Cold Moon Over Babylon (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)
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Book Overview
"The finest writer of paperback originals in America." - Stephen King "Readers of weak constitution should beware." - Publishers Weekly "McDowell has a flair for the gruesome." - Washington Post Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Now they are about to endure another: fourteen-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law. But something strange is happening in Babylon: traffic lights flash an eerie blue, a ghostly hand slithers from the drain of a kitchen sink, graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror . . . And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. And when the full moon rises over Babylon, it will seek a terrible vengeance . . . Cold Moon Over Babylon (1980), the second novel by Michael McDowell (1950-1999), author of Blackwater and The Elementals and screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a chilling Southern Gothic tale of revenge from beyond the grave that ranks among his most terrifying books. This first-ever reprint features deliciously creepy new cover art by Mike Mignola.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1941147631
ISBN13:9781941147634
Release Date:June 2023
Publisher:Valancourt Books
Length:254 Pages
Weight:0.59 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Atmospheric
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
I've been reading horror before Stephen King was around and it seems to me that suspense, gore and shock can be well done with levels of quality and style but the most difficult thing may be the ability to evoke a creepy, nightmarish atmosphere. Find this book if you like the feeling of being lost in a claustraphobic, dreamlike state.
Scary southern tale of creepy rivers and specteral revenge
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
Michael McDowell had a truly great way of creating the creepiest tales in the simplest prose. Amidst all the genteel southern hospitality and bubbling personalities lies a dark undercurrent of murder, and revenge from beyond the grave. Nathan Redfield picked the wrong family to bully when he started in on the Larkins, a quiet and unobtrusive small family trying to eek out a living with a tiny blueberry crop. Nathan is an abusive controller over everyone he meets, especially his brother Ben, but he hides it behind his slick southern veneer of politeness. When he targets the Larkin farm, attempting to take it at whatever cost, he finally meets his match without ever realizing it.McDowell so skillfully takes the reader into this hot, humid, languid town that you actually feel you are there, and that you are part of this small town and know these peoples habits as well as they do. Superbly written and completely creepy, with frequent doses of terror and gore mixed with good ol' southern hospitality, you will find this book one of those "can't put it down" reads that leave you wishing for more.
McDowell
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
The last reviewer asked what happen to Michael McDowell.His health betrayed him and after the screenplay for Thinner, he taught screenwriting at Boston University for a year before his body wouldn't allow him to continue even with that.He died recently, in 1999, I believe. He was a good guy and a fine writer.
You'll Never Go Near that Dark Muddy River Again...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I was probably 12 or 13 when I first read this, and although it's most likely lost up in the attic, it's still one of the best novels I've ever read (and re-read). McDowell's mastery at establishing a realistic, spine-tingling setting lifted this up above garden-variety horror novels. Overall, this is a superbly-written, creepy story of murder and supernatural retribution, and I wish its talented author would write some more material like it. Good luck finding a copy!
Can't sleep without finishing this one!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Michael McDowell is indeed one of the best horror fiction writers, and all fans of the genre should scour the used bookstores for any of his works. However, this is one of the best. I literally was too scared to turn out the lights reading this book, so I read it all in one night!!
Cold Moon over Babylon Mentions in Our Blog
Horror Where You Least Expect It
Published by William Shelton • October 18, 2022
Fear, where it is least expected, is all the more rich an experience. Such as when it is found among the pages of a story of romance, or a bucolic tale of life mundane. Here are my favorite tales with surprisingly dark moments.
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