The Terror

Synopsis

Hailed by STEPHEN KING as 'a brilliant, massive combination of history and supernatural horror'.

Now a chilling 10-part TV series from RIDLEY SCOTT on BBC2 and iPlayer

The most advanced scientific enterprise ever mounted, Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition in search of the fabled North-West Passage had every expectation of triumph.

But for almost two years his ships HMS Terror and Erebus have been trapped in the Arctic ice. Supplies of fuel and food are running low. Scurvy, starvation and even madness beging to take their toll. And yet the real threat isn't from the constantly shifting, alien landscape, the flesh-numbing temperatures or being crushed by the unyielding, frozen ocean. No, the real threat is far more terrifying.

There is something out there in the frigid darkness. It stalks the ships and snatches men. It is a nameless thing. At once nowhere and everywhere, this terror has become the expedition's nemesis . . .
Readers are gripped by The Terror:
***** 'One of the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down!'
***** 'A tremendous weighty achievement in atmosphere and storytelling.'
***** 'So beautifully written and well researched. I can't praise this book highly enough.'

Summary

Chapter 1: North

* Captain Francis Crozier and the crew of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set off on an expedition to find the Northwest Passage.
* The ships become trapped in ice in Terror Bay.
* A mysterious creature, believed to be a polar bear, attacks the crew.

Chapter 2: Silence

* Months pass with the ships trapped in ice.
* The crew experiences cabin fever, paranoia, and superstition.
* Officer John Bridgens is found dead, with strange markings on his body.

Chapter 3: The Watcher

* A series of gruesome murders occur on the ships.
* The crew believes they are being hunted by a creature that can mimic human speech.
* A young officer, William Gibson, suspects a crew member named Cornelius Hickey.

Chapter 4: The Crier

* The creature becomes more aggressive and kills several more crew members.
* Gibson and a group of others attempt to kill Hickey, believing him to be the creature.
* Hickey is killed, but he does not turn out to be the monster.

Chapter 5: The Sleeper

* The crew discovers a frozen corpse in the hold of the Terror.
* The corpse is reanimated by the creature and attacks the crew.
* Crozier orders the ship to be abandoned.

Chapter 6: The Lost

* The crew travels across the ice on foot.
* Many succumb to starvation, cold, and attacks from the creature.
* Crozier and a small group of survivors reach Great Whale River, where they are taken captive by the local Inuit.

Chapter 7: The Dead

* The Inuit tell Crozier and his men that the creature is an ancient being known as Tuunbaq.
* The Inuit believe that Tuunbaq is responsible for the deaths of many of their people.
* Crozier and his men are executed by the Inuit.

Example:

In Chapter 2, Officer John Bridgens is found dead in his quarters. His body bears strange markings, suggesting that he was killed by a creature with sharp claws or teeth.

"Bridgens lay on his back, his eyes wide and staring. His face was pale and contorted, as if he had died in great pain. His body was covered in deep cuts and scratches. One of his arms had been almost completely severed from his body. The bloodstains on his clothing were still wet."