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Judderman
London, early-1970s. In a city plagued by football violence, Republican bombings, blackouts and virulent racism, a new urban myth is taking hold. Among the broken down estates, crumbling squats and failed projects of a dying metropolis, whispered sightings of a malevolent figure nicknamed the Judderman are spreading. A manifestation of the sick psyche of a city, or something else?
84 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 13, 2022
This brief horror is based inside the gritty, urban environment of 1970's London. Those who dwell there have to compete against the violence of racist attacks, gang wars, and territorial feuds. Now, however, a new enemy is lurking, and the Judderman will face them all without prejudice for who they are or where their roots lay.
This horror remained light on the horrifying elements for me and, instead, painted an evocative and sprawling urban landscape with textured and artful prose. The creation of setting was by far my favourite aspect of this novella, but I remained a little unimpressed by the actual bones of the story.
This was an interesting insight to weird urban lore but left me unafraid for shifting shadows and things that go bump in the night, which is what I came here anticipating.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, D.A. Northwood, and the publisher, Dead Ink, for this opportunity.
This horror remained light on the horrifying elements for me and, instead, painted an evocative and sprawling urban landscape with textured and artful prose. The creation of setting was by far my favourite aspect of this novella, but I remained a little unimpressed by the actual bones of the story.
This was an interesting insight to weird urban lore but left me unafraid for shifting shadows and things that go bump in the night, which is what I came here anticipating.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, D.A. Northwood, and the publisher, Dead Ink, for this opportunity.
October 7, 2018
How do you experience a city when it is as familiar as family and as recognisable as a recurring nightmare? It’s the early 1970s, and London is a powder keg, saturated with threat and simmering with violence. The powerful abuse the powerless, and the powerless inflict prejudice on each other. These details are repeated throughout like insistent motifs; we’re not allowed to forget them.
Two brothers, Gary and Daniel Eider, are trying to catalogue their London, compiling the stories of the forgotten, dispossessed and abused. They refer to this shadow version of the city as ‘London Incognita’. But there is a sickness in the surface city – in London Cognita – described luridly in Daniel’s journals like a hideous vision of nationalist nostalgia made obscene:
And then Daniel goes missing, leaving Gary to rake obsessively over memories and, ultimately, follow in his brother's footsteps, venturing into London’s darkest recesses, the ‘thin places’.
Lurking in the background is the judderman, a bogeyman-like figure composed of everything bad and sick and rotten in the city’s neglected corners. The judderman reminded me of the Bonak in Daisy Johnson’s Everything Under: both a specific monster and a manifestation of evil in general. It's also, as Daniel puts it, ‘a London thing’.
Daniel claims to have seen it – him – once, ‘peeling himself out of the shadows’ on the Woodberry Down estate. The judderman’s physical form is elucidated in marvellously evocative style:
Wherever rumours of the judderman spring up, Daniel goes – and, later, Gary follows.
As it happens I already knew that the writer behind D.A. Northwood was Gary Budden, but what with the references to C.L. Nolan, the Malachite Press and even the phrase ‘a hollow shore’, it’s fair to say I would have guessed anyway. I think the author’s identity is worth talking about because what Budden is doing more broadly, through his whole body of work, is something that fascinates and thrills me – building a sort of incremental mythos, a world that becomes richer and more complete with every story he writes.
And of course I love the fact that the title instantly invokes everyone’s favourite series of creepy early-00s alcopop adverts. Top marks – this is going to be a bloody tough act for the other Eden Book Society novellas to follow.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
All these people who weren’t allowed to be a part of the story could be consumed by the people who formed the official realities.
Two brothers, Gary and Daniel Eider, are trying to catalogue their London, compiling the stories of the forgotten, dispossessed and abused. They refer to this shadow version of the city as ‘London Incognita’. But there is a sickness in the surface city – in London Cognita – described luridly in Daniel’s journals like a hideous vision of nationalist nostalgia made obscene:
So, you may see a limb-like tree from Tyburn bearing its infamous hanging fruit, aspects of Newgate prison, Bedlam ejecting its howling inmates as they clamber over a wreckage of red telephone boxes, paddy wagons, penny farthings, crumpled pornographic magazines, Roman coins and penny dreadfuls.
And then Daniel goes missing, leaving Gary to rake obsessively over memories and, ultimately, follow in his brother's footsteps, venturing into London’s darkest recesses, the ‘thin places’.
Part of him had always wanted the opportunity to hunt through the remains of a haunted, damaged city, tracking down ghosts and the shades of memory.
Lurking in the background is the judderman, a bogeyman-like figure composed of everything bad and sick and rotten in the city’s neglected corners. The judderman reminded me of the Bonak in Daisy Johnson’s Everything Under: both a specific monster and a manifestation of evil in general. It's also, as Daniel puts it, ‘a London thing’.
Daniel claims to have seen it – him – once, ‘peeling himself out of the shadows’ on the Woodberry Down estate. The judderman’s physical form is elucidated in marvellously evocative style:
He moved like something out of old stop-motion animation... He had the melancholy quality of Bagpuss, and the tension of an unexploded WWII bomb.
Wherever rumours of the judderman spring up, Daniel goes – and, later, Gary follows.
As it happens I already knew that the writer behind D.A. Northwood was Gary Budden, but what with the references to C.L. Nolan, the Malachite Press and even the phrase ‘a hollow shore’, it’s fair to say I would have guessed anyway. I think the author’s identity is worth talking about because what Budden is doing more broadly, through his whole body of work, is something that fascinates and thrills me – building a sort of incremental mythos, a world that becomes richer and more complete with every story he writes.
And of course I love the fact that the title instantly invokes everyone’s favourite series of creepy early-00s alcopop adverts. Top marks – this is going to be a bloody tough act for the other Eden Book Society novellas to follow.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
October 9, 2018
Judderman is the second book in the "Eden Book Society" series published by Dead Ink Press. In my review of "Holt House", the first instalment, I played along with the meta-fictional premise of the series but, frankly, I think it does greater justice to the project to actually explain the 'conceit' which propels it. Here it is, in brief.
The (fictional) "Eden Book Society" was set up in 1919, publishing horror novellas for a private list of subscribers. Eden books were elusive things - written under a pseudonym, available only to a select few, and occasionally found in jumble sales or unexpected locations. Dead Ink Press, the publishing house behind this literary experiment, purportedly acquired the back catalogue of the Society, and will reprint the novellas sequentially, starting from 1972. In actual fact, the books are penned by a group of specially commissioned writers. The list sounds like a roll-call of leading contemporary British horror writers: Andrew Michael Hurley, Alison Moore, Aliya Whiteley, Jenn Ashworth and Richard V Hirst, Sam Mills, Gary Budden.
The brilliance of this project lies in the fact that the very concept behind it creates an aura of mystery and suspense. And then there's that meta-literary playfulness which is typical of classic Gothic. With the novels purportedly originally issued in 1972, the authors have to succeed in an ambitious double-act - evoking the style of 70s horror whilst taking us back to the atmosphere of that decade. It's a sort of historical scary fiction.
If Holt House combined folk and existential horror, Judderman falls squarely within the "urban weird" genre and, more specifically, the sub-category of London Gothic. The story revolves around brothers Gary and Daniel Eider, who are trying to catalogue a 'peripheral' city, one rich in urban myth and esoterism, a shadowy place they refer to as "London Incognita". Amongst the dying embers of a decadent society, a new ghoul-like figure is sighted. It's the Judderman, a malevolent figure which seems to be made out of the evil which is gripping the city. Daniel follows this monster into oblivion. He goes missing, leaving Gary to try solve the mystery of his brother's disappearance.
My first impression upon reading the novella (most appropriately, on a flight to London), was that this could have been a joint effort of Peter Ackroyd and Iain Sinclair, after a night smoking marijuana and listening to early Pink Floyd. "Judderman" is, like the work of these authors, strongly rooted in 'psychogeography', the quasi-mystical idea that urban spaces hold a collective historical memory. Indeed, Daniel and Gary's feverish visions often involve images of old, ancient and even prehistoric London. Interestingly, the novella manages to combine the very real horrors which gripped the 70s (unemployment, racial and sectarian violence, IRA bombings) with imagined ones stemming from urban myth (such as monsters living in unused Underground stations) - a hellish marriage of London Cognita and Incognita. And to add more flavour to the meta-mix, there are extracts from lost diaries, stories within stories, quotes from fictional authors.
Who's behind this unsettling literary concoction? Perhaps the choice of Gary as one of the protagonist's names is a clue. But one can never be too sure. This is the Eden Book Society after all...
September 27, 2018
Outstanding second novella from the Eden Book Society. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in London folklore, urban legends, weird horror, the uncanny... basically, anyone who likes their fiction on the unsettling side. A great short read.
September 15, 2020
Second book in this short horror novel for middle-grade readers and it will be the last. Not that they are bad in any ways, but there just not really good in any way neither. A bit blank, very slow, not much horror and the audio book I listen too didn't bring the ambiance I was looking for. The sound was just okay, but a bit low and «grishy» it might have been an attempt for some sort of ambiance in some way but it was just bothering me since I had to pump the sound so high and hear a bunch a white noise behind the actual reading. So not a great experience for me. Maybe a book I would recommend for young reader who want to get introduce to horror, but I would recommend going with an original physical book and not the audio!
December 6, 2018
This is my first delve into The Eden Book Society and it certainly won’t be my last. The society has been a small and private publisher of horror novels for almost 100 years and the books have only recently become available, through Dead Ink Books.
This is a well-constructed novella set in London in the 1970s in which the protagonist, Gary, is dealing with the disappearance of his brother. The bleak setting, with its backdrop of racism, IRA bombings, football violence and a skinhead uprising, plays an important part, as amongst the crumbling estates the word on the street is that he is coming, the Judderman that is.
This is a well-constructed novella set in London in the 1970s in which the protagonist, Gary, is dealing with the disappearance of his brother. The bleak setting, with its backdrop of racism, IRA bombings, football violence and a skinhead uprising, plays an important part, as amongst the crumbling estates the word on the street is that he is coming, the Judderman that is.
November 25, 2019
The Judderman is a shadowy creature, a liminality between cautious fear and nihilistic despair. The protagonists of this story, Gary Eider and his older brother, Danny, have spent many years seeking out the darker elements of London that go unseen by those who prefer to focus their lives on more mundane concerns. Now Danny is missing, and Gary is reading his journals looking for clues as to where his brother could be. The two men love their city but recognise the horrors that exist in the cracks, under the radar, and on the hills where the wealthy live.
