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Slimer
SLIMER
On a deserted oil rig liurks the ultimate horror -
SLIMER
A genetically-engineered killing machine that cannot be destroyed -
SLIMER
And only six people stand between it... and you!
On a deserted oil rig liurks the ultimate horror -
SLIMER
A genetically-engineered killing machine that cannot be destroyed -
SLIMER
And only six people stand between it... and you!
156 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
28 people are currently reading
1522 people want to read
About the author
Harry Adam Knight
9 books45 followersPseudonym of
John Brosnan
John Raymond Brosnan was an Australian writer of both fiction and non-fiction works based around the fantasy and science fiction genres. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, and died in South Harrow, London, from acute pancreatitis. He sometimes published under the pseudonyms Harry Adam Knight, Simon Ian Childer (both sometimes used together with Leroy Kettle), James Blackstone (used together with John Baxter), and John Raymond. Three not very successful movies were based on his novels–Beyond Bedlam (aka Nightscare), Proteus (based on Slimer), and Carnosaur. In addition to science fiction, he also wrote a number of books about cinema and was a regular columnist with the popular UK magazine Starburst.
John Raymond Brosnan was an Australian writer of both fiction and non-fiction works based around the fantasy and science fiction genres. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, and died in South Harrow, London, from acute pancreatitis. He sometimes published under the pseudonyms Harry Adam Knight, Simon Ian Childer (both sometimes used together with Leroy Kettle), James Blackstone (used together with John Baxter), and John Raymond. Three not very successful movies were based on his novels–Beyond Bedlam (aka Nightscare), Proteus (based on Slimer), and Carnosaur. In addition to science fiction, he also wrote a number of books about cinema and was a regular columnist with the popular UK magazine Starburst.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
April 21, 2019
Yes, I just gave 5 stars to a book called Slimer. Get off your damn high horse. The fact of the matter is, I had a blast reading this, and immediately ordered two other books by Knight* upon finishing. The tension here never relents, and what little there are of things like characterization and background info are picked up in fragments here and there. Which was fine by me, as the short length (156 pages) and perfectly taut pacing is part of what made the novel work so well. Obviously, this isn't going to be a 5-star read for everyone, so here's the basic scenario:
Three young couples are stranded on a small dinghy somewhere in the North Sea after a trip to Morocco to score some pot to sell (and unbeknownst to some of them, some heroin as well) ends with their main boat sinking. Aimlessly floating and desperate for help, they eventually come to a gigantic, 6-story oil rig in the middle of the ocean. A crane lowers down a lift to bring them to the top, but there's no one to greet them when they arrive on the roof. The inside seems abandoned as well, with halls and halls of laboratories and personal cabins. They do find sets of clothes on the floors, all arranged as if the people wearing them had just vanished into thin air, with the underwear always inside the pants. Also, there are guns everywhere. Soon they are being hunted through the labyrinthine halls by a seemingly unkillable creature beyond imagining. Even death is no escape.
I don't want to give too much away about the big nasty itself, but I will say that it's one of the craziest and coolest monsters I've come across in horror fiction. Think John Carpenter's The Thing, and you'll be on the right track. In fact, the novel as a whole shares a lot with that film, as well as with the original Alien, capturing the same claustrophobic, "trapped and hunted" atmosphere, with everyone getting taken out one by one. There's nowhere to hide for these people, even though there are lots of hiding places (you'll see what I mean), and they soon find they can't even trust each other.
Every scene builds on the terror of previous pages, and the action doesn't really let up at all. The confrontations with the creature are horrifying, as are the implications as to the fate of humanity if it happens to get loose. This is non-stop, all-out horror, and I read the entire thing in two sittings (it would have been one if it weren't for my godforsaken job). Also, despite the somewhat thin characterization, the characters rang true to me, with their own distinct personalities and issues. Usually an author would resort to caricaturization with a quick creature feature of this sort, but I didn't really feel that was the case here.
I'm glad I finally came across this novel. I've been on the lookout for it for a while, but it wasn't something I would have gone out of my way to order online, as my only previous Knight read, Death Spore (aka The Fungus), didn't really click with me, and I abandoned it before reaching the halfway point. Sometimes it's all about the mood one is in while reading, of course, but I feel confident in saying that any fan of pulpy horror-fiction -- as well as the aforementioned films -- would do well to get their hands on Slimer by whatever means necessary. You may not find anything totally original here other than the monster, but if you're anything like me, you'll be too absorbed to give a crap.
4.5 Stars
*Pseudonym for Australian writer John Brosnan, sometimes with friend Leroy Kettle, as with this book. He also published horror under the name Simon Ian Childer (also sometimes with Leroy Kettle), and science fiction under his own name.
Three young couples are stranded on a small dinghy somewhere in the North Sea after a trip to Morocco to score some pot to sell (and unbeknownst to some of them, some heroin as well) ends with their main boat sinking. Aimlessly floating and desperate for help, they eventually come to a gigantic, 6-story oil rig in the middle of the ocean. A crane lowers down a lift to bring them to the top, but there's no one to greet them when they arrive on the roof. The inside seems abandoned as well, with halls and halls of laboratories and personal cabins. They do find sets of clothes on the floors, all arranged as if the people wearing them had just vanished into thin air, with the underwear always inside the pants. Also, there are guns everywhere. Soon they are being hunted through the labyrinthine halls by a seemingly unkillable creature beyond imagining. Even death is no escape.
I don't want to give too much away about the big nasty itself, but I will say that it's one of the craziest and coolest monsters I've come across in horror fiction. Think John Carpenter's The Thing, and you'll be on the right track. In fact, the novel as a whole shares a lot with that film, as well as with the original Alien, capturing the same claustrophobic, "trapped and hunted" atmosphere, with everyone getting taken out one by one. There's nowhere to hide for these people, even though there are lots of hiding places (you'll see what I mean), and they soon find they can't even trust each other.
Every scene builds on the terror of previous pages, and the action doesn't really let up at all. The confrontations with the creature are horrifying, as are the implications as to the fate of humanity if it happens to get loose. This is non-stop, all-out horror, and I read the entire thing in two sittings (it would have been one if it weren't for my godforsaken job). Also, despite the somewhat thin characterization, the characters rang true to me, with their own distinct personalities and issues. Usually an author would resort to caricaturization with a quick creature feature of this sort, but I didn't really feel that was the case here.
I'm glad I finally came across this novel. I've been on the lookout for it for a while, but it wasn't something I would have gone out of my way to order online, as my only previous Knight read, Death Spore (aka The Fungus), didn't really click with me, and I abandoned it before reaching the halfway point. Sometimes it's all about the mood one is in while reading, of course, but I feel confident in saying that any fan of pulpy horror-fiction -- as well as the aforementioned films -- would do well to get their hands on Slimer by whatever means necessary. You may not find anything totally original here other than the monster, but if you're anything like me, you'll be too absorbed to give a crap.
4.5 Stars
*Pseudonym for Australian writer John Brosnan, sometimes with friend Leroy Kettle, as with this book. He also published horror under the name Simon Ian Childer (also sometimes with Leroy Kettle), and science fiction under his own name.
September 17, 2024
Proteus!
This book reminds me of a movie I watched a long while ago. I think its title is Proteus.
The story in this book is about a Phoenix project that is supposed to make humanity better than we are, by making us able to survive radiation from a nuclear explosion.
Scientists on an oil tanker, that is camouflaged and located in the middle of the ocean, creates a unique life form. It is the enemy of mankind.
The DNA and RNA of the creature makes it immortal. It cannot be destroyed.
Six strangers, whose yacht sank, come across the oil rig in search of a place to survive the weather. And hopefully get some help.
They are not aware that they are not alone on the platform where they think they are alone.
This book will get five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
This book reminds me of a movie I watched a long while ago. I think its title is Proteus.
The story in this book is about a Phoenix project that is supposed to make humanity better than we are, by making us able to survive radiation from a nuclear explosion.
Scientists on an oil tanker, that is camouflaged and located in the middle of the ocean, creates a unique life form. It is the enemy of mankind.
The DNA and RNA of the creature makes it immortal. It cannot be destroyed.
Six strangers, whose yacht sank, come across the oil rig in search of a place to survive the weather. And hopefully get some help.
They are not aware that they are not alone on the platform where they think they are alone.
This book will get five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
February 12, 2020
Slimer is the most immature horror novel I've ever read. Not that I'm complaining. The adolescent boy in me still loves outlandish beasties gobbling up horny college kids, and that's pretty much what we get. All the way down to an attack with a giant, superhuman penis.
Where it lacks in literary merit, it makes up by being a lean and mean story that wastes no time getting into the action. Not all of the characters are worthless throwaways, and some of their personalities actually contribute to the horrific circumstances. The ending is hilarious and deserving of a slow-clap ovation.
If you love '80s horror tropes, you'll probably like this. It has them all and then some.
Where it lacks in literary merit, it makes up by being a lean and mean story that wastes no time getting into the action. Not all of the characters are worthless throwaways, and some of their personalities actually contribute to the horrific circumstances. The ending is hilarious and deserving of a slow-clap ovation.
If you love '80s horror tropes, you'll probably like this. It has them all and then some.
September 23, 2018
SLIMER is a perfect example of why I loved (and still love), horror from the 80's! It's fun, it's fast paced, unpredictable, imaginative, and did I mention it's FUN?
Three couples find themselves stranded in a life boat after the yacht they were on sank. After several days they come upon an abandoned oil rig, and are grateful to be on solid ground again. After they start looking around, their gratitude turns to confusion and eventually fear. Why are there scientific labs instead of oil production equipment? Where are all the people? Most importantly, why are they finding piles of clothing all over the place? Piles with undergarments and socks inside, almost as if the person vanished into thin air? You'll have to read this to find out!
I know that the title doesn't bring to mind great works of literature, but this book towers above most creature features, and unlike a lot of horror from that time period, it's actually pretty well written. I'm not looking for Shirley Jackson all the time, you know? Sometimes I want lots of action and in your face horror and both of those are found here in spades! I've been trying to think of movies or other books I can compare SLIMER with, and all I can come up with is The Thing. Instead of the arctic setting, we're on an isolated oil rig in the middle of the deep sea...but all the other main components are there. The growing fear, the confusion, and suspicion regarding your fellow man, all of it's here. And all of it spells F-U-N!
Valancourt Books' PAPERBACKS FROM HELL series is going to be a lot of fun if this is the kind of stuff they'll be putting out. I, for one, am going to be lined up for each new release like a shopper at midnight on Black Friday!
If you liked John Carpenter's The Thing, if you like creature features, and finally, (maybe especially), if you liked the best works that 80's horror had to offer, SLIMER is a MUST-HAVE for your home library. My highest recommendation!
Available on October 2nd, but up for pre-order now, here: https://www.amazon.com/Slimer-Harry-A...
Three couples find themselves stranded in a life boat after the yacht they were on sank. After several days they come upon an abandoned oil rig, and are grateful to be on solid ground again. After they start looking around, their gratitude turns to confusion and eventually fear. Why are there scientific labs instead of oil production equipment? Where are all the people? Most importantly, why are they finding piles of clothing all over the place? Piles with undergarments and socks inside, almost as if the person vanished into thin air? You'll have to read this to find out!
I know that the title doesn't bring to mind great works of literature, but this book towers above most creature features, and unlike a lot of horror from that time period, it's actually pretty well written. I'm not looking for Shirley Jackson all the time, you know? Sometimes I want lots of action and in your face horror and both of those are found here in spades! I've been trying to think of movies or other books I can compare SLIMER with, and all I can come up with is The Thing. Instead of the arctic setting, we're on an isolated oil rig in the middle of the deep sea...but all the other main components are there. The growing fear, the confusion, and suspicion regarding your fellow man, all of it's here. And all of it spells F-U-N!
Valancourt Books' PAPERBACKS FROM HELL series is going to be a lot of fun if this is the kind of stuff they'll be putting out. I, for one, am going to be lined up for each new release like a shopper at midnight on Black Friday!
If you liked John Carpenter's The Thing, if you like creature features, and finally, (maybe especially), if you liked the best works that 80's horror had to offer, SLIMER is a MUST-HAVE for your home library. My highest recommendation!
Available on October 2nd, but up for pre-order now, here: https://www.amazon.com/Slimer-Harry-A...
November 4, 2023
A group of youths shipwreck and rescue themselves on a deserted former oil rig. Is it really deserted? Soon they find out that the oil thing was a facade but the real deal was about genetic engineering. Scientists wanted to find the most resistant cells agains all kind of disease and viruses. What did they find? Where are all the people gone? What is haunting the youths on the rig? Extremely compelling blast from the past with a nasty evil shape shifter (reminded a bit on John Carpenter's The Thing) and typical sex scenes. Quintessential 80s horror with an unforgettable cover. Highly recommended!
November 22, 2022
2.25 stars.
It was hard to settle on a rating. As a creature feature this wasn't bad, even quite good for the most part, but there are some serious issues with this book.
The story is quite simple. A band of smugglers (three couples) accidentally sink their yacht and the book starts with them adrift in a lifeboat and in search for a place to land. The six of them come across an oil rig that seems to be deserted at first, but, as we learn later, isn't. They go about exploring the rig and what they find is that it is a secret research facility. They also find something, well, not very nice. So far, so good.
The monster is a little gross, a little creepy. It worked well for me. Although, I think it didn't have enough tricks up its sleeve to be interesting all the way through. The ending is quite some nonsense anyway. The bogus-science explanations on the other hand were alright for this kind of story.
The book might still have gotten three stars from me. But the characters are a total disaster. It's okay that they are dumb, unlikable and not particularly well-developed. That's all just fine when they're part of a creature feature, which usually means they are effectively monster snacks.
But with one particularly obnoxious, misogynistic dick of a character the authors were going too far for my liking. I felt so much second hand embarrassment reading about this idiot. He could have died horribly on page one, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately he doesn't, which means that the readers are in for many pages of absolutely atrocious behavior towards women. It was uncomfortable to read.
There are other, more minor, issues. Like characters pointlessly withholding information in the beginning to make the whole situation more mysterious, or the ridiculous ending. But ultimately this one character ruined it for me. And the rest of the book wasn't strong enough to make up for it.
It was hard to settle on a rating. As a creature feature this wasn't bad, even quite good for the most part, but there are some serious issues with this book.
The story is quite simple. A band of smugglers (three couples) accidentally sink their yacht and the book starts with them adrift in a lifeboat and in search for a place to land. The six of them come across an oil rig that seems to be deserted at first, but, as we learn later, isn't. They go about exploring the rig and what they find is that it is a secret research facility. They also find something, well, not very nice. So far, so good.
The monster is a little gross, a little creepy. It worked well for me. Although, I think it didn't have enough tricks up its sleeve to be interesting all the way through. The ending is quite some nonsense anyway. The bogus-science explanations on the other hand were alright for this kind of story.
The book might still have gotten three stars from me. But the characters are a total disaster. It's okay that they are dumb, unlikable and not particularly well-developed. That's all just fine when they're part of a creature feature, which usually means they are effectively monster snacks.
But with one particularly obnoxious, misogynistic dick of a character the authors were going too far for my liking. I felt so much second hand embarrassment reading about this idiot. He could have died horribly on page one, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately he doesn't, which means that the readers are in for many pages of absolutely atrocious behavior towards women. It was uncomfortable to read.
There are other, more minor, issues. Like characters pointlessly withholding information in the beginning to make the whole situation more mysterious, or the ridiculous ending. But ultimately this one character ruined it for me. And the rest of the book wasn't strong enough to make up for it.
October 11, 2020
3.5 stars
A group of six find themselves stranded at sea during a drug smuggling attempt. As they look for help they arrive at an oil rig which appears to be abandoned. But as they explore they discover that they might not be alone after all.
This was a fun romp, very of its time, and rather British (all things that I enjoy). My main complaint was that it took quite a while to really get going and it wasn't until about halfway through that things kicked into a higher gear. Sure, I still quite enjoyed getting to know the characters and the backstory and there were certainly some eerie moments as they explored the oil rig but it all felt a bit too slow and drawn out to really captivate me. Once things did start happening though it was fast-paced and very entertaining so I'm still glad I read it. My favourite parts were the descriptions of the creature and the various forms it took. There were some really fantastic and well-written details, and it gets pretty gross and unsettling at times all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a fun mix of having a somewhat serious and well-thought out backstory while still being schlocky and silly at times. Overall an entertaining sci-fi horror and a quick read.
Just FYI: there is quite a bit of sexism and misogyny, mostly from one character in particular, along with some sexual content including sexual assault.
A group of six find themselves stranded at sea during a drug smuggling attempt. As they look for help they arrive at an oil rig which appears to be abandoned. But as they explore they discover that they might not be alone after all.
This was a fun romp, very of its time, and rather British (all things that I enjoy). My main complaint was that it took quite a while to really get going and it wasn't until about halfway through that things kicked into a higher gear. Sure, I still quite enjoyed getting to know the characters and the backstory and there were certainly some eerie moments as they explored the oil rig but it all felt a bit too slow and drawn out to really captivate me. Once things did start happening though it was fast-paced and very entertaining so I'm still glad I read it. My favourite parts were the descriptions of the creature and the various forms it took. There were some really fantastic and well-written details, and it gets pretty gross and unsettling at times all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a fun mix of having a somewhat serious and well-thought out backstory while still being schlocky and silly at times. Overall an entertaining sci-fi horror and a quick read.
Just FYI: there is quite a bit of sexism and misogyny, mostly from one character in particular, along with some sexual content including sexual assault.
August 21, 2021
A neat little gem of 80s horror, Slimer does not disappoint! We start off with 6 people-- 3 couples-- adrift in a lifeboat in the North Sea. Turns out they managed to sink their yacht (gas fumes and a lit joint in the bilges do not mix!) and could not call for help as they were running drugs. We learn a little about the 6; Slimer may be short, but Knight still manages to do some decent character building. After a few days, when their food and water is just about gone, they see an oil rig and head on over, thinking they are saved. Far from it!
Turns out, the rig was not used to pump oil, but to conduct some genetically modified organism research (similar to The Fungus, which also had a GMO out of control theme). The three couples arrive to find that the rig appears to be abandoned; they search all the levels and find all kinds of labs and crew space for over 200 people, but all they find are piles of clothing here and there and in one case, some bloody cloths. What the hell happened on the rig? Where is everyone? They also find that all the lifeboats on the rig have been sabotaged, along with all the radio/communication equipment. They do find a room with lots of camera monitors and all kinds of VCR tapes regarding the various experiments, especially one called 'Phoenix', that has the scientists all excited. The first night aboard the rig, the various couples settle in only to be awakened by something howling in an inhuman way and trying to break down the cabin door!
I guess you could call this a creature feature, but the creature is more like something from Carpenter's The Thing than anything else. I will not go into details here due to spoilers, but just say awesome creature! There are some great interactions among the characters, something lacking in many horror novels of the era, and of course some sex, as that seems a requirement of 70s/80s horror. I dare you to find, for example, one Herbert novel that does not contain some fairly explicit sex.
Knight (I know, a pseudonym) gives us an action packed, thrilling ride here with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Pretty amazing that this clocks in at only about 150 pages. Loved the ending as well. 4.5 monster stars; I am rounding down due to a few plot holes
Turns out, the rig was not used to pump oil, but to conduct some genetically modified organism research (similar to The Fungus, which also had a GMO out of control theme). The three couples arrive to find that the rig appears to be abandoned; they search all the levels and find all kinds of labs and crew space for over 200 people, but all they find are piles of clothing here and there and in one case, some bloody cloths. What the hell happened on the rig? Where is everyone? They also find that all the lifeboats on the rig have been sabotaged, along with all the radio/communication equipment. They do find a room with lots of camera monitors and all kinds of VCR tapes regarding the various experiments, especially one called 'Phoenix', that has the scientists all excited. The first night aboard the rig, the various couples settle in only to be awakened by something howling in an inhuman way and trying to break down the cabin door!
I guess you could call this a creature feature, but the creature is more like something from Carpenter's The Thing than anything else. I will not go into details here due to spoilers, but just say awesome creature! There are some great interactions among the characters, something lacking in many horror novels of the era, and of course some sex, as that seems a requirement of 70s/80s horror. I dare you to find, for example, one Herbert novel that does not contain some fairly explicit sex.
Knight (I know, a pseudonym) gives us an action packed, thrilling ride here with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Pretty amazing that this clocks in at only about 150 pages. Loved the ending as well. 4.5 monster stars; I am rounding down due to a few plot holes
October 3, 2018
After their yacht sinks, a group of drug smugglers find safety aboard a seemingly abandoned oil rig in Harry Adam Knight's Slimer. But since this is a horror novel, you know damn well there's nothing safe about an oil rig left derelict in the middle of the North Sea, shrouded in fog and pounded by storm-churned waves. One look at M.S. Corley's gorgeous new cover for this Valancourt edition of a lost 1983 classic should help further solidify that assumption.
Valancourt, a heroic small-press publisher responsible for rescuing forgotten horror stories from the dustbins of publishing history, have outdone themselves with a pair of Knight novels to kick off October. This and The Fungus arrive just in time to satisfy Halloween reading splurges (along with a re-issue of James R. Montague's Worms), and I'm finding myself in a bit of eco-horror heaven.
Knight, a pseudonymous nom de guerre for UK authors John Brosnan and Roy Kettle, have crafted an energetic thriller rooted in scary science and influenced by horror classics like The Blob and John W. Campbells' Who Goes There (the basis for the 1951 film, The Thing from Another World, and John Carpenter's immortal 1982 classic, The Thing). Searching for the secret of immortality, a covert group of scientific researchers have created something new, something beyond their wildest dreams...something wildly monstrous.
While there's a clever bit of sci-fi shenanigans at the core of Slimer, it's merely crafty set-up to get us into the blood and guts of survival for these stranded criminals. Brosnan and Kettle avoid getting bogged down in the technicalities or plausibility of the science, but when they do slow down enough to explore the background of their story Knight presents a really nifty spin on Richard Dawkins's selfish gene theory. I also really dug the psychological aspects of their particular brand of horror here, particularly their explorations of what happens to the victims of this book's creature.
Slimer has a high body count and Knight is focused on action over characters, which makes it difficult to get too attached to anybody aboard the rig. This is a book geared primarily toward the spectacle of fun gory horror and, unfortunately, the characters are paper-thin as a result. The men are reduced to simple archetypes: Paul is the leader, Mark is the drug addict, Alex is the giant asshole. No further depth or dimension required. The female characters don’t even receive this much development, sadly, and are largely indistinguishable from one another, existing primarily to provide scenes of titillation and victimization.
The characters are really this book's biggest hurdle for me, particularly the redolent, dated whiff of 1980s misogyny, but Slimer remains a highly entertaining bit of escapist pulp. Despite the central premise being overly familiar nowadays thanks to both the prior works of horror that have clearly inspired it and those works that have since followed, such as Paul E. Cooley's The Black and Pig by Edward Lorn and Craig Saunders, Knight shows a few sparks of originality in their execution thanks to the science underpinning it all. Thirty-five years after its publication Slimer shows only a few signs of its age; it's still a spry, fast-paced work of action-packed horror.
Valancourt, a heroic small-press publisher responsible for rescuing forgotten horror stories from the dustbins of publishing history, have outdone themselves with a pair of Knight novels to kick off October. This and The Fungus arrive just in time to satisfy Halloween reading splurges (along with a re-issue of James R. Montague's Worms), and I'm finding myself in a bit of eco-horror heaven.
Knight, a pseudonymous nom de guerre for UK authors John Brosnan and Roy Kettle, have crafted an energetic thriller rooted in scary science and influenced by horror classics like The Blob and John W. Campbells' Who Goes There (the basis for the 1951 film, The Thing from Another World, and John Carpenter's immortal 1982 classic, The Thing). Searching for the secret of immortality, a covert group of scientific researchers have created something new, something beyond their wildest dreams...something wildly monstrous.
While there's a clever bit of sci-fi shenanigans at the core of Slimer, it's merely crafty set-up to get us into the blood and guts of survival for these stranded criminals. Brosnan and Kettle avoid getting bogged down in the technicalities or plausibility of the science, but when they do slow down enough to explore the background of their story Knight presents a really nifty spin on Richard Dawkins's selfish gene theory. I also really dug the psychological aspects of their particular brand of horror here, particularly their explorations of what happens to the victims of this book's creature.
Slimer has a high body count and Knight is focused on action over characters, which makes it difficult to get too attached to anybody aboard the rig. This is a book geared primarily toward the spectacle of fun gory horror and, unfortunately, the characters are paper-thin as a result. The men are reduced to simple archetypes: Paul is the leader, Mark is the drug addict, Alex is the giant asshole. No further depth or dimension required. The female characters don’t even receive this much development, sadly, and are largely indistinguishable from one another, existing primarily to provide scenes of titillation and victimization.
The characters are really this book's biggest hurdle for me, particularly the redolent, dated whiff of 1980s misogyny, but Slimer remains a highly entertaining bit of escapist pulp. Despite the central premise being overly familiar nowadays thanks to both the prior works of horror that have clearly inspired it and those works that have since followed, such as Paul E. Cooley's The Black and Pig by Edward Lorn and Craig Saunders, Knight shows a few sparks of originality in their execution thanks to the science underpinning it all. Thirty-five years after its publication Slimer shows only a few signs of its age; it's still a spry, fast-paced work of action-packed horror.
July 12, 2019
Slimer is pure pulp horror.
This is the kind of horror novel that reads like a teen-screamer b-movie script. It’s quick, gross and populated with thin characters who get their comeuppances in increasingly inventive and nasty ways. I could easily imagine 1970s Americans sitting in precociously finned cars while watching this at the drive-in, covering their eyes and yelling every time the monstrous title beast appears.
If you like a good B movie (and I do) this novel will appeal to you, despite its flaws.
The story opens with a group of friends on a life raft in the North Sea. Their yacht has sunk in the middle of a bungled drug run, and they are aimlessly floating on the misty ocean, hoping for rescue.
When our castaways spot an oil rig in the distance they believe themselves saved, but upon entering the rig they discover that it is no resource extraction complex – rather it is a secret lab, where illegal and dangerous experiments have been carried out and where everyone on board appears to have disappeared, leaving only piles of heaped clothing.
They seem to be alone but sudden… oh, hell, you know what’s going to happen. There’s a malevolent beast, the product of illegal and immoral genetic engineering. There are lots of empty corridors to run down. There are a couple of jerry-rigged flamethrowers and some rifles to fight off the monster with, and strange secrets to unfold as evidence of scientific misadventure comes to light.
Do I need to note that people get picked off one by one? Or that the characters are a touch archetypal (the asshole, the leader, the weak-willed one, the cannon fodder, etc.) Of course not. You know the drill.
Anyone who has read widely in SF or Horror, or watched a few films like The Thing and The Blob will have no trouble predicting how Slimer pans out. Even the creature is an amalgam of a few fairly iconic monsters, although it does have one rather terrifying attribute that marks it out from the monster lineup.
Other than this rather cool aspect of the story there isn’t much new here. However, originality isn’t the final word in novels, and Slimer is a pacey, action packed and occasionally scary read.
Provided you aren’t in the mood for a novel that requires much thinky-thinky this is an easy and fun afternoon read in between more substantial works. I knocked it over in a couple of hours, and thoroughly enjoyed watching a succession of doomed idiots running down long corridors on their way to becoming a monster’s dinner.
Three ‘let’s split up, we’ll cover more ground’ protagonists out of five.
Thanks to Jack Tripper for the recommendation – this was just what I needed in between reading two slow-going non-fiction titles.
P.S: Interestingly, Harry Adam Knight was a nom de plume for now deceased Australia SF author John Brosnan, author of the Sky Lords trilogy which I recently reviewed. Comparing Slimer to his SF work shows his novels to have a notably consistent focus on genetic engineering, perhaps reflecting the widely felt distrust in GE that was prevalent when Brosnan was writing in the 80s and 90s.
This is the kind of horror novel that reads like a teen-screamer b-movie script. It’s quick, gross and populated with thin characters who get their comeuppances in increasingly inventive and nasty ways. I could easily imagine 1970s Americans sitting in precociously finned cars while watching this at the drive-in, covering their eyes and yelling every time the monstrous title beast appears.
If you like a good B movie (and I do) this novel will appeal to you, despite its flaws.
The story opens with a group of friends on a life raft in the North Sea. Their yacht has sunk in the middle of a bungled drug run, and they are aimlessly floating on the misty ocean, hoping for rescue.
When our castaways spot an oil rig in the distance they believe themselves saved, but upon entering the rig they discover that it is no resource extraction complex – rather it is a secret lab, where illegal and dangerous experiments have been carried out and where everyone on board appears to have disappeared, leaving only piles of heaped clothing.
They seem to be alone but sudden… oh, hell, you know what’s going to happen. There’s a malevolent beast, the product of illegal and immoral genetic engineering. There are lots of empty corridors to run down. There are a couple of jerry-rigged flamethrowers and some rifles to fight off the monster with, and strange secrets to unfold as evidence of scientific misadventure comes to light.
Do I need to note that people get picked off one by one? Or that the characters are a touch archetypal (the asshole, the leader, the weak-willed one, the cannon fodder, etc.) Of course not. You know the drill.
Anyone who has read widely in SF or Horror, or watched a few films like The Thing and The Blob will have no trouble predicting how Slimer pans out. Even the creature is an amalgam of a few fairly iconic monsters, although it does have one rather terrifying attribute that marks it out from the monster lineup.
Other than this rather cool aspect of the story there isn’t much new here. However, originality isn’t the final word in novels, and Slimer is a pacey, action packed and occasionally scary read.
Provided you aren’t in the mood for a novel that requires much thinky-thinky this is an easy and fun afternoon read in between more substantial works. I knocked it over in a couple of hours, and thoroughly enjoyed watching a succession of doomed idiots running down long corridors on their way to becoming a monster’s dinner.
Three ‘let’s split up, we’ll cover more ground’ protagonists out of five.
Thanks to Jack Tripper for the recommendation – this was just what I needed in between reading two slow-going non-fiction titles.
P.S: Interestingly, Harry Adam Knight was a nom de plume for now deceased Australia SF author John Brosnan, author of the Sky Lords trilogy which I recently reviewed. Comparing Slimer to his SF work shows his novels to have a notably consistent focus on genetic engineering, perhaps reflecting the widely felt distrust in GE that was prevalent when Brosnan was writing in the 80s and 90s.
August 12, 2021
No Carnosaur but solid fun.
November 8, 2023
This book told me everything I already knew: the only genuinely frightening creature out there is men!!
I'll take “Charlie” slime monster any day of the week over the shit stain that's Alex in the book. Right when I thought... Okay, that has to be the last rape or sexual assault scene, NOPE he's at it again. I mean, I get that 80s horror is filled with cringe-writing of female characters and misogyny, and I was ready for some pulpy b horror, but this was dialing it up by 50, and not to give anything away, but maybe on the next page, they can kill this guy off? Nope, the man transcends death to continue raping women.
Anyway, I DIGRESS … this would have easily been 4/5 stars with how impossibly wild it gets. It’s just classic 80s horror insanity, very reminiscent of alien/the Thing/Re-Animator, but they should have just named the book Alex. It would have been more faithful to the horror that awaits within 🫣
I'll take “Charlie” slime monster any day of the week over the shit stain that's Alex in the book. Right when I thought... Okay, that has to be the last rape or sexual assault scene, NOPE he's at it again. I mean, I get that 80s horror is filled with cringe-writing of female characters and misogyny, and I was ready for some pulpy b horror, but this was dialing it up by 50, and not to give anything away, but maybe on the next page, they can kill this guy off? Nope, the man transcends death to continue raping women.
Anyway, I DIGRESS … this would have easily been 4/5 stars with how impossibly wild it gets. It’s just classic 80s horror insanity, very reminiscent of alien/the Thing/Re-Animator, but they should have just named the book Alex. It would have been more faithful to the horror that awaits within 🫣
January 9, 2020
Slimer will slime its way into your monster-loving heart
Slimer is a book close to my heart. It is an essential part of my childhood, despite the fact that I have only read it recently. How is this possible? Simple. I loved (and still love) Proteus (1995), its universally-hated film adaptation. For a five-year-old kid, Proteus was the whole wide world; it contained blood, exploding bodies, and of course rubbery monsters. It was directed by Hellraiser (1986) effects guru Bob Keen, capitalizing on the 90s monster craze teeming with similar movies like Within the Rock (1996), the Wasp Woman Remake (1995), Project: Metalbeast (1995), etc.
It remains critically savaged until today.
Slimer is the basically same beast as its celluloid counterpart but it is considerably bigger, nastier and more fun. Where the film was enslaved to deliver the basics of 90s monster movies of blood, monsters and recognizable cult b-movie actors at the helm (it had Doug Bradley and Craig Fairbrass), the book goes further, filling the non-monster moments with scenes of rape and sexual assault, not to mention misogynistic (but funny) jokes. Out-of-place in a monster book? You bet, but I say it’s part of its dusty paperback charm, harkening back to the time when full-scale butchery and wanton sexuality were made available for adventurous, book-loving kids spotting those garish covers while shopping with their moms. (Mom! I want that The Hell Candidate book!)
I don’t need to tell you the plot but I will tell you this is a finely constructed horror book, filled with mounting dread and mystery even before the appearance of the monster. You want to know what happened to the scientists and the security personnel and how they were not able to stop something within their constant observation. Also, what is making those noises? Where is everybody? And of course: why does this remind me of Carpenter’s Thing so much?
I might have given the impression that the author H. A. Knight (John Brosnan) is a hack. He is not, being the author of an encyclopedic book of Science Fiction movies from the earliest to the (then) present (The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film). He knows his tropes and if you have read that book, he presents his criticism of Carpenter’s Thing namely its adaptation abilities as self-defense. He incorporates that failing here thereby improving on the concept of a shape-shifting monster.
If you are a fan of sea-based monster movies, read this now.
Slimer is a book close to my heart. It is an essential part of my childhood, despite the fact that I have only read it recently. How is this possible? Simple. I loved (and still love) Proteus (1995), its universally-hated film adaptation. For a five-year-old kid, Proteus was the whole wide world; it contained blood, exploding bodies, and of course rubbery monsters. It was directed by Hellraiser (1986) effects guru Bob Keen, capitalizing on the 90s monster craze teeming with similar movies like Within the Rock (1996), the Wasp Woman Remake (1995), Project: Metalbeast (1995), etc.
It remains critically savaged until today.
