I decided to bump this prequel up to the top of my To be read pile. If you have not seen the film Wolf Creek I would suggest starting there. It is a great horror film without a shred of supernatural in it. It is a slow-burn that many impatient horror fans complain is to slow. Too bad, it is too me one of the best horror films of it’s decade.
At its heart is an absolutely horrifying character named Mick. Out in the wilderness of the aussie outback Mick hunts down lost tourists from the big city. Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of Mick he wanted to cast the actor in Death Proof (he got a cameo in Django). So my attraction to the book was getting Mick’s back story.
We certainly get that in this book, it also has a similar slow burn to the film. Like the film I have seen internet chatters commenting that they were bored. I for one was interested throughout. McLean and Sterns do a fantastic job of creating a deep and affecting atmosphere. I was interested in the outback setting in the film but it works even better in the book.
There is a little bit of Mick’s childhood and father, but more about Mick learning about how the outback can be used as perfect backdrop for killing. Mick doesn’t set out to be a killer and indeed the best scene involves Mick confronting a hippie who he helps repairs a truck for.
Does this book add depth to the film? It does, but I don’t think you need to read it to get the power of the story. I knew Mclean was a good filmmaker, and Sterns is solid writer. I look forward to reading stuff he has written out of the Wolf Creek verse.
January 23, 2014
This review was originally posted on Bookish Ardour. I originally read Wolf: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game in quick succession. As a result the reviews have been combined.
Spoiler Alert: Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game are two separate books, but they are also the prequels to the Australian movie Wolf Creek. I am unsure on how to go about commenting on both novels without spoilers. Please be aware there may be spoilers in this review, for the books and possibly the movie.
Review
I was going to hold off on reading Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game until February, but I cracked. There’s nothing more I love than a decent horror story. When it’s a horror story set in the Australian outback and based on a well-known Australian horror movie, well is it any wonder I cracked? With the options of what to read, with how many books are published a year, it can be difficult to whittle through availability and find harsh Aussie stories. I’m always very excited when I come across a story such as Wolf Creek and I tell you what I was not disappointed.
Here’s the thing; I haven’t seen the movie these stories are a prequel for. I’ve heard about it, I’ve had a rough idea about it, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to seeing it. After devouring Origin and Desolation Game I can say without a doubt I will be watching the movie as soon as I have the time for it. I usually try to control myself when I finish one book before beginning the next one. I like to process what I’ve read then sit down and draft my thoughts into a review. I didn’t get the chance with Origin and Desolation Game. I happily packed both books for my holiday to Melbourne, as I was halfway through Origin already, and decided I couldn’t wait to read Desolation Game. You’ve got a two-in-one review now folks because I couldn’t keep my eager mitts to myself.
I’m not new to the idea of following a protagonist who is a serial killer, a psychopath, or a sociopath. It’s not a new sensation for me to be so confused by my emotions when it comes to reading a story where the protagonist is doing such horrific things. I love these stories. They mess with your head. They turn your perspectives around and force you to analyse your emotions and how you view such deadly people. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather avoid anyone who has a craving for violence, but when you come across a character like Mick Taylor it really does make you see there is no such thing as black and white.
I found myself sympathising for Mick. I found myself being appalled by his behaviour and sad when he gave into his urges. I found myself wanting Mick to get away with murder and at the same time I desperately wanted him to stop. Mick gets under your skin. He gets so far under your skin in Origin that by the time you are well into Desolation Game your thought process is very messed up.
Origin follows Mick and tells the story of his struggles against his dark urges, his inability to accept himself, and the fear he has of being dominated by what he knows is not common. Mick does have victims in Origin, but what I loved about it was Mick being a victim himself. Origin is mainly told from Mick’s perspective and I couldn’t help loving the guy by the end of the story, while being aghast. Desolation Game takes a slightly different tact with following the story from Mick’s perspective as well as a few of his victims. I loved the story being broken up by his time during the war in Vietnam. It added so much more depth to his character.
If you know the story of Wolf Creek you know Mick will need to survive the prequels and get away free in order to wreak terror on his victims in the movie, but there’s still plenty of times where I wondered how on earth he was going to get away with it. His actions are grisly, his manner is cold, but I loved him as a character, and I can’t wait to watch the movie Wolf Creek.
Spoiler Alert: Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game are two separate books, but they are also the prequels to the Australian movie Wolf Creek. I am unsure on how to go about commenting on both novels without spoilers. Please be aware there may be spoilers in this review, for the books and possibly the movie.
Review
I was going to hold off on reading Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game until February, but I cracked. There’s nothing more I love than a decent horror story. When it’s a horror story set in the Australian outback and based on a well-known Australian horror movie, well is it any wonder I cracked? With the options of what to read, with how many books are published a year, it can be difficult to whittle through availability and find harsh Aussie stories. I’m always very excited when I come across a story such as Wolf Creek and I tell you what I was not disappointed.
Here’s the thing; I haven’t seen the movie these stories are a prequel for. I’ve heard about it, I’ve had a rough idea about it, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to seeing it. After devouring Origin and Desolation Game I can say without a doubt I will be watching the movie as soon as I have the time for it. I usually try to control myself when I finish one book before beginning the next one. I like to process what I’ve read then sit down and draft my thoughts into a review. I didn’t get the chance with Origin and Desolation Game. I happily packed both books for my holiday to Melbourne, as I was halfway through Origin already, and decided I couldn’t wait to read Desolation Game. You’ve got a two-in-one review now folks because I couldn’t keep my eager mitts to myself.
I’m not new to the idea of following a protagonist who is a serial killer, a psychopath, or a sociopath. It’s not a new sensation for me to be so confused by my emotions when it comes to reading a story where the protagonist is doing such horrific things. I love these stories. They mess with your head. They turn your perspectives around and force you to analyse your emotions and how you view such deadly people. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather avoid anyone who has a craving for violence, but when you come across a character like Mick Taylor it really does make you see there is no such thing as black and white.
I found myself sympathising for Mick. I found myself being appalled by his behaviour and sad when he gave into his urges. I found myself wanting Mick to get away with murder and at the same time I desperately wanted him to stop. Mick gets under your skin. He gets so far under your skin in Origin that by the time you are well into Desolation Game your thought process is very messed up.
Origin follows Mick and tells the story of his struggles against his dark urges, his inability to accept himself, and the fear he has of being dominated by what he knows is not common. Mick does have victims in Origin, but what I loved about it was Mick being a victim himself. Origin is mainly told from Mick’s perspective and I couldn’t help loving the guy by the end of the story, while being aghast. Desolation Game takes a slightly different tact with following the story from Mick’s perspective as well as a few of his victims. I loved the story being broken up by his time during the war in Vietnam. It added so much more depth to his character.
If you know the story of Wolf Creek you know Mick will need to survive the prequels and get away free in order to wreak terror on his victims in the movie, but there’s still plenty of times where I wondered how on earth he was going to get away with it. His actions are grisly, his manner is cold, but I loved him as a character, and I can’t wait to watch the movie Wolf Creek.
September 2, 2014
From the Description:
Nature vs nurture turns out to be a bloodbath
The wide open outback offers plenty of space for someone to hide. Or to hide a body.
When wiry youngster Mick Taylor starts as a jackaroo at a remote Western Australian sheep station, he tries to keep his head down among the rough company of the farmhands. But he can't keep the devils inside him hidden for long.
It turns out he's not the only one with the killer impulse - and the other psychopaths don't appreciate competition. Is Cutter, the station's surly shooter, on to him? And what are the cops really up to as they follow the trail of the dead?
In the first of a blood-soaked series of Wolf Creek prequel novels, the cult film's writer/director Greg Mclean and horror writer Aaron Sterns take us back to the beginning, when Mick was a scrawny boy, the only witness to the grisly death of his little sister. Origin provides an unforgettably bloody answer to the question of nature vs nurture. What made Mick Taylor Australian horror's most terrifying psycho killer?
I have been a fan of Wolf Creek for a long time so when I heard that there was a set of books to go with the movie I was excited. Origins tells the story of how Mick Taylor got his start in a life of serial killing. A small warning though,,, DON"T get attached to any of the characters! While not as funny as the movies it was still a good read. Fast paced and gruesome, a solid 4 star read.
Nature vs nurture turns out to be a bloodbath
The wide open outback offers plenty of space for someone to hide. Or to hide a body.
When wiry youngster Mick Taylor starts as a jackaroo at a remote Western Australian sheep station, he tries to keep his head down among the rough company of the farmhands. But he can't keep the devils inside him hidden for long.
It turns out he's not the only one with the killer impulse - and the other psychopaths don't appreciate competition. Is Cutter, the station's surly shooter, on to him? And what are the cops really up to as they follow the trail of the dead?
In the first of a blood-soaked series of Wolf Creek prequel novels, the cult film's writer/director Greg Mclean and horror writer Aaron Sterns take us back to the beginning, when Mick was a scrawny boy, the only witness to the grisly death of his little sister. Origin provides an unforgettably bloody answer to the question of nature vs nurture. What made Mick Taylor Australian horror's most terrifying psycho killer?
I have been a fan of Wolf Creek for a long time so when I heard that there was a set of books to go with the movie I was excited. Origins tells the story of how Mick Taylor got his start in a life of serial killing. A small warning though,,, DON"T get attached to any of the characters! While not as funny as the movies it was still a good read. Fast paced and gruesome, a solid 4 star read.
February 20, 2014
I went into this thinking I was going to understand Mick Taylor and find out how he became what he did in the films. Unfortunately that's not what I got. I found out about his past which was extremely interesting but I'm still left unsure of why he began killing in the first place.
It was extremely well written and it makes me an even bigger fan of Greg McLean, now not only as a director and screenwriter but now also as an author.
I'm not going to rush out to buy the second instalment but I'll definitely give it a go at some point in the future.
It was extremely well written and it makes me an even bigger fan of Greg McLean, now not only as a director and screenwriter but now also as an author.
I'm not going to rush out to buy the second instalment but I'll definitely give it a go at some point in the future.
June 22, 2014
I was quite interested in how this would play out. I thoroughly enjoyed the movies and as a writing student was very interested in how such a vivid and terrifying character would be translated to text. I was surprised and enthralled by this terrifying book, feeling the unease and suspense the entire time. I didnt have high hopes for this book but ended up loving the thrill of it! I am eagerly awaiting book 2. Great read for all horror buffs or fans of Wolf Creek!
April 3, 2014
Meh. It held my interest but sadly didn't have the thrill or charm of the movie. Ironically, while the first movie entertained me more, this book was probably in four star territory until a way too convenient Hollywood ending. The end suffers from Dexter-itis. A solid three stars.
December 9, 2014
Really enjoyable take on the origin story of Mick Taylor, infamous serial killer of the "Wolf Creek" franchise. Painted in broad Australiana, it's a great bildungsroman, and being told from Taylor's viewpoint, the character becomes complex, and on par with Dexter Morgan, Hannibal Lector etc.
May 18, 2014
Never a full moment in this book. The ability it had to never doubt or feel cheated by the incredible and twisting plot is a testament to the brilliantly casual writing. Chills and thrills abound.
April 15, 2014
I was slightly disappointed in that nothing really exciting happened until part three. If this is book one in a series, I hope they get better.
January 13, 2018
Mick is a monster no doubt, but why? This book haunts me but in a good way. I've read it four times since buying and am currently rereading it again. The only thing I would change is the length, it is too short.
This book is wonderfully written giving every character enough for you to understand them but still keeping you firmly inside of Mick's head. It would have been easy to fall into the trap of Mick being crazy "just cause" but with this book you understand that he had no chance. Everything is described wonderfully, as someone who has never been to Australia it truly gives you a sense of scope and emptiness the out back can have. I've read some people saying its too expensive and the length might back that up but I promise you, if you enjoyed either of the movies BUY THIS BOOK.
This book is wonderfully written giving every character enough for you to understand them but still keeping you firmly inside of Mick's head. It would have been easy to fall into the trap of Mick being crazy "just cause" but with this book you understand that he had no chance. Everything is described wonderfully, as someone who has never been to Australia it truly gives you a sense of scope and emptiness the out back can have. I've read some people saying its too expensive and the length might back that up but I promise you, if you enjoyed either of the movies BUY THIS BOOK.
August 12, 2024
Looking for a true blue Aussie horror? Written by Greg McLean, who is an Australian movie director, producer, and writer, his first movie being Wolf Creek, which he then turned into a prequel book due to the movie's success.
I'm a huge fan of Aussie noir, and I've never come across any outback story as gruesome as this one. The book takes us back in time to when Mick was younger, working on a sheep station. Mick gets his first taste for blood, and he likes it. It seems Mick has had that dark humour and taste for violence ever since he was young, and it developed into what we see in the movie, which is pretty creepy.
The book shows a little insight into Mick's childhood and his family dynamic, but more so, how Mick learns about the outback from his father.
We meet a lot of characters on the sheep station, and their personalities are all well fleshed out - I either loved them or loved to hate them. Mick is definitely an eccentric oddball that I loved to hate.
This is a cringeworthy book that will make your toes curl and is not for the faint-hearted.
⚠️ Content warning: domestic violence, child abuse, child death, paedophilia, animal abuse, beastiality.
I'm a huge fan of Aussie noir, and I've never come across any outback story as gruesome as this one. The book takes us back in time to when Mick was younger, working on a sheep station. Mick gets his first taste for blood, and he likes it. It seems Mick has had that dark humour and taste for violence ever since he was young, and it developed into what we see in the movie, which is pretty creepy.
The book shows a little insight into Mick's childhood and his family dynamic, but more so, how Mick learns about the outback from his father.
We meet a lot of characters on the sheep station, and their personalities are all well fleshed out - I either loved them or loved to hate them. Mick is definitely an eccentric oddball that I loved to hate.
This is a cringeworthy book that will make your toes curl and is not for the faint-hearted.
⚠️ Content warning: domestic violence, child abuse, child death, paedophilia, animal abuse, beastiality.
January 9, 2018
A gripping tale, from start to finish. In this very well written book, we are introduced to a young Mick Taylor, and given an added insight into the events that helped to shape the monster that he eventually became. In his younger years, we are shown a sensitive and compassionate young boy, who throughout the course of his violent and challenging life, eventually becomes a cold and passionless killer. Warning: there are quite a few descriptions of graphic violence throughout this book. Not for the faint hearted. I found this book to be a valuable addition to the Wolf Creek movies and series. I look forward to reading the second book by the same author : Wolf Creek Desolation Game.
January 17, 2020
I've never been a fan of gory horror movies but quite enjoy books exploring the same concepts. As a criminologist, I found it quite fascinating to read what makes Mick Taylor go from being a regular kid into a serial killer. Some scenes were too graphic for me and I did skip reading about a page and a half, interestingly I am fine with reading of heinous crimes towards humans, but draw a line when it's animals being depicted. Fairly well written, could perhaps done with some further character development.
March 1, 2021
While this one isn't my favourite out of the two, it is still a very enjoyable read. If you are fascinated by Mick Taylor, or just serial killers in general, then this novel is most likely for you. This novel proposes are thought provoking question of 'Nature VS Nurture' which you can answer for yourself (or not) while reading this book. We get to see the harsh upbringing and childhood of Taylor as well as his later life working at a rural station. The novel isn't exactly a 'page turner' but that doesn't mean you wont enjoy it.
