A truly uniquely fantastic book. Simmons dramatizes a true historical event and makes a number of sailors' struggle towards an inevitable end over a course of seemingly way, way too many pages into a story that nothing short of mesmerizes! I've seen a few reviewers that has stated that the story could have been told in its entirety in a much shorter book but, while this is true, when the long result is this good, why would you wish for that?

There is not really much I can say about the story without spoiling a lot, but I can tell that I think the irresistibility lies very much in the fantastic characterization and in the inherit fascination about what motivated people of the time to expose themselves to such risks and extreme hardships as an arctic expedition meant. The abuse and horrors bestowed on the cast of this novel is way beyond my comprehension and a constant source of the needing to know more and to follow through on the story told.

I read this through a very stressful time at work and, instead of giving me a hard time on focusing on a demanding book, this really was helpful in disconnecting me and offering moments of relaxation. Reading it with my super-buddy Edward Lorn was also a great privilege, please read his review he said it, not surprisingly, better.

Dan Simmons nos ofrece un relato de ficción basado en la fallida expedición de los buques de la Royal Navy HMS Terror y HMS Erebus, en busca del llamado paso del Noroeste, en la Antártida, entre los años 1845 y 1848. Esta expedición fracasó en su empeño, y de los barcos nunca más se supo. Por supuesto no hubo supervivientes, y desaparecieron 129 almas. Recientemente la marina Canadiense ha encontrado los restos del Terror, y parece ser que también los del Erebus, a unos 100 kms de donde se suponían que habían quedado encallados.

La novela, de casi 800 páginas, me ha parecido magnífica, aunque yo no la consideraría de terror, (el nombre del barco se aprovecha para el título). Es una historia de aventuras, de desgracias sin cuento, de desesperanza, de traición, de supervivencia, y sobre todo, de mucho, mucho, mucho frío.

AMC acaba de estrenar la serie basada en esta novela, con Jared Harris y Ciarán Hinds de protagonistas. Veremos si está a la altura.

Dan Simmons’s 2007 epic horror novel, The Terror, is the finest work of his I’ve yet read. A historical fiction, this long story documents the failed 1845 Franklin Expedition.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a horror novel of this stature. I’ve read a lot of short, grisly stuff lately, so it was nice to kick back with something by Simmons: he who is known for painstakingly detailed, complex narratives. This one challenged me — especially some bits toward the end — and I liked that.

Told in alternating perspectives from several crew members on the two icebound ships, the pace never really relents and Simmons is able to keep the story interesting. I always wanted to know what happened next. And, without my realizing, a large and complex world had been created, one filled with men I truly cared about and wanted to see live . . . but we all know how the Franklin Expedition went. Part of the horror in this novel comes from the inevitable: we know these men will die; it’s a matter of timing and circumstance. Simmons handles his large cast of characters with a deft, skilled hand, and he makes each death meaningful, heartbreaking.

I was afraid I wouldn’t like The Terror; I thought I might get bogged down or bored. But I didn’t. I really enjoyed myself! And now I can’t wait for the television adaptation.

n  "Why does our species always have to take our full measure of God-given misery and terror and mortality and then make it worse?"n

The Terror by Dan Simmons. A fantastic and quite frankly breathtaking feat of writing that takes the historical events of the ill-fated Franklin expedition into the Arctic and adds a unique horror spin. The amount of research that must have went into this one is staggering.

But how does it actually read? Well I've read three books by Dan Simmons so far and they have all been comfortable five star reads. He is without doubt a consummate story teller and up there alongside the very best in the business. I'm talking Robert McCammon and Stephen King. This one however is the pick of the bunch. For such a huge novel, it moves very well. Definitely a lot better than the HMS Terror from which this book takes it's name.

