Necroscope

Wow, I can’t believe I’d waited so long to read this book. It is fantastic. The main characters are really well developed. And it really kept me guessing, right up to the end. Horror, fantasy? I’m not sure which, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Loved it

the necroscope is a very good read. horror fiction. not a romance vampire novel..nitemarish villians..with briliant heros

Brian Lumley's Necroscope is not heroic fiction, which I typically focus on. It is very entertaining and has connections to Weird Sword & Sorcery adventure which led me to read it:1) Heroes of Dreams & Khash series: I discovered Lumley’s writing via his Weird Sword & Sorcery. Vintage dark fantasy spawned in the early 1900’s from the work of pen-pals R.E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft; though it seems rare to find quality Conan-Mythos mash-ups. Lumely has done so a few times. First, his Hero of Dreams series is an overt mashup of Lovecraft’s Dreamcycle and Leiber’s Fafred and Gray Mouser series. Lumley’s Tarra Khash series (a.k.a. Tales of Primal Land) was written in a similar vein (i.e. fun Sword & Sorcery adventure in a Weird-Fiction, Cthulhu-esque world).2) Blood Omen Legacy of Kain: A huge fan of the Horror S&S Game Series “Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain”, I was delighted to learn that Lumely’s writing influenced Denis Dyack’s vision of Nosgoth. Denis Dyack, creator of Silicon Knights, made the original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain game (various incarnations from 1996 thru 2009). As a Kain fan I did not know the influence from Lumely until I saw an interview on Youtube (The Quantum Tunnel 2016 called Blood Omen Legacy Of Kain Deep Dive 1) in which Dyack reveals that the classic horror/action-rpg game was influenced by Lumey’s Necroscope series. Given the Visceral, Vampire, Lovecraftian, and Time Travel elements, this makes sense; however, the book has a contemporary setting versus the medieval one in the game.As a fan of Khash, Heroes of Dreams, and Legacy of Kain… I just had to check out Necroscope. So what is it really?Necroscope is “ESPionage” fiction (a word coined in this book), blending paranormal horror with spy adventure. It kicks off a series of 18 books (published 1986 to 2013). This first entry is entertaining and sets an expansive foundation for a wild ride. People with supernatural powers (predicting the future, speaking to the dead, etc.) are being enlisted into government agencies.The book is ostensibly about the battle between the United Kingdom vs. the Russian governments special forces, but the conflict is really about Harry Keogh (speaker to the dead) vs. Boris Dragosani (who approximates a vampire). Each is associated with a government, but each is motivated by personal goals which take center stage. The reader learns about supernatural powers as these two do. After they master their respective powers, they go to battle in a most bizarre way chock-full of undead things and over the top time travel.Expect lots of changing perspective and lots of story threads that will gel about half way through. Artwork is unexpectedly sprinkled throughout the book (even the Kindle version). The geometry puzzles and Moebius Strips shown relate the story and make for fun, relevant, diversions. This is very digestible horror for non-horror fans. A very fast read, recommended to just about everyone who likes dark adventure.

Thank you, TOR for re-issuing this first in the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley. I first read this novel when I was fifteen years old and have loved the series ever since. Come fall in love with this Vampire, Horror, and Espionage series.

A story with a character that can talk to the dead, one that can extract the dead's secrets, one that can give the "evil eye", a vampire, zombies, British and Russian secret agencies that employ agents with all sorts of ESP talents, and a sci-fi space/time continuum all set in the middle of the Cold War. How can Lumley pack so much goodness in 500 pages?Necroscope is the book that started a horror series franchise before horror series were considered the norm. Lumley crafts a tale that was revolutionary for its time. Shades of Lovecraft permeate through the story as we get to know the protagonist, Harry Keough and antagonist, Boris Dragosani. Harry is a teenager in Great Britain who is learning to use his newfound ability, talking to the dead, and we get to watch the young necroscope learn and grow through the first two-thirds of the book. At the same time, we're introduced to Dragosani, a Romainian who works for the secret Soviet ESP agency. Boris is a necromancer and has the ability to extract secrets from the dead through gruesome mutilations. He also returns to his homeland in Wallachia every year to talk to the mysterious corpse buried in the mountains that gave him his unique ability. The story unfolds as we watch the two learn to harness their abilities and leads towards their eventual showdown.The setting is the 1970s and it's in the middle of the Cold War and for anyone that grew up during this time, it adds an extra dose of suspicious unease throughout the story. Lumley does a wonderful job setting up the characters in a way that demands you to keep turning the pages. There are so many interesting ideas explored in Necroscope that only scratch the surface. I only hope that the rest of the books in the series delves into each and every one of them much, much further.

There are a couple of things that can happen when you decide to re-read a book, ranging from abject disappointment that it is not as good as you remember it, to the feeling that it was always worth a read but you get nothing new the second time, there was so much you missed in that forst instance or a warm feeling that you are meeting old friends again reminiscing over an adventure you shared many years ago.It is the latter case that applies to my return to the Necroscope books by Brian Lumley. They are marketed as vampire novels, and in many ways they are, but the core of it, especially the first in the series, are the ESP talents of various individuals and how they are beginning to be implemented by various countries as a form of spying. Initially we are allowed to see that there are ‘standard’ abilities, telepathy, precognition, but it is slowly expanded to reveal darker things.The story itself is told by Harry Keogh, the Necroscope of the title, related from the future to the new head of E-Branch (The Government ESP department for the UK). It tells of Keogh growing up, an outsider at school, a daydreamer who struggles with his studies. But then he rapidly improves, starting with maps, but develops combat skills, sciences, in fact any subject he struggles with he suddenly improves at as required. It turns out that Harry is a Necroscope, someone who can talk to the dead. The dead spend their after life in their eternal rest developing the things that they were good at in life, and now Harry can talk and share that with them. They impart their knowledge with delight, suddenly having contact with the world again, and through the link with Harry, each other.In parallel we are told the story of Boris Dragosani, probably the best character in the book, a Russian who has abilities of his own, a dark side to Keogh’s abilities. He is a Necromancer, someone who is able to take the bodies of the dead and through intense, brutal dismemberment can draw the secrets from their very being. He was taught this from some dark presence, hidden away in the ground, something that has been imprisoned for centuries and years to be free…The book basically follows the path of the two characters, leading toward the inevitable confrontation. When it comes it does not disappoint. The book is filled with interesting ideas and good characters, Keogh and Dragosani steal the show, but there are others two that stand out, Shushkin, Keogh’s step father, Max Batu a Russian agent with a killing stare, Keenan Gormley head of E-Branch.In some ways the book does not read as a horror novel, more a modern fantasy with horror elements, the best being the feeling of great weight and presence the thing in the ground emanates, Thibor Ferenczy…The story is well told, it keeps the pages turning and it never really gets staid, even on a second read. There are some stunning ideas here, mostly to do with the developing mathematic talents that Harry begins to learn, and the conclusion delivers in a way that is often missed. There are a few nuggets that stand out, how a lot of the psychic seem to have family roots in some of the old Russian satellite states, particularly Transylvania/Wallachia, and that the Russian E-Branch has a research facility in the mountains there – something that will be important in later books.It was well worth a re-read…

The main story follows Harry Keogh who is a Necroscope, meaning amongst other things he can speak to the dead and use their skills from past lives.However, I feel its the villains who steal focus in this book. One of whom, Dragonsani is a Romanian who works for the KGB. A necromancer and polar opposite to Harry, he is able to steal the secrets and abilities of the dead. Later another agent is introduced with the power of the evil-eye and a centuries-old vampire (The Necroscope series delves more into vampire lore in later books)This book reads as though two different authors had written this book. Harry and the goodies come across as too nicey-nice, and I felt it hard to root for him. When the baddies are on hand the writing seems to level up and I think the author enjoys giving his readers a jolt.Slow at times and a bit dated, but still worth a read.

Lumley writes in a distinctively British form of English - there is probably a line to be drawn from Conan Doyle to James Lovegrove with Lumley on it. This isn't a problem, just an observation. The book is good, well paced and exciting.That said, it is quite clear that Lumley's E-Branch is the spiritual father of Stross' The Laundry. It has the same underfunded and slightly dowdy civil service fighting the forces of darkness, and does it very well.It's a great summer read.

This series is what is called 'epic' - in the best sense of the word - and it deserves the moniker. I first read these years ago and decided it was time to re-visit the most terrifying vampires I've ever come across.I really don't know how best to convey how good these books are. Each is relatively short as novels go, but so packed with events that it is - after about the first half of this novel - an unending roller coaster ride from which there is no escape. Each book builds momentum, adding terror upon terror as the series develops.The basic concept is built around the animosity between the old U.S.S.R. and the western powers, most notably, the UK. Each side has started exploring the powers of extra sensory perception, and each is building their cache of special operatives with - sometimes unique - special powers. Throw into that mix creatures as old as time and there's bound to be trouble, because these are not vampires as we know them. These creatures are much, much worse. They are the Wamphyri.You don't have to like vampires to enjoy these books, you only need to enjoy the special blend of horror and science fiction that Lumley blends with such skill. Think Stephen King meets Predator, Orson Scott Card meets Alien, and then treble it. Once you've read these books you will never, EVER forget them.Caveat to those with fragile sensibilities ... the books in this series will give you nightmares.

As the title of my review suggests, I think this is one of, in fact the best, vampire series out there. None of this poncey, childish Twilight rubbish, these Necroscope vampires are far more scary and powerful than the aforementioned nerds. The series is well written and fast moving. In short, the book, one of about 13, I believe, in the series introduces us to Harry Keogh, a 13-year-old boy who is able to speak to the dead. Not in that medium, spiritistic, let's all join hands, "Is anybody there?" way but he speaks to the dead as if there were living persons standing right next to him. He can allow them to direct his actions, such as when he is being bullied and he allows a dead ex-army Physical Training Instructor and self-defence expert to direct his actions in order to vanquish the bully, or later when he allows a dead driving examiner to help him pass his driving test. As Harry grows up he becomes more and more powerful and the dead teem to help their friend, their only link back to the world of the living. Harry is recruited in his adult years by the British government to help spy on the Russians who also have a ESP branch. Harry's nemesis in Russia is a Necromancer; a man able to steal secrets from the corpses of his enemies. On top of that we also get the Necromancer's side of the story as he fights his own personal battles with a Vampire (or 'Wamphyri") who is buried in a woodland somewhere and is desperate to return to the world of the living. This book is great and I would recommend it to anybody who likes vampire stories.A bote on the Kindle version: Perfect! No proplems at all.