November 26, 2025
Great book! Very thrilling! I enjoyed this book a lot, I even cringed at the goriness at times. This book didn't take long to get a hold of me and I struggled to put it down. Easy & enjoyable read. It's also fascinating to understand what circumstances lead to building the character we see on screen.
March 20, 2021
It's no wonder he's the way he is
I always found Mick Taylor one of the most interesting horror movie characters and in this book you got a wonderfully brutal account of his early years and let's say with the upbringing he had it's clear why he is such a psycho.
I always found Mick Taylor one of the most interesting horror movie characters and in this book you got a wonderfully brutal account of his early years and let's say with the upbringing he had it's clear why he is such a psycho.
January 2, 2022
Not for the feint of heart! Brutal, twisted, Gory. But It somehow gets you rooting for Mick Taylor! Great Australian Horror! Worthy read. But I cannot stress enough not for the feint of heart. The story is dark and twisted and disturbing. A real clever tale that stays true to Mick Taylor.
August 1, 2017
Thanks Greg McLean
What can I say great book can't wait to read the next one. Please keep it up. I hope for more Mick Taylor. He is my new favorite horror killer.
What can I say great book can't wait to read the next one. Please keep it up. I hope for more Mick Taylor. He is my new favorite horror killer.
April 11, 2018
A simple exploitation novel that doesn’t live up
The terror of the film
The terror of the film
July 20, 2021
Exciting and horrific...Just how I love my books...
June 25, 2025
Mick Taylor learning to be Mick Taylor
February 27, 2022
An interesting peek behind the curtain at the beloved villain's history. But other than a few gory details, definitely more of a psychological drama than horror.
February 4, 2015
I’m a big fan of the Wolf Creek movies and the character of Australian serial killer Mick Taylor. The first movie was dark and sadistic, riding the Torture Porn trend. The second was more over the top, fun, with Mick a caricature. That’s not to say that you have to be familiar with the movies to read the book. So, I was very excited to read this, the first in a series of Wolf Creek books.
The movies are focused mainly on the victims, so right at the start, it was hard to get used to seeing the world from Mick’s point of view. It’s the mystery and not knowing what’s going on in his head that made him unpredictable and gave him his power as a villain. Origin, as the title might suggest, shows you Mick’s roots from his childhood to his beginnings as a burgeoning killer. His upbringing and father have something to do with his mental state, but he was a mess before that trauma, from an earlier childhood incident.
For the first part of the book he has some humanity. He tries to fit in working at a sheep station, before slipping suddenly into violence. No matter how hard he tries, he is unable to refrain from taking life, and from killing he draws his strength. However, the sudden transition from restraint to lunacy was too jarring and didn’t quite work for me.
Things change drastically for Mick when a witness to one of his earliest murders comes forward and challenges him. The witness, Cutter, works at the sheep station, and also happens to be a serial killer. Mick kills him, but now has a mission to find three other serial killers in the region before they can turn over evidence on him to the police. This sounds like a fantastic premise to set up the rest of the book, but it doesn’t really pan out as excitingly as I’d hoped. By the end of the book Mick’s violence and cruelty are ratcheted up and he appears to be fully in his stride as the killer we see in the movies. There are some inventive and fun kills in the final third. There is no major cliffhanger; just a set up for the follow up book, Wolf Creek: Desolation which has Mick serving in the military in Vietnam. All in all, with such a great character already established, this was a bit of a disappointment and I’ll probably skip the next book.
The movies are focused mainly on the victims, so right at the start, it was hard to get used to seeing the world from Mick’s point of view. It’s the mystery and not knowing what’s going on in his head that made him unpredictable and gave him his power as a villain. Origin, as the title might suggest, shows you Mick’s roots from his childhood to his beginnings as a burgeoning killer. His upbringing and father have something to do with his mental state, but he was a mess before that trauma, from an earlier childhood incident.
For the first part of the book he has some humanity. He tries to fit in working at a sheep station, before slipping suddenly into violence. No matter how hard he tries, he is unable to refrain from taking life, and from killing he draws his strength. However, the sudden transition from restraint to lunacy was too jarring and didn’t quite work for me.
Things change drastically for Mick when a witness to one of his earliest murders comes forward and challenges him. The witness, Cutter, works at the sheep station, and also happens to be a serial killer. Mick kills him, but now has a mission to find three other serial killers in the region before they can turn over evidence on him to the police. This sounds like a fantastic premise to set up the rest of the book, but it doesn’t really pan out as excitingly as I’d hoped. By the end of the book Mick’s violence and cruelty are ratcheted up and he appears to be fully in his stride as the killer we see in the movies. There are some inventive and fun kills in the final third. There is no major cliffhanger; just a set up for the follow up book, Wolf Creek: Desolation which has Mick serving in the military in Vietnam. All in all, with such a great character already established, this was a bit of a disappointment and I’ll probably skip the next book.
January 23, 2014
I've never seen the movie WOLF CREEK and undoubtedly never will. The idea of extreme violence, cruelty and madness on the page is one thing, visually another completely different for this reader anyway.
Had the books not been offered as review copies, it's doubtful I would ever have read either of them. They definitely aren't my preference, so it's only fair to say that ORIGIN was a struggle. The violence and deprivation are stark and very in your face. The book is a prequel to the movie, designed to introduce readers to the young boy that became the psychotic killer. So there's animal cruelty, deprivation, violence, dysfunctional families, bullying workmates, heaps of hiding out in the bush, and basically not a lot of hope anywhere you look.
Which is possibly exactly the sort of thing that readers of this style of book like. It did however contribute to making that struggle to read, not helped by some of the more predictable plot elements. Even without seeing the movie it's obvious that Taylor is the sort of character that can't sink much lower, so his journey there from childhood doesn't break new ground. In fact there wasn't much in the character "development" that surprised all that much. Having said that it's obvious that's not what these books are about (the second in the series is called DESOLATION GAME). They are filling in the background to one of the great psycho killers of Australian movie fame. They are fleshing out his journey from boy to killer, from human being to walking treat. Fortunately there's no attempt to justify, or explain, or soften the blow of what he has become. Given that the violence and depravity is graphic and explicit, this isn't a book for people who don't have very high tolerance levels. ORIGIN is most likely one for fans of horror, violence and absolutely, for fans of the movie.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Had the books not been offered as review copies, it's doubtful I would ever have read either of them. They definitely aren't my preference, so it's only fair to say that ORIGIN was a struggle. The violence and deprivation are stark and very in your face. The book is a prequel to the movie, designed to introduce readers to the young boy that became the psychotic killer. So there's animal cruelty, deprivation, violence, dysfunctional families, bullying workmates, heaps of hiding out in the bush, and basically not a lot of hope anywhere you look.
Which is possibly exactly the sort of thing that readers of this style of book like. It did however contribute to making that struggle to read, not helped by some of the more predictable plot elements. Even without seeing the movie it's obvious that Taylor is the sort of character that can't sink much lower, so his journey there from childhood doesn't break new ground. In fact there wasn't much in the character "development" that surprised all that much. Having said that it's obvious that's not what these books are about (the second in the series is called DESOLATION GAME). They are filling in the background to one of the great psycho killers of Australian movie fame. They are fleshing out his journey from boy to killer, from human being to walking treat. Fortunately there's no attempt to justify, or explain, or soften the blow of what he has become. Given that the violence and depravity is graphic and explicit, this isn't a book for people who don't have very high tolerance levels. ORIGIN is most likely one for fans of horror, violence and absolutely, for fans of the movie.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
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