In The Land Of The Dead

by K.W. Jeter

Cooper, serving time, is transfered to work for the sadistic Mr. Vandervelde, where he meets the supernaturally empowered Fay, but their plot to murder their malicious master goes astray, and a nightmarish reality ensues

Genres: Horror, Fiction

215 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Kevin Wayne Jeter (born 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He is also credited with the coining of the term "Steampunk." K. W. has written novels set in the Star Trek and Star Wars universe, and has written three (to date) sequels to Blade Runner.

Series:
* Doctor Adder

Series contributed to:
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
* Alien Nation
* Blade Runner
* Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars
* The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror
* The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dark novel by Jeter, but one that never really jelled for me. Our protagonist, Connor, starts the novel in jail (holding cell really) for getting caught with some scam at a store. Set in 1938 or so in California, Connor gets the 'choice' to work for some orange plantation as an 'accountant' or nasty chain-gang activity, so off to the plantation he goes. Jeter created a very atmospheric read here, perhaps too atmospheric, as he takes us deep into Connor's brain and life in general.

In a way, this reminded me of Steinbeck's In Dubious Battle, as both are set in the groves of California during the depression. Connor is basically a trophy to the Vandervelde family, with tasks like paying the fruit pickers and running errands. The Vanderveldes are connected with all the other orange growers around, and Connor knows he is on a short leash. Another 'employee' of the Vanderveldes, Fay, works as a nanny and doxy for the clan's patriarch; they picked her up from the local loony bin. Well, Fay and Connor strike up a friendship of sorts, more like two prisoners forced together than anything else.

What bugged me about In the Land of the Dead concerns how Jeter tried to do two things here-- create a bleak account of life during the depression and then mix in some supernatural aspects that really did not fit or need to be there. The detailed depictions of life working as an orange picker contrasted to the fat and rich Vanderveldes, well, that worked for me. The unjustness of the Great Depression and the lives it ruined, hard to go wrong with that. If Jeter just kept the story here, I may have rated the story higher. Yet, he also seemed determined in bring in the supernatural with Fay, who can go into the minds of the dead and make them do things. Or maybe not. She did come from the loony bin after all. Did she pull Connor into some shared delusion or does she really have the power if you will? Jeter plays this for all it is worth.

Overall, I liked this, especially the bleakness, but Jeter should have probably stuck with one part of the story; give us the rustic hell of California during the depression, or give us a creepy horror story, but the mixture just did not set right with me. 3 bleak stars!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty grim stuff, as most of Jeter's horror work is. The Depression era atmosphere is evoked very well; it almost renders the fantastic element unnecessary.

[Joel Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the setting. I feel the name of this book and the overall look and taglines make this seem like a horror book, while it has some horror elements it doesn't fully commit. Plus the hand on the cover has 6 fingers, which is interesting. I do not recommend unless you dig horror paperbacks that aren't very horror and you like reading depression Era books.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book HAUNTED me, and I'm not just using that as a pun. It's a slow burn - the first few chapters set up a grim atmosphere of 1930's migrant farm labor, but nothing spooky actually starts to happen until halfway through the book. But it's so well-written, I didn't mind. It's less of a straight-up horror novel and more of a dark romance/crime novel with supernatural elements, though there are some brutal and creepy scenes. I kept telling myself I'd only read one more chapter, but I found myself staying up until 1 AM to finish it. And then the mood of the book stayed with me the following day. It's tragic, it's noir, it's gothic, and rather cinematic. 3.5 stars.

[Simone Volponi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inizia bene, poi defluisce in una storia un po' ripetitiva dove l'autore cerca di creare una tensione horror senza riuscirci. Ci sono qua e là parti interessanti, come alcuni pensieri del protagonista e le scene che ritraggono la povertà dei lavoratori, però tutto è annacquato, Jeter gira intorno a una vicenda che si risolverebbe molto prima col risultato di stancare.
Negli ultimi capitoli ho iniziato a saltare i paragrafi per tagliare corto e vedere come finiva, più che altro per non abbandonarlo.