Tom Holland
May. 7th, 2005 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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darkling_talesLJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY athene_632)
This is my first post. Hi.
Without further introductions,
a text of some sort about one of my favourite horror writers. English isn't my mother tongue so bear with me, please.
Tom Holland: an appreciation
Who? Yes, he's rather unknown, I'm aware of that. The person I'm talking about is a British author of a few gothic vampire novels, some novels that might be called alternative history and a non-fiction book called Rubicon. If he has a website, it has been hidden somewhere. Two rather old interviews are available on-line here and here, but both include spoilers.
I discovered Holland by coincidence almost exactly a year ago and enjoyed everything immensely. Maybe the books weren't the biggest thing since sliced bread but I got the feeling that the author himself had really enjoyed writing them all. I liked how he used actual historical characters to weave a web of alternative history from the BC period to 1600s and then on to the 19th century, and I liked how he seemed to be able to switch between different writing styles effortlessly.
What? Holland's novels are (in order of publication) Attis (which I have been unable to find), The Vampyre: The Secret Life of Lord Byron (Lord of the Dead in the US), Supping with Panthers (Slave of My Thirst in the US), Deliver Us from Evil, Sleeper in the Sands and The Bone Hunter. They all are, strictly speaking, stand-alone novels, but I would recommend reading them in order.
As the title says, The Vampyre is about the poet Byron becoming a vampire. An enjoyable read, although the cover blurb of the edition I have wrongly suggests that it is another Interview with the Vampire.
Supping with Panthers is set in late 19th century London and India and is basically an alternative history story about what could have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker to write Dracula, but there's a bit of Sherlock Holmes too. An old-fashioned horror/adventure story, really: Highly recommended for both fans of Stoker and Holmes.
Now, Deliver Us from Evil is my favourite of Holland's books -I would go as far as to call it one of my top 20 favourites. The historical setting (English Restoration period) is interesting, famous historical people are used as characters quite delightfully and the bigger picture, the way how Holland connects his books together, is starting to emerge. Sometimes dark and disturbing, sometimes totally over-the-top, this is what vampire novels are all about.
Sleeper in the Sands is rather complex, a story within a story within a story. It's all about Egypt, of course, starting with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and going backwards in time from there. Once again there are links to connect the novel to the previous ones, but you must know where to look for them in order to see them. A very engaging story, definitely a book difficult to put down. Kind of a horror story, although not scary by any means.
The Bonehunter is actually of a different genre. I'll just say that it's set in the US and about searching for dinosaur bones, as the title suggests.
That is all I have to say. I can only strongly urge everyone to give Holland a chance. He is most certainly horribly unknown and in my opinion doesn't deserve it. Go. Read him.
athene_632)This is my first post. Hi.
Without further introductions,
a text of some sort about one of my favourite horror writers. English isn't my mother tongue so bear with me, please.
Tom Holland: an appreciation
Who? Yes, he's rather unknown, I'm aware of that. The person I'm talking about is a British author of a few gothic vampire novels, some novels that might be called alternative history and a non-fiction book called Rubicon. If he has a website, it has been hidden somewhere. Two rather old interviews are available on-line here and here, but both include spoilers.
I discovered Holland by coincidence almost exactly a year ago and enjoyed everything immensely. Maybe the books weren't the biggest thing since sliced bread but I got the feeling that the author himself had really enjoyed writing them all. I liked how he used actual historical characters to weave a web of alternative history from the BC period to 1600s and then on to the 19th century, and I liked how he seemed to be able to switch between different writing styles effortlessly.
What? Holland's novels are (in order of publication) Attis (which I have been unable to find), The Vampyre: The Secret Life of Lord Byron (Lord of the Dead in the US), Supping with Panthers (Slave of My Thirst in the US), Deliver Us from Evil, Sleeper in the Sands and The Bone Hunter. They all are, strictly speaking, stand-alone novels, but I would recommend reading them in order.
As the title says, The Vampyre is about the poet Byron becoming a vampire. An enjoyable read, although the cover blurb of the edition I have wrongly suggests that it is another Interview with the Vampire.
Supping with Panthers is set in late 19th century London and India and is basically an alternative history story about what could have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker to write Dracula, but there's a bit of Sherlock Holmes too. An old-fashioned horror/adventure story, really: Highly recommended for both fans of Stoker and Holmes.
Now, Deliver Us from Evil is my favourite of Holland's books -I would go as far as to call it one of my top 20 favourites. The historical setting (English Restoration period) is interesting, famous historical people are used as characters quite delightfully and the bigger picture, the way how Holland connects his books together, is starting to emerge. Sometimes dark and disturbing, sometimes totally over-the-top, this is what vampire novels are all about.
Sleeper in the Sands is rather complex, a story within a story within a story. It's all about Egypt, of course, starting with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and going backwards in time from there. Once again there are links to connect the novel to the previous ones, but you must know where to look for them in order to see them. A very engaging story, definitely a book difficult to put down. Kind of a horror story, although not scary by any means.
The Bonehunter is actually of a different genre. I'll just say that it's set in the US and about searching for dinosaur bones, as the title suggests.
That is all I have to say. I can only strongly urge everyone to give Holland a chance. He is most certainly horribly unknown and in my opinion doesn't deserve it. Go. Read him.
