Stinger

This book is a great monster book written by one of the best authors in horror. Its a fun read from beginning to end with great characters. I am surprised it wasn't made in to a movie

I recently got into McCammon and this is the sixth book of his I’ve read. So far, I like this one the least, but it was still a solid story with good writing. It just wasn’t as good as his books I’ve read that I CANNOT put down. Still should probably read if you’re a fan of McCammon and more science-fictiony horror stories.

First and foremost, Robert McCammon is a terrific horror writer who has yet to write a weak book in this reviewer's humble opinion. The only problem with McCammon is that he doesn't write enough books. With that being said, let me cover a little about this gem of a horror ride. "Stinger" hits the ground running with a story that starts out about rival gangs pitted against each other in the tiny Texas town of Inferno. The town soon comes under siege by an alien bounty hunter dubbed "Stinger" who's in search for a freedom-loving alien known as "Daufin". Stinger starts to tighten the net (literally as the town is completely shut off from the rest of the world) and as humans get in the way they are systematically picked off one by one. McCammon does a GREAT job of character development (as he does in all of in books) which really draws the reader into the plot during the last 2/3rds of the book. My only criticism of the book is the slow pace of the first 125 pages. If the reader can stay with the novel beyond that point, he or she will be rewarded with a great story!

I have nothing but admiration for Robert R. McCammon's works and this book is no exception. Something is very amiss in the small dying desert town of Inferno in Arizona. A spaceship has crash landded and we are introduced to a friendly alien , Daufin and a not very friendly Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, Stinger. This book is not your usual Science Fiction/ Horror fare. The author explores such Themes as Racial Tension and Redemption. The characters are very believable and real . I only wish that Hollywood would hurry up and discover this great book and turn it into a movie!!! One of Mc Cammon's best!!!

I have read everything put out by Robert McCammon, and have enjoyed most of his novels and short stories. Stinger was the first book I read of McCammon's and it was so much fun I just re-read it this week. I see other reveiwer saying Stinger is like a B-Movie in paperback form like it's a bad thing? Sure it unfolds just like one of those cheezy 1950's sci-fi movies, and that is why it sparkles. This is not a heavy handed, fantasy driven sci-fi novel. I was not looking for something deep, or soul searching, I mean for God's sake there is a reptilian claw emerging from the desert on the books cover, why would someone be shocked, and or disappointed that Stinger is about a nasty alien monster? If you are looking for something that will make you do some soul searching look elsewhere, if you want a cool story about a rag-tag group of people uniting against a nasty foe then pick up "Stinger". Some of the references are dated, like the references to Day-Glo clothes and Billy Idol, but so what it's a neat little glimpse of the 80's. If you have read any of McCammon's other books and enjoyed them then pick up "Stinger".

I have been reading an awful lot of these types of books lately. I've taken a couple of trips to the underworld, witnessed time travel, seen vampires chew up their victims, read about diseases that threaten the entire world, and visited the twisted worlds of serial killers. Ah, the life of the mass-market paperback reader! Usually, that life leaves a lot to be desired. Oftentimes, character development is minimal, the prose is turgid, or the plot is left loose ends flapping in the breeze. Not so with Robert McCammon. McCammon knows how to write a story with fascinating and well-developed characters, with an atmosphere that is both chilling and spooky. He also knows how to deliver a plot that is tied up in a neat little ball, to be neatly placed on your lap at the end of the book."Stinger" is just such a novel. It is the story of a little Texas town named Inferno. Inferno is dying, slowly and painfully. Since the mine closed down, there is little work and a lot of rusting dreams. The people that are left behind to witness Inferno's gasping death are a hardy lot. They need to be tough, because something terrible is about to happen that will change the people of Inferno forever. Early one morning, a spacecraft of unknown origin crashes outside town, quickly followed by another spaceship that lands outside Bordertown, where Inferno's Mexican citizens live. What follows is a roller coaster ride of sheer terror, as the occupants of the two spaceships aren't exactly friendly with one another. By the end of the book, dozens of people have died in extremely unpleasant ways.At the center of the story is Daufin, a friendly alien running from an intergalactic bounty hunter called Stinger. Stinger has a lot of unusual tricks up his sleeve, leaving Daufin no choice but to drag the local inhabitants into the fray. There is the Hammond family, Colonel Rhodes, an air force investigator, Sheriff Ed Vance, Cody and Curt Lockett, Sarge Dennison, Rick Jurado, and other characters. The Hammond's are important due to their direct contact with Daufin. Lockett and Jurado are the leaders of two warring street gangs, the Renegades and Rattlers. These characters are astonishingly well developed for a horror novel. I was about half way through the book before I realized that McCammon loves his characters, and treats them accordingly. Some of the subplot stories are extremely heart wrenching. I know it is a cliché, but these really are characters that you come to care about. What became most apparent to me as I read this book is McCammon's emphasis on redemption. Several of the characters are what society would deem "unlikable" people, but prove themselves when the going gets tough. An alcoholic abuser can change his ways, as can kids in a gang or a mentally unbalanced individual. McCammon has an unfailingly optimistic outlook towards humanity, something sorely lacking in most of today's fiction works. He believes that all types of people can put aside their differences in or

Robert R. McCammon (retired so I've heard) falls somewhere between Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Too often his books are overlooked, but McCammon has a powerful story-telling style and can produce and action scene like nobody's business.STINGER is one of McCammon's finer works. It tells the story of a small desert town where two aliens have landed. One a peaceful energy being...the other a deadly bounty-hunter. The town characters are introduced...the town is sealed off from the world by an energy field...AND THE STINGER IS TURNED LOOSE! Where it might not keep you shaking in fear, this book will deliver so much action that the last 200 pages fly by with kinetic force that few authors can achieve.So where do we stand? McCammon is not as frightening as King. He's more logical and fast-paced than Koontz. And he should not be overlooked for the fine novels he's turned out.I also recommend Robert R. McCammon's - BLUE WORLD, THEY THIRST, SWAN SONG, and BOY'S LIFE!