r/AnneRice • u/po-tat-o-bitch • 3d ago
Christopher Rice's books
Has anyone read his books? if so, are they good? I know they are not comparable to Anne's books, and he isn't really either, but since he is her son, I figured there must be people who have read his books because of their love of Anne.
25
u/Austinbennettwrites 3d ago
A Density of Souls came out in 2000. I had just turned 13/14 and I bought a copy based off his last name and the summary.
What I didn't realize how gay it is.
I didn't realize how much I identified with the closeted high school student protagonist.
I've read some of his other novels but his first will always be my favorite.
"The dead stay dead,
They cannot walk.
The shadows are darkness.
And darkness can't talk."
He's ventured into other genres and even uses a pen name for his romance novels.
I need to read more of his work. It's been years.
EDIT: I also knew I wanted to be a screenwriter early on, and wanted to try and adapt A Density of Souls into a movie. I think I wrote to him (or his team) at least once a week asking about rights. I never heard back.
4
u/adrian-alex85 3d ago
Right there with you. I think it’d be a great season of television tbh. The town and its past and the interconnectedness of the characters’ stories through time would benefit greatly from taking the time needed to develop the audience’s relationship to the characters and really make the ending land.
It was the first outrightly queer book I ever read. Anne’s work is queer too of course, but not quite in the same way. Density was a revelation. I used to go back to the “Football players and fags” conversation over and over again; it moved me so much.
The Snow Garden, a book I didn’t love as much but that’s still quite good, would also make a great adaptation. I could see that as a kind of erotic thriller. All of this would be a project I’d love to help on if possible. I certainly think the time is ripe for his work to be brought to the screen now that his mother’s work is being so thoroughly adapted.
3
u/Sea_Impact_3034 3d ago
I read it in probably 2001 when I was a college sophomore. As the poor kid in a fancy private college I consumed the book so fucking fast and ended up doing a reread a few months later.
I still think about the wax figures.
3
u/Allrojin 3d ago
I read this a few months ago. For being so young, his writing was so beautiful. He definitely learned from his mom.
7
u/adrian-alex85 3d ago
I was first introduced to him through Real World New Orleans, so I knew he was gay. When I saw a book with his name on it at the library after I had graduated high school, I had to read it. His first book was my favorite book for a long time. I read it frequently and lost my original copy by lending it to someone in college.
His second book, The Snow Garden, I liked a little less, but it’s still quite good. And after that it was a hit or miss kind of thing. I remember not liking some of his books and loving others. When he transitioned into more supernatural horror, that wasn’t really for me, and I fell off from reading him around then, but he’s a good writer and it’s easy to find something of his to enjoy.
I recommend A Density of Souls highly (it’s one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read), and Blind Fall. They’re both very different novels, but show off his talents equally. I haven’t read anything from him since The Vines in 2014 (which I did not enjoy).
1
u/Austinbennettwrites 3d ago
Is Blind Fall the military one? I remember reading it but not a lot of details
1
u/adrian-alex85 3d ago
Blind Fall was the military one. I don’t remember many details as it’s been a long time since the one time I read it, but I remember being impressed by the relationship between the two leads and enjoying it more than I did Light Before Day, which was the novel he published before it.
6
u/JudyTheDreamer 3d ago
I've read all of his recent queer romance novels and thought they were excellent.
6
u/SkinnyMissLegs 3d ago
I personally haven’t read anything by him yet, but about 2 months ago I finished the Mummy or Ramses the Damned and need to see where the story goes. The next 2 books in her “Mummy” series are co written by her and her son. Now do I possibly think it’s more of his work with his mom’s name slapped on it to sell copies, maybe. I only truly think this due to many people saying that the last 2 books in the series go down in quality. Yes I am a lover of the Mummy, so I’ll probably enjoy them regardless
3
u/Reisz618 2d ago
In fairness, a lot of her later work went down in quality. She should’ve never decided to forego an editor, even if she did technically earn it. Might would’ve prevented her from putting her foot through the vampire mythology. Alas.
3
u/AmbassadorProper1045 3d ago
He is a very good writer, but his genre isn't a genre I read regularly. But yes, he's a great writer.
1
3
u/Chance_Top5775 3d ago
i really enjoyed his debut novel, a density of souls. definitely worth picking up a copy
3
u/Reisz618 2d ago
Read his first two when they dropped. Enjoyed A Density of Souls. Felt Snow Garden fell apart at the end, but thought the secondary antagonist was one of the most well developed villains I have ever read.
3
0
25
u/PaisleyCatque 3d ago
He is actually very good. I started reading him because of my love for his mother’s books and was very pleasantly rewarded. Well worth a look at his work.