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Captain Quad
THE GREENSTICK SNAP! OF A SHATTERED SPINE TRANSFORMS A LOVING YOUNG MAN INTO A MALIGN AND VENGEFUL FORCE
If you're an optimist you've probably heard the expression, 'When one door closes, another opens.' But for Peter Gardner, a young man fresh out of high school with a literal bank of doorways standing open to him, they all slam shut at once. A terrible accident leaves him quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, shattering his dreams of becoming a pilot, tearing his family apart, and ending a cherished relationship with his girl. Now, he wishes only for death.
But ironically, it is a brush with death which opens a new door for Peter. And when he 'steps' through, it is not into sunlight and promise, but into the darkest reaches of fury, torment and revenge.
So ask yourself this: "Do I have the courage to step through with him?"
PRAISE FOR SEAN COSTELLO
"Costello knows his way around the mystery/horror genre, and he keeps the action moving and the suspense ratcheted up tight. He is very much a writer to watch..."
--Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail
"Costello knows how to tantalize his readers, priming them for the horrors to come..."
--Rave Reviews
If you're an optimist you've probably heard the expression, 'When one door closes, another opens.' But for Peter Gardner, a young man fresh out of high school with a literal bank of doorways standing open to him, they all slam shut at once. A terrible accident leaves him quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, shattering his dreams of becoming a pilot, tearing his family apart, and ending a cherished relationship with his girl. Now, he wishes only for death.
But ironically, it is a brush with death which opens a new door for Peter. And when he 'steps' through, it is not into sunlight and promise, but into the darkest reaches of fury, torment and revenge.
So ask yourself this: "Do I have the courage to step through with him?"
PRAISE FOR SEAN COSTELLO
"Costello knows his way around the mystery/horror genre, and he keeps the action moving and the suspense ratcheted up tight. He is very much a writer to watch..."
--Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail
"Costello knows how to tantalize his readers, priming them for the horrors to come..."
--Rave Reviews
- GenresHorrorDisability
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
20 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Sean Costello
18 books295 followersSean Costello is the author of nine novels and numerous screenplays. His novel Here After has been optioned to film by David Hackl, director of Saw V. Depending on the whims of his muse, Costello's novels alternate between two distinct genres: Horror and Thriller. His horror novels have drawn comparisons to the works of Stephen King, and his thrillers to those of Elmore Leonard. In the real world he's an anesthesiologist, but, if asked, he'd tell you he'd much rather be writing.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 3, 2024
I have lost count of how many cover blurbs on horror novels call an author 'the next Stephen King!', but in this case, Captain Quad actually read like a King novel; not only that, but a good King novel where he even manages to stick the landing. Costello starts this with a bang and slowly builds the tension, relentlessly, and when the foo starts to hit, my o my.
Peter Gardner, our protagonist (and later antagonist) just finished high school. Star athlete, honor student, musical prodigy and even a fully licensed pilot, the future looks so bright he has to wear shades! He even has a lovely gal Kelly and they have big plans together. Unfortunately, on the way to a graduation party, Peter's motorcycle has a tango with a porcupine; Kelly gets tossed clear, but poor Peter, still on the road under his bike, then gets creamed by a beer truck. Suddenly, Peter finds himself a quadriplegic. Most of his friends abandon him, his mother after a year deems him dead (and even lays a wreath on his body in the hospital!), he tells Kelly to piss off forever as she just reminds him of his potential future. Only his little brother Sam hangs in there.
Flash forward a few years and things start getting interesting. As it states on the cover blurb, Peter, in the depths of depression and rage, discovers he has the ability of astral projection. While his body becomes (as he calls it) his home base, his 'soul' roams around, leaving his body in a near-death trance state. He spies on his mom, some of his old high school pals, and then discovers that his old girl Kelly finished her degree and returned to town to teach in the same high school they attended. Well, Peter has nothing but time it seems, so he experiments with his power, fueled by his rage at the world, and pretty soon he can actually impact reality via his projection...
I really do not want to say more to avoid spoilers, but Peter, the tragic figure at the start of the novel, becomes quite something else-- a raging, angry man with lots of bones to pick. Once the foo starts flying, this quickly becomes a seriously creepy read. Costello did a great job here building up our main characters-- Peter, his brother Sam, Kelly-- so you can empathize with all of them, even when things start going crazy. Finally, Costello wraps this up with a denouement that kills it. 4.5 astral stars, rounding up for GR!!
Peter Gardner, our protagonist (and later antagonist) just finished high school. Star athlete, honor student, musical prodigy and even a fully licensed pilot, the future looks so bright he has to wear shades! He even has a lovely gal Kelly and they have big plans together. Unfortunately, on the way to a graduation party, Peter's motorcycle has a tango with a porcupine; Kelly gets tossed clear, but poor Peter, still on the road under his bike, then gets creamed by a beer truck. Suddenly, Peter finds himself a quadriplegic. Most of his friends abandon him, his mother after a year deems him dead (and even lays a wreath on his body in the hospital!), he tells Kelly to piss off forever as she just reminds him of his potential future. Only his little brother Sam hangs in there.
Flash forward a few years and things start getting interesting. As it states on the cover blurb, Peter, in the depths of depression and rage, discovers he has the ability of astral projection. While his body becomes (as he calls it) his home base, his 'soul' roams around, leaving his body in a near-death trance state. He spies on his mom, some of his old high school pals, and then discovers that his old girl Kelly finished her degree and returned to town to teach in the same high school they attended. Well, Peter has nothing but time it seems, so he experiments with his power, fueled by his rage at the world, and pretty soon he can actually impact reality via his projection...
I really do not want to say more to avoid spoilers, but Peter, the tragic figure at the start of the novel, becomes quite something else-- a raging, angry man with lots of bones to pick. Once the foo starts flying, this quickly becomes a seriously creepy read. Costello did a great job here building up our main characters-- Peter, his brother Sam, Kelly-- so you can empathize with all of them, even when things start going crazy. Finally, Costello wraps this up with a denouement that kills it. 4.5 astral stars, rounding up for GR!!
February 10, 2015
Don’t read any of Sean Costello’s books if you’re looking for one of those novels that sends the egghead crowd Ooo-ing and Aahh-ing. You know the type of book I’m talking about, the ones reviewers refer to as ‘multi-layered’ and ‘luminous’ or then tell you to ‘linger and savour’ the ‘quiet passages’. Damn, if it’s lingering and savouring you’re after then grab a slice of cheesecake and a nice cup of tea … but forget about Costello's novels because each one begins by laying down a long strip of rubber and then screams toward the far horizon. When you’re strapped into the passenger seat of one of these babies, you better hang on to the By-the-Jesus handle because you’re in for the ride of your life. And while the vector may seem like 180, you'll find the plot takes a sharp 90 before you can say boo.
If you’re looking for an old-school good read, turn to Costello. Like Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Georges Simenon or John D. MacDonald, his prose is tough, his dialogue is tight and his action is swift. But hold on, just because I’m saying you can easily read his work doesn’t mean you can turn off the old brain box. I’m not accusing Costello of creating a cowboy world of white hats and black hats. Just like Stephen King, Costello creates believable protagonists with some likeable traits … and some very dark stuff happening inside their heads (dare I say, ‘souls’). Take Peter Gardner (Captain Quad), the high school wunderkind who after being paralysed descends into a hellish world of rage and blood-soaked revenge. Or how about Scott Bowman (The Cartoonist), the psychiatrist who kills a child and then falls victim to the worm of guilt that chews through his sanity? Or Peter Croft (Here After), whose obsession with finding his child’s kidnapper leads him into an alternate reality? All these guys (and they are all guys) started out ordinary but then something happened to them. But what? That’s the silent question Costello poses, just as he asks if you can draw the line between normalcy and insanity, between the brightly-lit everyday world and the nightmare. How much does it take to push us across that line? I don’t know, do you? Costello suggests all it takes is a porcupine crossing the road (Captain Quad), a sudden winter storm (Squall), a moment of inattention (The Cartoonist), or a call in the night (Eden’s Eyes). Like the anaesthetist in Eden’s Eyes, will you find yourself looking down at an inert body you’re keeping alive only long enough for the scavengers to swoop in and take the eyes, the kidneys, the….? As with Edward Albee, Costello asks if we live our lives in a delicate balance and, if so, how little might it take to tip us to the dark side?
If you’re looking for an old-school good read, turn to Costello. Like Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Georges Simenon or John D. MacDonald, his prose is tough, his dialogue is tight and his action is swift. But hold on, just because I’m saying you can easily read his work doesn’t mean you can turn off the old brain box. I’m not accusing Costello of creating a cowboy world of white hats and black hats. Just like Stephen King, Costello creates believable protagonists with some likeable traits … and some very dark stuff happening inside their heads (dare I say, ‘souls’). Take Peter Gardner (Captain Quad), the high school wunderkind who after being paralysed descends into a hellish world of rage and blood-soaked revenge. Or how about Scott Bowman (The Cartoonist), the psychiatrist who kills a child and then falls victim to the worm of guilt that chews through his sanity? Or Peter Croft (Here After), whose obsession with finding his child’s kidnapper leads him into an alternate reality? All these guys (and they are all guys) started out ordinary but then something happened to them. But what? That’s the silent question Costello poses, just as he asks if you can draw the line between normalcy and insanity, between the brightly-lit everyday world and the nightmare. How much does it take to push us across that line? I don’t know, do you? Costello suggests all it takes is a porcupine crossing the road (Captain Quad), a sudden winter storm (Squall), a moment of inattention (The Cartoonist), or a call in the night (Eden’s Eyes). Like the anaesthetist in Eden’s Eyes, will you find yourself looking down at an inert body you’re keeping alive only long enough for the scavengers to swoop in and take the eyes, the kidneys, the….? As with Edward Albee, Costello asks if we live our lives in a delicate balance and, if so, how little might it take to tip us to the dark side?
February 22, 2016
Review prnding
May 23, 2011
Sean Costello is a brilliant horror author and I am very surprised that he hasn’t gotten more recognition. I have read three of his books and all of them received four stars. He hasn’t written many novels though so maybe that’s why.
Captain Quad is more fun than anything. My own description of it would have to be this: Peter was a perfect student, excelling at everything he attempted, until one day when a porcupine caused a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but he isn’t going to stand for it! … Okay, maybe this isn’t helping. I loved this book and could sympathize with Peter who can no longer do any of the things he loved. His rage builds inside him and he soon discovers that he can leave his body and cause mischief with his mind. He begins doing so with increasing power and propels us as readers into something new in horror fiction. Sure, there have been plenty of other novels involving power of the mind (King alone has written several) but this one felt different for me. Like Stephen King’s Carrie, I felt bad for the antagonist who was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. Like Carrie, the book almost screams an unhappy ending from the beginning onward. Whether or not it has one will be your job to find out.
In short, a brilliant and very under-rated horror novel by a brilliant and unknown author.
Captain Quad is more fun than anything. My own description of it would have to be this: Peter was a perfect student, excelling at everything he attempted, until one day when a porcupine caused a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but he isn’t going to stand for it! … Okay, maybe this isn’t helping. I loved this book and could sympathize with Peter who can no longer do any of the things he loved. His rage builds inside him and he soon discovers that he can leave his body and cause mischief with his mind. He begins doing so with increasing power and propels us as readers into something new in horror fiction. Sure, there have been plenty of other novels involving power of the mind (King alone has written several) but this one felt different for me. Like Stephen King’s Carrie, I felt bad for the antagonist who was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. Like Carrie, the book almost screams an unhappy ending from the beginning onward. Whether or not it has one will be your job to find out.
In short, a brilliant and very under-rated horror novel by a brilliant and unknown author.
January 28, 2013
Most definitely a disturbing book. And, I am not sure if I like the ending at all. . Also, there wouldn't be a hero in this book. Not sure if there's a true winner too.
At the beginning of the book, I feel so much empathy for the protagonist but as the book progressed, I felt that I have lost him from sight and another being has taken over. Later, I started to question myself if I should still justify his vicious mannerism due to his unfortunate circumstances.
There are many parts I had difficulty reading through as the horrors keeps piling up and upping the bar each time. The violent death of several innocent characters has truly shaken me to the core.
At the beginning of the book, I feel so much empathy for the protagonist but as the book progressed, I felt that I have lost him from sight and another being has taken over. Later, I started to question myself if I should still justify his vicious mannerism due to his unfortunate circumstances.
There are many parts I had difficulty reading through as the horrors keeps piling up and upping the bar each time. The violent death of several innocent characters has truly shaken me to the core.
February 3, 2009
I read this book about 15 years ago and it still sometimes haunts me. I remember it vividly (more than I care to) because it was so graphic. Peter and his girlfriend get into a motorcycle accident and Peter is left paralized from the neck down. He learns how to separate his mind from his body. He then enters other people's bodies to exact his revenge on anyone who ever made him mad. He's so messed up.
This was a dark, graphic, gory, disturbing book. If you like that sort of thing, you would probably like this. I suppose I was interested in it when I was a teenager, (apparently, since I read the whole thing) and I might have rated it differently back then, but I would not read it if I came across it today. Not my kind of book.
This was a dark, graphic, gory, disturbing book. If you like that sort of thing, you would probably like this. I suppose I was interested in it when I was a teenager, (apparently, since I read the whole thing) and I might have rated it differently back then, but I would not read it if I came across it today. Not my kind of book.
July 28, 2022
Another Pocket title that is just brilliantly written and terrifying! This book brought me to tears at some points and then had me thinking WTF and coving my eyes with my hand and peaking threw my fingers while reading other parts. Peter Gardner is a great character! You feel for him at the beginning and loathe him by the end. And the ending is soooo good! 5 stars and I’m starting to think that if it’s a Pocket Horror title it’s going to be great. 5 stars!
August 2, 2015
Sean Costello is one fucked up dude! The book was a little slow to start, but one it got going it took off like a heard or wild stallions! I couldn't put it down! It was the kind of book that makes you want to take a break from reading once you've finished it so you can revel in the twistedness of it. Fantastic, but not for the feint of heart!
October 18, 2025
It feels dismissive and lazy to just compare someone to Stephen King but the small town horror/character work is very reminiscent in a very good way.
It is it's won thing though. It's set in Canada (suck it Maine!), the story is tight despite it being a semi-long novel, and the ending is very interesting.
In many ways the protagonist and antagonist are the same person. A young man who has freshly graduated high school gets into a motor cycle accident and becomes a quadriplegic. He was gifted, kind, bright, and thoughtful but a bitterness and anger rises out of him as the life he seemed promised was taken away from him. Years later he develops the ability to have out of body experiences and actually interact with objects and people while out but it is fueled by his anger.
The build up is near perfect. You like the main character so much that you feel a certain amount of pity and sympathy for his situation even when he starts terrorizing people. The "horror" bits aren't bad but don't quite live up to the first act, but the ending is quite satisfying while being open ended. Whether you think things will end up good or bad for the survivors can really be down to interpretation.
I was expecting it to be more silly than it was with the title being a throw away moment from the book you'd probably easily forget about otherwise. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a much deeper work. If I can find more Sean Costello in the wild I will look forward to reading them.
It is it's won thing though. It's set in Canada (suck it Maine!), the story is tight despite it being a semi-long novel, and the ending is very interesting.
In many ways the protagonist and antagonist are the same person. A young man who has freshly graduated high school gets into a motor cycle accident and becomes a quadriplegic. He was gifted, kind, bright, and thoughtful but a bitterness and anger rises out of him as the life he seemed promised was taken away from him. Years later he develops the ability to have out of body experiences and actually interact with objects and people while out but it is fueled by his anger.
The build up is near perfect. You like the main character so much that you feel a certain amount of pity and sympathy for his situation even when he starts terrorizing people. The "horror" bits aren't bad but don't quite live up to the first act, but the ending is quite satisfying while being open ended. Whether you think things will end up good or bad for the survivors can really be down to interpretation.
I was expecting it to be more silly than it was with the title being a throw away moment from the book you'd probably easily forget about otherwise. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a much deeper work. If I can find more Sean Costello in the wild I will look forward to reading them.
July 12, 2025
Aside from the medical impossibility, this book generates nothing more than a metaphysical sense of disgusting and poorly targeted revenge.
I finished it, with the feeling that "It's just gross".
As a trauma nurse, believe me when I say there are strange things that happen to the human body when death is imminent. Separating from the physical into the ephemeral is all the rage in the new age crystal worshipping community, but from that practical and emphatically sensate point of relevance, floating around and killing people for revenge just is not on the list of probabilities.
Dead is dead.
Now, just for a moment, I am going to wonder where in the hell this author learned to use personal pronouns, because sentence structure like, "Him and she" or "Me and her" is basic to the third grade, not from a professional author. Probably should review his pre-high school grammar.
This book suffers from the lack of professional editorial skill as well as typesetting and paragraph structure. The text is riddled with typos and poor syntax. It's a clumsy as well as fairly gross read.
Kindle Unlimited has hit a low mark. Much lower than I ever expected to find.
And no, this guy is not the next Stephen King. Not even close.
I consider him to be an author to avoid in the future.
I finished it, with the feeling that "It's just gross".
As a trauma nurse, believe me when I say there are strange things that happen to the human body when death is imminent. Separating from the physical into the ephemeral is all the rage in the new age crystal worshipping community, but from that practical and emphatically sensate point of relevance, floating around and killing people for revenge just is not on the list of probabilities.
Dead is dead.
Now, just for a moment, I am going to wonder where in the hell this author learned to use personal pronouns, because sentence structure like, "Him and she" or "Me and her" is basic to the third grade, not from a professional author. Probably should review his pre-high school grammar.
This book suffers from the lack of professional editorial skill as well as typesetting and paragraph structure. The text is riddled with typos and poor syntax. It's a clumsy as well as fairly gross read.
Kindle Unlimited has hit a low mark. Much lower than I ever expected to find.
And no, this guy is not the next Stephen King. Not even close.
I consider him to be an author to avoid in the future.
July 27, 2023
I started this book back in May, got a little distracted, then just powered through 80% of it in the past two days. I first read it as a teen back in the early '90s and it holds up well! I am curious though why any mention of a VCR was switched to DVD player. Maybe they felt kids would be lost as to what a VCR is, lol. Anyway, a gripping paranormal thriller that I still can't believe was written by some guy from my hometown. That slag dump part gave me chills!
April 25, 2024
Marketed as horror by Pocket books, but this would be better labeled as a paranormal/thriller/medical drama. A bit slow to start, but gradually builds in tension and violence. Mr. Costello does know how to write good characters and some very creative kill scenes. I did feel sympathy for a few of the characters! One of the last chapters get surreal describing past lives of lovers in various scenes of distress. Kudos for that, it was different, and I dug it.
April 13, 2020
slow plot development.
Hard to read this. It developed tooslowly for me. over to slowly. Nothing was compellingI could easily have dtopstopped. Finally I did stop. I have no idea how it ended. Don't care!
Hard to read this. It developed tooslowly for me. over to slowly. Nothing was compellingI could easily have dtopstopped. Finally I did stop. I have no idea how it ended. Don't care!
July 19, 2021
A rehash of the old "Patrick" psychic/astral killer trapped in a quadriplegic body trope. The kills scenes, and last chapter are the high points amid a crawling plot where nothing thrilling really happens until the last quarter of the book.
September 19, 2017
The first book I ever read by Sean and I loved it. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago but apparently it was. I must re-read it because it was so good.
November 15, 2018
Jaw dropping
This book was written with such clarity, and I felt like I could see what was happening. Thank you for a great read.
This book was written with such clarity, and I felt like I could see what was happening. Thank you for a great read.
April 24, 2023
Such an offputting title. This was an utterly grim piece of fiction. A deeply unpleasant story. I enjoyed it.
August 16, 2016
If you can imagine Stephen King and Dean Koontz somehow morphed into another author, that would be, in my opinion, Sean Costello.......who ventures way way out there and back, leaving you with a bloody complicated wonderful cast of characters to empathize with and sort out. Mr. Costello surely knows hospitals and awful things that can happen in them and boy can he ever write descriptive narrative action scenes that leave you breathless. When you turn the last page, you just might know where the journey has taken you, but where did/does it really end?
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March 18, 2015I read this 16 years ago when someone lent it to me, and I can barely remember it. Not my typical type of read, and I doubt I will bother re-reading it.
April 24, 2016
Nice to find a good author.
This book was a good introduction to Sean Costello. I am going to read another now and see if the writing holds up!
This book was a good introduction to Sean Costello. I am going to read another now and see if the writing holds up!
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August 29, 2017Awesome Book!!! Loved the story. The thought that a person could have power they don't even know about or can control completely... couldn't put this book down!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews