THE SANDMAN
MILES GIBSON (GB, 1984)
�I am the Sandman. I am the butcher in soft rubber gloves. I am the acrobat called death. I am the fear in the dark. I am the gift of sleep.�
Not to be confused with the Vertigo comic book of the same name, The Sandman is a masterpiece of the serial killer genre, published long before serial murder became en vogue in literary circles. What at first appears clich� (the killer murders a prostitute, the killer lives in a motel with his mother), albeit well-composed clich�, emerges as a story that defies every convention usually applied to the �serial killer�. �Mackerel� Burton grows up in a seaside town, obsessing over magic tricks and the flesh of females, and eventually turns killer, calling himself The Sandman. The text is made of up Mackerel�s own journal, charting his metamorphosis into the title character. I will not spoil a damn good read by revealing the stunning plot further. The humour is as black and thick as molasses, and the Sandman himself, far from being the villain we love to hate, comes across as a fairly likeable bloke. Like other writers of his calibre (John Fowles, come on down) Mile Gibson does not release books often, but quality is always assured. This was probably the best serial killer novel ever published upon its release, and no cult or spooky home library should be without it. It is Excellent with a capital �E�. The perfect cure for a �Hannibal� hangover.
To read an extract of �The Sandman�:
http://www.thedonotpress.co.uk/extracts/sandmanex.html
Link cover image to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1899344241/qid=1051716638/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-7446424-2529425?v=glance&s=books