Criaturas del mal

by Christopher Keane, William D. Black

Hasta una noche maldita, el ginecólogo Josh Heller nunca sospechó que se encontraría alguna vez ante el gélido umbral del terror.
Estaba sucediendo. Muchas parturientas —mujeres jóvenes, en perfecto estado de salud, con escasos riesgos— tenían imprevistos problemas durante el parto; algunas incluso morían en él. Sus hijos eran muy singulares respecto a otros. pero muy similares entre sí: chiquitines de cabellos rojos y luminiscentes ojos verdes.
Paralelamente, Pat Heller, esposa de Josh y experta periodista de temas médicos, está investigando las repercusiones farmacológicas de la ingeniería genética; una investigación que la lleva al extraño maridaje de un senador megalómano y un brillante médico con antecedentes de psicópata: mezcla ominosa de locura. frustración y perversidad, unidas para extender el horror de sus criaturas...

Genres: Horror, Christmas

354 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Christopher Keane is the author of more than a dozen novels and screenplays. The author of the teleplay for "The Huntress," the basis for the hit series on the USA network, Keane also served as writer and co-producer of the series. He teaches screenwriting all over the United States and in Europe and leads several workshops yearly.

Reviews

[Brendon Lowe]

Babies are being born all over the country with red hair, green eyes, terrible diseases, and hideous wounds. Dr Heller and his wife, a reporter, discover the secret behind these babies dubbed "the Christmas babies" due to the color of their hair and eyes.

It involves secret illegal genetic testing, mad scientists, high ranking Government officials, and plenty of murder and sex appeal as well.

It was featured in the book Paperbacks from Hell, but it definitely is not a horror book. It's mainly a medical thriller, but it's still good. It skips along at a quick pace and that chapters are short and sweet. There is plenty going on with our characters and some mystery. It has basically no Christmas charm, so it's not a great read in that aspect for this time of year, but I still had an ok time with it.

[Kate]

In several hospitals around the country, a strange phenomena is taking place: difficult births, the babies born with red hair and green eyes, babies that die soon after. Josh Heller has dealt with a few of these, so when a new computer system comes along promising to solve some of the problems, he gets it installed. But the red-haired woman in green who arrives to install it tries to seduce him, putting more strain on Josh's marriage. His wife, Pat, is working hard as a reporter to uncover a senator's ties to genetic experimentation, not knowing that she might just become the mother of one of the Christmas Babies...

This book looked so amazingly cheesy that I just had to buy it from a library book sale. I figured this was a good time of year to read it - but, disappointingly, most of the story takes place in Florida and the "Christmas Babies" aren't actually the scary part of the story. The scary part is how much Pat drinks even after finding out she's pregnant! (Seriously, three mixed drinks in one sitting!). Or this description of an orgasm: "It came in rolling waves until she thought her head would blow off, and then she collapsed."

It was a fun read if you enjoyed Paperbacks from Hell and want to read something that is not especially well-written, but written in a way that is easy and fast. I couldn't quite figure out why Dr. Burns had decided to use random women as his test subjects, when he had a whole stable full of them back at the lab (none of whom were rescued, BTW), especially since the babies kept dying? But as a holiday read it didn't really hold up.

[Ignacio Senao f]

Flojo relato en el que una médico junto a su mujer, investigaran un nuevo medicamente que hace a los bebes salir todos iguales.

Una caca.

[Amanda Schaefer]

I thought this was going to be a Gremlins-esque tale of crazy babies with creepy eyes. Actually it was about mad scientists and creepy genetic engineering. Either way, it was pure trash. Can't say I hated it, though. I liked it in the way I like watching MST3K. Co-written by a doctor, it also has some oddly specific medical references, which I suppose is better than being inaccurate. Two thumbs.

[Dan Taylor]

I was hoping this medical mutant baby thriller was set during Christmas with terrified parents fighting off their monstrous offspring. Alas, the "Christmas" part refers to the red hair and green eyes of the Babis that are plaguing Dr Josh Heller's practice. An easy, breezy read, the whole thing comes off like a benign Lifetime Network "horror" flick.

[Reyna]

I wanted this to be about evil babies attacking families during the holiday season, but it was about genetic engineering! I liked the story and the medical jargon reminded me of school which was fun. I bought it because of the cover though so 10/10 on that, I love it!

[Sheila Moreno Moreno]

Uf.
A ver, lo primero creo que sería explicar que esto no es un libro de terror por mucho que hayan intentado catalogarlo así, es más bien un thriller médico a lo Robin Cook, pero claro, estos autores no son Robin Cook y durante mucho tiempo casi he sentido que veía una peli de tarde de las de antena 3 los sábados especialmente mala.
Una vez explicado esto, hay muchas cosas que no me han gustado: los personajes son odiosos, como hacia la mitad del libro creí que si morían todos me daría igual porque todos eran horribles; no me creo que el protagonista sea tan tonto, lo de dejar a su hija a cargo de la señora que intenta ser su amante y que no conoce de nada es ridículo; Pat también es un personaje terrible, además que no entiendo por qué es alcohólica ¿Por que es una madre que trabaja? No comprendo nada.
Eso sin contar el machismo intrínseco de los 90 que pasaré por alto, porque parafraseando el libro, «Josh tiene un horario de trabajo complicado y Pat un trabajo complicado y una hija» (aunque la hija sea de ambos).
El villano no puede ser más de opereta. Y la portada es horrible, yo pensaba que era cosa de España, pero viendo goodreads he sido consciente de que es que la original es así.
Puf.
En fin, por lo demás el libro se deja leer si es que puedes aguantarte las ganas de estrangular a los personajes cada dos páginas (me he olvidado de la niña, que a veces actúa como una niña y a veces es una adulta repelente en el cuerpo de una niña)

[Kristin]

DNF at page 38.

[Signor Mambrino]

My life is no better for having read this garbage.

[Tasha]

Another used bookstore gem I read way back when

[Eva]

Le pongo una estrella porqe no se puede menos. No me he enterado de nada , aveces me qedaba casi dormida de la caca de libro qe es.