Horror Week

Stephen King, who knows a thing or two about writing horror, has said "I am in awe of Dan Simmons." In Summer of Night, Simmons "...has produced an outstandingly eerie and truly horrifying tale, a page-turner of the first order. A miasma of evil hangs over the bright summer streets of the small town of Elm Haven, Ill., perceptible only to a group of boys who have just finished their last year at Old Central, an oversize, grotesquely ornate grade school built in the previous century. When one of the students disappears on the last day of school, some of the youngsters decide to investigate. Simmons impeccably evokes a small Midwestern town in 1960, peopling it with appealing--and appalling--characters. His slow and careful introduction of the elements of evil builds credibility and moves to a high-pitched intensity." (Publishers Weekly)