Review of The Night Prophets by Paul F. Olson
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 3 / 5 Ravens
How was this review scored?
Paul F Olson’s 1980s Vampire Classic The Night Prophets rises from the Cemetery Dance vaults to thrill and chill another generation of true believers. "The Night Prophets," originally released by New American Library in 1989, was Olson’s first published novel.
Many of the tropes common to vampire lore are here, but often given a satisfying twist for the 80s audience. Today’s reader will find the story just as satisfying, with a hint of quaint, as out-dated technologies are described and used to spread the gospel of the Universal Ministries church.
The global religious movement led by Universal Ministries carefully tends its flock. In 1989, outside Chicago, thousands of young people come looking for happiness and searching for peace. Reverend Steve, Reverend Bob, and the one they all worship most, the powerful Reverend Arthur Bach welcome everyone through their doors.
But Curt Potter has other plans when he arrives. Searching for the truth about his own past, he couldn’t have imagined what he’d find. The horrific secret within the church is an unspeakable evil more terrible than Curt’s darkest nightmares. Against all odds, Curt and friends make a stand against this powerful darkness.
From the start, the novel hints at vampires at work in the shadows. The excitement of encountering the blood-thirsty night stalkers is kept well at bay, which felt like a disappointment. However, Olson is in full control of his audience, much like the Master has full control of Universal Ministries. By the hectic climactic ending, it was clear why the novel was such a success in the 1980s, and why it has been resurrected for another generation to enjoy.
Olson delivers strong character development out of the gate. Each primary character is well developed with their own detailed history and personal motivations. However, it may be difficult for the reader to grasp what those characters WANT most. The driving force behind storytelling is a main character with a clear objective. Curt plays his cards close to his vest throughout the novel, until his motivation is revealed and the real action begins to unfold.
Dialog and internal thoughts carry the world-building of Olson’s freshman novel. There is a healthy dose of exposition from an omniscient narrator to fill in the parts no character would know otherwise. As the story speeds along, scenes see-saw between antagonist and protagonist with more frequency. Shorter bursts of insight and action lead to the climax of head-to-head confrontation.
There is little action early on to build tension. No conflict of consequence arrives until late in the novel when readers begin to feel the threat is strong enough to risk a character’s life - or, in this case, their afterlife.
Overall, the novel lacks purposeful struggles or tension-building conflicts that would make the reader care more about the unfolding story. There are a lot of details and activity but not much story progression or tension escalation.
Olson unfolds the tale at a steady, almost measured pace, which may make it difficult for some readers to feel compelled to return and continue reading. For those who give it the old college try, a satisfying and well-developed conclusion awaits.
Paul F. Olson has been a professional writer and editor for nearly forty years. He also penned "Alexander's Song," along with many other short stories, essays, reviews, and interviews. Olson published and edited Horrorstruck: The World of Dark Fantasy, during the 1980s, a magazine for horror fans and professionals. Following the death of his co-editor and partner David Silva's, Olson teamed with Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman to produce the tribute anthology "Better Weird." After spending nearly two decades as a small-town newspaper editor, he returned to his roots with a full-time focus on fiction.
Read more from Paul Olson at https://paulfolson.com and find him on social media at Facebook(@pfolson), and Twitter(@pfolson).