Puppet Master Shocker! Untermenschen Strike Back!

"Well, I don't know what the hell happened. One minute I was master of the universe and the next I was fish bait. It just goes to show that you can't take your position at the top of society for granted." - Mind Vampires Missive

Dan Simmons' novel delves into a captivating theme that deeply resonates with me - the concept of 'dominion'. Dominion occurs when one person forces another to choose between two equally bad options. It's like being held at gunpoint and having to do something that is harmful to you, but less so than getting shot, so you comply. The target of dominion must pick the lesser of two evils, and this choice inevitably serves the interests of the dominator. This process is pervasive in human society if we look closely.

In Simmons' novel, he takes this idea a step further by introducing a rare type of individual who can overwrite your personality and use you as a meat-puppet to carry out their will. As a side effect, if this continues, your personality vanishes forever. The 'mind vampire' villains are masterfully drawn, which is a huge plus for me as a poorly-drawn villain can really turn me off.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. While conceptually brilliant, it falls short in execution. The author's decision to tell the story from multiple points of view across the same time frames means that the same events are seen repeatedly, which can be confusing and often lacks tension as we already know what will happen. Additionally, there is a massive Deus Ex Machina at around 70% that saves the 'good guys' from an impossible situation. I'm not a fan of such devices, and this one seems particularly contrived.

Despite these flaws, the story is a tour-de-force of imaginative power. It makes us question whether we will ever truly understand evil and be able to break free from the yoke of servitude. On a final note, the book contains two male on female rape scenes that I felt were gratuitous and didn't add much to the narrative. Overall, I give this book 4 'Flawed Genius' stars and would recommend it to those who enjoy thought-provoking science fiction.

Carrion Comfort is like a runaway helicopter precariously bolted to a runaway train that is hurtling towards a narrow cliff above a valley of molten lava. This description really emphasizes how fast-paced and intense the story is.

I truly enjoyed the diverse mix and excellent choice of perspectives in the book. They added depth and meaning to the narrative. At one point, my opinion of at least one character shifted quite dramatically, and it was solely due to the chosen perspective, which I thought was a nice touch. I have a weakness for characters who are evil in that cold, indifference-to-human-life kind of way, so I was hooked early on. The descriptions of how the mind vampires use people's minds are fascinating, and how different ones decide or are able to use and condition people and their cat's-paws takes the concept further than I expected. The violence is creative, and the action never lets up. Willi is an outstanding character, regardless of the time period. He has that likeability that is essential for true evil. The introduction to the 20th anniversary edition is also very valuable for aspiring writers.

However, the book could have been slightly shorter in some parts (as many readers will know). But overall, having too much of a good thing is better than having a bit of a bad thing.

After reading four Dan Simmons books, I can say that he still remains near the top of my list. Next on my reading list might be Summer of Night.

This book is truly remarkable.

It is as good as it is long, allowing you to immerse yourself in the story and spend a significant amount of time with the characters.

As you progress through the pages, you can't help but become attached to them, feeling their joys, sorrows, and fears.

What makes this book even more special is its unique twist on horror.

It offers a fresh perspective that keeps you on the edge of your seat, constantly surprised and intrigued.

It's rather strange that this book took such a long time to be published after it was written.

Thankfully for me, all that waiting was done before I was born.

I was able to discover this hidden gem and experience its magic without having to endure the long wait.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good horror story with well-developed characters and a unique plot.

It will leave you with a lasting impression and keep you coming back for more.

The print of this large paperback is extremely small. In fact, I envision that if it were in hardback, it would be so heavy that I wouldn't be able to lift it and read it.

I believe this book, although it is a good read with some truly fantastic and scary parts, could have benefited from a bit more editing.

I must state that some of the characters are truly monstrous. Tony, the producer, is a despicable human being. The arrogant movers and shakers in the secret society have almost no empathy for their fellow humans. However, no one, not even Willi in my opinion, comes close to the monstrosity of the old lady Melanie. The ease with which she ruins lives and uses people is deeply unsettling. Even when she could let things go, she will still return and exact revenge on anyone who dares to disrupt her detailed plans to get what she wants when she wants it.

The most chilling scenes for me were those of Willi's younger years as a Nazi and his forays into the lives of concentration camp prisoners. That human chess game was truly horrifying.

This is a book that I had heard about numerous times, and I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it.

After an incredibly captivating concept, which was one of the best beginnings of any novel I've ever had the pleasure of reading, I unfortunately had to put this one down.

It soon became a tiresome chore, with a tedious plot that made me lose interest halfway through. I found myself thinking that I would much rather pick up a brand new, 400-page novel than continue with this one.

There were simply too many criss-crossing characters, which seemed all too familiar from regular cop thrillers, and 'chase scenes just for the sake of having chase scenes' kind of thing.

I also had an issue with the way the author exaggerated the colloquial speech patterns of the black gang members.

I'm not going to say he was racist, but I do suspect that he may not have had much exposure to urban blacks before (although I could be wrong - feel free to message me if you've read the official or unofficial biography of the author. Even better, if you are the author). The repeated use of the word 'honkey' (again and again) and the fact that only the speech patterns of the black gang members were 'colloquialized' during the book made it stand out in a rather uncomfortable way and made me cringe. In fact, I felt a bit embarrassed.

The concept of the story, the nature of 'using' others, and the cold-bloodedness were truly incredible. However, as the story progressed, the exploration of humankind's use of violence started to fade away, and in its place were rather silly cop scenes.

Despite all this, I still love his writing style. Now, I'm off to look for another Dan Simmons novel, hoping that I'll like it as much as I did The Terror.

Carrion Comfort is an absolute behemoth of a book. My personal copy weighs in at a hefty 800 pages. To give credit where it's due, Mr. Simmons managed to maintain a blistering pace throughout the entire text. There is a great deal to appreciate within the pages of Carrion Comfort. One of its most notable aspects is the premise. In this work, Simmons takes on one of the most renowned horror creatures - the vampire. What sets this apart from nearly all other vampire fiction is his unique approach to the subject.

Carrion Comfort focuses on mind vampires, individuals who have the ability to infiltrate the consciousness of any person and completely control their actions, much like a puppeteer操纵傀儡. The idea of complete control, with no possible mental or physical defense, is indeed a terrifying concept. The opening scene, set in 1942 Chelmno, is truly outstanding. The novel spans across many years and locations, ranging from WW2 Poland and its surroundings to the 1980s USA. The WW2 segments, seen in retrospect, are无疑 the best part of the novel. The obsession with chess that some characters possess couldn't have been utilized in a more effective manner. Simmons presents a scene that is truly horrifying and memorable in its intensity and eeriness.

However, aside from the overall premise and the few WW2 portions, Carrion Comfort is surprisingly lacking in the horror factor. Most of the novel reads more like an 80s thriller, complete with black helicopters, secret agents, explosives, and multiple shootouts, which占据了大部分篇幅. The characters are interesting (especially the elderly Melanie Fuller), but they never reach the level of fascinating that they should in a novel of such scope and ambition. The allusions to real people are a nice touch, adding some realism amidst all the gunfire.

Overall, the book is compulsively readable, but it rarely offers anything truly unseen. Throughout its enormous length, the reader will be bombarded with as much action as they can handle. The frenetic, Hollywood-like action can become a bit tiresome at times, and the true potential of the novel never really materializes. Still, for such a massive tome, it's a surprisingly quick read, much more enjoyable than the plodding Summer of Night. Although, the book certainly could have benefited from being a bit shorter than its 800 pages.

**Title: The Mental Vampires**

**Author: Dan Simmons**

**Reason for Reading: Macabre Letters (Macabre Island 2023)**

**Reading/Re-reading: Reading**

**My Edition: Electronic**

**Rating: 2/5**

This is a clear example where everyone seems to adore this book, but when it came time for me to read it, I liked almost nothing about it.

At first, the premise that a certain group of people were "mental vampires" with the ability to enter people's minds and control them (and at the same time feed on this mental energy) seemed interesting to me, until everything started going downhill too quickly.

The huge and exaggerated gallery of characters is one of the points that most discouraged me. In a very personal opinion, I feel that there is no need to add an infinite number of people to tell a story. The fewer protagonists, the better, because that gives room to focus on the plot and not on trying to remember the identity of more than twenty people.

There is a character named Tony Harod. Basically, this man uses his mental domination power to violate women. He enters the minds of women and subdues them. How many times does Dan Simmons think I have to read about these violations? For the author, multiple times. If the author feels the need to include a rapist in his plot and describe the act, the essence of that character is already established. The rest is to fall into an unnecessary morbidity.

I know there is a group of readers who can read detailed scenes of abuse and that it does not affect the reading. I belong to another group where for me it creates discomfort, it is very unpleasant and also really unnecessary.

Recently, I read "3,096 Days" by Natascha Kampusch (she was kidnapped at 10 years old and managed to escape at 18 years old). This book is non-fiction where Kampusch tells her testimony in the first person. She is a woman who obviously suffered abuse during her captivity, but she does not give details because it is part of her intimacy. Can I read this kind of stories? Yes, because almost no survivor of abuse gives scabrous details. They don't write for morbidity. The motivation is cathartic. That's why for me within fiction, detailed scenes of abuse are not justified because clearly the only motive is morbidity.

Going back to "The Mental Vampires", the plot涵盖了太多元素: Palestine, Israel, the Nazis, concentration camps, energy vampires, a sheriff, the FBI, Mossad, we go to the past, we return to the present, Hollywood, models, a southerner, movies, producers, and an endless number of other elements that when combined really generate boredom.

The lack of credibility within the plot. There will be a character who will tell the fantastic story of the vampires to a woman, and she immediately responds "I believe you" without hesitation. The same character tells the same story to the sheriff and again "I believe you" without hesitation. I don't know how the police are in the USA, but if you tell something like this in my country, the police would start laughing so much that they would end up peeing. But don't worry! In the USA everyone has an open mind (?). There are several incoherencies of this style. Fiction needs coherence since it lacks realism.

The construction of characters is hateful. Sincerely, no character generated interest or sympathy for me. Characters with many contradictions, without a true meaning.

It is a long book, and the reading felt eternal to me. Dan Simmons writes well, but a good editor would have made this book more agile.

Stephen King calling this novel one of the three best horror novels of the 20th century seems to me to be a bad taste joke.

The last 200 pages were truly great!

They were filled with excitement, twists, and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

However, I can't say the same for the first 600 pages.

They seemed to drag on and on, making the book feel overly long.

I really had high hopes for this book to be amazing.

I was期待ing a thrilling and engaging story from start to finish.

But unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.

It was just an overly long thriller that could have been more concise and captivating.

Maybe with some editing and trimming, it could have been a much better read.

As it stands, I'm left feeling a bit disappointed.

Wow.

I can't seem to recall the last instance when I was truly engrossed in a book, flipping through hundreds of pages while literally sitting on the edge of my seat. This particular book is simply amazing.

Simmons' second novel is an absolute masterpiece. It combines elements of horror, suspense, action, and thriller, creating a roller coaster of a story that spans over decades. From the very first page until the final sentence, the story never once lets up on the excitement and tension.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who has an appreciation for great literature. It's extremely challenging for me to discuss the story in detail without giving away too many spoilers. However, I am certain that this book will have a lasting impact on me and will resonate within my heart and mind for years to come.

It's a must-read for all those who seek a thrilling and unforgettable literary experience.

Exhibit C in "Authors Who Doodle" showcases an interesting aspect.

Here, we have an image that might pique the curiosity of many.

In case you're interested, here's exhibit A and exhibit B as well.

Now, let's talk about "Carrion Comfort" by Dan Simmons. This second novel of his has its flaws. It can be faulted for being overly long, needlessly complex, and in dire need of a talented editor. However, despite all that, it still stands as one of the best horror novels of the second half of the 20th century.

The author has crafted a tense tale that delves into mind control and the extremes of human corruption and power. He uses the term "Mind Vampires" for his monsters, but they are far from traditional vampires and, in my opinion, a hundred times more horrifying.

Another strength of Simmons in this 800-page novel is the development of strong protagonists and villains. These are not one-dimensional comic book characters but fully fleshed personalities with believable motivations.

The setting of the story starts in Auschwitz during World War II and mainly takes place in the early 80s. Simmons enhances the believability by referencing real and horrific events like the Kennedy and Lennon assassinations. He weaves a network of conspiracies and chess moves, with the latter being a tantalizing motif throughout, which elevates this story beyond the typical horror novel.

If you must draw a comparison with vampires, think of this as a cross between a vampire novel and "24", and you'll get a sense of its themes. Any true horror aficionado simply must read this.

This two-week journey has come to an end. Overall, I found it quite enjoyable, although I had completely different expectations when I started.

Now, without giving away any spoilers: this book is not about vampires. I find it difficult to understand why it is being marketed as such. It seems a bit misleading. Secondly, the amount of shooting and spy-related content in the story didn't really appeal to me. However, if that's the kind of thing you're into, then you're likely to love this story even more.

And one more thing: as a native German speaker, all the spelling mistakes when the characters were speaking German really bothered me. It took away from the authenticity of the dialogue and made it a bit distracting.

Despite these drawbacks, there were still some aspects of the book that I liked. The plot had its moments of excitement and the characters were relatively well-developed. But these issues did prevent me from giving it a full five-star rating.

Dan Simmons is an incredibly talented author who has the ability to write outstanding books regardless of the genre. His Hyperion Cantos is firmly on my list of "All Time Favorite" science fiction series. Now, he has added another masterpiece to his collection with one of the best vampire novels ever written.

This novel is truly original, filled with terrifying moments that will send shivers down your spine. It is also a brilliant work of literature, with a complex and engaging plot that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

What's more, the book is quite long, which gives Simmons the opportunity to fully develop his characters and explore the rich and detailed world he has created.

The novel has received numerous accolades, including the Bram Stoker Award for Best Horror Novel, the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel, and the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1990. It was also a nominee for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in the same year.

Overall, this is a must-read for fans of vampire novels and horror in general. Dan Simmons has once again proven himself to be a master of his craft.