Bottom Feeders
Cameron Pierce and Adam Cesare
Severed Press
January 16th, 2015
Reviewed by Tim Potter
Bottom Feeders brings together Cameron Pierce and Adam Cesare, two unique and talented authors, to tell a novella length creature-feature story that proves, without a doubt, that catfish are creepy. The two have collaborated before on Leprechaun in the Hood: The Musical: The Novel, with Shane McKenzie rounding out the trio that penned that extremely smart and funny book. Pierce and Cesare are working as a duo for this outing and their talents blend seamlessly.
The prologue of the novel gets things going quickly and establishes that humans are not going to be at the top of the food chain as long as this story lasts. The location along the Mississippi River is strong enough to make the reader think they can smell the muddy waters, and the construction of the river-bound casino impresses as very realistic. There are a number of characters, all well-rendered with an economic use of words. The plot speeds along as professional fishermen and fisherwomen, construction workers and a casino boss, and an average woman just trying to make a better life for herself make their livings in the killer catfish infested river.
The story alternates between following the characters and the monster catfish, and the balance keeps the pace frolicking along. From imagery of a pentagram constructed with fishing line, to cultists wearing catfish skin garb and the truly unpleasant manner in which a catfish eats meat, things are always interesting. After a fantastic underwater showdown with the monster catfish, the novella moves into its third act, the point at which the characters attempt to resolve the situation. Due to interesting character arcs and characterization, the third act will strike most as surprising, and pleasantly so, especially as it concerns the characters. The only real weaknesses in the book comes up at this point. The action seems abrupt and the end seems to come too soon. This is due to the fact that the story has been so much fun the reader is left wanting more, but it’s also due to the fact that one of the characters has motivations that are not fully explained. I found myself thinking, “That’s cool, but I don’t see the character going to that extreme. What pushed the character that far?” But again, it’s an issue of wanting more. When the only critique I find is “I wanted more,” I consider that a successful book.
Readers familiar with Pierce and Cesare will see elements and interests of each in the story, such as Pierce’s love and knowledge of fishing and Cesare’s affinity for creature-features and classic horror. What makes their collaboration really work is that, regardless of the character, scene or plot thread, the prose is consistent from beginning to end as though one voice has written the entire work. It’s a tough thing to do, and a problem common to multi-author works, but with Bottom Feeders, there’s not even a hint of it. This is one fish story that even experienced anglers of horror will buy into.
