The Terror Dan Simmons Little, Brown ISBN: 0316017442 Fiction, Thriller, Horror Reviewed by John R. Clark

Was it any coincidence that the moment I started reading this book, real winter weather set in? After finishing it, I really wonder. Dan Simmons has written a terrific thriller that could easily fit in the horror genre as well. Although the book runs more than 700 pages, it never stumbles, never loses your interest and maintains a nagging sense of bleak dread in the back of your mind the entire time you are reading.

Chapters alternate narration of the story from different crew members' viewpoints, a technique that works very well. I was particularly struck by the ease with which I could visualize each scene-the bleak ice under the midnight sun, the bone chilling storage areas in the part of the ship below the ice line, the phenomenon of a violent torrent of lightning in sub-zero temperatures, the creature that seems to rise up from the very ice.

The tension builds slowly and steadily throughout the story and even when pertinent information is revealed, you still can't shake the urge to read on, far into the night. This is a book that will have heavy demand in my library and will be one patrons use as a reference point for great reading throughout 2007.

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