“CARRION COMFORT is one of the three greatest horror novels of the 20th century. Simple as that.” –Stephen King “Epic in scale and scope but intimately disturbing, CARRION COMFORT spans the ages to rewrite history and tug at the very fabric of reality. A nightmarish chronicle of predator and prey that will shatter your world view forever. A true classic.” –Guillermo del Toro “CARRION COMFORT … Toro
“CARRION COMFORT is one of the scariest books ever written. Whenever I get the question asked Who’s your favorite author? my answer is always Dan Simmons.” —James Rollins
“One of the few major reinventions of the vampire concept, on a par with Jack Finney’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. —David Morrell
THE PAST… Caught behind the lines of Hitler’s Final Solution, Saul Laski is one of the multitudes destined to die in the notorious Chelmno extermination camp. Until he rises to meet his fate and finds himself face to face with an evil far older, and far greater, than the Nazi’s themselves…
THE PRESENT… Compelled by the encounter to survive at all costs, so begins a journey that for Saul will span decades and cross continents, plunging into the darkest corners of 20th century history to reveal a secret society of beings who may often exist behind the world’s most horrible and violent events. Killing from a distance, and by darkly manipulative proxy, they are people with the psychic ability to ‘use’ humans: read their minds, subjugate them to their wills, experience through their senses, feed off their emotions, force them to acts of unspeakable aggression. Each year, three of the most powerful of this hidden order meet to discuss their ongoing campaign of induced bloodshed and deliberate destruction. But this reunion, something will go terribly wrong. Saul’s quest is about to reach its elusive object, drawing hunter and hunted alike into a struggle that will plumb the depths of mankind’s attraction to violence, and determine the future of the world itself…
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I’m a big Dan Simmons fan and have enjoyed several of his other books. Bouught this based on numerous great reviews. It comes down to simply this; if you like to read graphic accounts of humiliating sexual assaults then this is your book. After the second one in the first 100 pages I tossed this crap aside. Prurient, violent and emotionally crippling accounts of rape are not my idea of entertainment.
second read and just as amazing thirty years later
Three out of five ghosts! I really enjoyed this book & saw some others recently reviewed it & decided to join in! I thought it was an unnecessarily lengthy read but thoroughly enjoyed it. It just felt like I was reading so slow. I think Dan put a lot into each scene that could have been cut out, leaving us with the same, if not a better, effect. I really did not enjoy one of the characters excessive racism. I understand it is one of her traits, but it was laid on thick, & in my opinion, annoying. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the different blend of genres & stories. Between historical, military, drama, horror, mystery, the list goes on. A good read that I do suggest if you’re looking for a thick book.
It irks me that it took me this long to discover Dan Simmons, but delights me that I now have the rest of his books to look forward to. I enjoyed this on audio, and the narration was incredible. The book is epic, truly epic – up there with ‘It’ and ‘The Stand’ in scope and quality. The characters are all unforgettable (especially the hideous Nazis), but Tony Harod was my personal favourite; Simmons’s portrayal had me in stitches. If they taught horror in school, this book would be on the syllabus. Brilliantly conceived, superbly written, wonderfully creepy. Read it.
Hear my thoughts here: https://youtu.be/3uBqieQVMuw
Any Robert McCammon book is sure to be a page-turner!
I’ve read the Hyperion novels by Dan Simmons and thought they were just fantastic…some of the best sci-fi ever. This book, written in the 80s and thinly published was released recently by Dan Simmons. It’s a completely different genre (more horror and psych-twisting). It is truly a great work. Very large (700 pages) but it had me up at night and couldn’t put it down.
Dan gets you going into places you never thought he’d take you!
good stuff
A fantastic supernatural thriller, almost perfectly blends fantasy and political thriller genres, by a master craftsman.
Excellent author. Very great book
I like the fact that this story has alternate explanations on why some of the most horrific tragedies in history happened. I absolutely recommend this title to read
This book held my hand as it took me to all the dark places the human mind has to offer.
Psychic Vampires done the right way. My favorite Simmons novel. Absolutely love the blending of real world events into the story.
Classic horror.
Very dark book. A bit depressing but still entertaining. Simmons is a fine writer.