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The X-Files: Young Adult #11
Howlers
The looming shadow of a bizarre, long-legged man. A howling mob of ghost-like figures. A woman's face contored in terror. What should have been a routine passport photo becomes a nightmare captured on film -- a nightmare that appears to have come true. FBI Agent Fox Mulder recognizes the photos as "thoughographs" -- the killer, Mulder is shocked to see the next thoughtograph develop -- a frightening photos of his partner, Agent Dana Scully.
128 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 30, 2017
“So which one of us gets to use the stun gun on the Boston Strangler over there?” –Mulder referring to an elderly druggist (p. 18)
Howlers, a young-adult novelization of The X-Files episode titled “Unruhe” (German for ‘Unrest’), is set in Traverse City, Michigan. FBI Agents Mulder and Scully assist local law enforcement in tracking a serial killer who kidnaps women and lobotomizes them; their only clues are distorted photographs of the victims taken prior to their abduction. The situation intensifies when Scully herself becomes the killer’s next target.
Howlers is an overall faithful adaptation of an exceptional X-Files episode. The appropriately paced narrative was not as superficial as some of the other novelizations in this series, and the author maintains a sufficient amount of suspense from start to finish. The whole psychic photography element is an interesting hook; however, it seems entirely incidental to Gerry Schnauz's past trauma and his murderous pathology. Up until Mulder shows one the photographs to Gerry, the killer had no idea he possessed the ability. Moreover, I've always been troubled about how exactly the ability to manipulate photographs came to him in the first place. Was there some kind of severe accident he suffered as a child? Or is there some kind of warped electric field residing within his body that somehow manifests his thoughts onto any photographs that enter said field's radius? Moreover, if the phenomena is merely Gerry’s subconscious thoughts impressed on film, then how was his own subconscious able to perfectly predict his death while the other photographic images were so abstract?
Open-ended questions aside, this is a worthwhile read for younger readers or anyone with an interest in the series. While the paranormal element of the case is an ancillary hook that merely served to get Mulder and Scully on the case, readers will likely be intrigued by the story's exploration into the pathology of a serial killer and whether or not human monsters like Gerald Schnauz can ever be understood.
Howlers, a young-adult novelization of The X-Files episode titled “Unruhe” (German for ‘Unrest’), is set in Traverse City, Michigan. FBI Agents Mulder and Scully assist local law enforcement in tracking a serial killer who kidnaps women and lobotomizes them; their only clues are distorted photographs of the victims taken prior to their abduction. The situation intensifies when Scully herself becomes the killer’s next target.
Howlers is an overall faithful adaptation of an exceptional X-Files episode. The appropriately paced narrative was not as superficial as some of the other novelizations in this series, and the author maintains a sufficient amount of suspense from start to finish. The whole psychic photography element is an interesting hook; however, it seems entirely incidental to Gerry Schnauz's past trauma and his murderous pathology. Up until Mulder shows one the photographs to Gerry, the killer had no idea he possessed the ability. Moreover, I've always been troubled about how exactly the ability to manipulate photographs came to him in the first place. Was there some kind of severe accident he suffered as a child? Or is there some kind of warped electric field residing within his body that somehow manifests his thoughts onto any photographs that enter said field's radius? Moreover, if the phenomena is merely Gerry’s subconscious thoughts impressed on film, then how was his own subconscious able to perfectly predict his death while the other photographic images were so abstract?
Open-ended questions aside, this is a worthwhile read for younger readers or anyone with an interest in the series. While the paranormal element of the case is an ancillary hook that merely served to get Mulder and Scully on the case, readers will likely be intrigued by the story's exploration into the pathology of a serial killer and whether or not human monsters like Gerald Schnauz can ever be understood.
May 15, 2018
Klassische Akte-X Story. Spannende Unterhaltung für Zwischendurch, wenn auch mit einigen Logikfehlern. Aber darauf zielt Akte X nun mal nicht ab, meine Erwartungen an ein unterhaltsames Scully-Mulder-Team wurden erfüllt.
June 26, 2020
Mal wieder in die Sphären des Mysteriösen abzutauchen war mein Plan mit diesem Buch.
Von der Story her hat mir das Buch nicht so gefallen. Irgendwie waren immer wieder Sprünge drin, wo mir Infos fehlten.
Der Täter war schnell ausgemacht, doch wie immer dauerte die Überführung noch einige Zeit und wurde dramatisch.
Insgesamt von mir 2,5 von 5 Sternen für dieses Buch.
Von der Story her hat mir das Buch nicht so gefallen. Irgendwie waren immer wieder Sprünge drin, wo mir Infos fehlten.
Der Täter war schnell ausgemacht, doch wie immer dauerte die Überführung noch einige Zeit und wurde dramatisch.
Insgesamt von mir 2,5 von 5 Sternen für dieses Buch.
July 27, 2022
A bare bones novelisation of the episode Unruhe. I enjoyed the episode and this is a good read of the same. Unfortunately, it adds nothing to the experience making it only necessary reading for those not old enough to watch it on screen.
November 23, 2018
The last book of the novel is very exciting.
April 10, 2021
Was just like watching an episode of the show.
January 31, 2011
126th - 2011
Nggak ingat apa pernah lihat episode yang ini.
Nggak ingat apa pernah lihat episode yang ini.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews