The X-Files: Goblins

The X-Files #1

by Charles L. Grant

Opening the X-Files...

Meet Mulder and Scully, FBI. The agency maverick and the agent assigned to keep him in line.

Their job: investigate the eeriest unsolved mysteries in modern America, from pyro-psychics to death row demonics, from rampaging Sasquatches to alien invasions. The cases the Bureau wants handled quietly, but quickly, before the public finds out what's really out there. And panics. The cases filed under "X."

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller, Audiobook

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Charles Lewis Grant was a novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror." He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, and Deborah Lewis.

Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a folder on my hard drive— named “Apocrypha,” what else?— that, like maybe anyone who came of age on the internet at the same time, is full of X-Files fan fiction. Stories I’ve saved, stories I’ve written (like an ambitious/incomplete undertaking where I elaborated greatly on the canon of seasons 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, episode by episode), so there’s the understatement for you: that I’ve read and written, and still write and read, my share of X-Files fanfic. I may be able to speak with some authority on the subject, is what I’m saying.

A few weeks ago, I was at the beach. One afternoon was nothing but storms, and I ended up spending all of it in this little used bookshop talking to the owner for hours. We covered so much ground, and got around to fanfic and the joys of it, and talked about our favorite shows, and before I left with my stack of books she tossed this one in for kicks. Not even ironically or nostalgically or self-consciously— but plenty self-indulgently— this was the first book I went for as soon as I was back in the room. I got a bucket of ice to eat like popcorn and, already channeling Mulder and Scully enough in my choice of shitty motels, curled up in the big bed to read all night about Mulder and Scully working a case in shitty motels.

Sometimes the place and time you read a book is all you need.

This? This was surprisingly a blast. Terse, crisp language. Not choked with adverbs. Very little that made me cringe. Mulder was written pretty spot on, and Scully a little less than spot on at first but then better later on— which I completely understand because of how hard Scully is to write. The secondary characters needed more development, and the word “goblins” could have been used half as much and still been plenty, but beyond that, my complaints are few and far between. It’s a serviceable little horror story with two familiar faces, that puts Waylon Jennings on the jukebox on page 2, that not once, not even once, describes Mulder as “lanky,” and that has plenty of fun getting where it’s going. There’s my criteria, right there.

It isn’t up there with some of the best fanfic I’ve read, but paid or not, published or not, there’s something special about enjoying a story so much you make it your own, and Grant holds his own. On the dark, dark day gossamer.org is gone forever (heaven forbid), at least I’ll have this book and my hard drive to keep me company.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad. Blatant sexism throughout. Women are simply present to nag, be appreciated visually, and supplement male characters. Speaking of the male characters, they're so bland the most expressive action they make is running their fingers through their hair. They seem to have ridiculously good luck that sucks the plot dry of all intrigue. And the humour? As funny as men eating steaks and women eating salads. Yeah, that's actually in there. Dated, boring, and thankfully finished.

[Supratim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second The X-Files novel that i have read and must say that I found this one to be much better.

Brief synopsis: An ex-sergeant and later a corporal is murdered and as usual the testimony provided by the witnesses does not make sense. Mulder and Scully, this time accompanied by another pair of agents are sent to investigate. There you have hints of covert military experiments, a nosy reporter trying to find the killer, a lady who claims to see goblins etc. - enough elements to create a decent thriller.

The story is intended to be a fast read and the writing is simple. Parts of the mystery are fairly obvious but the suspense factor was present. I enjoyed the twists at the end.

If you are a fan of The X-files then you would enjoy it and even if you have not seen the TV series and want a decent thriller for quick reading I would recommend it to you.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good X-Files adventure. It was published way back during the second season of the original show, before the back story became too convoluted and compacted, and it can be read and enjoyed and understood as a spooky suspense procedural even if you don't know what brand of cigarettes or what happened to rat boy. It's like a monster-of-the-week episode with perhaps a few more characters introduced than necessary, but Mulder and Scully ring true and that's really all you need. It lacks the moody quiet atmosphere and subtly rounded edges of Grant's long dark original novels but delivers if you're looking for a quick, fun X-File read. Do you want to believe?

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read half of this book and was so confused that I started all over from the beginning. There were so many (pointless) characters and so many convoluted plot points that I literally had to make a list of them all so I could follow the storyline.

Since there are so many extraneous characters, the plot doesn't strictly follow just Mulder and Scully. In fact, initially Mulder is partnered with a different agent and sent on a totally different case, then after all the details of that are ironed out and explained thoroughly, their boss suddenly changes their assignment before it even starts, and sends both Mulder and Scully on a different case in a different location. I was legit taking notes. First they were discussing a case they just wrapped up in Mississippi, then they were assigned to go to Louisiana, then Mulder was bemoaning their bad luck and saying it could only be worse if they were going to North Dakota (...random...), but in the end they wind up in New Jersey. Was all that really necessary?

New characters continue to be added for the entire first half of the book. We are introduced to almost the entire populace of a rural town and are thrust up into everybody's business. You actually find out who is sleeping with whom, and it is rarely relevant to the plot. I not only took notes on their names, but their relationships to one another. Why? Because, for example, there is a murder victim whose fiancée's cousin is one of Mulder's good friends, and this friend of Mulder's wants him to look into the murder. But the reason the agents are assigned to investigate the murder is actually because the dead man's fiancée's brother is an Air Force major who has a connection in congress. Can you follow that?

The plot itself was one of my least favorite X-Files tropes: the military experiment conspiracy. To me those are kind of like filler episodes. They are so busy convoluting their own stories that they provide zero character growth and relationship development. In this case the situation was complicated by the fact that there were no clues leading up to the big reveal, so there was no way for the reader to guess who the culprit(s) was/were; instead, Mulder and Scully just suddenly, randomly realize exactly what is going on and who is behind it all, and it just didn't make any sense the way they jump to such wild (but bizarrely accurate) conclusions.

The characterization felt really off. Mulder is apparently held in high esteem by the bureau in this alternate universe (that's as far from canon as you can get). Scully just felt like a completely different person. In the series, she's literally an M.D. But in Goblins, Scully scolds Mulder to button his coat or he'll "catch pneumonia." And while at one point she does read another physician's autopsy report, her only comment is, "Why aren't there any pictures?"

At times the story just comes across as silly. One of the extraneous agents, Hank Webber, is clearly just there for comic relief. And, sadly, he was the best thing about this book. Whether he's getting teased for eating a whole stack of syrupy pancakes for breakfast like he's a teenager with an infinite tolerance to sugar, or being mocked for how green he is at the job, he's an adorable puppy and you can't help but love him. And also pity him because nobody is nice to him at all. He doesn't even get respect when he's the one who saves the day at the climax by taking out the shooter who is about to kill Mulder. I would give this book only one star, but for Agent Webber. Hank, you're my hero.

Probably the funniest thing, though, was when Mulder and Scully were driving to the scene of the big climax, and Mulder suddenly jumps out of the car because he thinks he can run faster than they can drive. He's wounded, by the way, and limping. Though he does arrive at the location at the exact same time as Scully, who is left to take the wheel Mulder abandoned despite the traffic piled up behind them.

Finally, I must comment on the rampant sexism in this book. And I might add homophobia and racism, too, because there are no gay characters or people of color in the entire story, but the author chose to have his characters use slurs against both minorities. Yes, it was the 90s and this is an "adult" book; one of them is a drunk soldier and the other is an elderly woman...but...really? Use an F-bomb if you want to be edgy. (He didn't.)

Another reviewer commented that the men order steaks for dinner while the women order salads. Yes, that actually happened. I was waiting for it. Also, every woman in the book is measured by how doable she is. The author discusses their use of makeup, makes Scully jealously judge the other female agent for her husky voice, and describes all their breasts. There isn't a woman in the book who isn't weighed for her worth by her looks.

One man physically assaults Scully twice. It is SO uncomfortable. The author is at least trying to let on like the guy is a sleaze, but his behavior (like any predator's) is ignored by the other male in the room (Mulder) and Scully is left to try and physically dodge the man's unwanted "hugs." This is a scenario EVERY woman has experienced. It's gross and although completely accurate, you can't even consider that the author might be aware of that, because the entire book is written from a blatantly sexist point of view. Every time Scully opens her mouth, Mulder interrupts her about five times before he lets her speak. And literally every villain in the book ended up being a woman. A female scientist has turned a female cop into a "goblin," and uses her to eliminate her male competition. The female goblin enjoys killing and becomes essentially a serial killer for the fun of it, but she only kills men and takes great pleasure in doing so. And the female agent working with Mulder and Scully is suddenly revealed to be working for another government organization which is seeking to destroy the X-Files - Mulder, in particular. Which was really random and stupid.

So I guess, in sum, I did not like this book. I did not like the author's writing, either his point-of-view or his characterization of the X-Files characters. I wouldn't recommend this book to any X-Files fan and I wouldn't read it again. My copy is going to a used bookstore.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The X-Files: Goblins
By Charles L. Grant
I loved the show and read one other X-File book. I don't remember who wrote it, but I did enjoy it. This was interesting but predictable.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eine ziemlich mediokre Geschichte, die mich nicht gepackt hat. Was schwerer wiegt: Entgegen einigen anderen Lesern bin ich der Meinung, dass es Grant nicht gelingt, die spezielle Stimmung der X-Files zu treffen, die sich aus der besonderen Beziehung zwische Scully und Mulder ergibt.
Grant hat auch einen weiteren X-Files Roman geschrieben, der wie dieser keine Novelisation einer Show-Folge ist, aber ich bezweifele momentan, dass ich "Wirbelsturm" lesen werde.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok Its sunday and time for some retro reading - I will put my hand up (rather sheepishly) that at the time of its airing I loved the x-files. They were something new and interesting and had a sense of fun - even if they became harder and harder to believe - I remember the tag line on the first episode (or was it the pilot) where they said it was based on a true story, hmm how closely based I wonder. Anyway this book follows the same formula as the show - although it does not quote a specific time or location in the series I would place it somewhere around the second series. The storyline has the usual elements - cover ups, conspiracies, shadowy government projects, supposedly random killings which actually have dubious connections, you know the drill.
The book itself is pretty straight forward, the writing style though never quite the same as the way I perceive the TV show is not that far off, but I will admit its nothing special. The book reads more like an actual episode that was never made rather than a book of some special event outside the usual TV series and as such once I finished it there was a feeling all that was left was the rolling credits with a voice over saying what could be expected in the next book. Don't get me wrong I loved reading the book again, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling remembering the hours of enjoyment from watching the show but thats just it, it reminded me of the show, not how amazing the book was.

[Iophil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Non è neanche un libro terribile, il problema è che è un libro di cui non si sente mai l'effettiva necessità (cosa che forse a posteriori è pure peggio). Sembra davvero una di quelle puntate di X-Files poco interessanti, che uscivano giusto perché bisognava mantenere la periodicità dello show. Questo libro, probabilmente, è stato un tentativo di sfruttare la popolarità di cui all'epoca godeva la serie, portandola su altri lidi per monetizzare il più possibile.
La scarsa cura con cui è stato confezionato questo volume si racchiude in quello che è il suo difetto più grave, a mio parere: Mulder e Scully sono diversissimi da quelli che abbiamo imparato ad amare nella serie televisiva. Hanno una caratterizzazione molto più piatta e generica, in più spesso si comportano come i "veri" personaggi mai avrebbero fatto. Sembra quasi che l'autore nemmeno conoscesse X-Files e le sue peculiarità!
Sinceramente la possibilità di leggere trasporti su carta quelli che sono due dei miei personaggi preferiti era stata la molla che mi aveva portato a recuperare questo libro. Per accontentare gli appassionati della serie, sarebbe bastato creare un'avventura senza troppe pretese, ma che ci mostrasse gli autentici agenti FBI che tanto amiamo. Ma purtroppo qui di X-Files c'è solo il nome, non certo l'anima.

Ci sono poi altri difetti: l'idea di fondo per il "monster of the week" di turno non è nulla di particolarmente originale, la storia si dilunga eccessivamente su personaggi secondari sconosciuti, poco carismatici e poco interessanti (e creati ad uso esclusivo di questo romanzo...), la prosa è al più funzionale alla narrazione, ma certamente poco ispirata e molto poco interessante dal punto di vista del coinvolgimento del lettore. Anche l'orrore, specialmente per via di questa scarsa efficacia stilistica, risulta pressoché assente.

Un libro fiacco, che cerca di limitarsi al compitino senza nemmeno arrivare ad esso.
Assolutamente deludente.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am afraid I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped. I had a good amount of expectations but unfortunately the characters didn't felt as I remember them. It's a shame really. In this book Mulder and Scully are trying to find out a killer but what's odd about that murderer is that there is no glues except that it disappears. Some people think it's just a killer, but some villagers think there is are goblins or maybe a chameleon kind of being. It's quite interesting how everything happens and I enjoy that part. What I didn't enjoy was the characters. They didn't felt the characters I remember.

Oh well, this will not block me to keep reading Charles L Grant novels OR other x-files books. 47/100

[Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get that this was written in the 90’s and it was a different time. But damn, how the author talks about women is one of the most disgusting things ever. I feel like the vibe of this book was just for women to be whatever men needed. Wish I could say we left that attitude in that past only we haven’t! Looking at you, far righters.

[Nathan Worthington · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I recently learned that there was a group of X-Files novels that were mainly published during the original run of the TV show (1990s), I knew that I had to look into them, at least out of pure curiosity. Truthfully, I was not expecting much from the first book in the series, Goblins (1994).

Well, I was pleasantly surprised in a good way. This novel was published not too long after the show had first started to air its freshman season (1993). So, a lot of things about characters & situations had not yet been finalized. It was refreshing to see a book published so early in a TV show's history before things had been 'set in stone,' as they say.

This book really did feel like an actual early episode of the TV show, especially matching its 'monster of the week' format. I will not go into much for fear of spoilers, but if you enjoyed the freshmen season of the TV show, you would probably enjoy this novel.

Looking forward to reading the rest of the series at a later point. Hope they are all as good as the first novel.

[Bryan Cebulski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that Charles L. Grant's "quiet horror" would appeal to me--the phrase brings to mind something slow and broody and culminating in something absolutely chilling or shocking (Adrean Messmer's Psychopomp and Circumstance comes to mind, or maybe some of Shirley Jackson's work). But aside from some beautifully evocative descriptions in the short stories I've read from his collection Nightmare Seasons, "quiet horror" seems to be code for "nothing actually happening".

I was really looking forward to an X-Files novel, too! A novel, rather than a TV show, for me has two things that it can offer to the series--an opportunity to actually get into the headspaces of its protagonists and a chance to further explore the mythology of its monster-of-the-week. Unfortunately we get only a little bit of the former and none of the latter.

Goblins is essentially an okay filler episode, with unnecessary new characters who distract from the infinitely endearing protagonists, wonky plot progression, and an underwhelming monster to fend off.

An X-Files novel could expand upon Mulder and Scully's dynamic—give us extended scenes of them interacting and let us know what they're thinking about each other. Basically just give a richer example of the dynamic we see all the time in the show. We get a little of this—just small comments detailing how they understand one another's idiosyncracies, but nowhere near sufficient. It feels like they barely even interact in this novel, honestly, as their place in the narrative constantly gets set to the side by a novel-exclusive pair of agents who team up with the iconic duo, an extremely boring sports-writer side character, and the antagonists. The process of their investigation feels all off besides, which just adds to the overall disappointment—like some of the lesser episodes of the series, they merely stumble into the plot points rather than find their own way to them.

The personalities of Mulder and Scully are close but not quite right. Mulder is far too well-liked by others and Scully is far too stand-offish (reminds me of the exaggerated bully version of her in “Bad Blood”). Perhaps it has partly to do with the fact that we don't have the actors to bring these characters' charisma to life, but the writing itself isn't doing itself any favors. We're also shown little from Scully's point-of-view, something I unfortunately expected from Grant because male authors of that generation often think women are so alien that they're impossible to write from the POV of (for example, Stephen King preferring to write from Bev's abusers' perspectives rather than Bev herself in It). But even given this casual misogyny, c'mon—it's The X-Files and it's Scully! She's supposed to be our point-of-view character, doesn't anybody remember the pilot?

As for the monster-of-the-week, don't go in expecting much of anything. You get an ever-so-subtle suggestion of what it is in the title of the book. Barring a light twist, don't expect much more in terms of origin or motivation or, well, much of anything. Even bad X-Files episodes could be elevated by an interesting monster or one that at least has an interesting history outside of the episode (ie the Jersey Devil). Here though, it's okay but there's no history behind them or detailed enough exploration of why they're scary. It's actually a monster that would be much better suited to a visual medium—like those extremely creepy tree guys in “Detour”.

I'll probably read more X-Files novels, if only because I love the characters and if only because I suddenly have all the audiobooks available at my new library. This wasn't a great introduction though. I just didn't see what Charles Grant wanted to do with the material.

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the TV series. Love the reunion episodes that have recently been aired. And knowing that's it's near impossible to translate TV characters to book form without completely missing I was pleasantly surprised by this first X-Files novel. I thought Grant captured the characters fairly well. The beginning was slow and the writing was at times scattershot and skeletal. But I ultimately enjoyed another newly discovered "episode" of Mulder and Scully.

[Omaira · Rating 1 out of 5]

"A pesar de ser una novela relativamente corta, se me hizo eterna su lectura. No sabe crear un verdadero ambiente de suspenso y considero que no logra que puedas llegar a plantearte que está sucediendo algo sobrenatural. Los personajes no generan mucho interés y solo destacaría que las últimas páginas fueron un poco mejores que el resto del libro".

Reseña completa: http://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspot...

[G.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Praticamente come guardare un episodio in TV.

[Sesili · Rating 2 out of 5]

Priča manje više, ali koliko je omašio likove, bolno zaista.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have made for an incredible episode, it’s just a little complicated with too many characters for it to be a real satisfying book.

[Alejandro Orradre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelización de la mítica serie americana Expediente X -desconozco si es un capítulo emitido o una historia nueva-, que no llega al nivel de la ficción televisiva pero se deja leer y pasas una tarde entretenida.

Lo único reprochable es una cierta confusión en algunos diálogos, en los que no terminas de saber quién está hablando.

[Clive Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you were a fan of this series back in the 90s, then this book will bring back a rush of warm memories, and indeed, this was my prime reason for reading it. Solidly good rather than brilliant, it was an enjoyable two-session read. If there are further novels out there, I will be seeking them out.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad but it’s defo not good either

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The X-Files 01 Goblins by Charles L. Grant

3.75 Stars

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I liked this book better than I thought I would, to be honest. I was skeptical about this book series, since I hadn't taken the time to watch the series when it was out...why would I like it, now?

I think that the "appointment" style viewing that we had back then...made everyone choose ahead of time "what shows they were going to watch". I chose not to watch it. I think I saw two episodes throughout its run.

Since I am a completionist, and I hadn't started at the beginning, I decided "it wasn't for me".

I enjoyed learning about Fox Mulder, and his abilities to focus and fall into the case (some saying, too much) and how Dana Scully was the balance that he needs to keep the train on the track. That dynamic allows for drawing outside the lines, but also staying grounded enough to "get the job done".

This story was fairly good. A good start into exploring the unexplained cases...when there are parts of the case that don't fit within the normal.

The truth is out there...

Next up is The X-Files 02 Whirlwind by Charles Grant

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I'll cover the positive. Charles Grant does an excellent job setting the atmosphere. I've always associated The X-Files with a dreary overcast sky and a cool breeze in the air. I believe the characters are true to who they are on screen. As of now, I've only seen the first season and really enjoyed it.

A lot of the story is fleshed out well, but some bits and pieces are confusing. We jump between different characters and locations without a lot of context as to what's happening. I thought I was missing something somewhere, but it's just the style of the author for this story.

Fans of the show may appreciate this book, but I must warn you, it's not rated PG. I was seriously shocked by the amount of foul language used in this book. One would think, as a television tie-in, the novel would reflect more of the show's tone. However, that's not the case for X-Files: Goblins. It's not overly sexual, but the language used was a major disappointment for me.

Do I recommend you read this book? If you're a big fan of The X-Files, you might like it, but if you have no interest in the 90s television series, don't waste your time.

RATING
The X-Files: Goblins receives a C,

[Hayden Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors writing a novelization for one of my favorite shows…and it’s titled GOBLINS!? I couldn’t gobble this up fast enough!

Even before I knew Grant did a couple X-Files novels, I could tell he must’ve been a fan of the show. His Black Oak series feels like he just wanted to play around in that sandbox so bad, and he does a pretty good job with the characters. They feel right and the mystery is compelling enough.

This is a monster-of-the-week story. Everyone loves those. The X-Files often did twists on their monsters of the week, sometimes to disappointing effect—the Jersey Devil, chupacabra, etc. This is one of those. Sadly, no little woodland monster men running around causing havoc. Sometimes you want what it says on the cover.

[Nicole Obren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think a book has ever made pull so many faces whilst reading it. In this case, it was a mixture of eye rolls, scrunching up my face with cringe, or just plain laughing at the blatant sexism littered throughout the book.

So you might think, how did I finish the book? The answer is one word: Scully.

[Read With Chey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as someone who is an avid fan of the show. My main complaints are about the author and the formatting: the writing was choppy and confusing and it jumped from person to scene without any break in the chapter. It was really confusing at times.

[Colton Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this so that I could cross off the “X” entry in my A-Z challenge. The author had a good understanding of the characters of Mulder and Scully, but there was nothing really here to hold my interest. Just watch a few episodes of the show and you’ll have a better time than reading this.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in this one. The book focuses too much on FBI politics and not Scully & Mulder.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good, if a bit short.

[Crystal Staley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for any X-Files fan. 👽