Lowland Rider

By: Chet Williamson

Narrated by: Chet Williamson

Jesse Gordon, driven to a shocking murder by the killing of his wife and infant daughter, condemns himself to life underground in the New York City subway system. Abandoning the light of day, he finds an evil as old as time, and a redemption which must be bought by a price far greater than death.

©1988 Chet Williamson (P)2010 David N. Wilson

Brutal, but Excellent

Chet Williamson is an author who I hate that I never read back in the 80's and 90's, but I'm thrilled to be discovering his work now. He is easily one of the most skilled writers to come out of that 80's horror boom.

"Lowland Rider," while containing an element of the supernatural, is primarily a story about the horrors that human beings are capable of committing against one another. As such, there are some very brutal scenes. One, in fact, that I found difficult to get through. But these scenes are not there for sensational purposes. The main character is driven to remove himself from the world he knows, and start a new life in the subway tunnels. For that to happen, for the reader to believe someone would do what he does, he has to have suffered something almost unimaginable. And Williamson handles these things masterfully.

I've seen some negative reviews of this novel in the past, and I suspect that has to do with the book not being structured in a typical, 80's horror sort of way. If you're looking for a straight, supernatural horror story, try Williamson's "Soulstorm" before "Lowland Rider." It's one of the best haunted house tales I've ever read. But do come back for this book too. It's different, but in a good way.

Lastly, I'll mention that I also think Chet Williamson does a wonderful job reading his own books (and those of many other authors as well). He has a very dramatic tone to his voice during narration. It's maybe a bit much, but I got used to it very quickly. His character vocalizations are fantastic, and he reads in a very clear, pronounced voice, so if you're like me and listen to your books sped up to 1.5 or higher, his speech still comes across very clearly.