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Earthsound
In the quiet, calm Rhode Island village something is strangely wrong. Cracks appear. Things move and fall without reason.
The villagers says it's the wrath of God.
Geologist Harry Vail knows there's a big 'quake coming—that terrifying moment when the earth's crust splits open like the jaws of Hell...
The villagers says it's the wrath of God.
Geologist Harry Vail knows there's a big 'quake coming—that terrifying moment when the earth's crust splits open like the jaws of Hell...
205 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Arthur Herzog III
34 books14 followersArthur Herzog III (April 6, 1927 – May 25, 2010) was an American novelist, non-fiction writer, and journalist, well known for his works of science fiction and true crime books. He was the son of songwriter Arthur Herzog, Jr..
His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films. His science fiction novel IQ 83 is being made into a film by Dreamworks.
Herzog was also the author of non-fiction books: The Church Trap is a critique of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish church organization and institutions particularly in the U.S; 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, is about the kidnapping and child sexual abuse of Katie Beers.
His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films. His science fiction novel IQ 83 is being made into a film by Dreamworks.
Herzog was also the author of non-fiction books: The Church Trap is a critique of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish church organization and institutions particularly in the U.S; 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, is about the kidnapping and child sexual abuse of Katie Beers.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 8, 2021
This was an interesting read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was pressed to keep reading to try to figure out what was happening. I also learn quite a bit about earthquakes. A solid story...
March 1, 2016
Arthur Herzog, RDC-M #4, 1975, @ 1975, 7/76. An earthquake expert is absolutely sure that the big one is coming to his hometown, but there are others who think something else is happening. Scarry and suspenseful. Good.
January 30, 2013
The book was good, but I didn't like it as much as I liked Swarm.
May 7, 2025
An interesting artifact from the boom times of paperback fiction, this is a fun enough read without being anything to get too excited about.
Herzog's novel was published in the mid 70s and is an airport-friendly work of suspense that is probably best classified as disaster fiction but which also has obvious horror influences. Our protagonist is Harry Vail, typical of the male fantasy characters present in such works. He's an intellectual everyman with a fit body and a smoking hot wife. We find Harry living in semi-seclusion in a small town in New England, having just restored an old farmhouse by the sea. His neighbors are filthy rich assholes and the townies may be in a cult! As we learn, Harry is scarred by his experiences as a young seismologist when his romantic partner was killed during a massive quake in Alaska. Hence his relocation to this area of the planet, where such geological phenomena are rare.
Or so he thinks. Because suddenly Harry starts hearing the sounds of shifting tectonic plates and believes that he is experiencing minor tremors. Tremors that could signify a larger earthquake to come. Of course, the other characters spend roughly 150 pages ignoring his warnings, even when they are well-documented and supported by available evidence. His wife, improbably, comes to believe the house is haunted. Dark drama--including a missing wife--befalls his neighbors. And the townies? Yeah, they have it out for him. Could be something to do with the house he owns. Or their secretive church.
Things wrap up somewhat predictably, with a happy ending. Still, there was at least one bonkers twist that I did not see coming. Overall, this is a fine enough paperback adventure. Herzog does get into the bizarre habit of seeding this potboiler with actual facts--including a two-page chart!--about earthquakes in a way that seems a bit intrusive. But hey! They didn't have Wikipedia back then. Nothing magical, but fun enough.
Herzog's novel was published in the mid 70s and is an airport-friendly work of suspense that is probably best classified as disaster fiction but which also has obvious horror influences. Our protagonist is Harry Vail, typical of the male fantasy characters present in such works. He's an intellectual everyman with a fit body and a smoking hot wife. We find Harry living in semi-seclusion in a small town in New England, having just restored an old farmhouse by the sea. His neighbors are filthy rich assholes and the townies may be in a cult! As we learn, Harry is scarred by his experiences as a young seismologist when his romantic partner was killed during a massive quake in Alaska. Hence his relocation to this area of the planet, where such geological phenomena are rare.
Or so he thinks. Because suddenly Harry starts hearing the sounds of shifting tectonic plates and believes that he is experiencing minor tremors. Tremors that could signify a larger earthquake to come. Of course, the other characters spend roughly 150 pages ignoring his warnings, even when they are well-documented and supported by available evidence. His wife, improbably, comes to believe the house is haunted. Dark drama--including a missing wife--befalls his neighbors. And the townies? Yeah, they have it out for him. Could be something to do with the house he owns. Or their secretive church.
Things wrap up somewhat predictably, with a happy ending. Still, there was at least one bonkers twist that I did not see coming. Overall, this is a fine enough paperback adventure. Herzog does get into the bizarre habit of seeding this potboiler with actual facts--including a two-page chart!--about earthquakes in a way that seems a bit intrusive. But hey! They didn't have Wikipedia back then. Nothing magical, but fun enough.
May 4, 2024
Alrighty, not the greatest of all time; quite concise and strange story/pacing but veeery good tension building over such simple language/scenes. Makes you feel like a crack in the wall is going to end the world. I’m used to the stakes having to be world-endingly high to experience the thrill of a story, but pulling it out of the bag with one man, his family and pets in small unknown town? Wild. Fantastically tense with a semi-anticlimactic ending but also a good cathartic pull out of nowhere! Strange read, worth it if you’ve run out of other books
June 14, 2021
Spectacular
Herzog's words put images in my brain like being there. Would recommend this to anyone who likes a really good story. So believable.
Herzog's words put images in my brain like being there. Would recommend this to anyone who likes a really good story. So believable.
October 21, 2012
Not having read anything else by Herzog, but being aware of his reputation, I had fairly high expectations of this book. The tension builds, rather slowly but, inexorably as the story unfolds and was very gripping. Unfortunately the resolution seemed rather rushed and the final few pages completely implausible.
September 8, 2016
I finally had to give up on this book. It was interesting at first, but became boring and way too wordy without really saying anything.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews