Hell Train is one of my last completed reads of 2023
Imagine a Hammer
Horror film that never existed and that’s what this story is. I’m not being exceptionally perceptive here, that
is the basic conceit of Fowler’s novel, where we are first introduced to Shane
Castle, the jobbing script writer who is given a few days to come up with a
workable treatment for the ailing studio.
Most of the rest of the book is that story, presented to us as prose, or
the novelisation of the would-be film, as it were but we do revisit Castle’s higher
reality intermittently and in order to give the novel something like a denouement
of sorts.
It’s entertaining enough
for the most part, but it ultimately suffers from being too successful at what
it sets out to emulate. The novelty of
the idea wears off after a while and you are then left with all the failings of
a late in the season Hammer horror film. That is; a series of predictable set
pieces, played out in a predictable manner. It probably outstays its welcome by
a scene or five and makes absolutely no effort to add anything unexpected or
unusual into the mix. So actually, the
book is quite a skillful interpretation of that movie genre, faults and all.
For me this was a
chance-buy for a quid from a charity shop the week before Christmas and there
is something very right about a horror story at this time of year so I’m happy
to have read it but its not a keeper by any means.
In truth I’m not
that big a fan of the Hammer horror films anymore. The blood n boobs, was a bit of a rights
of passage on late night TV in my formative years but they no longer retain
a cosy nostalgic allure for me as they do for some.
If someone wants to
do another Quatermass story or even a sequel to Moon Zero Two
then I would be down with that but I’m guessing that is never going to happen.
In the meantime, I’ll find a suitable recipient for Hell Train because the
right person is going to love it.
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