The Printed Page

Title: Carrion Comfort
Author/website(s): Dan Simmons
767 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: November ’09
Genre: A mishmash as described in the synopsis
Would I recommend this book: N/A
Journal notes: An unsolicited book from a publicist, oh goodie. Not knowing what wonderful book was awaiting me I eagerly ripped open the packaging. The cover intrigued me as I wasn’t sure what type of story it might be hiding behind it. Then the author’s name caught my attention and I paused. Having read about half of The Terror before DNFing it (I lost interest) I wasn’t sure about Carrion Comfort though I wasn’t quite ready to toss it aside. A free book is a gift and why not give Mr. Simmons another try. Then I started reading the synopsis and the mental brakes started screeching. The more I read the more I could feel within my reading bones that Carrion Comfort was going to spend a very long time, maybe even forever, on my bookshelf. I’m a fan of horror and political thrillers but not science fiction and, most especially not vampires, even if they’re only mind vampires and not the blood sucking kind. Continuing to explore the Carrion Comfort story I could feel my comfort level heading straight for so not gonna happen. As much as I appreciate the publicist mailing me Carrion Comfort it will be going to a new home very soon.

Carrion Comfort draws on a variety of genres–horror, science fiction, political thriller, Hollywood roman a clef. It centers around a small number of “mind vampires” who can subjugate other people to their wills, read their minds, experience through their senses. The immensely powerful vampires use others, often bloodily, and often in frivolous “games” (hunting human prey, chess games with human pieces, and so on). Opposing them are Saul Laski, a psychologist and concentration-camp survivor, who is devoted to tracking down the Nazi vampire von Borchert; Natalie Preston, whose father inadvertently and fatally crossed the path of a pawn of the ancient, dotty vampire Melanie Fuller; Sheriff Bobby Joe Gentry, dragged in while investigating the multiple murders that marked the departure of Melanie Fuller from Charleston; and a host of other normals and vampires whose lives impinge on those of the principals.

(Carrion Comfort was provided to me by Katherine from St. Martin’s Press. I was not paid and this book has found a home with a fellow co-worker )

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