Basil Copper - The Great White Space

I had fun reading Basil Copper's "The Great White Space" and I bet Basil had fun writing it.

This 192 page work blends the adventurousness of a Jules Verne novel swirled with the characters, creatures, and horrors of an H.P. Lovecraft tale. The first 70 pages deal with the introduction, preparation, and journey to the bowels of the earth - and what lies beyond. The remainder or the tale is the soujourn therin; where the creep factor really kicks into overdrive. The final pages are a bit abrupt; chaotic, and 'run-and-gun' for my taste; but the overall creepy atmosphere is 5 out of 5 stars.

Definitely - this book could have used more editing - had some poorly placed metaphors (that enhanced the tone but not the prose) - and was peppered with choppy prose. However, this is one of Basil's earlier published works and was published in the 1970s - when paperback issues did not always have 5 star content (editing, binding, cover art, etc.). I look forward to reading Basil's other works of mystery, macabre, and horror to see if some of these issues get cleared up later in his writing.

Though the mood is doom - this book is free of curse words and slasher obscenities; examples of the Lovecraftian description I felt worth noting are: Shimmering putresence; insectivorious; phosphorescent source; husk of a former self; encompassing doom; the dwarf [dead man attacked by an unkwown something] was like a husk from which all the essence had been drained; obscene and depraved; amber-tinted dusk; ancient city of Croth; Ethics of Ygor; sudden stammer from a machine gun; some faint shadowy thing which appeared to flit between the far building at the end of the plaza; the Trone Tables; huddled form on the tunnel floor...recumbent man lay at a grotesque angle; the thing made a squelching, slopping noise; our companion was ingested into the monadelphous shape of the viscous being which held him fast...

Basil does a good job of cranking up the paranoia by giving less details; where other modern writers give too much grisly denotation.

Again I say this book could use some more work to make it from a 4 out of 5 star novel - to a 5 star novel; and would make a great anime film/series in the right hands. A lof of plot pieces were left unexplained and the puzzle picture was incomplete. Yet, the imaginitive writing certainly makes up for the smaller errors.

Side note, after seeing the previews of the new film "Prometheus" - I predict numerous similarities to this old book. I hope the film is worthwhile (for the genre)

"We don't know what we may meet in these tunnels. One notes; one consolidates; and on then reconnoitres in strength - suitably armed...""bristling with weapons."