Stranger

by Simon Clark

Book Overview

The small town of Sullivan has barricaded itself against the outside world. It is one of the last enclaves of civilization and the residents are determined that their town remain free from the strange... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843950765
• ISBN13: 9780843950762
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 418 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Great book!

I am a first time reader of Clark's but I will definitely read more of his work! This story was very engaging and exciting. It also does not seem impossible for this to happen. Many subtle messages of perserverance, drive, etc. I highly recommend this book if you like thriller/scary stuff. Koontz fans should love this.

Completely awesome!

Jenny from la, this is definatly one of the best stories i have ever read. The details Mr Clark supplies will leave you in complete suspense and scare you to the depth of your soul. I have read the entire line of Simon Clark horror books but this is my favorite. I deeply look forward to reading more breath taking stories. Jenny, l.a, 14

Amazingly, on a par with "Blood Crazy"

A few years ago Simon Clark released a post-apocalyptic horror novel entitled "Blood Crazy" that quickly became a favourite with many horror fans myself included. It was a fascinating tale set in England's rural countryside where all adults turned into zombified creatures seeking to kill all young people under the age of eighteen including their own children. Especially their own children. With "Stranger" Clark once again revisits the post-apocalyptic field, this time set in America, and does so with brilliant results.A bizarre plague has swept South America. Nobody knows exactly how the plague started, some people believe it had to do with the air or a bug in the water system. As more people started dying, many of the South American populace started to flee north into Mexico, and finally into the USA. As the infected populace became more and more desperate and dangerous entire cities were destroyed and overturned. The infected South Americans, nicknamed "bread bandits" by the American populace, soon developed an insatiable appetite for killing and for devouring human flesh. It wasn't long before "bread bandits' stopped being a term for the South Americans, as the American populace also became inflected with this strange virus. Not everyone became infected however. The infection rate is approximately 90%, leaving a number of survivors. Introducing the town of Sullivan. This island town of approximately 5000 has barricaded itself from the rest of civilisation and has become entirely self-sufficient and infection free. Nobody is allowed in or out of Sullivan. Compared to the rest of the country Sullivan is a peaceful oasis. However Greg Valdiva(narrator of this tale) is starting to see things in a different light. The residents and city counsel are acting increasingly paranoid and desperate whenever the slightest thing goes wrong or whenever one of the town's many rules is bent. As Valdiva decides to set sail and explore the world outside of Sullivan he discovers much more than he bargained for. Like many end of the world novels Stranger has a grim tone but there is always an underlying recurrent theme of hope throughout. The narrating title character Greg Valdiva is someone with a very unique personality. I like how Clark painted him not as a heroic saint but as a flawed hero, who in his own way is capable of monstrous action when pushed to the brink. The first 150 pages or so are set in the town of Sullivan and are fascinating but things get even better after that once the events take place throughout the rest of the country. It becomes a sort of desparate roadtrip through a desolate landscape as Greg Valdiva and friends pillage through deserted town after deserted town in hope that they will finally find peace and salvation from the ever-looming menace of the zombefied population. This is really a great end of the world horror novel. Clark's prose is simple and engaging making this fast, compulsive reading on a par with Bl

Better than "Blood Crazy"

"Stranger" is a completely satisfying read from beginning to end. I agree with the first reviewer that this is better than "Blood Crazy". It had more believable characters, more realistic situations, and a convincing ending that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not everything is spelled out for the reader -- which is where your imagination takes over. My only two problems were (don't worry -- no spoilers) the two things I didn't buy... (1) the towns punishment and (2)Mel's discovery. Everything else was quite nice. However, this wasn't a scary book, but if you enjoy apocalyptic epics, this is a fun ride. Chalk up another victory for Simon Clark.

Addictive, Gory, and fun!

This is even better than Clark's classic BLOOD CRAZY. A must for end-of-the-world-type of story fans. Loaded with inventive kill scenes, tension, and some good doomsday commentary. I believe this is Clark's first novel to take place in the USA, and he does a great job using American slang (and not British). Great job. One of the funnest horror tales I've read in some time.