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Carrion Comfort
  
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Carrion Comfort (Hardcover)

by Dan Simmons (Author), Kathleen McNeil Sherman (Illustrator)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)

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2 new from CDN$ 195.95 7 used from CDN$ 80.80

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The second novel by World Fantasy Award-winner Simmons ( The Song of Kali ) is a 636-page epic that draws on a variety of genres--horror, science fiction, political thriller, Hollywood roman a clef. It centers around a small number of "mind vampires" who can subjugate other people to their wills, read their minds, experience through their senses. The immensely powerful vampires use others, often bloodily, and often in frivolous "games" (hunting human prey, chess games with human pieces, and so on). Opposing them are Saul Laski, a psychologist and concentration-camp survivor, who is devoted to tracking down the Nazi vampire von Borchert; Natalie Preston, whose father inadvertently and fatally crossed the path of a pawn of the ancient, dotty vampire Melanie Fuller; Sheriff Bobby Joe Gentry, dragged in while investigating the multiple murders that marked the departure of Melanie Fuller from Charleston; and a host of other normals and vampires whose lives impinge on those of the principals. While he could profitably have trimmed the novel by a third, Simmons has produced, overall, a compelling thriller.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

64 Reviews
5 star:
 (41)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (9)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (64 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average Vampire story...., Jul 19 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Carrion Comfort (Mass Market Paperback)
Carrion Comfort is an amazingly complex and thorough story about "mind vampires". The mind vampires really share very little in common with what most people would think of in terms of vampires -- they don't turn into bats, suck people's blood, or need a stake through the heart to kill them. The sole defining criteria of a mind vampire is that they have the ability to control people's behavior. The book concerns itself with about a half dozen powerful mind vampires. These vampires range from those who use their "ability" for wealth and power, to complete psychopaths who kill innocent people simply because they are bored. The book gets started with a power struggle between the mind vampires, which engulfs a trio of human protagonists: a former concentration camp survivor, the daughter of one of the mind vampire's victims, and a small town sheriff. This book's strength is in the development of the characters. They all seem very real and lifelike, and a lot of effort is made to explore each of the mind vampire's psyches and understand their dark motivations. The one fault I had with the book is just that it's so darn long -- almost 900 pages. You'd better clear a week of your schedule just to read the thing! I've read several of Dan Simmons' books, and I have to say this is one of his best . I enjoyed it more than Summer of Night and A Winter Haunting because I felt the story seemed somehow more realistic.
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2.0 out of 5 stars Big Disappointment., Oct 19 2003
By C. Gilbert "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Carrion Comfort (Mass Market Paperback)
I ordered this book specifically because there were so many glowing reviews and because it was so well-compared to so many books that I like (i.e., The Stand). Simmons is also a writer about whom I've heard good things.

I'm inclined to give Simmons the benefit of the doubt and try another one of his books, but if this were my only basis for judgement, I'd be extremely dubious.

First of all, I didn't care about the characters. And this despite Simmons using every emotional trick in the book to get me to care about them. We had a holocaust survivor, a determined young victim of racism who lost her father, a poor but honest local cop. It was almost ridiculous how many hackneyed tricks he pulled out the hat to try to get the readers to care about these people.

Second, the sense of timing in the book is very poor. Deaths occur at times that you can't care about them, there are long meandering plot sequences that are absolutely irrelevant. This might have been improved with some judicious cutting (this book certainly did not need to be 900 pages).

There *are* certainly some good elements in the book. I like how he played with your expectations about the villains. It's impressive that he managed to finish it at all given how sprawling the plot is.

Anyhow, like I said, I'll give Simmons another chance. But if I had to do it over again, I'd give this book a miss.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Simmons is a world above most authors, Aug 1 2003
By greatkingrat (Camarillo, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Carrion Comfort (Mass Market Paperback)
Simmons is one of the literary world's great treasures. He moves with ease between numerous genres, completely at home in each. "Carrion Comfort" was the first book I read by this author. I enjoyed it immensely. Because of it, I read "Hyperion", which is something, because I despise Science Fiction, by and by.

Simmons is different. His "Hyperion" series is much more than typical space opera, with phaser guns and funny aliens. He creates stories of immense depth and feeling. He started that for me in "Carrion Comfort", and continues to this day. I look forward to reading "Ilium" with great anticipation.

"Carrion Comfort" is the story of psychic vampires, people who can control others with their minds. Years of this power has bored them to the point where they do it for sport. This started as a novella in one of Simmons's collections and he realized it fully in this novel.

Cover blurb compares it to "The Stand" by King. It is only like "The Stand" in length and scope. The stories couldn't be more different. Read McCammon's "Swan Song" if you want "The Stand". "Carrion Comfort" is something completely different by one of America's most brilliant writers. Bravo.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Well written but a disapointing story.
Okay, the biggest problem I had with this novel has nothing to do with Dan Simmons and everything to do with the person who decided to include the SF Chronicle blurb on the front... Read more
Published on May 12 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
What an excellent book. This is a brilliant concept and story line, kind of a smart man's horror read. What if the outrages that have happened in this world, (i.e. Read more
Published on April 11 2003 by CeCe Ronnie

1.0 out of 5 stars My eighth and last DS book. I give up. -20
Mind vampires who instead of actual blood feed on violence and death, they even compete (how sporting). Sheeeez! What a go no where idea. An old used up idea. Read more
Published on Jan 21 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars CARRION ME AWAY
It's a tribute to the writing skills of Dan Simmons that "Carrion Comfort" manages to hold your interest in spite of its almost 900 pages, and it's wandering... Read more
Published on Nov 16 2002 by Michael Butts

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best horror authors around!
You can name the contemporary horror classics without using all your fingers and toes, and for the true afficianado "Carrion Comfort" is probably in that top twenty, along with... Read more
Published on Oct 8 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive even after 4 reading!
This is the best SciFi or Horror book I've ever read. And I've read many over the last 25 years. King, McCammon, Barker, Cussler, Asimov, Heinlen, etc. Read more
Published on Sep 10 2002 by CWayne

3.0 out of 5 stars I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF BEST
In the first 200-300 pages, I thought this might possibly be the best book I ever read. Then, the book turned from a horror book to a predictable "clive cussler"... Read more
Published on Aug 15 2002 by Walter D. Stephens

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing Horror
With so many reviews on the book, I don't want to recap what everyone has said. Sure, this is a long novel but is it worth reading? You bet. Read more
Published on Jun 5 2002 by Chris MB

2.0 out of 5 stars Great idea but very poorly executed
Being a huge fan of Simmon's "Hyperion" series (the first two only), it was with some anticipation that I began "Carrion Comfort. Read more
Published on May 27 2002 by Jack Cade

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Story - Bad editing
After Reading his Hyperion series a friend suggested I read this book. (Didn't like Hyperion) I read it and was liking it...until they got to Philadelphia. Read more
Published on Mar 9 2002 by Jason A. Myers

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