What do you think?
Rate this book
Gila!
Harkening back to the days of giant creature movies of the 1950s, a horde of giant Gila Monsters is on the loose in New Mexico, threatening every living creature in sight. Nothing and no one is safe from the ravenous creatures as they tear their way through the desert and into heavily populated areas. Can these atomically mutated creatures be stopped or is this the beginning of the end for mankind? It's up to Chato del-Klinne and Dr. Kate Dwyer to kick the hiss out of the oversized lizards!
From the mind of Kathryn Ptacek, writing under her Les Simons pen name, comes a tale of grisly horror with man being the hunted and Mother Nature being the hunter.
From the mind of Kathryn Ptacek, writing under her Les Simons pen name, comes a tale of grisly horror with man being the hunted and Mother Nature being the hunter.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 1981
4 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Les Simons
1 book1 followeraka Kathryn Atwood, Anne Mayfield, Kathleen Maxwell, Kathryn Ptacek, Kathryn Grant
Kathryn Anne Ptacek was born on 12 September 1952 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, but was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She received her B. A. in Journalism, with a minor in history, from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, where she was graduated with distinction in 1974. While attending the university, she was a student of award-winning mystery writer Tony Hillerman and well-known YA writer Lois Duncan. Afterward, she worked briefly for a political party best left unnamed, was a telephone solicitor for the New Mexico Assn. of Retarded People, and spent two years as an advertising lay-out artist for a regional grocery warehouse co-op, and then worked for the University of New Mexico first as a secretary in the Dept. of Speech and Hearing, then for the University's Computing Center as their only technical writer and editor.
After the sale of her first novel, an historical romance, in July 1979, she quit to become a full-time novelist. As Les Simons, Kathryn Atwood, Anne Mayfield, Kathleen Maxwell, Kathryn Ptacek, and Kathryn Grant, she has written an historical fantasy series, numerous historical romances, and five horror novels. Her dark fantasy have won the Silver Medal and Gold Medal awards given by the West Coast Review of Books. She has also edited three anthologies, the critically acclaimed Women of Darkness and its companion Women of Darkness II (both Tor), and Women of the West (Doubleday). Editions of her books have appeared in England, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Her short stories have appeared in Greystone Bay, Doom City (Greystone Bay II), Fantasy Tales, the Post Mortem anthology, Pulphouse 5, The Horror Show, Freak Show (HWA anthology), A Confederacy of Horrors, Into The Fog, The Ultimate Witch, and Phobias. She is a member of Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the International Women Writers Guild, and the Police Writers Club. She also prepares a market report for Hellnotes, is the editor of the Horror Writers Association's monthly newsletter, and publishes a market newsletter, The Gila Queen's Guide to Markets, which goes to writers and artists around the world.
On 1982, she married to dark fantasy novelist Charles L. Grant, who died in 2006. She shares a 116-year-old Victorian clapboard house with five cats in Newton, New Jersey. Her hobbies include gardening, jewelry making, and various needlework. She also has a large collection of gila monster memorabilia, and collects unusual teapots and cat whiskers.
Kathryn Anne Ptacek was born on 12 September 1952 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, but was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She received her B. A. in Journalism, with a minor in history, from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, where she was graduated with distinction in 1974. While attending the university, she was a student of award-winning mystery writer Tony Hillerman and well-known YA writer Lois Duncan. Afterward, she worked briefly for a political party best left unnamed, was a telephone solicitor for the New Mexico Assn. of Retarded People, and spent two years as an advertising lay-out artist for a regional grocery warehouse co-op, and then worked for the University of New Mexico first as a secretary in the Dept. of Speech and Hearing, then for the University's Computing Center as their only technical writer and editor.
After the sale of her first novel, an historical romance, in July 1979, she quit to become a full-time novelist. As Les Simons, Kathryn Atwood, Anne Mayfield, Kathleen Maxwell, Kathryn Ptacek, and Kathryn Grant, she has written an historical fantasy series, numerous historical romances, and five horror novels. Her dark fantasy have won the Silver Medal and Gold Medal awards given by the West Coast Review of Books. She has also edited three anthologies, the critically acclaimed Women of Darkness and its companion Women of Darkness II (both Tor), and Women of the West (Doubleday). Editions of her books have appeared in England, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Her short stories have appeared in Greystone Bay, Doom City (Greystone Bay II), Fantasy Tales, the Post Mortem anthology, Pulphouse 5, The Horror Show, Freak Show (HWA anthology), A Confederacy of Horrors, Into The Fog, The Ultimate Witch, and Phobias. She is a member of Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the International Women Writers Guild, and the Police Writers Club. She also prepares a market report for Hellnotes, is the editor of the Horror Writers Association's monthly newsletter, and publishes a market newsletter, The Gila Queen's Guide to Markets, which goes to writers and artists around the world.
On 1982, she married to dark fantasy novelist Charles L. Grant, who died in 2006. She shares a 116-year-old Victorian clapboard house with five cats in Newton, New Jersey. Her hobbies include gardening, jewelry making, and various needlework. She also has a large collection of gila monster memorabilia, and collects unusual teapots and cat whiskers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 17, 2025
[This is the debut novel from Kathryn Ptacek, wife of the late, great Charles L. Grant, and a not too shabby horror author herself based on the little I've read by her, so I have high hopes here.]
---------------------------------------
This is more like a 4 when judging strictly against other "giant monster" books of the era, but there wasn't a whole lot here that set it apart from the countless similar British nasties of the 70s/early 80s. Now that I think of it, how was this never released in the UK? Creature features were all the rage across the pond back then: killer worms, crabs, cats, rats, slugs, bugs (even praying mantises)-- no maniacal animal manuscript ever languished in the slush piles at New English Library, Hamlyn, or Star, yet somehow one about radioactively mutated Gila monsters did?
Whatever the reason, it's certainly gorier -- and more fun -- than the much more well-known Night of the Crabs, imo. It'll mislead you at first with the constant cutaways right when shit's about to go down but, trust me, plenty of people will be devoured, and in full, revolting detail. Though, as fun as a lot of these types of novels are, including this one, they're almost always very predictable. It's part of their design, yet also part of their charm. You get to know a one-dimensional character for a couple pages, see them die in horrible agony, repeat. Like I said, fun stuff. There are very few that rise to the level of something like Worms, The Nest, or The Rats, yet Gila almost gets there.
I dug the deserty New Mexico setting, as well as the many scenes of absolute mayhem, including the large lizards invading a roadside attraction-type diner and a carnival. These beasts seem to be unkillable, even by the military, so it's up to Kate the scientist and her Apache boyfriend Chato the ranch hand (who used to be a professor, and also appears in Ptaceks's decent 1984 novel Shadoweyes) to figure out a way for the Gilas to meet their maker. Since they've been naughty, though, they'd probably be greeted by the guy with the horns. Kate was the one relatively well-written and likable character, while Chato was only there to be good and ready whenever Kate felt an urge for some "action." Which was a lot, especially for a 166-page book.
So despite the standard issue (and at times nonsensical) creature feature plot, it was still a good time, with a fast pace and lots of creature on human carnage. And that's fine by me. Would probably have made for a great 80s flick though, if done in the more comedic style of something like Tremors. In fact, the book almost felt like an abandoned film treatment that was turned into a novel instead.
Recommended for fans of monster horror, but those with more refined horror tastes just stay the hell away.
3.5 Stars.
---------------------------------------
This is more like a 4 when judging strictly against other "giant monster" books of the era, but there wasn't a whole lot here that set it apart from the countless similar British nasties of the 70s/early 80s. Now that I think of it, how was this never released in the UK? Creature features were all the rage across the pond back then: killer worms, crabs, cats, rats, slugs, bugs (even praying mantises)-- no maniacal animal manuscript ever languished in the slush piles at New English Library, Hamlyn, or Star, yet somehow one about radioactively mutated Gila monsters did?
Whatever the reason, it's certainly gorier -- and more fun -- than the much more well-known Night of the Crabs, imo. It'll mislead you at first with the constant cutaways right when shit's about to go down but, trust me, plenty of people will be devoured, and in full, revolting detail. Though, as fun as a lot of these types of novels are, including this one, they're almost always very predictable. It's part of their design, yet also part of their charm. You get to know a one-dimensional character for a couple pages, see them die in horrible agony, repeat. Like I said, fun stuff. There are very few that rise to the level of something like Worms, The Nest, or The Rats, yet Gila almost gets there.
I dug the deserty New Mexico setting, as well as the many scenes of absolute mayhem, including the large lizards invading a roadside attraction-type diner and a carnival. These beasts seem to be unkillable, even by the military, so it's up to Kate the scientist and her Apache boyfriend Chato the ranch hand (who used to be a professor, and also appears in Ptaceks's decent 1984 novel Shadoweyes) to figure out a way for the Gilas to meet their maker. Since they've been naughty, though, they'd probably be greeted by the guy with the horns. Kate was the one relatively well-written and likable character, while Chato was only there to be good and ready whenever Kate felt an urge for some "action." Which was a lot, especially for a 166-page book.
So despite the standard issue (and at times nonsensical) creature feature plot, it was still a good time, with a fast pace and lots of creature on human carnage. And that's fine by me. Would probably have made for a great 80s flick though, if done in the more comedic style of something like Tremors. In fact, the book almost felt like an abandoned film treatment that was turned into a novel instead.
Recommended for fans of monster horror, but those with more refined horror tastes just stay the hell away.
3.5 Stars.
June 8, 2020
Man, the 80’s were great. Lamborghini Countaches, Reaganomics, cocaine. And for better or worse, the huge rise in cheaply written, cheaply produced horror novels.
And Gila! is the perfect example of just how amazing the concept of it all was.
By no means is Gila! a bastion of great fiction. It’s cheesy. It’s over the top. It’s packed to the gills with every single 1980’s cliche of sex, gore, violence, stereotypes, and over reliance on quick pacing than actual substance.
But you know what? I freaking loved this book. Who cares that the characters were thin enough to see through? Who cares that the plot is basically just giant lizards appearing and tearing shit up and having little to no explanation? Who gives a crap that this novel is only 168 pages? Gila! never pretends to be anything other than what it presents itself as...a schlocky 80’s monster fest.
It’s a shame that Les Simons (Kathryn Ptasic) never did another book quite like this because I’d be all over it.
And Gila! is the perfect example of just how amazing the concept of it all was.
By no means is Gila! a bastion of great fiction. It’s cheesy. It’s over the top. It’s packed to the gills with every single 1980’s cliche of sex, gore, violence, stereotypes, and over reliance on quick pacing than actual substance.
But you know what? I freaking loved this book. Who cares that the characters were thin enough to see through? Who cares that the plot is basically just giant lizards appearing and tearing shit up and having little to no explanation? Who gives a crap that this novel is only 168 pages? Gila! never pretends to be anything other than what it presents itself as...a schlocky 80’s monster fest.
It’s a shame that Les Simons (Kathryn Ptasic) never did another book quite like this because I’d be all over it.
July 16, 2024
Another "Animals On The Rampage" book that kind of runs out of gas towards the end. Sort of half romance novel half Gila attacks. In-between the giant lizard carnage, our female professor and her new boyfriend love each other in various motel rooms on the Gilas trail. Thats about all.
December 18, 2023
A horde of giant Gila Monsters is on the loose in New Mexico, threatening every living creature in sight. Nothing and no one is safe from the ravenous creatures as they tear their way through the desert and into heavily populated areas. Can these atomically mutated creatures be stopped or is this the beginning of the end for mankind?
I found this hugely enjoyable - it’s just the kind of pulpy horror I love, it’s short, it’s gruesome and it absolutely doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. And yes, the cover image happens in the story! Dr Kate Dwyer is the protagonist, a highly regarded herpetologist, who is thorough, brave, never puts herself or others in danger and, generally, is the perfect heroine. Her ex-colleague, an Apache professor called Chato Del-Klinne (currently working as a ranch hand) comes back into her life and they team up. And when I say team up, I mean they mostly have sex and, outside of that, he doesn’t do a great deal aside from tag along. The locations (Kathy Ptacek, who wrote this, is a native of the area) are really well used, characterisation is blunt (and, beautifully, most of them are introduced and then eaten within the same chapter!) and the action is pretty full on (not as gory as I’d hoped, but it’s gruesome at times). As for the monsters themselves, their early appearances are all essentially sound but, once they set off on the rampage, we get them in their full glory. I had a lot of fun with this and would highly recommend it to fellow fans of 70s/80 paperback horror.
I found this hugely enjoyable - it’s just the kind of pulpy horror I love, it’s short, it’s gruesome and it absolutely doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. And yes, the cover image happens in the story! Dr Kate Dwyer is the protagonist, a highly regarded herpetologist, who is thorough, brave, never puts herself or others in danger and, generally, is the perfect heroine. Her ex-colleague, an Apache professor called Chato Del-Klinne (currently working as a ranch hand) comes back into her life and they team up. And when I say team up, I mean they mostly have sex and, outside of that, he doesn’t do a great deal aside from tag along. The locations (Kathy Ptacek, who wrote this, is a native of the area) are really well used, characterisation is blunt (and, beautifully, most of them are introduced and then eaten within the same chapter!) and the action is pretty full on (not as gory as I’d hoped, but it’s gruesome at times). As for the monsters themselves, their early appearances are all essentially sound but, once they set off on the rampage, we get them in their full glory. I had a lot of fun with this and would highly recommend it to fellow fans of 70s/80 paperback horror.
June 10, 2021
Following several disasters transpiring in the flatlands of New Mexico, the state governor calls upon herpetologist Dr. Kate Dwyer to investigate the only surviving piece of evidence—what looks to be a monster, charred tip of a lizard's tail. Sadly, I found Gila! to be an exercise in Grand Guignol pulp edging—setting up scenes of rampant lizard butchery from mutated Gila monsters turned titanic against all vulnerable walks of life, children and teenagers included, but frequently backpedaling from climax more often than not. A majority of these setpieces wrap up the chapter with what becomes obligatory for the novel; a scene of vomiting with the final sentence detailing an anguished scream. I'd argue there's more bile than blood in Les Simon's (a pseudonym for Kathryn Ptacek) Gila! There's great material to be found within, but it suffers greatly for what it doesn't include. Gila! shares more in common with the feel left after watching a 50s atomic monster movie. If only the author decided to supplant the many awkward sex scenes with supplementary descriptions of carnage, I'd fight for the first ticket of admission what should have been great; politics and science clashing amidst a fevered election season, while enlarged beasts, driven rabid by the arrogance of man, lay waste to a flat stretch of sun-scorched land. Still, there's not much to savor here. Quick meals in the form of walls caving in, blink-and-you'll-miss-it slaughter, whole towns reduced to rubble in a mere couple of paragraphs. Following through with its continued behavior of early release, Gila! ends on a note implying that a better (more entertaining) novel could have followed, though I'd have possibly been expecting too much from the author at these, now, elevated stakes.
April 24, 2024
I feel bad saying this...but I really didn't enjoy this. It's one of those rare books I seriously considered DNFing at around the 50% mark...but pushed through and don't feel like it was worth it.
It almost felt like there were two different people writing this book. One writing the animal attack chapters (which I really enjoyed) and one writing the plot chapters that tie it all together (these really didn't work for me). And I'm sad that it was the plot chapters that fell short for me because that meant as we got closer to the end I was SO over it and just...didn't care.
It's ok that this was essentially the plot to a B-movie...I actually found that fun. I just wish the characters we were following had been people I cared about and could get invested in. But they just weren't. And the writing of those chapters REALLY didn't work for me with the constant sex (it just felt out of place and was written in a way that was...not hot) and the constant head hopping (which is a particular pet peeve for me as a reader). I felt like I was constantly pulled out of the story and I just wasn't enjoying it.
Can't win them all I guess. This one just wasn't for me.
It almost felt like there were two different people writing this book. One writing the animal attack chapters (which I really enjoyed) and one writing the plot chapters that tie it all together (these really didn't work for me). And I'm sad that it was the plot chapters that fell short for me because that meant as we got closer to the end I was SO over it and just...didn't care.
It's ok that this was essentially the plot to a B-movie...I actually found that fun. I just wish the characters we were following had been people I cared about and could get invested in. But they just weren't. And the writing of those chapters REALLY didn't work for me with the constant sex (it just felt out of place and was written in a way that was...not hot) and the constant head hopping (which is a particular pet peeve for me as a reader). I felt like I was constantly pulled out of the story and I just wasn't enjoying it.
Can't win them all I guess. This one just wasn't for me.
October 21, 2024
I’m so far from the targeted audience for a book like this so I don’t know how to rate it
June 6, 2022
Pure garbage. Enjoyable enough
June 12, 2021
This book is reminiscent of old-time horror flicks of the 1950's, such as "Them", with monsters being created by nuclear bombs in the desert of New Mexico. Huge Gila monsters start attacking people, killing them in bloody, gruesome ways. A herpetologist, Dr. Kate Dwyer, is tasked by the Governor to try to find out what is happening and save "his" state from destruction.
There was plenty of gory details about the ways the monsters killed people, with body parts being thrown around as the monsters feasted. Although I enjoy the movies that this book reminds me of, I did have some problems with the book. It appears to be set in the 1980's, but the stereotypes of Native Americans and women was more like the Fifties. Also, the people of New Mexico, especially the Governor, are depicted as buffoons and idiots for the most part. And, I don't think that there are Gila monsters in the areas described (White Sands National Monument/Trinity Site). Since I have lived in New Mexico for many years, I found this bothersome.
The narrator did a pretty good job, but he should have learned the correct way to pronounce many of the town names and Hispanic names in the book. I would recommend this book only for those diehard fans of the 1950's movies that focus on monsters created by nuclear tests. I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the narrator/author/publisher and chose to review it.
There was plenty of gory details about the ways the monsters killed people, with body parts being thrown around as the monsters feasted. Although I enjoy the movies that this book reminds me of, I did have some problems with the book. It appears to be set in the 1980's, but the stereotypes of Native Americans and women was more like the Fifties. Also, the people of New Mexico, especially the Governor, are depicted as buffoons and idiots for the most part. And, I don't think that there are Gila monsters in the areas described (White Sands National Monument/Trinity Site). Since I have lived in New Mexico for many years, I found this bothersome.
The narrator did a pretty good job, but he should have learned the correct way to pronounce many of the town names and Hispanic names in the book. I would recommend this book only for those diehard fans of the 1950's movies that focus on monsters created by nuclear tests. I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the narrator/author/publisher and chose to review it.
December 10, 2017
A really fun read, would make for a great monster movie.
November 8, 2019
Just... no.
February 16, 2021
It's just a really bad book. I love movies and books with giant monsters and I'm really easy to please. But that book wouldn't be a B-movie, it'd be Sharknado 3. The characters are uninteresting and unlikable, their actions make no sense at all most of the time. Well mostly their reaction to any news (mostly about people getting killed) is "Sex is fun! Let's have sex!" -.-
The biggest problem though is the description of the attacks. It's very vague and repetitive, with flattened buildings, severed limbs everywhere and one bloody little girl running around. And since Gila Monsters swallow their preys whole, why would there be bits of people everywhere? It's a very amateurish and disappointing attempt at gore. And if there are no good gory bits, what's the point of the book ? :(
The biggest problem though is the description of the attacks. It's very vague and repetitive, with flattened buildings, severed limbs everywhere and one bloody little girl running around. And since Gila Monsters swallow their preys whole, why would there be bits of people everywhere? It's a very amateurish and disappointing attempt at gore. And if there are no good gory bits, what's the point of the book ? :(
February 17, 2023
Gilas!? Oh my!
This was a great creature feature about giant gila monsters!
The story is about Kate and Chato, two previous coworkers that meet up due to the Governor sending Kate down to investigate a tail from sort of lizard that may have attacked a bus of high schoolers.
The story spirals and soon you learn that GIANT FREAKING GILA MONSTERS EXIST!!!
