A Book Well Worth A Read For The Halloween Season
ghostsofpompeii
Master
Roger Zelany's "A Night In Lonesome October".
Here are a few blurbs on the book cover explaining what the book is about:
"In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate. Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut. And now the dead of night approaches - so let the games begin."
The players mentioned in the description include characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper, Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, Dracula and a few other surprises which include the animal familiar of many of the characters. And don't assume Jack The Ripper is a villain just because he brutally butchers women. The tale is narrated by Jack The Ripper's dog Snuff, and loaded with a cast of other talking animals including Snuff's friend a witches cat, a snake, a rat, a bat, and a few others. Fanciful tales of talking animals isn't normally my cup of tea, but this is done so well I couldn't put the book down. This would adapt well into as an animated flick and the perfect Halloween companion piece to Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas", utilizing either stop motion animation or a combination of live action humans and CGI animals. Either way it would make a great movie. And it's definitely a great read - perfect for the Halloween season.