cold moon over babylon by michael mcdowell

Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Last year Valancourt brought most of McDowell’s back catalog back into print as part of their 20th Century Classics line, starting with Cold Moon Over Babylon, now available in a handsome new trade paperback with a wonderfully spooky new cover by Mike Mignola. I was standing in front of the Valancourt booth at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention, gazing in amazement at their incredible back catalog, and that was the book that forced me to open my wallet. I first discovered him with the Valancourt reprint of The Elementals (1981). Stephen King called McDowell “The finest writer of paperback originals in America.” McDowell’s other novels include the Blackwaterseries, The Amulet (1979), and Toplin (1985). It was originally published in paperback by Avon in February 1980 (above left and middle, cover artist unknown). This first-ever reprint features deliciously creepy new cover art by Mike Mignola.Leave it to Valancourt Books to produce the first reprint of Michael McDowell’s spooky southern gothic Cold Moon Over Babylon.

Cold Moon Over Babylon (1980), the second novel by Michael McDowell (1950-1999), author of Blackwater and The Elementals and screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a chilling Southern Gothic tale of revenge from beyond the grave that ranks among his most terrifying books. And when the full moon rises over Babylon, it will seek a terrible vengeance.

Night after night it will pursue the murderer. And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. But something strange is happening in Babylon: traffic lights flash an eerie blue, a ghostly hand slithers from the drain of a kitchen sink, graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror. Now they are about to endure another: fourteen-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law. Washington Post Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Publishers Weekly McDowell has a flair for the gruesome. Stephen King Readers of weak constitution should beware.

The finest writer of paperback originals in America.

Cold moon over babylon by michael mcdowell