Customer Reviews (12)

Not to Be Missed!
I loved Christa Faust's Hoodtown so I was all geared up to dig into Money Shot. I was not disappointed! If it's possible, I even enjoyed it MORE than Hoodtown.

This is a gritty, graphic and compelling tale of survival and revenge. It's beautifully written with just the right balance of humor and horror at what befalls Angel Dare.

Warning: Not for the timid or easily offended, but that's a GOOD THING!

Hardcore
Adult film star Angel Dare seeks revenge on the goons who brutalized her in this tight, violent tale that's like a cross between Kill Bill and a Kinsey Millhone -- call it "P is for Porn".Like Angel herself, there's a concern that we rely too much on the strong, silent hero who shows up to help her out, but don't worry she takes over in due course.The writing is very funny, but never jokey and there's lot of gritty detail about the industry and Angel's background.And as the title suggests there's a satisfying climax.

Money Shot is right on the Money
One of the better books from the Hardcase Crime line. The story of an ex-pornstar on the warpath may seem odd, but the writing is fast paced, funny and to the point with no fluff or filler, a claim which cannot be made about many crime novels today. Here's to seeing more Christa Faust and Angel Dare!

Hardcore Hard Case
If you like your pulp thrillers action-packed and fast-paced, then you won't want to miss the hugely talented Christa Faust's Hard Case Crime debut. The murky world of hardcore pornography is at the heart of this pulsating novel; and that industry's trail of drugged-up human detritus is literally splattered throughout the story.

Angel Dare heads a modeling agency. She is a retired porn queen who agrees to put herself in front of the cameras again as a favor to a film director friend. The latest well-hung stud is on hand to partner Angel in what she believes to be a workaday porn-shoot. However the shooting and banging that follow are not the kind usually seen on a porn set. A briefcase full of money has gone missing. Its owner wants it back and isn't too fussy about how this is achieved. Angel's life spirals out of control the way lives do when a briefcase full of money goes missing.

Christa Faust manages to intersperse a lot of wry humor into the mayhem. Some of the porn stars' names that are dropped into Angel Dare's narrative had me chortling, particularly Busti Keaton and Heidi Ho. But this is a thrill a minute ride with Angel and her security man, Malloy, as they try to stay one step ahead of the pursuing baddies who believe that Angel has the missing cash. The violence that accompanies them is described in all its lurid and gritty detail.

Some have likened this novel to a Quentin Tarantino movie and the comparison is not at all far-fetched. Fans of his stuff should enjoy this novel as will those who enjoy Hard Case Crime's output. Brilliantly written, fast and furious and highly recommended.

Hard Boiled & HOT!
Just simply one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a very long while.Short, fast, sexy as hell!More please... ... Read more

Book Description
From the publishers of long-renowned Mexican masked wrestler pop-culture magazine "From Parts Unknown" comes this new lucha libre inspired pulp noir novel.

Hoodtown is a ghetto of masked wrestlers - an inner-city sanctuary of hooded culture, with a masked lifestyle evolved from 20th century Mexican pro wrestling, and inspired by icons such as El Santo and Mil Mascaras. The family gimmick is sacred, the mask is the sole expression of one's identity.

Now, 'Hood' prostitutes are turning up dead, and worse, UNMASKED, and the 'Skin'establishment is as much help as a paid-off referee. Enter X, former luchadora with a bruised past, a bum knee, and no time to play Santo. She's no hero, but there's nobody else to tag-in, as her hunt for the killer uncovers a conspiracy threatening all maskedkind.

In short, Hoodtown is like Casablanca with wrestling masks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Best Heroine Ever!
Within the first few pages of this novel, I was hooked.Christa Faust's heroine was a REAL woman, not perfect but still highly sexual and interesting.What I liked best though was the dialogue.Faust's use of a new "slang" that was a mix of spanish and Japanese is genuis as the "slang" used in A Clockwork Orange.It made me feel even more transported into the rich fantasy world that is Hoodtown.

You can't go wrong with Hoodtown.
Christa Faust really takes the time to set up this bizarre mix of lucha libre culture and crime noir. She really knows her stuff and stays true to the unspoken tenets of both. The story starts off slow, with hints of back story and well thought-out character development. We get pulled in as this dark mystery unfolds. The violence escalates; the questions lead to stark realizations; the plot twists and writhes like a snake on hot sand. The pay-off is classic. All the elements are here. The story is logical, believable, and captivating. Faust has created a world that could easily become a franchise. It's a quick read due to the way it hooks the reader. Once you start, you just don't want to put this book down. Don't just think about buying it, kid...just do it. You can't go wrong with Hoodtown.

BRAVO CHRISTA FAUST
I loved this book - every dark, well-turned, beautifully plotted word. Although its byline is "a Lucha-Noir Novel" you don't have to be a fan of Latin American pro wrestling to enjoy this pulp wonder. Hoodtown is a ghetto where "Hoods" (a society where everyone from birth to death wear the lucha libre hoods as their identity) try to live their everyday lives among gangsters, drugs, and crime, just minutes from Angel City where "Skins" live a life of order and plenty. The heart of this book is "X" a retired, 40ish, luchadora (lady wrestler) who is thrown into the investigation of the murders of Hoodtown prostitutes. The women are not only brutalized but their mascaras (masks) are stolen, a crime as heinous as the murders themselves. Although this novel is allegorical, the character of X is beautifully realistic from her frustration that her life isn't how she planned it, to her inability to commit to the passionate trumpet player who adores her. This book is dark, sensuous, and wicked at every turn, and I take my hood off to the very talented Christa Faust who is in a league all her own.

My kind of town...
Where has this novel been my whole life? It's got everything I like: Female Masked Wrestlers,Noir and stilletto sharp dialogue that gets you like a knife to the ribs.The cover by Rafael Navarro is really eye catching too. All in all I give Hoodtown five masks,two thumbs up and all my love too.

Not a lucha fanatic, but LOVED this book
Let me preface this by saying that I really don't follow the lucha world.I've never seen a Santo film, and my only familiarity with wrestling is from my early adolescence, when Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was king.
That said: this was an amazing novel.I didn't want it to end.You do not need to be a lucha fan to love this, so don't let that aspect turn you away.I highly recommend this (and Faust's novel Control Freak, which also blew me away, and also dealt with a world with which I am unfamiliar).Faust does an excellent job making you feel a kinship with these characters and this world. ... Read more

Book Description
The dead girl had called herself Apocrypha. Her real name was Eva, and she had been savagely mutilated within the jagged shadows of Manhattans demimonde. Caitlin McCullough, an author of cheap detective novels who has a nose for the sensational, is fascinated by the grisly particulars of Evas murder. As Caitlins investigation into Evas wild life and brutal death draws her deeper into the labyrinth of New Yorks infamous sexual playground, she finds herself perversely attracted to the killings prime suspect, a notorious SM club owner. Its a deadly game of seduction against clever and dangerous opponents, any one of whom could be a killer. But the darkest truths Caitlin will uncover are the ones hidden inside her own heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A truly enthralling ride!
I must admit that even though I had heard about this novel before it was reprinted, I was not very eager to delve into it.I've never been too terribly interested in the murder mystery, "whodunit" genre, and from the synopses I had read, it seemed to be yet another rehashing of a cop style drama.However, I'm very glad I finally did give this novel a chance, for that is a truly misguided preconception.

Caitlin is a writer looking for the next big real-crime novel.Of course, it helps that her current love affair is with a detective named Mike.When Mike gets a call about a the murder of a young girl which involves sexual mutilation, Caitlin is eager to get the gory details for her next book.Through the help of her internet-savvy friend Wilson, Caitlin learns that the murdered girl, Eva, was a hacker known under the alias Apocrypha who had a penchant for sadomasochism.In the name of research, Caitlin decides to immerse herself in the underground world of SM.

Upon meagerly stepping into the Crypt, a mild SM fetish club, Caitlin becomes enthralled with the whole new world of sights and sounds around her.Being a dominant person at heart, she very quickly finds herself at home in a domineering role within the subculture.However, this eager submission into this whole new world may cloud Caitlin's better judgment and suck her in too deep.

Christa Faust has crafted a truly amazing, genre-transcending novel.Yes, Control Freak is part gritty crime novel, and part thriller, with a splash of romance thrown in for good measure, but it doesn't fit completely into any of those niches.Control Freak is an intimate dive into the SM scene, one which those already familiar with the scene can relate, and those new to SM can use to get a taste of this underground subculture.Faust displays a truly intimate knowledge of not just the scene itself, but the deep-rooted emotions involved with empowerment and submissiveness.Therefore, contained herein is also a tale about finding oneself, and accepting one's true place in the world.

I anxiously await any further novels by this talented writer, and highly recommend Control Freak to fans of good genre-bending literature.

very good debut
This was the first Christa Faust book I have ever read. I was not disappointed with the story, and I found the plot unpredicatable, not getting to the identity of the killer in my mind until it was presented to me on the page. This was a plus. The story moves well, with realistic, believable dialogue and interesting characters and scenes of SM (not S&M) that I won't soon forget. There is an obvious connection in the naming of two of the main characters to Faust's real-life friend and fellow writer Caitlin R. Kiernan. You'll find out soon enough. The only flaws I found were in editing, with several typos, most of which amounted to nothing more than misspelled or added words. But these were only momentary distractions. Here, the story's the thing, and it's a good one. I've given it five stars, because I found it to be one of those books that I read late into the night and picked up first thing in the morning. What could be better?

Out of Control...
Control Freak is a very interesting book.It was recommended to me by Amazon after I bought The Scolds Bridle - and I couldn't be happier for the advice.Here, a young girl is murdered, with two protagonists attempt to find the answer. One uses typical police procedure, while the other uses her sexual skills for answers. As she investigates further she finds herself being drawn deep into the fetish lifestyle. Unfortunately for her, one of her bondage contemporaries is a murderer with a sadistic streak... Normally, I am not a huge fan or "erotic literature", however make no mistake - this is a book about murder -not sex... As the plot unfolds the reader is treated to a great deal of suspense and mystery - more than enough to make anyone lose control over their fears...

Relic113

Faust's debut novel is a fast and dangerous read.
With a non-stop story and a heroine to die for, Christa Faust's debut novel shows the world that her talents aren't limited to S&M dungeons.Faust's words are as lush and ornate as the characters they describe; abold and dangerous style for a bold and dangerous thriller._ControlFreak_ will have you tied up for days.

WONDERFUL TRIP
This book personifies the lost highway of youth and the sexy side of S& M and the errays of private jokers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting.
Poppy Z. Brite and Christa Faust, Triads (Subterranean Press, 2004)

Brite and Faust present three tales revolving around Ji Fung, later known as Jimmy Lee, a Hong Kong orphan with a troubled past. In the first, his mother has taken him to the Peking Opera and abandoned him to the predations of Master Lau, who creates the finest opera in Asia, but at a terrible price to his charges. Ji Fung and his best friend, Li Bai, find there is more to their feelings than friendship, but in order to express their love, they need to escape Master Lau's perversions. Taken in by a half-French decadent, Ji Fung and Lin Bai find, after getting away from the troupe, that life on the outside can be even more complicated. The second and third stories feature Jimmy/Ji Fung in a less central capacity, but he's still there. The protagonist of the second is Nan Blake, a dime-novel writer with the nom de plume Blake Blackline who finds herself embroiled in a web of corruption and murder. In the third, Jimmy is dying in the hospital, Blake is long-retired, and a rising, but closeted, gay action star has taken a room in Blake's house. When he meets the man of his dreams, will he sacrifice the relationship for his career or vice-versa?

Brite has always been very good at drawing characters, and has improved over the years as she's made the transition from genre horror to human drama; Faust adds the perfect touch of dime-novel noir atmosphere, and the result is a good little book. I'm not quite as fond of it as I am of the works of the two authors on their own, but it's certainly worth your time. ***

Interesting and complex stories dragged down by stereotypes that aren't.
Triads is a collaborative effort by Poppy Z. Brite, one of my favorite writers, and Christa Faust that's made up of three interrelated stories. In 1937, two young boys are slaves to the Peking Opera until they fall in love and escape together to Shanghai where they find themselves in the middle of a war with Japan. In 1945, a Hollywood writer named Nan Blake finds herself drawn to the beautiful actress starring in her latest film, and the feelings seem mutual, except the starlet still thinks Blake is a man. In the present day, an up-and-coming action movie star needs to decide if it's worth hiding his true feelings for his male make-up artist in order to save his career. All three stories are tied together by similar themes and the presence of Ji Fung, who alternates between being a main character, a secondary character, and a mysterious figure lurking in the background.

In Triads, the characters exist in a variety of times and places, and Brite and Faust do a flawless job at creating a strong sense of both. Whether they are setting the scene with a lush paragraph describing the streets of Shanghai, or just slipping in additional details about time-and-place-appropriate styles and objects, you never forget exactly where the characters are. I feel like each story wouldn't have ended quite the same if not for the influence of the specific time period and setting, and that's just how these kind of stories should be written. The stories themselves are very compelling, if a bit contrived in some places. The first story is the most original and exciting, but the other two stories aren't as predictable as the might seem.

Unfortunately, the characters don't stand out quite as well as they should have against such elaborate plots and backgrounds. The main characters are three-dimensional enough, at least to the point that I was able to sympathize with and relate to them, but the secondary characters are mostly based off of stereotypes that are overused even within the confines of this book. I mean, there are so many times that an actor/director turns out to be corrupt or abusive that I was beginning to feel bad for all the decent people in Hollywood that are left out of this story in favor of a plot device that gets tired after the first few uses. And that's just one example of all the clichés in this book.

Still, I enjoyed Triads enough to not regret buying it. If you read the first paragraph of this review and thought the stories sounded really interesting, or if you're on a quest for something new and different to read, then this is a good book to choose. It even has two bonus stories at the end that teach you more about the characters' dark pasts. But to anyone else, if the basic plot doesn't grab your attention, then you should probably pass it up for something better.

Great Classic Love Story
I was skeptic coming into this book because Poppy is wonderful as she is on her own. Upon recieving this work i noted that the cover art looks alot better when actually seen then it does on the internet. the detailing alone is imaculate. then i started reading the stories. it was the first time in a long time that something was written so beautifully and heavy that it did actually make me cry at the end of each threeparts, all though the 3rd time was not in dismay. Would highly Recomend

Gorgeously written story of love, murder, and ghostly contact
I hate spoiler reviews which divulge the entirety of the book in question, so expect none of that here.Let me simply say that Triads is a gorgeously written, haunting, and moving story.Told in three parts, Triads is a collaboration between Christa Faust and Poppy Z. Brite, originally conceived as a novella for the anthology Revelations.In fact, the first part of the story, taking place in 1930's China, is the original novella.Parts 2 (set in 1940's Hollywood) and 3 (set in the present day) expand upon the story, continuing the themes of ill-fated love and the miseries of living as an outsider in a world intolerant of difference.Of course, the small-minded, racist, insecure, and those suffering severe religious mania will find nothing to enjoy in a story which so sensitively and beautifully handles the subjects of love, compassion, and the fragility of human life.Though this is no soft-focus historical drama, for all the lush detail and bittersweet romance, this is also a tale of gruesome murder, passionate sex, and contact with the supernatural.Fans of Poppy Z. Brite will find much to enjoy, and hopefully Christa Faust will find new fans in those who accept the challenges of this stunning work.

Triads
This book is a gem, it should be required reading for the moral majority if for no other reason thanto gain insight and understanding of the gay community while still enjoyinga brilliant, compelling story. I did not rush thru this book as I have with so many ... Thanks to the imagination of these gifted authors I escaped to a place I have never visited. Love is just the greatest gift, thanks Poppy Z Brite and Christa Faust ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Award Winning Novelization? Yup! And Rightly So!!
Now let's face it, media/tie-in/novelization novels are poorly regarded in the publishing world. Frankly they are considered hack work, done for money in-between other works. 99.99% of them just recreate the scenes/dialog of the movie. Adding nothing. Generic writing in other words.

But that doesn't mean they all have to be bad. And in some cases, they can be great! I used to read a lot of these in the days before DVDs, heck, in the days before the home video market. Novelizations of movies were the only way to relive a movie once it left theaters and was 2-3 years from television. The first one I read that was a cut above was the adaptation of The Abyss by Orson Scott Card. Not surprising considering who wrote it.

But Snakes On A Plane is, without a doubt, the best movie novelization to date. Period. And it won a SCRIBE AWARD!

Christa Faust is a rising star in the publishing world and I urge you to snag a copy of this book (and her other work) before she hits the big time and her books simply disappear off shelves, ebay, the internet, etc. She's that good.

Why buy a movie novelization? Why buy this novelization? Good questions. The answer: Faust's style, great pacing and she single-handedly breathes life into characters, which in the movie, are just fodder for the snakes. She gives them ALL in-depth character traits and back stories. She fleshes them out in a way I have never seen it done in past books of this kind. And all of this background material, which she creates from whole cloth, is interesting, diverse, captivating. If you are a fan of the movie, you'll never look at the passengers the same way again when you view the DVD. You will know who these people are and you'll care about them. As colorful as they are on screen, they are soon snake bait. But in this great book, they become real.

Plus her style is just great! Fast paced, funny, kinetic... Faust can do it all.

For Black Flame she has written Nightmare On Elm Street, Jason, Final Destination and Twilight Zone novels as well as this extraordinary Snakes adaptation. I'm looking forward to reading them all. As well as anything else she's written that I can get my hands on.

All movie novelizations should be this good. Don't miss it.

Skip the move, read the book!
The first time I saw the commercial for this movie, I was only moderately interested.While taking a stroll in the bookstore I happend upon the novelization and so I figured I'd rather take my chances with a book than a movie.Im so glad I did.Yes the story is cheesy but that is hardly the author's fault.Christa Faust worked wonders with the material she was given.I found the book's character descriptions very vivd and funny.Faust added a lot of humor into the dialogue which made the book even more enjoyable.After reading the book I didn't bother seeing the movie, knowing that I would only be disappointed and $10 poorer!

Not as good as I thought!
I like this book, but the movie was better. I'm had to drop it!!!
I still like the book, because, I intersted in horror things, it is still very descriptive.
I had enjoyed the part of the plane, and she describes how Mercades looks and every thing!

snakes dude!
I've only read about 20 pages (Im lazy when it comes to reading novels), but i'm a big SoaP fan, so i'm definitly prepared for some funny odd mischief in this book. It'll be just as weird and non-serious as the movie, but it surely does rock!

Great Escapist Entertainment
I read this book on a recent flight to Florida and was instantly engrossed in the plot and characters.The story is a little far-fetched and campy, but one can't help wondering "what if" with a plot like this one.Deadly snakes loose on an airplane full of passengers flying from Hawaii to Los Angeles at night.For anyone who doesn't like to fly or is afraid of snakes, this book will surely make you more than a little uncomfortable.I found myself unable to put the book down and actually resented the intrusion of the landing in Florida.

Be prepared to lose track of time and give up some sleep when you pick this book up.It's a keeper! ... Read more

Book Description
Through our dreams, we explore our greatest fears and desires.Some believe that we tap into a vast ocean of human consciousness and experience.Other believe that we live with one foot in the material world and one that is unknowable.Journey with us into the Dreamlands.Featuring stories by: Caitlin R. Kiernan, Christa Faust, Bev Vincent, Jane Gwaltney, James S. Dorr, Amy J. Benesch, Gary McMahon, Gill Ainsworth, Larisa Walk, Louise Bohmer, Lisa Mantchev, and AC Wise ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Review from Sharon White
Sharon White reviews Into the Dreamlands for Noneuclidean Cafe ~

Review Snippet:

The title, "Into the Dreamlands," says it all. In this book you will find romance, witches, madness, ghosts, keys to other dimensions, fae people--good and bad, love, betrayal, murder, lands that fade as the sun rises and hidden worlds beneath your feet.

In her tale, "So Runs the World Away." Caitlin R. Keirnan captures your imagination from the first paragraph with her lilting poetic style as she carries you into the world of two lonely youngsters living with a group of eccentric vampires and some rather vile ghouls. Caitlin's vivid descriptions flow from the page and lure you into this decadent and dangerous world where even an autopsy can be repelling and fascinatingly beautiful at the same time.

In our world there is injustice; sometimes the scales tip; the blind lady drops her sword and we wonder how some crimes can go unpunished. Sometimes justice needs a helping hand, the hand of the fae folk perhaps.But their ways are not ours and not all dark deeds are without merit. In Louise Bohmer's tale, "Book of Dreams," the fae folk and ordinary humans are entwined and layered with twists and turns of the plot that will keep you guessing right to the end--where justice is served in a most unconventional way.

~*~*~*~

Full review found at:
http://www.noneuclideancafe.com/issues/vol2_issue4_Summer2007/reviews.htm#White1

Dreams that are sure to keep you awake well into the night...
Buying this collection for the sole purpose of reading Gary McMahon's expertly crafted and amazingly original story WOLF DREAMS is certainly well worth the price, but the eleven other tales by some of the big names in the horror genre are perfectly realized stories that run the gambit of the dream motif. This anthology is shining addition to the horror genre.

I highly recommend that any lovers of short fiction grab a copy and experience this book for themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Sammon puts together another fun one.
Paul M. Sammon (ed.), Splatterpunks II: Over the Edge (Tor, 1995)

The first Splatterpunks anthology was, for me, one of those life-changing books that points a person in an entirely new direction; given that, I have no idea why it took me twelve years to pick up the second in the series. But I did, finally, and once again Paul Sammon has collected a bunch of truly nasty pieces of work. Not quite as nasty now, in the age of Charlee Jacob and her ilk, as they likely were in 1995, but they still pack quite a punch.

As with most anthologies, there's some variance in quality, but not as much as one might expect from a book this thick. The best of the bunch, by my count, is Wayne Allen Sallee's novella "For You, the Living," an account of a Chicago whose population has, in the majority, been turned into sex-crazed zombies. (Shades of David Cronenberg are always a welcome addition to the bookshelves of Goat Central) Other highlights can be found from the names you recognize already: Clive Barker's "Scape-goats" is wonderfully, unmistakably Barker; Kathe Koja's "Impermanent Mercies" is typical of the brilliant stuff she turns out; Steve Rasnic Tem's "Boxer" is, in Sammon's words, "just so weird". It should also be noted that this volume contains the first published work of Christa Faust (Hoodtown), and a fine little piece it is. The book is also shot through with nonfiction pieces, which I found kind of surprising; Jim and Debbie Goad's interview with the late Anton LaVey is the best of the bunch, just as interesting as any of the fiction to be found here. Good stuff, all this, with a slip now and again, but that shouldn't stop you from checking this one out. *** ½

Ho Hum
Stories in this collection were of generally good quality and enjoyable to read.However, this collection definitely lost the over the top, right on the brink, edgy feel of the first Splatterpunks collection.Sure it has its share of necrophilia, gratuitous gore, usw.; but, it just didn't do it for me.It's worth the read if you can pick it up cheap, but don't expect it to live up to the first collection.

Very entertaining, stomach turning and thought provoking.
This book outshines the original.It is as full of viscera and violenceas the first, but contains even more thoughtful stories, perhaps there issomething to be said for the female point of view.Not every story willresonate with the reader, but for a short story collection most storieswill have been well worth your time and will stick with you.

damn fine book
Jim Goad interviews Anton LaVey, story by Debbie Goad, am I dreaming -- buy it, not necessarily from Amazon

*shudder*
If your into horror, blood, death , and your a twisted person, then this is the book for you! All of the stories are written in different views and perspectives, but all of them rotate around the same source: GRUESOME BLOODY HORROR!!! If your easily upset by gruesome things then DO NOT buy this book. But, if ya like this stuff then this IS the boo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

I think Jason Was Added as an Afterthought to Sell a Previously Written Story
This isn't a bad story, but what it also isn't is a continuation of the classic Friday the 13th series that most people would be expecting when they order a copy of this book. Other books in this standalone novel sequel series, all written by different authors relate well to the classic movies made over the past 25 years. In fact the best of them refer to events in those movies as historical facts.This has not been done by Christa Faust with The Jason Strain.

I believe Christa had already written this story, heard about (or her agent did) the 25th anniversary celebration series and thought well that'll get me more exposure and rewrote Jason into it the story as he really plays no central role or even necessary role in the story for the plot to work and he's not even a main character. On its own, this is not a bad story, granted not an original idea anywhere within (all parts of the story have been done before ie The Running Man by Stephen King and also his book The Cell for the later half of the novel, that half also borrows from every other living dead zombie movie around.) Without Jason, The Jason Strain would be another B grade adventure which probably would have pleased those who stumbled across it, but as the author knew, without Jason hardly anyone would have picked it up.

If you haven't even heard of this book the basic plot is Jason is captured by a television production company and transported to an island off Costa Rica to be the surprise guest on the second season of Xtreme Elimination.Also transported there are a number of death row American prisoners, both male and female.This show takes Survivor to a new level, inmates must kill each other until there is only one left alive.The winner gets their death sentence reduced to life in prison and cushy one at that. Meanwhile a hot female scientist (one of those typical Hollywood written character scientists who just don't seem to know their hot or care) Dr Cain is obsessed with harvesting whatever immortal genetics are in Jason to make a new immortality virus. Of course Jason isn't going to just lie down and cooperate with either of these ridiculous plans.

If this is your first novel from the 25th Anniversary series don't be put off about reading the others.Friday the 13th Carnival of Maniacs by Stephen Hand in my opinion is the best. All books are standalone storylines and do not relate to the other authors novels in the series so you do not need to read them in any particular order.

The Jason Strain?...straining to finish this book!
What happens when you cross Friday the 13th with "The Running man"?The Jason strain reveals a reality show that pits death row convicts against one another until there is only one left, as an added bonus Jason is thrown into the mix to make it more interesting.Now take this and throw in an outbreak angle(this happens when a scientist creates a designer serum and mixes it with Jasons blood creating a virus that oozes from jason and affects all of his victims and all of their victims).Turning all of em into what jason is.....a powerful undead.the rest of this book is a survival jaunt in the costa rican islands that has echoes of any zombie movie ever made. Survive and cut their heads off!I thought this book was o.k., the first half of it was all character history for the dozen or more characters. Jason takes a back seat until the second half and even then he's in the passenger seat where he should have been driving.Christa Fuast paints some really interesting background pictures for the characters, along with some snappy dialogue, although with a couple of steamy scenes laced throughout. I felt like I was reading some cheap harlequin romance books. The Jason Strain didn't feel like a true friday the 13th story.Die hard Fans I think will be disappoited.Bottom Line....Jason wusses out a few times in this book...Not bad and certainly not good.

Great idea, bad book!
"The Jason Strain" has the same problem that "Hell Lake" (Another Friday the 13th book from Black Flame)had.The back cover sounds great, but the book falls short.At least "Hell Lake" did stay with the idea pitched on the back cover."The Jason Strain" does not!
The idea sounds like a 'can't miss'-A new reality show puts convicts on a island.The last one alive gets their death sentence turned to life in prison.What the convicts don't know, is that Jason is also on the island, and of course Jason could care less about TV shows, rules, cameras....
I was patient with the book well over 100 pages into it.I was fine with meeting all the characters, even though at this point Jason had just made a few cameos in the book.I was counting on the story picking up when the convicts get on the island and face Jason.
But the book chooses to take off with another plot that I could have done without.It's too bad, bacause "Jason on Survivor" could have been cool.
But like other posters have written, this book wants to throw every plot idea in but the kitchen sink.And I agree, that this story didn't need Jason in it at all.He is a wasted after thought.Too bad.
I do enjoy the "Jason X" Books, and the "Nightmare on Elm Street" set as well.So far though, the "Friday" books have been a mixed bag."Church of the divine psychopath" was the best."Hell Lake" tried, but was hard to get through-but at leasr Jason IS in that book!!!!I skipped "Hate Kill Repeat", to read this one first.Bad idea on my part.
The next book sounds good-Jason's mother is back!Will this idea be wasted as well?We'll find out.

Keep Jason at Crystal Lake
Okay, in the movies, when Jason took Manhattan, it was easily the worst in the series. Here, Jason is taken to Costa Rica, simply appalling. This book couldn't decide what story it wanted to tell. We start off with "The Most Dangerous Game" style of hunting humans using death row convicts and a "Survivor" type reality game show, we move into "Outbreak" with a genetic manipulation that leads to rapid spreading disease and then get slopped into "Night of the Living Dead" where anyone killed by Jason becomes a infectious maniac zombie. This story is simply disastrous. I've been pretty lenient in accepting the new Black Flame novels on Friday the 13th (but not the Jason X series). I've enjoyed the others enough, this one completely blows though. The story could have easily been done without using Jason for any part of it and it would have been better. The Jason/F13 franchise is only used here to try and sell the book. The author has no concept of what the whole Jason/F13 is for and this is just so ridiculously weak that I warn others to stay away from it.

Good read for others, terrible crap for hard-core fans
First I'm going to ask the author something: Why, WHY, did you call this book "Friday the 13th", when has absoloutely nothing to do (except Jason) with the rest of the movies. Another New Line-author who's totally missed the point.

First of all, only 0.1% of the story takes place at Crystal Lake. Some soldiers then captures Jason (ehh, am I the only one who can see something's wrong already?) and the rest at the story take place at FREAKING COSTA RICA!!

Second of all, the first 100 pages Faust does nothing then descripe each characters life-story in details. Guess how many times we see Jason in that part of the boke (- and how many he kills).

Also, it's poor writed, the kills are nothing much (except some few), and the whole zombie-fact just made me wanna rip the book into pieces.

I'm not saying that you're a moron if you liked this book, but if you did, you have not understand what "Friday the 13th" is all about. Like I said: Good read for others, terrible crap for hard-core fans.

1/5. ... Read more

Product Description
Limited to 500 copies signed by all contributors. ... Read more

Book Description
An anthology of horror tales set in the geologically unstable LA area.12 stories of terror and magic realism by:* Michael Scott Bricker * Denise Dumars * Lisa Morton * Dana Vander Els * Jak Koke * James Van Pelt * Brian Hodge * Nancy Holder * Christa Faust * Stephen Woodworth * Robert Guffey * Michael Frounfelter "Modern horror is almost always informed by place and setting. Lovecraft's New England was more memorable than any of his characters. King's small towns... Campbell's aging, industrial England... Brite's decadent South... Sallee's nightmare visions of Chicago... Lansdale's twisted Texas... The list is endless. As disparate as the above writers are, they all manage to create a recognizable place and time. Places that their real life denizens recognize - places that are both comfortingly familiar and terrifyingly unique. King's New England will never be mistaken for Lovecraft's. This is the magic of modern horror. It creates worlds that we recognize. At the same time these worlds are horribly and terrifyingly different from the one we choose to interact with on a daily basis. Horrible because they speak truths we rarely acknowledge. Terrifying because just maybe they are more real than the artificially constructed realities we choose to live in each day...""...highly charged, bizarre, a bit fractured, and unsettling in the right kind of way. After Shocks is a solid anthology with a well-executed sense of the locale." - Fiona Webster, Horror Garage ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nawww
NOt Really any "horror" - like I'm used to, anyway. I prefer rough, fast and hard horror. These are more like disturbing stories. A few might be classified as horror, but not what you'd expect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Exceptional story from a simplistic plot.
This is my first review, and normally I wouldn't write one, but I felt like it was due-time.
I got this book figuring that the reviews online seemed very high for a movie concept so played out, so I decided to find out for myself.
I was happily surprised to find such a good read.

Christa Faust did an exlemplary job making something big out of something... well, not so big.
The characters, of which in movies nowadays get butchered (no pun intended) by stereotypes, have much more depth as each is explained. There would be no way to know these things by just watching the movie, and I'm certainly glad I read this book before seeing the movie.
I only wish that they would've added the connection between Wendy and Kevin in the movie, and shown a bit more of their anguish and confusion while missing their partners. Same with Erin's thoughtson Ian. But since it is Hollywood and all, I'm overlooking those simple things and am just thankful that the book made up for it.

To anyone who needs excitement, passion, suspense, terror, and would prefer it come from a more in depth point of view, I highly recommend this book to you.

Killer photos
Wendy Christianson is a beautiful youngsenior and is celebrating gradation at an amusement park . Along with friends she is about board a roller coaster that will make passengers fly off and die. Trying to save her fiends she starts a big fight starting with Kevin and Lewis leading Erin to get bitch slapped and her boyfrind Ian to join in and Ashley and Ashlynn just decided to get off and a result of Frankie following. The coaster crashes killing her boyfrind and best friendand the rest of the class . Now cheating death she uses her pictures to figure out how the next person will die since the pics come out all funky lookin'. She later finds out that her sister ,Julie and her friend Perry were also on the coaster and got off. Its all death breaking loose as Ashley , Ashlynn , lewis , Ian , and Erin along with Frankie start to die in horrible ways most of them having something to do with the head. Wendy will soon find out that death will come for them!

If you liked the movie, read the book
I bought this book because I had been impressed with Christa Faust's previous novel, Control Freak. I ended up seeing the movie only after reading the novelization. Despite good acting by the young cast and the occasional glimmer of intelligent dialogue, Final Destination 3, the movie, is essentially a Grand Guignol croak-a-thon. In the novelization, the author attempts to build on the source material. Having undertaken the project for purely commercial reasons, she nevertheless endeavors to bring as much artistry to the work as possible.

The story concerns a group of graduating high school seniors. The author begins by stripping away the layers of teen stereotypes --jock, brain, popular girl, etc.-- to reveal the more intimate goals, wishes and aspirations of each. The teens are poised on the threshhold of adulthood and faced with important choices concerning their future -a future that is fated never to arrive. As in other installments of the series, the characters have escaped certain death, and now Death itself stalks unseen about them, hunting them down. The teens are in the palm of the Grim Reaper's hand, helpless as the bony fingers begin to close about them. Also worth noting is the undercurrent of sexual tension between the two lead characters as they struggle against their doom.

The older I get, the more it pains me to read or hear of the death of a young person. In Final Destination 3, Christa Faust takes a B-movie horror flick and makes of it a tragic tale of young life plundered and looted by an inscrutable and malevolent Fate.

Good Book Overall
I chose this book for an english project. Within the first few days i read the majority of the book. It's definately a page turner. The deaths are pretty interesting, some of them far fetched but hey it's just a book. The author vividly describes the scenes of the deaths. The book and movie are different (especially the endings) and you should read/see them both. I think that I actually enjoyed the book more than I enjoyed the movie. See for yourself, read it.

Early Draft Script
To those of you who don't understand the title, what I'm simply saying is this book was written when the first draft (or an earlier draft at least) was the only thing available. The ending in the book is different from the ending you'll get if you see the film.

As with any book based on Final Destination, whether it be the series or the novelizations of the screenplays, there's obvious problems with the editing, which, despite it's annoyance at times, I was able to look over and easily figure out what the writer meant (although, I will say the editor might want to be much more careful in the future).

This is basically the movie with, as I said before, a different ending, a variation on one of the death scenes, and another death scene that they changed completely from the movie (which I'm glad about... the death was WAY out there, and despite it being cool, there's no way it would or could ever happen in real life). Unlike the movie we also have more character development, and, unlike Roryman seemed to realize, books go through characters feelings, hence the reason it's a book, the author just can tell what they're feeling at the moment, and not everyone cares to overlook it.

Much like you'd expect, the death scenes, despite the things I said before, are very cool. The one that they changed from the book was probably changed for fear of seeming to similar to one of the deaths in the earlier films (I won't say what happens or who it happens to for those of you who haven't seen the originals). As before, there's the Rube Goldberg-esque things leading up to the death sequences, which to me, are just as cool as the deaths themselves (this, in my opinion, is where just as much creativity comes out as does with the deaths themselves).

Overall, a good book, with a bad ending (if you like the book but don't like the ending, go ahead and go see the movie, the ending they have now is alot better), but it still comes out as strong as the film, if not just a bit stronger because of the actual character development, as well as some scenes that set up things you won't be able to see in the film. ... Read more

Product Description
The third Dark Arts Books release is Sins of the Sirens, a compilation of 14 new tales and rare reprints from four of horror's most provocative authors: Maria Alexander, Christa Faust, Loren Rhoads and Mehitobel Wilson.

The seduction of an angel; the lure of the lash; the touch of psychic hands; living ropes that wind and bind... these are just a few of the alluring sins of these sirens. Look inside, but be careful they don t lure you in too far... ... Read more

Book Description
This omnibus sees the collection of Black Flame's first three original novels in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. In each of the stories, Freddy Krueger, with his trademark fedora and razor gloves, manages to cross from dreams to reality and stalk the inhabitants of Springwood. This ominbus editions features the novels - Suffer the Children, Dreamspawn and Protege

... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Dreamspawn - Bad title, GOOOOOOD story!
Well, I just finished reading this book. I'm not going to lie and say that I took a shine to it right off the bat, because I didn't. In fact, about 80 pages or so, I stopped reading it and put it away for a few months, because it seemed like nothing was happening.

Then I finished reading "Friday the 13th: Hell Lake" and was in the mood for some more 'scary stuff', though not Jason, and sadly, there are almost no books of my FAVORITE horror movie villain, Michael Myers of 'Halloween'. So I thought, well, I'll give 'Dreamspawn' another whirl.

The prologue had me hooked, but as the story of Jane progressed, it seemed more and more detached from the prologue, until the girl Rose appeared, and FINALLY, everything clicked together. Don't get me wrong, I liked Jane. She sounded a lot like me in school; not popular, rather contemtuous of the clique system that plagues schools these days, and preferring to read than hang out with idiots, though I was glad that she was able to makes some good friends. That's what sorta happened with me. :)

But when Rose appears, all hell breaks loose. :)She is seriously messed up in the head, and it shows from the moment she arrives!When Freddy finally showed up in the book, I couldn't put it down! Each killing had me tingling with excitement (is that demented, or what?) and at times, I was laughing Freddy's laugh. ;)Freddy even manages to sneak in a couple of his one-liners which always make me laugh, and display his sick sense of humor which movie-watchers either love or hate. I'm one of the former. Frankly, I thought this book woulda made a decent movie. If it were, Freddy's total body count would outnumber both Michael Myers AND Jason Voorhees, in just one book!

The ending was good, albeit a bit predictable, as the authorities, in their 'grounded-in-the-mundane' way place the blame for Freddy's carnage on . . . well, I won't say who. Read it for yourself, and have fun!

Pretty good!
Well i went into it sureit would be great with an author like christa and it was! somethings were diaappointing though: No elm street, didnt get that "Nightmare on elm street" feel.

but all in all a great read i could barely put it down with out yanking it up and seeing who dies next!

Ehh...
This book didn't do much for me.Suffer The Children and Protege had me hooked instantly.This book seemed like it took forever to get things going.Some parts were so down-right boring I actually skimmed thru just to see if anything interesting was going to happen.

Not even useful as Toilet Paper.
Just... plain... suck.The opening scene mistakeningly promised a much better book, but once the prologue was over, so was my interest.

It seemed that the Author decided to write ~200 Pages of Story, andadded a filler statement relating to how the main character thinks she is fat between every sentance of dialogue.

Speaking of the Fat thing, if the Main Character had such insecurity problems about her weight as the Author insinuates, shouldn't Freddy have played on that?If she hates being Fat, that opens up some great (and completely unused) Nightmare ideas.

Freddy also "forsakes" the glove towards the end of the book, stating "I don't need it anymore".The hints at School killings being more than they were to end the book was not only cliche, but boring.

All-in-all, I am a Nightmare fan, I would have read it anyway, but this novel will just collect dust.In closing, I URGE you not to read this book unless you absolutely must.

This makes SUFFER THE CHILDREN look like a masterpiece (spoilers)
Christa Faust almost single-handedly sinks the "Nightmare On Elm Street" franchise here.

First of all, Springwood has mysteriously been moved from Ohio to southern California.

The first half of the book is basically a teen film, sort of like an unfunny REVENGE OF THE NERDS. Hardly any mention of Freddy at all.

Finally, a little more than halfway through, one of the geeks claims she was gangraped by the wrestling team and talks the other geek girls into breaking into the old boiler room to find Freddy's glove--"half dream, half reality"--and use it to revive his "dream seed" and make him kill the rapists.

Tell me when this starts sounding like Nightmare On Elm Street.

After Freddy claims his first two victims, the other geek girls find out that there was no rape, and in fact the girl in question is a sociopath who has loved Freddy since she was seven years old and he killed her abusive parents (how she witnessed this, they never explain). So it's up to them to stop Freddy before he kills the rest of the innocent wrestling team.

But of course Freddy doesn't play by any rules, and goes after the entire school.

At once, when nutso-girl floods the school with a sleep gas that lets Freddy commit mass slaughter on a scale even Jason hardly contemplates (final death toll: 461). ... Read more