“The important things to see are there and were always there, but you need the tools to see them.”
Gary’s concern for his brother is not shared by their parents, his girlfriend, Lisa, nor the cousin who bears the scars of a war that is still waging. They have never shown interest in the topics that piqued the brothers’ curiosity – London Incognita.
“Gary became fascinated – obsessed, Lisa would say – by how two people could be looking at the very same thing and have totally different experiences. If that was the case, what was reality?”
Gary goes searching for tidings of Danny amongst the mudlarks and burned-out hippies. London is changing, as has always been the case.
Clearances: “A people and a culture, told that it was no longer of any value. Fled, were pushed”
Months pass with no news from Danny or clues as to his whereabouts. Gary finds himself alone in his search, increasingly ostracised, sinking.
“Why wouldn’t they look? I figured if they chose to truly see, then they may have to do something. To act, and to change.”
The refrain of a children’s song haunts Gary. Could his brother have found the Judderman? Did the Judderman find him?
The underlying horror of the tale is not only what could lurk in the shadows but all that is ignored in plain sight. Wars have left scars that go unspoken. Racism and violence are rife. The wealthy satisfy their appetites with impunity. Some things never change.
The author turns over the rock that is London and enables the creatures festering beneath to scuttle away from the unexpected exposure. In that brief glimpse, the reader may understand how the Judderman survives. It is a warning about the risks of revealing that which few wish to see.
A story for fans of horror and contemporary folklore. A dark and compelling read.
“The important things to see are there and were always there, but you need the tools to see them.”
Gary’s concern for his brother is not shared by their parents, his girlfriend, Lisa, nor the cousin who bears the scars of a war that is still waging. They have never shown interest in the topics that piqued the brothers’ curiosity – London Incognita.
“Gary became fascinated – obsessed, Lisa would say – by how two people could be looking at the very same thing and have totally different experiences. If that was the case, what was reality?”
Gary goes searching for tidings of Danny amongst the mudlarks and burned-out hippies. London is changing, as has always been the case.
Clearances: “A people and a culture, told that it was no longer of any value. Fled, were pushed”
Months pass with no news from Danny or clues as to his whereabouts. Gary finds himself alone in his search, increasingly ostracised, sinking.
“Why wouldn’t they look? I figured if they chose to truly see, then they may have to do something. To act, and to change.”
The refrain of a children’s song haunts Gary. Could his brother have found the Judderman? Did the Judderman find him?
The underlying horror of the tale is not only what could lurk in the shadows but all that is ignored in plain sight. Wars have left scars that go unspoken. Racism and violence are rife. The wealthy satisfy their appetites with impunity. Some things never change.
The author turns over the rock that is London and enables the creatures festering beneath to scuttle away from the unexpected exposure. In that brief glimpse, the reader may understand how the Judderman survives. It is a warning about the risks of revealing that which few wish to see.
A story for fans of horror and contemporary folklore. A dark and compelling read.
October 27, 2020
After really enjoying Holt House by the Eden Book Society I was keen to try another from their private archives. Set in the 1970's London is suffering from discontent at a time of bombings, blackouts, racism, football violence and housing decay.
But to young impressionable minds London is so very fascinating. The whole idea of a 'London Incognita" or a 'Layered London' really interests me and I enjoyed this obsessive vision that Brothers Danny and Garry had, seeking out the darker parts of London, the urban mythology encouraged by the paperbacks they read. When Danny suddenly goes missing Garry trawls through his journal and comes to the conclusion it could be linked to the Judderman, but he is a myth or does he lurk in the shadows?.
This book contains history, mythology, lore and imagery all crammed in to the short novella. It is quite a chilling tale and as with the first book I came away with names and notes to investigate further.
A story I enjoyed and could of happily listened to more .
My thanks go to the publishers and Netgalley for providing this arc in return for a honest review.
But to young impressionable minds London is so very fascinating. The whole idea of a 'London Incognita" or a 'Layered London' really interests me and I enjoyed this obsessive vision that Brothers Danny and Garry had, seeking out the darker parts of London, the urban mythology encouraged by the paperbacks they read. When Danny suddenly goes missing Garry trawls through his journal and comes to the conclusion it could be linked to the Judderman, but he is a myth or does he lurk in the shadows?.
This book contains history, mythology, lore and imagery all crammed in to the short novella. It is quite a chilling tale and as with the first book I came away with names and notes to investigate further.
A story I enjoyed and could of happily listened to more .
My thanks go to the publishers and Netgalley for providing this arc in return for a honest review.
January 11, 2019
A strange and lovely thing. I have a feeling I'm going to be seeking out more books from the Eden Society.
January 31, 2019
Echoes of Joel Lane, this is a neat, metafictional slice of the uncanny. I caught references to Hookland, Shadow Booth, and a few others. It's eerie and seeped in the murk and grime of London.
May 9, 2019
‘Your brother’s with the Judder.’
If you are not aware of The Eden Book Society – where have you been? Dead Ink have been able to obtain the rights to their back catalogue and are releasing titles over the course of the year, with each one being a macabre little slice of horror. There is more information about The Eden Book Society at the bottom of this post…you should take the journey and find out a little bit more…trust me, things will never be the same again!
I was delighted to find the Judderman waiting for me when I got home from a busy day at the office, I opened the envelope, slid the book out and then spent the rest of my evening gripped by the horrors that were sealed within its pages. What D.A. Northwood was able to put to paper is in my opinion a very dark, brooding and menacing story – full of subtle horror, tension and a delectable writing style, all of which adds to the books impact on the reader.
With the Judderman D.A. Northwood has created a new breed of horror – one which continues to haunt long after the book is finished, a horror which if we are honest, we may have been aware existed all along!
D.A. Northwood paints a bleak landscape, but one that was all too real. London in the early 1970’s – a place that is plagued by violence, racism, Republican bombings, football violence, a skin head uprising – a London full of terror, political decline and social disease. The city is in turmoil and plagued by disappearances – not of the wealthy and the higher classes, but that of the street vermin, the homeless and the lower class – they are much easier to disappear without a fuss. Lurking in the crumbling estates, squats and failed projects of a diseased London is the Judderman – words amongst the down-and-outs are that he is coming, that he is stalking in the dark…he will come…and when he does he will take them with him.
Observe the shadows cast by the city’s crippled buildings, designed sober and built drunk, and you’ll find him crouching in twitching anticipation with the rats and needles and the abstract patterns of broken glass that one day I will decipher. The architecture of brick and stone rots in a metropolitan hangover and the judderman is your stale beer breath the morning after the night before, the blood flowing from your gums as you scrub hard to wash all the poison away, and the overflowing ashtray unemptied and stained with thick black residue. He is the rattle in your chest. The damp in your bones.
What I loved about the Judderman is that it reminded me of one of my favourite writers and books – James Herbert and The Rats. It may have something to do with the tone of the book and the bleakness of the landscape that it is set – but the writing also was unashamed and relevant to today’s society; let alone the time the book is set, much like Herbert’s The Rats. It is visceral and challenging storytelling at its best and most definitely creepy as hell.
The Judderman is novella in length but well paced and masterfully constructed – the use of the journal interspersed with our main protagonist Gary’s observations of the events unfolding works really well and breaks the book up nicely – with the journal entries reading like the ravings of someone close the the edge, someone who has had enough of the establishment we are all slaves to and it’s as if his scribbling’s are that of a crazy person ready to snap – and within this crazy rambling style the reader learns about the Judderman and his all too real existence.
Horror is well and truly alive with the Judderman and we now have a new breed of horror to fear!
If you are not aware of The Eden Book Society – where have you been? Dead Ink have been able to obtain the rights to their back catalogue and are releasing titles over the course of the year, with each one being a macabre little slice of horror. There is more information about The Eden Book Society at the bottom of this post…you should take the journey and find out a little bit more…trust me, things will never be the same again!
I was delighted to find the Judderman waiting for me when I got home from a busy day at the office, I opened the envelope, slid the book out and then spent the rest of my evening gripped by the horrors that were sealed within its pages. What D.A. Northwood was able to put to paper is in my opinion a very dark, brooding and menacing story – full of subtle horror, tension and a delectable writing style, all of which adds to the books impact on the reader.
With the Judderman D.A. Northwood has created a new breed of horror – one which continues to haunt long after the book is finished, a horror which if we are honest, we may have been aware existed all along!
D.A. Northwood paints a bleak landscape, but one that was all too real. London in the early 1970’s – a place that is plagued by violence, racism, Republican bombings, football violence, a skin head uprising – a London full of terror, political decline and social disease. The city is in turmoil and plagued by disappearances – not of the wealthy and the higher classes, but that of the street vermin, the homeless and the lower class – they are much easier to disappear without a fuss. Lurking in the crumbling estates, squats and failed projects of a diseased London is the Judderman – words amongst the down-and-outs are that he is coming, that he is stalking in the dark…he will come…and when he does he will take them with him.
Observe the shadows cast by the city’s crippled buildings, designed sober and built drunk, and you’ll find him crouching in twitching anticipation with the rats and needles and the abstract patterns of broken glass that one day I will decipher. The architecture of brick and stone rots in a metropolitan hangover and the judderman is your stale beer breath the morning after the night before, the blood flowing from your gums as you scrub hard to wash all the poison away, and the overflowing ashtray unemptied and stained with thick black residue. He is the rattle in your chest. The damp in your bones.
What I loved about the Judderman is that it reminded me of one of my favourite writers and books – James Herbert and The Rats. It may have something to do with the tone of the book and the bleakness of the landscape that it is set – but the writing also was unashamed and relevant to today’s society; let alone the time the book is set, much like Herbert’s The Rats. It is visceral and challenging storytelling at its best and most definitely creepy as hell.
The Judderman is novella in length but well paced and masterfully constructed – the use of the journal interspersed with our main protagonist Gary’s observations of the events unfolding works really well and breaks the book up nicely – with the journal entries reading like the ravings of someone close the the edge, someone who has had enough of the establishment we are all slaves to and it’s as if his scribbling’s are that of a crazy person ready to snap – and within this crazy rambling style the reader learns about the Judderman and his all too real existence.
Horror is well and truly alive with the Judderman and we now have a new breed of horror to fear!
October 4, 2018
Disappointing barely covers it. There's a fair bit of flash here, but it's all swiped from other, more interesting sources -- Mieville and Gaiman and Machen are the popular names, but really anybody who has chronicled weird London is a direct influence on this. There's a fair amount of invention here, admittedly, what with the fictional-book-publisher-inside-a-book-by-a-fictional-book-publisher... but there is barely any story here. There's a plot, ostensibly, and some sketched scenes, but it feels like a draft that was turned in because it was a drop-deadline and there was nothing else to be done.
So far, the Eden Book Society books have been disappointing. I've got a preorder in for one more and if that doesn't cut the mustard... well, I'll be bummed, because this was a great idea. Too bad they couldn't get better material for it.
So far, the Eden Book Society books have been disappointing. I've got a preorder in for one more and if that doesn't cut the mustard... well, I'll be bummed, because this was a great idea. Too bad they couldn't get better material for it.
May 5, 2019
Judderman is only 78 pages, but it contains more hidden stories than most 300-page novels. The narratives, which include the brother, the missing man’s journal, and chunks of a novel, are full of strange elements and creatures that force the reader to imagine their origin.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
September 13, 2020
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Judderman is the second of the Eden Society Novellas and, having loved 'Holt House' grabbing the second was a forgone conclusion. However, I can't help but feel Judderman didn't even come close to reaching the same heights as Holt House.
At the base of it, it's one man's hunt for his missing brother. He believes the mysterious Judderman is to blame for his brother's disappearance and he delves deep into the depths of London in search of him.
In actuality, it doesn't feel like there's a whole lot of story going on. It feels like the author just really wanted to get a host of ideas down about a layered London. London 'cognita' and London 'incognita'.
It felt incredibly hard to keep up with what was happening as, when a character would be walking from one person to another to further their investigation, the author would go off into a deep metaphorical monologue about London and the hurts assailing it. Some of these seemed to be repeats of earlier monologues.
In places it genuinely felt like, if the author hadn't crammed a dozen metaphors, half a dozen similes and more adjectives than most calculators can count in any one description, then he had failed. Sadly, he never failed. The entire body of work was saturated with metaphors, similes and adjectives to the point where I forgot what point was actually being driven at. The blurb itself is a small indicator of this.
When I managed to ground myself and keep up with what was going on, the ideas on offer were intriguing and I liked the concept. I just felt the execution was lacking to the point that I struggled to remember just what was actually being executed.
It didn't feel like a horror at any point, in fact it felt more like a series of monologues or memoirs than an actual story.
The above sounds a tad harsh and I wouldn't go as far as saying Judderman is bad. I just wouldn't go as far as saying it was great either. To me, it was average. This could be because it seems to be far too much of a 'literary' piece and I just don't appreciate it enough, or it could just be the author's style which does not sit well with me.
Whatever the reason, I just struggled to find myself sitting anywhere other than on the fence as far as rating this one goes.
Judderman is the second of the Eden Society Novellas and, having loved 'Holt House' grabbing the second was a forgone conclusion. However, I can't help but feel Judderman didn't even come close to reaching the same heights as Holt House.
At the base of it, it's one man's hunt for his missing brother. He believes the mysterious Judderman is to blame for his brother's disappearance and he delves deep into the depths of London in search of him.
In actuality, it doesn't feel like there's a whole lot of story going on. It feels like the author just really wanted to get a host of ideas down about a layered London. London 'cognita' and London 'incognita'.
It felt incredibly hard to keep up with what was happening as, when a character would be walking from one person to another to further their investigation, the author would go off into a deep metaphorical monologue about London and the hurts assailing it. Some of these seemed to be repeats of earlier monologues.
In places it genuinely felt like, if the author hadn't crammed a dozen metaphors, half a dozen similes and more adjectives than most calculators can count in any one description, then he had failed. Sadly, he never failed. The entire body of work was saturated with metaphors, similes and adjectives to the point where I forgot what point was actually being driven at. The blurb itself is a small indicator of this.
When I managed to ground myself and keep up with what was going on, the ideas on offer were intriguing and I liked the concept. I just felt the execution was lacking to the point that I struggled to remember just what was actually being executed.
It didn't feel like a horror at any point, in fact it felt more like a series of monologues or memoirs than an actual story.
The above sounds a tad harsh and I wouldn't go as far as saying Judderman is bad. I just wouldn't go as far as saying it was great either. To me, it was average. This could be because it seems to be far too much of a 'literary' piece and I just don't appreciate it enough, or it could just be the author's style which does not sit well with me.
Whatever the reason, I just struggled to find myself sitting anywhere other than on the fence as far as rating this one goes.
September 16, 2020
My thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd. Whole Story QUEST for a review copy via NetGalley of the audiobook edition of ‘Judderman’ by D.A. Northwood. It is narrated by Walter Chidlow with a running time of 2 hours, 31 minutes at 1x.
The recording has bonus material in the form of a foreword by Charlie Higson and an introduction on the occult heritage of the Judderman by Gary Budden.
This is the second in the 'Forgotten Recordings' of the Eden Book Society, produced by W.F. Howes.
The Eden Book Society series is published by Dead Ink Books and is presented as short works of British horror fiction written as part of a subscribers only list in the early 1970s. The novellas are actually penned by leading contemporary horror and weird fiction authors under pseudonyms.
‘Your brother's with the Judder.’
London, early 1970s. A new urban myth is taking hold in the city that is plagued by violence, Republican bombings, blackouts and virulent racism. There are whispers of a malevolent figure named the Judderman. Is he a manifestation of the city’s sick psyche or something more sinister?
Danny and Gary Elder are chronicling hidden London, a shadow city they refer to as ‘London Incognita’. When Danny goes missing, Gary searches through Danny’s journals and his own memories for clues to his brother’s disappearance.
‘Judderman’ is laced with urban lore, strange images, mythology and history as well as anecdotes of the city and its varied peoples.
In terms of the narration, I suspect that like Northwood Walter Chidlow is a pseudonym. It took me a while to adjust to the London accent he initially used as Danny Elder. Chidlow draws on a range of down-to-Earth London accents for Gary and other characters, then switches to a rather posh one in a later chapter. Overall, his voice sounded rich and mature.
‘Judderman’ is a dark, chilling, and atmospheric novella that packs quite a punch. With the bonus material providing fascinating background, the audiobook edition is a treat for lovers of classic British horror, whether written in the past or pretending to be.
The recording has bonus material in the form of a foreword by Charlie Higson and an introduction on the occult heritage of the Judderman by Gary Budden.
This is the second in the 'Forgotten Recordings' of the Eden Book Society, produced by W.F. Howes.
The Eden Book Society series is published by Dead Ink Books and is presented as short works of British horror fiction written as part of a subscribers only list in the early 1970s. The novellas are actually penned by leading contemporary horror and weird fiction authors under pseudonyms.
‘Your brother's with the Judder.’
London, early 1970s. A new urban myth is taking hold in the city that is plagued by violence, Republican bombings, blackouts and virulent racism. There are whispers of a malevolent figure named the Judderman. Is he a manifestation of the city’s sick psyche or something more sinister?
Danny and Gary Elder are chronicling hidden London, a shadow city they refer to as ‘London Incognita’. When Danny goes missing, Gary searches through Danny’s journals and his own memories for clues to his brother’s disappearance.
‘Judderman’ is laced with urban lore, strange images, mythology and history as well as anecdotes of the city and its varied peoples.
In terms of the narration, I suspect that like Northwood Walter Chidlow is a pseudonym. It took me a while to adjust to the London accent he initially used as Danny Elder. Chidlow draws on a range of down-to-Earth London accents for Gary and other characters, then switches to a rather posh one in a later chapter. Overall, his voice sounded rich and mature.
‘Judderman’ is a dark, chilling, and atmospheric novella that packs quite a punch. With the bonus material providing fascinating background, the audiobook edition is a treat for lovers of classic British horror, whether written in the past or pretending to be.
January 13, 2021
After having read/listened to Holt House by The Eden Book Society, I immediately request Judderman, because I craved more of the gothic, suspense, classic horror that I got in Holt House.
Judderman takes place in a 1970’s gritty and obscure London, or as it’s often referred to, London Incognita.
The gang and racial attacks, bombings, the debauchery and the vices run ramped throughout the city. The Judderman is a figure that we’re never sure if it’s just the manifestation of a broken and dark city or of it’s a manifestation of the fears and divides of the society it’s set in, but he seems to be here to enforce some sort of justice against the injustices that keep on happening.
The strange mystery of the disappearance of Gary’s brother, our main character, may or may not be linked to this obscure figure. Did Gary’s brother disappear willingly? Did the Judderman take him away? Gary never found out and we're left wondering and left to decide for ourselves what may have happened.
Sadly, this story did not grab my attention as deeply as Holt House. It was good, but nowhere near the horror or scary impact I expected it to have had on me.
Nonetheless, I’m thankful that The Eden Book Society continues to publish these long-forgotten novellas and I look forward to reading more of them, as they are certainly a refreshing change from the current horror/thriller/gothic stories of our modern times.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for allowing me to listen to this novella in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
#Judderman #NetGalley
Judderman takes place in a 1970’s gritty and obscure London, or as it’s often referred to, London Incognita.
The gang and racial attacks, bombings, the debauchery and the vices run ramped throughout the city. The Judderman is a figure that we’re never sure if it’s just the manifestation of a broken and dark city or of it’s a manifestation of the fears and divides of the society it’s set in, but he seems to be here to enforce some sort of justice against the injustices that keep on happening.
The strange mystery of the disappearance of Gary’s brother, our main character, may or may not be linked to this obscure figure. Did Gary’s brother disappear willingly? Did the Judderman take him away? Gary never found out and we're left wondering and left to decide for ourselves what may have happened.
Sadly, this story did not grab my attention as deeply as Holt House. It was good, but nowhere near the horror or scary impact I expected it to have had on me.
Nonetheless, I’m thankful that The Eden Book Society continues to publish these long-forgotten novellas and I look forward to reading more of them, as they are certainly a refreshing change from the current horror/thriller/gothic stories of our modern times.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for allowing me to listen to this novella in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
#Judderman #NetGalley
October 15, 2024
A psychogeographical horror lacking connective tissue.
Judderman is the tale of Gary, a Londoner obsessed with his city's dark lore and grim folk history. When his brother Daniel goes missing and leaves behind a journal musing on an impossible entity known only as the Judderman, Gary delves into shadows and madness to rescue him.
Northwood does a fine job of evoking a mystical atmosphere in his depiction of the Old Smoke. The character work is both deep and gloomy, describing Gary and Daniel's precarious mental health in their own words in epistolary form.
However the brothers barely move in the plot. For a tale about the sudden loss of a loved one, there is very little actual investigation shown. At times it feels like urban myth's allure and sullen introspection take precedent over everything else. I didn't expect to see the Judderman or any of the other monsters lurking in the capital, but it would have been good to see our protagonists suddenly scared or forced into a life-and-death situation.
Then again, I suppose Judderman is a novella of creepy ideas and cultural observations rather than a straight-up creature feature. The ending was strong but it didn't feel earned. Perhaps if we had seen more of Gary and Daniel's hardship shown in real time, it would have been more effective.
As it is though, I recommend Judderman to those drawn to London Incognita or curious about the kind of horror tomes The Eden Book Society published.
Judderman is the tale of Gary, a Londoner obsessed with his city's dark lore and grim folk history. When his brother Daniel goes missing and leaves behind a journal musing on an impossible entity known only as the Judderman, Gary delves into shadows and madness to rescue him.
Northwood does a fine job of evoking a mystical atmosphere in his depiction of the Old Smoke. The character work is both deep and gloomy, describing Gary and Daniel's precarious mental health in their own words in epistolary form.
However the brothers barely move in the plot. For a tale about the sudden loss of a loved one, there is very little actual investigation shown. At times it feels like urban myth's allure and sullen introspection take precedent over everything else. I didn't expect to see the Judderman or any of the other monsters lurking in the capital, but it would have been good to see our protagonists suddenly scared or forced into a life-and-death situation.
Then again, I suppose Judderman is a novella of creepy ideas and cultural observations rather than a straight-up creature feature. The ending was strong but it didn't feel earned. Perhaps if we had seen more of Gary and Daniel's hardship shown in real time, it would have been more effective.
As it is though, I recommend Judderman to those drawn to London Incognita or curious about the kind of horror tomes The Eden Book Society published.
October 4, 2020
Many thanks to W.F Howes Ltd who provided an audiobook copy through Netgalley for my honest review.
This book is the second in the Eden Book Society series, written by D.A Northwood and with super narration by Walter Chidlow which only adds to the atsmosphere of this book.
It is a creepy short story, set in the 1970's, with the main characters being Gary and his missing brother Danny. This is a very descriptive book with many gems such as suggesting that Londons architecture has been formed in part from the blood of its citizens, though much of this structure was now in a bad state of repair. The story was set at a time of civil discontent, huge parts of society was broken and drug abuse was rife.
The Judderman is a local myth which portrays a shadowy London which is in the doldrums. Did the Judderman have something to do with Danny's disappearance - is it really a myth, or is something really lurking in the shadows?
The story is unusual and quite dark and eerie at times, though I didn't find it particularly horrific. This book is well worth a read (or listen) if you are a fan of classic creepy books, though I don't believe you need to be a horror fan to want to read it. You have to keep switched on to remain with the plot, though I thought it was well worth investing in.
This book is the second in the Eden Book Society series, written by D.A Northwood and with super narration by Walter Chidlow which only adds to the atsmosphere of this book.
It is a creepy short story, set in the 1970's, with the main characters being Gary and his missing brother Danny. This is a very descriptive book with many gems such as suggesting that Londons architecture has been formed in part from the blood of its citizens, though much of this structure was now in a bad state of repair. The story was set at a time of civil discontent, huge parts of society was broken and drug abuse was rife.
The Judderman is a local myth which portrays a shadowy London which is in the doldrums. Did the Judderman have something to do with Danny's disappearance - is it really a myth, or is something really lurking in the shadows?
The story is unusual and quite dark and eerie at times, though I didn't find it particularly horrific. This book is well worth a read (or listen) if you are a fan of classic creepy books, though I don't believe you need to be a horror fan to want to read it. You have to keep switched on to remain with the plot, though I thought it was well worth investing in.
September 7, 2020
I requested this one after listening to the first of the Eden Book Society audiobooks, Holt House. This was equally short, at 2 hours and 30 minutes. I liked Holt House a lot, and this was equally fun. Judderman was much more of an atmospheric read, though that atmosphere is bleak and eerie. Judderman peeks at the darkness that everyone sees but nobody acknowledges, creating an in depth view of the things that lie in plain sight and the risks of acknowledging those things - be they metaphorical or paranormal. I liked the concept of the Judderman, I'm a sucker for monstrous spirits that lurk a little closer than you'd like, and the descriptions of the world were vivid and fascinating. I think the audiobook makes for a good way to experience this novella, as the journalistic aspects that felt so wild and on-the-edge felt even more so through the audiobook medium. I really love listening to the Eden Book Society series, and I hope they keep on coming!
September 13, 2020
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Judderman is the next in the Holt House series, and as soon as my friend told me about it being available for request, I snatched it up quickly. I think listening to these novellas as audiobooks does the best justice to them. I personally did not enjoy Judderman as much as I did the first book in the Holt House series, however, it was still quite spooky of a read. This book was more atmospheric and dark than the first book, and as a whole, that is not my favorite. I know that these stories are all written by different authors and have different themes, so I cannot wait to see what the next one will be about!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Judderman is the next in the Holt House series, and as soon as my friend told me about it being available for request, I snatched it up quickly. I think listening to these novellas as audiobooks does the best justice to them. I personally did not enjoy Judderman as much as I did the first book in the Holt House series, however, it was still quite spooky of a read. This book was more atmospheric and dark than the first book, and as a whole, that is not my favorite. I know that these stories are all written by different authors and have different themes, so I cannot wait to see what the next one will be about!
October 6, 2020
I confess to mixed feelings about Judderman, having thoroughly enjoyed Holt House from the same series of retro recordings, I was hoping for something similar. The story started well with Gary's elder brother, Danny going missing. Both brothers are fascinated by the urban mythology that abounds around London. Gary's friends and family all take Danny's disappearance in their stride, his mum still cooks dinner for Danny 'in case', his dad stops mentioning him, Gary's girlfriend insists he's losing the plot. Gary keeps hearing about the Judderman, a dark figure who lurks on the edge of reality.
As I said, it all started very promisingly, but sadly I felt the author lost his way somewhere and there was a complete lack of shivers for me. I was listening to the audiobook and found I had to keep repeating parts of the book as I had lost concentration. Overall this was a bit of a disappointment for me.
As I said, it all started very promisingly, but sadly I felt the author lost his way somewhere and there was a complete lack of shivers for me. I was listening to the audiobook and found I had to keep repeating parts of the book as I had lost concentration. Overall this was a bit of a disappointment for me.
September 25, 2020
What an atmospheric, dark, haunting read. This classic haunting work originally published in 1972 tells a dark story of an unseen London, one with those haunted from past wars, haunted by disillusionment, plagued by trauma's unseen, those cast aside with from poverty, mental health, drugs and alcohol. These "unseen" people have tall tales of seeing The Judderman, a kind of monster that plagues them and embodies all of the above mentioned.
Listening to the audiobook, narrated by Walter Chidlow and others, was excellently voiced. Pacing and tone were perfect in adding a haunting tone and voice changes to indicate different characters.
Anyone who loves classic dark, haunting reads should add this to their horror-classics cannon. I look forward to more reads from the Eden Book Society.
Listening to the audiobook, narrated by Walter Chidlow and others, was excellently voiced. Pacing and tone were perfect in adding a haunting tone and voice changes to indicate different characters.
Anyone who loves classic dark, haunting reads should add this to their horror-classics cannon. I look forward to more reads from the Eden Book Society.
November 14, 2018
It wasn’t bad at all, but it was...clunky? Some of the narrative devices were laboured - it reminded me of nothing so much as House of Leaves, done in a heavy hand. Creepy, at times, and an interesting conceit; if anything, I wished it had moved on faster, meandered less, and let me see more of the world.
November 10, 2018
Not my cup of tea. Dull, boring, gloomy. I like the concept of the Eden Book Society, but was disappointed with this first offering. I guess I do not like bleak, nihilistic stories with a sense of doom.
September 23, 2020
Judderman by D.A. Northwood.
Narrated by Walter Chidlow.
This is book 2 of the Eden book society series.
I did like listening to this audiobook. It was short and different. I loved the cover. Spooky. 4*.
Narrated by Walter Chidlow.
This is book 2 of the Eden book society series.
I did like listening to this audiobook. It was short and different. I loved the cover. Spooky. 4*.
October 18, 2018
Northwood's masterwork. A chilling study in the dark glamour of a city, and how its people become lost to occulted fascinations. Recommend this brief, intense trip to London Incognita.
April 10, 2022
This is a good little book.
December 10, 2023
I really liked the premise of this but there was just something I can’t quite put my finger on which was lacking and it was also at times a little repetitive so it’s a 4.5 stars for me
January 4, 2021
I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher W.F. Howes Ltd in exchange for an honest review.
Unlike the first of these audiobooks (Holt House), Judderman sadly left me a bit wanting. It's a very rambly sort of story which gives the impression of it being long, even though the whole thing is only about two hours in length. It also suffers from not having distinct voices for the characters, meaning that I found it very difficult to pay attention. It doesn't seem to have much of a plot as a result. It is set in a city and there is some kind of entity and a missing brother, but I kept tuning out due to long sections which were mostly there for atmosphere. It's a shame because I did enjoy the weirdness and unique tone of the first of these audiobooks but this didn't have anything much going for it. As with the first one, this is an old recording and so the sound quality is a little muffled/quiet which matters a lot more in this book than the first due to the monotonous tone. I think I might have enjoyed this more as a physical book but as it stands, I find it difficult to recommend this one.
Unlike the first of these audiobooks (Holt House), Judderman sadly left me a bit wanting. It's a very rambly sort of story which gives the impression of it being long, even though the whole thing is only about two hours in length. It also suffers from not having distinct voices for the characters, meaning that I found it very difficult to pay attention. It doesn't seem to have much of a plot as a result. It is set in a city and there is some kind of entity and a missing brother, but I kept tuning out due to long sections which were mostly there for atmosphere. It's a shame because I did enjoy the weirdness and unique tone of the first of these audiobooks but this didn't have anything much going for it. As with the first one, this is an old recording and so the sound quality is a little muffled/quiet which matters a lot more in this book than the first due to the monotonous tone. I think I might have enjoyed this more as a physical book but as it stands, I find it difficult to recommend this one.
June 8, 2021
When I first started this book, the frequent tangents of dense baroque prose felt like unnecessary padding to make a very short book a little longer. But by the end, I truly appreciated the atmosphere it built. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything that transported me to a particular time and place more effectively than this one. Its grimy down-at-the-heels 1970s London was visceral and alive. The brevity of the book only solidified the punch of the horror and created a truly haunting tale.
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