Vaders

by R. Patrick Gates

They Invade Your Body. . . Billions of pellet-sized spores have arrived. Swarming our cities, they find ways inside our bodies as they transform humans into hideous monsters, living only to feed on those closest to them--friends, parents, even children. . . And Do Not Leave. . . In New York City, Joe Burton leads a desperate clutch of survivors against the Invaders. But he discovers that it's not only the once-human creatures that have turned on their...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786018259
• ISBN13: 9780786018253
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 494 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Gruesome at times but a fast read

No, it's not Tolstoy but I found myself involved in the characters and I wanted to know how it would end. The monsters are not the usual alien invaders and while their "antics" were sometimes comical, they were also occasionally quite gruesome. Not for those with a weak stomach. My one gripe is the 6 year old boy seemed far too worldly and grown up for his age. He would have been better as a 12 year old. I passed this book on to someone else and they liked it too.

Unrelenting

A great alien invasion novel that is unrelenting (action driven) yet also has good characters. 480 pp. but could have been more. Hopefully there will be a sequel. This book is only marred by some typos and continuity errors in the last third. (Did the proofers get too caught up in the story?) Pegleg

Welcome back Patrick...and I mean that! A true return to form.

Years ago, around 2001, I wrote a review for one of Patrick Gates' earlier novels. In those years I remember being truly impressed by his books "Fear", "Grimm Memorials", "Tunnelvision" and "Jumpers". In that review I also asked the question where mister Gates might've gone to, since he hadn't published anything in years. Ironically enough he returned not long after (maybe he read my review huh?). Since then I read both his newer books "Prison" and "Grimm Reapings", but I didn't think they were that mind blowing (and brutal) as his earlier stuff. They were good not great. Come and think of it, I'm always like that when it comes to the "nostalgic past". Take the movies I like for instance. I grew up in the eighties and to me something like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" will always be far more superior than latter day drap like the Spiderman movies or Spielbergs own "Minority Report". I did like "War of the Worlds" though. "Vaders" kind of reminded me of that sort a scenario. It is about glowing orbs who invade New York and turn it's citicens into hulking, and very cannibalistic monsters...who turn on (and eat!) their own kind. You can probably see the similarities. "Worlds" is sometimes called Spielbergs 9-11 movie and I think "Vaders" is a 9-11 novel. Their are numerous references to those events, terrorists, homeland security and even Bin Laden himself. "Vaders" is a true return to form for Patrick Gates. I read it in three days (its almost 500 pages long) and it whisks by you like a charging freight train. To me the book was like one big long action/ suspense filled chase, occasionally interrupted by some quieter scenes and some character development. As you might have guessed I simply loved it. Gates' his earlier work were so appealing to me cause of his brutal style (with lots of gore--I know I still haven't grown up), but what I remember most were his incredible setpieces and landschapes (or are it nightmare scapes?). From the almost biblical villian in "Fear" (the epilogue whichs links him to the Devil and the Garden of Eden is brilliant), the amazing Freddy Krueger like deaths in "Grimm Memmorials" (one even involved the monster from the Alien movies) and the sci-fi horror of "Jumpers" (the dark realm where the heroes of the title battled with grotesque monsters will alway stay with me). "Vaders" invoked those same kind of feelings. From a chase involving a Humvee armored with an M-60 machinegun, to a giant monster getting towed by the hook of a...well tow truck, to the arena of Madison Square garden filled with insectlike nasties. It's all fast moving, gruesome fun and ranks up there with my years best (and I read a lot of books!). Like so many writers in his time R. Patrick Gates was once touted as being the new Stephen King (he still is if you believe the ancient citations on "Vaders" cover). Normally I shy away from those kinds of comparisons (Robert McCammon to me will always be greater than King) but in Gates case it's a shame h

Scifi / Survival Horror

Synopsis: When billions of pellet-sized spores are unleashed on our world, transforming humans into flesh-eating monsters who feed on those closest to them, Joe Burton discovers that it is the survival of the fittest when the invaders turn on each other, creating a deadly new threat. --------------------------------------------- Saw that there was no description of the book listed so I thought I'd add a bit for those un-aware of what the book is about. Reading this at the moment. About 1/3 of the way through and really enjoying it. It's fairly fast paced and witty in a dark-comic way. Graphic in it descriptions, but not overly so imo. I'll edit this post or add a new one when finished, with a more thorough review. btw - 1st time reader of Mr. Gates :) Regards & Good Reading All