Funnelweb

by Richard Ryan

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[MissT · Rating 5 out of 5]

actually this was a good book and I don't normally read from this particular genre. I loved loved loved the ending!!!

[Brendan Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it at a cheap book store for a dollar. thought I would give it a go. I could not put it down. an amazing book. well worth a read.

[Corinne Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible. So bad it's good.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this as a review copy many years ago so this review is from memory.

It's bad. It's horrendously bad. It doesn't even have the saving grace of being cheesy enough to cover the bad.

Despite the author being Australian, his presentation of the country seems more like an Outback Steakhouse version than the real thing. The plot is B grade movie of giant radioactive mutant spiders take over the country and wreak havoc until hero steps in to save the day. But the prose is just awful. Avoid this.

[Jai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it - although a lot of it was based on the fact I was born in Sydney and knew a lot of the locales mentioned in the book.
If the authour meant to write a good B-movie type story - then I think he succeeded! I grew up watching all the giant monster movies of the 50's and 60's so I loved the story and action!

[Sean Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fiancèe had a copy of this book on her shelf and she showed it to me one day so I had a flick through and started to idly read it. Then I properly read it, then later I went back and read it again then I read it again.

Set in Australia and written by an Irishman who came over, married an Aussie, wrote this book then took her back home it reads like the absolute best of pulp 60's horror. An Australian couldn't write an Australian horror this good, you need to be able to look at a culture from the outside to encapsulate it this well.

Gigantic radioactive funnelweb spiders! American spy drama! Colloquial Australian cultural references! Gore, horror and a gosh-darn love story too!!

This is one of my all-time favourite books. If I won the lottery I would buy a thousand copies and leave them around for people to find so they could experience the joy I felt when I discovered it. I cannot wait for the movie.

Thank you Richard Ryan, you're a national treasure and they should put a statue of you up in Circular Quay. Take our Aussie woman and may she always treat you well. God bless you.

[Sean E Britten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up there with James Herbert's 'The Rats' for creature horror

I was so happy to finally find a copy of this book again! I remember reading it back when I was around 13 years old and I'd thought about it for years but I could never even find a copy of it online or anything. Rereading it now, it absolutely still stands up. I'd honestly consider this book a lost classic of the creature feature genre, it's got everything you could want in spades, horrific monsters, equally monstrous human villains, great action, intrigue, and on an ambitious scale that few books of this genre would be willing to take on. If you're a fan of creature features and have an opportunity to acquire a copy of this book, grab it with both hands!

[Nick Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of it were very entertaining, while other dialogue heavy parts really dragged on. The story delves into the politics, and military strategy of the Australians, where maybe the focus would have been better spent on spider attacks (though there is enough here, just wish the book was trimmed by 80 pages). Stands well enough with Richard Lewis' Spiders, though not as fast and greasy as that classic of arachnid horror.

[Pat Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book although it's not something I'd normally read or enjoy. It was written in a very engaging way with great characters even if you're given a great back story just to see them die horribly a few pages later, it was great to have the Australian setting and the author did political intrigue well. All round a really well written and enjoyable book.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not just a silly story, but annoyingly poorly written. Characters might have been written by a prepubescent boy and the plot holes are like Swiss cheese. A sequence of events that manages to be predictable while each is ridiculously unlikely. Some books are so awful they're good. This one is so awful is terrible.

[Terry Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book years ago at a 2nd hand bookstore and as an arachnophobe it Freaked me out - I guess the fact that I live in Australia helps but the imagery was horrific knowing the locations so well - also…Funnel-web Spider's are Nasty Ass H.R Giger looking Deadly armoured freaks of nature….seriously…..google that S##T !

[Les Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, an odd feeling reading about places I'm so familiar with. Pacing and action was well done even if the premise was a massive dose of forced suspension of disbelief.

[Courtney Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a spider fan personally

[Weez Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my fav reads. Imagine if Sydney was taken over by giant funnelwebs. How could you go wrong?

[August Grey]

DNF
My main reason for not finishing this book was the writing style. I didn't feel it was written particularly well. This was largely due to the excessive use (often misuse) of the word "whatever".

[Zallee Pepper · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, for a book I had expected to put down, I am pleased and impressed with the writing quality. For a start the perspective is interesting and different from the usual. Rather than the innocent victims, Ryan has so far mostly used the POV of the spiders and the researchers. I really like his style.

Warning:- If your job involves crawling in dark places or accessing them - not recommended. Way too spooky.

But all in all, not a bad read, and an ending I didn't expect. Probably a 3 1/2 star.

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wh oh why oh why my husband thought this was such an awesome book I will never know - perhaps it was because he had a funnelweb spider run up inside his trouser leg as a child and is still working through the trauma, but it was on his effusive recommendation that I read it. The plot in brief is this: Giant funnelweb spiders (some of the most poisonous critters walking around on eight legs) take over Sydney and eat everyone, until steely-jawed hero and his love interest save the day. The plot is not bad for a B-movie or airplane book, but the writing is just terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible...(repeat ad infinitum). Author Richard Ryan is an Australian TV producer - don't leave your day job, Rich.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the plot, mostly because I've always wondered how it would turn out if these 8 legged freaks got to be as tall as humans, but to be so tall as to utilize the Sydney Opera House as a nest is ridiculous. The writing is quite bad, but readable.

[Vee · Rating 1 out of 5]

The review below of 'why did my husband like this so much' rings true for me too :) bless their terrible-novel-loving cotton socks.
Very trashy, simple plot, non-existent characterisation, lots of action. What you'd expect from a story about giant organised aggressive funnel-web spiders.

[Talitha Kalago · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trashy, funny and with a lot of very big spiders. This book is terrible, yet I remember almost every detail of what happened in the story.

If you like trashy horror, you will like this book.

[James Dodds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action novel, with a great premise.
Characters are underdeveloped, but the story flows nicely.
Those damned spiders...

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book 0 stars, I would.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Outback just got a little more dangerous.....Mutated Funnelweb Spiders? Yes Please. I love their victory dance.

What a fun journey into an Australian creature feature. Highly Recommend!

[bluetyson]

isbn,original

[pim]

an exciting page turner centred around Sydney Australia, a great read !