James Herbert died four years ago and for many of us who were teenagers or older in the 80s he was - alongside Stephen King - a must-read horror writer. The Rats trilogy, The Fog, The Magic Cottage - novels that have a special place in millions of readers’ lives. And then there is Fluke, and here’s the thing - it is not a horror book, it is a deceptively simple tale into which Herbert imbues pathos and humour and out of my fuzzy recollections of three decades ago two things remain clear: I was enthralled and I ultimately moved to tears. Recently I read The Last Dog on Earth, Adrian J. Walker’s excellent dystopian novel featuring dual narratives, that of Reg the human and - most memorably - that of Lineker the dog. I loved the book and enjoyed reading Lineker’s thoughts, and also found myself making a mental note, which was simply re-read James Herbert’s Fluke. When Fluke’s memories of his life before he became a dog begin to slowly claw through the murky depths of his subconscious, the tale takes on a whole new (and very compelling) level. From here emotions run raw, with Fluke’s struggle to accept his new life, his departure from his old life, and ultimately severing his emotional ties with his previous family.

Thomas, Kevin (June 2, 1995). "MOVIE REVIEW: Reincarnation, Talking Dogs an Unlikely Mix in 'Fluke' ". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 9, 2023.Eric Stoltz as Jeff Newman, Thomas's best friend. In the years since Thomas's death, he has begun to fill the void Thomas left behind Animal Talk: Animals seemingly can understand each other, as well as human speech. Humans cannot understand animals, of course. Applicability of cancellation rights: Legal rights of cancellation under the Distance Selling Regulations available for UK or EU consumers do not apply to certain products and services. He is survived by his wife, Eileen, whom he married in 1967, and their daughters, Kerry, Emma and Casey. Spark, Alasdair (1993). "Horrible Writing: the Early Fiction of James Herbert". In Bloom, Clive (ed.). Creepers: British Horror & Fantasy in the Twentieth Century. London: Pluto Press. pp.147–160. ISBN 9780745306650.

Youngsters as well as adults will get a hell of a lot out of this book. It speaks volumes with its simplistic but powerful storyline. It’s one to cherish, to return to after a number of years, and to one day pass on to your own children. Well, that’s how I feel about it anyway. It's All My Fault: Said nearly word for word when Fluke fully remembers what really happened on the night of his accident. Francis, Clare; Upton, Ondine, eds. (1996). A Feast of Stories. London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-333-65340-1. Fluke is a 1995 film about a dog named Fluke, who for most of his life remembers brief flashes of his other life, leading him to believe that in his past life he was actually a human named Tom with a family and a job. Upon finding his widowed wife and son, his memory intensifies as well as his suspicions, especially against his former business partner Jeff whom he believes caused his human death. To say I loved this novel is surely an understatement. Having read it when I was a youngster and then later returning to it as a young adult, the impression it left on me is still incredibly vivid even to this day. I remember not wanting to put the novel down. I remember feeling as if I really knew who Fluke was, and that he had somehow become someone close to me. I remember being taken on one hell of an emotional journey, seeing through Fluke’s own eyes as everything that he knows in his life as a dog comes crashing down.James John Herbert, OBE (8 April 1943 – 20 March 2013) [1] was an English horror writer. A full-time writer, he also designed his own book covers and publicity. His books have sold 54 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 34 languages, including Chinese and Russian. [2] Biography [ edit ] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade of "D" and commented, "With the exception of the cheek-pinchable Pomeranc, the cast gives performances as bewildered as the plot is bewildering. There is, though, one other star: The dog is great." [9] Accolades [ edit ] Year Italian filmmaker Carlo Carlei wrote the adaptation of James Herbert's Fluke with co-writer James Carrington with the intention of getting the film greenlit at a major Hollywood studio. [3] Carlei had come close to getting the film greenlit at Paramount Pictures for producer Fred Roos, but the departure of Sid Ganis as the studio's Head of Production derailed development. [3] Then Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer co-chairman and chief executive officer Alan Ladd Jr. upon screening Carlei's Flight of the Innocent was impressed enough where Ladd acquired Flight of the Innocent for U.S. distribution and signed Carlei to a one picture deal with Fluke being greenlit. [3] Release [ edit ] Home media [ edit ] Masterton, Graham, ed. (1989). Scare Care (Tor horror). New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-93156-8. Sometime later, Fluke is resting under a tree on a farm by himself. To his surprise and happiness, he is reunited with Rumbo, now reincarnated as a squirrel. Rumbo tells Fluke about life as a squirrel and about reincarnation.