A prelude: I've thought of reviewing books here many times but shied away from it lest I feel the need to say something bad. Having said that, there's no harm to be reaped in playing nicely with other authors whose space I wish to share in the future. Perhaps a good way to approach this is by simply saying nothing at all about books that suck. This also appeals to my sense of time - why waste the precious stuff slating something I didn't like in the first place.

Which segues nicely into this. Christopher Ransom's shapely new novel.

It's been a while since I've read a book in a single sitting - or as much as a single sitting gets these days. Long gone are those times when you were 13 and could stash yourself away for hours on end and nobody would miss you. Ransom's previous novels (The Birthing House, The Haunting of James Hastings and The People Next Door) have all been great but read over a period of days and weeks - and that doesn't suit his style. What Ransom needs is for his stories to be chewed up and spat out as fast as you can to get the full benefit of what he's capable of. Interestingly, the inside cover of this UK version (I don't believe it's out anywhere else yet) has a teaser poster kind of thing going on that runs something along the lines of: "First there was King, then came Koontz. Now horror has a new voice..."

Something like that anyway. It's certainly the first time I've not laughed at such a statement. If you were into both of those guys the way they used to be before they got er... how shall we put this? Before they got complacent? Comfortable? Take your pick. Either way, Ransom will be right up your street. While he unintentionally mixes elements of both, Ransom is no copycat killer. He has a unique vision of all his own that I think he's only just starting to see for himself. Maybe four novels is how long it takes to settle into yourself and figure out what you think you're capable of...

The Fading is an easy read, there's nothing taxing here. It's simply a good old fashioned supernatural horror executed brilliantly. A lesser author would have taken me down a different path but Ransom, sure knows what he's doing. The book is lean as a fighting pig - there's no fat to speak of, no filler chapters that go on forever (oh yeah. we've all seen them and skipped over them, wondering why they were there in the first place) and no beating about the bush when it comes to plot. It even has a series of false endings - whether intentional or otherwise, it works great and made me kick back in the sofa and consider Mr Ransom pretty clever. A device certainly worthy of considering as I go forwards...

While I wouldn't consider it 'horror' in the traditional sense, I can see why it's being pushed down that road. It's as close as you'll ever get. Fact of the matter is, it stands alone. Think James Herbert when he pulled Moon out of the hat - or King when he mailed It out into the world. The similarities within the genre are easy to find but the key is that it really doesn't matter. The Fading has a fantastic idea behind it and an even better lead character who is able to pull it off. All supporting cast members are necessary. Honestly, there's no wastage here at all.

So, I guess whether you're hitting the beach soon, need something for a boring train ride or are just another victim of the hard drugs they're embedding into the paper they make books out of these days, The Fading really is worth the hours you'll give up out of your life for...