Spores

by Ike Hamill

"A high action page-turner set in a Maine winter, this Ike Hamill bio-thriller is the perfect Saturday afternoon heart thumper."Jake stands there, stunned, as Andrew chambers a round. The rifle is pointed right at the running man. Every hunter has a story of an expedition gone wrong. This one is about to take a fatal turn, and there is nothing that Jake can do but watch.

The rifle fires.

From horror author Ike Hamill, Spores takes you on a journey you'll never forget. It's a tale millions of years in the making, and you'll never imagine where it will land.

The four men are out on a simple hunting trip. It’s supposed to be a chance to unwind and get away from all the stress of work and family. But when Andrew looks through the scope and sees what’s running at him, he acts decisively. Back at the cabin, Leonard and Patrice have their own problem. They hear the sound of the snowmobile and rush to the window. They look out in time to see the machine streaking across the lake, and then it’s gone.

When Marie appears, everything somehow gets much worse.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2018

About the author

Ike Hamill writes fast-paced horror novels with strong, relatable characters. His books have gained a steady following amongst readers who enjoy his blend of sci-fi, paranormal, occult, and suspense. Whether focused on a small family trying to survive the move to a haunted house, or following a band of angry rebels determined to withstand an apocalypse, his stories draw the reader into the lives of real people in crisis. Readers are always sad to leave the characters behind when the book is finished.

Reviewers compare Ike to Dean Koontz and Stephen King—two of his favorite authors. His narrative often jumps between interwoven stories, presenting readers with a fresh perspective and keeping them guessing until the last chapter. Most of Ike’s readers are repeat customers. Pick up one of his books to learn why.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Plot!

I'm not much into Sci To anymore, but I found this story intriguing. I don't know that I cared for the end of the book though.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: SPORES by Ike Hamill

I can't resist "fungi fiction" (it "stems" from my love of Lovecraft), so discovering Ike Hamill' s newest novel SPORES was a delightful experience. Indeed, the story proved quite involving, as it also interwove two more of my favorite topics, Maine and Winter (snow, ice, frozen lake, November, cabins). Mr. Hamill does a superb job of delineating a Narcissistic, superiority-complex driven, academic scientist (almost too superb), which truly increased my delight, and the mycologist' s foil character, Marie, who needs to be read to be believed--all the characters play off her refrain, which you will discover throughout the novel. Finally, there's a lot of science turned science fiction in this story--or vice versa--and if you remember/love/admire The Borg, you will understand exactly; plus "a heapin' helpin'" of human greed and cupidity--naturally {frown}. A lot to ponder, the novel will tickle your ingrained "What If--?"

[Catriona Lovett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted and Terrifying

I really liked to have mushrooms with spaghetti, on pizza, with steak. Then, this book introduced me to an entirely different aspect of fungus. I will never eat mushrooms again.

Well-written and original, this book is a mind twister. I loved having a microscopic horror different from the Covid 19 virus to occupy my mind. It would make an excellent film.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel grabbed my attention from the first chapter, which was pretty short. It`s a hunting trip gone horribly wrong. Four friends hunting for a long weekend and when some strangers show up and change everything. Now, these friends have to deal with dead bodies, fungal infections, and snow mobile crashes.

There were times when I thought the story was going to go a certain way, but I was always surprised by the twists and turns of the story. That`s one thing I like about Ike Hamill. His stories never cease to surprise.

[Sharron Machin (booksbehindthetitle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read others by the author I was pleased to get change to read this one. Whilst reading it did bring to mind elements of Stephen Kings Dreamcatcher story, the cold the group of friends and the invasive enemy but it stands as its own good read. It takes an idea of an invasive force that can gain overall control of the host and sees it through to an explosive ending.
It combines thrills, horror and sci fi in an interesting read it in one sitting kind of story. If you like this author you will enjoy this book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the whole ‘horror in a rural setting’ genre. It tends to be moody and immersive and can take some interesting turns. Ditto on possession. Unfortunately, I kind of felt like Hamill painted himself into a corner and didn’t have a great ending planned out. The ending feels out of place and out of genre and is hard to follow.

Skip to the next paragraph to avoid spoilers. The ‘alien consciousness’ that the characters deal with is awfully close to omniscient. It explains this away as the natural outcome of having a great deal of knowledge, but never adequately explains how it comes by its detailed understanding of the world and the characters. Because of that, its knowledge feels like a deus ex machina–and honestly, I think that without that crutch, the author could have found a better ending.

Don’t get me wrong–Spores was a quick, fun horror/SF read, which is exactly what I was looking for when I read it. However, some of Hamill’s work is absolutely brilliant, so I wish this had added up to more. Still, you can bet that the next time he puts out a book I’ll be reading it!


Consider my rating a 3.5. Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/08/s...

[Jan Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give it a 3.5 if possible. I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the middle. It was the ending that wasn't as satisfying as many of his other books that I've read. It was a little too off the rails of reality for me, as strange as that sounds considering the wacky and weird stuff he writes about! The premise of mushrooms taking over the world was a good one and pretty creepy. I just couldn't quite get on board with them taking over people's minds and bodies. Now, the theory of alien mushrooms--that worked better for me, strangely enough. I think it was the huge spaceship for Mars that threw me over the edge of suspended disbelief.

[Debra Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it over????

Maybe that's not a fair rating..........nah, I don't think so.
Perhaps it's because I couldn't read more than 10 pages per sitting.
Character development was very poor.
I tried to imagine being in those woods, looking at the almost frozen lake. But I couldn't.
The plot was all over the place.
The ending was just as confusing as the beginning.
I've said this before, It may be good for some but not for me. I am not sure if I'll read more from this author, maybe not.

[Mkittysamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way of Aliens taking over

I like the idea of spores from mushrooms. It was a ok read for me, I enjoyed it but I’m left with a lot of unanswered questions. The concepts were pretty new to me so that was cool! I am still confused about the ending. All in all if you are looking for a book with cosmic aliens, mushrooms, camping horror style with lots of drama this is for you!

[Wendy]

Excellent Story

I have never read any book quite like this one, and that is a good thing. I got caught up with each of the characters and the descriptive passages were so good I felt as if I were there. I good see the scenery. I could feel the cold. I could see the spores. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I can't wait to read another book by Ike Hamil.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spores

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was the last thing I saw before going to bed and I would think about it while drifting off. It was entertaining and creepy in a lot of places. It got outlandish and was always a bit weird... but it was good reading and well worth the time.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get going, but I loved the premise and found it quite different to what I expected. I expected a Last of Us/Walking Dead type tale full of rampaging zombie types, but what I got was an altogether more thoughtful story which focused on a small and secluded set of characters. I'll definitely read more from this author.

[sharon ullman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spores

The author has really done a nice job with this book. Although I feel the storyline is way out there, I say who knows. It could happen,hopefully It won’t.Fast read great characters excellent twist...

[Jeanne Lambrianou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazingly great read

I was thoroughly IN this world for as long as it took to read the book. Ike Hamill tells a hell of a story. His scenarios stick in your mind for a long time too. Very modern scifi, based on actual science - the best kind.

[Felicia Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

I wonder if this could be real? This was written very well. The idea of spores entering the body is not a foreign concept. Especially now with the coronavirus so prevalent.

[Holly Kilmister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read, I suppose it was more science fiction than zombie horror. The book follows a science research group, who are researching fungi and the properties of the fungi for a special project.

[Janina s. Asselin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a favorite

The book started out good and interesting but lost me as it went on. I forced myself to finish it but all I got for my effort was a headache. It dragged on and on.

[Teena Renken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy

When a group of friends go to a remote cabin on a hunting trip, they have no idea they are about to change the course of the world.

[Neva Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reality Re-Thought

How much of what you think you know is true? I will never eat a mushroom again. I have a new respect,(fear) for spores!!!!