Spawn of Hell

by William Schoell

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843921129
• ISBN13: 9780843921120
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Banner of Truth
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

William Schoell knocks another one out of the park

All his horror seems to be tour de forces, and SPAWN OF HELL is no different. The character of David Hammond is far from boring as other reviewers say; indeed, he's one of the most realistically drawn characters in any horror novel and is a perfect main protagonist. The depression and bad situation he begins the book in shows that horror can be found in everyday life, not just with mysterious ravenous beasts. His relationship with Anna is well-depicted, growing believably through the course of the novel. As always in a Schoell book, the supporting and even minor characters are well fleshed out, especially Harry London. Frederick Anton, the main human villain, is perhaps a bit two-dimensional, but it works. But oh, what monsters! Maybe they don't appear on-page enough for some readers, but I found that keeping them hidden and lurking for much of the action increased their terror, to make them all the more frightening for the times they did jump out. The "full reveal" when we finally learn just what they're made of and what they look like is chillingly done, as is their main rampage, and a close-combat scene between one and David inside a car, while he struggles to keep it from killing Anna or making her lose control of the vehicle, is as intense as it gets. My only complaint is that the ending is a bit abrupt; the plot is resolved, and then the book ends. No real seeing how the humans react and relax and so on. But that's only minor. As always, Schoell gets a high recommendation.

Mad Scientists and Corporate Baddies Strike Again!!

A mad scientist teams up with a greedy conglomerate to create an indestructible killing species via recombinant DNA experimentation. They unleash and test these "Spawn of Hell" on unsuspecting small town residents. These beings are butt-ugly gruesome, have a real taste for human flesh and there's an interesting twist in their make-up. Horror fans will be thrilled.The main character, David Hammond, is a down on his luck, 30-something artist still hoping for his big break. He's a dark but interesting and likeable character, however, his pairing with Anna Braddon hit a real sour note for me. The passages focusing on their relationship brings the story to a complete standstill. Anna, a supermodel no less, just does not exhibit any qualities (besides her appearance) that would explain David's fierce attraction to her. She is a badly drawn character, which prevented me from rating the book as five-star excellent. Otherwise it's an originally executed, fun, fast read.