Slimer is the basically same beast as its celluloid counterpart but it is considerably bigger, nastier and more fun. Where the film was enslaved to deliver the basics of 90s monster movies of blood, monsters and recognizable cult b-movie actors at the helm (it had Doug Bradley and Craig Fairbrass), the book goes further, filling the non-monster moments with scenes of rape and sexual assault, not to mention misogynistic (but funny) jokes. Out-of-place in a monster book? You bet, but I say it’s part of its dusty paperback charm, harkening back to the time when full-scale butchery and wanton sexuality were made available for adventurous, book-loving kids spotting those garish covers while shopping with their moms. (Mom! I want that The Hell Candidate book!)
I don’t need to tell you the plot but I will tell you this is a finely constructed horror book, filled with mounting dread and mystery even before the appearance of the monster. You want to know what happened to the scientists and the security personnel and how they were not able to stop something within their constant observation. Also, what is making those noises? Where is everybody? And of course: why does this remind me of Carpenter’s Thing so much?
I might have given the impression that the author H. A. Knight (John Brosnan) is a hack. He is not, being the author of an encyclopedic book of Science Fiction movies from the earliest to the (then) present (The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film). He knows his tropes and if you have read that book, he presents his criticism of Carpenter’s Thing namely its adaptation abilities as self-defense. He incorporates that failing here thereby improving on the concept of a shape-shifting monster.
If you are a fan of sea-based monster movies, read this now.
November 5, 2015
This was a great book. I got lucky and found this in the $1.00 bin at the local bookstore. This moves along at a fast pace. I couldn't put it down. I love horror books from the 80's like this. Like reading a movie that you would love to see, but if you did, it wouldn't be the same.
6 people are adrift at sea and come across a oil rig and hope that they are rescued. This is where the thrills kick in.
6 people are adrift at sea and come across a oil rig and hope that they are rescued. This is where the thrills kick in.
June 22, 2021
When your book has a character who says, "You puny humans...," you know you're in for a rough read."
This is a B Grade book turned into a B Grade movie (Proteus 1995). Reading this was about as enjoyable as re-watching The Thing for the 4th or 5th time. Doable but a bit stale. Some of the character's lines were laugh-out-loud corny while others were just laugh-out-loud. If there was a Guinness Book of Shits, he'd be Number One. Hehehe. The characters themselves were pretty bland, as they usually are in a B Grade chomp-fest. Really...I couldn't have cared less if they all got assimilated. (Resistance is futile.)
This story was published just one year after The Thing and has been heavily influenced by it. Not outright plagiarism, but pretty close. (Interestingly - I reckon the movie Prometheus may have "borrowed" a few concepts from this book.)
All-in-all, it was slightly enjoyable.
This is a B Grade book turned into a B Grade movie (Proteus 1995). Reading this was about as enjoyable as re-watching The Thing for the 4th or 5th time. Doable but a bit stale. Some of the character's lines were laugh-out-loud corny while others were just laugh-out-loud. If there was a Guinness Book of Shits, he'd be Number One. Hehehe. The characters themselves were pretty bland, as they usually are in a B Grade chomp-fest. Really...I couldn't have cared less if they all got assimilated. (Resistance is futile.)
This story was published just one year after The Thing and has been heavily influenced by it. Not outright plagiarism, but pretty close. (Interestingly - I reckon the movie Prometheus may have "borrowed" a few concepts from this book.)
All-in-all, it was slightly enjoyable.
September 9, 2023
In Slimer, a genetic engineering experiment runs amok and decimates those on board the oil rig that’s housing the super secret laboratory where it was created. Six down-on-their-luck drug runners stuck on a life raft seek shelter on said rig, and must face the deadly experiment in its many abominable, horrifying manifestations.
This thing was a really great blend of horror and sci-fi, with a dash of M16s thrown in for good measure. Flamethrowers too. I found it similar in tone to The Thing and Event Horizon, both of which I also love. And at a mere 156 pages, it was definitely all killer no filler. On the whole, a fun, tense, exciting read!
This thing was a really great blend of horror and sci-fi, with a dash of M16s thrown in for good measure. Flamethrowers too. I found it similar in tone to The Thing and Event Horizon, both of which I also love. And at a mere 156 pages, it was definitely all killer no filler. On the whole, a fun, tense, exciting read!
January 15, 2025
I don’t write reviews.
THIS is why I read horror. People do ask me what I like about the genre, and books like this are exactly what I like. Great characters (that you often love to hate), a disgusting monster, that makes you sick to consider, and a moral lesson. Slimer has all three! The characters actually include a human villain so vile, he makes the monster seem tame. The monster is a disgusting thing that can’t be reasoned with. The moral is; don’t mess with RNA/DNA, ever. See? We can all learn something.
THIS is why I read horror. People do ask me what I like about the genre, and books like this are exactly what I like. Great characters (that you often love to hate), a disgusting monster, that makes you sick to consider, and a moral lesson. Slimer has all three! The characters actually include a human villain so vile, he makes the monster seem tame. The monster is a disgusting thing that can’t be reasoned with. The moral is; don’t mess with RNA/DNA, ever. See? We can all learn something.
May 24, 2016
This is a fun little horror book you can read during a rainy afternoon, somewhere in the middle between The Thing and Parasite Eve, but with neither Snake Plissken nor one ridiculously detailed kidney transplant operation.
A bunch of mostly unlikeable drug smugglers leave their sinking boat onto a possibly deserted oil rig, find out it's a secret "abandoned" research station, there's a monster, it does its monster thing and replaces people, you know how it goes.
The good thing is that the author(s?) mercilessly cut stuff until the pacing was nearly perfect - I have a few similar "pulpy" horror novels and they all have weird pacing issues where the author just goes off on a tangent and no-one bothered to cut (examle: the wonderfully titled and covered MAGGOTS spends about ten percent of the book on the main character, a teacher, beating up a bully schoolchild with his karate skills). There is very little filler here.
And how often do you find a pulpy horror novel that is clearly influenced by The Selfish Gene and cites it twice?
Via Jack Tripper
A bunch of mostly unlikeable drug smugglers leave their sinking boat onto a possibly deserted oil rig, find out it's a secret "abandoned" research station, there's a monster, it does its monster thing and replaces people, you know how it goes.
The good thing is that the author(s?) mercilessly cut stuff until the pacing was nearly perfect - I have a few similar "pulpy" horror novels and they all have weird pacing issues where the author just goes off on a tangent and no-one bothered to cut (examle: the wonderfully titled and covered MAGGOTS spends about ten percent of the book on the main character, a teacher, beating up a bully schoolchild with his karate skills). There is very little filler here.
And how often do you find a pulpy horror novel that is clearly influenced by The Selfish Gene and cites it twice?
Via Jack Tripper
April 25, 2012
Really fascinating stuff. Originally published in 1983. A horror book like this would have been creepy then as it may still be today. The book starts out about a group stranded in the ocean on a rescue raft and they have no means of direction stumbled onto an abandoned oil rig that they managed to board with help by something more terrifying than imagination.
June 19, 2020
I'm gonna be making comparisons between the book and movie for this one. The reason is because I've known about the flick since I was six I didn't know there was a book until a couple years ago.
I've done it. I've read the book that the first b-movie I truly loved was based on. The movie adaptation is called Proteus (1995; it's on YouTube if you're interested) and compared to this, it's pretty tame. For one in the film Alex is the main character and he's very loyal to Rachel, he loves Rachel. In the book Paul is the main character and he isn't addicted to heroin, in fact he loathes heroin. I thought when I started this book that Alex would end up redeeming himself later, ending up having some major character growth. But... no. In fact he just succeeds in becoming an even bigger prick. A prick's prick if you will, with all the subtlety of Julius Ceasar at a knife convention. He is a loathsome character that was created for the sole purpose of being hated and hating, in fact, you end up fearing more from Alex than you ever do of the creature who knocks at the door. He is a villain who preys on the weak for grins, whereas the monster is driven by biology. Alex is the kind of character that you scream about how he is gonna get you all killed while simultaneously considering it a mercy over dealing with Alex. He's that bad. Then he ends up with power and that fear is turned up to eleven. Alex is a monster in fact he's THE monster. He does horrible things to the women in this and it is displayed in gruesome detail. It gets so uncomfortable that it's hard to stomach at times. In the movie Alex turns out to be a cop and is trying to keep everyone alive. Movie Alex is better. Movie Alex is better, let me nail that down. Movie Alex is better, I may never see him the same now.
Linda surprisingly is the most loyal part between the book and the flick. She is a fairly strong character in both trying to protect those around as well as herself. Protecting those around them in this is really difficult as just about every personality conflicts and they don't wanna be around each other.
Mark is Mark, he is a heroin addict who is Paul's best friend. He doesn't tell Paul in this one that he is a heroin addict because he's borderline ashamed of it. In the book you feel a lot more sympathetic towards him. In the movie he's cannon fodder.
Chris is one of those new age hippies who believes what the crystals tell her. She's the most high, sober person I have ever encountered. As in, she doesn't do drugs but you'd never know from how she acts. This poor woman has the worst experiences in the entire book. I never thought I would sympathize with her when it started, oh this poor woman. I cannot stress enough how bad she is treated from beginning to end. She is the book's punching bag and she deserves none of it. Not an ounce. From Alex to boyfriend Mark she takes the brunt of the punishment in the book. I prefer movie version just because she suffers less, she deserved better.
Paul, is the hero of this story. He researches what is going on the entire time, feeling responsible for getting everyone off alive. He just wanted to sell some pot and be done with it. He knows pot is illegal but he's not truly a bad guy. He has good intentions from beginning to end and gets the shaft most of the way. In the movie he's addicted to heroin and lasts for all of ten mminutes. He's hashed out much better here.
I loved the environment of the story. I feel like oil rigs are an untapped resource in horror that don't get used often enough. They're just as isolated as cabins and it would be difficult to escape the horrors faced within. This is probably the strongest part of the story, they can't go anywhere because they're surrounded by ocean. They adapt or die, because the danger is not going away either.
The secret experiment has been used quite a bit in horror but the temptation of immortality is always going to be there from vampires to science. Which leads us to Charlie
Charlie was a neat creature and he's insanely dangerous because of what he can do. It makes him a very effective monster. That's all I'm gonna say.
Overall thoughts, I enjoyed it. It will always be something I treasure and I know it's not for everyone, but what is. I've met people who don't like chocolate so that was my first clue. As far as book versus movie, the book is a lot more effective in terms of terror but I will keep the movie Alex over this one. There's a huge contrast between the two versions of the character.
This always gets compared to John Carpenter's The Thing but they aren't all that similar. The only thing that can be compared between the two are the creature and environment. And I say environment because of seclusion only. Other than that they're not the same. I enjoy both mediums of this story but I'm not sure I can recommend the book to all, just because of some of the things that are explored inside are of a very sensitive nature.
I will, however in the end, recommend the movie. It's cheesy, mindless entertainment that is nice to shut down for an hour and a half to. It's got a nasty looking creature, a great environment, and a cool little backstory for the creature. The characters in the movie aren't too bad either.
There it is and there you have it.
I've done it. I've read the book that the first b-movie I truly loved was based on. The movie adaptation is called Proteus (1995; it's on YouTube if you're interested) and compared to this, it's pretty tame. For one in the film Alex is the main character and he's very loyal to Rachel, he loves Rachel. In the book Paul is the main character and he isn't addicted to heroin, in fact he loathes heroin. I thought when I started this book that Alex would end up redeeming himself later, ending up having some major character growth. But... no. In fact he just succeeds in becoming an even bigger prick. A prick's prick if you will, with all the subtlety of Julius Ceasar at a knife convention. He is a loathsome character that was created for the sole purpose of being hated and hating, in fact, you end up fearing more from Alex than you ever do of the creature who knocks at the door. He is a villain who preys on the weak for grins, whereas the monster is driven by biology. Alex is the kind of character that you scream about how he is gonna get you all killed while simultaneously considering it a mercy over dealing with Alex. He's that bad. Then he ends up with power and that fear is turned up to eleven. Alex is a monster in fact he's THE monster. He does horrible things to the women in this and it is displayed in gruesome detail. It gets so uncomfortable that it's hard to stomach at times. In the movie Alex turns out to be a cop and is trying to keep everyone alive. Movie Alex is better. Movie Alex is better, let me nail that down. Movie Alex is better, I may never see him the same now.
Linda surprisingly is the most loyal part between the book and the flick. She is a fairly strong character in both trying to protect those around as well as herself. Protecting those around them in this is really difficult as just about every personality conflicts and they don't wanna be around each other.
Mark is Mark, he is a heroin addict who is Paul's best friend. He doesn't tell Paul in this one that he is a heroin addict because he's borderline ashamed of it. In the book you feel a lot more sympathetic towards him. In the movie he's cannon fodder.
Chris is one of those new age hippies who believes what the crystals tell her. She's the most high, sober person I have ever encountered. As in, she doesn't do drugs but you'd never know from how she acts. This poor woman has the worst experiences in the entire book. I never thought I would sympathize with her when it started, oh this poor woman. I cannot stress enough how bad she is treated from beginning to end. She is the book's punching bag and she deserves none of it. Not an ounce. From Alex to boyfriend Mark she takes the brunt of the punishment in the book. I prefer movie version just because she suffers less, she deserved better.
Paul, is the hero of this story. He researches what is going on the entire time, feeling responsible for getting everyone off alive. He just wanted to sell some pot and be done with it. He knows pot is illegal but he's not truly a bad guy. He has good intentions from beginning to end and gets the shaft most of the way. In the movie he's addicted to heroin and lasts for all of ten mminutes. He's hashed out much better here.
I loved the environment of the story. I feel like oil rigs are an untapped resource in horror that don't get used often enough. They're just as isolated as cabins and it would be difficult to escape the horrors faced within. This is probably the strongest part of the story, they can't go anywhere because they're surrounded by ocean. They adapt or die, because the danger is not going away either.
The secret experiment has been used quite a bit in horror but the temptation of immortality is always going to be there from vampires to science. Which leads us to Charlie
Charlie was a neat creature and he's insanely dangerous because of what he can do. It makes him a very effective monster. That's all I'm gonna say.
Overall thoughts, I enjoyed it. It will always be something I treasure and I know it's not for everyone, but what is. I've met people who don't like chocolate so that was my first clue. As far as book versus movie, the book is a lot more effective in terms of terror but I will keep the movie Alex over this one. There's a huge contrast between the two versions of the character.
This always gets compared to John Carpenter's The Thing but they aren't all that similar. The only thing that can be compared between the two are the creature and environment. And I say environment because of seclusion only. Other than that they're not the same. I enjoy both mediums of this story but I'm not sure I can recommend the book to all, just because of some of the things that are explored inside are of a very sensitive nature.
I will, however in the end, recommend the movie. It's cheesy, mindless entertainment that is nice to shut down for an hour and a half to. It's got a nasty looking creature, a great environment, and a cool little backstory for the creature. The characters in the movie aren't too bad either.
There it is and there you have it.
November 7, 2021
С огромно усилие на волята си наложих да не игнорирам недостатъците на тази книжка, за да й дам направо пет звезди. Гадно слузесто същество, което преследва младежи в изоставена платформа? Ето на това викам книга!
https://citadelata.com/slimer/
https://citadelata.com/slimer/
May 15, 2019
The unfortunate title might turn away potential readers from an otherwise taught and masterfully crafted horror adventure. It reads like a film script so that the mind's eye vividly imagines nonexistent set designs, practical effects, and choreographed action. There actually was a movie based on this novel called "Proteus," which I have not yet seen, but it is not surprising this book got a film adaptation since its content begs for such a translation.
One of my most favorite scifi stories ever is Campbell's "Who Goes There," the source material for the "Thing" franchise, which contain some of my favorite horrors. "Slimer" is therefore right up my alley, as it is part of the same subgenre--a claustrophobic survival tale in an industrial setting featuring a cellular menace that absorbs the DNA of other lifeforms and can mimic the body, the personality, and even the clothing, of anything it consumes.
But this tale is no mere "mimicry" of "The Thing," as it offers several fresh elements while doing high honors to the familiar but essential ingredients of what makes body horror and monster-on-the-loose genres so fascinating to fans.
My biggest complaint is that the main group of protagonists are not well-developed at all. If anything, they are mostly designed to be unlikable. This would be fine for disposable "red-shirt" or "balding guy" characters, but we are forced to spend an entire novel with these folks and presumably care what happens to them. There needed to be at least one character with a quirky personality, or one comically badass hero, or one deeply mysterious soul with an intriguing backstory. But none stand out except for the very one-dimensional thug Alex, and we know from the beginning what his purpose in the story will be.
So this is not a masterpiece, but a perfect example of horror writing that tickles all the right spots--it engages, it holds you in suspense, it sends shivers down your spine, it shocks, it outrages, it grosses you out, it excites, and leaves you overall satisfied with a few nights of entertainment well spent.
One of my most favorite scifi stories ever is Campbell's "Who Goes There," the source material for the "Thing" franchise, which contain some of my favorite horrors. "Slimer" is therefore right up my alley, as it is part of the same subgenre--a claustrophobic survival tale in an industrial setting featuring a cellular menace that absorbs the DNA of other lifeforms and can mimic the body, the personality, and even the clothing, of anything it consumes.
But this tale is no mere "mimicry" of "The Thing," as it offers several fresh elements while doing high honors to the familiar but essential ingredients of what makes body horror and monster-on-the-loose genres so fascinating to fans.
My biggest complaint is that the main group of protagonists are not well-developed at all. If anything, they are mostly designed to be unlikable. This would be fine for disposable "red-shirt" or "balding guy" characters, but we are forced to spend an entire novel with these folks and presumably care what happens to them. There needed to be at least one character with a quirky personality, or one comically badass hero, or one deeply mysterious soul with an intriguing backstory. But none stand out except for the very one-dimensional thug Alex, and we know from the beginning what his purpose in the story will be.
So this is not a masterpiece, but a perfect example of horror writing that tickles all the right spots--it engages, it holds you in suspense, it sends shivers down your spine, it shocks, it outrages, it grosses you out, it excites, and leaves you overall satisfied with a few nights of entertainment well spent.
May 8, 2022
When you find yourself rooting for good ol’ Slimer, that’s how you know you did 80s horror right.
March 15, 2017
First and foremost, no, this has nothing to do with the green ghost from Ghostbusters. There. Now that that is out of the way, we can move on...
SPOILERS!!!
Slimer is a science fiction horror novel by Harry Adam Knight, which is a pen name of Australian author John Brosnan and his frequent collaborator Leroy Kettle. Brosnan also wrote the novel Carnosaur under the Knight pseudonym (which was made in a crummy movie in 1993 by Roger Corman). In it, six people are marooned in a life raft after their yacht sinks in the ocean. Our characters consist of protagonist Paul Latham, his girlfriend Linda Walker, Alex Rinaldo, the lone American in the group, Paul's best friend and the yacht's owner Mark, Mark's girlfriend Chris and Alex's girlfriend Rochelle. Yeah, three couples. They're screwed for the time being because the boat sank while they were running dope and heroin and nobody called for help because they were too scared about going to jail and now they're stranded in the ocean. Idiots.
Right off the bat, Alex is the most unlikable and antagonistic character. He treats Rochelle like crap and makes passes at Linda right in front of Paul, and withholds his heroin stash from junkie Mark, even whilst Mark is going through painful withdrawal symptoms, and forces Chris to suck him off in exchange for her boyfriend's fix. What a douche. If you don't want Alex to die horribly the minute he appears and starts giving Paul shit for no discernible reason, then the novel goes out of its way to make you hate his guts.
And speaking of Mark's heroin problem, Paul is unaware of it. Somehow Mark hides it from him. Paul apparently draws the line at actually using the drugs they were smuggling. Beyond this seeming hypocrisy, Paul is the sole likable character in the novel. As I've said, Alex is a jerk of the highest order, Linda and Chris are whiny, useless clods, Mark is a junkie who shows signs of intelligence and likability early on but grows more and more dickish as the story progresses (mostly due to his heroin addiction admittedly) and Rochelle, while not as bad as her boyfriend, is still basically just a female version of Alex. Only Paul seems completely resourceful, likable and at all intelligent.
But I know what you're thinking. Where's the slime in a novel called Slimer? Well, eventually, the six idiots stumble across an oil rig belonging to a company called Brinkstone, which none of them have ever heard of. There's no way to climb up so they shout for help. In response, a crane lowers down and lifts them up but once aboard the rig, they see no one around. There isn't even anyone in the operator cab for the crane, and upon investigating, Mark finds some odd blackish slime and empty clothes, but nobody believes him, apparently not finding the question of where the crane's operator suddenly went to at all relevant. They discover the rig is actually a front for a top secret research laboratory but again can find no one around. Just more empty clothes. Now they begin wondering where the clothes' owners went. Took you jerks long enough. In addition to all the empty clothing they also find a giant, empty aquarium and some discarded and mysteriously unfired M16s, which they appropriate; Alex is the first to grab one, and wary Paul gets one for himself just so he's on even footing with the American, who he doesn't trust.
That night, as they sleep in different rooms, each couple to a bedroom, something big and nasty tries to smash its way into Paul and Linda's room. Paul unloads his M16 into it and drives it off, and then they chase after it, intent on finishing it off, whatever it is. They find no blood despite the fact Paul is positive he shot the thing thirteen times. Here, they suddenly bump into an apparent survivor, Dr. Gordon Shelley, who warns them to leave the rig as soon as they can. Of the creature, he says its name is "Charlie" and that it is "under control" now. He promises to explain more in the morning and everyone goes to bed, but in the morning, Shelley is missing and although the gang attempts to take his advice and leave, they find the rig's compliment of speedboats have been sabotaged, and so has the radio. They encounter more people, each one explaining a little bit about what happened before having to suddenly run off because "Charlie is coming." Scientist Dr. Carol Soames calls it the Phoenix project before she has to vamoose because of Charlie's impending arrival. Things become even weirder when a third survivor the group meets, security guard Ed Buckley, turns into Charlie, a huge, sharklike monster, attacking the group before being driven away.
It soon becomes clear that the Phoenix project turned an ordinary great white shark (the original inhabitant of that big aquarium) nicknamed Charlie by the scientists into a genetic freak which can shapeshift, turning itself into slime and absorbing the minds and bodies of its victims and also occasionally taking their form to trick more victims. The consumed people are still conscious inside of Charlie's brain, but mostly entirely helpless; only the most strong willed (such as Dr. Shelley) can exert themselves as the dominant personality long enough to use Charlie's shapeshifting abilities to turn its body into theirs, so they can try and warn the others... but Charlie always regains control.
With no way off the rig, how can our stuck heroes (such as they are) hope to survive against a mutated, shapeshifting, super-intelligent great white shark which is impervious to automatic weapons? They better think of how and fast, 'cause Charlie is forever on the hunt for more genetic material to consume. Like our six stranded drug smugglers. Uh-oh. I hope it gets Alex first (Spoiler: Alex actually dies--or rather is absorbed, second).
Of course that's going to be difficult when half the time the characters can't cooperate with one another. At least the most troublemaking member of the group is gone fairly quickly, but of the remaining characters, only Paul is particularly worth much. Linda basically just clings to his arm the entire time, Mark is a heroin junkie and Chris may as well just not exist (although I really feel terrible for her for the shit Alex puts her through).
This was a pretty darn good little book. Suspenseful and has some decent ideas even though it's essentially The Thing relocated to an oil rig out in the ocean. However unlike The Thing and the novella it was based on, Who Goes There, the absorbed and copied people are still conscious inside of the monster, calling to mind the Abzorballoff in Doctor Who years later), which is pretty chilling and to me sadder and more terrifying than if they'd simply died. No wonder the book's tagline is "Death was only the beginning!"
The novel was made into a film titled Proteus, which was a fairly decent adaptation. Most likely because John Brosnan himself wrote the script. It makes some odd changes such as making Alex the main character and making him a badass, likable DEA agent, and also inexplicably now English, whereas the novel's English characters are now American and Alex's douchebag qualities are divided between Mark and Paul, the latter of whom, in the farthest fall from main character status I can think of, is actually Charlie's very first victim in the movie. They also for some reason insisted on giving Dr. Shelley a Russian accent. Funny. "Shelley" doesn't strike me as a Russian surname.
Beyond these weird changes the effects are a bit lame, particularly the shark monster animatronic used to represent Charlie's true form. It leaves a lot to be desired. The editing is also weird. But all in all, the acting is quite good, especially from Craig Fairbrass as suddenly good guy Alex and minor details aside the plot is pretty much beat for beat an accurate retelling of Slimer. A much better effort than Corman's insultingly terrible Carnosaur.
SPOILERS!!!
Slimer is a science fiction horror novel by Harry Adam Knight, which is a pen name of Australian author John Brosnan and his frequent collaborator Leroy Kettle. Brosnan also wrote the novel Carnosaur under the Knight pseudonym (which was made in a crummy movie in 1993 by Roger Corman). In it, six people are marooned in a life raft after their yacht sinks in the ocean. Our characters consist of protagonist Paul Latham, his girlfriend Linda Walker, Alex Rinaldo, the lone American in the group, Paul's best friend and the yacht's owner Mark, Mark's girlfriend Chris and Alex's girlfriend Rochelle. Yeah, three couples. They're screwed for the time being because the boat sank while they were running dope and heroin and nobody called for help because they were too scared about going to jail and now they're stranded in the ocean. Idiots.
Right off the bat, Alex is the most unlikable and antagonistic character. He treats Rochelle like crap and makes passes at Linda right in front of Paul, and withholds his heroin stash from junkie Mark, even whilst Mark is going through painful withdrawal symptoms, and forces Chris to suck him off in exchange for her boyfriend's fix. What a douche. If you don't want Alex to die horribly the minute he appears and starts giving Paul shit for no discernible reason, then the novel goes out of its way to make you hate his guts.
And speaking of Mark's heroin problem, Paul is unaware of it. Somehow Mark hides it from him. Paul apparently draws the line at actually using the drugs they were smuggling. Beyond this seeming hypocrisy, Paul is the sole likable character in the novel. As I've said, Alex is a jerk of the highest order, Linda and Chris are whiny, useless clods, Mark is a junkie who shows signs of intelligence and likability early on but grows more and more dickish as the story progresses (mostly due to his heroin addiction admittedly) and Rochelle, while not as bad as her boyfriend, is still basically just a female version of Alex. Only Paul seems completely resourceful, likable and at all intelligent.
But I know what you're thinking. Where's the slime in a novel called Slimer? Well, eventually, the six idiots stumble across an oil rig belonging to a company called Brinkstone, which none of them have ever heard of. There's no way to climb up so they shout for help. In response, a crane lowers down and lifts them up but once aboard the rig, they see no one around. There isn't even anyone in the operator cab for the crane, and upon investigating, Mark finds some odd blackish slime and empty clothes, but nobody believes him, apparently not finding the question of where the crane's operator suddenly went to at all relevant. They discover the rig is actually a front for a top secret research laboratory but again can find no one around. Just more empty clothes. Now they begin wondering where the clothes' owners went. Took you jerks long enough. In addition to all the empty clothing they also find a giant, empty aquarium and some discarded and mysteriously unfired M16s, which they appropriate; Alex is the first to grab one, and wary Paul gets one for himself just so he's on even footing with the American, who he doesn't trust.
That night, as they sleep in different rooms, each couple to a bedroom, something big and nasty tries to smash its way into Paul and Linda's room. Paul unloads his M16 into it and drives it off, and then they chase after it, intent on finishing it off, whatever it is. They find no blood despite the fact Paul is positive he shot the thing thirteen times. Here, they suddenly bump into an apparent survivor, Dr. Gordon Shelley, who warns them to leave the rig as soon as they can. Of the creature, he says its name is "Charlie" and that it is "under control" now. He promises to explain more in the morning and everyone goes to bed, but in the morning, Shelley is missing and although the gang attempts to take his advice and leave, they find the rig's compliment of speedboats have been sabotaged, and so has the radio. They encounter more people, each one explaining a little bit about what happened before having to suddenly run off because "Charlie is coming." Scientist Dr. Carol Soames calls it the Phoenix project before she has to vamoose because of Charlie's impending arrival. Things become even weirder when a third survivor the group meets, security guard Ed Buckley, turns into Charlie, a huge, sharklike monster, attacking the group before being driven away.
It soon becomes clear that the Phoenix project turned an ordinary great white shark (the original inhabitant of that big aquarium) nicknamed Charlie by the scientists into a genetic freak which can shapeshift, turning itself into slime and absorbing the minds and bodies of its victims and also occasionally taking their form to trick more victims. The consumed people are still conscious inside of Charlie's brain, but mostly entirely helpless; only the most strong willed (such as Dr. Shelley) can exert themselves as the dominant personality long enough to use Charlie's shapeshifting abilities to turn its body into theirs, so they can try and warn the others... but Charlie always regains control.
With no way off the rig, how can our stuck heroes (such as they are) hope to survive against a mutated, shapeshifting, super-intelligent great white shark which is impervious to automatic weapons? They better think of how and fast, 'cause Charlie is forever on the hunt for more genetic material to consume. Like our six stranded drug smugglers. Uh-oh. I hope it gets Alex first (Spoiler: Alex actually dies--or rather is absorbed, second).
Of course that's going to be difficult when half the time the characters can't cooperate with one another. At least the most troublemaking member of the group is gone fairly quickly, but of the remaining characters, only Paul is particularly worth much. Linda basically just clings to his arm the entire time, Mark is a heroin junkie and Chris may as well just not exist (although I really feel terrible for her for the shit Alex puts her through).
This was a pretty darn good little book. Suspenseful and has some decent ideas even though it's essentially The Thing relocated to an oil rig out in the ocean. However unlike The Thing and the novella it was based on, Who Goes There, the absorbed and copied people are still conscious inside of the monster, calling to mind the Abzorballoff in Doctor Who years later), which is pretty chilling and to me sadder and more terrifying than if they'd simply died. No wonder the book's tagline is "Death was only the beginning!"
The novel was made into a film titled Proteus, which was a fairly decent adaptation. Most likely because John Brosnan himself wrote the script. It makes some odd changes such as making Alex the main character and making him a badass, likable DEA agent, and also inexplicably now English, whereas the novel's English characters are now American and Alex's douchebag qualities are divided between Mark and Paul, the latter of whom, in the farthest fall from main character status I can think of, is actually Charlie's very first victim in the movie. They also for some reason insisted on giving Dr. Shelley a Russian accent. Funny. "Shelley" doesn't strike me as a Russian surname.
Beyond these weird changes the effects are a bit lame, particularly the shark monster animatronic used to represent Charlie's true form. It leaves a lot to be desired. The editing is also weird. But all in all, the acting is quite good, especially from Craig Fairbrass as suddenly good guy Alex and minor details aside the plot is pretty much beat for beat an accurate retelling of Slimer. A much better effort than Corman's insultingly terrible Carnosaur.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2019
Initially published in 1983, Slimer is the story of six drug smugglers stranded on an oil rig after their boat sinks. They find the platform deserted with only piles of clothes as evidence of the former inhabitants. Also, the rig isn’t decked out like an oil drilling equipment but scientific research equipment instead. Soon, the six drug smugglers find that they are not alone and are being hunted by something, not human.
I picked this one up because I read comparisons to John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is my absolute favorite film. And despite being published 36 years ago and reeking of 80’s sexism and misogyny, I had a lot of fun with this one. The characters are universally terrible people and not overly developed, but the focus of this one is on the action and the creature hunting them. The setting of the oil rig makes for some unusual scenarios that make this one different enough to feel still original. We also get several POV chapters from the creature’s perspective, which I much enjoyed. Slimer is the first book from Valancourt Press that I’ve read, and if this is the kind of book that they are resurrecting from the horror trash heap, then I’ll be throwing my money at them for a while to come. I recommend this one to anyone that’s looking for an old school well-written horror that values action over character development.
I picked this one up because I read comparisons to John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is my absolute favorite film. And despite being published 36 years ago and reeking of 80’s sexism and misogyny, I had a lot of fun with this one. The characters are universally terrible people and not overly developed, but the focus of this one is on the action and the creature hunting them. The setting of the oil rig makes for some unusual scenarios that make this one different enough to feel still original. We also get several POV chapters from the creature’s perspective, which I much enjoyed. Slimer is the first book from Valancourt Press that I’ve read, and if this is the kind of book that they are resurrecting from the horror trash heap, then I’ll be throwing my money at them for a while to come. I recommend this one to anyone that’s looking for an old school well-written horror that values action over character development.
May 12, 2018
Just like the only other Harry Adam Knight book that I have read (Carnosaur) this one is extremely underrated.
On one level it is just a silly monster book. But it is much better crafted, thought through and original than it has any right to be. Harry Adam Knight was ahead of his time when he wrote both Slimer and Carnosaur and I am convinced he must have been an inspiration to some of Michael Crichton's work.
Also, this book presents some truly terrifying ideas which did get under my skin on a philosophical level.
On one level it is just a silly monster book. But it is much better crafted, thought through and original than it has any right to be. Harry Adam Knight was ahead of his time when he wrote both Slimer and Carnosaur and I am convinced he must have been an inspiration to some of Michael Crichton's work.
Also, this book presents some truly terrifying ideas which did get under my skin on a philosophical level.
May 5, 2019
After being cast adrift in a lifeboat when their yacht sinks, a group of friends think they are saved when they spot an oil rig platform. Little do they know what waits in store for them.
The story is creepy and violent, and reminded me a bit of "The Thing". There is also some violent sexual content. Overall the writing was good and had an up to date feel. I didn't like most of the characters, but I still enjoyed the plot with all its twists and turns.
I thought the narration and production were well done.
The story is creepy and violent, and reminded me a bit of "The Thing". There is also some violent sexual content. Overall the writing was good and had an up to date feel. I didn't like most of the characters, but I still enjoyed the plot with all its twists and turns.
I thought the narration and production were well done.
June 13, 2016
This is perhaps my favourite ever horror novel, and one of the first I read when I was about 14. Racing through a genetic-engineering plot on an oil-rig, this has breathless action and horror. One of my favourite books of all time; loved it. I re-read it a few years ago, devoured it in one brilliant sitting. Full review coming soon.
May 26, 2014
Very enjoyable short read if you enjoy monster yarns. Similar to "The Thing" but well enough put together to have its own identity. Think - The Thing on an oil rig coupled with Friday the 13th - and you get the general idea.
December 25, 2019
A rapey and semi-clunky, Thing-esque blood fest in instant evolution on a remote oil rig with extra 80’s b-movie horror cheese on top.
The writing was a bit clunky in parts but the narration was good which kept me going.
The writing was a bit clunky in parts but the narration was good which kept me going.
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