The Hunger
Author: Whitley Strieber
Genre: Horror
Year: 1981
Rating: 7 of 10
Generally I am not a reader of horror, but this book came highly recommended by a customer, I loved the movie (anything with Bowie), and when I found out that Whitley Strieber was the author I had to read it. One of the better vampire stories I have read, a fresh and original take to the trope while including a science fiction element explaining what vampires are, and dealing with the physiological elements of aging. While not exactly scary, this book had some wonderfully horrifying scenes of not just eternal life but of eternal death. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks in this book to previous times in history including the downfall of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages (skipped over in the film). I don’t want to give too much away about how this book unfolds but I will say that I loved the descriptions of the vampires need for blood, treated as almost an addiction / withdrawal scenario, vividly portrayed, undoing many of the romantic notions of vampirism.
Purchase: Buy!