The Force

by John Edward Ames

Book by Ames, J. Edward

Genres: Horror

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Also writes as Judd Cole

John Edward Ames has an MA in English and taught writing at the University of Northern Colorado and University of New Mexico before becoming a full time writer in 1987. His 56 novels include 45 westerns and western historicals. The Unwritten Order (1995) was nominated for a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. He began his career at age 19 as a journalist in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A secret cult, a mad psychologist intent on fathering a demon seed, and a pesky local reporter make for a batshit crazy bath of mind manipulation in THE FORCE!

I’ve got to admit, I struggled with the characters in this one, for a lot of different reasons (shallowness aside) with the main factor being - there was no rhyme or reason for them… they just appeared with well established links to the crazy psychologist at the helm of his cult of one (it’s just him and his delusions of grandeur). It made for a jarring and disjointed read in the early stages of the book and I struggled to get into this bizarre story in any meaningful way.

Cover is kinda cool though.

[Nigel S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book's got plenty of violence and gore, but somehow it manages to suck anyway. Maybe it's because it's so stupid. It's basically about this psychiatrist who kidnaps all these girls so he can knock one up with some generic, fly-by-night antichrist (sorry, but I say if no one's heard of your religion, then your antichrist is, by definition, totally weak). The main person who gets in the way is this spunky reporter, so eventually he uses his evil psychiatrist powers (fine, Scientologists, you were right about that one) to possess her kid...

More here:
http://www.mrsatanism.com/books/force1987.htm

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Really took me back to the heyday of horror in the 1980s. Ames is a consistently readable writer who also gives the reader 100 percent.

[Mario Le Grange · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only took this one for the amazing cover art....and that's actually where it ends.
I don't know how I finished this one, because I could tell that it's not that good. Usually when I first pick up that a book (that's taking itself rather seriously) is bad, it's game over.

I think the only thing that got me through it was that the main character reminded me of naomi watt's character Rachell from The Ring, which is my favorite movie...single mom reporter trying to figure out who's attacking her son with unseen power.

But yeah, it's pretty hard to take the story seriously. Mainly because the villain just doesn't feel like a threat.

If you've ever read Shuan Hutson, you'll know he's not very good at endings. Well, this is the same problem. Trying to squeeze an ending that would fit the story into 70 pages (pretty big font) could only end in disaster...


Would I recommend it? Not really

If you collect old school horror paperbacks with awesome cover art? Yes.

[LenatheCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Force was a surprisingly good read. It's pulpy horror at its best, but it had likeable characters with distinct personalities, a clear plot, and a really good use of satanic horror.

Anita, a reporter, tries to uncover the mystery behind a brutal series of killings occuring near the mine outside of town, and inadvertantly makes herself the target of Vogel, a psychologist who is the offspring of a long line of cultists endowed with horrific powers and who believes himself to be the one who will father the antichrist.

The Force had it all - evil psychic powers, a repulsive and brutal hired killer, satanic cults, gore, and even an ever so slightly forbidden romance between the heroine and the local deputy (her dead husband's old best friend).

4 out of 5 stars from me. Definitely worth a read if you like pulp horror.