The Border

by Robert McCammon

World Fantasy award-winning, bestselling author Robert McCammon makes a triumphant return to the epic horror and apocalyptic tone of his books Swan Song and Stinger in this gripping new novel, The Border, a saga of an Earth devastated by a war between two marauding alien civilizations.

But it is not just the living ships of the monstrous Gorgons or the motion-blurred shock troops of the armored Cyphers that endanger the holdouts in the human bastion of Panther Ridge. The world itself has turned against the handful of survivors, as one by one they succumb to despair and suicide or, even worse, are transformed by otherworldly pollution into hideous Gray Men, cannibalistic mutants driven by insatiable hunger. Into these desperate circumstances comes an amnesiac teenaged boy who names himself Ethan—a boy who must overcome mistrust and suspicion to master unknowable powers that may prove to be the last hope for humanity's salvation. Those same powers make Ethan a threat to the warring aliens, long used to fearing only each other, and thrust him and his comrades into ever more perilous circumstances.

A major new novel from the unparalleled imagination of Robert McCammon, this dark epic of survival will both thrill readers and make them fall in love with his work all over again.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Aliens, Apocalyptic, Dystopia

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Pseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon

Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.

His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.

McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, what a phenomenal read this was!

A real page turner. This book revolves around realistic characters battling overwhelmingly superior enemies with the fate of the earth and mankind hanging in the balance.

Loved the characters and I cared for all of them, I'd say this is the best character driven book he's written.

I don't think it's possible to adapt this particular book because it's just too biblical.

Essential reading for fans of science fiction, alien invasion stories.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Gorgons and Cyphers, their real names impossible for the humans to speak or understand, had been at war over unpopulated planets for eons. They had fought each other across space, over dead pieces of rock and worlds of ice and flame, but in all that time this Earth was the first populated world they had contested. Their self-proclaimed border between what they considered their territories passed directly through the planet."

Initial Thoughts

That's it! Stick a fork in me, I'm done. Well not literally stick a fork in me, that might hurt a bit...and not in a good way. But I have reached the end of my Robert McCammon journey with his sci-fi chiller...The Border.

After reading some amazing books by this author, including Boys Life, Wolf's Hour and Swan Song I decided to read his magnus opus the Matthew Corbett series. If I wasn't already in love with the guys writing I certainly was now. So I decided to go right back to the start, with his debut book Baal, and read what I had left in chronological order. And now I'm finished and although it's been a fantastic experience I now feel like I have something missing in my life. That's a hint Robert, time to write more books!

We all know Bob McCammon started his writing life as a horror author and made quite a name for himself with titles like They Thirst and Bethany's Sin. But then he had a ten year sabbatical after issues with his publishers. He then reinvented himself as a craftsman of some of the most excellent historical mysteries. I know, you're sick of me telling you this. But I do have a point. The Border see's this author returning to his roots somewhat with a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic horror story that has me thinking of his epic powerhouse of a novel Swan Song. Well that's only my favourite novel of all-time so we're certainly heading down the right track.

The Story

The story opens with a teenage boy suffering from amnesia, running for his life while caught in the middle of a savage battle between two alien races. But this isn't your typical alien invasion. These two species, the Gorgons and the Cyphers, aren't interested in taking over planet Earth. Rather they are fighting over the extremities of their territory , an imaginary border from which the novel takes its name, and the rock we call home is simply stuck in the middle. Our puny weapons are all but useless against them and humanity as we know it is all but destroyed apart from a few survivors.

The mysterious boy, who takes the name Ethan, is rescued by some of the survivors and taken into their community. It later transpires that he may hold the only glimmer of hope for the human race and overcoming these insurmountable odds. So begins a race against time and a fight for survival.

"Does your world end not with a bang, but with a whimper?”

The Writing

If you asked me the one thing that has made me a fan of this author then I'd have to say his writing. McCammon is fantastically descriptive, but not in a way that's over the top, and his prose just flow. Its like he's wrapping you up in a warm blanket. Don't believe me then just give Boys Life a try.

But one thing I will say is that throughout my reading experience it is clear that he has developed dramatically in terms of quality as an author. His overall prose, the way he sets up a story and the development of his characters have all hugely improved. So it was great for him to revisit the horror genre at the peak of his powers. It gave me the old-school McCammon vibe that we got with books like Stinger but much more refined.

Something that hasn't changed with McCammon is that he nearly always opens a book strongly and this one is no exception. The opening set piece is fantastic and I was straight into the high octane action which was a sign of what was to follow. The action scenes are fantastic, brutal and horrific, with the stakes always being high. This is a quality that really separates him from the other authors in the genre.

Although The Border is not his biggest book, it still has an epic feel to it, similar to Swan Song. The landscape itself is desolate and bleak with only a handful of survivor's who are hanging on by a thread. The world has been completely transformed through devastation and pollution with some being mutated into hideous gray men. If the book wasn't a horror by this point it certainly was with the introduction of these hideous, cannibalistic abominations. McCammon describes it all brilliantly and it's a highlight of the book.

"Some may have wished it was the last day of the world, some may have prayed for it to be and wept bitter tears that it would be so, but others had prepared for yet another day to follow this one."

The Characters

I'm not going to start with the protagonists here because for me the best part of the Border was the antagonists. The Gorgons and the Cyphers are nightmare creations. Both are very different. The monstrous Gorgons with their living ships and ability to turn inanimate matter into organic war machines and the high technology and stealthy Cyphers. They are fantastically done and although you never find out their history this adds a real element of mystery.

The remaining characters did fall a little bit flat for me. Particularly when compared to some of the sensational efforts Bob Mac is churning out at this stage of his career. The nature of our boy’s story, which I won't go into, makes him slightly hard to identify with. And none of the supporting characters really steel the show. But with the pulpy sci-fi horror feel that he's going for I'll give him credit that they do fit within that kind of story. I feel the character development was sacrificed to keep the story fast moving. I certainly cannot fault the pacing.



Final Thoughts

I'll start with the ending. This was the major let down for me and felt rushed and pretty unsatisfying. There's also a good bit of that Deus ex machina that people talk about. It just felt like the author was trying to make the end too perfect and although the final chapter is emotional and heartfelt I didn't like the overall resolution. But let me know if you feel I'm off the mark.

But the experience as a whole was excellent and the first two thirds of the story were very, very good. It had my pulse pounding and my hairs up. Very exciting. It really did feel like a McCammon novel from the 80's only with better writing. Just with a touch deeper characterisation and a better ending it could have been a masterpiece.

But don't let those drawbacks put you off. Its definitely worth a read for any McCammon fan or if you enjoy a bit of sci-fi horror. It is an notoriously hard book to find as apparently no publisher would pick up the paperback rights. But just do what yours truly did and pick it up cheap on Kindle. Reading things on a screen is not the worst thing in the world. Look your doing it right now. Thanks for that and...cheers!

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a HUGE Robert McCammon fan, I was beyond excited when I read that he was writing an epic science-fiction/horror book. (I will probably faint when I finally get the signed copy I ordered from Cemetery Dance.) Overall, The Border did live up to my expectations.

The characters here were all well drawn except, oddly,for the main protagonist, Ethan. I felt that we never got to know him in-depth.
As we started learning who Ethan was, we discover he's being taken over by The Guardian, and then before we know it the real Ethan is gone. To little or no fanfare, I may add, which felt wrong to me.


I loved the sci-fi bits of the war between the Cyphers and the Gorgons. The Gray Men were beyond scary as was just the thought of living in a world caught between warring space factions. The imagination that could think all of this stuff up is worth worshiping, IMO. Some of these creatures and their modes of transportation were amazingly vivid.

Now here's the part I don't want to even give voice to: I disliked the ending. A lot. It did not ruin my reading experience as a whole, but it brought my rating down by one star. I hate, yes-HATE, deus ex machina endings and this is surely one. In the midst of discovering one of the greatest tragedies of mankind, comes this fancy gadget to save the day. Really? All of this wonderful creative imagination and then that to end it? I was SO disappointed.

Overall, I was pleased with The Border and happy to see the Robert McCammon from the 80's with whom I originally fell in love. His passion and love for his characters is still evident and I love him for that. If it weren't for that ending, this would be yet another book for my McCammon favorites shelf.

As it stands, this was still an excellent book-and I do highly recommend it!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

The Border by Robert McCammon is a return for him to the science fiction and horror genre. This book is a cross between his Swan Song, a bit of Stephen Kings The Stand, and War of the Worlds or Tuesday TV's Falling Skies. McCammon wastes no time with a build up of events, rather he drops you right into the already decimated world and provides the why's through stories and conversations as the book progresses.

The Border works because it is done by a master story teller who knows how to write about people. Like all McCammon books it is his realistic characterizations that make his writing special. He knows how to make us believe in his characters and to empathize with each of them. Just as important he knows how to write about the human condition and nature. At its heart The Border is a story about the human condition and what we are capable of to survive.

The fun factor in this book is off the charts. The action and battles between the warring alien races is phenomenal. Our small band of likable characters each add flavor and color to the fun. This is obviously Ethan's story but he is not the only great character. Dave is a favorite of mine as is Olivia. Jefferson Jericho and Vone add contrast to our heroes that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The pacing of this novel is blistering fast and makes for a great summer read. It is one of those rare novels that I could not put down and I devoured it in a day. There is some depth to this story but no where equal to the levels of Swan Song or A Boys Life, other of my favorite McCammon novels. McCammon is an author not to be missed as he writes about people and puts them in very different genres.

Fun read from an amazing author...

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Границата“ е много силен научнофантастичен роман! Действието в него е напрегнато и се развива в тягостна постапокалиптична атмосфера, тъй като Земята е почти разрушена заради жесток сблъсък между две напреднали извънземни раси. Робърт Маккамън умело е съчетал хорър и антиутопични елементи, описвайки премеждията на главния герой Итън и други оцелели. Итън е момче, което притежава странни способности, но не си спомня нищо от миналото. Историята е доста мрачна, но също така вълнуваща и изпълнена с интересни обрати...



„Там се крие отговор — помисли си. — Но не целият отговор.“ Нямаше представа откъде знае, че е така, но тази мисъл сияеше като пътеводен лъч в главата му. В Уайт Меншън се криеше някакъв отговор, но щяха да възникнат също и цял куп въпроси.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 1 out of 5]

Слаба фантастика, нищо особенно. Прилично начало и катастрофален финал.

Може би ми се е отразил много и шумът вдигнат около книгата в последните месеци, та очаквах доста повече...

Има допуснати доста неточности и грешки в текста, което при наличието на двама редактори и професионален преводач е недопустимо според мен и дразни много.

Само арта на корицата ми допадна и е единственото положително нещо, което мога да напиша за тази книга.

[Corey Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun ride, as always with McCammon. While this doesn’t crack my top 5 McCammon books, it is still very much a worthwhile and entertaining read. I really enjoyed seeing him return to the horror/sci-fi genre (and I put horror first for a reason - don’t let the alien content fool you, this is first and foremost a gory, balls-to-the-wall horror novel); his writing has grown so much since he wrote something like Stinger, and I actually rank this one significantly higher than that book. It’s amazing how effortless and flowing his writing and storytelling is - in many ways it’s reminiscent of King in that sense. He’s a pro in every way, and he makes it look easy.

As is the case with many of my reviews, especially in this genre, I’m hesitant to say much about the story. I knew next to nothing going in, and it was a hell of a ride, and I think that is how this book is best experienced. Your best bet is to head on over to Panther Ridge and see life during wartime yourself…but this is not a war like you’ve read about before.

As always, the characters are on point and the story is absolutely and “unputdownably” entertaining. If you love McCammon, you will enjoy this book. There are notes of Stinger here (though not as much as you may think), and surprisingly, even a few flavors of Swan Song. How does this stack up in the McCammon pile for me? Well, I’ll likely have to let it digest a bit more for a full picture, but I’d say it falls somewhere in the middle (which is great considering I’ve given all but a few of the man’s books five stars). It doesn’t reach the heights of something like Boys Life, the Corbett Series, The Five or Swan Song, but I enjoyed it more than many of his earlier efforts.

Bottom line: this is McCammon being McCammon, and for me that is an automatic win. It’s a wild, far-out thrill ride written with a ton of imagination and creativity. I’m actually beginning to really feel a certain genuine sadness that I’m running out of McCammon books to read. I haven’t read a book by him in months and this was exactly what I needed. Read it - you will not regret it. This is a master, at the height of his powers, letting his amazing imagination rip loose.

4.5/5

[Algernon (Darth Anyan) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The boy who was running ran into the rain.
He came suddenly into its stinging shower. Within seconds it became a small storm of torment, like the fierce prick of a hundred hot needles. He looked back as he ran and saw through the moving haze the tops of mountains explode in the distance. He saw chunks of rock as big as buildings fly into the diseased air, crash back upon the earth and crack into tumbling fragments. Above the mountains flickered the electric blue lightning that put terror into the heart of the bravest man and made the weaker man fall to his knees.
The boy kept running, into the rain.

Robert McCammon knows how to spin a horror tale, balancing between explicit gore, psychological pressure and flawed humans that somehow rise to the occasion and save the day. "The Border" is a post-apocalyptic story that reads like a more streamlined version of his "Swan Song", which was at the time a more entertaining and engaging version of Stephen King's sprawling saga "The Stand" . What links these three books together in my memory is the mix between science-fiction and religion, the allegorical and eternal battle between Good and Evil.

The title is a reference to the event that ushered in the Armageddon. Two alien races, the lizard-like genetic manipulators nicknamed Gorgons, and the robot-like, abstract, masked Cyphers, invade Earth simultaneously and start to battle each other for supremacy. Their spaceships and soldiers are laying the whole planet to waste, as shown in the opening paragraph. Human-made weapons and human armies are soon utterly destroyed, with a few scattered survivors hiding in the ruins of the once great cities and with the countryside taken over by the Grey Men - former humans transformed into zombies by the toxic alien rain.

The border. Between them. Their worlds, or their universe or dimension or wherever they come from. Earth is on the border, and that's what they're fighting over.

Into this horror landscape a young boy comes running.


>><<>><<>><<>><<

I am not going to describe the plot or the main characters. Suffice to say this is a typical McCammon rollercoaster ride, that his storytelling talent is still going strong, in particular when it comes to action sequences and to tear-jerking tales of self-sacrifice.
Being a huge fan of his work, what comes next is not very easy to admit : "The Border" is my least favorite of all the novels I've read so far from Robert R. McCammon. It's the biblical, preaching angle that put me off my feed. I was expecting more subtlety here. I don't mind the idea of an angel sent to save us from our sins, and I believe in second chances, in the posibility of redemption, but it felt kind of grating and heavy-handed to try to force far-fetched scientific explanations onto this allegorical theme. The examples of 'deus ex-machina' moments are too numerous to mention the story jumped the shark long before that final 'time-machine' device at the end . If you can ignore creationism and predestination taking center-stage in what started as a classic SF story, or if you are simply in the mood for a good horror adventure, you might enjoy the present novel more than I did. You may even consider it as a test of your humanity and/or direction in life, as the author probably meant it to be, with his references to a higher entity, somewhere out in the universe putting us through the wringer:

IT needs us to give damn. As humans, I mean. I think ... IT wanted to know first if any of us even wanted to fight back. If we were strong enough to keep going. [...] IT needed ... IT needs to know that any of us care enough to stand up and fight, instead of waiting to die in a hole somewhere.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 Stars*
With The Border, Robert McCammon goes back to his roots! His new novel harkens back to his 80's sci-fi/horror classics like Swan Song and Stinger, and mixes in some War of the Worlds with a story about our Earth becoming a battleground between two hostile alien civilizations and humanity trying to survive in the wake. Although it was enjoyable to an extent, I was disappointed with discovering that I wasn't as into it as I would've expected, given that McCammon is one of my favorite authors.

