So I'm changing my final score on this novel from a solid 3 to a generous 4 stars, because the book was JUST THAT UNPREDICTABLE.

That's an odd thing to say as a re-read, no? It's truly remarkable how, even upon a second go, this novel managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, constantly guessing what would happen next.

There's lots of places where the novel easily deserves a 5 star, just on reflection, alone. And since this came out nearly 30 years ago I'm not going to fuss too much over spoilers.

Do You Like Chess? Then this novel is for you. It's like a complex game of chess, with the characters as the pieces, constantly moving and strategizing.

Do you like mind-vampires that look, feel, and act like Donald Trump, Conservative Religious Nutsos, Concentration Camp Masters, or quiet, unassuming matrons who take on entire inner-city gangs? Then this novel is for you. The diverse cast of characters is one of the book's greatest strengths, each with their own unique personalities and motives.

Do you also like long and rambling adventures populated by normal folk caught up in the nightmare of marionettes, either trying to escape the nightmare or get revenge for the things that had been done to them? As in Full-Blown Epic-Length rambling and character-development-through-action for almost 900 pages, with a nearly uncountable number of reversals, sad deaths, and improbable successes? Then this novel is for you. The story is a wild ride, full of twists and turns that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Honestly, I never had any issues with anything in particular. This was a pretty epic horror novel filled with tons of mind-jumping, mind and body controlling, and history. The focus on the details is what made it pretty damn awesome, but that's what horror is all about.

If I were to put my issue into words, I'd still have a hard time, because its faults were also its strengths. It was unpredictable. While this made the story exciting, it also meant that some of the plot developments felt a bit forced or contrived.

I can't say I liked most of the characters, and it was really hard to actually enjoy being in the minds of the baddies, but Melanie was a real treat. Saul, more than anyone, was complex and multifaceted and sits in my mind, as back when I first read this when it was new, as the quintessential portrait of a nazi-hunter/vampire-hunter. Hell, I've been judging all other novels with the trope by this gold standard ever since.

I'm glad I re-read this, but my god it was long. There was so much, by my older and jaded eyes, that I think could have been cut right the hell out, but it was a horror novel first and foremost, and having a long build-up before the missiles come and destroy the island (or whatever) is still what we seek in the style.

If you want a very long and interesting ride, a near perfect diversion with lots of sex, horror, and a cast of baddies with zero moral fortitude and the undercurrent that they *might* get what's coming to them, then I really recommend this novel. :)

"If everyone could understand the working of a psychopath's mind, we undoubtedly would be closer to insanity ourselves."

Carrion Comfort delves deep into the lives of a select few who possess an extraordinary and terrifying power they term the "Ability". This power allows them to usurp someone's mind, exert complete control, and even compel them to carry out heinous acts like murder. It is suggested that this Ability has lurked in the shadows for years, with ties to historical atrocities such as the Holocaust and random individual killings. A small band of individuals unite with the noble intention of halting the malevolent actions of those responsible for these abhorrent deeds.

To begin with, this book is truly massive. My copy boasted nearly 800 pages, and the font was minuscule. I'm no stranger to hefty tomes, being a Stephen King enthusiast, but this one seemed especially drawn-out. Perhaps it was due to the story's often weighty and depressing nature, lacking any comedic relief or light-hearted moments. Nevertheless, it was a remarkable book, meticulously crafted with engaging characters. Saul, Natalie, and Rob Gentry were all strong protagonists, and highly likable. In contrast, the "mind vampires" in the novel were repulsive, despicable, and truly evil. I've never come across such loathsome characters in all my reading experiences. There was nothing redeemable about any of them!

The book itself was spine-chilling in parts. It had several creepy, tense moments and truly horrifying characters. The very idea that these individuals could manipulate your mind and actions from a distance is simply terrifying. The thought of being used to commit someone else's atrocious acts is indeed hair-raising. One aspect I must compliment is that this book is highly unpredictable. I never saw any of the twists and turns coming; it continuously surprised me.

However, a complaint I have is that the book did feel overly long. One wonders if Simmons didn't employ an editor. This doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the book, but it could have benefited from some serious pruning. I particularly don't relish "action" scenes where people are constantly on the run and hiding in various locations. This sort of thing works well on the big screen but can be difficult to follow when reading.

