Demon Night

I picked this up the other day knowing I had a bit of time off around Thanksgiving, and wanting something quick and fun to read. This book did not disapoint. It's a pretty straight forward story with enjoyable characters and a decent threat for them to overcome. It moved fast and kept me interested right up until the end. It isn't a long read -- I read it in one day -- but the length felt about right for the story. I really found nothing to quible about, and don't agree with some of the more critical reviews on this site (although the general consensus of the reviews does seem positive.) In particular, I remember one review stating the story should have focused more on one of the side characters (the Priest,) rather than the main character Eric, and I disagree completely. I found Eric and his powers interesting, and thought the part played by the Priest in the story fit well as it was. Anyway, this book was just about exactly what I expected it to be when I picked it up, and was exactly what it should have been. Sometimes you're in the mood for a book you have to work at, sometimes you want something that will simply entertain you. Like Joe R. Landsdale's Dead in the West, this book fits squarely in the latter.

A first novel can be a scary thing; the first screenplay I wrote (all 98 pages of it)was pretty darn frightening. I wrote it for the same reason JMS wrote this novel--the entertainment I wanted to see hadn't been produced. "Demon Night"'s strengths include strong characters, well written prose and thoughtful observations. The plot manages to incorporate a lot of things we've seen before but in a new, fresh fashion. The pacing and prose make "Demon Night" an easy read. I will admit, though, that the pacing at the beginning was a bit of a challenge but the mystery about why and how the main characters room was demolished while he was asleep kept me focused on moving along to the next chapter.This reprint by ibooks features a funny and entertaining new afterword by JMS in which he describes why he wrote the novel and how it came to be published. The style of the novel reminds me of Stephen King crossed with Dan Simmons, William F. Nolan and with a dash of Peter Straub thrown in. It's clear that he wrote the novel to entertain himself but also as a tribute of sorts to the contemporary horror novelist he enjoys reading. "Demon Night" compares favorably with the best horror ficition written by Simmons, Straub and King and has a minor flaw that is characteristic of King's novels; with such a great set up and pay off, JMS doesn't quite know how to end the novel with the original band it deserves. That's o.k. as the point of the novel isn't the destination so much as the journey and sights we see along the way.

Stracynzski's first novel, which he admittedly wrote because he wanted to read a novel like this one, is a mixed blend of horror, Indian legend and paranoia. The charactes are pretty well developed, although Eric's is a little discombobulated at times; Liz is also a little opaque. However, once the novel gets going, and it takes a while, you're hooked on who is going to get possessed next, and how will Eric defeat the demons? I was disappointed at the ending in which the identity of the first through isn't revealed. However, it is reminiscent in ways of SALEM'S LOT and THE STAND, and is a very interesting novel.

Before Straczynksi became a big name for his Babylon 5 series, he wrote two above average horror novels: Otherside and Demon Night. The latter is the best of the two, (in my opinion,) and a really entertaining horror novel. In the tradition of King's 'SALEM'S LOT, a young man returns to his hometown to try and piece together the forgotten horrors of his childhood. During the process a lair of vampire-like demons are unleashed from a remote cave and the town is infected one by one. If you enjoy horror, and appreciate good creepy fun from an author who knows how to tell a good story, seek this book out. I'm sorry to see it out of print.

"Demon Night" is an interesting read, definitely recommended for fans of Straczynski, author of "Othersyde" and creator of the hit syndicated sci-fi TV series "Babylon 5." Although it is strongly reminiscent of Stephen King's "'Salem's Lot," it is worth reading on its own merits too. The storyline is compelling, a fascinating variant on the "vampires overtake a small town" plot. I prefer Straczynski's scriptwriting and short stories to his novels. But the novels are also worthwhile, especially for diehard fans.