![]() Here it is: a flimsy and ridiculous character based on Aleister Crowley comes into possession of Hitler’s skull, recently smuggled from behind the Iron Curtain, which he hopes to use for his own unspeakable ends. You’re in luck today, pal, because that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Maybe you’re beginning to sweat a little, in eager anticipation of what may be the best plot ever contrived for a story but foolishly neglected by the masses. I know that you’re absolutely dying to hear what sort of scintillating saga lurks beneath this appealing cover, especially since it doesn't appear anyone has bothered to review (or even read) this gem yet you’re probably on the edge of your chair, white-knuckled, breathing heavily and frothing at the mouth like a rabid beast, begging for me to unfurl how my man 'M-Falc' unfurls a yarn about the apparently unholy skull of Hitler. Basically, this had all the cheesy elements usually attributed to one of the Zebra horror books I was so fond of in my teens, and seeing as neither the length of my tallywhacker or my level of maturity has increased much since, I figured for 50 cents I was making a wise investment. Martin’s Press, hoping to strike paydirt with a dark horse bestseller, lest he be mercilessly sacked and forced back into his unfulfilling career in gay porn. Lastly, the name of the author, Michael Falconer Anderson, doesn’t ring a bell at all, some totally unknown schlub whose work was egregiously overlooked by everyone. Then there’s Hitler’s Skull!!, replete with a trickle of blood coming from a bullet wound above the vacant left eye socket. Well, for starters, the title is pretty damn cool to being with, and is even more enchanting displayed gloriously in one-inch-tall, red lettering in brilliant contrast with the flat black background. ![]() This book thoroughly sucked, which is unfortunate, since the cover is totally awesome. Considering she also used to tell me to watch my filthy fucking mouth, I guess I'll review The Unholy anyway. My mom used to advise me that if I had nothing good to say, it’s best not to say anything at all. Fun novel to be sure, and while more than a little cliché (oh my, that ending!), Anderson paced the story nicely. This also has that trashy 80s feel, with lots of sex, blood and outre happenings. ![]() ![]() What caused the crash? The trail of macabre murders and such that starts sweeping the town definitely reminded me of Herbert, who seemed to love to introduce characters only to off them in heinous ways. On his way back from France, the train he is on crashes just outside of his destination, and while he is ok, strange things start happening in the town of Batforth. He has a few assistants, but the paper is almost a one man show. The Keep, Herbert's The Spear, McCammon's Nazi sub story, etc., and consider all the movies as well!Īnyway, the main protagonist here is Jon Hammond, the manager/editor etc., of a small newspaper in a small town in England. I was trying to think of all the ways Nazis feature in horror stories, especially in the 80s, and came up with a long list. In fact, Anderson refers to the spear that stabbed Jesus here as a relic with power, and Herbert wrote a novel with that as a centerpiece The Spear.įrom the cover, which features a skull with Nazi swastikas in the eye holes, you know this will have something to do with Nazis, and, probably something following the well worn path in horror that explores the Nazi's fascination with the occult. The Unholy is a solid, over-the-top 80s horror novel and it reminded me of Herbert, at least in his early career. This is really a 3.5 star rating, but I could not bring myself to round it up.
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