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Winter Scream
Signed by the author on the inside front cover and then further inscribed on dedication " For Lisa - Deputy Dave Says 'Just say Arghhh!' Chris Curry 3-23-91." Deputy Dave is one of the main characters in the book. An interesting inscription.
- GenresHorror
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 22, 2024
Tamara Thorne's first novel possesses her trademark dark humor, adding in a remarkable amount of OTT foo as well to make for a very fun read. Where to even start here? The story is set in Toffetville, a tiny little town deep in the San Bernadino mountains of Southern California. Our lead, Megan, starts the novel travelling back to Toffetville to see her grandmother before she finally passes. The grandmother, a full blooded Yuhaviatam, married a white guy in the late 19th century and they built a house in Toffetville.
This is mildly spoilery, but the grandmother worked her entire life (as her mother did) to 'keep the wards' on what looks like an old well on the property. Basically, Yuhaviatam lore has it that this well leads to the underworld, some version of hell I suppose. The grandmother wanted to train Megan how to do it, being her only surviving female offspring, but Megan rebelled, especially when she tried to teach her daughter the tricks! Well, grandma dies as expected, but on her deathbed, tell Megan's daughter to be on the lookout for someone...
Thorne builds an eclectic cast of characters to be sure and meanders around a bit at first introducing them. Four drunken buddies make up something of a team in town-- the owner of a junkyard, a self-proclaimed mountain man, a stone mason/inscriber and the owner of a burger joint/gas station in town. These four crashed the grandmother's wake and drunkenly opened up the 'well' on the property. They found some neat crystals growing on the sides and then split. One of the drunks cuts himself on the crystal and then things start to go crazy.
While Thorne's later work is more polished and better paced, the dark humor really makes the story here. The town's undertaker with a son who likes 'playing' with dead female bodies ("at least he is a hetero!"), the antics of the four drunks, the town's cop and Megan's kids had me laughing out loud in parts. When the foo starts flying, however, this goes into splatterpunk territory. Fun stuff and 4 crystal stars!!!
This is mildly spoilery, but the grandmother worked her entire life (as her mother did) to 'keep the wards' on what looks like an old well on the property. Basically, Yuhaviatam lore has it that this well leads to the underworld, some version of hell I suppose. The grandmother wanted to train Megan how to do it, being her only surviving female offspring, but Megan rebelled, especially when she tried to teach her daughter the tricks! Well, grandma dies as expected, but on her deathbed, tell Megan's daughter to be on the lookout for someone...
Thorne builds an eclectic cast of characters to be sure and meanders around a bit at first introducing them. Four drunken buddies make up something of a team in town-- the owner of a junkyard, a self-proclaimed mountain man, a stone mason/inscriber and the owner of a burger joint/gas station in town. These four crashed the grandmother's wake and drunkenly opened up the 'well' on the property. They found some neat crystals growing on the sides and then split. One of the drunks cuts himself on the crystal and then things start to go crazy.
While Thorne's later work is more polished and better paced, the dark humor really makes the story here. The town's undertaker with a son who likes 'playing' with dead female bodies ("at least he is a hetero!"), the antics of the four drunks, the town's cop and Megan's kids had me laughing out loud in parts. When the foo starts flying, however, this goes into splatterpunk territory. Fun stuff and 4 crystal stars!!!
January 21, 2023
Tamara Thorne is a name that should be familiar to horror aficionados, but they may not know that Chris Curry is actually her pen name, and this is her first novel, cowritten with Lisa Dean, which was nominated for a Bram Stoker award in 1991.
And wow, this was certainly an outstanding first effort. I was reading a lot of horror paperbacks in the late 80s through the 90s, but somehow I completely missed the whole splatterpunk and redneck horror subgenre movements until just about seven years ago. I can't say that these are my favorite types of horror stories to read, and though I would not necessarily label "Winter Scream" in either category, there's something about it that reminds me of Ed Lee, who is an author I do like that tends to be very comfortable in these realms. There's certainly a backwoods aesthetic, full of hicks and small town goobers routinely doing disturbing and disgusting things. There's also the sarcastic humor and banter that has made Ed Lee stand out from his contemporaries. And when it comes to gross-out horrors, this book also has that Lee touch.
You do get a little tired of hillbillies guzzling beer, belching, flicking boogers, being general pervs, engaging in inane white trash talk, and all the other nonsense that the authors like to linger on in detail. The non-redneck characters can also be just as despicable, slimy, and smarmy. But just when you think the book is just dragging on, filling time with a nihilistic view of American society, you get surprised. The point of the novel is to show how everyone, even high-functioning and wealthy people, can harbor secret unhealthy fantasies that bolster their sense of self. Under the right circumstances, anyone can be dangerous. But at the same time, it points out that you should never judge anyone by appearances. The scruffy homeless guy you are afraid to speak to could end up saving your life. Inside everyone is potential for great evil but also great selflessness. As such, this story features some interesting and complex personalities that go beyond your expectations. My favorite is Lou St. George, the mountain man, who is somehow painted both as extremely crude and childish, yet touchingly kind and generous. There's also Burl, the overweight neckbeard with an absolutely loveable way of expressing himself. Even the child characters, which normally annoy me in these kinds of stories, are realistic and sympathetic. I particularly liked the little boy Chris, and appreciated the extra touch of him wearing a Doctor Who T-shirt. The characterization is just another part of what makes this novel a treat.
But no matter how intelligent the themes or characterization of a horror novel, I always have to address the elephant in the room--is the book scary? Well, I would say yes, mildly so. But it mostly will serve to satisfy the gorehounds with sufficient carnage candy. If you like your horror to contain a bit of blood and guts as the spice to your entertainment, then "Winter Scream" has you covered. Very early on, we get a Cronenberg-style body horror that was very effective, then we get a bit of a lull before things start going off the rails. Just thinking about certain scenes gives me the willies.
The premise is quite interesting too. At first, it seems like the story is about yet another Native American curse or legend, but then it throws in some science fiction elements about pink crystals that act like giant viruses, replicating themselves and influencing behavior of the citizens of a small desert town near San Bernardino. I found this idea intriguing and more refreshing than just another tale about people being taken over by an ancient evil.
I don't know as much about Tamara Thorne's collaborator here. Lisa Dean went on to only write a few more books in the 90s, but it is clear that they had good creative chemistry. I am curious to read more solo projects from both authors.
So of you are a collector or a fan of vintage horrors, give this one a try. It just may get under your skin, pun intended.
And wow, this was certainly an outstanding first effort. I was reading a lot of horror paperbacks in the late 80s through the 90s, but somehow I completely missed the whole splatterpunk and redneck horror subgenre movements until just about seven years ago. I can't say that these are my favorite types of horror stories to read, and though I would not necessarily label "Winter Scream" in either category, there's something about it that reminds me of Ed Lee, who is an author I do like that tends to be very comfortable in these realms. There's certainly a backwoods aesthetic, full of hicks and small town goobers routinely doing disturbing and disgusting things. There's also the sarcastic humor and banter that has made Ed Lee stand out from his contemporaries. And when it comes to gross-out horrors, this book also has that Lee touch.
You do get a little tired of hillbillies guzzling beer, belching, flicking boogers, being general pervs, engaging in inane white trash talk, and all the other nonsense that the authors like to linger on in detail. The non-redneck characters can also be just as despicable, slimy, and smarmy. But just when you think the book is just dragging on, filling time with a nihilistic view of American society, you get surprised. The point of the novel is to show how everyone, even high-functioning and wealthy people, can harbor secret unhealthy fantasies that bolster their sense of self. Under the right circumstances, anyone can be dangerous. But at the same time, it points out that you should never judge anyone by appearances. The scruffy homeless guy you are afraid to speak to could end up saving your life. Inside everyone is potential for great evil but also great selflessness. As such, this story features some interesting and complex personalities that go beyond your expectations. My favorite is Lou St. George, the mountain man, who is somehow painted both as extremely crude and childish, yet touchingly kind and generous. There's also Burl, the overweight neckbeard with an absolutely loveable way of expressing himself. Even the child characters, which normally annoy me in these kinds of stories, are realistic and sympathetic. I particularly liked the little boy Chris, and appreciated the extra touch of him wearing a Doctor Who T-shirt. The characterization is just another part of what makes this novel a treat.
But no matter how intelligent the themes or characterization of a horror novel, I always have to address the elephant in the room--is the book scary? Well, I would say yes, mildly so. But it mostly will serve to satisfy the gorehounds with sufficient carnage candy. If you like your horror to contain a bit of blood and guts as the spice to your entertainment, then "Winter Scream" has you covered. Very early on, we get a Cronenberg-style body horror that was very effective, then we get a bit of a lull before things start going off the rails. Just thinking about certain scenes gives me the willies.
The premise is quite interesting too. At first, it seems like the story is about yet another Native American curse or legend, but then it throws in some science fiction elements about pink crystals that act like giant viruses, replicating themselves and influencing behavior of the citizens of a small desert town near San Bernardino. I found this idea intriguing and more refreshing than just another tale about people being taken over by an ancient evil.
I don't know as much about Tamara Thorne's collaborator here. Lisa Dean went on to only write a few more books in the 90s, but it is clear that they had good creative chemistry. I am curious to read more solo projects from both authors.
So of you are a collector or a fan of vintage horrors, give this one a try. It just may get under your skin, pun intended.
May 23, 2018
This was a Solid five star book. I can't think of any part that was drawn out to make the book longer. There was scenes that could of probably been left out or shortened, although even these were great. The four hill folk/rednecks had me laughing out loud. A junk man. An entrepreneur. A greedy stone cutter and a self proclaimed mountain man. The dialog at the junkyard was priceless. The metaphors were some of the best I read in a long time. I never even heard of Tamara Thorne before. What an eye opener.
The story is centered around a Great Grand Daughter and her two children who come back to a small town to see there Great Grandmother before she dies. This Grandmother is also of the Serrano people. Native Americans from California. She has a secret. She is protecting a well that to her people is the Underworld. A gateway to evil. She needs someone to guard from this horror when she's gone. Problem is, her Grand Daughter want's no part of this. So she leaves the house to her children. The night of her funeral, the four above mentioned hicks break into the well and one of them pulls out a crystal. Unfortunately for everyone in the town, that crystal turns out to be one of a thousand pieces of a Serrano legend that was beaten by the now dead woman's husband, years before.
The crystals burrow into people and turn them insane. They do all manner of vile things. From murder to running down the street nude grinding their groins at people passing by. Soon all those that are not in the old ladies house are wandering the streets with madness. It's up to a rag tag bunch to fight of this evil before it spreads out.
This is 100% recommend if you can find it. I loved every page of this thing.
The story is centered around a Great Grand Daughter and her two children who come back to a small town to see there Great Grandmother before she dies. This Grandmother is also of the Serrano people. Native Americans from California. She has a secret. She is protecting a well that to her people is the Underworld. A gateway to evil. She needs someone to guard from this horror when she's gone. Problem is, her Grand Daughter want's no part of this. So she leaves the house to her children. The night of her funeral, the four above mentioned hicks break into the well and one of them pulls out a crystal. Unfortunately for everyone in the town, that crystal turns out to be one of a thousand pieces of a Serrano legend that was beaten by the now dead woman's husband, years before.
The crystals burrow into people and turn them insane. They do all manner of vile things. From murder to running down the street nude grinding their groins at people passing by. Soon all those that are not in the old ladies house are wandering the streets with madness. It's up to a rag tag bunch to fight of this evil before it spreads out.
This is 100% recommend if you can find it. I loved every page of this thing.
March 23, 2020
Pure pulp horror that calls to mind Bentley Little and R. Patrick Gates. Not quite as insane as either, but if you enjoy either of those two you'll like this.
October 7, 2011
It's a little weird in places--random demon-like beings, a strange well, a crazy little gem stone--but it's a pretty good book. I read it when I was in middle school and thought it was just creepy as hell!
September 21, 2021
LOVED Lou the Mountain Man! Such a genuine, complex character and understated hero. His little grocery run had me in absolute fits! So many subtle acts of kindness from Lou & Burl prove you can't judge a book by its cover. Sarcastic humor all around - don't pass this up!
March 12, 2024
I surprisingly found this one in the thrift store, they typically have not a single horror novel amongst their books (when they have anything good it's usually mystery/thriller, sci-fi, or western). I was also fascinated by the fact that the story occurs in the San Bernardino mountains, which I am familiar with. So, I picked it up.
It became obvious about the first third through that the book is aping a Stephen King novel, particularly Salem’s Lot, the character and place names (of the fictional town) are dead giveaways (esp. Barlowe). Fortunately, it doesn’t go overboard with overwriting minor characters however it also doesn’t have a decently fleshed-out character save for the self-professed mountain-man. Everybody else is pale, thin archetypes and story functionaries. But, this being 1980s pulp horror, I was expecting that, and the aping of King, of whose work outside his biography and book about writing I am not a fan of (I do follow him on social media though, seems a decent fellow), was not wholly unexpected. I felt this was another weakness, however.
I was disappointed in the choice of monster, parasitic crystals that burrow under your skin into your brain and drive you mad. The gore was plentiful, and I did enjoy that expected dimension of this sort of story. But even in that, there are a couple of unnecessary shock moments, a sexually assaulted little girl’s corpse, a pre-crystal insanity instance of necrophilia, and a crystal-infected boy scout wearing the scalps and severed genitalia of men and women on his belt. That last one did make me laugh tho’ and might be a high point in the shock value. So, the story was uneven in that respect. However, I did like it when an infected central character transformed into a crystal monster and went stomping around slaughtering people and stalking them in the dark. There just was not enough of that sort of thing. Another wasted idea was that of the underworld, a couple of characters, a fat old man and of course, a kid, fall into the black well and discover a strange world of alien creatures lit by the crystals and cave phosphorescence. But it is just scene dressing, that’s it. It is never expanded upon and never plays any kind of role in the story.
Overall, I’m not mad I read it, it is 1980s pulp horror after all, I knew what I was getting into, but I can only really recommend this one if you’re hard-up for some 80s small-town horror Stephen King-style. Otherwise, you can probably skip this one.
February 9, 2024
I like to give these '80s/'90s horror novels a 50-page probationary period as I've wasted my time with too many of them and there's too many actually good books to read out there. Wasn't expecting anything from Winter Scream, but the first fifty pages was so dedicated to introducing fun cannon fodder characters (including horny priests, drunk mountain men with dynamite and necrophile mortuary techs[!!!]) that I had to keep reading to see all of their demises!
This book ROCKS. First 300 pages are just pure filth. Mysterious crystals are making everybody in a small Californian town lizard-brained and driven by murder and lust and Tamara Thorne (pseudonymously Chris Curry) isn't afraid to show all the gory details. Hacked to pieces, turned into burger meat, dental work by dynamite... you name it. Shame the last hundred pages are so mostly ho-hum, and I do wish Thorne gave some of the deaths more impact (ex. one semi-main character dies so randomly I did not even realize he had died until three pages later when he is mourned in passing).
This book ROCKS. First 300 pages are just pure filth. Mysterious crystals are making everybody in a small Californian town lizard-brained and driven by murder and lust and Tamara Thorne (pseudonymously Chris Curry) isn't afraid to show all the gory details. Hacked to pieces, turned into burger meat, dental work by dynamite... you name it. Shame the last hundred pages are so mostly ho-hum, and I do wish Thorne gave some of the deaths more impact (ex. one semi-main character dies so randomly I did not even realize he had died until three pages later when he is mourned in passing).
October 22, 2022
So it took me awhile to confirm this is the book I read in high school. After two years I can finally confirm this is it. The piece of crap - I don't know how it won an award considering how godawful it is - that I read as a teen.
The thing that stuck with me with this book besides the little pink crystals was the fact one of the "heroes" is a pedophilic rapist. He actually has the audacity to look at a little girl and talk about wanting to rape her and "if there's fuzz on the peach."
I'm not saying heroes are supposed to be perfect but they shouldn't be sickos who think it's okay to rape anyone, especially not kids.
How the heck did this win an award? It's just not worthy of an award of any type.
The thing that stuck with me with this book besides the little pink crystals was the fact one of the "heroes" is a pedophilic rapist. He actually has the audacity to look at a little girl and talk about wanting to rape her and "if there's fuzz on the peach."
I'm not saying heroes are supposed to be perfect but they shouldn't be sickos who think it's okay to rape anyone, especially not kids.
How the heck did this win an award? It's just not worthy of an award of any type.
December 20, 2025
💙 I always forget how much I love this book until I start reading it again. It's so much fucking fun! Lou has my heart. 🖤 Still don't really know why it's called Winter Scream though. I should probably change my yearly read from December/January to September.
December 19, 2020
Holy. Fuck. (Or, Jesus' tits). Too exhausted for words. This book just shoved its way to a top 10 spot. Wow.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews