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The Mountain King
Book by Hautala, Rick
276 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1996
15 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Rick Hautala
137 books125 followersAKA A.J. Matthews
Rick Hautala has more than thirty published books to his credit, including the million copy, international best-seller Nightstone, as well as Twilight Time, Little Brothers, Cold Whisper, Impulse, and The Wildman. He has also published four novels—The White Room, Looking Glass, Unbroken, and Follow—using the pseudonym A. J. Matthews. His more than sixty published short stories have appeared in national and international anthologies and magazines. His short story collection Bedbugs was selected as one of the best horror books of the year in 2003.
A novella titled Reunion was published by PS Publications in December, 2009; and Occasional Demons, a short story collection, is due in 2010 from CD Publications. He wrote the screenplays for several short films, including the multiple award-winning The Ugly Film, based on the short story by Ed Gorman, as well as Peekers, based on a short story by Kealan Patrick Burke, and Dead @ 17, based on the graphic novel by Josh Howard.
A graduate of the University of Maine in Orono with a Master of Art in English Literature (Renaissance and Medieval Literature), Hautala lives in southern Maine with author Holly Newstein. His three sons have all grown up and (mostly) moved out of the house. He served terms as Vice President and Trustee for the Horror Writers Association.
Sadly, Rick died on March 21, 2013.
Rick Hautala has more than thirty published books to his credit, including the million copy, international best-seller Nightstone, as well as Twilight Time, Little Brothers, Cold Whisper, Impulse, and The Wildman. He has also published four novels—The White Room, Looking Glass, Unbroken, and Follow—using the pseudonym A. J. Matthews. His more than sixty published short stories have appeared in national and international anthologies and magazines. His short story collection Bedbugs was selected as one of the best horror books of the year in 2003.
A novella titled Reunion was published by PS Publications in December, 2009; and Occasional Demons, a short story collection, is due in 2010 from CD Publications. He wrote the screenplays for several short films, including the multiple award-winning The Ugly Film, based on the short story by Ed Gorman, as well as Peekers, based on a short story by Kealan Patrick Burke, and Dead @ 17, based on the graphic novel by Josh Howard.
A graduate of the University of Maine in Orono with a Master of Art in English Literature (Renaissance and Medieval Literature), Hautala lives in southern Maine with author Holly Newstein. His three sons have all grown up and (mostly) moved out of the house. He served terms as Vice President and Trustee for the Horror Writers Association.
Sadly, Rick died on March 21, 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 7, 2017
Gory Horror!
This was a great book! At first it seemed to start out a little slow, but it finally started picking up speed the more I got into it. It is about friends that go hiking in the mountains and they end up fighting for survival from "creatures" that live in the mountains.
Beware as this book contains graphic details of gore and it is not for the faint of heart. If you like very graphic gore and horror then this is the book for you. Four star read on this one.
This was a great book! At first it seemed to start out a little slow, but it finally started picking up speed the more I got into it. It is about friends that go hiking in the mountains and they end up fighting for survival from "creatures" that live in the mountains.
Beware as this book contains graphic details of gore and it is not for the faint of heart. If you like very graphic gore and horror then this is the book for you. Four star read on this one.
May 23, 2022
Now, I can never get enough Bigfoot books, and somehow, this one has slipped under my radar back in the day when I was reading just about every Leisure horror book. The Mountain King is wild, touching and brutal. My jaw literally dropped at one point in the story. I'll be recommending this to cryptid lovers for years to come.
November 28, 2011
I went camping when I was a kid and this was the type of story that we told around the campfire----well, maybe not as violent as this, but the same type of story. And we scared the crap out of each other. Set in Maine, up on Mount Agiochook, two climbers encounter bad weather and amuse themselves with campfire tales. The fun is short-lived when encounter a legendary creature from Indian folklore that turns out to be much more than just a legend and much nastier than any campfire story. Think you know how this story goes? No, actually you don't. It is safe to say that no one is safe from the Mountain King, who is not an unthinking eating machine but is actually an intelligent and sadistic predator on the hunt. Extremely violent and surprising in its plot twists, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the incorporation of Indian legends into the story and plan on reading Hautala's UNTCIGAHUNK next.
August 1, 2013
Rick Hautala has a writing style that's easy to follow, and always enjoyable to pick up. This was one of the few of his novels that I hadn't heard of previously, until a promotion on Amazon. Hautala's take on another legendary character, infused with his own personal touch and great characterization. A very enjoyable read that I highly recommend!
November 2, 2021
Laut indianischer Legende haust auf dem Agiochook (=Mount Washingten, New Hampshire) etwas Böses, das gelegentlich arglose Wandersleute seinem Hunger opfert.
Hautala erzählt in THE MOUNTAIN KING von der Konfrontation der Anwohner eines kleinen Städtchens am Fuße des Berges mit Pesvastus Pilosis - wir einfachen Leute sagen Sasquatch.
Die erste Hälfte des Romans ist recht stimmungsvoll erzählt und die rauhe Berglandschaft eine tolle Kulisse. Dann aber häufen sich Kapitel, die mir nicht gefallen haben. Die Gestaltung der Charaktere ist oberflächlich und wenig überzeugend, der ganze Erzählstrang um die ungetreue Gattin unseres Helden schlicht überflüssig weil weder der Stimmung noch der Handlung dienlich. Ich bin kein Romantiker, aber die Art, wie Hautala eine der sympathischsten Hauptfiguren grausam über die Klinge springen lässt, fand ich unpassend (obwohl natürlich klar ist, dass Bigfoot sich nicht an Hollywood-Spielregeln halten und alle Guten überleben lassen muss).
Für mich ein Roman, der lesenswert beginnt und dann leider stark nachlässt.
2.5
Hautala erzählt in THE MOUNTAIN KING von der Konfrontation der Anwohner eines kleinen Städtchens am Fuße des Berges mit Pesvastus Pilosis - wir einfachen Leute sagen Sasquatch.
Die erste Hälfte des Romans ist recht stimmungsvoll erzählt und die rauhe Berglandschaft eine tolle Kulisse. Dann aber häufen sich Kapitel, die mir nicht gefallen haben. Die Gestaltung der Charaktere ist oberflächlich und wenig überzeugend, der ganze Erzählstrang um die ungetreue Gattin unseres Helden schlicht überflüssig weil weder der Stimmung noch der Handlung dienlich. Ich bin kein Romantiker, aber die Art, wie Hautala eine der sympathischsten Hauptfiguren grausam über die Klinge springen lässt, fand ich unpassend (obwohl natürlich klar ist, dass Bigfoot sich nicht an Hollywood-Spielregeln halten und alle Guten überleben lassen muss).
Für mich ein Roman, der lesenswert beginnt und dann leider stark nachlässt.
2.5
August 3, 2013
An accident during a mountain hike sets in motion this tale of terror, as man and myth collide in a game of cat and mouse. Hautala keeps the tension going with a realistic response to the threat, the human factor and a creature that isn't your typical Bigfoot. A fast, fun read.
August 2, 2013
3.5 stars
November 20, 2022
3.25 stars. I enjoyed this *a little* more than Moonbog by Hautala, which I read at the beginning of the year, but not by much. I didn’t enjoy that one so much because I thought it was gonna be a monster story based on the cover, and this *was* a monster story, but just an okay one.
It has some pretty brutal gore and violent imagery that made me cringe, but there’s a plotline involving the MC’s cheating wife that I just don’t think was necessary?? We’re kinda hit over the head over and over again with the fact that she’s a “cheating slut” (I think it says like that 4-5 times in the story).
Definitely would’ve been better if it was a straight up survivalist killer big foot story, but yeah, definitely had some pretty brutal kills!
It has some pretty brutal gore and violent imagery that made me cringe, but there’s a plotline involving the MC’s cheating wife that I just don’t think was necessary?? We’re kinda hit over the head over and over again with the fact that she’s a “cheating slut” (I think it says like that 4-5 times in the story).
Definitely would’ve been better if it was a straight up survivalist killer big foot story, but yeah, definitely had some pretty brutal kills!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2020
This volume contains the novel The Mountain King and three short stories to round it out. So, Hautala does bigfoot, kinda. Phil and Mark are taking one last hike before winter hits in Maine when, after a freak snowstorm, Phil falls off a cliff. Mark sees him at the bottom, and then sees something carry him off into the woods. Mark makes it back to civilization and reports what happened to Phil, but the sheriff doubts his story. Finally, a manhunt is launched to find what remains of Phil, and Mark takes a week off work to search as well, albeit with a rifle...
This is a fairly straight forward plot, with a few grizzly twists and turns. A fast, fun read to be sure. The three short stories are also fun, in a light way (even though some grizzly events take place there as well). Three solid stars.
This is a fairly straight forward plot, with a few grizzly twists and turns. A fast, fun read to be sure. The three short stories are also fun, in a light way (even though some grizzly events take place there as well). Three solid stars.
January 28, 2025
I got nothing to say about this. Generic.
December 11, 2022
A surprisingly fun novel that did not go where I was expecting.
A lot of 'Oh damn did that really just happen?' moments and some genuinely enjoyable characters.
This was my first Rick Hautala book but it certainly won't be my last.
A lot of 'Oh damn did that really just happen?' moments and some genuinely enjoyable characters.
This was my first Rick Hautala book but it certainly won't be my last.
July 8, 2021
Noch im Dezember letzten Jahres gelesen habe ich "The Mountain King", den 3. Band der Cemetery Dance Germany-Reihe aus dem Buchheim Verlag . Vorenthalten möchte ich euch meine Meinung zu diesem limitierten, handnummerierten Schmuckstück aus dem Hause Buchheim nicht, hat mich dieser Horrorroman des leider bereits verstorbenen Autors Rick Hautala doch durchweg gut unterhalten.
Als ein Klassiker des Genre wird dieser Roman/Thriller von den Fans gelobt. Ich persönlich hatte bisher noch nichts vom Autor gelesen und war sehr gespannt auf die Story, die auf dem Klappentext sehr vielversprechend klingt.
Da ist nämlich die Rede von einer indianischen Legende über den Mount Agiochook, die besagt, dass etwas Furchteinflößendes, Tödliches in den Bergen haust. Mark und sein Freund Phil geben nicht viel auf diesen Mythos und brechen zu einer gemeinsamen Bergtour auf. Doch dann werden sie von einem Unwetter überrascht, das sie zur Eile antreibt. Es kommt zu einem Unfall und einer der Männer verschwindet spurlos ...
Hautalas Stil erinnerte mich stellenweise ein wenig an Laymon, doch kommt er ohne Vulgarität aus und legt den Fokus eher auf klassische Horrorelemente. Blutig und ein wenig "slashig" geht es allerdings auch bei ihm zu. Allzu zartbesaitet sollte man also nicht sein. Insgesamt nimmt sich Hautala allerdings durchaus Zeit, seine Figuren und ihre Beweggründe näher zu beleuchten, tut dies aber nicht übermäßig ausschweifend und hält so die Spannung konstant hoch. Zum Ende hin dreht er mächtig an dieser Stellschraube und man fliegt förmlich durch die Seiten. Hier gab es dann auch ein paar Momente, die mir nicht durchweg logisch erschienen. Dem Unterhaltungswert tut dies allerdings keinen Abbruch und die teilweise unerwarteten Wendungen habe ich wirklich "gefeiert".
Fazit
Ein lesenswerter, stellenweise derber Horrorroman, der als Pageturner mit einigen Twists daherkommt und durchweg gut unterhält.
☆☆☆☆
Als ein Klassiker des Genre wird dieser Roman/Thriller von den Fans gelobt. Ich persönlich hatte bisher noch nichts vom Autor gelesen und war sehr gespannt auf die Story, die auf dem Klappentext sehr vielversprechend klingt.
Da ist nämlich die Rede von einer indianischen Legende über den Mount Agiochook, die besagt, dass etwas Furchteinflößendes, Tödliches in den Bergen haust. Mark und sein Freund Phil geben nicht viel auf diesen Mythos und brechen zu einer gemeinsamen Bergtour auf. Doch dann werden sie von einem Unwetter überrascht, das sie zur Eile antreibt. Es kommt zu einem Unfall und einer der Männer verschwindet spurlos ...
Hautalas Stil erinnerte mich stellenweise ein wenig an Laymon, doch kommt er ohne Vulgarität aus und legt den Fokus eher auf klassische Horrorelemente. Blutig und ein wenig "slashig" geht es allerdings auch bei ihm zu. Allzu zartbesaitet sollte man also nicht sein. Insgesamt nimmt sich Hautala allerdings durchaus Zeit, seine Figuren und ihre Beweggründe näher zu beleuchten, tut dies aber nicht übermäßig ausschweifend und hält so die Spannung konstant hoch. Zum Ende hin dreht er mächtig an dieser Stellschraube und man fliegt förmlich durch die Seiten. Hier gab es dann auch ein paar Momente, die mir nicht durchweg logisch erschienen. Dem Unterhaltungswert tut dies allerdings keinen Abbruch und die teilweise unerwarteten Wendungen habe ich wirklich "gefeiert".
Fazit
Ein lesenswerter, stellenweise derber Horrorroman, der als Pageturner mit einigen Twists daherkommt und durchweg gut unterhält.
☆☆☆☆
October 4, 2020
A haunted mountain is home to an ancient evil. An enjoyable creature feature from Hautala along with 3 of his short stories.
July 15, 2017
I hate giving this book three stars. It's just not quite a four, in my eyes. I wish Goodreads (and Amazon, for that matter) would adopt a system that allows for half stars. I'd give it a 3.5 rating if I could. I'm a Rick Hautala fan, and that fandom didn't end when he passed away in 2013 (with an outpouring of sadness from the fiction-writing and horror communities). I've read and enjoyed Rick's work for years, but this one, for me, fell short. I kept losing interest for days at a time before returning my attention to this novel. Hey, it kept pulling me back, so - at least - there's that. I guess I was expecting more than a clan of Bigfoot running rampant on a mountain. If you're new to this author's work, I recommend skipping this title until you've read a few of his other ones. This is not the magnum opus of his career, but - like I said -I was oddly compelled to finish it. I guess I just needed to know how it would end!
August 4, 2013
I had started reading Wildman a couple months ago and I did not take to it at all, but this book was totally different different in terms of pace, character development and plot. The scene with the daughter left me horrified and showed me that the author was comfortable with what he had left in the tank to make this an enthralling tale of man vs beast.
June 21, 2009
When you write a horror novel about sasquatch, you need to make it scary. Because non-scary Bigfoot is just silly.
November 1, 2013
Man chases big hairy gorilla around mountain...where he finds more big hairy gorillas...big fight and hairy gorillas die....bit boring really zzzzzzzzzzzz :(
August 12, 2014
I can't believe I haven't read this book till now. The Mountain King is a great read from start to finish. This is type of story that has made Rick Hautala one of the best Horror writers.
July 27, 2025
This was a blind pickup from my library, I’d never heard of this guy before and now I can see why….
When I read the back of this book I thought it’d be at least interesting, but the characters (Mark Newman and his ill-fated brother Billy) are so dumb that I found myself rooting for the “Mountain King” who, side-note, I was really hoping would be like a god of war villain but in reality, he’s just an extremely large and deranged Neanderthal. So that was disappointing.
This author is fine and has very readable prose but isn’t anything special and certainly nothing I’m gonna read again. I was hoping for a Jack Ketchum-esq novel with great atmosphere and it failed on both levels.
2/5; not very interesting and doesn’t do the great concept justice.
When I read the back of this book I thought it’d be at least interesting, but the characters (Mark Newman and his ill-fated brother Billy) are so dumb that I found myself rooting for the “Mountain King” who, side-note, I was really hoping would be like a god of war villain but in reality, he’s just an extremely large and deranged Neanderthal. So that was disappointing.
This author is fine and has very readable prose but isn’t anything special and certainly nothing I’m gonna read again. I was hoping for a Jack Ketchum-esq novel with great atmosphere and it failed on both levels.
2/5; not very interesting and doesn’t do the great concept justice.
June 7, 2024
Goddamn, this one's bleak, but it's definitely worth seeking out. It's a slow burn for the first third or so, but then it really kicks into high gear. Without getting into spoilers, it has one of the gnarliest, fucked up scenes I've ever read, period. You'll know it when you get there. That being said, a great book.
If you're a fan of Off Season (one of my all-time favorite books), you're gonna LOOOOOVE this one.
If you're a fan of Off Season (one of my all-time favorite books), you're gonna LOOOOOVE this one.
October 8, 2015
The start of the book was fine with Mark and Phil on a hill climb as the bad weather starts to come in. As the weather gets worse, Phil fears he doesn't have the skills required to get safely down the difficult bits in this weather. And of course then we hear something wild on the wind that scares Phil to death. Mark then watches as a monster heads off with Phil as an evening snack. Despite rolling my eyes at how stupid Mark was to take Phil up there with so little experience and not turn back at the first sign of bad weather, the opening was decent.
Then of course we left the monsters to meet Mark's dreadful family. We have the slut of a wife Polly who is sleeping with Dennis and not doing a great job of hiding it. Annoying daughter Sandy hates stepmother Polly yet when she catches Polly cheating and has the chance to get rid of her, she suddenly decides not to tell her dad. Of course not! I mean you have this perfect chance and you decide to let her get away with it. Mark of course is already suspicious to find Dennis at his house so often when he isn't around and Dennis couldn't LOOK any guiltier. But lets all ignore Polly the slapper and pretend it isn't happening. The characters in this book are morons. I'm already rooting for the Sasquatch things...
Mark should have changed his will to leave everything to Sandy and started to divorce the bitch before going to battle the hairy things!
Then of course we left the monsters to meet Mark's dreadful family. We have the slut of a wife Polly who is sleeping with Dennis and not doing a great job of hiding it. Annoying daughter Sandy hates stepmother Polly yet when she catches Polly cheating and has the chance to get rid of her, she suddenly decides not to tell her dad. Of course not! I mean you have this perfect chance and you decide to let her get away with it. Mark of course is already suspicious to find Dennis at his house so often when he isn't around and Dennis couldn't LOOK any guiltier. But lets all ignore Polly the slapper and pretend it isn't happening. The characters in this book are morons. I'm already rooting for the Sasquatch things...
Mark should have changed his will to leave everything to Sandy and started to divorce the bitch before going to battle the hairy things!
September 19, 2014
I hadn't read anything by Hautala for a few years and was looking for something to read by him. I came across this book and decided to give it a shot, I'm glad I did. Mr. Hautala always has a way of painting a vivid picture with his words, but keeps the story flowing and fast paced. That is one of the things I've always enjoyed about his writing and 'The Mountain King' is no different.
I will admit, the book took me awhile to get into, but once it started rolling I couldn't put it down. Even though it was shorter, I felt like it wasn't rushed. The story is fun, characters well developed and there is just enough gore and action to keep it all tied together. There is one particular scene that absolutely disturbed me, and that rarely happens. I think anyone who's read the book will know what scene I'm speaking of.
It does make me sad to know that we will no longer have any new future from this wonderful author, but I am grateful that there is such a fine collection of his work for us and future generations of horror lovers to enjoy. R.I.P Mr. Hautala and thank you for the wonderful novels.
Highly recommended this to anyone who likes well crafted, face paced horror that is hard to put down
I will admit, the book took me awhile to get into, but once it started rolling I couldn't put it down. Even though it was shorter, I felt like it wasn't rushed. The story is fun, characters well developed and there is just enough gore and action to keep it all tied together. There is one particular scene that absolutely disturbed me, and that rarely happens. I think anyone who's read the book will know what scene I'm speaking of.
It does make me sad to know that we will no longer have any new future from this wonderful author, but I am grateful that there is such a fine collection of his work for us and future generations of horror lovers to enjoy. R.I.P Mr. Hautala and thank you for the wonderful novels.
Highly recommended this to anyone who likes well crafted, face paced horror that is hard to put down
February 23, 2018
The Mountain King is a fairly suspenseful tale of basically Bigfoot in Maine, reeking havoc on climbers and hikers. One family in particular faces off against the Yeti's southern cousin. You have to be a bit skilled in suspending disbelief as the creature shows up, not once, not twice, but three times at their home and attacks someone each time. I mean come on how has this creature kept itself hidden for decades with these kind of blatant stunts. Anyway, the protagonist, Mark was easy to sympathize with and the story moved quickly with plenty of action. I kept in mind this book was written over 20 years ago in the mid nineties where this kind of novel with a monster in hometown USA was not fresh in the mid 1990s, but not as tired as it is this decade. These were my major problems with the book, but they were over taken by the strengths, including the writing of Hautala, but only if this kind of story is your cup of tea. For me the rugged mountain scenery and the hunt and be hunted made it a novel that I liked and was worth reading.
January 4, 2018
Honestly, more of a 2.5 but I am rounding down because of the WTF petty ending to it.
The beginning and first two-thirds of the book are pretty solid. There are some tense scenes where you aren't sure where the monster is but the protagonist is clearly scared and the atmosphere buildup is great. The book does have a few extra gory bits. It is a little stomach churning, but in a good way.
I was disappointed with how quickly the book just decided to wrap up. We never figure out what happens to the monsters or the town or Mark or the murder charges or anything. The only plot that wraps up is that we are off the mountain now. Hardly satisfying. Hell, a third of the paperback is nothing but previews of other stories. I felt a little cheated.
It is just okay. Nothing to write home about...
The beginning and first two-thirds of the book are pretty solid. There are some tense scenes where you aren't sure where the monster is but the protagonist is clearly scared and the atmosphere buildup is great. The book does have a few extra gory bits. It is a little stomach churning, but in a good way.
I was disappointed with how quickly the book just decided to wrap up. We never figure out what happens to the monsters or the town or Mark or the murder charges or anything. The only plot that wraps up is that we are off the mountain now. Hardly satisfying. Hell, a third of the paperback is nothing but previews of other stories. I felt a little cheated.
It is just okay. Nothing to write home about...
February 17, 2014
A story that pits man against beast. But the beast is one clever animal; blood thirsty, and bent on revenge. The idea of big foot being responsible for the occasional missing livestock, dog, or even hiker makes for a great story. But just one?
Nah, it'd have to be able to procreate...
So these two guys are out hiking and one slips down a rocky cliff called the Zipper. A figure darts out of the gloom, scoops up the fallen hiker and disappears into the night. What happens in the rest of the story is, at times, edge of the seat reading.
Nah, it'd have to be able to procreate...
So these two guys are out hiking and one slips down a rocky cliff called the Zipper. A figure darts out of the gloom, scoops up the fallen hiker and disappears into the night. What happens in the rest of the story is, at times, edge of the seat reading.
January 18, 2018
I just finished THE MOUNTAIN KING by Rick Hautala. This is the first book of his that I've read. Overall it held my interest and I really enjoyed it. There was one scene that was somewhat unbelievable to me (He wouldn't have done THAT!) However, the story moved along at a nice pace.
The Cemetery Dance S/L edition that I was reading had a LOT of typos which was somewhat distracting. Hopefully those were corrected for later printings.
Otherwise it was a solid read, and I am looking forward to reading other novels by Rick Hautala.
The Cemetery Dance S/L edition that I was reading had a LOT of typos which was somewhat distracting. Hopefully those were corrected for later printings.
Otherwise it was a solid read, and I am looking forward to reading other novels by Rick Hautala.
November 15, 2014
This book is just fantastic. Old school, B movie horror but so brilliantly written that I guarantee it will scare the life out of you. This book is an absolute must have!
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
January 30, 2010
This is definitely a horror novel. The things that happen in this book are what horror writing is all about. This story stands out for me because of the twists and turns of events and how realistic this could be.
July 2, 2019
Entertaining creature-feature/wildness survival horror. It is a quick read with some nice tense moments. There are some surprisingly brutal (and gory) bits sprinkled throughout that catch the reader off-guard and let them know that nothing is off-limits.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews