The Terror - Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons begins the linear portion of this novel with what anyone familiar with the failed Franklin expedition knows to be Historical fact.
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set sail from Britain for the fabled North West Passage in 1845. They were seen some time later entering Baffin Straits, Northern Canada, by two whaling vessels - and then were never seen again.
A handful of bodies (From a combined crew of around 125) were found buried many many years later - And some bones were also found unburied. It is likely that all Men on the expedition died of "natural" causes, at least in the context of their harsh environment...
...But Dan Simmons posits an alternative theory in this book!
He claims (Well, I shouldn't call it a "claim") that, while some of them
did succumb to cold and starvation others were deliberately killed by something malevolent out on the ice.
Many of the negative reviews focus on the fact that starvation, scurvy and exposure are horrific enough that there was no need to introduce a bloodthirsty 'monster'. While it's true that any of the (likely) causes of death are beyond the comprehension of most people - The "Thing on the Ice" added a deeper horror to the story. One can't help but freeze in the Arctic when one is improperly clothed, because the weather is not malicious. But this relentless, stalking beast is a different matter entirely - It
wants to cause destruction...
The positive reviews include (as in my case) the genuinely haunting story - This book has a very real capacity to 'stay with you' after reading it.
A straight retelling of the likely fate of these men would have been deeply sad - Human endeavor scuppered by human folly. But by adding the "creature", it becomes as chilling as it is tragic.
CONS: Some passages are poorly written.
Repetition of lost crew members' names and ranks.
Potential (for some) losing interest before the distant end.
PROS: Genuinely terrifying (If like me, you're a bit of a softie!)
Some dialog being amazingly natural.
One event/scene (I shan't spoil - Just say S.V.C.!) being quite evocatively disturbing.
Simmons' ability to constantly humanize hardy old sea-dogs.
If you can stick it to the end, 900+ pages and a thousand miles+(!) from the beginning, then you're in with a solid chance of loving it.
