The Godsend
by Bernard Taylor· 2017
British author Bernard Taylor exploded onto the scene with the 1976 release of The Godsend (published simultaneously by Souvenir Press in the U. K. and St. Martin’s in the U. S.). Tales of xenogenesis have been a sub-genre of horror fiction for many years. From the introduction of the foundling “Bonnie” to the Marlowe family to the novel’s conclusion, Bernard Taylor demonstrates a remarkable gift for pacing, and subtly builds layer upon layer of tension and discomfort. The reader watches as an inexorable doom stalks the four Marlowe children while the parents are incapable of protecting them. While the parallels between “Bonnie’s” actions and the real-life behavior of the cuckoo are present, it is Taylor’s skillful building of horror upon horror without ever resorting to overt violence and gore that renders this short novel a classic of the field.
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British author Bernard Taylor exploded onto the scene with the 1976 release of The Godsend (published simultaneously by Souvenir Press in the U. K. and St. Martin’s in the U. S.). Tales of xenogenesis have been a sub-genre of horror fiction for many years. From the introduction of the foundling “Bonnie” to the Marlowe family to the novel’s conclusion, Bernard Taylor demonstrates a remarkable gift for pacing, and subtly builds layer upon layer of tension and discomfort. The reader watches as an inexorable doom stalks the four Marlowe children while the parents are incapable of protecting them. While the parallels between “Bonnie’s” actions and the real-life behavior of the cuckoo are present, it is Taylor’s skillful building of horror upon horror without ever resorting to overt violence and gore that renders this short novel a classic of the field.