Simon Clark first appeared on my radar about two years ago after the publication of The Night of the Triffids. As most sci-fi fans know, John Wyndham wrote the classic novel The Day of the Triffids in 1951. The giant, killer plants that populated the book weren’t the centerpiece of the post-apocalyptic text. Human beings, the real survivors, are the heart of the story. Clark created a mildly disappointing sequel fifty years after Wyndham’s original which continued the protagonist’s story.

At the time I had no idea that the British Clark had written anything else. It turns out that he’s been writing novels since the mid-1990s. One of his earliest offerings was 1995’s Blood Crazy. Like The Night of the Triffids, Blood Crazy takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape. There hasn’t been a nuclear bomb nor is there a super flu which has destroyed the land. Instead, a mysterious affliction has caused all adults older than 19 to murder the young. Parents in particular have an overwhelming desire to kill their own babies, children, and teens. This is a chilling reality.

At the center of the story is Nick Aten (rhymes with Satan) who awakes one Sunday morning to find that the world has gone insane. His parents along with all of the other adults have changed into systematic killing machines. Young Nick escapes town and in the midst of the chaos and carnage stumbles upon a young woman named Sarah and her two terrified younger sisters. The four of them take off on a journey of survival. Along the way they run into their fair share of troubles—both at the hands of “creosotes” (aka, “kaybees,” crazy bastards, or simply the adults) and at the hands of their own peers.

Post-apocalyptic novels often deal with the ills of society gone very wrong. In most of these stories people become polarized. Groups form with very diverse goals, standards, and practices. Blood Crazy presents a very similar scenario in that the surviving children band together in communities and are forced to deal with their own internal strife at the same time as fending off their own bloody-thirsty parents and other adults. It is a truly twisted glimpse of a future gone wrong.

Clark’s imagery is mildly interesting. His descriptions of the survivors and what they find amidst the emotional rubble is chilling. Nick’s friends are gutted and crucified, beheaded and sewn back together improperly. There’s nothing pretty about his allegorical vision of the future. Sure Nick predictably finds love with Sarah, but freedom from rules and constraints isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It is Nick who is at the center of this story and it is he who helps small civilizations to discover some glimmer of hope in the most dire of situations. As with many other post-apocalyptic novels there is a serious spiritual undertone to much of the story, but it fortunately doesn’t weigh down the entertainment value.

As far as the explanation about what happened to the parents and why they’ve so brutally banned together to watch, count, and kill their young Clark doesn’t offer up a clear answer. Blood Crazy is an easy and entertaining book to read, so the fact that the ending is so “profoundly” philosophical is off-putting. I would have preferred something simpler and less symbolic. I really liked Nick as a person (even if he admits to having many faults). The problem is more that I don’t care really about anybody else. I feel sorry for some of them and am sickened by the blood-thirst of the “sane” and “insane” alike,” but the story is very focused on one character. Clark is a fine enough writer, but Blood Crazy does lack the profundity of many other post-apocalyptic texts.

I’m a fan of this kind of human horror. The idea of society going kaput for one reason or another is a fascinating one. Blood Crazy is the only story of its kind in my 100-title post-apocalyptic collection, unfortunately it’s in the middle of the heap as far as lasting impression goes. If you’re looking for some really great books in the genre, I suggest the aforementioned The Day of the Triffids, The Stand (Stephen King), Earth Abides (George R. Stewart), A Gift Upon the Shore (MK Wren), Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (Kate Wilhelm), Alas Babylon (Pat Frank), Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler) or Swan Song (Robert R. McCammon) to start. Fortunately there are many, many post-apocalyptic novels to enjoy. Blood Crazy by Simon Clark may or may not be worth your effort.

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Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Round-Up:

Earth Abides – George R. Stewart
http://www.epinions.com/content_65528434308

A Gift Upon the Shore – MK Wren
http://www.epinions.com/content_103733956228

Parable of the Sower – Octavia Butler
http://www.epinions.com/content_116717031044

Alas, Babylon – Pat Frank
http://www.epinions.com/content_94122184324

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang – Kate Wilhelm
http://www.epinions.com/content_132912156292

Swan Song – Robert McCammon
http://www.epinions.com/content_90015567492

Recommended: Yes