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The Rise of the Sixth Sun #1
Dark Winds
Elliot Collins finds himself a victim of a deadly desire when he becomes obsessed with Nikki, his dead father's alluring and dangerous mistress
- GenresHorror
Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
12 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Graham Watkins
19 books6 followersGraham Watkins, a former researcher in parapsychology, has been publishing fiction since 1989. His works, available in 6 languages, include novels Dark Winds, The Fire Within, Kaleidoscope Eyes, Virus, and Interception; film script Hillbettys (Roger Corman, producer); and numerous short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 12, 2023
Watkins eerie and erotic debut novel Dark Winds features Elliot Collins, an assistant professor at UNC circa 1969 or so. Elliot had been active in 'the movement' throughout his college career and now as a professor; something of a hippie for sure, but one how prides himself on his brains and arguments. Dark Winds starts off with Elliot back in his home town in Illinois for the burial of his father and to sort out the estate as it is (his mother passed a few years prior and he is an only child). Going through his father's stuff, he comes across a picture he has not seen since he was 13-- that of one Nikki, a beautiful woman posed on a pier in NYC. When he first saw the picture of her, he was obsessed about her, and now finding it once again, the obsession returns.
After making his way back to North Carolina (he teaches at UNC), he starts to resume his old life, but just cannot get Nikki out of his mind; he even starts screwing one of his undergraduate students because he reminds him of Nikki, despite his live-in girlfriend! Then, the second bomb hits; he gets in the mail the contents of his father's safety deposit box and finds another picture of Nikki, this time in some of his grandfather's stuff, and she looks exactly the same! So, one picture from 1913, one from 1942, and some old letters and diary entries concerning Nikki, but not enough to form any real idea of what she meant to the men or who she really is; and old address in NYC is just about all he has.
Things start going pretty weird for Elliot shortly thereafter, and Watkins takes us on something of a head trip here, as Elliot starts having a hard time sorting out what is real and what he is imagining or even hallucinating. Even weirder is when the hallucinations leave behind evidence of them actually happening. So, is Elliot losing his mind or what. The illusionary space between what seems real and reality gives the book some punch and the eerie feeling; it reminded me of some of Ramsey Campbell's work in this regard.
Eventually, Elliot is compelled to go to NYC at about the 1/3 mark and the rest of the novel takes place there. No more on the plotting, but I will say Watkins did some serious research here and weaves in ancient Aztec and other mesoAmerican mythos in a pretty unique way. At times this gets a little info-dumpy regarding these mythos, but in the end helped explain the outcome of the novel. Very erotic at times and Watkins does a fine job with the hippy scene for sure (even in that, what it actually is and what it is imagined to be). Looking forward to the next installment! 3.5 Aztec stars, rounding down as this felt a bit heavy on the lore and build up.
After making his way back to North Carolina (he teaches at UNC), he starts to resume his old life, but just cannot get Nikki out of his mind; he even starts screwing one of his undergraduate students because he reminds him of Nikki, despite his live-in girlfriend! Then, the second bomb hits; he gets in the mail the contents of his father's safety deposit box and finds another picture of Nikki, this time in some of his grandfather's stuff, and she looks exactly the same! So, one picture from 1913, one from 1942, and some old letters and diary entries concerning Nikki, but not enough to form any real idea of what she meant to the men or who she really is; and old address in NYC is just about all he has.
Things start going pretty weird for Elliot shortly thereafter, and Watkins takes us on something of a head trip here, as Elliot starts having a hard time sorting out what is real and what he is imagining or even hallucinating. Even weirder is when the hallucinations leave behind evidence of them actually happening. So, is Elliot losing his mind or what. The illusionary space between what seems real and reality gives the book some punch and the eerie feeling; it reminded me of some of Ramsey Campbell's work in this regard.
Eventually, Elliot is compelled to go to NYC at about the 1/3 mark and the rest of the novel takes place there. No more on the plotting, but I will say Watkins did some serious research here and weaves in ancient Aztec and other mesoAmerican mythos in a pretty unique way. At times this gets a little info-dumpy regarding these mythos, but in the end helped explain the outcome of the novel. Very erotic at times and Watkins does a fine job with the hippy scene for sure (even in that, what it actually is and what it is imagined to be). Looking forward to the next installment! 3.5 Aztec stars, rounding down as this felt a bit heavy on the lore and build up.
October 15, 2015
I found a somewhat battered paperback of Graham Watkins' The Fire Within in the early 90's and picked it up based solely on the cover quotes (and art). It's more battered since then, because it became a bit of a 80's horror (published in 1991, I know...) favorite of mine. I've re-read it a number of times and also looked a bit for this one (since it's mentioned on FW's cover). I was happy to find - now that I have an e-reader - that the book has been re-published in electronic form and so I decided it was high time.
Another discovery was that the one I've enjoyed a number of times actually is number 2 in the series that starts with this book. It's quite obvious when you read them both because the same themes are very much explored in both books. Still, the connection is not more than that and they can easily be read stand-alone. Dark Winds also in many ways reads as a prelude/first attempt and it's not a shocker learning that this is the author's first book. It is, however, very entertaining and I liked it - the 3-star rating is (just as for Fire Within) a strong one.
It's the late 60's and our main protagonist, the 26-year(!) old college professor Elliot Collins finds some strange things - letters and a picture of a young woman he's never seen or heard of among his father's assets after he's passed away (at the advanced age of 52... this says something about the age when the book was written I think, all main characters are like 20 years old and someone dropping from a heart attack at 50 is no big deal...).
The woman then invades Elliot's life, she comes in dreams and strange things happen. A number of coincident things almost pulls him to New York, where we've learned that a serial killer is on the prowl. Add two spoons ancient Mexican mysteries and a bucket of sex, lace with a lot of classical and well-working horror elements and we've got a very entertaining book.
I was a bit disturbed by that the sexual content involved a very young girl, at least by one remark by the main protagonist, but I'm prepared to view those few words as accidental (and indeed you may not notice them at all I guess) and the book as a whole certainly doesn't suffer from it.
The ending is exemplary; not drawn out, but to the point and still very suspenseful - and with a very nice "I knew it had to be like this"-feeling.
Summary: Strong 3 stars, recommended (and specially for fans of 80's horror, the story plays like the original Omen or Rosemary's baby or some similar movie for my inner vision) and I will certainly get the other books in the series in the future!
Another discovery was that the one I've enjoyed a number of times actually is number 2 in the series that starts with this book. It's quite obvious when you read them both because the same themes are very much explored in both books. Still, the connection is not more than that and they can easily be read stand-alone. Dark Winds also in many ways reads as a prelude/first attempt and it's not a shocker learning that this is the author's first book. It is, however, very entertaining and I liked it - the 3-star rating is (just as for Fire Within) a strong one.
It's the late 60's and our main protagonist, the 26-year(!) old college professor Elliot Collins finds some strange things - letters and a picture of a young woman he's never seen or heard of among his father's assets after he's passed away (at the advanced age of 52... this says something about the age when the book was written I think, all main characters are like 20 years old and someone dropping from a heart attack at 50 is no big deal...).
The woman then invades Elliot's life, she comes in dreams and strange things happen. A number of coincident things almost pulls him to New York, where we've learned that a serial killer is on the prowl. Add two spoons ancient Mexican mysteries and a bucket of sex, lace with a lot of classical and well-working horror elements and we've got a very entertaining book.
I was a bit disturbed by that the sexual content involved a very young girl, at least by one remark by the main protagonist, but I'm prepared to view those few words as accidental (and indeed you may not notice them at all I guess) and the book as a whole certainly doesn't suffer from it.
The ending is exemplary; not drawn out, but to the point and still very suspenseful - and with a very nice "I knew it had to be like this"-feeling.
Summary: Strong 3 stars, recommended (and specially for fans of 80's horror, the story plays like the original Omen or Rosemary's baby or some similar movie for my inner vision) and I will certainly get the other books in the series in the future!
November 18, 2018
"Тъмни ветрове" е първа част от концептуалната пенталогия "Възходът на Шестото слънце", заиграваща се с пророчества на ацтеките, с отмъстителни древни богове и тяхното нескончаемо влияние върху човешката цивилизация, която твърде удобно се опитва да се извиси над тия бабини деветини.
Бях чел единствената преведена на български език книга на Уоткинс - The fire within (Плеяда), явяваща се и втора от поредицата, като спомените ми бяха изключително позитивни. Ето защо не се и замислих, когато преди няколко дни ми попадна възможност да си купя kindle изданията на петте части от амазон. Тъй като Уоткинс така и не постига световно признание, губейки надпреварата за стълбицата на хорър-мастърите отчасти поради нешлифования си на места муден, на места твърде експлицитен (аз обича!) стил, отчасти поради избраната тематика, от която се оказва обсебен (5-те книги, които могат да бъдат четени напълно независимо една от друга виждат бял свят в период от цели 24 години - 1989 - 2013, като за това време Уоткинс така и не написва нищо друг съществено), отчасти и поради читателската липса на готовност да приеме откровения, пълен с насилие, еротика и безжалостно морално разкъсване Уоткинсов наратив.
Не ме е срам да призная, че обожавам Кетчъм, макар да изглежда, че пише в онази торчър-порн ниша, към която естетите хоръристи поглеждат с погнуса. Но за умението на Кетчъм да извлича максимума от героите и мотивацията им ще си говорим друг път, след като сте си прочели домашното с нецензурираната версия на "Off Season" и нечовешката поезия на деградацията в "Съседката".
Уоткинс - с първите две части от поредицата си - далеч не стига нивото на Кетчъм. Но и съвсем не това е целта на автора. Каква може да е целта ти да създадеш литературно произведение, ако няма да се мериш с най-големите, най-безжалостните и най-мъдрите? Ето каква - да си правиш кефа! И Уоткинс го прави по безобразно добър начин.
Стилът на "Тъмни ветрове" е лек с абсолютно отсъствие на каквито и да било фигури на речта, метафори или поетизми. В същото време в 3/4 от романа не се случва почти нищо и авторът не може да бъде упрекнат в прибързан галоп. Образите му са страхотно структурирани и циклично подлагани на преосмисляне - както от страна на читателя, така и от тяхна собствена. С други думи - евала на Уоткинс за начина, по който изпипва два елемента от книгите си - изграждането и поддържането на образите си в абсолютен реализъм и второ - подготовката и отдадеността, граничеща с култ, която демонстрира по въпроса с историческата и религиозната тематики, залегнали в основата на цялостния му замисъл.
"Тъмни ветрове" е доста друсано пътешествие сред територии и времеви пластове, успяващо да набърка между бетоновите огради на града преподавател по психология, няколко яки мацки - една от тях само на 13 - и една дузина ацтекски божества с непроизносими, но възбуждащи имена, намерения и проявления. За капак се появява и сериен убиец психопат с божествен комплекс, а наркоманският трип на главния герой все повече навлиза в сюрреалистични селения.
В плътния роман има от всичко - секс, философия, черва, секс, гневни богове, изкусителни богове, морални дилеми, духовни лутания, секс, жертвоприношения... Изобщо всичко нужно, за да си прекараш няколко дни в четене на тази несправедливо непостигнала култов статус книга, съчетаваща хорър и психология по един колкото литературен, толкова и траш начин.
Бях чел единствената преведена на български език книга на Уоткинс - The fire within (Плеяда), явяваща се и втора от поредицата, като спомените ми бяха изключително позитивни. Ето защо не се и замислих, когато преди няколко дни ми попадна възможност да си купя kindle изданията на петте части от амазон. Тъй като Уоткинс така и не постига световно признание, губейки надпреварата за стълбицата на хорър-мастърите отчасти поради нешлифования си на места муден, на места твърде експлицитен (аз обича!) стил, отчасти поради избраната тематика, от която се оказва обсебен (5-те книги, които могат да бъдат четени напълно независимо една от друга виждат бял свят в период от цели 24 години - 1989 - 2013, като за това време Уоткинс така и не написва нищо друг съществено), отчасти и поради читателската липса на готовност да приеме откровения, пълен с насилие, еротика и безжалостно морално разкъсване Уоткинсов наратив.
Не ме е срам да призная, че обожавам Кетчъм, макар да изглежда, че пише в онази торчър-порн ниша, към която естетите хоръристи поглеждат с погнуса. Но за умението на Кетчъм да извлича максимума от героите и мотивацията им ще си говорим друг път, след като сте си прочели домашното с нецензурираната версия на "Off Season" и нечовешката поезия на деградацията в "Съседката".
Уоткинс - с първите две части от поредицата си - далеч не стига нивото на Кетчъм. Но и съвсем не това е целта на автора. Каква може да е целта ти да създадеш литературно произведение, ако няма да се мериш с най-големите, най-безжалостните и най-мъдрите? Ето каква - да си правиш кефа! И Уоткинс го прави по безобразно добър начин.
Стилът на "Тъмни ветрове" е лек с абсолютно отсъствие на каквито и да било фигури на речта, метафори или поетизми. В същото време в 3/4 от романа не се случва почти нищо и авторът не може да бъде упрекнат в прибързан галоп. Образите му са страхотно структурирани и циклично подлагани на преосмисляне - както от страна на читателя, така и от тяхна собствена. С други думи - евала на Уоткинс за начина, по който изпипва два елемента от книгите си - изграждането и поддържането на образите си в абсолютен реализъм и второ - подготовката и отдадеността, граничеща с култ, която демонстрира по въпроса с историческата и религиозната тематики, залегнали в основата на цялостния му замисъл.
"Тъмни ветрове" е доста друсано пътешествие сред територии и времеви пластове, успяващо да набърка между бетоновите огради на града преподавател по психология, няколко яки мацки - една от тях само на 13 - и една дузина ацтекски божества с непроизносими, но възбуждащи имена, намерения и проявления. За капак се появява и сериен убиец психопат с божествен комплекс, а наркоманският трип на главния герой все повече навлиза в сюрреалистични селения.
В плътния роман има от всичко - секс, философия, черва, секс, гневни богове, изкусителни богове, морални дилеми, духовни лутания, секс, жертвоприношения... Изобщо всичко нужно, за да си прекараш няколко дни в четене на тази несправедливо непостигнала култов статус книга, съчетаваща хорър и психология по един колкото литературен, толкова и траш начин.
May 1, 2019
Hm.
What a strange little book. I really only read it because someone recommended the sequel to me, and I can’t read shit out of order. It’s not particularly well written, and it’s more than a little dated, but the use of Aztec mythology is pretty nifty, and not a common theme in supernatural thrillers.
Didn’t hate it....didn’t wow me. But it was alright.
What a strange little book. I really only read it because someone recommended the sequel to me, and I can’t read shit out of order. It’s not particularly well written, and it’s more than a little dated, but the use of Aztec mythology is pretty nifty, and not a common theme in supernatural thrillers.
Didn’t hate it....didn’t wow me. But it was alright.
October 10, 2019
Not too much of a horror but definitely a good story!
November 3, 2013
Cassettes from the Vancouver Library.
October 11, 2016
it was okay.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews