The Fireman by Joe Hill

William Morrow, 2016

ISBN-10: 0062200631; ISBN-13: 978-0062200631

Availability: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle edition

Joe Hill may be Stephen King’s son, but he has staked out his own claim on horror fiction as quite the forbidding beast. His published work, such as his story in 20th Century Ghosts (William Morrow, 2008), the retro-feel Heart Shaped Box (2009) the quirky Horns (2011), and masterful N0S4A2 (2013), has become more and more outstanding. His newest, The Fireman, has been touted as Hill’s masterpiece, and I agree.

The plot of The Fireman begins when a new, incurable, virus called Dragonscale breaks out. Dragonscale is beautiful in its black and gold-speckled bruised hues, and the effects of the disease are instantaneous for many victims; once infected, people catch fire. Some suffer just a little puff of smoke on the arms, legs, or chest; others combust and light up like napalm.

When nurse Grayson Harper sees a man catch fire outside her school, she decides to volunteer at the local hospital to help victims of Dragonscale. One day, a strange man in fire gear demands help for a child in his arms. This is the titular character, who forsakes his own well-being to help others. Grayson sees him again when she learns she is pregnant, and infected. The fireman helps her escape her abusive husband and leads her to a “camp” where other infected victims learn to live with the disease. Most of the plot revolves around the wild array of characters at camp, including a cult-like group, and we soon learn there are no true villains in this story: just misguided humans.

The Fireman is surprising and brilliant, and at over 700 pages, it would serve as a great summer read. Joe Hill is an incredible storyteller; the reader feels as though they are sitting at a bar or campfire listening to a master spin a yarn. The writing is smooth, and the story will stay with the reader long after the covers are closed. I won’t be surprised if it garners a Stoker. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Simms