By TOM REAMY (Berkley; 1978/79)

This 1978 book’s paperback edition proves two things: 1). That its late author Tom Reamy (1935-1977), whose first and only novel this was, had a lot of friends in the science fiction community, and 2). That Reamy’s sci fi writer pals were VERY easy to please, as evidenced by all the absurdly overenthusiastic blurbs by authors like Harlan Ellison, Roger Zelazny and Gardner Dozois: “Breathtakingly good,” “A magic legacy,” “A remarkable, sensitive novel,” etc.

In truth, BLIND VOICES functioned as a somewhat promising start to what, had its author lived, might have been an impressive writing career. It’s well written, with a reasonably atmospheric depiction of the American heartland in the great depression, although Gregory Benford’s comparison to Ray Bradbury, the ultimate chronicler of America’s old timey Midwest, is way off. Furthermore, the novel is quite derivative of Charles Finney’s classic CIRCUS OF DR. LAO (also a major influence on Bradbury), which Reamy acknowledges, it would seem, by naming one of his characters Finney.

The setting is Hawley, Kansas, a town whose sleepy existence is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a travelling carnival. This outfit is run by Haverstock, a supernaturally endowed scumbag who uses psychic powers to lord over his flock, who include Angel, an angelic young mute who possess psychic abilities, and Tiny Tim, so named because he is indeed quite diminutive. But then Angel and Tim escape, pissing off Haverstock mightily, and inspiring him to exterminate his other charges, which include a snake woman and a minotaur created by unholy animal experiments.  To combat Haverstock Angel will have to develop his psychic powers, which he does, and face down his former boss, which he also does.

Some interesting characterizations and plot twists might have helped this novel along, but it contains neither. The narrative is deployed in a predictable, surprise-free manner (I had trouble locating the “genuine suspense” promised by the blurbs). In fairness, the psychic warfare angle (utilized most famously in SCANNERS, which appeared three years after the publication of this book) probably didn’t seem as hackneyed in 1978 as it does now, although the sappy romance that develops between Angel and sweet young thing Evelyn Bradley, a fragile eighteen year old whose biggest problem is that (wait for it!) her breasts are too big, was hackneyed in 1978 and remains so now.