The Regulators

The Regulators by Richard Bachman

Poplar Street is an idealistic neighborhood street in Ohio. The neighbors know each other and (mostly) get along. But one hot, sunny July afternoon things get very bad very fast.

Audrey Wyler has taken in her autistic nephew Seth. His parents, brother and sister were all killed in a drive[by shooting out in California. On their last family vacation, while visiting an old mine in Nevada, Seth was invaded by an ancient spirit who calls himself Tak. Tak lives by draining the energy out of others.

Tak brings all of Seth's favorite TV shows out into reality when his energy levels are high. Seth likes westerns-particularly Bonanza and a sci-fi cartoon with lots of high-tech weapons. And as these weapons kill the residents of Poplar Street, Tak's energy and control grow. Pretty soon the surrounding town turns into the Nevada desert, shutting off any chance of help from the outside world.

I liked this book. It was a quick red and kept me interested although I have to admit I've read it before. But all I remember from the previous read is that I liked it. That's a gook enough reason to reread a book.

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

"Heart of Darkness" follows an Englishman, Marlowe, on his travels into the Congo. He has been hired to ferry ivory from upriver, and bring back an ill station manager, Kurtz. He becomes fascinated with Kurtz' reputation. Kurtz is seen as a highly able man who is extremely successful at supplying ivory.

Marlowe is forced to spend several weeks at the port awaiting supplies to repair his boat. He's horrified to see the way the natives are treated. They're disposable. Barely fed, and badlly mistreated. Disposable. They're considered subhuman.

Marlowe is horrified with everything around him and events on the trip are no better. But when he finally meets Kurtz, he truly sees the heart of darkness.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of British schoolboys are marooned on a desert island. They were being evacuated for safety during a war. Finding themselves alone without adult supervision, they begin to form their own society. And their society soon begins to break down.

This is a new entry on my list of favorites. An amazing book. Golding uses children to explore the darkness in human nature. And the horror of it is, it feels like a logical natural progression from the order and co-operation of the early days to the fear and savagery that builds as time goes by and personalities assert themselves.