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Lowland Rider
1st Headline 1988 edition paperback vg+ book In stock * from our UK warehouse
Paperback
First published August 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Chet Williamson
188 books117 followersChet Williamson has written horror, science fiction, and suspense since 1981. Among his novels are Second Chance, Hunters, Defenders of the Faith, Ash Wednesday, Reign, Dreamthorp, and the forthcoming Psycho Sanitarium, an authorized sequel to Robert Bloch's classic Psycho. Over a hundred of his short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, Esquire, The Magazine of F&SF, and many other magazines and anthologies.
He has won the International Horror Guild Award, and has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award, six times for the HWA Stoker, and once for the MWA's Edgar. Nearly all of his works are available in ebook format.
A stage and film actor, he has recorded over 40 unabridged audiobooks, both of his own work and that of many other writers, available at www.audible.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chetwill) or at www.chetwilliamson.com.
He has won the International Horror Guild Award, and has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award, six times for the HWA Stoker, and once for the MWA's Edgar. Nearly all of his works are available in ebook format.
A stage and film actor, he has recorded over 40 unabridged audiobooks, both of his own work and that of many other writers, available at www.audible.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chetwill) or at www.chetwilliamson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 2, 2024
This book is really, really, REALLY scared of the subway.
October 24, 2023
After finishing this, I was surprised to read it had a lot of subpar reviews. Fuck that. This is a splatterpunk masterpiece. Incredibly poignant writing, with characters that bleed their guilt and strive for a sense of purpose in the sleazy, crime-ridden labyrinth of the New York subway in the early 80s. The story is harrowing, brutal, and even darkly funny with many a bad guy getting their comeuppance. There is very Death Wish/Dirty Harry vibe running throughout mixed with a supernatural element that shadows the story's arc.
October 5, 2022
This might be better billed as weird fiction than horror, but eclectic no matter what. I do not know what was with the fascination with the NYC subways back in the 80s, but it spawned a number of horror books, like The Light at the End by Skipp and Spector, and of course this one. Lowland Rider tells the tale of Jesse Gordon, our main protagonist, along with some supernatural reflections on good versus evil.
Jesse Gordon starts off as a happily married guy living in NYC; his father runs an 'antique' business in the Bronx, but that part of the city is descending into a war zone. After his father is mugged and killed, Jesse has to wrap up his father's estate, and heads to the shop with is wife and baby to meet an appraiser; it does not go well, as some punks arrive on the scene, killing everyone but Jesse in the end. While there is more here, this serves as a prologue for Jesse's descent into the subways to escape.
Jesse becomes a 'skel' short for a skeleton, a name bestowed upon those folks who live in the subway and environs. The narrative from switches among excerpts from Jesse's diary, newspaper stories about 'events' in the subway, the POV of a crooked cop and his junkie wife and so forth. Strange things are out and about in the subways, especially some figure named Enoch, who seems to magically appear at death scenes in the subway, and who as lets say the serious respect of the skels. A rather interesting plot to be sure, with a rather jumpy timeline, leading up to an interesting, but ultimately anti-climatic denouement. This was an early book by Williamson, and he can write, but not one of his best. 3.5 stars!!
Jesse Gordon starts off as a happily married guy living in NYC; his father runs an 'antique' business in the Bronx, but that part of the city is descending into a war zone. After his father is mugged and killed, Jesse has to wrap up his father's estate, and heads to the shop with is wife and baby to meet an appraiser; it does not go well, as some punks arrive on the scene, killing everyone but Jesse in the end. While there is more here, this serves as a prologue for Jesse's descent into the subways to escape.
Jesse becomes a 'skel' short for a skeleton, a name bestowed upon those folks who live in the subway and environs. The narrative from switches among excerpts from Jesse's diary, newspaper stories about 'events' in the subway, the POV of a crooked cop and his junkie wife and so forth. Strange things are out and about in the subways, especially some figure named Enoch, who seems to magically appear at death scenes in the subway, and who as lets say the serious respect of the skels. A rather interesting plot to be sure, with a rather jumpy timeline, leading up to an interesting, but ultimately anti-climatic denouement. This was an early book by Williamson, and he can write, but not one of his best. 3.5 stars!!
April 21, 2017
DNF. Made it to page 68, but there just wasn't enough juice in either the story or the telling of it to keep me interested. A shame, as I found both the premise and setting intriguing but not enough to make up for the fairly lifeless execution.
November 10, 2023
Brilliant in every single way
November 12, 2010
Almost didn't get this book, because of its ridiculous cover. Good thing for once I didn't judge the book by its cover. This was a great read, introduced me to an awesome writer, whose work I'd followed since.
September 17, 2025
I don't have to mention the "Death Wish" similarities, because the author does that for us. Not a pure copy, but a vigilante none the less. When a man's family is viciously murdered, he takes all his money and a few things with him underground. The New York subway. There he makes friends with a man who's been down there a long time, and he starts to dole out his justice.
There is the odd character of Enoch, a man in white who has a following of the subway dwellers. I would have gave this the full five stars, but the ending was just a bit to strange. It made little sense, but it was understandable. Nice book.
There is the odd character of Enoch, a man in white who has a following of the subway dwellers. I would have gave this the full five stars, but the ending was just a bit to strange. It made little sense, but it was understandable. Nice book.
July 7, 2021
Death Wish with supernatural elements as directed by the Cohen Brothers.
Decently written with some interesting twists and turns and even some very slight black comedy. I enjoyed this one for what it was, even with an anticlimactic ending.
Decently written with some interesting twists and turns and even some very slight black comedy. I enjoyed this one for what it was, even with an anticlimactic ending.
October 6, 2024
What a bleak and awesome novel this is. Jesse, a hard-working family man, has his life shattered with the out of control crime rate in NYC. His father, wife, and daughter are killed in some horrific scenes that are difficult to read and make your blood boil. Jesse flees the city to live in the underground subway stations.
It's here he learns to cope with his grief while encountering crooked cops, daily violence, and the struggle to survive. He soon learns that someone or something is responsible for all the death that surrounds the city. If this being can be stopped, maybe Jesse will be able to leave his grief behind him.
The subway system is such a perfect location. I loved everything about grimy, sleazy crime-ridden NYC. The characters who live underground are awesome as well, all hiding from the real world due to mental illness or guilt. The supernatural elements worked well, but the writing is what grabs you. It's a revenge story of a broken man who finds his purpose in an area with no light and no hope.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
It's here he learns to cope with his grief while encountering crooked cops, daily violence, and the struggle to survive. He soon learns that someone or something is responsible for all the death that surrounds the city. If this being can be stopped, maybe Jesse will be able to leave his grief behind him.
The subway system is such a perfect location. I loved everything about grimy, sleazy crime-ridden NYC. The characters who live underground are awesome as well, all hiding from the real world due to mental illness or guilt. The supernatural elements worked well, but the writing is what grabs you. It's a revenge story of a broken man who finds his purpose in an area with no light and no hope.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
August 9, 2014
This is the 3rd of the Chet Williamson books I picked up - and I will admit that I cannot find the edition I have - as all three are from Robinsons - sadly I think the not only do they not publish them anymore but I am not so sure if the publisher is still about either.
Anyway this book cover is not as good as the version I have but I cannot find a version of it anywhere. Well the book I guess (reading it along side Soulstorm) could be considered to be in a similar vein as others out there - in that the main character suffers an unbearable situation and then goes on a voyage or discovery and redemption. Since this is idea is pretty much both done to death and predictable (after all there is only two outcomes if you think about - he either fails or succeeds) it is more about character and situation, and this is where Chet Williamson wins out. He to me at least - has been able to create human characters you can see and understand while putting them through extra ordinary situations.
To me he is a much underrated author who I would love to find more to read from.
Anyway this book cover is not as good as the version I have but I cannot find a version of it anywhere. Well the book I guess (reading it along side Soulstorm) could be considered to be in a similar vein as others out there - in that the main character suffers an unbearable situation and then goes on a voyage or discovery and redemption. Since this is idea is pretty much both done to death and predictable (after all there is only two outcomes if you think about - he either fails or succeeds) it is more about character and situation, and this is where Chet Williamson wins out. He to me at least - has been able to create human characters you can see and understand while putting them through extra ordinary situations.
To me he is a much underrated author who I would love to find more to read from.
August 8, 2021
"Oh, there was a rider daring
Yes, there was a rider bold
Who hadna needs for silver
Nor had he need for gold
His name was Jamie gordan
And frae glen to Glen
Twas the name he feared
By all the lowland men
Death rode on his saddle
And death rode by his side
For death was ah there was to him
Nae pomp, nor peace, nea pride
This man, sae guid in years Lang syne
Sea kind to one and ah
Was pulled sea low by further foul
The Son of cains great fa
He had twa daughters very dear
Whose eyen shone like sun
Also wife whose Bonnie smile
Could make the Isla run
The love he bore for these fair three
Was like into the love
That Jesus bore for below
And his great lord above
One day when gordan traveled out
About his lowland farm
A band of outlaws sought his kin
Purpose to do them harm
They had their way with gordans wife
And then they cruelly slew
His lovely wife, light of his life
Had both the daughters too" - Jamie Gordan (lowland rider)
Yes, there was a rider bold
Who hadna needs for silver
Nor had he need for gold
His name was Jamie gordan
And frae glen to Glen
Twas the name he feared
By all the lowland men
Death rode on his saddle
And death rode by his side
For death was ah there was to him
Nae pomp, nor peace, nea pride
This man, sae guid in years Lang syne
Sea kind to one and ah
Was pulled sea low by further foul
The Son of cains great fa
He had twa daughters very dear
Whose eyen shone like sun
Also wife whose Bonnie smile
Could make the Isla run
The love he bore for these fair three
Was like into the love
That Jesus bore for below
And his great lord above
One day when gordan traveled out
About his lowland farm
A band of outlaws sought his kin
Purpose to do them harm
They had their way with gordans wife
And then they cruelly slew
His lovely wife, light of his life
Had both the daughters too" - Jamie Gordan (lowland rider)
May 2, 2024
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews