Children of the End

by Mark A. Clements

A series of gruesome murders brings together Tony Garwood, an ex-San Diego police officer, and Deborah Kosarek, a technical writer, at a center for biomedical research as they discover a warped plot to alter the results of an experiment in genetic engineering. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Horror

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 1993

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a horror novel. This is what Steven King used to be, and has lost with recent, over-commercialized works. This is the kind of thing that will keep you up at night well after you've finished it, loaded with images that will stick with you for a long time.

At its most basic level, it's a well-worn plot, the same one used in a dozen Crichton works. It hasn't been really new since Frankenstein, and maybe not even then. Scientist creates something he doesn't fully understand, creation takes on life of its own and grows in unpredictable and "impossible" ways, scientist loses control, non-scientists have to save day from rogue creation. Just because you can doesn't mean you should, this is why we can't have nice things, etc. But Clements handles it in a way that is fresh and unpredictable, and just a little bit terrifying. He never lets you forget that this is a horror novel, and he keeps the pressure and the terror up throughout the book, building to an earth-shattering conclusion. People die, they die horribly, a lot, include characters that were firmly established and that you liked, and wouldn't have expected to die. When you thought he'd reached the outer limits of where he could safely go, that surely he couldn't go any further, and then--he does! But he manages to do it in a way that is organic to the story, that makes a terrible kind of sense, rather than just throwing something in because he wants to be shocking. I read and watch a lot of horror, and not much gets to me, but there was a scene near the end that turned my stomach. So word to the wise: this is well worth the read, but you have to have a very high tolerance for some very graphic things. If I were teaching a science and philosophy class, I'd try to make this required reading, but I'd probably get fired.

I would love to see this made into a movie. I actually checked for it, but unless it was made under another name, I can't find it. That's a shame--the visual images are stunning, but it's probably just as well. Hollywood would never get the plot right anyway.

[Hugo S]

Awesome book, I was very impressed with the plot of a mad scientist with a solution to a very real problem. I don't know if I should include some spoilers for those who haven't read this book but as a southern California dweller I love the fact that it takes place in my neck of the woods.

[Krystal Scarbrough · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a horror novel that kept me intrigued until the very end, which fell flat. Although the plot is great, the comedy used in this novel was very immature in nature. The genetically engineered creatures' continuous recitation of lines from famous movies, the Bible, television shows, and commercials seemed very corny to me. I think a large portion of this plot was based on the plot of "The Island of Dr. Moreau." Horrifying, gory, and rather dumb!

[Shamar English · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far, one of my favorite books. The plot was thrilling and extraordinary. The protagonists and antagonists complimented each other well. The pace moved to a steady beat. I had an inkling that the twist with his first creation, Vulcan, eventually would assume command over the rest of the loners. The Pendergast character was well-detailed. It was a nice touch to see a religious mad scientist. It was very brilliant.

[Cynthia Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost a star because it went too far over the top at the end, but it was still a good ride, an impressively well paced and almost weirdly believable science fiction horror, like something Michael Crichton might have written if he'd hung out with Stephen King for a weekend.

[Damean Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept. Very much a King/Koontz style tale, with nice writing style. Clements paints a picture of the modern day mad scientist with a point to make and a world to save. Creatures unlike your typical monster are the result. Not bad.

[Cordial Nelsion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read, it was simple, comical, and thrilling. The thing I enjoyed the most was the use of language Clements used, he did not saturate his work with words that were over complicated, humor that was too witty, or scenes that were too gory. He didn't even go into too much detail about how the creatures were manufactured. The story was not really about the creatures, but the idea behind them, which i find to be a doctrine of truth, that the world IS over populated, and in order to take care of that, these creatures were made. They were "decedents" of a task that Clements didn't want to protrude with human characters. Overall, it was a good, simple read, with a powerful message to future adults, who need to question their overall activities here on earth, if they expect to have children that carry their lineage along the quest of everlasting enlightenment; that they need to take care of the planet.