They Thirst

Subterranean Press has released their ebook edition of Robert McCammon’s classic 1981 vampire novel, They Thirst. The ebook features new cover artwork by Les Edwards, who previously painted the cover art for their release of The Night Boat. The Signed, Limited Edition hardcover will follow next year. Click on the image to the right to view a larger version of the artwork.

From Subterranean Press:

First published in 1981, They Thirst was Robert McCammon’s fourth novel, and it remains one of the major milestones of an ambitious, constantly evolving career. Like its predecessors—Baal, Bethany’s Sin, and The Night BoatThey Thirst made its initial appearance as a paperback original. In the years since, it has acquired an intensely devoted following, and is now widely regarded as one of the significant vampire novels of the 20th century.

The story begins in the tiny Hungarian hamlet of Krajeck, where nine-year-old Andre Palatazin awaits the return of his father from an unspecified—but clearly dangerous—mission. The man who finally returns is no longer Andre’s father—is no longer, in fact, a man. Pursued by this undead entity, Andre and his mother barely escape with their lives. Decades later, Andre—now Andy—Palatazin is a homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, and spends his days dealing with the quotidian terrors of a large metropolis. His life takes a darker turn when the demonic forces he first encountered in Krajeck arrive in L.A., led by an ancient vampire known as The Master. The Master’s plan: to overrun the city and use it as a stepping-stone toward wider, ultimately global, domination.

They Thirst marks the earliest appearance of McCammon’s penchant for epic, wide-angled narratives. With the unobtrusive ease of a natural storyteller, the author propels a wide assortment of vividly created characters through an apocalyptic scenario that combines gritty urban realism with a powerful portrait of supernatural forces at large in the modern world. The result is a genuine classic of the genre, a novel that is as fresh and absorbing today as it was more than thirty years ago.

 

New reviews of Robert McCammon’s upcoming vampire novella I Travel by Night are showing up around the ‘net.

Rick Kleffel’s Agony Column says:

[…]

For all the literary skills that McCammon brings to the novella, the most important is his ability to put them all together with a sense of fun. Yes, he takes his characters and his world seriously, but there’s a devil-may-care attitude at work here as well. ‘I Travel By Night’ knows precisely what it is and it hits that target so easily that readers might not notice all the perfectly-aligned pieces of the puzzle. ‘I Travel by Night’ is bound to make you smile — and wish that you had fangs to smile with.

Peter Schwotzer on LiteraryMayhem writes:

With his first foray into Horror in many a year, Robert McCammon further cements his status as one of the best authors of this or any generation.

[…]

For those of you horror fanatics who remember when Mr. McCammon reigned supreme in the horror genre and for those who have not yet experienced Mr. McCammon’s horror roots this book as a must and I give it my highest recommendation.

Rick Kleffel has also posted a new 4 1/2-minute podcast with excerpts from an interview with Robert McCammon. You can read more about the podcast and download it here, or you can just download the MP3 here. The full audio interview will be posted soon.