It's a complex book to rate as some parts were worthy of 5 stars while others felt more like 3 stars. Therefore, I believe an average of 4 stars is most appropriate. I highly recommend it, but it's not for the faint of heart or those who are easily offended or averse to gore and violence.

FINISHED. What an amazing ending it was! It took me quite some time to complete reading this book, but I firmly believe it was completely worth the effort. Mr. Simmons, I am eagerly looking forward to reading your other works. He has an extraordinary talent for creating a vivid movie-like experience in your mind and making you fully immersed in the plot and the characters. You find yourself cheering for the good guys, booing the bad guys, and even feeling a bit squeamish at the uncomfortable, ahem, scenes.

This story is set in the 80s, and it涵盖了各种元素 such as racism, political turmoil, the police, gangs, film industry corruption, and wall street devils. Everything comes into play, and all of it is tied to these vampires who have the ability to control humans. Those with the Ability have influenced historical events throughout history. I truly think this is a very scary concept - having absolutely no control over your mind or body at the whim of someone else.

The character development in this book was extremely thorough, and nothing was left to chance in the end. A sheriff, a psychiatrist, and a photographer set out on a mission to catch the undetectable and uncatchable....

In my opinion, I didn't view this book so much as a horror but rather as a thrilling adventure. Nevertheless, it was still very well written.

Dan Simmons' "Children of the Night" is an amazing read. It's astonishing that this was his second novel. Make no mistake, it's a true doorstop, but one that grabs you and won't let go. "CC" is a very complex novel, with multiple POVs and a web of storylines that reminded me of Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon". It, along with other novels like "Fevre Dream", "The Light at the End", and "They Thirst", revolutionized the vampire genre in the 1980s, each in its own way.

Simmons creates a new type of vampire, perhaps best called'mind vampires'. They 'feed' by controlling others, giving them physical strength and a longer lifespan. The story focuses on three powerful mind vampires - Nina, Willi, and Melanie - who have an annual 'game' where they use people horribly, often to their death. Nina is excited about her role in John Lennon's death in NYC. Willi lives in LA as a B-movie mogul, and Melanie is retired. They met around WWI and had many adventures in Europe before WWII. Willi became involved with the Nazis and met Saul, a young Polish Jew, in a concentration camp.

In 1980 Charleston, the three mind vampires have a falling out. Nina tries to kill Melanie and Willi, but ends up dead herself. The local police are clueless about the rampage that left 10 bodies. The aftermath brings together several protagonists, including Natalie, Saul, and Gentry. Saul reveals his experiences with Willi during WWII and his mission for revenge. Meanwhile, we're introduced to a cabal of other mind vampires, powerful Americans involved in nefarious dealings, including the election of Reagan.

The plot is long and complex, keeping you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Simmons blends thriller and horror elements to satisfy fans of both genres. He creates a cast of beautifully flawed characters driven by revenge or power. Despite the many characters and POVs, the novel is easy to follow. However, it does have some triggers that may put some people off, such as racist language and rape scenes. But these elements also help to flesh out the main characters. If you're a Dan Simmons fan, do yourself a favor and read this novel. It truly deserves 5 stars!

Mind-penetrating psi vampires haunt humankind. In the same year Simmons´ ingenious sci-fi fantasy milestone Hyperion was published, it revolutionized the horror genre in a similar way.

King said that Simmons writes like a God and that he is a bit envious. What could exceed this quote? There are only a few authors who combine the fortunate mix of hard work, lifelong perfecting of their writing, and talent. Simmons is in a league that I find only a few can come close to. There may be authors in one genre who are as good or, regarding worldbuilding but not characterization, better. However, nobody writes works of such high quality in different genres. Sci-Fi is completely my thing, and I can name very few works as great as Hyperion. The same goes for horror.

What's especially impressive is how it immediately blows you away, never gets boring for a second, its complexity is never confusing, the characters´ motivations are logical, and everything slowly escalates to amazing plot points. Most of his novels are thick, often with more than two or three perspectives, time- and plotlines.

There is often very little action, few cliffhangers, and nothing one is used to in modern writing to boost, accelerate, and distract from characterization, plotting, and logical flaws and errors. Simmons uses pure characterization and a complex, interwoven net of protagonists and antagonists to lead the long novel to a culmination of epic proportion.

It's a shame that I'm too lazy to investigate which classic elements and tales inspired Simmons in his works. His epic sci-fi novels are filled with innuendos and connotations to famous ancient works or interpretations of these. Readers of the classics, mythologies, and history might find goldmines that I'm blind to because of a lack of special knowledge.

This is one of the cases where I absolutely don't understand why people don't like it. In other cases, there are elements that make it completely understandable that one can't deal with too sciency, too charactery, too world buildy, or too whatever elements. But this has everything. It's the beginning of the career of one of the most talented and underrated writers of the 20th century.

So amazingly many pictures of this and Simmons´ other horror novel, Summer of night, which feels like a reinterpretation of Stephen Kings´ It, stay in my mind. This is always a sure sign that the quality of the stuff is so high that it permanently blows your mind away and leaves you, exhausted but very happy, afterward.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

Maybe hearing that the book was a masterpiece for more than a decade set the bar too high for this novel. I also think the blurb comparing it to ‘The Stand’ on the cover also hurt my reaction to this novel. I mean, besides the massive number of pages, I can't see another thing about Carrion Comfort that makes it at all like the Stand.

This novel is amazing in many ways. Simmons is a brilliant writer, and this novel does brilliant things. He expands the vampire concept away from blood to the mind, thus exploring several deep issues ranging from violence, cruelty to what makes a person evil. What gives them a hunger for violence?

The novel has an epic scope, starting on the bottom of a mass grave outside a Nazi concentration camp and going as far as an island in the early '80s that has become a vacation spot for the world's most powerful. We follow Saul, a Holocaust survivor who has never lost his desire to find the Oberst, a Nazi so evil he seemed to enter the minds of his victims.

Once Saul looks into this man, he uncovers a conspiracy of powerful psychics who play with victims by controlling their minds. The concept is powerful, vampires who stay young by feeding off the violence between others. They enter your mind and control people, using them as pawns. The psychic vampire concept is well executed in several very suspenseful moments in this novel.

The novel is well written, but that is not a surprise coming from Dan Simmons, who is one of the best and most imaginative writers working in and out of the genre. The major characters are well done, and the book is excellently plotted. However, I don’t think it is as strong a novel as Song of Kali or Hyperion.

One of my biggest problems with the novel comes in the climax when the pawn concept goes beyond analogy and Simmons devotes almost 20 pages to a mind-numbing chess battle. It is a pet peeve of mine. I hate gambling parts in Bond movies, and in this novel, the Chess showdown put me to sleep.

There are a lot of impressive things in this novel. I gave it three stars and not five for a couple of reasons. The entire violent showdown in Philadelphia seemed like an unnecessary distraction from the main plot. The dialogue of the block gang members sounded like the jive-talkers in the movie Airplane. I have a hard time believing that in 1980, gang members really said "honky" that much. It's a little thing, but it annoyed me. The suggestion during the epilogue and the near apocalypse that is avoided sounded far more interesting to me than the last 400 pages we ended up with in this novel. That and the long chess showdown really hurt my opinion of the book.

One glance of the wear on the spine of my copy of Carrion Comfort would be enough to tell this is a must-read.

In fact, I would upload a picture of it, but yet another of my friends is currently reading it. One of my friends read it three times, and another wants it back again.

It's a toss-up between this novel and Silence of the Lambs as my favorite novel of all time.

This novel is huge, over 900 pages, and dates back from Nazi Germany to present day. In a nutshell, it's about a small group of people with the ability to completely control the actions of people using telekinesis.

For those who have read the novel, this little tidbit will interest you: I saw an interview with Dan Simmons, and the inspiration for this story came from a dream he had of an old woman in a nightgown being pursued through a forest by a helicopter.

It's amazing how this story grew from that simple dream. I can't recommend this highly enough. Read it!!

You will be captivated by the complex characters, the thrilling plot, and the unique concept. It's a novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

What is this, exactly? Is it an apocalyptic novel? Well, it's not precisely about the end of the world as we know it. Instead, it delves into The Holocaust, so you could argue that it's about the end of that (previous) world, a world that still has to be reckoned with.

Stephen King himself lauded it as "One of the top three horror novels of the twentieth century." Without delving too deeply into the implications of that comment, you can easily understand why he would say such a thing.

Spanning 884 pages, beginning with a prologue set in the death camps, Simmons showcases a breathtaking breadth and depth of knowledge. He presents a whole-world canvas upon which he unfolds his "mind vampires" concept. These mind vampires violate the will of others, find it delectable, and can manipulate people like puppets.

With parallels to William S. Burroughs' "control addict" concept (they're "hooked" on the "fun" and "challenge" of tasting the inner cores of other human beings) and Philip K. Dick's "pre-cogs" idea (which includes the consideration of limitations to those extra abilities, such as the possibility of a "minority report" occurring), Simmons weaves a precise and thorough storyline that reads like John Gregory Dunne's nonfiction. One不禁 wonders, how on earth does this guy know all this stuff?

The day-to-day life of L.A. film producers in the '80s? How members of the Mossad and the CIA conduct themselves professionally and how they differ ethically in their approach to business? How the pecking order and respect within Germantown street gangs in Philadelphia operate in terms of power, on the streets, and among the locals?

Holy shit! It's a wake-up call that will rattle your brain and challenge your perception of what's possible in the world, by exaggerating only a little bit beyond what you might previously have thought was feasible.

Wow.

This was an extremely good story.

I have noticed that many people encounter difficulties when getting into it. Admittedly, it has a slow start. However, in my personal opinion, it is well worth persevering.

Any story that features a Nazi War criminal in the central villain role is typically interesting.

My favorite part throughout the entire story takes place near the end.

The scene between Saul Laski and Wilhelm Von Borchert after the final Chess match is truly remarkable.

That internal silent battle of wills was nothing short of great.

It added a layer of depth and intensity to the story that made it even more engaging and captivating.

Overall, despite its slow beginning, this story managed to draw me in and keep me hooked until the very end.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written and thought-provoking narrative.

I really wanted to have a greater liking for this than I actually did.

It was indeed interesting, and there were most definitely some extremely unsettling moments that had the power to send shivers down one's spine.

However, for some reason, I just wasn't fully feeling it.

I think perhaps I simply wasn't in the right mood to engage with such a massive book.

I have a great love for Summer of Night, though.

So, without a doubt, I'll be reading more of Simmons' works in the future.

This particular book was just a bit of a disappointment for me.

Maybe another time, with a different mindset, I'll be able to appreciate it more fully.

I first want to express my sincere gratitude to my pal Dustin for recommending this novel (which is more like a brick of a book) to me. I think it was precisely as he described it. Thanks again, bub!

Carrion Comfort

This was an incredibly complex read, filled with time traveling, time bending, vamperific, and violent elements. Thank goodness I listened to the audio version. This is my first encounter with Dan Simmons' work, and after everything is said and done, I believe I would definitely pick up more of his books. He is extremely well-read, and it seems that he really delves into the details of his stories. This book is a prime example of that.

Simmons takes us on a deep dive into the world of diverse and unique characters. Some of them, the reader will love, while others, they will simply detest. First and perhaps the most important of all are Saul and Natalie. Saul is a psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust in World War 2 and is now trying to move on with his life. Natalie, on the other hand, is a photographer whose father was murdered, and she is determined to seek revenge. These two form the tried and true dream team in this novel, working together to find the answers to the questions that have been causing them so much mental and physical harm.

Now, let's shift our focus to the other side of the tracks, where "The Ability" is being used. We are introduced to Melanie Fuller and Nina Drayton, two of the meanest bitches you're likely to come across. They, along with Willi Borden, aka Wilhelm Von Borchert, a Nazi who later poses as a Hollywood producer and also has "The Ability", are unstoppable. The ability they possess is a psychic one that not only allows them to read your thoughts and control you but also enables them to suck the life out of you as they do so. One might even call them "Mind Vampires".

Next, let's leave those three and give you the opportunity to meet "The Island Club". This club has quite a few members, all of whom also have "The Ability", and these folks are almost as bad as the previous three. First, there's C. Arnold Barent, an extremely rich individual who owns islands and has mastered the use of the ability. He is not one to be trifled with, as his power is close to that of Mr. Borchert. Then there are Colbern and Keplar, FBI agents with the ability who play crucial roles in this chaos. Third and fourth are Trask, a senior aide to the senator of Maine, and of course, we can't forget good old Reverend Jimmy Wayne Sutter, a televangelist who uses the ability to get rich beyond his wildest dreams.

There you have it, "The Island Club", a group of mean and powerful people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. But wait, I almost forgot someone. Have you ever met that one character in a book that you just loathe? The character that you wish would meet a terrible and obscene death? Well, that's Tony Harrod for you. He is lower than low, the scum on the bottom of our shoes. Tony also has the ability, but (and it's a big but) he can only control women. You can just imagine what this sicko-perv does with his candidates. Tony is a film producer in Hollywood, and according to what television and cinema have taught us, he only knows a couple of ways for a lady to "get the part". Throughout the novel, the reader will be itching to do very bad things to this guy, but don't get too angry just yet. Wait until the end, and you won't be disappointed. Can anyone say schadenfreude?

Okay, but seriously, let's get back to it. With all the mind vampires and the controlling of drones that will do people's bidding.

So, if you're into a horror novel that is constantly filled with blood, guts, and gore, this may not be the book for you. That's not to say that it didn't have bloody parts or scenes that would make you want to wretch (in all senses). It just wasn't your typical horror novel. I think that's probably why I enjoyed it so much. Simmons can be very descriptive when he wants to be, and he can also delve into historical descriptions. So much so that you might want to have a German to English dictionary handy before reading this.

There was a lot of character growth in Carrion Comfort, mainly with Saul and Natalie. Natalie befriends Sheriff Gentry from the same town as Melanie Fuller, and he soon becomes smitten with our protagonist pal, which leads to... well, I won't spoil it for you. Saul, on the other hand, is my absolute favorite. His character development alone is worth reading this book. He's that quiet and tame person whom you would never think of as being badass (or stocked to the gills with every high-grade weaponry that even the military would say, "maybe we should leave him alone"). He's just a simple teacher who has been pushed too far by his oppressors.

Lastly, I want to comment on the mind control aspect of this story. I think this is the one part that really freaked me out - the "mind controlling". Borchert is that sick and weirdo from Nazi Germany who is filled with pure poison. He's no good, and he can make you do things, awful things. On several occasions in the novel, there are times when he literally uses people as chess pieces in his live-action chess game. It's sick, it's twisted, but it's also strangely intriguing.

I don't know if I've done this book justice here, but what I do know is that listening to this audio book was a fantastic experience (even though it was a little on the long side, and there were times when the reader lost track of what time period they were in). I would highly recommend this to those of you who enjoy vampire tales, because this one is truly one of a kind.

This book! *Covers eyes* Oh my god! I'm truly at a loss for words when it comes to expressing my feelings about it. Dan Simmons is undeniably a remarkable writer, but his imagination is downright terrifying! The content in this book is simply CRAZY! I found myself constantly in a state of disbelief as I turned the pages. There were times when I didn't even dare to wonder where the story was headed.

Despite the horrific plot, Simmons excels in one aspect - character building and backstory. Natalie and Saul are so well-developed that they seem like real individuals, and you can't help but become deeply invested in their lives. This makes what happens to them all the more difficult to bear.

Especially Saul. Saul is perhaps one of my favorite protagonists in any story. He is a survivor against the most oppressive and terrifying odds, and his determination is truly inspiring.

Honorable mention goes to Rob Gentry. I absolutely love Rob. He is a true hero, and his presence adds depth and excitement to the story.

However, this story wouldn't be complete without the anti-heroes - the enemies - the villains. The soul-sucking Users in Carrion Comfort are some of the most merciless, self-serving, cruel, and disgusting villains I've ever encountered in any book.

I enjoyed most of the book, but I must admit that at times, it went a bit too far. I docked it a whole star for being overly long (I could easily have shaved off at least a couple of hundred pages) and for some unnecessary roughness. Mainly, I got tired of my sensitivities being offended, which probably wouldn't have happened if this were a shorter book.

Anyhow, four stars is still four stars, and this is a worthy horror novel. I'm glad it's over. Hahah.