Jaws, Carrie and The Rats: Celebrating three seminal horror books released 50 years ago
In 1974, three influential and iconic works of horror first hit bookshelves and changed the shape of horror, both on page and later on screen.
The trinity of Jaws by Peter Benchley, The Rats by James Herbert and Carrie by Stephen King meant that horror and sleepless nights and nightmares would never be the same again for readers.
And what makes these three works of horror fiction even more special is that each book is the respective author's very first published novel, meaning 1974 was one helluva debut year for them and an amazing year for horror lovers.
These books - and their authors - will still be very familiar to readers of horror then, but also to those discovering them for the first time half a century after they were first published.
Horror books, like many I devoured them aged 12-13, made an indelible impression on me and many of those who read them, helping shape our reading and watching habits for years to come.
Carrie by Stephen King
"Carrie" follows the story of a troubled high school girl named Carrie White who discovers she possesses telekinetic powers. Bullied by her peers and tormented by her deeply religious mother, Carrie's abilities manifest in terrifying ways.
As she navigates the challenges of adolescence and social rejection, a traumatic event at her school's prom leads to catastrophic consequences.
King's debut novel, "Carrie," - which was rescued from the waste bin by King's wife - is a gripping tale that delves into themes of adolescence, isolation, and the abuse of power.
The narrative prowess of King shines through the chilling portrayal of Carrie's struggles, weaving together horror elements with a poignant exploration of human emotions.
The story's raw intensity keeps readers hooked from start to finish, helping establish King's reputation as a master storyteller in the horror genre. And 50 years later there seems to be no stopping him and there is no less of an appetite for his written work or big and small screen adaptations.
A film, directed by Brian DePalma, featuring Sissy Spacek in the title role was released in 1976 - the first adaptation of King's work - and still stands tall as a great King translation to the silver screen, despite some DePalma split screen antics that anchor it firmly in the 1970s. But it still has a raw power and Spacek excels as the bullied and misunderstood Carrie White that lifts it from just well executed horror fodder.
Supporting Spacek are a stellar cast, including Piper Laurie, John Travolta, Nancy Allen and William Katt.
The Rats by James Herbert
In "The Rats," London becomes infested with unusually large and vicious rats that begin attacking humans. As the vermin multiply and terrorize the city, a schoolteacher teams up with authorities to confront this horrifying epidemic. With the rats spreading chaos and death, a desperate battle ensues to eradicate the menacing creatures before they overrun the entire population.
James Herbert's "The Rats", the first print run of 100,000 copies sold out in just three weeks. delivers a visceral and chilling narrative that - like Jaws - taps into our primal fears and something long feared by man.
The relentless and gruesome descriptions of the rat attacks create - just like those in Jaws - an atmosphere of dread, keeping readers on edge throughout the book. Herbert's knack for suspenseful storytelling combined with vivid imagery makes this novel a compelling and hair-raising read for horror enthusiasts.
In his brilliantly illustrated book Paperbacks From Hell - the twisted history of '70s and '80s horror fiction, Grady Hendricks says: "Stephen King has noted that Herbert's books have a "raw urgency", and if by "raw" he means "totally flayed of skin" and if by "urgency" he means "gripping you by the collar and screaming in your face," then we agree.
Herbert would continue the terror of The Rats saga across two further books, Lair (1979) and Domain (1984), and in graphic novel form in The City (1993).
Little wonder he was widely regarded as the UK answer to Stephen King and by the time of his death, at the age of 69 in 2013, he had sold over 54 million books.
Further reading:
Jaws by Peter Benchley
"Jaws" revolves around the fictional town of Amity Island, plagued by a series of gruesome shark attacks. Police Chief Martin Brody, along with a marine biologist named Matt Hooper and a seasoned shark hunter named Quint, embarks on a perilous mission to hunt down and eliminate the monstrous great white shark responsible for the carnage.
Peter Benchley's "Jaws" is a thrilling and suspenseful masterpiece that brought the fear of sharks to the forefront of popular culture. The novel captivates with its gripping narrative, building tension as the characters confront the terror lurking beneath the ocean's surface. Benchley's vivid descriptions and skillful extraordinary storytelling prowess of their respective authors.
Eash well thumbed copy of these books still sits on my shelves, surrounded by other works by the same writers, but re-reading the originals always transports me back to my first forays into adult horror.
What did you think of these books? Or what is your favourite book by these authors? Let us know in the comments.
Words by Dean Newman
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