THE REGULATORS

Richard Bachman - The Regulators

I've been through a handful of Bachman books in the past year and I have firmly come up with my opinion of him - he is like Stephen King's backwoods cousin who lives in an isolated shack and was once neighbours with the Unibomber. It seems to me that some of King's books are 'out there', a good toss away from the crowd. But Bachman's...they are like a hail mary throw a hundred yards down the field. The Regulators proves no different.

A small, quiet street, in a small, quiet midwest town, is turned into a terrifyingly horrific bloodbath! A mysterious looking van (not the kind that offers free candy and puppies but much worse) starts the chaos with what seems like a random drive by shooting. After that, more futuristic looking vans cruise down the street shooting up people and houses. It doesn't take long before the death count is half the citizens that live on this tiny road. The houses are on fire or blown to bits and the survivors are barely surviving. The situation becomes more incomprehensible when they try to run away and realize they can't...the borders of the street turn into a vast unpassable desert (also full of crazy looking beasts). Then the houses start to transform. Soon everything resembles the Old West. There is a two pronged battle with the supernatural force that is playing havoc on this street - both a physical battle and a mental fight. I'll spoil the end of the book and tell you that the evil is sent away, but there is a heavy toll to pay.

Even after the final battle it's not quite clear that the evil spirit / phantom villain is actually dead/destroyed. There are hints in a backstory, that this ghostly evil can live for thousands of years buried in the earth until it finds a host. Is the evil spirit cast away for good, or did it just pull a Voldemort and is now hiding away until it finds another victim. This opens up a whole new story - I'm thinking that Stephen King's book Desperation takes on this tale.

Now stop reading if you don't like spoilers.

The thing I found interesting about this book was the idea of using the mind of a child to create a new reality. I loved the idea of the beasts in the desert looking like child drawn monsters, and the landscape too (complete with a smiley moon face). Bachman obviously perverts this idea of an innocent child's mind and turns it into a violent deadly killing machine.

But, what if you took it the other way? Looked at the regular child's mind. It made me think, what would my Poplar Street look like if my mind was hijacked when I was eight?

I used to like to draw cars and airplanes. I'd decorate them with music notes and the suits from cards (spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds). My landscapes would be no more than a horizon line. Sounds cute.

What worries me is the toys I played with. What if they came to life. I was a big GI Joe fan. Lots of guns, bazookas, and vehicles with lasers. I guess my Poplar Street would be very similar to the one in The Regulators.

Is King trying to make a social statement in this book? A critique on the toys we allow our kid's to play with? Maybe he is. A sly crusade to bring attention to the violent games and toys we encourage our youth to play with, imagine with, normalize!

This is actually more horrifying than the novel!

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

WHY READ WESTERN BOOKS?

REASONS TO READ WESTERNS

Another western Matt? Another Louis L'Amour?

Correct. For some reason I really enjoy reading westerns, especially Louis L'Amour. I know they are not considered literary gems, they are usually very predictable, and not to mention filled to the brim with violence, however, they touch on so many basic human life points. I think that's what draws me to them.

If you think about it, we are a species who like to explore (strange new worlds...that's for you Star Trek nerds!), and these western stories are usually about heading west and settling a new land. They are full of the daily hurdles of taking on nature in an uncivilized world. Exploring uncharted lands and experiencing new places. Don't we all kind of wish for a piece of land of our own? And the satisfaction that would come along with overcoming all the challenges of building a new life, all with your bare hands, and maybe a horse. That is almost a basic human need right there!

We are a species that, on a basic level, can relate to a physical battle. These westerns are full of fights. It's easy to think of yourself in such a situation and imagine how you would react. It's again, one of the reasons to read - to explore worlds you would never experience in real life. Just like many other books and stories and comics, L'Amour tales are based around some sort of 'bad guy' who is taking advantage of the weakest members of society - and then usually one hero stands up for the good of the many. How can you not love a hero story!?

I know these books are from another era. Yet, surprisingly L'Amour does not always comply with the misogynistic tone of the time. Yes, the 'womanfolk' often wear frilly dresses and need a helping hand to get out of the stage coaches. But, many of the female characters are tough cookies! L'Amour often points out how hard it would be for the woman who travelled to the west. Often left alone to tend a house and farm while the men are out on a cattle drive or some similar work. The woman in these stories often fight along with the men, picking up shotguns and blowing holes in the bad guys.

Another hugely political topic would be the role of the native/indigenous characters in the books. Back in the day it would have been perfectly fine to place the 'Indian' as an uncivilized menace in the way of progress. Interestingly, L'Amour doesn't put down indigenous people in his books. In fact, he often places the local indigenous people, not on a pedestal, but definitely as the humans to look up to in order to survive what natures throws at you. Often the main character will mention living with the Apache, or other tribe, at some point and learning skills that make him a better person...and far better at surviving in the desert than your average white guy. In the latest book I read, The Tall Stranger, L'Amour even acknowledges that settlers are stealing the Indigenous people's lands. That's a big statement for the times. He's not perfect of course, but much, much better than many of the other writers of his era.

That latest book, The Tall Stranger, has a little bit of everything that makes for a classic (or you could even think 'standard') L'Amour book. We have some settlers heading West to start a new life. They explore a trail off the beaten path and find a hidden valley full of water and green grass. As they start building a new community everything starts to unravel because of one man. A power hungry shyster brings in a group of thugs and takes over the small village. Only one man will stand up to this bully - the Tall Stranger. As you can predict the Stranger fights them off, with fists and guns, and they all live happily ever after. You knew it was coming, but it's the journey not the last step that makes life worthwhile right?

And one last perk about reading L'Amour books - they are usually very inexpensive. I bought this book for 50 cents at a local thrift store. I bought 48 books in an action a couple of years ago for $4. But, don't let the price fool you. A cheap book, but a rich story.