So I've made a return to another of Simmons's horror novels again, and tonight I've finished it! It is his 1991 novel "Summer Of Night".
In the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, in the summer of 1960, five boys are creating a bond powerful enough, that a lifetime of change will not break. Their days are marked by the secrets and silences of an ideal childhood, that includes sunset bike rides and hiding places in the woods.
But among them sun-drenched cornfields, that loyalty will be tested. The peal of a long-silent bell is heard in the night, a sound that marks the end of the carefree days of the town. And out from the depths of the Old Central school, and unseen evil has risen, with strange and horrific events start to overtake the everyday life of the town, spreading its horror.
Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen and Kevin, in an effort to exorcise this horror, they wage a war of blood against an abomination that owns the night.
"Summer Of Night" is part of a four book series that Simmons did, and each book revolves around specific season, and it makes sense that this one is set in summer. And I have a feeling that these books are going to feel more like stand alone novels, with some characters recurring here and there maybe.
This reminds me quite bit like Straub's Floating Dragon" and Stephen King's "It". This is another slow building and atmospheric with quite a bit of gruesome moments. I've taken quite a liking for Dan's literary styling, that's a bit similar to what Straub was doing also.
There's still three more books in the series that I haven't gotten to yet, but I will eventually get to them someday. RIP Dan.
by i-the-muso-1968
1 Comment
Just picked this up based on your rec – been meaning to dive deeper into Simmons beyond the Hyperion stuff. The way you describe that slow atmospheric build really appeals to me, especially coming off a King binge where everything felt a bit too frantic by the end.
I actually keep a reading log with mood/pacing scores for horror novels (yeah I’m that guy) and the 1960s small town setting hits this sweet spot that never gets old. There’s something about that specific time period that authors use to create this perfect contrast between innocent summer days and creeping dread.
Really curious about how the seasonal theme plays out across the series – does each book maintain that same slow burn approach or do they ramp up differently? The idea of tracking horror intensity across seasons sounds like it could make for some interesting patterns. Might have to grab the whole series and see how they stack up data-wise.
Also RIP Dan – guy was criminally underrated compared to some of his contemporaries.