Spiral (Hardcover)

Koji Suzuki's attention to detail, both in the characterisations and the storyline, is what draws the reader in and puts his writing style in a league of it's own. He manages to convey feelings of dread and horror though the experiences of Ando while taking the Ring story to a new uncharted level.

This is a mixture of science fiction and horror at its spine chilling best. A clever twist at the end involving the publication of a best selling book called 'Ring' adds to the disturbing nature of the story and serves to leave the reader unsettled as only a true master of this genre can do.

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It begins where "Ring" left off, shortly after Ryuji dies. The coroner is his pal Ando, who is deeply disturbed when he finds a bit of paper stuck in Ryuji's torso -- with the coded word "Ring." He's understandably intrigued, and begins exploring the details of the virus-like spread of the curse, and the ghostly Sadako.

He also meets Mai, Ryuji's girlfriend. But soon Mai vanishes -- and then turns up dead. Even stranger, Ando finds that Mai saw the videotape and recently gave birth, but she was not pregnant the previous week. And soon he finds out that the Ring virus has entered its most lethal mutation: the rebirth of the undead Sadako.

One of the trickiest things in horror literature is explain what makes it horrifying. Like an autopsy, Suzuki opens up the Ring virus and tells us what caused it and how it works on the body. It's fascinating. But it also saps away almost all the horror, to have the curse explained in such clinical terms.

About halfway through "Spiral," Suzuki seems to realize that he's losing the "horror" plot. So he then includes strange scurrying creatures, mind control, and the rebirth of Sadako. And as with "Ring," Suzuki gives you the feeling that the apocalypse is about to hit -- it seems that it's just a matter of time until Sadako wins.

Suzuki has both a good grasp of scientific horror and visceral creepiness. First he unravels the bizarre disease that causes the "curse," then reveals the horrific effects of certain people watching the videotape. It's a credit to Suzuki's writing that it can be this good, considering how stilted the translation can be.

Ando is a likable, if deeply flawed character. He's mourning the loss of his son and his marriage, and that gives him a pathos that many of Suzuki's other characters lack. Suzuki also uses him to revisit the question: Would you sacrifice the world's safety, if it saved the people you love? Since Suzuki is a father and child-care expert, he knows how many people would react.

"Spiral" continues the story of the Ring virus and Sadako, but the first half is horror-and-suspense-free. But the last half brings back the dark, clammy punch of Suzuki's best.

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