Synopsis:
This new Paperbacks From Hell edition of David Fisher’s The Pack (1976) features a new introduction by Will Errickson and the original cover painting by Lydia Rosier.
In the August heat they frolicked on the beaches, fetched sticks, played with the children.
Then the summer dwellers left, abandoning them to the island’s harsh winter. Ravenous hunger and violent rage have brought them together under a cunning, ferocious leader.
Man has betrayed his best friend – now the dogs will have their day. It’s a bitter winter, and the dogs of summer have grown hungry… and vicious!
Edition:
Valancourt Books’ Paperbacks from Hell
uhhhh…paperback
Trigger Warnings:
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My Thoughts:
It is absolutely horrifying that people abandon animals for any reason at any time. But, it’s so much more awful when they treat them like nothing more than a pool float – something you pick up before going on vacation, and just leave behind when you go because you can’t be fucked to pack it back up. According to the intro by Paperbacks from Hell co-author Will Errickson, this is something that David Fisher had known to take place on Fire Island in the 1970s. Apparently it was such an epidemic that the island (where Fisher lived) had signs posted imploring people to not abandon their pets.
Once these poor dogs have been abandoned, Fisher posits, maybe they quickly become not just feral, but bent on vengeance against the species that betrayed their trust. Imagine little Mittens, or Jason, or Rex has gotten so sick of your shit he’s going to find a bunch of his friends and just whomp your whole ass. That is, in a nutshell, the story of The Pack.
I mean, admittedly it is a touch more involved than all that, but…that’s kind of the central theme.
One thing that I find particularly interesting about this story is the quality of the writing. I have read a lot of seventies and eighties horror paperbacks, and a lot of them are more entertaining than good. But this one is actually kind of impressive. It explores not only the trauma that leads the dogs to do what they do, but also the lasting trauma faced by the survivors. To quote one of my favorite passages:
“The dog was there. There was no doubt about that. For the rest of his life, the dog would always be there.”
I mean, it’s nothing you’ll probably ever see covered in a literary classics course, but that’s actually surprisingly deep for this type of fare. I’ll admit, I’ve never been attacked by a dog (let alone a whole slavering pack of hell-bent puppers). But I have to imagine that once it happens, that’s gonna stick with you for the rest of your life. I imagine that like any trauma it leaves echoes in its wake that will be on your radar for a long time to come, you know?
Rating:
If you want something completely off the wall, maybe skip The Pack. I’d suggest giving a shot to something like The Nest (review coming on that one too), or The Reaping. There is some surprisingly solid writing here, and the story is not only coherent, but cohesive to boot.
The Pack By David Fisher Valancourt Books Published: April 14, 2020 Originally published: December 12, 1976 Ballantine Books ISBN: 9781948405522 Paperback, E-book, Audio 213 Pages
This sounds intense!