Hater by David Moody
This book was originally self published by the author a few years ago and there is a new edition coming out by Sci-Fi and Fantasy imprint Gollancz in February 2009
Danny our protagonist is not an unlikeable guy but he's more lazy Joe than average Joe but his kids, now there's another story they make me thankful I don't have kids they are just so annoying
Set in the UK Danny is witness to a violent attack of an old woman by a businessman but soon the violence escalates and man is attacking it's fellow humans and the reasons are never clear. Infact no reasons are given in the book, characters speculate but I liked the fact that the reason for the sudden and violent attacks is never fully explained
Danny's story is punctuated by vignettes of violence that are raw and brutally described and they really help to heighten the tension - there is a particularly nasty scene set in a hospital involving a scalpel but I shall say no more- but it may make some men a little queasy
In the last quarter of the book the story takes a turn and moves quickly towards the end - which has been left open for the forthcoming sequels - how the story can and does continue I'm not sure but if it is as succinctly written as this book it should be no slog to get through
The film have apparently been bought by Guillermo del Toro and I look forward to seeing how this is brought to the screen. Yes there is horror and gore here but it is the ordinariness, the banality that makes it shocking. del Toro says 'Hater will haunt long after you read the last page' while it didn't haunt me the adrenalin from the last quarter certainly kept me up at night
This is a blokey book but should appeal to those who enjoyed the films Dog Soldiers and 28 Days Later, but be warned this is not a Zombie book
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