The Abominable: A Novel

Dan Simmons

Oct 2013 · Sold by Little, Brown

About this ebook

A thrilling tale of high-altitude death and survival set on the snowy summits of Mount Everest, from the bestselling author of The Terror.

It's 1924 and the race to summit the world's highest mountain has been brought to a terrified pause by the shocking disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine high on the shoulder of Mt. Everest. By the following year, three climbers -- a British poet and veteran of the Great War, a young French Chamonix guide, and an idealistic young American -- find a way to take their shot at the top. They arrange funding from the grieving Lady Bromley, whose son also disappeared on Mt. Everest in 1924. Young Bromley must be dead, but his mother refuses to believe it and pays the trio to bring him home.

Deep in Tibet and high on Everest, the three climbers -- joined by the missing boy's female cousin -- find themselves being pursued through the night by someone . . . or something. This nightmare becomes a matter of life and death at 28,000 feet - but what is pursuing them? And what is the truth behind the 1924 disappearances on Everest? As they fight their way to the top of the world, the friends uncover a secret far more abominable than any mythical creature could ever be. A pulse-pounding story of adventure and suspense, The Abominable is Dan Simmons at his spine-chilling best.

Ratings and reviews

In true Dan Simmons form this novel is meticulously detailed and the characters fully fleshed. As always, I found myself immersed and hanging on the edge of my seat .. or mountain ledge as it were. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book by Dan Simmons, and The Abominable is no different! Highly recommend!

This is written in first person present tense. If you actually read books and not the garbage that routinely raises 25 million dollars on Kickstarter, then you know what this little fact means. It's so bad it's impossible to believe it has been written by the same person who wrote The Terror. The intro has some long yarn about a mysterious man from Colorado that makes no sense and is confusing and unprofessional. Now I know why, but it's still amazing that someone or some group of someones would cash out a recognized name at such dramatic speed. Maybe it's because no more books will be forthcoming? My two cents as someone potentially ripped off pending a nice refund. This $15 could have been better spent on a collection of young adult Sci-Fi or something else solidly interesting.

If you like high adventure climbing, you will totally enjoy this book. Lots of twists and turns too.

About the author

Dan Simmons is the Hugo Award-winning author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Olympos and The Terror. He lives in Colorado.