Archive for Book Reviews
Unpleasant Tales – Book Review
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Unpleasant Tales
Brendan Connell
Eibonvale Press, UK
Trade Paperback, 324 pages, £ 8.99
Review by Mario Guslandi
Brendan Connell is an eclectic, talented writer whose stories range from sheer horror to soft SF, from historical pastiches to fairy tales for grown-ups. The common ground for Connell’s stories is the dark, unsettling nature of his excellent narrative craftsmanship.
Unpleasant Tales collects twenty-two tales which confirm both quality and variety of the author’s fiction.
Some stories are extremely nasty and overtly horrific such as the gruesome “The Maker of Fine Instruments” where a musical nut ends up making a musical instrument of his own mutilated body, the extreme, grandguignolesque “The Cruelties of Him” featuring a crazy doctor who endeavors to modify the very anatomy of the human body and the decadent “The Putrimanic” in which a man gets fond of anything repulsive.
The irresistible “The Nanny Goat” portrays an old, virgin spinster who, having acquired a desirable young body by means of witchcraft, devotes herself to the pleasures of sex until the final disaster, and the very dark “The Skin Collector,” although a bit predictable, manages to give the shivers to the engrossed reader.
Connell’s “fairy tales” are equally enjoyable, such as the strange, compelling “The Last of the Burrowars,” told in a very captivating narrative style, and the colorful “The Girl of Wax” where the waxen statue of a beautiful plebeian girl becomes the closest companion of a posh prince.
If you like historical pieces here we have the delightful “The Last Mermaid” revolving around the life of Carlo II, King of Spain and “The Flatterer” a vivid tableau describing a nosh-up in antique Rome.
If you prefer black comedy you will certainly enjoy the semi-serious “The Nasty Truth About Dentists,” the excellent “Sirens,” depicting the revenge of a woman on the plants which make her beloved neglect her advances, and the outstanding, offbeat “Virgin Hearts” featuring a rejuvenated, naughty, wealthy old man, his nephew and his greedy daughter-in-law, and a cruel Russian beauty.
Not satisfied yet? Then read on and you’ll find a fascinating tale of sea adventures “We Sleep on a Thousand Waves Beneath the Stars.”
You can hardly ask more from a single book by a single author.
Horror Library, Volume 3 – Book Review
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Horror Library, Volume 3
R. J. Cavender, Editor
Cutting Block Press
Trade Paper, 254 pages, $16.95
Review by Sheila Merritt
Tortured souls inhabit the stories in Horror Library, Volume 3. They commit violent acts; see their worlds hideously transformed; face fearsome facts; descend into madness; and reflect on mortality. But wait… there’s more: The 30 tales in the anthology explore eruptions that run the emotional gamut from the slow and sinister simmer, to the bravura boiling point. Set in locales as disparate as Tokyo and an American town with a population of 57, there is plenty of variety in the volume. The writers included do an excellent job conveying angst, anger, and antagonistic feelings.
In “Clover” by Gina Ranalli, a dying pedophile reflects on his vices; smoking and children: “Goddamn, he was a sucker for the kids. Boys, girls, didn’t matter. As long as they were young and pretty and looked up to him with those big innocent eyes, smiled at him with genuine liking. And when they laughed! Oh, God help him, when they laughed, it was all over for him.” As a janitor in a school, Danny Clover had ample opportunities to victimize those who he referred to as “vices.” The kids come back to torment him before he dies: “He did indeed have screams left inside him and the first one escaped when he felt someone kick his ankles apart, felt little hands with razor-sharp claws digging into the tender flesh of his calves as they held his legs open. And then something unbearably huge, hard and cold forced itself between his buttocks.” Brutal in her images and clarity of feeling, Ranalli creates a retroactive retribution that pulverizes with its power.
Another older man is scrutinized in “The River Child.” Based on the Japanese folklore of Kappa, a malign river entity, R. Michael Burns uses an elderly homeless person as the conveyor of the narrative. With a tenuous grasp on reality, the societal outcast watches as Kappa does what comes (super)naturally: “Not two meters away, a roughly human form lay twitching and spasming, inky liquid splashed and pooled all around. The thing that crouched over the dying man looked at first like a badly disfigured child – hands and feet splayed and webbed like the appendages of a toad, facial features scrunched and simian, absurdly punctuated by an almost duck-like bill. Hair as thick and bedraggled as kelp surrounded a circular hollow in the top of its elongated skull, a thick, phlegmy liquid sloshing around inside. A knotty, chitinous shell covered the creature’s humped back like some grotesque parody of a samurai’s armor.” The exotic setting of the work is noteworthy, but Burns primarily deserves praise for descriptions so precise and palatable.
