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The Pumpkin Seed
“I am a drinker of human blood and an eater of human flesh, a monster dressed in the skin of a man.” So states Charles, the main character of the novel, after being infected with a virus transmitted by an insect vector.
The Pumpkin Seed opens in India near the Nepal border in the late 17th century. A commissioned officer of the East India Company is seeking a profitable new trade route into China. Indian bandits of the Thuggie clan attempt to stop this further invasion by the British and release a plague of insects, which carry a unique virus. This organism not only infects humans, it transforms the chemical and physical nature of the host’s body. Longevity, resilience and the need to feed on human blood and flesh make the host an efficient killing machine, especially in regard to the human race.
The novel follows the characters through 17th and 18th century England and India, culminating in present day Austin, Texas. Set in the orphanages of London and in the vile body snatching trade, a host of characters, who are as despicable as their deeds, search for the truth and a cure for their malady.
The Pumpkin Seed takes us through the vices of greed, hate, love and despair and creates a modern novel that puts colonialism in the spotlight and asks difficult questions about this generation’s guilt for the crimes of its ancestors. This novel is a classic vampire tale with a twist, told beautifully from the point of view of the vampire.
The Pumpkin Seed opens in India near the Nepal border in the late 17th century. A commissioned officer of the East India Company is seeking a profitable new trade route into China. Indian bandits of the Thuggie clan attempt to stop this further invasion by the British and release a plague of insects, which carry a unique virus. This organism not only infects humans, it transforms the chemical and physical nature of the host’s body. Longevity, resilience and the need to feed on human blood and flesh make the host an efficient killing machine, especially in regard to the human race.
The novel follows the characters through 17th and 18th century England and India, culminating in present day Austin, Texas. Set in the orphanages of London and in the vile body snatching trade, a host of characters, who are as despicable as their deeds, search for the truth and a cure for their malady.
The Pumpkin Seed takes us through the vices of greed, hate, love and despair and creates a modern novel that puts colonialism in the spotlight and asks difficult questions about this generation’s guilt for the crimes of its ancestors. This novel is a classic vampire tale with a twist, told beautifully from the point of view of the vampire.
Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2009
21 people want to read
About the author
Timothy C. Hobbs
15 books6 followersTimothy C. Hobbs is a retired Medical Technologist living in Robinson, Texas. He wrote his first short story in the sixth grade and at the time I believed the title of The Vampire of England to be quite original. The main character, Alucard, was Dracula in reverse. He still has that penciled, long-hand manuscript.
The year 2005 was his first actual money sales experience. He sold a short story and a flash fiction piece to Dark Tales (Autumn 2005 Issue#7 and Autumn 2006 Issue#9) a U.K. publication, and a short story to spinetinglermag.com (Fall 2005 Issue#4) a Canadian on-line publication. He has published short stories and poems in New Texas, an annual literary journal in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
Timothy C. Hobbs is a consummate horror writer and his stories are both horrific and beautifully crafted.
The year 2005 was his first actual money sales experience. He sold a short story and a flash fiction piece to Dark Tales (Autumn 2005 Issue#7 and Autumn 2006 Issue#9) a U.K. publication, and a short story to spinetinglermag.com (Fall 2005 Issue#4) a Canadian on-line publication. He has published short stories and poems in New Texas, an annual literary journal in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
Timothy C. Hobbs is a consummate horror writer and his stories are both horrific and beautifully crafted.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 22, 2010
I plan on adding a much longer review of this amazing work; however, in the mean time, let me say that I simply could not put it down. That should be enough!
A novel told through diary entries, over the course of many years...centuries. Vampires that do not have meet/cutes, but bond for security and feed to survive. This novel is not for the faint of heart, but if you like a good horror novel that is intelligent and ground-breaking...I offer you "The Pumpkin Seed".
A novel told through diary entries, over the course of many years...centuries. Vampires that do not have meet/cutes, but bond for security and feed to survive. This novel is not for the faint of heart, but if you like a good horror novel that is intelligent and ground-breaking...I offer you "The Pumpkin Seed".
February 1, 2013
This novel is amazing in how it follows a family through several centuries as they discover an infection that makes one crave live flesh and blood. From exotic 18th century India, through Victorian London and finally ending in Austin, Texas, this novel is a very fresh take on the vampire genre -- it will keep you guessing as to what happens next, which I love. A definite must-read for lovers of Dracula and Supping With Panthers (Slave of My Thirst). It is very well-written, and Hobbs has such a gift with developing his characters. It's got mystery, intrigue, and gore -- this is not a tale for the faint of heart, and it does echo Victorian gothic in certain respects. If you enjoy intelligent, suspenseful, well-written horror, this novel is for you.
June 9, 2011
I really enjoyed this dark horror tale. It was interesting to have it told in a series of journals over centuries.
September 2, 2011
This is the first book I've read by Timothy C. Hobbs, and I have to say, like Graham Masterton and Scott Sigler, he's one of a few horror authors who really captivates my attention the whole read.
March 8, 2013
I have come across many of Timothy Hobbs' works, but this is the first one that I have picked up and read. I admit that the only reason I picked it up in the first place, was the excitement of possibly winning an Amazon gift card if I entered a contest regarding this work. Now, even after not winning the gift card, I am wondrously glad I read this book. It introduced me to a fabulous author and a beautifully written work.
The Pumpkin Seed is a collaboration of diary entries and experiences from a group of people who, unknown to some of them, are all connected by a plague. This plague had originally been unleashed by a clan of Indian bandits, to prevent the British invading even further into their lands. The plague turns its living host into a whole different being. They still seem human to the unsuspecting eye, but they must drink blood and eat flesh to survive and they live much much longer than average.
However, once a host is infected with this virus, only the strongest survive.
Every character that is highlighted in this book, are strong in their own rights. Whether it be strong in character, strong in physical capabilities, or even strong in their will to continue the survival of their new species, each one survives the transformation and marks their own paths with the situation at hand.
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of work. It made me feel for the characters, each with their own unique personalities, and it completely entrapped me from the first sentence.
The Pumpkin Seed is a collaboration of diary entries and experiences from a group of people who, unknown to some of them, are all connected by a plague. This plague had originally been unleashed by a clan of Indian bandits, to prevent the British invading even further into their lands. The plague turns its living host into a whole different being. They still seem human to the unsuspecting eye, but they must drink blood and eat flesh to survive and they live much much longer than average.
However, once a host is infected with this virus, only the strongest survive.
Every character that is highlighted in this book, are strong in their own rights. Whether it be strong in character, strong in physical capabilities, or even strong in their will to continue the survival of their new species, each one survives the transformation and marks their own paths with the situation at hand.
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of work. It made me feel for the characters, each with their own unique personalities, and it completely entrapped me from the first sentence.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews