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Big Thunder
The Blue Valentine, a gentleman vigilante from the pages of Strange Thrills, a 1930s pulp magazine, materializes in the present day streets of Manhattan to save Avis Llewellen, a young New Yorker, from attack by a razor-wielding junkie.
But the Valentine -- infamous among pulp scholars for being the most vicious and amoral of all such cloaked avengers -- is not the only character coming alive in modern New York, and Avis, finding herself caught up in the unfolding of a supernatural apocalypse, must stand alone against forces driven by an ancient and endless malevolence from the spaces between the worlds...
273 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published June 15, 1998
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Peter Atkins
75 books29 followersPETER ATKINS is the author of the novels Morningstar, Big Thunder, and Moontown and the screenplays Hellraiser II, Hellraiser III, Hellraiser IV, and Wishmaster. His short fiction has appeared in several award-winning anthologies and has been selected eight times for one or more of the various 'Year's Best' anthologies. His collection, Rumors of the Marvelous, was a finalist for the British Fantasy Award, and his new collection, All Our Hearts are Ghosts & Other Stories, will be published next year. He blogs at peteratkins.blogspot.com and can be found on Facebook under his own name and on Twitter and Instagram as @limeybastard55.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 3, 2024
This 1997 novel was quite the imaginative and entertaining hybrid of horror and fantasy. Think Clive Barker, only more streamlined and faster-paced — which I suppose is apt considering author Atkins was the screenwriter for the first few Hellraiser sequels, and they’re both native Liverpudlians.
The basic deal is that a young woman in Manhattan finds herself pitted against forces from some nightmare realm adjacent to our own — malevolent forces seemingly intent on bringing forth an apocalypse of supernatural terror. Gruesome, impossible murders are taking place all over, but only she knows that it all somehow involves The Blue Valentine, a fictional masked avenger-type character from 1930s pulps, similar to The Shadow or The Spider. Of course this makes no sense and no one will believe her, but she SAW his ghost-like form when he saved her from an attack outside her apartment late one night. Is the world of dreams and fantasy becoming a reality? The answers might lie in that most famous dream factory: Hollywood.
The reader must be able to really suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy this one. Of course, supernatural horror in general requires this, but this truly takes it to another level. I thought it was a blast, engagingly-written and with plenty of surreal phantasmagorical imagery spread liberally throughout. My interest did wane just a tad as the mystery became more unraveled and answers were given (and as it became more and more over the top in its batshittery), but overall I’d recommend this one for horror fans who don’t mind taking enormous leaps in logic, and who don’t mind when the characters do the same. It’s not especially scary, but there were a number of scenes of pure hellish insanity that were hard not to smile during. And Atkins’ knowledge and love for old pulp magazines shines through.
Too bad Atkins just missed out on the 80s horror fiction boom, as he could have been a much bigger name in the field. He had to settle for being a bigshot Hollywood screenwriter instead.
(Btw this paperback edition is 273 pages, since it’s not listed. Also, a GR librarian might want to combine all of Atkins’ work under one name. It likely doesn’t help that there are multiple Peter Atkinses, but as of now this one’s oeuvre is split between two separate profiles. If you were to click on his name beneath the title right now you won’t get anything for The Wishmaster, Rumors of the Marvelous, and a few others.)
The basic deal is that a young woman in Manhattan finds herself pitted against forces from some nightmare realm adjacent to our own — malevolent forces seemingly intent on bringing forth an apocalypse of supernatural terror. Gruesome, impossible murders are taking place all over, but only she knows that it all somehow involves The Blue Valentine, a fictional masked avenger-type character from 1930s pulps, similar to The Shadow or The Spider. Of course this makes no sense and no one will believe her, but she SAW his ghost-like form when he saved her from an attack outside her apartment late one night. Is the world of dreams and fantasy becoming a reality? The answers might lie in that most famous dream factory: Hollywood.
The reader must be able to really suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy this one. Of course, supernatural horror in general requires this, but this truly takes it to another level. I thought it was a blast, engagingly-written and with plenty of surreal phantasmagorical imagery spread liberally throughout. My interest did wane just a tad as the mystery became more unraveled and answers were given (and as it became more and more over the top in its batshittery), but overall I’d recommend this one for horror fans who don’t mind taking enormous leaps in logic, and who don’t mind when the characters do the same. It’s not especially scary, but there were a number of scenes of pure hellish insanity that were hard not to smile during. And Atkins’ knowledge and love for old pulp magazines shines through.
Too bad Atkins just missed out on the 80s horror fiction boom, as he could have been a much bigger name in the field. He had to settle for being a bigshot Hollywood screenwriter instead.
(Btw this paperback edition is 273 pages, since it’s not listed. Also, a GR librarian might want to combine all of Atkins’ work under one name. It likely doesn’t help that there are multiple Peter Atkinses, but as of now this one’s oeuvre is split between two separate profiles. If you were to click on his name beneath the title right now you won’t get anything for The Wishmaster, Rumors of the Marvelous, and a few others.)
March 18, 2025
As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to
realize how important the little
things in life are. Obviously, family
is number one. The friends you
make here are two. And finally
number three (at least for me)
are the stories that are created
by the imaginers all over the world.
Now that’s a very broad statement
and can be broken down into writers,
painters, musicians, filmmakers, or
even the common man who has
nothing. Stories come from anywhere
and always grow in the telling.
Which brings me to author and
screenwriter Peter Atkins second
novel ‘Big Thunder.’ A story that’s
a celebration of the imagination
and more importantly how people
learn to grow through strange
and marvelous journeys to find healing.
Avis Llewelyn is someone
who’s growing tired of her life.
One night while being attacked
by a junkie she’s saved by a
stranger who calls himself
‘The Blue Valentine.’ The situation
turns even more bizarre when she
finds out this man who calls himself
Valentine Dyson, is a fictional character
that comes from a 1930’s pulp magazine called “Strange Thrills.” This puts her on
a path of self discovery while also
trying to stop an ancient evil that
wants to destroy the human race.
To say anymore would be a
great disservice to new readers
that will hopefully discover it.
If you’re a fan of the fantastic
there’s certainly a lot to love here
especially from the pulp fiction
style character the Blue Valentine.
When Avis does research on the
character’s origins I felt like
I was transported back in time
to an era when pulp fiction was
at its peak. It’s obvious Atkins
has a deep affection for these
types of stories. His love for this
material makes the reader want
to seek out this stuff because of the enthusiasm in the writing.
For me the story is much deeper
than your typical run of the
mill horror novel. What I’ve always
loved about Peter’s work is how he
infuses strong emotional content
that makes the horror the characters experience more impactful. This was my third time reading
the story and with this time around
I really enjoyed the dramatic stuff
over the violence. I loved Avis’s journey
of self discovery as she slowly grows
stronger. I was also bitten by the
nostalgia bug and felt the story was
urging me to do so. Some of favorite
parts are when she recalls memories
of her grandfather and growing up
with her older brother. These passages reminded me of my own grandparents
and the good times I had with them.
It also reminded me of when I was a
little kid and playing games with
my two older brothers.
I also found myself relating to the
villains. I don’t like referring to them
as your typical bad guys. They
certainly do commit horrible acts
through the story, but there’s a reason
behind it. A reason I found myself
relating too because I agree
that humanity should never
lose the love of dreaming
and imagining.
The last line of the novel really
brings the purpose of the
story home. I won’t dare
reveal it here, but it’s stated
with a simple truth that
carries a power with it. And
more importantly helped me
understand how stories do
grow in the telling.
Thanks Peter for writing
such a wonderful story
that has been a beacon of hope during a
very dark time in my life.
realize how important the little
things in life are. Obviously, family
is number one. The friends you
make here are two. And finally
number three (at least for me)
are the stories that are created
by the imaginers all over the world.
Now that’s a very broad statement
and can be broken down into writers,
painters, musicians, filmmakers, or
even the common man who has
nothing. Stories come from anywhere
and always grow in the telling.
Which brings me to author and
screenwriter Peter Atkins second
novel ‘Big Thunder.’ A story that’s
a celebration of the imagination
and more importantly how people
learn to grow through strange
and marvelous journeys to find healing.
Avis Llewelyn is someone
who’s growing tired of her life.
One night while being attacked
by a junkie she’s saved by a
stranger who calls himself
‘The Blue Valentine.’ The situation
turns even more bizarre when she
finds out this man who calls himself
Valentine Dyson, is a fictional character
that comes from a 1930’s pulp magazine called “Strange Thrills.” This puts her on
a path of self discovery while also
trying to stop an ancient evil that
wants to destroy the human race.
To say anymore would be a
great disservice to new readers
that will hopefully discover it.
If you’re a fan of the fantastic
there’s certainly a lot to love here
especially from the pulp fiction
style character the Blue Valentine.
When Avis does research on the
character’s origins I felt like
I was transported back in time
to an era when pulp fiction was
at its peak. It’s obvious Atkins
has a deep affection for these
types of stories. His love for this
material makes the reader want
to seek out this stuff because of the enthusiasm in the writing.
For me the story is much deeper
than your typical run of the
mill horror novel. What I’ve always
loved about Peter’s work is how he
infuses strong emotional content
that makes the horror the characters experience more impactful. This was my third time reading
the story and with this time around
I really enjoyed the dramatic stuff
over the violence. I loved Avis’s journey
of self discovery as she slowly grows
stronger. I was also bitten by the
nostalgia bug and felt the story was
urging me to do so. Some of favorite
parts are when she recalls memories
of her grandfather and growing up
with her older brother. These passages reminded me of my own grandparents
and the good times I had with them.
It also reminded me of when I was a
little kid and playing games with
my two older brothers.
I also found myself relating to the
villains. I don’t like referring to them
as your typical bad guys. They
certainly do commit horrible acts
through the story, but there’s a reason
behind it. A reason I found myself
relating too because I agree
that humanity should never
lose the love of dreaming
and imagining.
The last line of the novel really
brings the purpose of the
story home. I won’t dare
reveal it here, but it’s stated
with a simple truth that
carries a power with it. And
more importantly helped me
understand how stories do
grow in the telling.
Thanks Peter for writing
such a wonderful story
that has been a beacon of hope during a
very dark time in my life.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews