mental_clutter
New Member
Sometime around 1976, I borrowed a paperback sci-fi/horror novel from a friend. I was quite impressed with the story, the setting, and the characters. However, I cannot recall the title of the book. There are certain detail I remember, which I hope will be enough for others to help identify the title. Because my family moved in late 1976, I have long since lost contact with the friend. I doubt he would still have the book or remember the title.
Here is what I recall (correctly?)...
The cover art was done in green and silver "foil" with claws ripping through from the backside. I want to think the title was a single word or very short.
The publication date would likely have been 1975 or 1976. Seems the friend had just bought and read it and then passed it on to me.
The setting was perhaps the Balkans in the 1700s or so. The story opens with a man traveling by coach and when it stops for the night, he find himself wandering through the ruins of an old building nearby. Someone/something brings him in the dark an old book (a diary or journal) which he then reads during the rest of his trip. The book then follows the written account. It is possible that the traveler was directed by an unseen voice to the spot among the ruins where he finds the diary in a box.
The diary tells of a battle between the local people and demons, the undead, or similar who come out at night (?). I may be borrowing this detail from another book, but I want to believe there is a reference to chaining up dogs at the edge of town so that their barking will alert the people of the approach of the evil beings.
This one detail I remeber the most...To help fight the evil forces, a local clockmaker, adept at constructing mechanisms, builds lifesize wooden clockwork "soldiers."
With these details, I am hoping one of the forum members will recognize the book I am seeking. Even if they have not read it, perhaps the description of the cover art is sufficient.
I appreciate any help with this search.
---Mike
Here is what I recall (correctly?)...
The cover art was done in green and silver "foil" with claws ripping through from the backside. I want to think the title was a single word or very short.
The publication date would likely have been 1975 or 1976. Seems the friend had just bought and read it and then passed it on to me.
The setting was perhaps the Balkans in the 1700s or so. The story opens with a man traveling by coach and when it stops for the night, he find himself wandering through the ruins of an old building nearby. Someone/something brings him in the dark an old book (a diary or journal) which he then reads during the rest of his trip. The book then follows the written account. It is possible that the traveler was directed by an unseen voice to the spot among the ruins where he finds the diary in a box.
The diary tells of a battle between the local people and demons, the undead, or similar who come out at night (?). I may be borrowing this detail from another book, but I want to believe there is a reference to chaining up dogs at the edge of town so that their barking will alert the people of the approach of the evil beings.
This one detail I remeber the most...To help fight the evil forces, a local clockmaker, adept at constructing mechanisms, builds lifesize wooden clockwork "soldiers."
With these details, I am hoping one of the forum members will recognize the book I am seeking. Even if they have not read it, perhaps the description of the cover art is sufficient.
I appreciate any help with this search.
---Mike