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Throttle
"They rode west from the slaughter, through the painted desert, and did not stop until they were a hundred miles away." So begins Throttle's terrifying odyssey down desolate Route 6, a long stretch of road in Nevada's empty desert. Vince, his son Race, and his pack of bikers, The Tribe, are on the run, but it's not long before the group is chased by something far more frightening and relentless than the memory of their own crimes. In Throttle, Stephen King and his son, novelist Joe Hill, have paired up to write a suspenseful novella in homage to Richard Matheson's famous "Duel," a story which also features a mysterious driver with deadly road rage. In both works, the driver is faceless, a senseless source of terror that feels almost machine-like, inhuman: King and Hill reveal only his arm hanging out of his window, "a cigarette smoldering between two fingers." Throughout, the story is enlivened with vivid illustrations, and the prose is quieter and more lyrical than we've come to expect from King, full of visual detail: the desert cliffs "striped in chalky shades of yellow and red," the "tires churning up a fog of dust that turned the blue sky white." It seems Hill may have had a strong hand in the prose, but a father-son team is definitely behind this: amid its horror, the real heart of Throttle is the complex, thorny relationship between Vince and his son. Nothing is black and white in this horror story. The reader will no doubt root for The Tribe in Throttle's battle, but as the curtain closes, everyone has blood on their hands. --Simone Gorrindo
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First published February 1, 2009
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About the author
Joe Hill
505 books29.9k followersJoe Hill's debut, Heart-Shaped Box, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His second, Horns, was made into a film freakfest starring Daniel Radcliffe. His other novels include NOS4A2, and his #1 New York Times Best-Seller, The Fireman... which was also the winner of a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror Novel.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
January 28, 2020
The story about a biker gang of ex-cons and vets was really growing on me the more I came into it. At first your hear about a burnt down meth lab and some 60 grand missing. When Clarke and his girlfriend are killed a mysterious trucker (great hommage to The Duel) overhears their conversation on the parking lot of the diner. Now the chase is open. Who will will, truck or the bikers? You'll see a relentless race for life or death on some dusty deserted piece of road. Live pretty or die laughing is the slogan of The Tribe. Well, the story had a bit of a slow start and there was much father-son conflict between Race and Vince (maybe the author's relationsship to his father from a different perspective) and talk about different wars and veterans. It was also a story about values. Good story that had a good pace once in flow. The mysterious trucker (you only see his arm with the tattoo) whose real personality is revealed in the end and the monster semi was my favourite motif here. Recommended!
April 3, 2017
3.5 Stars
Took me a while to get revved-up, but when the souped-up Semi Trucker began barreling down on the biker dudes, THROTTLE turned into one hell of an explosive horror novella.
A lot of "bang" for your buck!
August 25, 2014
A trucker chases a biker gang across the Nevada desert. Carnage ensues.
Stephen King and Joe Hill team up for this tale which originally appeared in a Richard Matheson tribute anthology. Fittingly enough, it prominently features a father and son in a biker gang called The Tribe.
Fresh from a meth deal gone wrong, The Tribe speeds across the desert, looking for a way to get back its $60,000. For some reason, a trucker wants them dead.
That's pretty much all I can tell without just spoiling the entire story. There's a lot of blood and gore and a surprising amount of character moments between Vince and Race. I wonder if the conflict between them was in any way inspired by the collaboration of the Kings on this story.
It's a fun short story and a great read when you're looking for anything to do besides yardwork out in the heat of the Missouri summer. Four out of five stars.
Stephen King and Joe Hill team up for this tale which originally appeared in a Richard Matheson tribute anthology. Fittingly enough, it prominently features a father and son in a biker gang called The Tribe.
Fresh from a meth deal gone wrong, The Tribe speeds across the desert, looking for a way to get back its $60,000. For some reason, a trucker wants them dead.
That's pretty much all I can tell without just spoiling the entire story. There's a lot of blood and gore and a surprising amount of character moments between Vince and Race. I wonder if the conflict between them was in any way inspired by the collaboration of the Kings on this story.
It's a fun short story and a great read when you're looking for anything to do besides yardwork out in the heat of the Missouri summer. Four out of five stars.
October 29, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
If you’re a “Constant Reader” you should already be well aware of the fact that Stephen King knows how to do a story about a semi . . .
(and a vending machine – Ha! That scene still cracks me up)
What happens when you add a little Joe Hill to the mix? You get a motorcycle gang too . . .
It seems theSons of Anarcy Tribe has found themselves in a bit of trouble and it just keeps escalating. After a failed attempt at creating a meth empire and an even bigger failure of collecting answers/money owed, the boys are hightailing their way across the Nevada desert. When they stop at a local diner to hash out their next move, their not-so-law-abiding conversation is overhead by a trucker, who then spends the next 20 miles trying to eliminate the gang one by one.
Talk about full throttle. This little story is the epitome of the term “action packed.” Not only does the chase pack a wallop, but the fleshing out of characters and them dealing with their inner demons in such a short tale is remarkable. Joe Hill and Stephen King writing together is the greatest combination to happen since someone’s chocolate fell into someone else’s peanut butter.
(^^^^ERMAHGERD!)
Where was I? Oh yeah, this story I’m supposedly reviewing. Anyway, it’s short, it’s gross, it’s good and it’ll give you a little mindfuckaroo at the end. I think this one could have received all 5 Stars from me if the dynamic duo of King and Hill had given it an extra 25 pages and let us into the world of not only the bikers, but also the semi driver . . .
And given the opportunity to present us with a complete book rather than a story???? I’m fairly certain they could have really twisted things around and had me routing for the "bad guy" : )
Oh, and because Anne dared me to find a way to put semi-naked men in my next three reviews I say CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!!
It even ties in with the whole biker theme. I’m amazing!!!!
Also, Praiz said she loves Jax and Opie and requested pics of both . . . Sidenote: I asked my husband about this ‘cause I don’t watch Sons of Anarchy and he said Opie is dead and has been dead for quite awhile. I don’t know about having a crush on a zombie motorcycle gang member (that seems extremely hazardous to your health), but I’m a giver ; )
If you’re a “Constant Reader” you should already be well aware of the fact that Stephen King knows how to do a story about a semi . . .
(and a vending machine – Ha! That scene still cracks me up)
What happens when you add a little Joe Hill to the mix? You get a motorcycle gang too . . .
It seems the
Talk about full throttle. This little story is the epitome of the term “action packed.” Not only does the chase pack a wallop, but the fleshing out of characters and them dealing with their inner demons in such a short tale is remarkable. Joe Hill and Stephen King writing together is the greatest combination to happen since someone’s chocolate fell into someone else’s peanut butter.
(^^^^ERMAHGERD!)
Where was I? Oh yeah, this story I’m supposedly reviewing. Anyway, it’s short, it’s gross, it’s good and it’ll give you a little mindfuckaroo at the end. I think this one could have received all 5 Stars from me if the dynamic duo of King and Hill had given it an extra 25 pages and let us into the world of not only the bikers, but also the semi driver . . .
And given the opportunity to present us with a complete book rather than a story???? I’m fairly certain they could have really twisted things around and had me routing for the "bad guy" : )
Oh, and because Anne dared me to find a way to put semi-naked men in my next three reviews I say CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!!
It even ties in with the whole biker theme. I’m amazing!!!!
Also, Praiz said she loves Jax and Opie and requested pics of both . . . Sidenote: I asked my husband about this ‘cause I don’t watch Sons of Anarchy and he said Opie is dead and has been dead for quite awhile. I don’t know about having a crush on a zombie motorcycle gang member (that seems extremely hazardous to your health), but I’m a giver ; )
November 22, 2017
The blurb says this was inspired by Richard Matheson's Duel but has a Sons of Anarchy vibe to it as well. A trucker is chasing down a tribe of motorcyclists on a Nevada freeway. This father/son writing dual feature a father/son in this short story. Over a stretch of 20 long and lonely miles, a trucker is hell bent on their destruction. Why? Be careful what you talk about in public!
February 29, 2020
Trying to fill a day-long gap before tackling a major reading project, I discovered two short stories about the issues of road rage. Having read the first—Richard Matheson’s Duel—I turned to this piece by father and son duo, Stephen King and Joe Hill. This piece is supposedly influenced by Matheson’s earlier work, packing just as much punch in a story about modern road rage. The spin makes it just as enjoyable, but equally unique. As an outlaw biker gang talks about a missed opportunity to score a pile of money when their meth lab explodes, they fail to notice a trucker sitting in his rig. By the time the trucker’s presence is noticed by the apparent leader of the rag-tag group, it’s time for the truck to hit the road. In a sort of panic, the bikers take it upon themselves to ensure their criminal ways are not discussed or reported to anyone. They take after the rig, in hopes of offering a lesson in permanent silence. However, this faceless driver is anything but docile, playing his own game with those on two wheels in a piece that pushes road rage to a new and bloody level. As the race is on, both sides seek to exert their own dominance, but there can only be one winner, as the Nevada highway stretches out before them. A great spin on the Matheson piece by these two stalwarts in the horror genre. Recommended to those who need a quick dose of King/Hill magic, as well as the reader who enjoyed Matheson’s piece (as I did) and wanted to see a modern reinterpretation.
I always love a good King story and his collaboration with his own son makes for an even better piece. I almost feel as though Richard Matheson deserves a shout out here, as though his initial creation of this road rage idea should not go unmentioned. King and Hill portray a modern version of the battle of the roads, where motorcycles have come to prove their own form of dominance. Offering the ‘War vet gone bad’ as the biker, the authors spin an interesting backstory of drugs and murder, as they seek to evade the law. When their past is overheard, they spring into action, trying to scrub out any witness (auditory in this case) to their crimes before seeking a new way to make some illegitimate cash. The race on the road becomes the central theme, though the reader will be just as surprised as the bikers about what awaits them. This is no Sunday afternoon drive! The authors pull Matheson’s clash off the page and inject more blood and horror, seeking to push the limits of the horror genre, while keeping things realistic. Strong character development and a well-paced narrative keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they flip pages, if only to see who will become the victor. I am pleased to have stumbled upon both the Matheson and King/Hill short stories, as they complement one another so well.
Kudos, Messrs. King and Hill, who built on a short story from long ago and made it their own. I enjoy your collaborative efforts and hope to stumble upon more when I need a fix!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I always love a good King story and his collaboration with his own son makes for an even better piece. I almost feel as though Richard Matheson deserves a shout out here, as though his initial creation of this road rage idea should not go unmentioned. King and Hill portray a modern version of the battle of the roads, where motorcycles have come to prove their own form of dominance. Offering the ‘War vet gone bad’ as the biker, the authors spin an interesting backstory of drugs and murder, as they seek to evade the law. When their past is overheard, they spring into action, trying to scrub out any witness (auditory in this case) to their crimes before seeking a new way to make some illegitimate cash. The race on the road becomes the central theme, though the reader will be just as surprised as the bikers about what awaits them. This is no Sunday afternoon drive! The authors pull Matheson’s clash off the page and inject more blood and horror, seeking to push the limits of the horror genre, while keeping things realistic. Strong character development and a well-paced narrative keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they flip pages, if only to see who will become the victor. I am pleased to have stumbled upon both the Matheson and King/Hill short stories, as they complement one another so well.
Kudos, Messrs. King and Hill, who built on a short story from long ago and made it their own. I enjoy your collaborative efforts and hope to stumble upon more when I need a fix!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
April 7, 2023
Story 3.75 stars**
Audio 3.5 stars**
Narrator Stephen Lang
Audio 3.5 stars**
Narrator Stephen Lang
June 8, 2020
“Live pretty or die laughin'.”
A bunch of bikers who call themselves "The Tribe" is being chased down by a trucker across the Nevada desert. Carnage ensures.
I found the fact that a father/son team producing a tale of another father/son team very serendipitous. It's just a short story but very dense. Started off a bit slow but it eventually picked up. The chase scenes were gripping, the tension between the father-son duo was great along with a very satisfying ending. Overall, a great enjoyable read.
A bunch of bikers who call themselves "The Tribe" is being chased down by a trucker across the Nevada desert. Carnage ensures.
I found the fact that a father/son team producing a tale of another father/son team very serendipitous. It's just a short story but very dense. Started off a bit slow but it eventually picked up. The chase scenes were gripping, the tension between the father-son duo was great along with a very satisfying ending. Overall, a great enjoyable read.
September 27, 2024
"Race had stopped paying attention to the rest of them—had stopped seeing them—the moment he understood LAUGHLIN was not just a truck out of control but one bent on tribal slaughter. He had just been aware enough to spot Vince’s hand gesture, but had lost all the rest to a kind of tunnel vision."
4.5 💣🛻
Nice Collab between father and son. Inspired by Richard Matheson's 'Duel'. I wasn't into Throttle at first but it won me over in the end especially after reading the comic adaptation.
4.5 💣🛻
Nice Collab between father and son. Inspired by Richard Matheson's 'Duel'. I wasn't into Throttle at first but it won me over in the end especially after reading the comic adaptation.
May 19, 2020
Again a wonderful teamwork between father and son!!
Yes, it's a short story, but very dense..
A gang called "The Tribe" ( it reminds me of Doctor Sleep) get harrased and haunted by a dangerous and murderous big driver (another S. K. short story comes to my mind) in a deserted and solitary patch..
They are mostly Viet. veterans and on their motorbikes the chances to outrun this madening slaughter are not good indeed!!
So, why is this happening??
Without a clue and the smell of blood and death biting deep in their soul, surviving is getting more and more difficult!!
They have to outwit this monster machine if they want to survive..
It's a quick read, but a satisfactionary one!!
Yes, I like the idea of honor, sacrifice and death..
And how this is interwined to form a short story which kept me interested to the end..
Dean;)
Yes, it's a short story, but very dense..
A gang called "The Tribe" ( it reminds me of Doctor Sleep) get harrased and haunted by a dangerous and murderous big driver (another S. K. short story comes to my mind) in a deserted and solitary patch..
They are mostly Viet. veterans and on their motorbikes the chances to outrun this madening slaughter are not good indeed!!
So, why is this happening??
Without a clue and the smell of blood and death biting deep in their soul, surviving is getting more and more difficult!!
They have to outwit this monster machine if they want to survive..
It's a quick read, but a satisfactionary one!!
Yes, I like the idea of honor, sacrifice and death..
And how this is interwined to form a short story which kept me interested to the end..
Dean;)
April 2, 2017
Stephen King & Joe Hill co-author this short story inspired by Richard Matheson's "Duel". A biker gang and a trucker involved in a deadly chase across the Nevada desert. The story starts off slow but the chase keeps you hooked. There are no clear heroes or villains in this story, it's all shades of grey.
Overall, a quick read with a satisfying ending.
Overall, a quick read with a satisfying ending.
May 6, 2019
In terms of quality, this novella should be a 4 star read, easy. Add to that my overall njoyment reading it and it’s only a 3 star read... maybe even a 2,5, I don't even know.
Now, I’ve never been a fan of certain type of stories. Gangster stuff comes to mind, but also the bikegang stuff like Sons of Anarchy. It just isn’t for me. And this story is just that. So my enjoyment of it was pretty minimal.
Yet, for such a short work of fiction, it did a lot of things right.
Stephen King and Joe Hill’s voices work REALLY well together. I read In The Tall Grass earlier and felt the same way about that.
In just under 50 pages, the authors brought out a solid plot, motives, backstory, characterization, good executed action, and a satisfying conclusion. The added cartoon illustrations were mostly pretty well done and a nice bonus as well. It took awhile for the story to take off, but when it did it became quite good indeed. Good, but I didn't enjoy it. Luckily it was a quick read!
Now, I’ve never been a fan of certain type of stories. Gangster stuff comes to mind, but also the bikegang stuff like Sons of Anarchy. It just isn’t for me. And this story is just that. So my enjoyment of it was pretty minimal.
Yet, for such a short work of fiction, it did a lot of things right.
Stephen King and Joe Hill’s voices work REALLY well together. I read In The Tall Grass earlier and felt the same way about that.
In just under 50 pages, the authors brought out a solid plot, motives, backstory, characterization, good executed action, and a satisfying conclusion. The added cartoon illustrations were mostly pretty well done and a nice bonus as well. It took awhile for the story to take off, but when it did it became quite good indeed. Good, but I didn't enjoy it. Luckily it was a quick read!
May 4, 2012
I'm really not sure why any author, not to mention two, would write a re-make of Richard Matheson's great story, "Duel" but that is basically what "Throttle" is. Fortunately there are enough differences to make this copy tribute exciting. The alert reader can also catch some nice inferences to the B movie genius Roger Corman. This first time collaboration between father and son is a well done piece of suspense fiction on its own and well worth the small change you would pay for this "Kindle Single".
October 29, 2012
I may be totally biased by my love of both of these authors, however this novella was most delicious!
A collaborative homage to Richard Matheson's Duel, which was the inspiration for Spielberg's first film.
I found the fact that a father/son team produced a tale of another father/son team very serendipitous. In this tale the filial paradigm is fraught with violence, suspense and choices with far reaching results.
Again my 5 star rating may be rooted in bias, but somehow I cannot allow myself to believe that!
A collaborative homage to Richard Matheson's Duel, which was the inspiration for Spielberg's first film.
I found the fact that a father/son team produced a tale of another father/son team very serendipitous. In this tale the filial paradigm is fraught with violence, suspense and choices with far reaching results.
Again my 5 star rating may be rooted in bias, but somehow I cannot allow myself to believe that!
September 19, 2019
Well I didn’t fall of the chair with this short story. I did indeed hope for a tiny bit more salt on that idk. An not so well worked relationship between father and son. A bike gang like SOA and the thought of King still having a taste for bikes and trucks and cars which do things and he loving bikes and all. It was a short read with a good end. Overall okish.
October 3, 2022
Read in the Full Throttle collection.
This was one of my favorite Joe Hill shorts of all time — maybe even my singular favorite — as well as my favorite Stephen King short story. Not only was it truly harrowing and grim, but it depicted the difficult and complex relationships possible between an estranged parent and adult child so well. Our narrator's sometimes reluctant love for his son and the ways he must face the conflict between his memories of that happy little boy and the angry, violent, selfish man he has become... well, maybe that's just as scary as the angry trucker they find themselves on the run from.
✨ Content warnings for:
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This was one of my favorite Joe Hill shorts of all time — maybe even my singular favorite — as well as my favorite Stephen King short story. Not only was it truly harrowing and grim, but it depicted the difficult and complex relationships possible between an estranged parent and adult child so well. Our narrator's sometimes reluctant love for his son and the ways he must face the conflict between his memories of that happy little boy and the angry, violent, selfish man he has become... well, maybe that's just as scary as the angry trucker they find themselves on the run from.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
September 25, 2012
It's the stories that could really happen that I have always found the more frightening. Once while babysitting we watched the movie Lord of the Flies. I don't know what the mother was thinking renting that for her small children, all I know is it freaked me the fuck out.
I told myself if they tried to make me read it in High School I would refuse and take the F, that is how much I was creeped by it.
This story could happen, but it does not creep me out, it makes me sad. I know a lot of Veterans fall off the grid, and get into drugs. I know a lot drug addicts get others addicted, and I know a lot of spoiled kids turn out to be spoiled adults.
This story is brutally honest with what can happen if all of these things collide.
I enjoyed that, sometime brutal honesty is the best.
I told myself if they tried to make me read it in High School I would refuse and take the F, that is how much I was creeped by it.
This story could happen, but it does not creep me out, it makes me sad. I know a lot of Veterans fall off the grid, and get into drugs. I know a lot drug addicts get others addicted, and I know a lot of spoiled kids turn out to be spoiled adults.
This story is brutally honest with what can happen if all of these things collide.
I enjoyed that, sometime brutal honesty is the best.
April 5, 2021
A short story by Stephen King and Joe Hill. A short story that wasn’t short enough for me personally. I am struggling to find anything positive to say about this story other than that there are obviously far better books by both of these authors to read.
This is a duel featuring a faceless trucker against a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in the Nevada desert. The duel is carried out over twenty miles of quiet road.
Not my type of book at all but I know from experience there are plenty of gems out there from the two authors.
This is a duel featuring a faceless trucker against a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in the Nevada desert. The duel is carried out over twenty miles of quiet road.
Not my type of book at all but I know from experience there are plenty of gems out there from the two authors.
June 26, 2016
For only being right around 50 pages long I thought King and Hill were able to develop a plot with back story, interesting characters and dialog, suspense and a fulfilling ending.
Definitely worth the .99 and the hour or so it took to read it.
Definitely worth the .99 and the hour or so it took to read it.
December 11, 2020
Originally published in an anthology in honor of Richard Matheson, and directly inspired by Matheson's Duel (which I haven't read), this story follows a Sons of Anarchy type of biker gang trying to figure out how to get their sunken money back from a meth deal gone wrong. The motorcycle tribe, which includes a father and son, mirroring the writing team, find themselves being chased down by a faceless trucker on a forlorn, dusty road in the middle of the Nevada desert, and what ensues can only be described as carnage. It reminded me of 80's B-movies and of King Senior's early splatter stories such as, for obvious reasons, Trucks, but I could spot Joe's influences as well—their voices mesh together well.
It makes for an enjoyable, tension-building and action-packed half an hour of visceral, gory entertainment, but where it really shines is the brutally honest and realistic backstory that manages to be built along-side the deadly chase. It does a lot of things right, but as a whole, it's just not the sort of adrenaline and testosterone-laden story I enjoy, and I would've hoped for something different to come out of this collaboration.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
It makes for an enjoyable, tension-building and action-packed half an hour of visceral, gory entertainment, but where it really shines is the brutally honest and realistic backstory that manages to be built along-side the deadly chase. It does a lot of things right, but as a whole, it's just not the sort of adrenaline and testosterone-laden story I enjoy, and I would've hoped for something different to come out of this collaboration.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
October 15, 2022
only 48 pages but all characters felt established with solid personalities.. it's crazy how this family writes.
Kept me at the edge of my seat and it actually scared me!
Kept me at the edge of my seat and it actually scared me!
December 8, 2022
Keeping it in the family for this short story inspired by Matheson's "Duel". Group of motorcyclists called The Tribe basically get terrorized by a trucker. I mean, if King can't make this creepy and horrific then who can? Remember Christine and Maximum Overdrive? In some ways I'm so happy I don't drive anymore... though I'm waiting for him, Joe or Owen to scare the shit out of me re subways but I won't hold my breath either. *wink*
King and Hill brings us a fully realized story, within a very short amount of pages, that keeps you entertained and having fun on the road. I love the crass humor and bloodshed. What can I say, these stories just speak to me. If you need a quick read, grab this for $0.99 and treat thyself. And stick with it - it took me a bit to get into it but once I did... I DID.
King and Hill brings us a fully realized story, within a very short amount of pages, that keeps you entertained and having fun on the road. I love the crass humor and bloodshed. What can I say, these stories just speak to me. If you need a quick read, grab this for $0.99 and treat thyself. And stick with it - it took me a bit to get into it but once I did... I DID.
January 13, 2017
I get the feeling that Hill and King were sitting around drinking beers and watching marathon "Son's of Anarchy" when they wrote this story. It's awful.
EDIT: Just read it was inspired by Duel. my opinion still stands.
The biggest problem is it just doesn't make any sort of sense. I read a lot of King and Hill so I expect a story that I'll have to suspend my disbelief for sake of plot. I'm OK with evil paranormal clowns, time travel, demons, vampires and any number of outrageous elements if that is the reality of the story. I'm not OK with this. I'm not OK with a story that is supposed to be "real" with a semi truck that can take switchback turns at 80 miles per hour. I don't care if it had all the engine work done to it in the world, that truck would roll. If they made it the devil's semi straight from the mouth of hell? Sure. I'd take that. Hell-trucks can break the laws of physics. But a normal, load-hauling semi that was "super charged" managing to run down bikes of experienced riders on a mountain road? No way. Out on a flat dessert highway where the bikes would bog in sand? Maybe. But on switchbacks? I couldn't get over it.
Their portrayal of bikers was so far off mark it was painful. Single patch clubs aren't outlaws. Three piece patch clubs wouldn't have mixed Japanese/American bikes, ever. They'd all have road names, even if they weren't outlaws. Why can the talk to each other, without headsets, while riding? He's not on a retired California motorcade vehicle so why does he have left hand throttle? They would absolutely be carrying guns, especially to a drug deal. 120 mph is not that fast of a speed to obtain. Who uses first and last names while talking about a murder in public? Why do the pictures show them riding without patches? Don't these guys know they don't have to follow suggested speed signs for turns? Do they not know after decades of riding how to lean into a turn?? This probably wouldn't have bothered me as much if motorcycles weren't such a large part of my life, but I found it difficult to read through all of my eye rolling.
EDIT: Just read it was inspired by Duel. my opinion still stands.
The biggest problem is it just doesn't make any sort of sense. I read a lot of King and Hill so I expect a story that I'll have to suspend my disbelief for sake of plot. I'm OK with evil paranormal clowns, time travel, demons, vampires and any number of outrageous elements if that is the reality of the story. I'm not OK with this. I'm not OK with a story that is supposed to be "real" with a semi truck that can take switchback turns at 80 miles per hour. I don't care if it had all the engine work done to it in the world, that truck would roll. If they made it the devil's semi straight from the mouth of hell? Sure. I'd take that. Hell-trucks can break the laws of physics. But a normal, load-hauling semi that was "super charged" managing to run down bikes of experienced riders on a mountain road? No way. Out on a flat dessert highway where the bikes would bog in sand? Maybe. But on switchbacks? I couldn't get over it.
Their portrayal of bikers was so far off mark it was painful. Single patch clubs aren't outlaws. Three piece patch clubs wouldn't have mixed Japanese/American bikes, ever. They'd all have road names, even if they weren't outlaws. Why can the talk to each other, without headsets, while riding? He's not on a retired California motorcade vehicle so why does he have left hand throttle? They would absolutely be carrying guns, especially to a drug deal. 120 mph is not that fast of a speed to obtain. Who uses first and last names while talking about a murder in public? Why do the pictures show them riding without patches? Don't these guys know they don't have to follow suggested speed signs for turns? Do they not know after decades of riding how to lean into a turn?? This probably wouldn't have bothered me as much if motorcycles weren't such a large part of my life, but I found it difficult to read through all of my eye rolling.
December 21, 2012
3.5 stars. I think Throttle was a little too...."guy-ish" for me. I think that is the word I am looking for. I have to say, the big "wow" was better to me than In the Tall Grass. I didn't see it coming in Throttle. If you like motorcycles, speed, adrenaline, this might be for you. Quick read, and for 99 cents, I can't complain too much. :)
December 17, 2021
2.5 ⭐'s
October 21, 2014
3,5 Sterne
Rezi: http://chrissies-kleine-welt.de/?p=1666
Eine Kurzgeschichte von Joe Hill und Stephen King muss von mir natürlich gelesen werden, da ich Fan beider Autoren bin. “Vollgas” ist eine Zusammenarbeit dieses Vater-Sohn-Gespanns und versteht sich nach Aussage der beiden Autoren als Hommage an den Film “Duell” von Steven Spielberg, welchen ich bis zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt aber nicht gesehen habe. Auch das gleichnamige Buch von Richard Matheson ist mir bisher nicht bekannt.
Eine Motorradgang namens Die Stämme, bestehend aus hauptsächlich alternden Veteranen, jagen über die Straßen. Sie versuchen vor einer Tat davonzufahren, die sie erst vor Kurzem im Affekt begangen haben. Alle Mitglieder sind hart im Nehmen und bereits mindestens einmal im Knast gewesen, doch sowas hat noch niemand von ihnen erlebt. Unter den zehn Mitgliedern gibt es auch noch das Vater-Sohn-Gespann von Vince und Race. Zwischen beiden besteht eine angespannte Verbindung, die auch vom Rest des Clubs gespürt wird.
Nach einem Zwischenstopp an einer Raststätte und einem dortigen Austausch fahren sie allesamt weiter und begegnen schon bald einem ganz bestimmten Lastwagen immer wieder, der sie schließlich zu jagen beginnt.
Bereits nach dem ersten Abschnitt dieser Kurzgeschichte musste ich sehr stark an die Fernsehserie “Sons of Anarchy” denken, von der Stephen King ein großer Fan ist. Inwieweit sein Sohn diese Leidenschaft teilt ist mir jedoch nicht bekannt.
In einem ähnlichen Flair wird die staubige Szenerie beschrieben, in der es ein äußerst angespanntes Vater-Sohn-Dilemma gibt, das die ganze Gang beeinflusst. Dazu dröhnende Maschinen, Sand im Haar und die Freiheit auf der Straße, die einen blutigen Beigeschmack trägt.
Diese Geschichte wird durch den Truck mit dem Schriftzug LAUGHLIN in eine völlig andere Richtung gebracht. Alte Sorgen spielen schon bald keine Rolle mehr. Vince hat sich bereist bei der ersten Begegnung mit diesem Truck prophetisch verlesen, indem er statt Laughlin SLAUGHTERIN (Schlachtung, Blutbad) las. Ein paar Mal begegnet die Gang dem Lastwagen und sie wundern sich über sein seltsames Fahrverhalten. Manchmal scheint er über die Straße zu kriechen, ein anderes Mal ist er schneller als erwartet. Doch früh genug finden sie heraus, was dieses Verhalten zu bedeuten hat und bezahlen dies mit ihrem Schweiß und ihrem Blut.
Die Geschichte ist sehr kurzweilig und flüssig zu lesen. Sie ist auch sehr bildhaft und damit heftig, da doch einige sehr blutige Szenen schonungslos beschrieben werden. Im Grunde geht es neben der geschilderten Brutalität und der Gesetzlosigkeit der Motorradgang aber um eine verkorkste Vater-Sohn-Geschichte, die sehr ehrlich und hart beschrieben wird.
Mir hat “Vollgas” ganz gut gefallen. Ich kann nun keinen wirklichen Kritikpunkt nennen, dennoch hat mich die Kurzgeschichte nicht vom Hocker hauen können. Zudem fand ich es sehr schade, dass etwas mehr als die Hälfte der ebook-Datei aus Leseproben für andere Werke der beiden Schriftsteller besteht, womit diese Geschichte eigentlich mehr als Werbeplattform für andere Bücher gilt. Trotzdem ist sie für Leser weiterzuempfehlen, die eine Geschichte voller Gesetzlosigkeit, Brutalität und Sand in den Haaren suchen, die zudem mit schön gezeichneten Charakteren daherkommt und einen ganz anderen Unterton mit sich bringt, als man eigentlich erwarten würde.
Rezi: http://chrissies-kleine-welt.de/?p=1666
Eine Kurzgeschichte von Joe Hill und Stephen King muss von mir natürlich gelesen werden, da ich Fan beider Autoren bin. “Vollgas” ist eine Zusammenarbeit dieses Vater-Sohn-Gespanns und versteht sich nach Aussage der beiden Autoren als Hommage an den Film “Duell” von Steven Spielberg, welchen ich bis zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt aber nicht gesehen habe. Auch das gleichnamige Buch von Richard Matheson ist mir bisher nicht bekannt.
Eine Motorradgang namens Die Stämme, bestehend aus hauptsächlich alternden Veteranen, jagen über die Straßen. Sie versuchen vor einer Tat davonzufahren, die sie erst vor Kurzem im Affekt begangen haben. Alle Mitglieder sind hart im Nehmen und bereits mindestens einmal im Knast gewesen, doch sowas hat noch niemand von ihnen erlebt. Unter den zehn Mitgliedern gibt es auch noch das Vater-Sohn-Gespann von Vince und Race. Zwischen beiden besteht eine angespannte Verbindung, die auch vom Rest des Clubs gespürt wird.
Nach einem Zwischenstopp an einer Raststätte und einem dortigen Austausch fahren sie allesamt weiter und begegnen schon bald einem ganz bestimmten Lastwagen immer wieder, der sie schließlich zu jagen beginnt.
Bereits nach dem ersten Abschnitt dieser Kurzgeschichte musste ich sehr stark an die Fernsehserie “Sons of Anarchy” denken, von der Stephen King ein großer Fan ist. Inwieweit sein Sohn diese Leidenschaft teilt ist mir jedoch nicht bekannt.
In einem ähnlichen Flair wird die staubige Szenerie beschrieben, in der es ein äußerst angespanntes Vater-Sohn-Dilemma gibt, das die ganze Gang beeinflusst. Dazu dröhnende Maschinen, Sand im Haar und die Freiheit auf der Straße, die einen blutigen Beigeschmack trägt.
Diese Geschichte wird durch den Truck mit dem Schriftzug LAUGHLIN in eine völlig andere Richtung gebracht. Alte Sorgen spielen schon bald keine Rolle mehr. Vince hat sich bereist bei der ersten Begegnung mit diesem Truck prophetisch verlesen, indem er statt Laughlin SLAUGHTERIN (Schlachtung, Blutbad) las. Ein paar Mal begegnet die Gang dem Lastwagen und sie wundern sich über sein seltsames Fahrverhalten. Manchmal scheint er über die Straße zu kriechen, ein anderes Mal ist er schneller als erwartet. Doch früh genug finden sie heraus, was dieses Verhalten zu bedeuten hat und bezahlen dies mit ihrem Schweiß und ihrem Blut.
Die Geschichte ist sehr kurzweilig und flüssig zu lesen. Sie ist auch sehr bildhaft und damit heftig, da doch einige sehr blutige Szenen schonungslos beschrieben werden. Im Grunde geht es neben der geschilderten Brutalität und der Gesetzlosigkeit der Motorradgang aber um eine verkorkste Vater-Sohn-Geschichte, die sehr ehrlich und hart beschrieben wird.
Mir hat “Vollgas” ganz gut gefallen. Ich kann nun keinen wirklichen Kritikpunkt nennen, dennoch hat mich die Kurzgeschichte nicht vom Hocker hauen können. Zudem fand ich es sehr schade, dass etwas mehr als die Hälfte der ebook-Datei aus Leseproben für andere Werke der beiden Schriftsteller besteht, womit diese Geschichte eigentlich mehr als Werbeplattform für andere Bücher gilt. Trotzdem ist sie für Leser weiterzuempfehlen, die eine Geschichte voller Gesetzlosigkeit, Brutalität und Sand in den Haaren suchen, die zudem mit schön gezeichneten Charakteren daherkommt und einen ganz anderen Unterton mit sich bringt, als man eigentlich erwarten würde.
December 2, 2018
Decent story involving the Tribe Motorcycle gang. They get burned on a methamphetamine deal, when the lab burns down, the gang kills their partner in it, and his 17 year old girlfriend.
The girl's father, over hears them at a rest stop, he'll end up mowing them down one at a time, the gang members race to stay ahead of him and argue whether to go to Las Vegas or try to track down via a sister some of the money they lost.
Both Stephen King and Joe Hill, like their writing style, do a decent job with this one, like the flow of it and wish it would have been a little longer in length.
Can't believe anyone would complain about the violence in this one. Come on it's Stephen King and Joe Hill, you know what your in for reading anything by either and they deliver exactly what you would expect from them with 'Throttle'.
The girl's father, over hears them at a rest stop, he'll end up mowing them down one at a time, the gang members race to stay ahead of him and argue whether to go to Las Vegas or try to track down via a sister some of the money they lost.
Both Stephen King and Joe Hill, like their writing style, do a decent job with this one, like the flow of it and wish it would have been a little longer in length.
Can't believe anyone would complain about the violence in this one. Come on it's Stephen King and Joe Hill, you know what your in for reading anything by either and they deliver exactly what you would expect from them with 'Throttle'.
December 27, 2014
4 Stars
Nice and short. I didn't think the ending was great. There would be no way I would have stayed. Humpf.
This reminded me of Richard Mathesons Duel: Terror Stories; except we get a reason for the mayhem. Still, pretty darned cool.
Nice and short. I didn't think the ending was great. There would be no way I would have stayed. Humpf.
This reminded me of Richard Mathesons Duel: Terror Stories; except we get a reason for the mayhem. Still, pretty darned cool.
November 11, 2024
Re-read for a challenge
April 22, 2020
I couldn't even finish it. I couldn't even finish a short story. It's just awful, boring and senseless.
This King+Hill doesn't work. But dad needed to give his son a career so...
It has some illustrations and they're pretty cool, tho.
In The Tall Grass was better… and it was not THAT Good either.
This King+Hill doesn't work. But dad needed to give his son a career so...
It has some illustrations and they're pretty cool, tho.
In The Tall Grass was better… and it was not THAT Good either.
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