The Tommyknockers
Curiosity killed the cat and it also kills plenty of characters within The Tommyknockers, a novel that plays with both the genres of horror and science fiction.
The story begins when an alien craft is unearthed by a curious resident of Haven, Maine. Soon, after being revealed, the alien craft begins emitting a gas that begins to change the physical and mental make-up of almost everyone within the town of Haven.
At first, the changes seem to be for the better. The residents of Haven seemingly become more intelligent and become inventors – creating needless inventions that would have put Da Vinci to shame.
Of course, as always, there’s one character who is a little wary of all the changes occurring within the residents of Haven, Maine. Jim Gardener just happens to be one such character as he watches his ex-girlfriend fall prey to the transformation caused by the ship. Due to a metal plate within his head, Jim is immune to the changes and watches, albeit drunkenly, as the inhabitants of Haven turn from Everyday Joes and Jills to great inventors. Only Jim’s not completely buying it.
And, of course, he’s right. Before long, it’s not just the intellect of the townspeople that is changing. Soon, the changes are manifesting in their physical make-up. Their appearance is becoming more gaunt and a bit, well, alien looking. Before long, they just don’t look the same. Pair that with a number of fatal, violent outbursts and it isn’t long before Jim Gardener knows he must put a stop to the effects passed on by the ship.
The conclusion makes the weighty book worth reading – to some extent – as, is King tradition, the climax incurs some character sacrifice on a grandiose scale. That being said, King is a bit too expository within The Tommyknockers, giving excessive description to some elements of the story that don’t truly deserve it.
King has made better attempts at the science fiction genre within Four Past Midnight’s The Langoliers and, of course, Firestarter. However, The Tommyknockers is still a fun read, if you can make it through the more windy parts (or at least skip over them).