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247th out of 847 books
—
2,449 voters
Creature
by
John Saul
A powerful high-tech company. A postcard-prettycompany town. Families. Children. Sunshine.Happiness. A high school football team that never-everloses. And something else. Something horrible ...Now, there is a new family in town. A shy,nature-loving teenager. A new hometown. A new set ofbullies. Maybe the team's sports clinic can help him.Rebuild him. They won't hurt him ag...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
January 1st 1997
by Bantam
(first published January 1st 1989)
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To the Tanner family, Silverdale beckons as a marvelous opportunity. For here, in this serene picture-postcard-pretty town nestled high in the majestic Rockies, a job promotion awaits Blake; new friends and activities beckon Sharon. And in the windswept mountain air, their shy, nature-loving son, Mark, will have the ideal opportunity to overcome the physical frailty an illness has caused.
Silverdale. It is the perfect town. Even Silverdale High School seems perfect--a model school where well-beha...more
Silverdale. It is the perfect town. Even Silverdale High School seems perfect--a model school where well-beha...more
It's an effective potboiler that manages to be just as relevant today as in 1989.
The Tanners have just moved to a company town in Denver. The father Blake has been promoted, and at first it seems a paradise. But it's quickly apparent something is wrong, and Tannertech is researching something that's tied into the local school's football program. It's going to get a lot worse, very quickly.
A lot of 90s fiction can feel very dated today; read something like Michael Crichton's Congo for example. B...more
The Tanners have just moved to a company town in Denver. The father Blake has been promoted, and at first it seems a paradise. But it's quickly apparent something is wrong, and Tannertech is researching something that's tied into the local school's football program. It's going to get a lot worse, very quickly.
A lot of 90s fiction can feel very dated today; read something like Michael Crichton's Congo for example. B...more
This book was great.
I really got attached to Mark, the main character, who, in my opinion, is a perfect example of a shy, good male character. Most authors don't understand the thin (but still existing) line between a shy, good male character and a girl. He was a pretty much complex character thorn between his father's ambitions and his love for nature and animals. I felt sorry for him at the beginning, but as the story moved on, he became much more admirable than pitiable. On the other hand I h...more
I really got attached to Mark, the main character, who, in my opinion, is a perfect example of a shy, good male character. Most authors don't understand the thin (but still existing) line between a shy, good male character and a girl. He was a pretty much complex character thorn between his father's ambitions and his love for nature and animals. I felt sorry for him at the beginning, but as the story moved on, he became much more admirable than pitiable. On the other hand I h...more
So many things to say about this book. I both enjoyed it and disliked it. I suppose I'll start with the good.
Firstly, I will say that this is a very quickly-paced read. In many ways, it reminded me somewhat of Michael Palmer (especially his book Critical Judgement). A small isolated town, an umbrella corporation that controls most of it, a conspiracy amongst it's citizens, etc. I liked the fact that the protagonist wasn't the typical wise-cracking guy or a sexy street smart chick, but a shy, sen...more
Firstly, I will say that this is a very quickly-paced read. In many ways, it reminded me somewhat of Michael Palmer (especially his book Critical Judgement). A small isolated town, an umbrella corporation that controls most of it, a conspiracy amongst it's citizens, etc. I liked the fact that the protagonist wasn't the typical wise-cracking guy or a sexy street smart chick, but a shy, sen...more
Some of Saul's books can be pretty disturbing and a little too creepy, but this one was disturbing on a different level---you can actually believe something like this would happen (the scientists genetically altering teenage males who are smaller, shorter, etc than their peers, in order for them to end up on par with or better than the teenage boys who are bigger, faster, etc). I guess the best way to describe it would be to say it resembles a "steroids gone out of control" story, a very believa...more
I first read this book when it first came out nearly twenty years ago and loved it. I went back for a second look recently and wasn't so much enthused as the first time around. It isn't as much because of the story, but the way it is written. I am a writer myself (and not one claiming to be better or anywhere near as good as Mr. Saul) but in my efforts in studying the craft by reading the work of others there are a few things I've learned to despise and see as lazy writing, the biggest being the...more
I read this book in college. I've been thinking a lot about it lately (possibly because I'm a huge fan of Scott Sigler's GFL series: The Rookie, The Starter & The All-Pro {coming out in September}), but all I could remember was that it was about a sickly teen who was given experimental "vitamin" treatments that made him big and strong enough to join the football team - until things start to go horribly wrong. I couldn't remember the author or name of the book, so I began checking the bibliog...more
Wow I must say I am torn, it has been 10 years since I last read this book, and I no longer feel it is a 5 star novel. This is the book that got me into books, it is the reason I read today. I think it could still have that kind of impact on a younger person. It's not a child or teen book I just think they are less concerned with the less than original parts of this book. The 'always evil big corporation' the 'too perfect town' these are things I have seen hundreds of times since. I guess I can'...more
In St. Clair, Michigan a military psychitrist shot two football players and their parents, they were making money from an experiment. The news report said that the dad shot his whole family then murdered himself with a shot gun, everybody knows that you can't shoot yourself with a shot gun because the barrel is too long to reach your head. The psychitrist had a flash-back, he was in the same house as where I read the novel "Creature" by John Saul.
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Creature, by John Saul, was a fun horror story about a town that appears to be too perfect and reveals the malignant machinations going on behind the scenes. I particularly enjoyed that John Saul would write a person's first and last name several times in the book, which allowed me to follow the characters in the book effortlessly. The ending held a surprising death or two, but it also left me a little sad.
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This was my first "grown-up" book that wasn't by Michael Crichton (In 91 I never considered Jurassic Park to be adult...it was about DINOSAURS! And Sphere and the rest never registered as something for the older crowd.) I remember the day I got it from the Scholastic book sale (remember when the big box of books would come once a month and it was like Christmas?) newsletter in middle school. I loved it. It was gross, crass, disturbing, and better yet? Got me in trouble in high school! I performe...more
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Dec 20, 2012
Kishalynn Elliott
added it
I'll never forget reading this book for the first time in 1994. It was the first book I read that gave me the creeps--literal goosebumps! But was so good I couldn't put it down, terror and al! It was the start of a long and deep John Saul fandom...I have more of his books on my shelf than any other author, and yet still find ones I haven't read!!
I love John Saul books. He is almost as good of a horror author as Stephen King. His writing style is unique and that is what makes him one of my favorite authors. I haven't read a book of his I haven't liked yet, they are all so great. I would reread any of his books anytime but there are too many to go into detail about each one.
book choice for Saul group.
Isolated town. Newcomer family. Football team that never loses. Sports center funded by a wealthy company. Experiments on kids.
Nothing new but Saul tells the story so well I'm giving him 4 stars. Won't he be thrilled? I also teared up at the end! And who the hell cries over a horror story? Niiiiiice. (bumps fist with Chia)
Isolated town. Newcomer family. Football team that never loses. Sports center funded by a wealthy company. Experiments on kids.
Nothing new but Saul tells the story so well I'm giving him 4 stars. Won't he be thrilled? I also teared up at the end! And who the hell cries over a horror story? Niiiiiice. (bumps fist with Chia)
I really liked reading John Saul when I was in jr high/high school. The writing isn't the greatest, but they're entertaining. They often involve genetic mutation/disasters (on a small scale) that happen because of people interfering with nature. Think Smallville's episodes involving "meteor freaks" or X-Files.
Another one read during the John Saul kick. This one is about a weakling who wants to play football and winds up in some research study to test the effects of a performance enhancing medication. If I think about this one too much I'll pick it apart because it wasn't all that well written but I liked it at the time.
I thought the story was a pretty good story.. I kinda have always been interested in the story, but have never sat down down and read the book.. I liked it.. That said, I did not think it was one of his better written books.. I had to go back at times and reread paragraphs, because he jumped around in his writing (or the story)..
An entertaining quick read involving growth hormones and testing on both monkeys and teenage footballers. I haven't read this since it came out originally and I still like it though it has lost some of its lustre. The pace is good and the writing is adequate but you're never really surprised or caught up in suspense.
Probably not bad for a teen's first foray into the horror genre. Very PG with a low scariness factor due to an implausible premise. The writing is fine and the story moves along well, but there's just not that much of interest here for
a jaded horror fan such as myself.
a jaded horror fan such as myself.
Finished this tonight, and although it is similar to many other "enhanced people" stories (like perhaps The Stepford Wives) it has enough things different to still make it entertaining. And I loved the ending - I didn't quite cry, but it left that sort of emotion.
Dec 22, 2008
Bailey Jane
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
sci-fi/fiction/science/medical thriller lovers
I read this book a LONG time ago but remember liking the plot, as far-fetched and unrealistic as it was. I remember it being really creepy in a sci-fi sort of way and I wouldn't mind reading it again!
Dulllllllll and very safe and flat, up until the end. If you could take the last third of the book and make it the opening third of a better book, I'd be thrilled. The implied story after this book is a helluva lot more interesting than the one between its covers.
One of the first horror books I read. Back in the 6th grade this book was awesome, read it again and it's still pretty good. Not as awesome as it was when I was a kid, but still fun and jumping.
Read this book when I was 17 and loved it. 32 now, found it and will be re-reading. Curious to see if it gives me the same reaction as it did 15 years ago. Will update my review once I'm done.
Sep 27, 2011
Lee Kyle
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Saul's thrillers
Recommended to Lee by:
Just stumbled upon it one day years ago when i was looking through a book rack somewhere!
This to me was my introduction to one of the most prolific horror writers known. What a great way to get introduced! After reading a handful of Saul's works, this still stands out in my mind as being one of the best horror themed novels i have ever had the pleasure..and the terror to read. I had recently picked this up at my favorite used book store recently and although having read it before it was no time at all before i was once again captivated within its pages. That's the beauty of John Sau...more
I read this book years ago and the other day it just popped into my head and I wanted to read it again. If you haven't already read, I highly recommend it. A good read.
Creature has a really good story line. I am finding with his books though that I can put them down, Dont have that feeling of HAVE to read them.
I read this and many of his other novels including "Brain Child" when I was a teen. Both novels were amazing, but Creature was my favorite.
This is my favorite John Saul book... it's also the first one of his I read (maybe that's why it's my favorite).
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John Saul was born in Pasadena, California on February 25, 1942, and grew up in Whittier where he graduated from Whittier High School in 1959. He attended several colleges—Antioch, in Ohio, Cerritos, in Norwalk, California, Montana State University and San Francisco State College, variously majoring in anthropology, liberal arts, and theater, but never obtaining a degree.
After leaving college, he...more
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