Blowfly

by David Loman

First UK edition Horror

Genres: Horror

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This gloriously over-the-top ‘paperback nasty’ from 1984 appears to have it all - a hot English summer, millions of blowfly (that are actually hybrid’s so they reproduce at a tremendous rate), lots of maggots inside people that have to come out somehow and no apparent way of killing them off - and while it doesn’t really deliver, the reader has fun along the way (assuming, of course, you like this kind of grubby Brit horror, which I most definitely do). Loman, who doesn’t appear to have written anything else, sets things up nicely - people, location, the flies themselves - but then keeps running himself into corners, so other characters have to come on and explain what’s happening. Mark Lambert, crippled in the troubles while on patrol in Ulster, helps his dad run the Dartmoor farm where the flies are first spotted and although we assume he’s the hero he is superceded by Dr Ian Wilde, an entomologist who’d not only once holidayed at Mark’s farm, but figures out what’s going on and has enough clout that the military listen to him. There are other characters - Marion, who fancies Mark and wants him to ask her hand in marriage; Helen, a young widowed nurse who is attacked by the flies, survives and falls in love with Ian - but for the most part they don’t have a great deal to do and we also suffer that odd 1980s thing where characters are mentioned once by name and then never seen again. The horror, when it comes (a baby is attacked, a tramp, a bus, some teenaged tearaways, the afore-mentioned Helen and an old lady on the moors) is well done but it seems as though Loman tires of the sport and soon the attacks all happen ‘off-stage’, with either characters mentioning them or a quick round-up in the text (which, for this kind of book, isn’t really on). A good use of location helps but this doesn’t quite deliver what I’d hoped it would though if you like early 80s Brit paperback horror, you should probably give it a go.

[Mehmet]

Flies are not scary, but they are horrible insects, with a breeding cycle disgusting enough that I am not surprised that a horror novel is made about them.
Experiencing a time at my parents house when we (and neighbours) were infested with blue bottles from the drains, the councils said that its most likely a rat died and got stuck under the house. So for roughly a month there was a nasty smell and blue bottles flying around straight toward the window and dying. This stressful experience made this book most vivid in my imagination.
Alas I cannot really recommend it though, pulp horror can be fun, but is not as easy to write as it seems. In capable hands such as Shaun Hutson and Guy N Smith it is great. But the author of Blowfly starts of well but does not hold the excitement consistently. For me the book went through various stages that kept my interest and boring stage that made it drag. Plus the writing style seemed very amateurish at times. I knew what I was getting into when I chose to read this book as 80s creature novels are not often masterpieces. But there are good examples i have read. This book was not one of them.

[Scottevil · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an almost-40-year-old killer bug book, this was surprisingly thoughtful in its characterizations and plot decisions. It did follow all the expected beats, from the ramping up of strange insect behavior to maulings before the full-on bug assault happens, but that’s to be expected of the genre. It was also as delightfully gross as one would expect from a story about flesh-hungry flies and their squirming maggot brood.

[Karen Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this one (if enjoyment is applicable to all things Scarpetta/Marino). It felt very much as if every part was laid out for me. Not much room to make judgements of my own. I am an intelligent reader who likes to draw assumptions and test her theories as the story develops. Ah well - next please!

[Scott Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like a good nature run amok book and this was a good one.

There is definitely something about flies and maggots that makes you queasy

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millions and millions of hybrid flies swarming and covering humans entering their ears, nose and mouths. Adults and even babies will suffocate as flies penetrate their mouths and slide down their throats. White shapes, moving headless legless, writhing into human meat, escaping deep and further down the maggots will grow before finally taking flight as the life cycle continues. Disgusting, filthy flies on a destructive course that need to be eradicated before it's too late.