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Fear Is the Rider
It was quite silent in the scrub. No breeze stirred the leaves and no bird moved, except for the kite hawks wheeling silently, eternally, high in the hot air.
She smelt her attacker before she saw him.
A heavy stench hit her with such force that she started with shock. It was a smell she’d never encountered before. Not man, not animal, something like carrion, but alive. It seemed to envelop and suffocate her, then became tangible as two arms wrapped around her body and began tearing at her clothing.
A young man driving from Sydney to Adelaide for work decides to take a short detour into the desert. He turns his hatchback on to a notoriously dangerous track that bisects uninhabited stone-covered flats. Out there, under the baking sun, people can die within hours.
He’s not far along the road when a distraught young woman stumbles from the scrub and flags him down. A journalist from Sydney, she has just escaped the clutches of an inexplicable, terrifying creature.
Now this desert-dwelling creature has her jeep. Her axe. And her scent…
From the author of the classic novel Wake In Fright comes a terrifying short novel,a chase into the outback, towards the devil lurking at its center.
Wake In Fright was made into an internationally acclaimed film. Fear Is the Rider is a previously unpublished manuscript from the 1980s that was recently rediscovered among Kenneth Cook’s papers.
She smelt her attacker before she saw him.
A heavy stench hit her with such force that she started with shock. It was a smell she’d never encountered before. Not man, not animal, something like carrion, but alive. It seemed to envelop and suffocate her, then became tangible as two arms wrapped around her body and began tearing at her clothing.
A young man driving from Sydney to Adelaide for work decides to take a short detour into the desert. He turns his hatchback on to a notoriously dangerous track that bisects uninhabited stone-covered flats. Out there, under the baking sun, people can die within hours.
He’s not far along the road when a distraught young woman stumbles from the scrub and flags him down. A journalist from Sydney, she has just escaped the clutches of an inexplicable, terrifying creature.
Now this desert-dwelling creature has her jeep. Her axe. And her scent…
From the author of the classic novel Wake In Fright comes a terrifying short novel,a chase into the outback, towards the devil lurking at its center.
Wake In Fright was made into an internationally acclaimed film. Fear Is the Rider is a previously unpublished manuscript from the 1980s that was recently rediscovered among Kenneth Cook’s papers.
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First published January 27, 2016
About the author
Kenneth Cook
52 books37 followersBorn 1929, died 1987. Kenneth Cook was a prolific Australian journalist, film director, screenwriter, TV personality and novelist. He is best known for his novel Wake in Fright, which became a modern classic and is still in print, and for his Killer Koala trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 19, 2016
John Shaw, landscape artist was travelling from Sydney to Adelaide for a job interview. As he had plenty of time before he needed to be there, he had decided to take the long way round so he could check out desert vegetation. The first time he saw Katie Alton was at a pub in the little town of Rylock – he had passed her on the open highway sometime previously. Katie was a freelance photo-journalist, also from Sydney and travelling the rugged outback to find and write interesting articles. Not realising they had been destined to meet, Shaw chatted to her in a friendly manner, learning where she was going and what she was doing out in the vastness of the Australian outback.
Sometime later when Shaw saw the turnoff to the Obiri Track, he remembered Katie saying that was where she was going, but only as far as Pattersons Creek. After talking to the local policeman in Yogabilla and receiving dire warnings about the dangers, the distance to Obiri (600 kilometers) and the urgings to never, ever leave his car if he was to break down as the sun would kill in two hours, Shaw set off down the track in his Honda – certainly not suited to sandy tracks and dunes in the outback.
Almost fifty kilometres later, Shaw was shocked to see a young woman running toward his car; the absolute terror on her face hit him first. And he realised it was Katie – what on earth was wrong with her? Driving frantically while learning from Katie of a wild man intent on killing her, he was initially sceptical – but as she described the raw, animal stench to him; the anger and hunger in his face as he attacked her – Shaw could see she was serious. And so the race began…
How would they escape this creature of the desert? And why was he after Katie – what had caused him to attack her? Would they find out; would they even survive?
Wow! Wow! What an amazing and heart thudding thriller! Fear is the Rider was rediscovered in manuscript form among author Kenneth Cook’s papers and was written by him back in the 1980s before his death in 1987. I won’t forget this story for a very long time – not quite 200 pages in length, it packs a huge punch. The “heart in your throat” saying has never been truer than with Fear is the Rider. I have to say my recommendation of this one is a given – you won’t want to put it down, but you’ll need to to take a breath! Very highly recommended.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Sometime later when Shaw saw the turnoff to the Obiri Track, he remembered Katie saying that was where she was going, but only as far as Pattersons Creek. After talking to the local policeman in Yogabilla and receiving dire warnings about the dangers, the distance to Obiri (600 kilometers) and the urgings to never, ever leave his car if he was to break down as the sun would kill in two hours, Shaw set off down the track in his Honda – certainly not suited to sandy tracks and dunes in the outback.
Almost fifty kilometres later, Shaw was shocked to see a young woman running toward his car; the absolute terror on her face hit him first. And he realised it was Katie – what on earth was wrong with her? Driving frantically while learning from Katie of a wild man intent on killing her, he was initially sceptical – but as she described the raw, animal stench to him; the anger and hunger in his face as he attacked her – Shaw could see she was serious. And so the race began…
How would they escape this creature of the desert? And why was he after Katie – what had caused him to attack her? Would they find out; would they even survive?
Wow! Wow! What an amazing and heart thudding thriller! Fear is the Rider was rediscovered in manuscript form among author Kenneth Cook’s papers and was written by him back in the 1980s before his death in 1987. I won’t forget this story for a very long time – not quite 200 pages in length, it packs a huge punch. The “heart in your throat” saying has never been truer than with Fear is the Rider. I have to say my recommendation of this one is a given – you won’t want to put it down, but you’ll need to to take a breath! Very highly recommended.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2020
I am a big fan of Wake in Fright, Kenneth Cook's first novel (Goodreads deleted the review I wrote for that one). Cook is obsessed with the theme of ordinary Australians from the suburbs discovering their true selves in the outback. Wake in Fright had a dull school teacher type getting drunk and going absolutely crazy during a stopover in a small town, as the main character.
In Fear is the Rider, Shaw, a young man driving across the outback to report for a Government job meets Katie (a hep journalist) at a bar. She is traveling to a secluded part of the outback to write articles on rock carvings by aboriginals. He decides to follow her and surprise her, purely on a whim. But when Katie is attacked by an enormous hirsute man, she turns to Shaw to save her.
Unfortunately, Fear is the Rider is not that big on character development. It was entertaining. But it was like one of those American action movies with too much action where you keep wishing the director/writer told you more about the characters and gave you a look around the place. Which is a shame because I loved the setting - the desolate and hot Australian outback where you would be dead if you spent more than two hours outside your car.
The novella does have some really pulsating action scenes and car chases. But like I said, I wish Cook had developed some of the sub-plots and supporting characters like the old couple who runs a hotel in the middle of nowhere. The action begins on the first page itself and does not let up until the end. Cook was apparently writing this for a movie/TV series which never got made. That probably explains the relentless action.
Fans of movies like Duel, Road Warrior, Road Games, Long Weekend and Joy Ride should check out this novel.
In Fear is the Rider, Shaw, a young man driving across the outback to report for a Government job meets Katie (a hep journalist) at a bar. She is traveling to a secluded part of the outback to write articles on rock carvings by aboriginals. He decides to follow her and surprise her, purely on a whim. But when Katie is attacked by an enormous hirsute man, she turns to Shaw to save her.
Unfortunately, Fear is the Rider is not that big on character development. It was entertaining. But it was like one of those American action movies with too much action where you keep wishing the director/writer told you more about the characters and gave you a look around the place. Which is a shame because I loved the setting - the desolate and hot Australian outback where you would be dead if you spent more than two hours outside your car.
The novella does have some really pulsating action scenes and car chases. But like I said, I wish Cook had developed some of the sub-plots and supporting characters like the old couple who runs a hotel in the middle of nowhere. The action begins on the first page itself and does not let up until the end. Cook was apparently writing this for a movie/TV series which never got made. That probably explains the relentless action.
Fans of movies like Duel, Road Warrior, Road Games, Long Weekend and Joy Ride should check out this novel.
January 19, 2016
“Shaw could see the town for half an hour before he arrived, far across the morning sun-washed plain of sparse saltbush. From a distance, resting in the shimmering heat haze it looked exotic and interesting, but as he drove in it became the usual dull, dirty, despairing outback township”
Fear is the Rider is the 16th novel to be published by Australian journalist, film director, screenwriter, TV personality and novelist, Kenneth Cook. While the novel was written in 1982, starting off as a television script which never went to air, the novel’s manuscript was only recently discovered among his papers.
John Shaw is driving his Honda Civic along a remote unsealed desert road somewhere between Sydney and Adelaide when a young woman, obviously distraught, runs toward him from the scrub. She flings herself into the passenger seat and urges him to drive away. Katie Alton tells him of her escape from a fearsome attacker, her tale borne out by the state of her clothing. Suddenly they find themselves speeding along the deeply rutted track between Yogabilla and Obiri, pursued by a ferocious madman in possession of, not only her axe, but more importantly, her (much superior) 4WD vehicle.
In this short but powerful novel, Cook takes the reader on an action-packed, tension-filled ride. The premise (innocent protagonist/s on the run from an anonymous threat) may not original, but the execution of it is skilfully done. The characters are barely described; it is their reaction to their situation that is given prominence. Cook adeptly uses them to demonstrate the effects of fear and desperation on judgement, values and priorities.
Cook’s descriptive passages are marvellously evocative: the heat and dust are almost palpable. “If you got out of the car the heat fell on you as though someone had thrown a bucket of dry hot water at you” and “The sand ridge ran from north to south, from horizon to horizon. To the west the plain spread like a giant half-plate. The sky, white with heat, lay clamped over the earth like a vast lampshade, the light at its centre the impossibly brilliant, burning lethal sun” are examples.
Cook manages (perhaps unintentionally) to include some (blackly) humorous moments: several of the shotgun scenes as well as the travellers cheque debacle spring to mind. This adrenaline-fuelled drama builds to a heart-thumping climax. The era precludes the mention of mobile phones and GPS, but this would still make an excellent tele-movie. Definitely a page-turner.
Fear is the Rider is the 16th novel to be published by Australian journalist, film director, screenwriter, TV personality and novelist, Kenneth Cook. While the novel was written in 1982, starting off as a television script which never went to air, the novel’s manuscript was only recently discovered among his papers.
John Shaw is driving his Honda Civic along a remote unsealed desert road somewhere between Sydney and Adelaide when a young woman, obviously distraught, runs toward him from the scrub. She flings herself into the passenger seat and urges him to drive away. Katie Alton tells him of her escape from a fearsome attacker, her tale borne out by the state of her clothing. Suddenly they find themselves speeding along the deeply rutted track between Yogabilla and Obiri, pursued by a ferocious madman in possession of, not only her axe, but more importantly, her (much superior) 4WD vehicle.
In this short but powerful novel, Cook takes the reader on an action-packed, tension-filled ride. The premise (innocent protagonist/s on the run from an anonymous threat) may not original, but the execution of it is skilfully done. The characters are barely described; it is their reaction to their situation that is given prominence. Cook adeptly uses them to demonstrate the effects of fear and desperation on judgement, values and priorities.
Cook’s descriptive passages are marvellously evocative: the heat and dust are almost palpable. “If you got out of the car the heat fell on you as though someone had thrown a bucket of dry hot water at you” and “The sand ridge ran from north to south, from horizon to horizon. To the west the plain spread like a giant half-plate. The sky, white with heat, lay clamped over the earth like a vast lampshade, the light at its centre the impossibly brilliant, burning lethal sun” are examples.
Cook manages (perhaps unintentionally) to include some (blackly) humorous moments: several of the shotgun scenes as well as the travellers cheque debacle spring to mind. This adrenaline-fuelled drama builds to a heart-thumping climax. The era precludes the mention of mobile phones and GPS, but this would still make an excellent tele-movie. Definitely a page-turner.
February 5, 2016
Wake In Fright was one of my favorite reads in 2015 so it was nice to start 2016 with a previously unpublished novel by the same author.
Found "among the author's papers" after his death, this one feels like it was written when Cook was younger. The prose is not as strong and there's very little character development, but the story is gripping and I enjoyed it for that. I usually prefer more literary character-driven stories and I'm usually a slow reader, but I had a hard time stepping away from this little thriller and I read it in the space of one day. It reminded me a lot of Duel -an amazing minimalist thriller directed by Steven Spielberg in 1971 (his second film). In that film, Dennis Weaver is stalked by a Mack truck through empty desert highways. In this novel a man and a woman are stalked by a Range Rover through the empty Australian outback. If this novel hadn't been written earlier than that film and remained unpublished until now, I'd swear there was some direct influence.
If you're into psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this. Currently available (until 1/26/16) for free as an instant download on Negalley: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
Found "among the author's papers" after his death, this one feels like it was written when Cook was younger. The prose is not as strong and there's very little character development, but the story is gripping and I enjoyed it for that. I usually prefer more literary character-driven stories and I'm usually a slow reader, but I had a hard time stepping away from this little thriller and I read it in the space of one day. It reminded me a lot of Duel -an amazing minimalist thriller directed by Steven Spielberg in 1971 (his second film). In that film, Dennis Weaver is stalked by a Mack truck through empty desert highways. In this novel a man and a woman are stalked by a Range Rover through the empty Australian outback. If this novel hadn't been written earlier than that film and remained unpublished until now, I'd swear there was some direct influence.
If you're into psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this. Currently available (until 1/26/16) for free as an instant download on Negalley: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
October 31, 2015
Just added this one into GR, now its first review. Apparently Australian outback is terrifying, isolating, impossible to live in while very easy to do the opposite, with brutal climate conditions and nothing around. So pretty much like outer space. Or Greenland or something. This short novel does much to reinforce that opinion with a dynamic real time paced survival story. A woman gets assaulted by a particularly putrid wild man, she gets away, her knight in dusty economy car (utterly inappropriate for the outback) picks her up, the attacker gives chase and there you have it...battle royale or wills and cars ensues. Would have been a straight forward actioneer, but for Cook's excellent choice of locale and his excellently vivid writing elevating the story. Very entertaining, quick read. Recommended.
January 24, 2016
Wow!!! What can I say? I found this absolutely terrifying. I couldn’t put it down but at the same time I didn’t want to read it. If you love thrillers or horror stories then this is for you.
Set in outback Australia the writing is so incredibly vivid that you can feel the red dust, sand and heat of the landscape and its isolation and primitiveness - it just seeps into you as you read.
The two main characters Katie Alton and John Shaw are travelling alone, Katie in a well equipped four wheel-drive Land Cruiser and prepared for the rough terrain and John in an inappropriate small Honda. Killing some time while travelling to Adelaide, John comes across Katie on the road and then a chance meeting in a small town pub. John finds out that Katie is going out to a remote area for a week to do some wildlife photography. After she leaves he decides to follow her on part of the route to see if can see her again, even though his car is incredibly unsuitable for such a journey.
He comes across her in an hysterical state running away from a wild man who is pursuing her with an axe. He gallantly picks her up and off they go. But the Man has taken Katie’s Land Cruiser and he is relentlessly pursuing them. They are hopelessly ill equipped in John’s Honda and the title is so fitting.
Katie and John start off as strangers but end up sharing almost unbelievable and terrifying experiences.
Thank you to Netgalley and Text Publishing for an ebook copy of the novel to read and review.
Set in outback Australia the writing is so incredibly vivid that you can feel the red dust, sand and heat of the landscape and its isolation and primitiveness - it just seeps into you as you read.
The two main characters Katie Alton and John Shaw are travelling alone, Katie in a well equipped four wheel-drive Land Cruiser and prepared for the rough terrain and John in an inappropriate small Honda. Killing some time while travelling to Adelaide, John comes across Katie on the road and then a chance meeting in a small town pub. John finds out that Katie is going out to a remote area for a week to do some wildlife photography. After she leaves he decides to follow her on part of the route to see if can see her again, even though his car is incredibly unsuitable for such a journey.
He comes across her in an hysterical state running away from a wild man who is pursuing her with an axe. He gallantly picks her up and off they go. But the Man has taken Katie’s Land Cruiser and he is relentlessly pursuing them. They are hopelessly ill equipped in John’s Honda and the title is so fitting.
Katie and John start off as strangers but end up sharing almost unbelievable and terrifying experiences.
Thank you to Netgalley and Text Publishing for an ebook copy of the novel to read and review.
May 3, 2019
Wake in Fright is the only other book I have read by Kenneth Cook. It's superb. If you haven't read it then you should. It was Wake in Fright that inspired me to read Fear Is the Rider.
As the cover states, Fear Is the Rider is classic Oz-ploitation. The plot has been used multiple times before and boils down to a couple being persued by a relentless psychotic madman. Is the monster human or something else?
It's one long visceral chase with plenty of high octane drama in its 196 pages. Unlike Wake in Fright, there's little about the outback and its culture. Here the outback is just an inhospitable wasteland that provides the backdrop to the action.
It's gripping if inconsequential
3/5
As the cover states, Fear Is the Rider is classic Oz-ploitation. The plot has been used multiple times before and boils down to a couple being persued by a relentless psychotic madman. Is the monster human or something else?
It's one long visceral chase with plenty of high octane drama in its 196 pages. Unlike Wake in Fright, there's little about the outback and its culture. Here the outback is just an inhospitable wasteland that provides the backdrop to the action.
It's gripping if inconsequential
3/5
April 26, 2016
He's behind you!!
It's 50 degrees centigrade outside, as John Shaw is driving over one of the most dangerous roads in the Australian outback, and there isn't a house within two hundred kilometres. A terrified girl has run out in front of his vehicle, running for her life. Now they're racing along the track, but someone is behind them, and he's catching up...
Woo! A non-stop thrill-fest indeed! The author jumps right into the story so that from the first paragraph the tension starts ratcheting up. John's driving a Honda, not built for this terrain. The Man has taken Katie's Land Cruiser – bigger and tougher. The only advantage John and Katie have is that their car is faster, so long as the road is good. But this road doesn't sound good at all...
“Danger. Obiri track. From here to Obiri heat, shifting sands, soaks and various other hazards make travelling extremely dangerous. There is no drinking water or petrol for the next 600 kilometres.”
Neither of them have any idea why the Man wants to kill them. In fact, they can't even be sure he's a man – he's huge and hairy and smells rancid, like decaying flesh. (I think I met him up the dancin' once.) And he doesn't seem to be in a very good mood. They don't have time to speculate – all they can do is keep driving and hope they can put enough distance between them to get to safety before they're caught. But they're heading the wrong way – straight into the danger zone – and they can't turn round because HE'S BEHIND THEM!!!
Brilliant stuff – pure action from beginning to end. Cook doesn't give us any explanations or much character development, either of which would just serve to slow the pace. Fortunately John knows cars and is a skilful driver. Once Katie gets over her initial terror, she pulls her weight too, and she knows more about the Outback than John. But neither of them is a superhero – just two ordinary people caught up in an insane terror. The pacing is great – it never lets up! It's novella length and definitely one to be read in one sitting – no chapters, just a heart-pounding race with a new peril thrown in every few pages, leading up to a truly fab climax. Phew! A thriller that's actually thrilling and isn't trying to be anything else – great stuff! I'm off to lie down in a darkened room for a while now...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Text Publishing.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
It's 50 degrees centigrade outside, as John Shaw is driving over one of the most dangerous roads in the Australian outback, and there isn't a house within two hundred kilometres. A terrified girl has run out in front of his vehicle, running for her life. Now they're racing along the track, but someone is behind them, and he's catching up...
Woo! A non-stop thrill-fest indeed! The author jumps right into the story so that from the first paragraph the tension starts ratcheting up. John's driving a Honda, not built for this terrain. The Man has taken Katie's Land Cruiser – bigger and tougher. The only advantage John and Katie have is that their car is faster, so long as the road is good. But this road doesn't sound good at all...
“Danger. Obiri track. From here to Obiri heat, shifting sands, soaks and various other hazards make travelling extremely dangerous. There is no drinking water or petrol for the next 600 kilometres.”
Neither of them have any idea why the Man wants to kill them. In fact, they can't even be sure he's a man – he's huge and hairy and smells rancid, like decaying flesh. (I think I met him up the dancin' once.) And he doesn't seem to be in a very good mood. They don't have time to speculate – all they can do is keep driving and hope they can put enough distance between them to get to safety before they're caught. But they're heading the wrong way – straight into the danger zone – and they can't turn round because HE'S BEHIND THEM!!!
Brilliant stuff – pure action from beginning to end. Cook doesn't give us any explanations or much character development, either of which would just serve to slow the pace. Fortunately John knows cars and is a skilful driver. Once Katie gets over her initial terror, she pulls her weight too, and she knows more about the Outback than John. But neither of them is a superhero – just two ordinary people caught up in an insane terror. The pacing is great – it never lets up! It's novella length and definitely one to be read in one sitting – no chapters, just a heart-pounding race with a new peril thrown in every few pages, leading up to a truly fab climax. Phew! A thriller that's actually thrilling and isn't trying to be anything else – great stuff! I'm off to lie down in a darkened room for a while now...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Text Publishing.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Read
March 7, 2017No review or rating until after the Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novel 2017 is announced; I received this book as a judge for that category of the Awards.
August 19, 2026
we’ve been trying to contact you about your cars’ extended warranty
ill come back when ive watched the movie “rubber”. somehow i just know a story about a homicidal exploding tyre will run circles around this piece garbage
ill come back when ive watched the movie “rubber”. somehow i just know a story about a homicidal exploding tyre will run circles around this piece garbage
May 20, 2026
Smelly outback killer car chase
May 26, 2016
Two strangers are trapped together in a death match with a mysterious madman, set against the desolate and dangerous backdrop of the Australian Outback.
This is the most terrifying book I've ever read. Seriously, pure, visceral terror--and after a briefly pastoral beginning, it's just about non-stop. Plan your day accordingly: you will not want to put it down once you get going.
The writing itself is often beautiful. Kenneth Cook had a loving eye for the geology of the desert, with its rolling dunes, tenacious brush, and the play of sun on sand. The oppressive heat also functions as a sort of secondary antagonist to our desperate protagonists; even when the Man falls behind, you'll feel his would-be victims' thirst and stalking weakness. You know that it's only a matter of time: even if they elude their pursuer, they can only last so long.
On another level, Fear is the Rider evokes questions about the nature of evil and humanity's capacity for cruelty--something that all good horror should at least touch on. Never are the Man's motivation or origin revealed, leaving the reader to wonder why he's driven to murder these two innocent travelers. Is he merely a lunatic living on the fringes of society, and they've had the bad fortune to pass through his territory? Or is he something more deeply sinister, as evidenced by the strange scent of corruption that accompanies him like a harbinger? And in any case, what does his existence say about the society where he was born and evidently allowed to flourish?
Great book. Don't read it at night, and watch out for trailing dust clouds.
This is the most terrifying book I've ever read. Seriously, pure, visceral terror--and after a briefly pastoral beginning, it's just about non-stop. Plan your day accordingly: you will not want to put it down once you get going.
The writing itself is often beautiful. Kenneth Cook had a loving eye for the geology of the desert, with its rolling dunes, tenacious brush, and the play of sun on sand. The oppressive heat also functions as a sort of secondary antagonist to our desperate protagonists; even when the Man falls behind, you'll feel his would-be victims' thirst and stalking weakness. You know that it's only a matter of time: even if they elude their pursuer, they can only last so long.
On another level, Fear is the Rider evokes questions about the nature of evil and humanity's capacity for cruelty--something that all good horror should at least touch on. Never are the Man's motivation or origin revealed, leaving the reader to wonder why he's driven to murder these two innocent travelers. Is he merely a lunatic living on the fringes of society, and they've had the bad fortune to pass through his territory? Or is he something more deeply sinister, as evidenced by the strange scent of corruption that accompanies him like a harbinger? And in any case, what does his existence say about the society where he was born and evidently allowed to flourish?
Great book. Don't read it at night, and watch out for trailing dust clouds.
January 15, 2016
Well, this was terrifying... The vast Australian outback of my childhood memory was never exactly a welcoming place, but here it is recast as almost a fourth character, colluding with "the Man" in chasing Shaw and Katie down. The chase becomes increasingly nightmarish, as each time they seem to have found a solution their situation just seems to get unimaginably worse, in the way that the worst nightmares, the ones that jolt you awake and sweating in the middle of the night, do. So I'm not sure enjoy is entirely the right word, but I certainly appreciated what the novella set out to do.
Whilst I generally really liked the book, there were a few niggles - the characters didn't feel that developed, just enough to be dropped into this terrifying race. This meant that there was really no explanation for the Man's motivation or background. And then the story was suddenly wrapped up incredibly quickly, so there's really no sense of closure. Then again, I'm not an expert in this genre, so maybe these quibbles were more from my misguided expectations than anything else.
Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing (a great Australian publisher I definitely recommend, btw) for the chance to read this.
Whilst I generally really liked the book, there were a few niggles - the characters didn't feel that developed, just enough to be dropped into this terrifying race. This meant that there was really no explanation for the Man's motivation or background. And then the story was suddenly wrapped up incredibly quickly, so there's really no sense of closure. Then again, I'm not an expert in this genre, so maybe these quibbles were more from my misguided expectations than anything else.
Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing (a great Australian publisher I definitely recommend, btw) for the chance to read this.
May 9, 2016
Looking for a literary thrill-ride? Look no further than Fear is the Rider, a nail-biting thriller set against the harsh backdrop of a thirsty outback.
Rediscovered among Kenneth Cook’s papers—author of the classic thriller Wake in Fright—this previously unpublished novel is packed full of gripping plot twists.
We were thrown deep into the heart of the action from the very first line. The suspense didn’t so much creep as it sprinted, full-force onto the page.
We gasped.
We freaked.
We were truly spooked.
But in a good way, because sometimes a thriller like this is just what you need to keep the senses alive. As Chris Flynn, author of A Tiger in Eden and The Glass Kingdom, says:
“This lost Ozploitation gem is pure horror adrenaline, as characters and reader alike are hunted by a relentless golem—the nightmare outback monster we’ve always feared.”
Other reviewers have likened Fear is the Rider to some of Australia’s most iconic thrillers:
“It’s incredibly filmic — think Wolf Creek meets Mad Max” – Reading Matters Blog
“‘Fear is the Rider is a schlocky, old-school thriller in the best possible way…A kind of literary Mad Max, a master class in Ozploitation, or simply as a short, sharp burst of literary adrenaline, Fear is the Rider is a hell of a lot of fun.’ – Readings
You can preview the book here: www.textpublishing.com.au/previews/fe...
Rediscovered among Kenneth Cook’s papers—author of the classic thriller Wake in Fright—this previously unpublished novel is packed full of gripping plot twists.
We were thrown deep into the heart of the action from the very first line. The suspense didn’t so much creep as it sprinted, full-force onto the page.
We gasped.
We freaked.
We were truly spooked.
But in a good way, because sometimes a thriller like this is just what you need to keep the senses alive. As Chris Flynn, author of A Tiger in Eden and The Glass Kingdom, says:
“This lost Ozploitation gem is pure horror adrenaline, as characters and reader alike are hunted by a relentless golem—the nightmare outback monster we’ve always feared.”
Other reviewers have likened Fear is the Rider to some of Australia’s most iconic thrillers:
“It’s incredibly filmic — think Wolf Creek meets Mad Max” – Reading Matters Blog
“‘Fear is the Rider is a schlocky, old-school thriller in the best possible way…A kind of literary Mad Max, a master class in Ozploitation, or simply as a short, sharp burst of literary adrenaline, Fear is the Rider is a hell of a lot of fun.’ – Readings
You can preview the book here: www.textpublishing.com.au/previews/fe...
March 25, 2025
took me 2 hours to read the whole thing bc it’s not long but i was halfway through and already begging for our two protagonists to die. shaw’s an asshole who probably thinks he’s actually decent. katie could have been replaced by a sex doll on wheels and the story would have been the same. this ticks all the boxes that make me hate a book: it’s horribly racist, misogynistic, and stars a narcissistic “white savior” of a man. the only star i’ll give it is thanks to the quality of the prose, which did at least provide interesting visuals as the story took place.
May 19, 2022
pure, undiluted, brilliant insanity
November 29, 2021
Mindless page-turning fun. Well written with idiotically frustrating characters. Will fill an afternoon/evening pleasantly.
January 23, 2022
Fear Is The Rider is a historical Australian novel. One day a young man driving Sydney to Adelaide took a detour and stopped to help a young girl. Unbeknown to the young man, someone was after the young girl, and it became a chase to survive. The readers of Fear Is The Rider will continue to follow the two young people to find out what happens.
Fear is the Rider is an enjoyable book to read. I had not read any books of Kenneth Cook before Fear is the Rider, and I did engage with this story and the characters. I like Kenneth Cook's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. Fear is the Rider is well written and researched by Kenneth Cook. The description of the settings of Fear is the Rider was done well by Kenneth Cook.
The readers of Fear is the Rider will learn that you should not travel on your own in isolated areas. Also, the readers of Fear is the Rider will understand what you should do driving behind large trucks through the desert.
I recommend this book.
Fear is the Rider is an enjoyable book to read. I had not read any books of Kenneth Cook before Fear is the Rider, and I did engage with this story and the characters. I like Kenneth Cook's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. Fear is the Rider is well written and researched by Kenneth Cook. The description of the settings of Fear is the Rider was done well by Kenneth Cook.
The readers of Fear is the Rider will learn that you should not travel on your own in isolated areas. Also, the readers of Fear is the Rider will understand what you should do driving behind large trucks through the desert.
I recommend this book.
October 30, 2016
What a great read.
I don't very often read thrillers, but was tempted by this one as it was written by Kenneth Cook author of Wake in Fright which I loved. Not giving anything away, this is the tale of a young guy and girl under threat by an unknown person "The Man" in the depth of the Australian outback. Told from the perspective of the young man, you are taken on a realistic but frightening journey through the desert, down trodden outback hotels and opal mines.
This is a very well written story which keeps you turning pages right from the start.
I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don't very often read thrillers, but was tempted by this one as it was written by Kenneth Cook author of Wake in Fright which I loved. Not giving anything away, this is the tale of a young guy and girl under threat by an unknown person "The Man" in the depth of the Australian outback. Told from the perspective of the young man, you are taken on a realistic but frightening journey through the desert, down trodden outback hotels and opal mines.
This is a very well written story which keeps you turning pages right from the start.
I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2025
it’s not often i find horror books that take place in australia, let alone the australian outback, but i live for the way that the outback is described in well written books. like it just hits the spot. kind of like seeing a painting of the outback with its oranges and yellows and sun, it feels warm and comforting. i know it’s supposed to be scary but it’s a strangely comforting scene in my head. but still, i would not like to be stuck out there.
remember folks, drive safe on those outback roads!
remember folks, drive safe on those outback roads!
January 20, 2025
I feel like this would be a good film. Do take into account that the book was finished by a family member and is based in Australia. I found myself bored through a lot of it, I felt like the events happened in a short amount of time but was drawn out to make the book longer.
Outside of that, after I got over that, it was a good story. It was intense that had me second guessing myself, which is something I do enjoy with thrillers. But it would've been a been a better film than novel.
Outside of that, after I got over that, it was a good story. It was intense that had me second guessing myself, which is something I do enjoy with thrillers. But it would've been a been a better film than novel.
January 15, 2016
This is the most thrilling book I've read in.....as long as I can remember. Read it in one sitting, could not bear to take a break from it. Simply terrifying, I was hiding my face behind my hands through most of it. Yes, yes, yes. Read it to get your heart rate up!
I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2023
A movie would be interesting to watch, tho
June 23, 2026
He basically did the "her tits breasted boobily" several times in this book, I'm done. DNF'd.
October 3, 2024
White knuckle from start to finish, Kenneth Cook takes an incredibly simple premise and has the reader hooked from the first page all the way to the final lines.
John Shaw, a photojournalist on his way to Adelaide from Sydney driving through the outback, chances upon meeting a young photojournalist Katie, and while moving with his Honda Civic, is suddenly thrust into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Katie having been attacked by a "Savage" man, who is now equipped with her axe, and fully fueled, deadly Land Cruiser.
The novel wastes 0 time on backstory to keep you hooked in this chase, how a Civic can attempt to navigate the savage outback, while Shaw & Katie do what they can to stop this implacable man. Props to Kenneth for making this monster of a man so unique, almost featureless and more a "Black Silhouette" than a man. Is he real? Is he an Aboriginal legend come to life? Is he the Devil? It keeps you guessing while never giving an answer, except for providing more and more thrills until the final paragraph.
Very good read.
John Shaw, a photojournalist on his way to Adelaide from Sydney driving through the outback, chances upon meeting a young photojournalist Katie, and while moving with his Honda Civic, is suddenly thrust into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Katie having been attacked by a "Savage" man, who is now equipped with her axe, and fully fueled, deadly Land Cruiser.
The novel wastes 0 time on backstory to keep you hooked in this chase, how a Civic can attempt to navigate the savage outback, while Shaw & Katie do what they can to stop this implacable man. Props to Kenneth for making this monster of a man so unique, almost featureless and more a "Black Silhouette" than a man. Is he real? Is he an Aboriginal legend come to life? Is he the Devil? It keeps you guessing while never giving an answer, except for providing more and more thrills until the final paragraph.
Very good read.
December 12, 2017
I think the film version of Wake in Fright is the ultimate Australian film, far more effective than better-known 'classics' like the original Mad Max. Cook's novel is decent too, albeit containing some less than stellar prose, and so I was keen on getting my hands on this recently-discovered outback thriller, published the best part of 30 years after the author's death in 1987.
I can only offer limited praise, however. It's true that the plot rollicks along at a good clip. It's a bleak, outback noir of a sort that I ought to enjoy, but sadly I felt that the story was almost entirely lacking in the realms of character motivation and development. There's a young man, a young woman, and a madman chasing them through the desert and to the death. That's it. Oh, and there's an Aborigine called 'The Aborigine.' This would have worked better as the film script it apparently originally was. As a novel, it's bare bones.
I can only offer limited praise, however. It's true that the plot rollicks along at a good clip. It's a bleak, outback noir of a sort that I ought to enjoy, but sadly I felt that the story was almost entirely lacking in the realms of character motivation and development. There's a young man, a young woman, and a madman chasing them through the desert and to the death. That's it. Oh, and there's an Aborigine called 'The Aborigine.' This would have worked better as the film script it apparently originally was. As a novel, it's bare bones.
March 19, 2023
Неизвестный гонится по австралийской пустыне за парой туристов. Догонит — убьет.
Могу только повторить за другими читателями: "Fear is the Rider" это чистый адреналин с ручками регулировки, вывернутыми "на 11". Живой, компактный, минималистичный триллер, при этом ни разу не легковесный. Возможно, потому что человеку здесь противостоит, прежде всего, сама природа.
Прочитано по причине: жанр, «Wake in Fright»
Могу только повторить за другими читателями: "Fear is the Rider" это чистый адреналин с ручками регулировки, вывернутыми "на 11". Живой, компактный, минималистичный триллер, при этом ни разу не легковесный. Возможно, потому что человеку здесь противостоит, прежде всего, сама природа.
He could hear the engine of the Land Cruiser now and knew he had no hope of changing the wheel before it caught up with him. ‘We’re not going to make this,’ he said. ‘We’re going to have to fight him.’ He stood up, leaving the car partly resting on the jack. In the glove box he had a heavy clasp knife. He found it, opened it and handed it to Katie. ‘You use this,’ he said. ‘I’ll keep the jack handle.’
Прочитано по причине: жанр, «Wake in Fright»
January 30, 2025
another fun, mindless action read. i really liked the setting a lot. the heat and wilderness felt like a character of their own. the pacing was great too, and didn’t let up until the end
my main criticism is that the girl character was a very stereotypical “woman written by a man”. she was helpless and only acted as a extra set of hands for the main character. also her boobs were out and described multiple times for seemingly no reason. wished she had more of a personality and ideas of her own
my main criticism is that the girl character was a very stereotypical “woman written by a man”. she was helpless and only acted as a extra set of hands for the main character. also her boobs were out and described multiple times for seemingly no reason. wished she had more of a personality and ideas of her own
January 21, 2020
Decent potboiler that is part Jaws, part Halloween that happens to be set in the parched Australian desert. It almost feels like a film treatment, with characters so thin that they're almost transparent (wandering everyman, damsel in distress, silly old coot, dim-witted blackfella), and a plot that is about as deep as a child's wading pool.
Given all that though, it moves along briskly and doesn't outstay its welcome.
Given all that though, it moves along briskly and doesn't outstay its welcome.
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