A review by _henrycrossley_
Frozen Hell by Bob Eggleton, Robert Silverberg, John W. Campbell Jr.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“Frozen Hell” was the original draft of John W. Campbell’s masterpiece “Who Goes There?” He had to cut some chunks out for publishing purposes, but after his death, the original draft was found and published.
The alien Thing in the story is truly the perfect organism. It reproduces by absorbing the biomaterial of other organisms and converting it into itself. Furthermore, it is a complex organism comprised of individually autonomous cells just as effective on their own as they are together. The best part about it though, is its ability to change its cells to imitate the organisms it absorbs. This ability makes the Thing the perfect ambush predator. And the paranoia it incites in the Antarctic research base is over the top exciting for the reader.
Personally, I think “Who Goes There?” is better. It leaves a lot more to the mind of the reader than “Frozen Hell.” It makes for a better horror story I think. But I am also biased because “Who Goes There?” is my favorite book ever.
Still, I loved “Frozen Hell.” It is a great story, and it was cool to read Campbell’s original intent. The Thing is my second favorite movie of all time, and I think Campbell would’ve been pleased with that adaptation of his book. I think the movie ending is better than the book, though. Ambiguity is always better than a definitive answer.
The alien Thing in the story is truly the perfect organism. It reproduces by absorbing the biomaterial of other organisms and converting it into itself. Furthermore, it is a complex organism comprised of individually autonomous cells just as effective on their own as they are together. The best part about it though, is its ability to change its cells to imitate the organisms it absorbs. This ability makes the Thing the perfect ambush predator. And the paranoia it incites in the Antarctic research base is over the top exciting for the reader.
Personally, I think “Who Goes There?” is better. It leaves a lot more to the mind of the reader than “Frozen Hell.” It makes for a better horror story I think. But I am also biased because “Who Goes There?” is my favorite book ever.
Still, I loved “Frozen Hell.” It is a great story, and it was cool to read Campbell’s original intent. The Thing is my second favorite movie of all time, and I think Campbell would’ve been pleased with that adaptation of his book. I think the movie ending is better than the book, though. Ambiguity is always better than a definitive answer.