Theres some fantastic characters on show in this one and the turn of events are truly harrowing as the limits of human endeavour are pushed to the very limit. Each character is very realistic, likeable yet fantastically flawed or just downright nasty pieces of work. All are placed in the most dire of circumstances and we get to see just how human they actually are. The reader is constantly pondering what the true horror is in this one. Is it the supernatural, the harsh environment our heroes find themselves in or each other.



n  "Francis Crozier believes in nothing. Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. It has no plan, no point, no hidden mysteries that make up for the oh-so-obvious miseries and banalities."n

The way Simmons packages and presents this story is fantastic with a narrative stream, mixed with journal and diary entries. Word of warning though. The timeline jumps about a bit at the beginning so remember to check them dates. The story is initially slow-moving, with many scenes heavy on exposition and detail. But this all helps to build the picture and tension, while heightening the realism. If you can hang in there you reap the reward as the story unfolds.

All in all I was left in awe of this one and it's going down as the number one horror novel I've tackled in 2020. Dan Simmons, take a bow. Not to be confused with the bow of a ship...I'm now fully informed of all those nautical terms. So I've gained an education to boot!

To: Mr. Dan Simmons
From: Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd.
Subject: Your Recent Submission The Terror

Thank you for your recent submission. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not see a fit between your product and our company's goals.

Although our senior staff appreciated your technical ability, we noted several serious issues with your submission that need to be resolved prior to your product finding placement. These include, but are not limited to:

1. Extensive and Excessive Length. A common error made by both the reading public and the writing community is that the modern novel must exceed 700 plus pages. The success of the Harry Potter series has only contributed to this misunderstanding. What many fail to understand is that this is simply the result of spacing and font size; the truth of the matter is that novels like those written by Ms. Rowling are no larger than any given novel by Beatrix Potter. Despite the fixation on what are basically large-print serials, our focus groups more frequently maintain that "The Shorter, The Better" - particularly given their short attention spans and addiction to pop culture media e.g. Us Magazine, Jersey Shore, Charlie Sheen, and the like.

2. Lack of Genre. Your product appears to include traits from the Historical Novel, the Horror Novel (specifically its subset, the Monster Novel), and the Metaphysical Odyssey. Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd. products must strictly adhere to our "One Novel, One Genre" company philosophy. The general reading public is a busy public, and have no time for the perplexing muddiness of genre mixing-and-matching.

3. (a) Lack of Traditional Romance;
(b) Negative AND Positive Depictions of Homosexual Activity;
(c) Interracial Sexuality Not Resulting in Punishment and/or Death of Non-White Character by Novel's End.

Please understand that our editorial staff has no personal issues with any of the above-noted items (in fact, our marketing department actively supports the targeting of the lucrative Gay/Homosexual demographic within our Ghettoized Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd. subset label). However, the presence of all three alternative lifestyle choices/options within a single novel - one intended for mainstream consumption - can only yield confused, 'buy-shy' reactions from our reading public.

4. (a) Lack of Resolution. Your novel does not have a solid ending. It only offers questions, not answers. Additionally, the "dreamlike tone" of the final pages were off-puttingly "poetic" "ambiguous" and "transcendent"... three adjectives that our focus groups vehemently reject when considering reading options. this Lack of Resolution would not necessarily be problematic if your submission was intended to be the first in a multi-novel saga; however it is quite clear from your ending that another issue is
(b) Lack of Potential for Sequel or Series.

5. Too Many Details. oh, and 6. Too Many Big Words.

We sincerely thank you for your time/effort.

Signed,

An Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd. Representative

"The Terror" really came close to that 5-star rating. However the last 75 pages or so were so out of character with the rest of the book, they really seemed like they didn't belong. "The Terror" is 90% historical fiction and 10% horror. The historical part is much more terrifying than the horror part. Simmons obviously did a lot of research on 19th century Arctic exploration in general and Franklin's Lost Expedition in particular. He fleshes out what little is known about the fate of the Erebus and the Terror with some really great details. He captures the sights, smells and sounds of life on ships trapped in pack ice. I felt the cold as I was reading. The little details are absolutely fabulous. I think Simmons would have been well advised to write a novel that was strictly historical and leave the horror out. In the grand scheme of things, the monster was superfluous. The mythological ending was unnecessary and confusing. Despite it's flaws, "The Terror" was a really good book that will stick with me for years to come.

In 1845 Sir John Franklin lead an exhibition of two big ships and crews in search of the Arctic's fabled North West Passage - this splendidly created and surprisingly subversively horrific book is Dan Simmons' very detailed, and very believable, fictionalised version of what happened to the 129 men of this expedition; and it's a doozy of a story, another epic Simmons' piece of work. The killer thing is though, if you read about what has since been found from the Arctic and the wrecks, nearly all of Simmons' story is based on actual facts! 8.5 out of 12, frosty Four Stars.

And just to add... this is easily one of the most informative and interesting historical fiction books I have ever read! (It's the horror content that stops this getting Five Stars!)

2019 read

Dan Simmons is an amazing author. He has the remarkable ability to write superb stories in different genres. Simmon's "Hyperion" series stands as a seminal work of sci-fi, yet his horror novels are of a similar quality. This is quite a feat of creativity.

I saw GR readers and some GR friends who liked this book and I was happy when my copy came into my bookstore. Generally, I won't buy a book unread but Simmon's works have never disappointed me before. "The Terror" did not disappoint. Yet, as I started reading within a few chapters I had the nagging suspicion that I found these events familiar (I entered the book knowing nothing about it and assumed the title had to do with fear). Then it struck me! This is the Franklin Expedition of 1845.

Simmons did something truly remarkable- using the diaries and notes of the crew and the research of three historical books on this doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage, Simmons writes a historical fiction novel that takes us into a detailed story of the expedition, the vast majority of the tale is true, with the horror aspects also worked into the story. This is the reason I have this both as a historical fiction and as a horror novel. In fact, the monster aside, the vast majority of the events and the characters are firmly rooted in real events. Thus, let us look at the actual historical events of the "Lost Expedition".

During the 1800s the British Empire was looking for a North West passage over the top of Canada, towards the North Pole, to find a way to reach the Pacific Ocean. One such expedition was launched in 1845 with the H.M.S. Erebus and the H.M.S. Terror (the novel's title). Sadly this expedition was plagued by a combination of stupidity, sheer incompetence, and an excess of hubris. From underestimating the ice flow to bringing lead-lined cans that spoiled and gave them lead poisoning, to ignoring the notes of previous explorers, to hostile relations with the Esquimaux peoples, it all went wrong. Both ships were trapped in the ice for a year and then after the death of the Expedition leader, Captain Franklin, it's his second-in-command, Francis Crozier, and the Captain of the H.M.S. Erebus, James Fitzjames, who must try to lead the remaining men back to mainland Canada for rescue. The entire crew of the expedition disappeared. In 2014 researchers found the wrecks of the Terror and the Erebus, as well as recovered the notes and belongings of the crew at the various sites.

This is the history of the expedition and it is also the story of the book. It is a story of stupidity, madness, murder, and cannibalism. What Simmons did was also include an Esquimaux legend of a wendigo-like creature that is also preying on the crew. Perhaps, in real life, this was the maddened ravings of crew members on lead poisoning or if it was a polar bear they were dealing with, the novel details the expedition's real-life horrors interspersed with a wendigo-like monster also killing members of the crew.


This truly unique mixture of historical events with horror makes for an entertaining read. As an explanation of the doomed expedition, this works very well as it is heavily influenced by real events. However, the horror elements fit nicely into the story. This is quite an accomplishment in storytelling showing detailed research coupled with an amazing imagination.

Бях малко скептично настроена към "Ужас", но книгата успя да прикове вниманието ми. Началото ми беше малко тегаво и мудно, но после...после историята се разви изключително наситено. Това е направо чудовищен роман, написан увлекателно и с дълбочина. Изпипан е и до най- малките детайли.
След прочита на " Глад" на Алма Катсу, много хора ме насочиха към " Ужас" на Дан Симънс, че трябва обезателно да я прочета. Чудех се защо ли двете книги са някак взаимосвързани, като става въпрос за съвсем различни истории. Е, след като започнах да чета " Ужас", разбрах:

1- и двата романа са художествени интерпретации на реални исторически събития. Присъства и свръхестествен елемент.

2- и в двете книги ледът е сковал душите и телата на персонажите.

3- и в двата романа, хората са в безизходица, заклещени насред нищото.

4- глад и канибализъм се просмукват между редовете на двете книги.

5- трагедиите, описани и в двете истории се развиват в близък времеви интервал ( 1845- 1848г).

При все че двете събития са различни в същността си, между тях има и много общо, а трагедиите, които се случват, са следствие от непредвидени обстоятелства, пропуски в планирането и недостатъчно добро предвиждане на рисковете.

Открояват се герои, които в борбата да оцелеят на всяка цена, се превръщат в чудовища, и такива, които запазват своите принципи и доблест, дори това да им коства живота. Любимите ми персонажи са капитан
Крозиър, Д-р Гудсър,  лейтенант Ървинг и винаги позитивният Бланки. Всички те проявяват такива качества, които будят в мен възхищение. Класацията за най- отвратителен персонаж се води от мерзавецът Хики. Той е звяр в човешка кожа. Толкова долно същество рядко се среща. А неговата дружинка е просто една отчаяна заблудена пасмина. Редом до Хики по отвратителност нареждам и Ужас-овският Юда, Голдинг- абсолютен долнопробен продажник.
Да, героите, които Дан Симънс изгражда са изключително правдоподобни, убедителни и пълнокръвни. Толкова са истински, че няма как да останеш безпристрастен или безразличен.
Освен всичко, книгата съдържа разнообразни елементи, сред които за кратко се мярка и еротика ☺️. Дан Симънс се е справил прекрасно дори с описването на еротични сцени насред целия този ужас ( за препратка- глава 16 Крозиър. Към края на книгата също има ☺️).

В линковете по- долу са описани факти от реалните събития, както и информация кога и как са открити потъналите в леда кораби " Терор" и "Еребус". Видях, че има и сериал по книгата, който бих се радвала да изгледам.

https://hicomm.bg/feature/razkritata-...

https://ureport.bg/130402/2016/09/14/...

https://m.webcafe.bg/article/866295443

Атмосферата е тягостна и гибелна, а това се усеща осезаемо от страниците на " Ужас". Има голям контраст между силното чувство за обреченост и нечовешкия хъс за оцеляване. Хората казват, че "надеждата умира последна". Именно този пламък остава да гори и в " Ужас", докато ледените ветрове не го поглъщат изцяло. Благодарение на огромните усилия, които е положил Дан Симънс, за да направи проучвания, свързани с експедицията, се е получила страхотна книга, написана автентично и с вещина.
Едно голямо БРАВО!

A perfect book for the hot weather as it's -50 set in Antarctica circle near Baffin Island & on King William Land in 1845-1848 in locked ships The Terror & The Erebus this has been made into AMC TV series From Sir Ridley Scott of Alien fame .
Set in between 1843-48 this book about two ships locked in the ice & it's also about man's fight with the cold but worse still there is something in the dark hunting them, something from old times pure evil.
What makes this so good is the descriptions 'His pale , lumpy face & stubbled jowls remind Crozier of a rotten white peeled potato stuffed under a Welsh wig' p57 if that doesn't sum up fantastic image I don't know what does .He has all craft of Dickens.
Made into a Ten part TV series
This book is difficult to explain it has the haunting atmosphere of John Carpenter's The Fog with its unexpected ghostly eeriness & The Monkey's Paw twists it is really Bloody horrible in parts .The things people will eat when you are starving .Even Polar bears but not as book says their liver as it's deadly; I have heard that before .But even eating shoes or boiled Leather but worst of all each other.
If want book that give the willies this it. The most interesting person is Lady Silence the Eskimo with no tongue she is classed by the crew as a witch & a Johan because the all the trouble starts is the day she arrives she is young erotic sexual haunting & mystic .She gives the story an extra twist.
This the paperback version with TV cover & is more pages 936 & really good print .Also the map at front of this book helps to make it easier to read because see where they are.
I had relies that the ordinary Sailor of low ranks are £60 a year,the Carpenter's £70 & Skilled Blacksmiths & the engineers at £80 over per years over 3-4 that's huge amount & it's puree profit as it's full board & lodgings as they are on the ships. Wow ! in 1840s is hell of a wage no wonder they went & then all the huge amounts of food, coal & ships were hell did get all that money they must been very very rich into it would. be like Richard Branson doing a Virgin tour.
An erotic love flashback also to brake up the ice .This what makes this book so good it's not just the The Leviathan but it also has other thinks in it like the disgusting Opium Wars in China which lot of people may not know was not about stopping Opium been sold but selling it. The British wanted Chinese Tea but to buy tea we need something to Trade with but the Chinese had Gunpowder, silks,spices & lot more but only thing we had to Trade was Opium but when The Emperor saw what did to his people he tried to ban it so we went to war over Tea & selling Opium to make people into druggies .We won
.At same time the green tea plants were rare & explores classed as spy's under pain of Death if caught got the rare Tea plants out to India & they created the Black tea thus the East India Tea company was founded. A cup PG tea is founded with the blood of the Chinese Opium druggies. Bet did not know that sad is not that that's what Britain great in the early Victorian times Opium .
This book also talks about Naughty naked swimming & it gives a glims of sex in 1840s .It also talks about religion but most of its the Terror make you wet your self as cold shivers creep down as read & more erotica. An extra even a juice murder
The biggest thing about this book is that it is like Melmoth The Wander, Moby Dick, Poe it has both Lovecraft & other classical fiction influence but is a modern horror like It by. Stephen King, Savage or UK authors such as Shaun Hutson or Kim Newman this the sort of book 20years from now you will remember it its like Lord of the Ring or as said Moby Dick because they are sort of books that stand out also because of it been a historical book it never date even 1000 years from now.
Some books are to good to forget this one of them.
WINNER OF THE TOP LIBRARY BOOK
2018.WINNER OF TOP HISTORICAL BOOK 2018.
THE MOBY. DICK AWARD 2018
TOP HORROR MALE BOOK 2018 TOP BOOK 2018✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳

I honestly don’t know what to say about this incredible story. I cannot imagine what kind of talent stores were tapped and how much research was done to bring this story to life. The genre fluidity worked so well, as did the dialog and narration. Simply outstanding. I would highly recommend the audiobook. 5 stars

*I myself have fallen down a rabbit hole that started with my just considering what combination of life circumstances, bravery, and lunacy would lead a man to board that type of ship for that long a voyage in that kind of weather, and has had me reading lists of crew members, fact checking, looking at maps, and delighting in the stories written just this past August (complete with video) showing images from the interior of HMS Terror, as both ships were just located in quite good condition in 2014 and 2016, and a robotic camera was sent in to look. I know this tragic, thought provoking tale will stay with me.

Naturalistický a drsný remake Cimrmanovho Dobytí Severního pólu

Zhrnutie deja (obsahuje spoilery): Je zima

Moje dojmy (obsahujú zeleninu): Ak sa vám stane, že sa po takmer troch týždňoch mimo Bratislavy vrátite domov a pri pohľade do vyrabovanej chladničky sa rozhodnete skočiť si do mesta na celkové doplnenie zásob a, povedzme si pravdu, i na nejaké tie povianočné výpredaje a kniha, ktorú práve čítate sa vám akosi nezmestí do kabelky, ale vy namiesto toho, aby ste si vzali inú knihu, začnete hľadať inú kabelku, čo sa ukáže byť nie až také jednoduché, ako to znie, pretože jediná kabelka, ktorá dokáže pojmúť toto 700 stranové hebedo s výtlakom 2 kilogramy, je Lidl taška, ale vás neodradí ani hrozba, že vás takto môže nachytať módna polícia alebo bývalá kolegyňa a po pol hodine zmätkovania nakoniec udýchane dobehnete na električku, v ktorej po štyridsiatich minútach zistíte, že ste zabudli peňaženku, mobil a vystúpiť, takže to rovno otočíte domov a tam vyberiete z chladničky mrkvu (alebo špenát, podľa farby ani konzistencie sa to žiaľ už nedá presne určiť) a ako si tak ešte v čižmách sadáte s knihou do kresla, napadne vás, že to celé boli vlastne príjemne strávené dve hodiny... ak sa vám toto stane, tak zaručene viete, že čítate dobrú knihu.