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James Herbert: The Rats At 40
A tribute to James Herbert and the 40th anniversary of The Rats written by his biographer Craig Cabell.
13 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 27, 2021
James Herbert was and is one of my favorite horror authors. I have read and re-read so many of his books over the last 40 years I've lost count. It was so good to see that this biography had been re-released I had to buy it immediately. It clearly shows the author is a fan ad that this biography comes from a place of the heart. Not just a biography but an examination of Herbert's work, a must read for any fan pf James Herbert or just horror fiction in general.
April 13, 2013
I have to say that this wasn't one of my favourite Biographies, which is a shame as James Herbert is a favourite author of mine. What Cabell has tried to do is theme each chapter around one of Herbert's books - this creates an interesting critique of Herbert's works, with lots of discussion on the books themselves, but little in the way of insightful comments into the author's life. There is a bit there, but to me in almost felt tacked on to each chapter, rather than being the focus of it. There was a lot of repetition as well, with themes sometimes done to death while other facets of information were glossed over really quickly. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading this as Herbert's books are what I like about him - but I bought this book to find out more about HIM. There were some interesting photos, but none were really discussed that much, so they had little relation to the text. So, overall, interesting, but disappointing.
December 19, 2014
Herbert was the first author that I read, as opposed to books by various authors. I devoured every book that he released, much to the consternation of my primary school teacher who voiced her concerns to my mother one parent's evening. Apparently the other kids in my class were reading Dahl and Blyton, comfortably without a sex scene in sight. I was one of those fans who preferred his early, raw, cut and thrust horror books to his later supernatural thriller type stuff. But, like King, he developed as a writer and his themes changed with the times.
I loved this book as the chapters were linked to his various titles, and it was like rediscovering them again. I am left with a desire to revisit the books that were such a staple part of my childhood/youth. Full of nostalgia, tinged with sadness at his passing.
I loved this book as the chapters were linked to his various titles, and it was like rediscovering them again. I am left with a desire to revisit the books that were such a staple part of my childhood/youth. Full of nostalgia, tinged with sadness at his passing.
April 8, 2015
British horror writer, James Herbert, is a classic and should be far better known in Canada than he currently is. Hopefully, this combination biography and review of his work should add to his reputation. While the writing is a bit fannish, it provides a good general overview of the books and of the films that have been based on his work as well as giving the basic background on his life. A must-read for any fan of the genre which highlights his contributions. - BH.
June 23, 2016
Interesting insight into the world of James Herbert.
June 26, 2025
While any published author - even the best of them - is bound to be at least a little hit-or-miss, there is something I find compulsively enjoyable in reading about authors themselves: the details, the dramas, the influences behind their work. In fact, this is even more the case when it’s a writer I particularly don’t like.
It does make me a bit sad to say this about James Herbert. My first go with him - The Ghosts of Sleath, a long time ago - was surprisingly rewarding. But ever since, each outing has brought diminishing returns. Stephen King's generous endorsements in his brilliant Danse Macabre notwithstanding, I’ve grown increasingly disappointed with Herbert’s repertoire the more I’ve read.
I mean, sure, I didn’t mind The Survivor, and his early, uncharacteristically gentle Fluke is a wonderful novel. But The Rats? The Fog? The Dark? The Spear? Even back in my early days of reading - when I leaned most towards fiction, and horror more than anything - I still found these so-called classics incredibly overrated.
And in later years, when picking up a Herbert novel became both rarer and more cautious, I only grew more frustrated. The last two I read - The Secret of Crickley Hall and Ash—proved to be the worst yet. Indeed, Ash was so bad that I haven’t bothered with Herbert at all in the four years since.
I chose this book with both the sense that Herbert was beyond redemption in my mind, and a conflicted hope that maybe, somehow, this might rekindle my interest - maybe even persuade me to try one more of his books. That’s happened before: I’ve gone from initial admiration to total disillusionment, only to eventually discover a new appreciation. Michael Crichton comes to mind - I once claimed to dislike his work, only to realise later that I’d just been unlucky in the order I read his books.
So—has this book changed my opinion of Herbert?
Well, not really. I still think the books I disliked - some of which I outright hated - were fully deserving of disdain. But have I been too harsh? Or have I just managed to consistently land on his weaker outputs?
Going off this book, that would certainly seem to be the case. I got nothing from The Fog or The Rats, so it's no surprise I didn’t care for Lair (the latter’s sequel) or The Dark (the former’s spiritual successor). Haunted, the first book in the David Ash series, never worked for me, which is a shame, since I’ve always had a soft spot for the film. And the final entry, Ash, was fucking embarrassing.
Still, there’s no denying that this book - written by an obvious admirer - has, perhaps against my better judgment, convinced me I may have simply chosen the worst of Herbert's catalogue. The good ones, it seems, I’ve consistently managed to avoid since finishing the fluke that was Fluke. So maybe Herbert is worthy of the admiration his publishers claimed he enjoyed after all, and I'm just a miserable bastard.
Next time I pick up one of his books, I will dare to be more hopeful. But I’m not holding my breath. I remember back in 2018, I had a similar experience reading a Critical Companion to John Saul. There, the critic’s fascinating insights - and their clear ability to derive enjoyment from an author I considered mediocre at best - had me convinced I’d been too hasty in writing Saul off.
Right up until I read one of his more popular works and realised: No - I fucking was right the first time.
James Herbert books I've read (and reviewed) so far ...
The Rats
The Fog
The Survivor
Fluke
The Spear
Lair
The Dark
Haunted
The Ghosts Of Sleath
The Secret of Crickley Hall
Ash
Approach with caution ...
It does make me a bit sad to say this about James Herbert. My first go with him - The Ghosts of Sleath, a long time ago - was surprisingly rewarding. But ever since, each outing has brought diminishing returns. Stephen King's generous endorsements in his brilliant Danse Macabre notwithstanding, I’ve grown increasingly disappointed with Herbert’s repertoire the more I’ve read.
I mean, sure, I didn’t mind The Survivor, and his early, uncharacteristically gentle Fluke is a wonderful novel. But The Rats? The Fog? The Dark? The Spear? Even back in my early days of reading - when I leaned most towards fiction, and horror more than anything - I still found these so-called classics incredibly overrated.
And in later years, when picking up a Herbert novel became both rarer and more cautious, I only grew more frustrated. The last two I read - The Secret of Crickley Hall and Ash—proved to be the worst yet. Indeed, Ash was so bad that I haven’t bothered with Herbert at all in the four years since.
I chose this book with both the sense that Herbert was beyond redemption in my mind, and a conflicted hope that maybe, somehow, this might rekindle my interest - maybe even persuade me to try one more of his books. That’s happened before: I’ve gone from initial admiration to total disillusionment, only to eventually discover a new appreciation. Michael Crichton comes to mind - I once claimed to dislike his work, only to realise later that I’d just been unlucky in the order I read his books.
So—has this book changed my opinion of Herbert?
Well, not really. I still think the books I disliked - some of which I outright hated - were fully deserving of disdain. But have I been too harsh? Or have I just managed to consistently land on his weaker outputs?
Going off this book, that would certainly seem to be the case. I got nothing from The Fog or The Rats, so it's no surprise I didn’t care for Lair (the latter’s sequel) or The Dark (the former’s spiritual successor). Haunted, the first book in the David Ash series, never worked for me, which is a shame, since I’ve always had a soft spot for the film. And the final entry, Ash, was fucking embarrassing.
Still, there’s no denying that this book - written by an obvious admirer - has, perhaps against my better judgment, convinced me I may have simply chosen the worst of Herbert's catalogue. The good ones, it seems, I’ve consistently managed to avoid since finishing the fluke that was Fluke. So maybe Herbert is worthy of the admiration his publishers claimed he enjoyed after all, and I'm just a miserable bastard.
Next time I pick up one of his books, I will dare to be more hopeful. But I’m not holding my breath. I remember back in 2018, I had a similar experience reading a Critical Companion to John Saul. There, the critic’s fascinating insights - and their clear ability to derive enjoyment from an author I considered mediocre at best - had me convinced I’d been too hasty in writing Saul off.
Right up until I read one of his more popular works and realised: No - I fucking was right the first time.
James Herbert books I've read (and reviewed) so far ...
The Rats
The Fog
The Survivor
Fluke
The Spear
Lair
The Dark
Haunted
The Ghosts Of Sleath
The Secret of Crickley Hall
Ash
Approach with caution ...
November 9, 2015
I find factual, as opposed to fictional, writing tough to get through, even when it's about someone or something I like but this was an all right read. Maybe if I was a bigger fan of Herbert I would have liked it more. I don't know. I'm one of those people who while I liked Herbert's work I much preferred King's. One thing I will say is that this book has made me want to read all of Herbert's work again as, judging from the excerpts in this book, I have seemingly forgotten what they were all about. It has been a while since I read a Herbert book so I should look into doing so again. I really wish Goodreads would allow the option to include books already read in your reading challenge. I'm already about ten books behind my goal, which means there's no time to read old books alongside new ones.
September 22, 2022
This is a wonderful and insightful look at James Herbert, Cabell mines into each of Herbert's books and traces the subject;s humble beginnings from the East End of London to his death.
The most fascinating part is the research Herbert put in before writing every novel and the occult background he explored. Herbert comes across as very down to earth but also dedicated to his craft. From a writer's perspective, even if your not a fan of the genre, its a thoroughly good read.
Every author identifies with other writers and is influenced in some way. I've always identified closest to Dick Francis and James Herbert and I finished Devil in the Dark more motivated to writer than ever.
Worth getting and reading.
The most fascinating part is the research Herbert put in before writing every novel and the occult background he explored. Herbert comes across as very down to earth but also dedicated to his craft. From a writer's perspective, even if your not a fan of the genre, its a thoroughly good read.
Every author identifies with other writers and is influenced in some way. I've always identified closest to Dick Francis and James Herbert and I finished Devil in the Dark more motivated to writer than ever.
Worth getting and reading.
November 30, 2025
After having read his brilliant 1983 novel "The Shrine" I decided to find out more about this somehow mysterious man and his works. The author did an outstanding job with this book. Herbert's upbringing in the East End, the cut and thrust novels from the beginning, the full chamber of horror with reference to all his major works, Herbert's career in advertising, two photo sections, a full chapter on The Shrine (my favorite novel of his so far), his legacy, at the movies, a collectors' guide. Friends, this is the book to read on the English Stephen King, i.e. James Herbert. Highly informative and very insightful. Really recommended!
January 2, 2022
Badly written. Very disappointing since James Herbert himself was such a good writer.
October 16, 2022
Great bio
April 17, 2023
A nostalgia trip through the works of the great English horror writer James Herbet. Makes you want to re-read all his books!
Read
December 6, 2012A good autobiography.
It directed me to read two other books which I found really good.
Sorry cant remember, um, blood king and macabre. By who? Simon king and Stephen law I think ?
Informative, well written and I got out of it what I wanted. Reliable information of the thought processes and drama which JH put into his writing.
It directed me to read two other books which I found really good.
Sorry cant remember, um, blood king and macabre. By who? Simon king and Stephen law I think ?
Informative, well written and I got out of it what I wanted. Reliable information of the thought processes and drama which JH put into his writing.
November 16, 2014
This is more of a study in to the authors work and his thinking behind each of his novels than a full biography of the man himself,but that said if you are a fan,this will prove to be a informative book.
November 4, 2015
I loved reading this books! It was nice to find out all about his time writing his first book-but, it good that I have read all of his books as there is spoilers in the book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews