Today would have been the 43rd birthday for the Dylan Kowalewski, the founder of Monster Librarian.

Dylan grew up in a little bitty town in upstate New York. It didn’t have a lot going for it, but it did have one thing beloved of book lovers everywhere, and very rare indeed these days: a used bookstore. The store, Granny’s Attic, was in walking distance of his house, and whenever he had the means, he would head there. It was in Granny’s Attic that Dylan first fell in love with horror– and especially killer animal horror. I have a considerable collection of it in my possession now, most of which looks like it was well-loved even before he owned it. I’ve written about Guy N. Smith and his Crabs books before, and he just loved those (and pretty much everything else Guy N. Smith ever wrote) but he also discovered, at an early age, The Rats by James Herbert.

As Dylan planned out the beginnings of Monster Librarian, he realized that he would need to start with some reviews already up, and since nobody knew about us or was sending us books to review at that time, he started with his own collection, including reviews of a few books by James Herbert, including The Rats. So at this time, as a birthday gift, I’m sharing with you some of the earliest reviews from Monster Librarian, written by the man himself about books he truly loved.

Reader’s advisory note: If you ever read reviews of Herbert’s killer animal books, you will see that the readers he has are huge fans, and, for many of them, one of his books is the one that got them hooked on reading. If you’re trying to engage a bored reader, you might want to keep it in mind.

The Rats by James Herbert

New English Library, 1974

ISBN:0450053296

Available: New and Used
 

Giant killer rats invade London, and it is up to a small group of government folk to find a way to stop them. Herbert’s style of writing is easy to read, and the story is by far superior to the many killer rat movies made over the years.  Once it starts, the plot moves very quickly and is engrossing.  It is followed by Lair  and Domain.

Editor’s note: The Rats was republished in 2014 with a forward by Neil Gaiman. The 2014 edition is is not the edition reviewed in 2005 by Monster Librarian– he reviewed the original, 1974 paperback edition– but I’m sure Dylan would approve. How can you not like Neil Gaiman?

Lair  by James Herbert

Pan Macmillan, 1999

ISBN: 0330376195

Available: New and Used
 

Second in the killer rats trilogy by James Herbert, Lair continues the story of mutant killer rats invading England. The book doesn’t break any new ground, but if you enjoyed The Rats then you will probably enjoy Lair.  Sometimes, when reading a sequel, it isn’t that you are necessarily looking for something new, but rather you liked the first book and just want more of the same. This isn’t a bad thing at all, just be aware of what you are getting.

Contains: Rat violence.

Editor’s note: The currently available edition of Lair is not the version reviewed here, which was published in 1999, but is a reprint edition published in 2012.

Domain by James Herbert

Pan Macmillan, 2000

ISBN: 0330376233

Available: New and Used
 
Talk about having a bad day– the survivors of nuclear war in England have to face not only a lawless world with roving gangs of thugs, but also a pack of killer giant black rats. This is a plain, old-fashioned, fun read. Herbert does a fine job of keeping his story moving along. It is a fine addition to his other giant rat books, The Rats and Lair. There is a movie tie-in, Rats.

Contains: violence

Editor’s note: The currently available edition of Domain is not the edition reviewed here, but is a reprint edition published in 2012.

Enjoy!