''The Fog'' is a horror novel by English writer
James Herbert
James John Herbert, OBE (8 April 1943 – 20 March 2013) was an English horror writer. A full-time writer, he also designed his own book covers and publicity. His books have sold 54 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 34 l ...
, published in 1975. It is about a deadly fog that drives its victims insane when they come into contact with it. Herbert's second book, it is completely unrelated to the film ''
The Fog
''The Fog'' is a 1980 American supernatural horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and created the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. It ...
'' by
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
.
Plot summary
John Holman is a worker for the Department of the Environment investigating a
Ministry of Defence base in a small rural village. An unexpected
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
swallows his car releasing a fog that had been trapped underground for many years. An insane Holman is pulled up from the crack, a product of the deadly fog.
Soon the fog shifts and travels as though it has a mind of its own, turning those unfortunate enough to come across it into homicidal/suicidal maniacs who kill without remorse, and often worse. Respectable figures including teachers and priests engage in crimes ranging from public urination to
paedophilia
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty ...
. A
Boeing 747 pilot is also driven insane and crashes the aircraft into the
Post Office Tower
The BT Communication Tower is a grade II listed communications tower located in Fitzrovia, London, owned by BT Group. Originally named the Museum Radio Tower (after the adjacent Museum telephone exchange), it became better known by its unoff ...
(now
BT Tower
The BT Communication Tower is a grade II listed communications tower located in Fitzrovia, London, owned by BT Group. Originally named the Museum Radio Tower (after the adjacent Museum telephone exchange), it became better known by its unoff ...
) in London.
Soon a bigger problem is discovered – the fog is multiplying in size and nothing seems to be able to stop it. Entire villages and cities are in danger and the only chance left is to use the treated and immunized John Holman to take on the fog from the inside where who knows what awaits him.
See also
* ''
The Mist'', a 1980
Stephen King novella
*
Blackgas
''Warren Ellis Blackgas'' is a two volume comic book mini-series written by Warren Ellis, illustrated by Max Fiumara, and published by Avatar Press from 2006 to 2007.
The first volume deals with two lovers trapped on an island where a Black G ...
, a Warren Ellis comic book miniseries with a similar plot
*
Crossed, an Avatar Press comic book franchise with a similar plot
Trivia
A translation of ''The Fog'' to
Arcateenian (an alien language) is mentioned in British sci-fi tv series
Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
.
References
External links
James Herbert website review of ''The Fog''
1975 British novels
Novels by James Herbert
British horror novels
Child sexual abuse in literature
New English Library books
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