This was a great, great story! It did start off a tad bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it immensely! The writing was solid, the characters were great (although the seemed a bit chill for what was going on), and the gore was there!
Overall, I give this one 5/5 stars!
This was a great creature feature about giant gila monsters!
The story is about Kate and Chato, two previous coworkers that meet up due to the Governor sending Kate down to investigate a tail from sort of lizard that may have attacked a bus of high schoolers.
The story spirals and soon you learn that GIANT FREAKING GILA MONSTERS EXIST!!!
This was a great, great story! It did start off a tad bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it immensely! The writing was solid, the characters were great (although the seemed a bit chill for what was going on), and the gore was there!
Overall, I give this one 5/5 stars!
December 17, 2024
It's got some creature feature madness that you love reading off the page. But they don't go as hard as you'd think, and it's more distracting when you just know that these people can outrun them and should see them coming. Well written for what it is though, it ain't The Rats but credit where it's due.
March 23, 2025
The monsters were cool but not much else. I did not care for a single character this time around and after only a couple weeks from the original read, I won't be able to tell you a single one of their names. But what I can tell you is that there are some fun scenes with lizards eating people. And a fun twist ending that makes the short read all worth it.
August 22, 2022
A pretty standard "big bug" (although it's gilas and not insects) animal attack horror novel. The author takes tremendous glee in describing the rampaging monsters' swath of destruction. Fairgrounds, churches, trailer parks, no place is safe from these gigantic, hungry critters!
September 8, 2024
When I was 13 I was getting into gloriously trashy movies presented on "Sunday Night Horrors", movies like "Them" and "The Savage Bees". Around this time I found Gila for twenty cents in the bargain bin at George Courts. I got what I paid for.
August 13, 2025
Blast from the past
I read this book as a teenager in the early 80s and tracked it down.
It was probably one of my first books of its kind that I remember reading.
If you enjoy giant mutant monsters then this is a fast read for you.
I still enjoyed reading it.
I read this book as a teenager in the early 80s and tracked it down.
It was probably one of my first books of its kind that I remember reading.
If you enjoy giant mutant monsters then this is a fast read for you.
I still enjoyed reading it.
December 17, 2025
Very passive protagonist.
A Gila kills, the protagonist has sex, The Gila kills, the protagonist speculates before having sex.
But then the Gila kills again and this time the protagonist goes to a lab, before having sex. I got 20 pages left of the climax of this book, but im in no rush to read em 🤣
A Gila kills, the protagonist has sex, The Gila kills, the protagonist speculates before having sex.
But then the Gila kills again and this time the protagonist goes to a lab, before having sex. I got 20 pages left of the climax of this book, but im in no rush to read em 🤣
June 3, 2023
Trashy but an enjoyable giant monster novel.
August 21, 2023
Read for garbaugust 2023. Absolutely what you expect, big ass Gila eating a lot of people.
January 2, 2024
B movie giant lizards attack what's not to like loved it really fun.
January 22, 2024
Its so bad, but in a this is totally nuts kind of way. It screams cheap, 80s, animal attack movie, but at least it was quick.
October 29, 2024
It was only 166 pages and gave me exactly what I wanted. Lotsa giant lizards eating people. They eat thousands of people! A lot more sex than you would think for a monster book.
November 20, 2024
3.5 rounded down for GR. It was fun when there was some action, but it needed MORE! More action, less random hanky panky, haha
December 1, 2024
Creature Feature!
June 10, 2025
It’s like if the plot of The Giant Gila Monster was rewritten with the aesthetics of the 1980s remake of The Blob, and I’m all for it.
June 27, 2025
That was fun! Definitely exceeded all expectations.
July 20, 2025
Giant Gila Monsters attack New Mexico in a trail of destruction and half chewed bodies
A good quick animal run amok with the feel of 1950s giant nuclear mutated creature features
A good quick animal run amok with the feel of 1950s giant nuclear mutated creature features
October 29, 2022
This needs to be a movie. A lot of fun, the author knew she was writing pulp and just had fun with it. Moves at good pace, no padding, knows when it needs to end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews