Leviathan Paperback – October 17, 2013

We start off with a death, as good horror novels often do. Johnny Horowitz is an alcoholic paparazzi, and he'll do anything for a story, and while driving by the deserted North Beach on Seagull Island, when he feels it calling to him, and Johnny has made his living by listening to his inner voices. So, he goes down to see what it is about the North Beach that is so special. And after looking around, he finds bones, human bones, and then he really smells a story when he goes to the local law, and he finds that they have absolutely no stomach for any investigation into the matter. At all. A good story means good money, and Johnny needs money, so he stakes out the beach to see what he can see. And what he sees is a sea monster attack, and then he realizes that he is seeing even more than that, that there is even something more special to the beach than the occasional monster. Something that might have to do with time slippages. Enter Matt Packard, the local historian who knows more about the beach than nearly anybody else, and since he is nearing the end of his life, he doesn't give a damn anymore about screwing up Seagull Island's tourist trade, or whose feathers get ruffled. Just the type of person Johnny needs, and wants on his side. Johnny also finds out that these incidents and attacks only take place during periods of great atmospheric disturbances, like hurricanes, like hurricane Amelia, like hurricane Amelia which is barreling on down on Seagull Island. With the novella "Leviathan", Tim Curran delivers another slab of neo-pulp "B" movie action goodness that starts out with Curran developing his situations, locals, and characters, Johnny is a prime screw-up, and he's the type of person who gets people killed. Curran will then have the story move inexorably towards its exciting, and nearly apocalyptic ending, which happens during Amelia's worst, as the past come back to bite Johnny, Matt, and the whole island, in more ways than one. This is a novella that could have appeared, if only slightly revised, in many of the old thirties or forties pulp adventure or fantasy magazines, before sf started taking itself way too seriously. What a great movie this novella would make, especially the ending, which is one of the best and most exciting that I've read in fiction in some time, and which oddly enough, reminded me of the ending of the mystery thriller  Skiptrace  by Antoinette Azolakov with its equally exciting hurricane, although in a different way, ending. And once again, Severed Press refuses to list or acknowledge who does the cover artwork for their books; I'd like to know just who did the artwork for this novella, it's pretty danged good. For this site I have also reviewed these other books by Curran: Cannibal Corpse, M/C  by Tim Curran. Dead Sea  by Tim Curran.The Hive #1:  Hive (The Hive Series)  by Tim Curran.The Hive #2:  The Spawning: Book Two of The Hive Series  by Tim Curran. Skin Medicine  by Tim Curran. Also of interest are these books: Blood Hunter  by Sidney Williams. Crogian  by John Leahy. Deeper  by James A. Moore. The Late Night Horror Show  by Bryan Smith.

While an entertaining read, LEVIATHAN could have been better. The idea for a story was there but it didn't strike me that enough effort was put into developing the idea. The result ends up being, as another reviewer pointed out, a book that compares to a Syfy original movie.Johnny Horowitz has overextended himself. As a member of the paparazzi, he is currently on the bad side of enough celebrities that he needs to take a break to let things cool down. That's how he finds himself on vacation on Seagull Island. It is there that he finds an abandoned beach where, when the conditions are right, a gateway to another world or time is opened. A world where monsters and dinosaurs still live. With a hurricane on its way and causing the gateway to open more frequently, Johnny is determined to get irrefutable proof.There are lots of holes in the story that detract from the book. Why has no one really discovered this occurrence in the last eighty years that the beach has been closed? Why do people get trapped or disappear into the other world but no creatures end up on Johnny's world? What happened to the sheriff who appeared at the beginning of the book but was never seen again? Unfortunately I think poor or lazy writing is the answer to that last question. Realistically I think a lot of my issues with the book could have been addressed relatively easily. Expand the book to novel length instead of a novella by inserting a conspiracy on the part of the islanders. The occurrence could have been well-known by the locals but purposefully hidden. Then the book could have had a dual focus of the island's secret and the creatures. This could have led to some character development which would have helped to make me care whether they lived or died. Overall, the book wasn't bad; it just should have been better.

I love a good horror story, and that's exactly what Tim Curran has given to us with "Leviathan".Johnny is a freelance photographer and spends his days stalking celebrities and selling his pictures of them to the tabloids. After a rough patch, he takes a much needed vacation to a secluded beach only to find that something strange is going on. Johnny unearths human bones and begins his own little investigation as to their origin. What he discovers is unbelievable. Every so often, when certain atmospheric conditions become right, a gateway opens on the beach that leads to a sea long extinct. A sea full of creatures that died off millions of years ago. Upon his discovery, Johnny embarks on a plan to get rich by taking photos of these long gone reptiles and fish. And then everything goes terribly wrong.Before reading this book, I had never heard of Tim Curran. My expectations were low going in. There are many more bad horror novels than there are good ones.....but I'm a sucker for a good one and so I gave this one a shot. Fortunately, "Leviathan" exceeds expectation. It is a fast paced easy read, with a main character that fits his profile and stigma so well that you feel like you know him personally. The plot is very simple and after the first chapter, you know exactly where you're headed in the end. This little book delivers major fun and is way up there on the price versus enjoyment scale. Curran's book, while short, is a blast to read and his pacing and flow as a storyteller are surprisingly good.The end of the book is abrupt to say the least and could have been done much better. Aside from that, this is a great horror story and I would certainly read Curran again.

Really enjoyed this. The action and tension is right from the very beginning and doesn't let up. Very descriptive, could almost hear and smell the sea. A bit gory in places but not gratuitously so, just enough to make it clear the horror of what is happening, unlike some that pile the gore so much it becomes tedious to read. On the strength of this I might try another Tim Curran novel.

A short novel that is high on monster's and Gore. I read it in one sitting and while it's not literature it did pass an hour or so and unlike some books of this type it didn't outlast it's welcome by being too long.

Started well but kind of a disappointing ending I was like 'is that it? ' not his best. Fear Me and Monstrosity are great

Pretty nice idea, well written, but ending is a little bit of a let down... doesn't really end with a bang (as you would expect with the build up) but kind of fades away and you feel as though the end action happens off page

Nice and silly. Too short for any of Curran's trademark atmosphere to build properly. Passes a couple of afternoons on the beach lounger.