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The Terror
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The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth. As they enter a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, though, they are stranded in a nightmarish lan
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Hardcover, 769 pages
Published
January 8th 2007
by Little, Brown and Company
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To: Mr. Dan Simmons
From: Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd.
Subject: Your Recent Submission The Terror
Thank you for your recent submission. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not see a fit between your product and our company's goals.
Although our senior staff appreciated your technical ability, we noted several serious issues with your submission that need to be resolved prior to your product finding placement. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Extensive and Excessive Length ...more
From: Associated Publishing Industries Unlimited, Ltd.
Subject: Your Recent Submission The Terror
Thank you for your recent submission. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not see a fit between your product and our company's goals.
Although our senior staff appreciated your technical ability, we noted several serious issues with your submission that need to be resolved prior to your product finding placement. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Extensive and Excessive Length ...more
**lo! i have made a readalike list for this book over on riffle!**
http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/25427...
oh my god, let me never get scurvy.
i am glad i am such a grad-school overachiever. for both the horror/sci-fi and mystery portions of my readers' advisory class, i have read one extra title from the selection list, and both times, i have liked the extra title best. (i did not choose to read an extra romance title, so we will never know how that would have turned out, alas)
this book is a rar ...more
http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/25427...
oh my god, let me never get scurvy.
i am glad i am such a grad-school overachiever. for both the horror/sci-fi and mystery portions of my readers' advisory class, i have read one extra title from the selection list, and both times, i have liked the extra title best. (i did not choose to read an extra romance title, so we will never know how that would have turned out, alas)
this book is a rar ...more
Jul 02, 2016
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
horror-etc,
own
UPDATE: $2.99 on kindle US 7-27-17
People, just turn around and go home!
I probably shouldn't have went and read some facts about the history of this book because I might mess this review up. It's just so freaking interesting and I want to read about it. The author left a lot of resources for books at the end and there is one I'm going to try to get for sure.
The fact that Dan Simmons added an horror element to a historic novel is pretty awesome. And there are so many characters that I liked in th ...more
People, just turn around and go home!
I probably shouldn't have went and read some facts about the history of this book because I might mess this review up. It's just so freaking interesting and I want to read about it. The author left a lot of resources for books at the end and there is one I'm going to try to get for sure.
The fact that Dan Simmons added an horror element to a historic novel is pretty awesome. And there are so many characters that I liked in th ...more
September 7, 2010: I don't want to talk about it right now. It's too soon and the pain is still too fresh. I shall review on another day.
September 17, 2010: It's been well over a week since my encounter with The Terror and the thought of writing a review still exhausts me, but here it goes.
I have read many glowing reviews of The Terror. That is, in fact, why I bought it. I mean, check out this kick ass plot:
Two British ships, the Terror and the Erebus, are frozen in the polar sea for years, wa ...more
September 17, 2010: It's been well over a week since my encounter with The Terror and the thought of writing a review still exhausts me, but here it goes.
I have read many glowing reviews of The Terror. That is, in fact, why I bought it. I mean, check out this kick ass plot:
Two British ships, the Terror and the Erebus, are frozen in the polar sea for years, wa ...more
Whew! I finished it. Wowza!
This is such a long book!!!!!!!
Don’t go into this one unless you enjoy big books, having the patience to let the story evolve and knowing that the pace can be slow at times.
I stuck in there from the beginning and the ending was well worth it! I was struggling in the beginning because the first 10 or so chapters in this book alternate between the present and the past when the Franklin expedition was started.
It also has different POV chapters with characters so also know ...more
This is such a long book!!!!!!!
Don’t go into this one unless you enjoy big books, having the patience to let the story evolve and knowing that the pace can be slow at times.
I stuck in there from the beginning and the ending was well worth it! I was struggling in the beginning because the first 10 or so chapters in this book alternate between the present and the past when the Franklin expedition was started.
It also has different POV chapters with characters so also know ...more
This is so good!!!!!!!! What took me so long to read this?????
The men aboard the HHS Terror believe they will be the ones to successfully search for the Northwest Passage. The year is 1845 and the Franklin Expedition is steam-powered and after spending another a second summer in the arctic circle, their rations begin to dwindle, men's spirits begin to plummet and there is no end to the ice, cold and darkness. As the men begin to show signs of scurvy, they also are confronted by poisonous food, c ...more
The men aboard the HHS Terror believe they will be the ones to successfully search for the Northwest Passage. The year is 1845 and the Franklin Expedition is steam-powered and after spending another a second summer in the arctic circle, their rations begin to dwindle, men's spirits begin to plummet and there is no end to the ice, cold and darkness. As the men begin to show signs of scurvy, they also are confronted by poisonous food, c ...more
Aug 22, 2012
Michael Fierce
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of historical fiction and oldschool books by Poe, Kipling, Algernon Blackwood & Ambrose Bierce
The Terror is a fictional tale based on the real life experience of the notoriously doomed John Franklin Expedition.
These brave men journeyed hundreds of miles by sea voyage in the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, part of the British Naval fleet sent to the Arctic to force the Northwest Passage in 1845–1848, and then travelled the rest on foot into the desolate, below-freezing temperatures of the Arctic wasteland.
All died or were never seen or heard from ever again.
Dan Simmons imaginative story ex ...more
Why am I reading so many books about the cold? Maybe because it's freezing here in Chicago!
This is a buddy read with Cristina, and I'll review as I go.
The first couple of hundred pages were surprisingly slow-going. There was very little propulsion about the plot--just occasional glimpses of the "terror" along with long passages of backstory that I didn't really find compelling. I don't know why I reacted like that. Maybe it was because I'd just read Crime and Punishment, another (and very differ ...more
This is a buddy read with Cristina, and I'll review as I go.
The first couple of hundred pages were surprisingly slow-going. There was very little propulsion about the plot--just occasional glimpses of the "terror" along with long passages of backstory that I didn't really find compelling. I don't know why I reacted like that. Maybe it was because I'd just read Crime and Punishment, another (and very differ ...more
See this review and more like it at www.bookbastion.net!
_______
I'm late to the party with this read, I know, but The Terror just came onto my radar when I realized that AMC was turning it into a television show. I'm a book-over-movie/tv adaptation purist. So many details end up falling to the wayside in an adaptation - for example, I've watched one episode of the show, and already spotted a major difference from the book. I knew I'd want to experience this story as Dan Simmons originally told it ...more
_______
I'm late to the party with this read, I know, but The Terror just came onto my radar when I realized that AMC was turning it into a television show. I'm a book-over-movie/tv adaptation purist. So many details end up falling to the wayside in an adaptation - for example, I've watched one episode of the show, and already spotted a major difference from the book. I knew I'd want to experience this story as Dan Simmons originally told it ...more
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Dan Simmons is an author's author.
Every time I read something by him that is either A: not quite in my interest zone, or B: reads workmanlike but nothing particularly brilliant, he SQUASHES my expectations.
HMS Terror and Erebus are out to find the Northwest Passage. In the meantime, I am tricked into caring about every one of the men on the ships. This is not a Darwin Award I'm reading, even though a few characters WERE on the Beagle.
This is a harrowing and perfectly period descent into an icy ...more
Every time I read something by him that is either A: not quite in my interest zone, or B: reads workmanlike but nothing particularly brilliant, he SQUASHES my expectations.
HMS Terror and Erebus are out to find the Northwest Passage. In the meantime, I am tricked into caring about every one of the men on the ships. This is not a Darwin Award I'm reading, even though a few characters WERE on the Beagle.
This is a harrowing and perfectly period descent into an icy ...more
Wow...
I absolutely loved this book.
Don't let the page length stop you from reading it! Despite its length, the story moves quickly and there's incredible tension throughout. There are a ton of characters to keep you interested (but not too many that you lose track) and who you'll want to scream at for doing the wrong thing or an incredibly awful thing. Some parts were breathtakingly tense and some parts were frightening. Don't think of this as a horror book with a monster... This is so much mo ...more
I absolutely loved this book.
Don't let the page length stop you from reading it! Despite its length, the story moves quickly and there's incredible tension throughout. There are a ton of characters to keep you interested (but not too many that you lose track) and who you'll want to scream at for doing the wrong thing or an incredibly awful thing. Some parts were breathtakingly tense and some parts were frightening. Don't think of this as a horror book with a monster... This is so much mo ...more
WOW! This historic tale of a doomed arctic expedition set in 1845 aboard the HMS TERROR is based on true events and one horrific adventure complete with unbelievably brutal sub-zero temperatures, and a terrifying monster from hell. Loaded with great characters including the mysterious 'Lady Silence' and a unique and surprising ending to say the least. While sometimes descriptively gruesome, an engaging story and thrilling read!
Without getting into any spoilers: this is a fictionalized account of the doomed Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage in 1845. It is about hubris, greed, strength during unspeakable adversity, and possibly redemption.
Oh, there's also a terrifying monster that they call The Thing on The Ice which is slowly killing everyone aboard the two ships.
It's Dan Simmons, so he takes his time getting into the meat of the story (my dad said that he was telling three stories when he could have to ...more
Oh, there's also a terrifying monster that they call The Thing on The Ice which is slowly killing everyone aboard the two ships.
It's Dan Simmons, so he takes his time getting into the meat of the story (my dad said that he was telling three stories when he could have to ...more
A perfect book for the hot weather as it's -50 set in Antarctica circle near Baffin Island & on King William Land in 1845-1848 in locked ships The Terror & The Erebus this has been made into AMC TV series From Sir Ridley Scott of Alien fame .
Set in between 1843-48 this book about two ships locked in the ice & it's also about man's fight with the cold but worse still there is something in the dark hunting them, something from old times pure evil.
What makes this so good is the descriptions 'His pa ...more
Set in between 1843-48 this book about two ships locked in the ice & it's also about man's fight with the cold but worse still there is something in the dark hunting them, something from old times pure evil.
What makes this so good is the descriptions 'His pa ...more
I started out 2016 with a plan in mind. I wanted to read more doorstops and more books by non-American authors. I spent the majority of 2015 rereading Stephen King's entire catalogue and wanted this year to open new doors. So far in 2016, (ignore all those Koontz rereads, please and thank you) I've spent a considerable amount of time seeking out and reading authors who were not born or do not live in America and snowshoeing my way through massive tomes the likes of which Dan Simmons is known to
...more
“We are all eaters of souls.”
You know those books that you absolutely love, yet wouldn’t blindly recommend them to everyone? That’s me with The Terror. Absolutely LOVED it, but I don’t think it’s suited to every reader.
Incase you didn’t know, The Terror is based on the Franklin Expedition, when two steam-powered vessels set out in 1845 on a mission to traverse the Northwest Passage. So think big ships and lots of snow and ice. But of course, Simmons puts his own spin on it and also throws in ano ...more
You know those books that you absolutely love, yet wouldn’t blindly recommend them to everyone? That’s me with The Terror. Absolutely LOVED it, but I don’t think it’s suited to every reader.
Incase you didn’t know, The Terror is based on the Franklin Expedition, when two steam-powered vessels set out in 1845 on a mission to traverse the Northwest Passage. So think big ships and lots of snow and ice. But of course, Simmons puts his own spin on it and also throws in ano ...more
I've read this book, The Terror, five times now since it's release. It's the only book that I've started re-reading as soon as I finished the last page. It's that good. I still have nightmares every time I read it. What these men went through with scurvy, food poisoning, starvation, being cold and wet constantly and not knowing if you'll ever get home, while watching everything and everyone you've known on these Ship's perish. Then finally taking to the ice to find help. That's where the true te
...more
Just re-read this deeply atmospheric gem of a novel and loved it just as much as the first time I read it! Probably even more since I have been thinking about this book for more than a year and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it again. I am absolutely gobsmacked by this riveting blend of historical fiction, adventure, horror and the folklore/myths of the Inuit people of the arctic circle. This was especially interesting to me since the long lost Northwest Passage expedition ship The Terror was
...more
“Why does our species always have to take our full measure of God-given misery and terror and mortality and then make it worse?”
The Terror. What to say about it?
It's long. It's well-researched. It's inventive. It's creepy. It's brutal. It makes you feel the cold.
If it weren't for the end, I may have gone with 4. It's not easy to rate. So much of it is worth 5 star, a few pushes it back, I'll be uncertain again and settle with 4.5
Embarrassingly, I had no idea this was based on a true story unti ...more
The Terror. What to say about it?
It's long. It's well-researched. It's inventive. It's creepy. It's brutal. It makes you feel the cold.
If it weren't for the end, I may have gone with 4. It's not easy to rate. So much of it is worth 5 star, a few pushes it back, I'll be uncertain again and settle with 4.5
Embarrassingly, I had no idea this was based on a true story unti ...more
Dan Simmons' The Terror may be one of the few novels I've read that makes me grateful to live in Texas. This imaginative re-telling of the doomed Franklin expedition of 1845 to find the Northwest Passage is overwhelming in its details of life and death in the Arctic north. The cold is constant, the dark is depressing, and the wind, snow, ice, fog, and (when it appears) water are life-threatening. These are things Texans don't have to worry about. I must remember this book when I want to complain
...more
‘The Terror’can be shelved under several genres: historical fiction, horror, adventure. Wherever it is shelved, it is a fantastic read. However, it is long, with horrifying and graphic descriptions of illnesses, injuries and violent attacks. Since it is a fictionalized story about people who really existed (it is based on a real English explorer, Captain Franklin, and his last voyage to the Arctic), it has a lot of interesting details about what it was like to be a ship-based explorer in the mid
...more
Is the Terror a mythical beast in the Arctic? The Tuunbaq?
Is the Terror Her Majesty’s Ship of the same name?
Is the Terror nights that never end?
Is the Terror a Ripper style murderer and his penchant for mutilation?
Is the Terror knowledge?
Is the Terror sodomy?
Is the Terror a silent Esqimaux?
Is the Terror scurvy?
Is the Terror unrelenting ice floes?
Is the Terror belief?
Is the Terror remembrance?
Is the Terror dreams?
Is the Terror the past?
Is the Terror cannibalism?
Is the Terror doubt?
Is the Terror h ...more
Is the Terror Her Majesty’s Ship of the same name?
Is the Terror nights that never end?
Is the Terror a Ripper style murderer and his penchant for mutilation?
Is the Terror knowledge?
Is the Terror sodomy?
Is the Terror a silent Esqimaux?
Is the Terror scurvy?
Is the Terror unrelenting ice floes?
Is the Terror belief?
Is the Terror remembrance?
Is the Terror dreams?
Is the Terror the past?
Is the Terror cannibalism?
Is the Terror doubt?
Is the Terror h ...more
Since this book tells of an Arctic expedition and ships trapped in the ice, it was the perfect read for a frosty December. Sadly, it hasn't gotten frosty here yet. But the book made me feel the cold these sailors had to endure, that's for sure.
The author takes the story of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, two British polar exploration ships that actually sailed into the Arctic to find the Northwest Passage in 1845, and gives it a little twist.
HMS Terror used to be a specialized bomb ship that saw a nu ...more
The author takes the story of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, two British polar exploration ships that actually sailed into the Arctic to find the Northwest Passage in 1845, and gives it a little twist.
HMS Terror used to be a specialized bomb ship that saw a nu ...more
Dan Simmons has a multitude of strengths -- undeniable attention to detail, dialogue that sings with clarity, set pieces that can haunt for days -- but most notable might be restraint from barreling down any one genre: ghost story, alien story, survival story. The Terror has elements of each but trusts the reader's imagination to give the novel shape and texture.
This epic is a fictionalized account of the final voyage of Captain John Franklin, who set off for the Arctic Ocean in 1845 to locate t ...more
This epic is a fictionalized account of the final voyage of Captain John Franklin, who set off for the Arctic Ocean in 1845 to locate t ...more
On May 1845 two ships, HMS Terror led by captain Crozier and flagship HMS Erebus commanded by captain Fitzjames, set sail on the expedition to find legendary Northwest Passage. Leader of the enterprise which was to get England fame and glory but also establish it primacy on the field of Arctic exploration was sir John Franklin. The whole expedition counted 129 people in total. And no one of them ever returned from the voyage. Both people and ships get lost in the vastness of ice.
The whole undert ...more
Nov 04, 2014
Metodi Markov
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adventure,
must-read-books,
historical-fiction,
linz,
favorites,
usa,
sci-fi,
with-english-review,
2014
Review on English, followed by the Bulgarian one. Ревюто на английски е първо, следва това на български.
I don't know if you will ever read this but anyway - thank you for the great book Mr. Simmons!!!
What a novel -simply epic!
With a smooth, almost somnolent start, a surprise rise of the tension to the finish that far exceeded my expectations!
Simmons is familiar to us mainly with his science fiction books, but this is pure adventurous novel with unheard-of scope, at least for me.
The atmosphere an ...more
I don't know if you will ever read this but anyway - thank you for the great book Mr. Simmons!!!
What a novel -simply epic!
With a smooth, almost somnolent start, a surprise rise of the tension to the finish that far exceeded my expectations!
Simmons is familiar to us mainly with his science fiction books, but this is pure adventurous novel with unheard-of scope, at least for me.
The atmosphere an ...more
I'm a big Dan Simmons fan, but at several points during this book, I found myself thinking, "will someone get this man an editor?"
There's a great horror tale in here. Unfortunately it's buried under layers of fat. Ironic, since lengthy descriptions of starvation and scurvy take up so much space in the book.
There's a great horror tale in here. Unfortunately it's buried under layers of fat. Ironic, since lengthy descriptions of starvation and scurvy take up so much space in the book.
Wow! This book is quite the adventure - for the characters and the reader.
I'm writing my review having not completed the book; I'm 77% finished. I've held onto every single word; have had a hard time putting the book down - I don't want it to end, but it has too. We've lost many beloved characters along the way, and there's one evil doer who remains alive and I can't wait to see what his fate is. I know what he deserves, but we won't go into that ... spoilers and all. Also, what about this ...more
Having thoroughly enjoyed the 2018 TV series The Terror I wondered what the 2007 novel it was based on might be like. I checked out some reviews from trusted friends on Goodreads (thanks, Richard!) & off I set.
The novel is based on the true story of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the North-West Passage. It's an epic journey for the ships Erebus & Terror, & at over 900 pages it's an equally epic journey for the reader too!
Simmons has a fairly simple style of writing, which flows easi ...more
The novel is based on the true story of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the North-West Passage. It's an epic journey for the ships Erebus & Terror, & at over 900 pages it's an equally epic journey for the reader too!
Simmons has a fairly simple style of writing, which flows easi ...more
*Update*
Read 02/12 & 03/16
This is probably in my top ten for any book in any genre.
-----------
I'd volunteer for crucifixion before I volunteered for the Franklin Expedition. The supernatural element was unnecessary here; the reality of it alone was horrifying. Top notch storytelling, highly recommended. ...more
Read 02/12 & 03/16
This is probably in my top ten for any book in any genre.
-----------
I'd volunteer for crucifixion before I volunteered for the Franklin Expedition. The supernatural element was unnecessary here; the reality of it alone was horrifying. Top notch storytelling, highly recommended. ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pessimist Book Club: The Terror | 3 | 17 | Sep 23, 2019 08:18PM | |
| a outra mafalda [...: O Terror de Dan Simmons (Maio) | 13 | 16 | Jul 04, 2019 02:21AM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Terror by Dan Simmons - four stars | 1 | 10 | Mar 12, 2019 03:34AM | |
| Lady Silence ... book vs. AMC? | 3 | 48 | Jan 15, 2019 06:04PM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: English edition has German description | 2 | 12 | Aug 21, 2018 01:10PM | |
| Horror Aficionados : The Terror - AMC | 87 | 155 | Jul 31, 2018 01:01PM |
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Dan Simmons grew up in various cities and small towns in the Midwest, including Brimfield, Illinois, which was the source of his fictional "Elm Haven" in 1991's SUMMER OF NIGHT and 2002's A WINTER HAUNTING. Dan received a B.A. in English from Wabash College in 1970, winning a national Phi Beta Kappa Award during his senior year for excellence in fiction, journalism and art.
Dan received his Master ...more
Dan received his Master ...more
Articles featuring this book
It's no secret that television is getting in on the book adaptation game. With so many channels—along with Netflix, Hulu, a...
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“Luckily, even as a young man not yet become himself, John Bridgens had two things besides indecision that kept him from self-destruction - books and a sense of irony.”
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“We are all eaters of souls.”
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