Ravenous

Don D’Auria of Leisure Books has talked about 2008 being ‘The Year of the Werewolf’, and Leisure has now published three lycanthrope-themed novels, J.P. Gonzalez’ Shapeshifter, Thomas Tessier’s The Nightwalker, and now Ray Garton’s Ravenous. I don’t know whether two new novels and a reprint means werewolf is the new zombie or not, but I can tell you Ravenous is a damn good read.

When working with one of the classic horror themes, a good writer will try to re-invent the conventions in such a way as to breathe new life into it, and that’s what Garton does here, just as he did for vampires in his classic Live Girls. In the Garton Universe, lycanthropy is not spread through scratches or bites; rather it is a sexually-transmitted disease. In addition to craving human flesh to eat, the afflicted become uncontrollably horny, leading them to ravish their victims, who in turn become werewolves themselves.

The story takes place in a small California town, where the local sheriff struggles to come to grips with having a werewolf infestation. He is aided by a stranger claiming to be a werewolf hunter. In a twist similar to Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, they are racing against time. Since the disease spreads geometrically, each day brings a larger percentage of the diseased, and quickly it will be too late. It is fast-moving and action-packed, really jumping into high gear around 100 pages in. Although it is one of the longer of Leisure’s horror releases, I really wish it were longer still.

Rumor has it that Garton is working on a new book, Bestial, which will tie the Live Girls and Ravenous storylines together. I can’t wait to see it.