Karyn and her husband Roy had come to the peaceful California village of Drago to escape the savagery of the city. On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns.
But it was not.
The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths.
People just vanished, never to be found.
The Howling
By garybrandner
It’s really a shame this book gets a bad rep, overshadowed by the stunning success of the film from the horror industry. But it’s not as bad as folks have made it out to be.
Although the book could have used a better editor with all the overwriting and filler, the premise and unsavory outcome were quite digestible, even a new vision considering the film was so different.
In short, I dug this jam.
The Howling, Gary Brandner, 1977
My favorite quote: “A few minutes later he was very glad that she was asleep. Because in sleep she could not hear what he heard off somewhere in the night. The howling.”
Notable characters: Karyn and Roy Beatty, a young couple looking for a new start; Chris Halloran, Roy’s BFF; Marcia Lura, a mysterious shopkeeper … with a deadly secret! *cue dramatic music*
Most memorable scene: The early scene with Karyn and the gardener. It’s definitely memorable — and definitely not for the squeamish
Greatest strengths: I’m not going to lie. The (consensual) sex was fantastic
Standout achievements: For being a book about werewolves, which is a subject I’ve always had trouble getting interested in, this book — and its sequels — held me rapt. So to me, that is it’s standout achievement
Fun Facts: Brandner wrote 3 novels in this series, and so far, 8 movies have been made
Other media: The 1981 film of the same name starring Dee Wallace
What it taught me: The Howling is one of the books that taught me about pacing and tension-building. It’s a great example of both and a great place for any budding author to, ahem, sharpen their writing claws on
How it inspired me: I’ve never written about werewolves. Honestly, I’m just not sure how I would put a unique spin on that. Reading the Howling series makes me wish I’d hurry and figure out a way, though
Additional thoughts: There’s really no comparison between the book and the movie. Aside from sharing the same title, the two have next to nothing in common with each other. I just feel like that should be said
Haunt me: alistaircross.com