I’ve been getting a big kick lately out of the novels of Graham Joyce. He’s often considered a Fantasy/SF type of author, and it’s true that his books almost always contain supernatural elements such as ghosts, demons and curses. In most of the books I read and love, those elements tend to result in things like fights, chases, terror, blood and explosions! But Graham Joyce’s style is rather different…

In TWOC, fifteen-year-old joyriding addict Matt is horribly haunted by the ghost of his dead brother Jake…

In DO THE CREEPY THING, a late night dare leaves teenager Caz believing she has been cursed, stalked by a shadowy figure that seems to have granted her extraordinary powers…

…But neither of these stories turn out quite the way you expect. In both TWOC and DO THE CREEPY THING – as in all of Joyce’s books that I’ve read so far – the supernatural elements, while important, aren’t the main thing in the story. The focus, instead, is on the characters – their lives, and the powerful changes to them that the characters’ encounters with the supernatural will cause.

Now: as you’ve probably figured out already(!) I’m not the world’s biggest fan of stories in which people talk out their problems over cups of tea. But Graham Joyce’s low-key approach never fails to keep me absolutely riveted. Make no mistake: these books have their moments of full shiver-down-the-spine terror. But what makes them linger in the mind is the author’s masterful characterisation: the voices of the people in these stories are so real, so wonderfully caught and put across, that you can’t help but engage with your heart as well as your nerves.

Graham Joyce’s books will haunt you in more ways than one. Both TWOC and DO THE CREEPY THING are terrific, and his books for adults (particularly INDIGO) are thoroughly excellent too. If you’re looking for something unusual, look no further.

Sam

Trackback URL