The Turning

by Justin Scott

Hudson City was dying.
It was a city in New York State in need of help.

And then the Revelationists came. First singly, then in groups, finally by the dozen. They burned with a furious fervor... with a desperate urgency to complete their mission. They issued a message that read: "WO TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH! THE DEVIANT IS AMONG YOU!"

Alan Springer, doctor, husband and father, watched with growing horror. No one could stop them. In silent obedience to their unseen leader they built an impregnable fortress, then opened its gates.

And the children of Hudson City walked through...

Genres: Horror, Fiction

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Also writes as Justin Scott, Paul Garrison, J.S. Blazer, and Alexander Cole.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott serves up a slice of the 70s here with The Turning that really captures the angst of the era. Published in 1978, the same year as Jim Jones Jonestown suicide/murder (prophetic?), the gist of the story concerns a cult moving into a small, upstate town in NY. New Hudson, a town of about 1000, has gone through booms and busts, and the late 70s falls into the latter. Earlier in the century, a large (several hundred patients), private 'lunatic asylum' was built just above town but closed in the 60s. The book starts off with the mayor tagging his best buddy, the town doctor Alan Springer (our main protagonist) to come with him to help show the old asylum to a group that may want to buy it. The hope is that the group will turn it into a hotel or something, bringing some prosperity to offset the economic struggles of the region.

Well, they do sell the property to a group called The Revelationists (Revvies for short), but rather than a hotel, it seems the old property will be turned into a training ground for the cult. The first interactions between the townies and the cult is when scores of young people, all dressed in matching overalls and plaid work shirts, drive into town and start buying all kinds of things to fix up the place, including miles of fencing and barbed wire to enclose it. While the cult members are not aggressive (at first), they make no small talk at all, silently going about their business almost machine like.

A few weeks later, a fifty or so 'Revvies' show up one Sunday at the town church, halfway through the service, and just silently sit there for the rest of the mass, walking out as a group when it was over. About the same time, at a party where most of the town's bigwigs were at, the 'new girl' at the drugstore tells the group that the Revelationists have her sister and she has been trying to get her back for over a year; "They steal your soul." Springer is suspicious of the cult, never mind that they have brought in something of an economic revival to the town. But his views are discounted. Why? He is seen as something of a 'radical' because he supported 'Clean Gene' McCarthy back in 1968; hell, he even became a delegate to the DNC convention!

I mentioned at the start how this book captures the angst of the 70s. Many of the characters mention the problems of inflation and increasing economic insecurity as the story progresses. While many in the town are also suspicious of the cult, it manages to woo many by opening a 'social center' in town where the kids can dance and what not, all for free (better than hanging out on street corners!), donating a new fire engine, and making contributions to local charities. So, while they may be a little strange, they are god fearing folk after all...

Scott's writing style may not be for everyone; his prose tends to be abrupt and I had to reread several passages to suss out the meaning. Also, Alan Springer is a difficult protagonist to root for; besides his 'affairs' with a nurse at his clinic, he comes off as arrogant and condescending. Nonetheless, the 'progress' of the cult in town definitely unsettles and reminded me of The Auctioneer, where changes come to town slowly at first, then gather momentum that becomes almost impossible to stop. A classic? Maybe not, but a definite time capsule for the late 70s. Dell even has a PSA on the last page reminding us that oil does not grow on trees and to conserve energy! Think Jimmy Carter's infamous speech calling on Americans to make sacrifices while wearing a sweater in the Oval Office. 3.5 stars, rounding up!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight, suspenseful thriller that's well written and great fun to read. The only drawback of this book is its ending: it's far too abrupt and wholly unsatisfying.

Still, it's worth a look.

[Nessa Glowczewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was building up for a great ending but the last few chapters were such let downs.

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cults along the Hudson.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers here that the ending is abrupt, even though those types of endings were popular during the late 70s and early 80s, especially in low budget horror films.

But the rest of the book is smoothly written and compelling, and its well-drawn small town characters echo Stephen King's novels like Salem's Lot. This one has close ties to Wild Wild Country (the docuseries on Netflix), and I wonder if Justin Scott was inspired by those true events?

[Scott Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not think that the length taken to read this book reflects on my enjoyment of it. Between my colleague being off for the past 5 weeks and my mother’s broken leg I haven’t had much time to read.

That being said I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would. It was obviously written in the magical period when America seemed to be overrun with cults and weird preachers

I wouldn’t class it as a horror by any means but it had its moments

[Brent Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a page turner. Set in a decaying rust-belt town, a cult moves from the west coast moves in and provides the town with much needed capital. However, as their numbers swell and members of the town, particularly the youth, begin to affiliate with the cult, it's up to the most level headed townspeople, led by the country doctor, to resist.

[Tabatha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, slightly horror book. Not to scary, but creepy in concept. Quick read and interesting. However, the editor must have been asleep. The author keeps saying a lady LIGHTED her cigarette. I wanna scream, LIT, LIT, LIT!

[Eric N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mentioned in 'Paperbacks From Hell'. This spells out the difference between how America views those who use their Church as a place to have spaghetti dinners and are thus seen as "nice people" and those who claim to receive messages from The Lord and are thus seen as "crazy".

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main protagonist is a new doctor in a small town in America. There is a cult near town, which is stealing the hearts and minds of the young people. Inevitably, the protagonist gets drawn in...

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

CREEPY

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story of a cult slowly taking over a town by starting with the children. I thought this made for an interesting progression in the cults rise to power in the town. I do wish we got a little more backstory for the cult, but then again, a lack of back story added to the mystery and the power the cult had to keep their secrets well hidden.
Maybe I'm just being a stickler, but I found it hard to believe that the cult could legally keep minors away from their parents. That made no sense to me, it doesn't matter if the kid says they want to be there, these are not legal family members and the parents should be able to take legal action to at least get their kids out of the building.
Also, why do these old-school horror books always have a husband that cheats on his wife every chance he gets? In this case it sort of does add to the story, but it seems to happen in so many books around this time period!

[Brianna Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, the ending ruined it. Just like The Auctioneer, another book I read recently. The writing was really good, taking the reader through the building up of suspense. And then it just fizzled. I don't know if there's a specific literary term for a story about a town being slowly, insidiously taken over. Kind of an "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" and "Salem's Lot" type of situation. Also, "The Auctioneer". People think they know their friends and neighbors, and then a new element is introduced to the community, and things that were taken for granted--- a stable reality--- shifts and evolves into something terrible, something previously unthinkable. I'd still say this book is worth a read, despite the ending.

[Heerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faltó mejor cierre al suspenso.

[Ariel_Carraro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un médico (Alan Springer) ve como su pequeña ciudad se ve invadida por una secta religiosa llamada los Revelacionistas. ¿Qué buscan? ¿Qué quieren? son algunas preguntas que no tienen respuesta. Miguel, su supuesto salvador, aparece como un dios dispuesto a salvar a los pecadores. Algunos habitantes, entre ellos Springer, se oponen a la conversión y así "ser salvados". Conforme pasa el tiempo Hudson City desaparece y se convierte en propiedad de los Revelacionistas.

Un libro con una historia intrigante. Como el lavado de cerebros puede convertir a gente consciente en títeres fáciles de manipular. Una crítica social a las sectas de la vida real.

[Marcin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite fast and nice horror, but the ending didn't satisfy me. + for doctor character