Guilt: The crux of much anguish. Gary A. Braunbeck and Matthew Warner examine culpability with compassion and remorseful responsibility in “Under the Bridge Downtown.” A father resents his young daughter who has cerebral palsy. After she is killed when a bridge collapses on their car, he is regretfully relieved. His paternal regard for her was tempered by her unalterable, deteriorating physical state; she became an abhorrent burden to him. Going back to the scene of the accident, he wallows: “He didn’t know why he called her name. Of course he’d imagined the sound of her voice calling for him. Of course. She was nothing more than a memory-ghost now, like him – hell, they’d both been ghosts for so long, haunting what should have been happier lives. Still, he called her name again, as if it were some act of penance. It clouded in the cold air, chill as the grave, then wisped away.”
In Horror Library, Volume 3, editor R. J. Cavender collects an exceedingly admirable array of works that zeroes in on follies, frailties, and fears. What is encountered is not always human, but perhaps once was. The dynamic between cause and effect, and liability and loss, is poignantly probed.
Dark Echo – Book Review
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Dark Echo
F. G. Cottam
Thomas Dunne Books
Trade Paper, 368 pages, $25.99
Review by Sheila Merritt
The gender of a boat/ship is designated as female. It is described as a “she,” and seduces accordingly. In his novel Dark Echo, author F. G. Cottam plays upon this notion. The title of the book refers to a vessel that thrums with fatal attraction. The magnetism is malevolent; the come-on, cautionary. Temptation tantalizes and torments. Care to sign on for a cruise? If thinking twice, consider the appeal: “It was the lines of her that did it. Even out of the water, she had this sweep of imperious elegance. The timbers of her hull were stained but sound-looking, apparently intact. Her deck, with its brass rail, was a low-sung hymn to grace. She was so beautifully proportioned that, even as a wreck, she seemed somehow poised and dignified.” Cottam barges in on the dream with a nightmare of a narrative. He launches a tale of ghosts, diabolic deals, and historical resonances. His work is a successful blend of horror with history; World War I and Michael Collins combine with ritual sacrifice and murder. The “‘roaring twenties” meld with devil worship. There’s a Dennis Wheatley vibe to the story line, but the writing is much better.
Like the sea craft, so effectively depicted in feminine terms, two women are instrumental in steering the plot. One, a freelance researcher, is digging up information to try to save her lover from evil enslavement. She turns to the writings of a liberated lady from decades past for illumination, and finds a revealing impression of a suspect character: “He is extraordinarily muscular and, in the harsh sunshine, his dark body reminded me with a shudder of the carapace of some large and deadly creature. There is something of the crab or the praying mantis about him.”
The emphasis of characterization, however, is on a father and son relationship. The father, who is wealthy and self indulgent, buys Dark Echo; despite its reputation as being cursed. His son longs for approbation and love; and also feels the tug of the ship’s thrall. Together they embark on a journey that will bring them closer to each other, and nearer to impending doom.
Past and present entwine to combat corruption of souls. There is a tenderness in the interaction of eras; a trying to bridge damage done while attempting to thwart contemporary catastrophe.
The vessel’s hull isn’t hell. The vehicle is merely a terrifying transport for trace terrors. The alluring Dark Echo charters stygian waters, and unveils unholy pacts that traverse time. Writer F. G. Cottam focuses on familial/generational interplay in his novel; never forgetting the important involvement of the pivotal females. His bewitching barge is indeed unforgettable.
Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile – Book Review
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Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile
J. L. Bourne
Gallery Books/Permuted Press
Trade Paper, 288 pages, $15.00
Review by Sheila Merritt
Military speculative fiction, with zombies; just another jump on the zombie bandwagon? Not in the hands of J. L. Bourne. In Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile, the author adroitly applies elements of the subgenres in a compelling first person narrative. The epistolary genre novel found its initial great success in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bourne uses the diary/letters concept as the means of telling his tale. His protagonist is bone weary, wise, witty, and woeful. Each day is another struggle with the undead; each night is filled with fears. Old soldier survival techniques are sometimes applicable, but often not. The world has gone mad; adaptation is the key to dealing with it.
Describing this insane shift is Bourne’s strong suit. He achieves it with crackling, insightful monologues/dialogues. Employing perspective is another way by which he delineates the then from the now: “In the old world, there were only a handful of animals that could deliver a fatal bite, such as some breeds of snake. Now the pendulum of deadly creatures to vulnerable humans has swung toward cataclysm. At least with a deadly viper, one might have a possibility of survival.”
The story has detailed discourses on weaponry that will tantalize the testosterone oriented reader. Yet, those who are more inclined to sentiment won’t feel deprived. The author gets inside the head and heart of his main character; who is touching in passages such as this: “I kept making my way south and west, passing scene after scene of decay. How long had it been since I had seen the first of them? I walked and imagined how it would feel to talk to someone again. The feeling of loneliness was setting in. From all my experiences with survival, this was the most serious of all emotions. It is different with everyone, but for me, the emotion attached to being lonely is fear.”
Beyond Exile is the second book in the Day by Day Armageddon series. Book three promises explanations for the cause of the tumult and terror. J. L. Bourne takes a war time sensibility akin to the Academy Award winning film The Hurt Locker, and successfully integrates it into a dynamic like the Mad Max movies; never once forgetting a prime principle of story engagement: Make the main character emotionally comprehensible and accessible.
The Fall – Book Review
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The Fall
Robert J. Duperre
Create Space Publishing
Trade Paperback, 337 pages, $15.99
Review by Brian M. Sammons
I must admit, upon looking at this book, I was put off by it. The first and foremost reason for that is because it is self-published. Now I don’t want to seem like a literary snob, I really don’t, but I get quite a few self-published books sent to me for review, and with very few exceptions, they are universally bad. So bad that I usually don’t finish them, and I pride myself on being able to finish almost any book.
The second thing that raised alarms and red flags inside my mind that this book would soon be joining other castoffs in the “I can’t take any more of this” pile was that upon starting it, it became apparent it was going to be yet another zombie novel. Let me be clear: I love zombie books, novels, videogames, and whatever, as long as they have something new to say. And no, that doesn’t mean just taking a “classic” novel and adding zombies. Yes, I’m looking at you, latest mash-up of now public domain literature and the shambling dead. So, The Fall by Mr. Duperre started things off on the wrong foot with me. The only way I could have had a more immediate dislike for this title was if it had insulted my momma. But I was sent this book so I was going to give it the old college try to get through it.
Now here’s a little bit about me; I hate reading bad books, and by extension I hate writing bad reviews. I know, this is the internet, and the vast majority of people calling themselves critics on the ‘net only seem to exist to piss all over things because being hateful and snarky is funny and people like funny. While I get that, and to some extent it’s true, I simply have too many books to read to waste time on bad books. Further, I’ll never review a book that I don’t finish.
You can see where I’m going with this, can’t you?
Yes, if you have successfully deduced that this will turn out to be a positive book review despite all the red herrings I sprinkled about above pointing to the contrary then call yourself Sherlock and me color surprised. As a testament to the old saw about judging books by their covers, The Fall works wonderfully as I quickly found myself enjoying this book despite my initial misgivings. So why all the preamble? To illustrate a point that this novel could be easy to dismiss, hell I did it, but if you do so then you might miss out on one hell of a high octant thrill ride. While that might be a bit a hyperbole, it is surprising accurate. Robert J. Duperre writes in a swift, somewhat brisk style. No nonsense readers who like to get to the meat of a story will love this. Those who like a bit more flourish with their prose might find it a bit simple. Me, I can go back and forth depending upon my mood and the skill of the author. In this instance I found it most fitting.
As for the story, it plays with some familiar zombie tropes, but does add enough of the new to tell the tale in its own, unique voice. This time the end of the world comes about when a researcher opens up a long lost and sealed Mayan tomb and unleashes a strange virus that turns people into homicidal maniacs. As if shades of 28 Days Later weren’t bad enough, there’s a bit of the world George Romero made tossed in for good measure as the dead also begin to rise up and join in on the murderous mayhem. While the threat is global, the majority of this tale is set in the small New Hampshire town of Dover. This allows the protagonists to view the approaching horror from a distance, but a distance that gets shorter by the day as the epidemic spreads. The characters seem flawed and believable and I enjoyed reading about their trials and tribulations. A few didn’t quite connect with me and seemed a bit cardboard-ish, but they were in the very small minority.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about the plot, other than to say small town, crazies, zombies, people trying to survive, and a deepening mystery. How deep, you may ask? Well this is only volume one in a proposed four book series. The story here can stand well enough on its own, which is something a lot of books in an ongoing series can’t pull off, but it does leave plenty of threads untied for future installments. Do I look forward to such future endeavors? Yes I do, and really, that’s that best thing you can say about the first book in any quadrilogy.
Consider this one a surprising recommendation.
Monsters – Book Review
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Monsters
Paul Melniczek
Dark Regions Press
Trade Paper, 136 pages, $16.95
Review by Sheila Merritt
Legendary monsters know no territorial bounds. They exist in remote regions and populated cities. Paul Melniczek takes a globe trotting gander at all manner of beasties in his aptly titled short story collection, Monsters. There be dragons; a variant of the creature of the lagoon; devils; and other nasties of odd appearance. Superstitions and the arcane harmoniously haunt in well drawn settings. From Arizona to Australia; from the mountains of Tibet to the streets of London; Melniczek harnesses his hellions with ample skill and scares.
In the tale “Twilight’s Embrace,” for example, the monster is indeed horrifying in visage: “The thing was charcoal black, leathered wings folded across its scaled back. The face was hideous, the features exaggerated and monstrous. Gaping fangs hung over huge rubbery lips. All four appendages ended in massive, disproportionately large claws. And the terrible eyes gleamed the color of cold ashes, promising death.” As odious as this beast appears, the real villains of the piece are human; heartless and heinous in their actions.
There is supernatural seduction in “In the Night, Heels Clicking.” A sophisticated, cynical scientist finds herself attracted to a mysterious artist. He taunts her about her skepticism regarding the paranormal; indicating she might be using rationality as a defense against suppressed memory/feelings. The banter between the duo is highly entertaining: It is simultaneously flirtatious, and sinister.
Paul Melniczek also does a fine job creating mood and atmosphere. “The Bunyip,” set in an isolated area of Australia, possesses an excellent aura of ambience. Consider this evocative passage: “Great bullfrogs hoisted throaty calls across the placid waters, welcoming the advent of dusk from their floating lily pad panoplies. The droning of a thousand insects rose and fell in discordant melodies, their diminutive forms buzzing and shrieking between lichen-embraced trunks, skimming recklessly above the water surface, dancing and spinning in their endless ritual of cycle – feeding, mating and dying, their short-lived progeny rising once again from the muck and loamy soil.”
Eight eerie tales comprise Monsters. Each is unconventional; intriguingly different. The lure of the unknown motivates the book’s characters into hunting a universe of the unusual; the reader will enthusiastically follow their trail.
The Last Deep Breath – Book Review
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The Last Deep Breath
Tom Piccirilli
Tasmaniac Publications, 2010
Novella, 124 pages, $14.00
Review by Wayne C. Rogers
Before I delve into the review of Tom Piccirilli’s newest novella, The Last Deep Breath, allow me to mention that Tasmaniac Publications, which is based in Australia, now has an American distributor. That means you can get your orders faster and at less cost for shipping. It also means there is now no excuse for not picking up copies of The Nobody and The Last Deep Breath, if you’re fan of this extremely gifted writer.
But, what do I think about Tom Piccirilli and his novella, The Last Deep Breath?
Being an avid reader of not only horror fiction, but also crime, mystery, suspense, action thrillers, and neo noir, I have to say that Tom Piccirilli is definitely a cross between Raymond Chandler and Andrew Vachss. You’ll know exactly what I mean if you read The Cold Spot, The Coldest Mile, The Nobody, and The Last Deep Breath. But, be warned. Tom Piccirilli takes no prisoners. Picking up and reading one of his books is like becoming a crack addict. You simply can’t stop with one and have to find everything he’s written to keep from pulling your hair out in angst and sticking your head into the oven with the setting on high. That’s how talented this author is.
The Last Deep Breath is a novella of only a hundred pages (there’s a twenty page short story, “Between the Dark and the Daylight” at the end of the book), but it reads so fast that it seems like ten. The story deals with a hard-nose character named Grey, who comes home one day to his apartment in the Village, only to discover his sister, Ellie, on the outside stoop with a four-inch blade in her side. Though he hasn’t seen her in a decade, he feels responsible for her and tries to help her with the wound and by giving her a place to crash for however long she needs. Unfortunately, Ellie quickly disappears, taking what cash her brother as saved. The only thing Grey has to go on is the name of a person she mentioned-Johnny.
This eventually leads him on a journey across country to hopefully find the man he thinks stabbed her. On his way to Los Angeles, Grey will encounter a lot of women in bars who take one look at him and think he’s just the right man for murdering their husbands. He manages to make it to the city of dreams without killing anyone, but gets entangled with an ex-actress named Kendra, who’s just as tough as he is and knows the inside and out of La-la Land. Grey will encounter a lot of unusual people during his search for Johnny – a crazy, manipulating agent who wants his wife killed, a porn actor who’s hung like a horse and always gets a round of applause whenever he has an orgasm during the filming of an X-rated movie, and a pimp/drug dealer who finds out about love the hard way. Nothing is as it seems in The Last Deep Breath, and the ending will have you salivating for more adventures with Grey.
Why Tom Piccirilli isn’t on everybody’s bestseller list with each new outing is a question that can’t be answered, much like the one about what was here before the Big Bang fifteen billion years ago. This guy is as good as they come, and each story or novella or novel he writes is something that’s sought after by his many fans like the quest for the Rosetta stone. If you want damn good stories and hard-ass characters, then Piccirilli is your man.
Get a copy of The Last Deep Breath, and then go back and read The Nobody and any of his other novels that you can get your hands on. This is an author whose books you want on your shelf. This is also a writer who knows how to tell a great story that people actually want to read!
