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The Rats

Published
May 1975
Main Genre
Horror Horror
Rating
Series
Rats Book 1

About This Book

A special 50th anniversary edition of the classic bestselling horror novel The Rats

‘The Rats is splatterpunk deluxe. Not only great, gory fun but a prime example of what was once called "the British nasty." I loved it then, love it still'‘ – Stephen King, author of The Shining and Carrie


The first victim was a former paper salesman drinking himself into oblivion down by the docks. Next a child and her beloved dog, then six drifters fighting over a bottle of gin - all devoured by a black, writhing mass of giant rats.

As London descends into panicked chaos, high school teacher Harris is pulled head-first into the nightmare when a student arrives with a rat bite on his hand. And he quickly realises that this is no ordinary creature, nothing like anyone has ever seen before.

With their intelligent, wicked-looking eyes and razor-sharp teeth, the balance of power between man and rat has suddenly - shockingly, horribly - shifted.

The rats have had their first taste of human blood.

And they're hungry for more . . .

‘Lean, mean, and nasty as punk, The Rats are here! Capable of inciting riots and causing bloodshed‘ - Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

‘A seminal work from a king of British horror‘ - Adam Nevill, author of The Ritual

With a foreword by Neil Gaiman, New York Times bestselling author of Good Omens

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Paperback

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Mass Market Paperback
First Edition May 1975 Signet ISBN 0451064607
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Mass Market Paperback
First Edition May 1975 Signet ISBN 0451087704
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Mass Market Paperback
First Edition May 1975 Signet ISBN 0451113942
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Mass Market Paperback
Apr 1983 Signet ISBN 0451159993
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Mass Market Paperback
Apr 1983 Signet ISBN 0451153006
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Trade Paperback
Apr 1999 MacMillan (UK) ISBN 0330376144
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Paperback
Mar 2010 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 0330515209
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Trade Paperback
Oct 2014 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 1447264509
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Trade Paperback
Jan 2020 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 1509865497
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Trade Paperback
Mar 2025 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 1035048094
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Hardcover

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Hardcover
Feb 2003 MacMillan ISBN 0333761189
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Hardcover
Jan 2015 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 1447264525
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eBook

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eBook
May 2011 Pan Books (UK) ISBN 0330469207
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eBook
May 2011 -- Not Selected ISBN B0050B1D4G
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eBook
May 2011 MacMillan ISBN 1743291043
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Audio

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Audio Cassette
Dec 2005 ISIS Audio Books ISBN 075312145X
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Audio CD
Dec 2005 ISIS Audio Books ISBN 0753124556
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Audible
May 2007 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd. ISBN B000QCS2FW
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audible.com (abridged)
May 2007 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd. ISBN B0036GMP3U
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Audible
Oct 2013 Audible Studios ISBN B00F59HFN6
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Audible
Oct 2013 Audible Studios ISBN B00F5BLMRY
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Audible
Nov 2013 Audible Studios ISBN B00F5BLL5W
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Large Print

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Audio Cassette
Dec 1999 MacMillan (UK) ISBN 0333780124
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