The Hospital Horror
By Otto O. Binder
1973 Popular Library
Paperback, 192 pages
The
Hospital Horror is a part of the 9-book “Frankenstein Horror Series”
published by Popular Library in 1972/73. Not a continuing story like Robert
Lory’s “Dracula Horror Series” from Pinnacle, which was being published more or
less at the same time, each Frankenstein book was its own story, and only once
was it even about the famous doctor and his monster. As the back covers said, “The
Frankenstein Horror Series is a group of entirely new stories that follows the
fates of the primal monsters and their heirs, as they re-emerge from the Pit of
the Unknown, the Unspeakable, and the Undead.”
The
Hospital Horror has the distinction of being written by geek-favorite Otto
Binder, of the Marvel Family fame. Binder was a long-time pulp and comic book
writer, having worked over the decades for Fawcett, DC and even a little for
EC. He brings his pulp sensibility to this book, for sure. A daring, brilliant
doctor, his love-interest nurse, a hooded, hunchbacked bad guy and many a dark
and stormy night. The villain of the piece even proudly refers to himself as
“The Hunchbacked Horror”!
Yes, the
book is pure kitchy melodrama, and its purple prose may make some roll their
eyes, but I ate it up. It’s also set up kind of like a serial, whereas every 3
chapters or so covers another plan and attack by the Hunchbacked Horror. Paying
attention isn’t too difficult. The story is painted in broad strokes, the hunchback
(who is the one I was rooting for, of course) is pure pulp and the romance is
as stilted as anything written in the 30s. So, yes- it’s pretty damn fun. Add
to that a cover by comic great Gray Morrow and you’ve got my recommendation.
This review originally appeared in Midnight Magazine #8, July 2021.
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