McCammon can be long-winded and wordy at times, but sometimes I have found it endearing, showing just how excited he is to be telling his story. Plus, he's the type of writer where you just enjoy reading his wordsmith-ing. But here, I felt that it made for an uneven pace and the book felt a little long and repetitive. And there are so many things, all the way until the ending, that just feel too convenient. Also, the main character of Ethan was a problem for me. He's already introduced as the overused trope we've seen tons of times: the mysterious, gifted kid that is the key to saving the world. And there are many developments that happen with him that just never felt right to me. There's a missed opportunity where McCammon could've really delved into the idea of this little boy who is trying to deal with the fact of not remembering who he is and being gifted with these powers and responsibility that he doesn't understand, and how terrifying that must be for him, and how he must eventually learn to grow past that and become the hero he's destined to be. That would've been cool to witness. But instead from the start Ethan never really feels like a kid, and seems to just take everything in stride, which, yes, makes him unbelievably strong, but also pretty boring. And (Ethan spoilers under the tag), after the alien inside Ethan decides to do away with the boy's body and completely take over, I didn't really feel that much of a loss because Ethan never felt like a little boy to begin with. And man, after that alien took over, much of the tension left the story, with all of his mind-reading, and the convenience of what he knows and what he doesn't know.

But aside from these issues, the book is still a superficially entertaining summer blockbuster, with plenty of sci-fi action scenes, aliens, guns, and Transformers...a cool book to read on vacation. I just wish it was a little better conceived.

She began to sob, to weep for the dead and for the living, for those who had long ago given up hope and for those who still hung on to what tomorrow might bring...

[Dan Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say McCammon’s most imaginative novel? Maybe ... just maybe. One thing is for sure: this is a HORROR novel. It has lots of sci-fi and action elements, but it is definitely a blood-soaked, monsterific horror novel (and yes, I know that’s not a real word).

The Border is essentially McCammon uncaged. He just goes all-in with the crazy factor in this one. The two warring factions of aliens are ruthless, terrifying, awesome and fascinating, while the poor human survivors are caught in the middle, clinging to scraps of food and any water they can find. They are ridiculously outmatched and outnumbered. To quote the great Chris Farley from Tommy Boy, “your firearms are useless against them!”

And I love how the aliens are not cookie cutter; no shortcuts here. McCammon gives each monster unique characteristics and really takes the time to paint those little details that less-seasoned authors might overlook. Each monster is scary in its own way, because no two are exactly alike. Because of this, you are always on edge, unsure of what to expect and what fresh new terrors will be unleashed.

My two gripes:
1) You don’t really get to know a whole lot about the main character (though there are reasons for this). In all honesty, many of the characters aren’t as well drawn out as they typically would be in a McCammon book.
2) The ending is likely to piss some readers off. And I can understand that. I can’t say why without spoiling things, though. It initially felt a bit too convenient for me, but I accepted it upon reflection for reasons (again) I won’t go into due to spoilers.

The verdict: another great read! McCammon’s return to balls-to-the wall horror. This has the potential to be made into an absolutely incredible summer blockbuster. Eat your heart out, Independence Day!

4.5/5 stars

[Reeda Booke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right away the story drops you right in the middle of an ongoing war that has two alien races warring over earth that has left our planet destroyed and pockets of survivors barely hanging on their will to survive. The aliens are brutal and the pollution their war is causing is also transforming some humans into the hideous Gray Men. It is up to the main character, Ethan, a young boy who doesn't remember anything about himself prior to finding himself just running for his life, and a ragtag group of survivors he meets along the way, to stop this war before the life as they knew it is over. Ethan is special and that is all I will say about that.


I loved the characters, especially Ethan, JayDee and Dave. Even Vope gave me a few chuckles. The alien creatures were even fascinating to read about. But this is also a book about the human spirit and the capacity to endure even when there seems to be no point.


Although this book definitely has some horror elements, I would consider more of a sci-fi, apocalyptic thriller. Either way, I definitely recommend it! It wasn't Boy's Life (which I loved), but it deserved it's own 5 stars from me.

[Diana Stoyanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Очаквах нещо епично, мащабно, динамично, напрегнато... но очакванията ми не се покриха. Идеята на книгата е страхотна, но за съжаление не беше разгърната така, както на мен ми се искаше. Историята определено имаше потенциал, но на някои места яко зацикли.

[Bill]

Well shit. I didn't make it very far with this one. There are aliens and spaceships. Fuck. I hate aliens and spaceships. I tried to stick it out, because....well, because it's McCammon man, but I hate aliens and spaceships almost as much as I hate wizards and dragons. Bummer man. Major bummer. Maybe I will give it another go at another time. Probably not. Bummer. (Did I already say that?)

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien-Apokalypse meets Sci-Fi meets Zombiehorror
Die Welt wird zum Schauplatz von einer Schlacht zwischen zwei Alienrassen, genannt Cypher und Gorgonnen. Im Rahmen dieser Schlacht wird die Welt in Schutt und Asche gelegt, die Kommunikation und Stromversorgung bricht zusammen, menschliche Waffen haben keinerlei Effekte.
Einige weniger Überlebende leben zurückgezogen. Gleichzeitig droht bei Nacht eine weitere Bedrohung: die sogenannten "Grauen", mutierte kannibalistische Zombies, die die Überlebenden angreifen.
In Denver hat sich in ehemaligen Gebäudekomplex "Parkers Ridge" eine Gruppe Überlebender verschanzt, die darauf hofft irgendwie durchzukommen.
Ein Jugendlicher wird Nachts während einer Schlacht von einem dieser Überlebenden gerettet und dorthin gebracht, er dürfte aufgrund seiner offensichtlichen Verletzungen eigentlich nicht mehr am Leben sein. Die rudimentären Tests zeigen aber, dass er ein Mensch zu sein scheint. Er gibt sich den Namen Ethan Gaines nach einer Highschool in der Nähe. Was hat es mit diesem Jungen auf sich und seinen Visionen, die den Titel erklären und der scheinbar mehr zu wissen scheint als alle anderen.
Sehr gut zu lesen, auch für nicht Genre-Freunde.
Leider musste ich aufgrund der Onleihe-Fristen ein kleine Pause einlegen, was dem Lesevergnügen aber keine Abbruch gibt.
Es gibt allerdings immer wieder religiöse Zwischentöne, die irritieren, aber sie sind nicht zu dominant und insgesamt nicht störrend.
Leseempfehlung von mir!

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Земята става Границата между воюващи извънземни раси: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/g...

“Границата” на Робърт МакКамъм ме върна с лекота назад – в дните, когато опустошавах секцията с фантастика (фентъзи тогава почти нямаше) в градската библиотека във Видин и ненаситно поглъщах всякакви приключения в Космоса, битки с извънземни, анихилиращи лъчи и всичко останало, което вълнуваше въображението ми. Тогава спокойно изчитах по книга-две дневно, а оставаше и доволно време за игри навън, как съм успявал с всичко, и до днес не знам. Една сцена например от “Песните на далечната земя” на Артър Кларк никога няма да забравя - когато последните земни кораби напускат Слънчевата система и наблюдават края на планетите в нея и основно гибелта на Земята. Е, сходно усещане събуди в мен и началото на “Границата”, когато МакКамън директно захвърля сред апокалиптичен конфликт между извънземните раси на горгоните и мъглявите, които в една ясна сутрин просто се изсипват в небето от нищото. За броени дни опитите на земляните за съпротива са сломени (безсилието им напомня на това от филма “Денят на независимостта”), а последните оцелели се окопават в малки крепости, оставени в положение на пасивни наблюдатели, които воюват за живота си с оживелите кошмари на загиващата планета.

Deja Book​
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/g...

[JasonA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow this one had slipped under my radar. I love Robert McCammon, so an alien invasion book by him should be right up my alley.

Overall, it felt like a shorter Swan Song with aliens. The reduced pages unfortunately came at the expense of character development. We got enough to know the characters, but not really enough to care about their fates. My only other real gripe was that the ending was a bit too much deux ex machina for me, but it still kind of worked with the story being told. I'd have liked to see a bit more of an epilogue to it as well, but it wasn't anything that would make or break the book.

If you like Robert McCammon then this book is worth giving a read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean no great disrespect when I say Robert McCammon is kind of a schlocky author. Okay, I guess that's not terribly respectful either, but I've read several of his big potboilers now (Swan Song, Sings the Nightbird, and The Border) and I can see that he tends to use the same tropes to mix and match an epic adventure of good vs. evil in a grimy world, over and over. Swan Song was post-apocalyptic and almost a by-the-numbers rewrite of Stephen King's The Stand, while Sings the Nightbird was a historical novel of witchhunting and sex in the American colonies. The Border is an alien invasion story, but once again we have the pure-hearted young man who is the Chosen One who will save the world (or the beautiful damsel in distress, as the case may be).

Without the historical intrigue of Sings the Nightbord or my Stephen King nostalgia, I found this book to be the weakest McCammon novel I've read yet. McCammon seems driven by whatever inspired him for bits and pieces of his story, and in this one, some scenes seemed lifted almost wholesale from Independence Day.

A few years ago, two alien races descended on Earth to turn it into the latest battleground in their generations-old war. The Gorgons are shapeshifters, while the Cyphers are super-advanced energy/matter manipulators. Both of them are vastly more advanced than humanity, so they crush Earth civilization in short order, leaving the survivors to scramble about in the wasted, blasted wreckage, dodging battles between the two alien nemeses who so casually conquered the human bugs under their feet.

A young man with amnesia arrives at a redoubt in the middle of one such battle, and promptly displays inexplicable and fantastic powers. The human survivors, initally fearful that he's an alien, are eventually persuaded that he has some great mission (he claims to "know" he has to go somewhere and do something), and so trek along with him on a journey across North America to an ill-defined destination on a vague quest to save the world.

There are interesting alien powers and lots of battles and moments of heroism and the human spirit triumphing over adversity, which is often the theme underlying McCammon's supernatural or scifi adventures. You can expect bravery, a bit of maudlin sacrifice, and deux ex machina endings in a thick pulpy potboiler that was entertaining but derivative.

It's a decent alien invasion/scifi-horror/post-apocalyptic epic, but I kind of plowed right through it and found it left little impression on me.

[José · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro de terror y ciencia ficción bastante entretenido; es como una película de acción en forma de libro.

En The Border, un niño amnésico despierta en medio de las ruinas de su hogar para encontrarse con que la Tierra ahora es el campo de batalla de la guerra entre dos razas alienígenas.

A lo largo del libro seguimos al niño y los demás sobrevivientes que encuentra durante su viaje, y presenciamos los diferentes horrores que los extraterrestres traen a los humanos: experimentos, mutaciones extrañas y cambios en la atmósfera del planeta.

Es una historia con capítulos muy cortos y cargados de acción. Aunque al igual que otros libros apocalípticos cae en algunos clichés, era justo lo que estaba buscando.

A pesar de que no me voló la cabeza, lo recomiendo si buscan leer un libro que mezcle terror y ciencia ficción.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buch 18 in 2019: "Die Grenze" von Robert McCammon
Zwei außerirdische Rassen, die sich unseren Planeten als Kriegsschauplatz ausgesucht haben, führen das Ende der Welt herbei. Zwei Jahre nach ihrem ersten Auftauchen kämpfen nur noch wenige Menschen um ihr Überleben, doch auch ihre Tage sind gezählt. Wie lästige Ameisen werden sie von den kämpfenden Aliens zertreten und Hoffnung ist ein seltenes Gut. Inmitten dieses Höllenszenarios rennt ein Junge um sein Leben. Er kann sich nicht mehr an seinen Namen erinnern oder wovor er wegrennt. Er spürt nur, dass er ein Ziel hat, dass er unbedingt rechtzeitig erreichen muss. So viel mehr als nur sein eigenes Leben könnte davon abhängen.
McCammon erschafft in diesem Buch ein Schreckensszenario, dem die Menschheit nicht gewachsen ist. Man spürt die Hoffnungslosigkeit und den immer weiter schwindenden Überlebenswillen der verbliebenen Menschen, die sich nicht ansatzweise gegen die außerirdische Übermacht zur Wehr setzen können. Zudem gibt es noch einen weiteren Schrecken, eine Krankheit, welche aus dem All mitgebracht wurde und befallene Lebewesen in sogenannte Graue verwandelt. Letzteren Aspekt hätte ich persönlich nicht mehr gebraucht, da diese zombieesken Monster für die Geschichte nicht nötig sind, die Aliens reichen mehr als aus um eine Hölle auf Erden zu fabrizieren.
In all dem erwachen wir als Leser zusammen mit dem namenlosen Jungen, der um sein Leben rennt und bald feststellt, dass er nicht nur für sein eigenes Überleben kämpft, sondern auch für das der restlichen Menschheit. In ihm regt sich etwas, dass die Macht besitzt das Schicksal zu verändern.
McCammon hat auch in dieser Geschichte wieder sehr vielschichtige und nachvollziehbare Charaktere erschaffen, deren Schicksal einem ans Herz geht. Es ist deutlich spürbar, wie die Hoffnung der wenigen Überlebenden immer mehr schwindet und es keinen Ausweg aus dieser Misere zu geben scheint.
Ja, das Rad ist in dieser Geschichte nicht neu erfunden worden, es kommen immer wieder Passagen auf, die einen an andere große Geschichten erinnern, trotzdem schafft es McCammon durch seinen hervorragenden Schreibtstil ein bedrückendes Kopfkino zu erschaffen, bei dem mir nicht nur einmal Tränen kamen.
Das Ende war leider nicht der Kracher, aber bei diesem Szenario sowieso schwer zu finden. Aus solchen Sackgassen lassen sich leider nur selten Wege finden, die nicht konstruiert und etwas Augenverdrehend wirken. Trotzdem hat der Autor auch dies wieder durch Charakterbeschreibungen und Schreibtalent abgemildert und so zu einem akzeptablen Ende gefunden.
Ich habe dieses Buch sehr gerne gelesen, auch wenn es leichte Schwachpunkte ausweist. Doch ein epischer Kampf ums Überleben der Menschheit, gepaart mit starken Charakteren und einem guten Schreibstil, lässt einen über sowas hinwegkommen und die Geschichte trotzdem genießen.

[Ivan Bogdanov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Някога имало една война в океана. В нея, Америка воювала срещу Японската империя.
И вместо битките да са с кораби и подводници за прекъсване на комуникациите унищожили (според мен напразно) стотици хиляди войници в пехотни боеве в джунглите по островите.
И оттогава американците описват все такава война - как две много мощни галактични империи не се бият с кораби в орбита, даже не се и стрелят с ракети (или поне оръдия), а се трепят в диви пехотни битки на чужда територия.
Една звезда за разкошната корица на Живко Петров и една за превода на Елена Павлова.
За съдържанието ми идва да сложа минус.
Не мога да повярвам, че този автор е написал твърде приличната "Момчешки живот".

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert McCammon never disappoints.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously, folks, MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK AHEAD! Do not blame me if you read it anyway and get the ending spoilt! Read at your own risk!

This was my first Robert McCammon, so I wasn't one of the people waiting for his next science fiction/horror novel for umpteen years. I picked this book up because somebody recommended it to me (I don't remember who, I'm afraid, so apologies if it was you. Please feel free to berate me in the comments).

The book is billed as science fiction (which it is; there's aliens and everything) but I think, at its heart, it's more of a survival horror along the lines of something like The Walking Dead.

As I was reading it, I found myself enjoying it a great deal. It was never going to be a five star book for me but I was thinking it would be a good, solid four star review. The premise of two species of aliens fighting an intergalactic war which just happens to stumble upon planet Earth appealed to me. These aliens don't give a hoot about humanity; Earth just happens to be their latest battleground. The trouble is, for humanity, they're destroying the planet and killing millions of humans as collateral damage. I thought that was a pretty good idea and if I've seen it before, I don't remember where.

All was fine; I was having a blast... until the penultimate chapter.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

I hate to say that McCammon finishes his otherwise great novel with a bullshit, timey-wimey, cop-out ending. The humans find a fucking time machine in Area 51 (yes, you read that right) and proceed to turn back time to twenty minutes before the two alien races discover the Earth. (Why doesn't everything just happen exactly as it did before? Because bullshit planetery force field. Fuck that shite too.)

NNNNNGGGHHHH! I am literally sitting here seething at reading over 400 pages of solid s.f./horror only for it to end with the ultimate deus ex machina! Seriously annoyed!

Anyway, now that I've got that out of my system, I have to rate this thing. OK, I give it four stars for everything up to the conclusion and one star for the cop-out, shitty ending. Let's even that out to three stars... purely because I'm usually pretty generous with my ratings and I'm too nice for my own good.

Will I read more McCammon? Hm. I probably will... but not for a while. I want to give him another try because I enjoyed everything up to the ending so much... but if I read a second book of his with a bullshit, cop-out ending, that'll be my last McCammon.

[Whitney Jamimah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Though this was certainly a still a solid book this was my least favorite McCammon to date which is really saying something since 3.5/5 stars is still good so, really, McCammon is 4:4 for me so far.

The gripe, if you could call it that, that I had about this book is that I really think it needed to be longer. McCammon, like King, always always does an amazing job of building the characters up for us. We always get a good amount of time just settling into the story and getting to know the characters back stories and their motives, this is usually my favorite part of any McCammon book. In The Border it felt like we got our character and world building time then BOOM the action started too quickly and overwhelmingly. I wish we could have gotten just a little more time in the "ramping up" phase in between the characterization phase and the main action. It just felt like things started happening too quickly.

As I was reading I realized, we don't get this type of alien story very often, a horror invasion story. Often, a story like this would end up being categorized solidly in the sci-fi section and there would be more focus on the aliens and less on the apocalyptic feel. I loved that about this one. It felt so perfectly creepy and McCammon-esc I really couldn't ask for anything different to fulfill my spooky sci-fi desires for the fall/Halloween 2022 season.

As I already started to say before, McCammon is one of the big dogs when it comes to excellent characterization. One of our main characters Ethan has suffered an amnesic event. I think it can be hard making a character with no discernable history feel so real but McCammon really hit that one on the head in The Border. Ethan managed to still feel very nuanced and had incredible depth given the lack of personal history. Of course, the rest of the supporting characters were equally great as well. I always feel that I intimately know everyone on a McCammon novel.

Of note, I did listen to this one on audio and the narrator was enjoyable except I absolutely couldn't stand the voice that the narrator gave to one of the main characters, Dave. He gave him this ridiculous, fake feeling hardass type of voice. I felt so inauthentic. Yes, Dave was the badass of the group but just because he was the badass doesn't mean he has to have this fake badass voice. I mean, overall I was able to overlook that but if you are very particular on narrations that could hinder your enjoyment as Dave is on page a lot and he get a lot of dialogue.

I guess my final thought on The Border would be this: it was an enjoyable read for sure. If you are looking to make your foray into McCammon though I wouldn't recommend starting here, I'd start with Swan Song or Boy's Life instead and make your way to The Border later as I think those first two books I listed are the best of the best when it comes to McCammon but this one is definitely one to check out if you've come to love McCammon and want to get into more of his back list.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCammon does it again. Anyone that knows me or reads my reviews knows that I’m a slobbering, drooling McCammon fan. And its books like The Border that are the reason why. McCammon revisits some of his old stomping grounds and takes some of the best ingredients to create The Border. Elements of Swan Song, Stinger, and even The Walking Dead (if the Walking Dead had aliens instead of zombies) find their way into this intoxicating brew. What comes out the other side is The Border.

15-year-old Ethan Gaines suffers from amnesia and a body so battered and bruised, he should’ve been dead ten times over. Wandering the Colorado wasteland, he joins up with a band of survivors at the Panther Ridge apartment complex. Overhead, the aliens called the Gorgans and the Cyphers war against each other, using earth as the battlefield. What remains of the humans do what they can to hold on. There isn’t much left. The skies are a diseased yellow. When it rains, it has an oily feeling and their scared to drink the water. The survivors are not only running out of supplies, but they have to deal with the metamorphosis of humans into a gray-skinned killing machine hell-bent on attacking them. Meanwhile, this strange boy with what should have been fatal injuries to his body arrives. You can’t blame them for being paranoid. The Gorgans and the Cyphers keep coming up with new ways to attack the last vestiges of humanity. Could Ethan be another one of their weapons? Ethan might not remember much from his past or how he got here, but during the next alien attack, he displays an unearthly power that saves everyone at the apartments. Weary, but hopeful, Ethan leads the remaining group on an unknown quest to save the last remaining humans from the aliens and put an end to this war.

McCammon weaves a wonderful tale with characters so realistic you can almost reach out and grab them. There are moments in The Border that touch on all the readers’ emotions. You’ll feel angry, sad, hopeless, and elated, all while being on the edge of your seat. The Border is a gripping thrill ride that you’ll find impossible to put down. Don’t fight it. It’s much better if you don’t resist!


5 Alien Gifts out of 5

[Bogdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The formula of this book is nothing new, but I must say that it kept my interest high enough until the end. And I liked the way that all it`s wrapped up and, also, a high five for the Reverend true ending.
It is a fast read, without a lot of depth (maybe) ( if you `re expecting the prose of King, then go someway else), but still there are some points to be made, and the characters or story are not so bad like others have found them to be.

I`ll give this a four stars rating without any hesitation in my mind.

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audible will indeed give you a full refund if you listen to 80% of a book and hate it.

Sorry, Charlene.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one by McCammon!

[Mika Lietzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Border is Robert McCammon's long-anticipated return to the balls-to-the-wall horror of such classics as Swan Song (1987). Unfortunately, the balls are missing, the wall is crumbling and the result is a poor copy of that earlier (far superior) novel.

There's not a whole lot of originality in The Border. The plotline is pretty much lifted wholesale from Swan Song, with a supernaturally gifted youngster leading a ragtag pack of survivors to a US president hiding in a mountain base. But instead of a nuclear war, it's an alien war that has devastated the planet. That ingenious difference probably comes from any number of alien invasion movies, video games and TV shows, with Falling Skies being perhaps the most obvious one.

Even overlooking the secondhand premise it's hard to enjoy the novel; the storytelling drags, forcefully, like the novel had no literary editor at all (some typos and a constant, annoying use of dot dot dot also imply that some quality control was surrendered in the making of this novel). The beginning is alright, but an overlong alien sex sequence (!) segues into a long, interminable bus ride which takes just forever, with basically no breaks in between. I mean, couldn't there have been at least some attempt to flesh out the world in which these characters live.

Besides the miracle kid Ethan who finds himself turning into a Silver Surfer, only the television evangelist Jefferson Jericho is sketched out in any significant detail; he's the only character worthy of the title "character" in the novel, the others being basically cardboard stand-ins. The aliens are alien, and particularly one-note creations at that, with a (not at all surprisingly) silly Terminator-like mandroid Vope being the most memorable one, besides the penis-milking alien queen (really can't get that alien sex sequence out of my mind, sorry).

The single positive thing about the novel and its remarkably undeveloped world are the mutants, the feral Gray Men, who for some reason or other keep attacking the live ones (one assumes it's because their kind always do that in movies). There're some moments approaching horror in these scenes, but it's all by the numbers with no surprises, and of course they all fizzle out and it's back to the bloody bus and a deus ex machina ending. One almost wishes someone had pushed the reset button much, much earlier.

The other saving grace of the novel is its relatively short length and some semblance of readibility (meaning it's not the worst horror novel I've read, not by far; but I guess that just says something about how many truly crappy horror novels there are). At 400+ pages The Border is mercifully over fairly quickly - and it's still hefty enough that it can be used as a doorstop or a paper weight. Small mercies, eh?

Skip this one and pick up Swan Song.

Read all my reviews at mikareadshorrorfiction.wordpress.com

[Петър Панчев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Земята – бойното поле на извънземните натрапници
Цялото ревю тук: http://knijenpetar.blogspot.bg/2015/1...

„Границата“ („Deja Book“, 2015, с превод на Елена Павлова) се появи точно навреме, за да си влея малко отрезвяващ хорър в душата. Бях тръгнал доста встрани от литературните си апетити, а това си е един своеобразен стрес за грешник като мен. В тази сложна ситуация спасението се казва Робърт МакКамън и последната му книга, пълна с изчадия от Космоса, които са си харесали Земята за водене на военни действия. Потърпевши тук сме ние – хората, стресирани свидетели на една касапница с неимоверни мащаби. За мен книгата си е повече хорър, отколкото чиста фантастика, затова ще я разглеждам именно от тази ѝ страна. Тази жанрова вариация цели съвсем други внушения и интелигентните сюжетни развръзки не са от първостепенно значение, стига да има тръпка и достатъчно ужасийки, които да ликвидират душевното спокойствие на четящия. Не казвам, че другото е абсолютно излишно, но жанрът си иска своето, за да се получат добре нещата. Тук МакКамън е изтърсил цял чувал с изчадия със земен и извънземен произход, тъй че би трябвало всичко да е наред.
„Границата“ започва ударно, настанявайки читателя направо в центъра на апокалиптичен ад. Населението на Земята вече е получила гигантски шамар от горгоните, които са разчистили периметъра и са сринали военната мощ на земните сили в очакване на истинския си враг. Скоро и той се появява в лицето на мъглявите, разтваряйки портали из атмосферата, за да нахлуе със също толкова невероятните си оръжия, способни да предизвикат няколко армагедона един след друг. (Продължава в блога: http://knijenpetar.blogspot.bg/2015/1...)

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ravaged by a brutal war between two alien invaders, the Gorgans and Cyphers, bent on owning the area of space that Earth occupies, pockets of survivors barely hang on. Mutated humans, dubbed Gray Men, hunt what's left hungering for flesh and blood. But one boy, who was injured during a conflict between the aliens and suffering from amnesia, might know more than even he realizes. Because he's been found by survivors holed up in an apartment complex in Colorado, and as he soon discovers, he might know how to stop the destructive alien forces threatening to finish off the planet. But time is quickly running out...

Masterfully written, this epic scifi-horror novel stands alongside those modern classics like SWAN SONG and STINGER. Highest of recommendations.