tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79150789032903315072024-03-13T15:46:15.859+00:00Dark MusingsThe horror, the horror...Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-13336981222309577152023-10-24T13:33:00.000+01:002023-10-24T13:33:30.874+01:00The Good Unknown<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNETNJ_0h9GMIA2jRGjXLfXFFKZEni2w0DDhIzKp1o_lPZRKEpkFXeUAOMDtc5a5vblr5fdc67n8BxluK-JtJZs6Ga3yNJ8J8mcY6Zme8cbCwGPBTnwrbAJMzTvfNVVAPSMBvmwE6bwJ0_lLahsKYhBbfc4SUNxW8aWkbveTnZwr8kww-0QmudAe8A9wos/s200/goodunknown200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNETNJ_0h9GMIA2jRGjXLfXFFKZEni2w0DDhIzKp1o_lPZRKEpkFXeUAOMDtc5a5vblr5fdc67n8BxluK-JtJZs6Ga3yNJ8J8mcY6Zme8cbCwGPBTnwrbAJMzTvfNVVAPSMBvmwE6bwJ0_lLahsKYhBbfc4SUNxW8aWkbveTnZwr8kww-0QmudAe8A9wos/s1600/goodunknown200.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Good Unknown</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> is a new collection of eleven
stories by Stephen Volk and is published by <a href="http://tartaruspress.com/volk-the-good-unknown.html">Tartarus Press</a>.
The collection spans twenty five years of Stephen’s writing career, with the
oldest story to feature first published in 1998, and also contains three new
stories.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Unrecovered</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is the opening story and concerns
Project Orinoco, a scheme by which ex members of the armed forces are given
experience in new trades and skills which they can hopefully use for future
employment. The project also has a rehabilitation aspect to it, the
participants victims of both physical and psychological trauma resulting from
their time in combat zones around the world. In this case, the work experience
is an archaeological dig and the story is told in first person narration by
Zoe, the dig’s supervisor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The title of the story is the
official term for the bodies of the dead which are left on the battlefield – an
account of which occurs within this tale, one rendered in disturbing detail –
but, as all good titles are, is applicable to so many other facets of the
story. Most notably, it’s a perfect description of the soldiers themselves;
traumatised by what they’ve witnessed and still recovering from the impact of
those horrors. It’s also applicable to Zoe herself, still in recovery from
pre-cancerous changes in her breast, the chemotherapy she is undergoing - and
the brain-fuzz it causes - adding a nice note of ambiguity to the scenes in
which she catches glimpses of ghostly figures as her relationship with the
soldiers, and one in particular, progresses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fittingly, the dig unearths a
military burial site; soldiers discovering soldiers. The wounds on the excavated
bodies are still obvious although only skeletal vestiges remain, a potent
reminder that conflict, and its outcomes, has always been a part of human
existence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the finds are uncovered, so too
are the layers of the soldiers’ stories. Subtexts are revealed alongside the
subsoil until the ghosts of the ancient past, the recent past and the present
come together in a denouement which is as moving as it is profound.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s a first person narration in
the second story of the collection too. In <i>The Waiting Room</i> that voice
belongs to Thomas Frank Heaphy, a painter of miniatures who shares the
narrative with a slightly more famous artist of the time, Charles Dickens. The
use of real people in fictionalised encounters is a feature of Stephen’s work
of course, most notably in his wonderful <i>Dark Masters Trilogy </i>which
features Peter Cushing, Alfred Hitchcock and Dennis Wheatley (as well as
Aleister Crowley). <i>The Waiting Room</i> has an added air of authenticity by
dint of it being based on a real incident; an accusation of plagiarism by Heaphy
against Dickens for publishing a story that was identical to one he had himself
written based on his own encounter with a ghostly figure in a train.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story is a marvellously
rendered pastiche, the voice employed entirely authentic (with suitably
Dickensian names for the supporting cast such as Erasmus Egg) and one which you
can imagine being read out in front of a roaring fire at a Gentlemen’s club.
The ghost story at its core is suitably creepy but there’s more to it than simply
being a spooky tale, with ruminations on art as a psychic ability (whatever the
“medium”) forming a discussion between the protagonists. It also has something
to say about the power of storytelling, specifically its ability to act as a
release, that term used here in a most literal sense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Three Fingers, One Thumb</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is the third story in the
collection and continues the trend set by the first two with its first person
narration. This is the story which was originally published in 1998 – making it
the oldest of the collection – and it’s also the shortest, coming in at under
1500 words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s also the first story of
Stephen’s that I read (though probably a few years after its initial
publication). I remember how impressed I had been at the time, amazed at how
much could be achieved with such a small word count and my feelings about it
reading it again are exactly the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a truly wonderful short
story. Its construction is brilliant; setting the scene in the first couple of
paragraphs before tracking back in time to provide a back-story that tells you
everything you need to know about the protagonists before a lovely segue returns
you to the here and now and the drama which is about to unfold. The skill of
the writing which precedes it means that the final line is landed perfectly.
And what a line it is, the horror of its implication hitting you not once, but
twice. Masterful stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First person narration #4 is
brought to you by the next story, <i>31/10</i>. In about as meta a way as you
can get, the narrator turns out to be Stephen himself, here to tell all about
the making of <i>Ghostwatch 2, Return to Studio 1</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which, of course, never happened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Or did it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No, it didn’t. But, given the whole
controversy over the original <i>Ghostwatch</i> was due to people thinking it
was real rather than scripted and acted, it seems only fitting that this story
should play on that motif, presenting itself as reality rather than fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Reality being a key word. It’s fair
to say that this story is an attack on the vacuousness of modern TV programming,
(the story was written in 2006 but things have not improved, have actually even
gotten worse, since then), with its reliance on “Reality” shows rather than original
drama. Indeed, <i>Ghostwatch 2</i> is pitched as a reality show, with celebs
(including the author himself) returning to the studio where it was filmed with
cameras there to record what happens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In much the same way that the
upbeat <i>The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite</i> feels out of place amid the
otherwise melancholy atmosphere of REM’s <i>Automatic for the People</i> album,
so <i>31/10</i> feels a little out of step with the rest of the collection with
its sardonic humour and, it has to be said, a fair bit of venting by the author.
That said, it is hugely enjoyable and is, again, a very cleverly constructed
story which mirrors the original <i>Ghostwatch</i> with its slowly accumulating
horrors leading to a dramatic climax.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Good Unknown</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">, the story which gives the
collection its title, breaks away from the first person narrative format into
third person, allowing access to both of the tale’s protagonists; veteran actor
Karen Berg and Davy Praed, making his film debut alongside her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plucked from obscurity, this (major)
role makes him the “unknown” but, as with the opening story <i>Unrecovered</i>,
there’s much more that can be read into the title. This story is very much a
meditation on death – the last great unknown – a key scene in the film being
Praed’s character’s suicide, the filming of which is preceded by a discussion on
his motivation for carrying out the act.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In common with <i>The Waiting Room</i>,
there are also insights into art and its creation. At one point Karen remembers
being told “art has to have a pattern because life does not,” and during his audition,
Davy is told to stop reading the book on which the film is based: “Read the
script. The book won’t give you any answers. The book is just reality.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That’s an important “just”. The
previous story, <i>31/10</i>, made no secret of its opinions on “reality” TV
and the way in which it erodes the concept of creativity. Art is hugely
important; it allows us to explore concepts and emotions which the strictures
of real life prevent. The film being made is based on real events but it’s the
creative flair of the writer, director and actors which will bring it to life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And death, of course.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Flickering Light</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> introduces us to Piet and Bell, who
are hosting a dinner party for their friends. Demis Roussos’ <i>Forever and
Ever</i> might not be playing on the home stereo but there’s a definite <i>Abigail’s
Party</i> vibe to this story, exposing as it does the shallowness of the middle
class supping their prosecco and consuming artisan bread from the local bakery.
In an extension of the art/reality theme which has run through the preceding
stories, there’s a real sense that the characters here are playing parts. Lacking
the skill or imagination to create their own versions of themselves, to be
individuals, they have instead become stereotypes; the ageing hippy Hilton in his
Hawaiian shirt, the “fashionably late” Jacquetta in her faux fur coat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The superficiality and
artificiality of their personas means that those characteristics apply to their
relationships too, most significantly in the case of Piet and Bell. At one
point “he demonstrated smiling”, a sentence which perfectly describes his
character. Which is a controlling one. (Perhaps Piet is a reference to Piet
Mondrian, best known for his geometrical designs in which everything is neat
and tidy and in its place).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of all of them, it’s Bell who is
the most grounded and “real”, also the most romantic and imaginative, willing
to accept the supernatural provenance of the flickering light inside the house
(which Piet has designed), despite the cynicism of the others when she attempts
to explain it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The flickering light can be seen as
a metaphor for her and Piet’s relationship of course, on the brink of
extinguishing completely but there’s also the possibility that it’s one Bell is
glimpsing at the end of a tunnel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Hojo the Fearless</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is set in feudal Japan and is a related
in the form of a fable. In it, the titular character, a samurai, is sent by the
Emperor to the village of Orobi whose inhabitants are under siege by a plague
of ghosts. (Hojo’s reputation is obviously such that the standard seven samurai
are not required). Unfortunately, Hojo turns out to be arrogant and hubristic,
qualities which only serve to make the situation worse both for the villagers
and himself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fables are, of course, wide open
for interpretation. The story was originally written – or at the least
published – in 2009 but it’s proved to be an eerily prescient commentary on the
state of British politics in recent years; an arena in which individuals are
given responsibilities merely as a result of their privileged backgrounds,
individuals who are completely unsuited for those responsibilities and whose arrogance,
laziness and complete lack of dedication to the job result in catastrophe for
those whose safety and wellbeing they are in charge of.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Baby on Board</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is told from the point of view of
a police officer who discovers a car parked dangerously by the side of the road.
On further inspection he discovers the driver, a young man, still inside and,
seeing how tired and drawn he is, gets him to agree to having a coffee at the
nearby service station. The story then unfolds via the conversation between the
two men, a technique Stephen also used (brilliantly I have to say) in his story
<i>The Peter Lorre Fanclub</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a hugely effective way of
doing things, especially when executed as skilfully as this is, making readers
feel as if they’re sitting at the next table, eavesdropping. In a book full of
ghosts, this is perhaps the most haunting of them all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The spirit of M R James is well and
truly evoked in the next story, <i>Cold Ashton</i>. Set in the 1940s, it features
an academic finding themselves in the remote, rural location which provides the
story’s title who, in the course of researching the village’s peculiar name,
uncovers dark secrets from the past. It’s by far the most traditional story in
the collection with its taciturn locals, tales of dark deeds unearthed in the
parish records and a hugely authentic voice employed to pay homage to the authors
of horror’s golden age.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s an authenticity too to the research
presented within the story, the instances of witchcraft, shapeshifting and
deviltry which took place in and around the village presented, in typical
sixteenth century style, as simply a matter of record and when the explanation
for its name is finally revealed it creates a genuine shudder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the same way that <i>31/10</i>
provided a sequel of sorts to the TV show <i>Ghostwatch</i>, so the next story,
<i>Lost Loved Ones</i> does the same for Afterlife, also created by Stephen,
which ran for two series in 2005 and 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s by far the longest story in
the collection – novella length in fact – which I imagine would be the
equivalent of a single episode of the TV series were it to be filmed. It begins
with the death of Alison Mundy’s father, she being the main character of <i>Afterlife,</i>
a psychic with the gift (or curse) of being able to see the spirits of the departed.
Her trip to the hospital brings her into contact with one such spirit, a man
dressed in motorbike leathers and it’s her investigation into him that provides
the narrative of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Reconciliation with death was a
major theme of the <i>Afterlife</i> series, something which pertained to the
main characters as well as those whose stories made up the fourteen episodes and
that’s also the case here. Whilst the death of her own father was expected,
that of the young motorcyclist was not but will the reasons for his “haunting” prove
to be a simple unwillingness to move on or are there other forces at play?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s a foray into second person
narrative (a favourite of mine) for the final story <i>The Crossing</i>. The
“you” to whom the story is addressed is Dylan, a troubled teenager reluctantly
participating in a family holiday to Dungeness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s a coming of age story with the
title possibly referencing the transition from childhood to adulthood but
there’s another, more literal, interpretation given that the location of the
story, on the south-east coast of England, lends it proximity to the ongoing
tragedy of the small boat crossings of the Channel. Political rhetoric has
reframed it as a threat, a ploy willingly accepted by the feeble of brain, a
distraction, completely ignoring the real horror of the situation for those
involved.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The now famous image of a young
child washed up dead on a beach features heavily in the story, an image which comes
almost to obsess Dylan, haunting his thoughts and actions, his own personal
journey becoming inextricably linked to the final one taken by the boy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To one extent or another, the
stories in <i>The Good Unknown</i> are all ghost stories. Actual apparitions
appear in six of them but even in the remaining five the characters are in some
way haunted by past encounters or experiences. In <i>Lost Loved Ones</i>,
Alison opines that “ghosts were the natural consequence of the brain trying to
make sense of what it saw,” – not real entities but images created by the mind
as a coping mechanism. It’s an interesting perspective and this collection as a
whole would seems to suggest that the emotion that is most likely to create
this mechanism is grief – “...the perpetual human condition. It’s a given. A
constant,” as Alison also believes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grief and loss infiltrate almost
all of the stories here, along with the need for closure for those who are
haunted by it. <i>Lost Loved Ones</i> may be the title of only one of the
stories but as a theme it prevails in many of them, most strikingly when those
lost are children – a feature of <i>The Waiting Room</i>, <i>3 Fingers, 1 Thumb</i>,
indirectly in <i>The Crossing</i> and perhaps most movingly in <i>Baby On Board</i>.
That desire for closure provides the narrative thrust of these stories;
sometimes it’s obtained, sometimes not although both outcomes provide their own
horrors along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is another outstanding
collection from Stephen Volk. In a review of his work many years ago I called
him a master craftsman and it’s an assessment I stand by, and one which is
reinforced by the stories in <i>The Good Unknown</i>. It’s a book I heartily recommend.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-4169266649601954182022-11-01T09:46:00.002+00:002022-11-03T08:34:16.407+00:00The Vessel<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPqF4x1nmG2xXE462j7o8-TjrvTZ9ueXJdxkcuQbSM-bKdZNyb71sBl85g5MsTMhSuXgSxRee-2-VCvVd04p2KVYU6W2NZi3IEQJf8hQzE0H9MJGTD1L5T9etFHjEkWpoF_GCsHBaAK2cBpxDqM0-zhtBVfH3UM0fTUmoa8B33_qzhVGMhUXWHRWBvw/s275/OIP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="178" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPqF4x1nmG2xXE462j7o8-TjrvTZ9ueXJdxkcuQbSM-bKdZNyb71sBl85g5MsTMhSuXgSxRee-2-VCvVd04p2KVYU6W2NZi3IEQJf8hQzE0H9MJGTD1L5T9etFHjEkWpoF_GCsHBaAK2cBpxDqM0-zhtBVfH3UM0fTUmoa8B33_qzhVGMhUXWHRWBvw/s1600/OIP.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Vessel</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;"> is Adam Nevill’s eleventh novel
and the third to be published by his own imprint Ritual Ltd. In keeping with
those previous releases, the book features amazing cover art courtesy of Samuel
Araya (with the hardback once again giving the image the prominence it deserves
by omitting the title from the cover); a truly unsettling portrait of an old
woman, rendered in the now familiar red and black palette which is a trademark
feature of the Ritual covers.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">The story concerns
care worker Jess McMachen (no prizes for guessing from where that surname
derives) starting a new job at the wonderfully named Nerthus House (an
eminently Google-able name whose derivation will offer tantalising titbits
about what is to come), situated in the village of Eadric - the outskirts of
which provided the location of Adam’s previous novel <i>Cunning Folk</i> - there
to look after the former vicarage’s resident, the elderly and disabled Flo
Gardner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">Anyone who has
watched Rose Glass’s hugely impressive directorial debut <i>St Maud</i> will
find these opening scenes familiar, but once the scenario has been established,
the stories which follow are very different. From the off, it’s obvious that
there is something not quite right about Flo; wheelchair bound and virtually
comatose, the arrival of Jess – and in particular her daughter Izzy – seems to bring
about a reawakening in the old woman and with it the formation of a bond
between her and Izzy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">Clues are subtly
woven into the narrative to suggest Flo’s true nature. Small shrines, pagan in
nature, are discovered by Jess scattered around the house and Flo invokes the
name of Erce – an Anglo-Saxon earth goddess. When talking to Izzy Flo uses the
wiccan phrases “merry meet” and “merry part” rather than a simple hello or
goodbye. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">In common with a
number of Adam’s female characters, Jess has a troubled past in the shape of a
violent ex, Tony. His re-entry into the new and better world Jess is trying to
create for herself and Izzy acts as a catalyst for the action of the novel, setting
into motion a terrifying sequence of events; ones which find a resonance in the
dark history of Nerthus House.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">We’re well and truly
in folk horror territory here, in keeping with the previous two Ritual Ltd novel
releases <i>The Reddening</i> and <i>Cunning Folk</i> and the feeling of dread
at what must surely, inevitably happen mounts and mounts as the narrative
progresses. There are echoes of Adam’s earlier novel <i>House of Small Shadows</i>
here, with a young woman being drawn into, and under, the influence of a
house’s elderly resident but whereas in that earlier book it’s Catherine, the
protagonist, who is the victim of Edith Mason’s malevolence here it’s
Jess’s daughter Izzy who falls under the spell (possibly literally) of Flo, with
some kind of connection being made between the young girl and Flo’s own<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>daughter Charlotte who died as a child.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Vessel</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> features all the genuine
creepiness and disturbing imagery readers have come to expect from one of
Adam’s novels and its narrative of folk horror, ritual and ancient gods marks
it out as archetypal of his oeuvre. At the same time, however, it is very
different indeed to his other books – that difference being the way in which
the novel has been constructed and written. Like <i>Cunning Folk</i> which
preceded it, <i>The Vessel</i> began life as a screenplay but whereas the
former was adapted and added to in order to make it more novelesque, what we
see and read in <i>The Vessel</i> is pretty much the film as it would play out
on screen presented on the page.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">Changes have been
made of course, the book does not read as a screenplay with attributed dialogue
interspersed with paragraphs of action direction but, compared to all of Adam’s
novels, this is a slim volume indeed, clocking in at just under 150 pages. The
reason for this brevity is that – because this is a representation of what
would be seen on screen – all inner monologues and pages of introspection
describing the protagonists’ inner thoughts and emotions have been stripped
out. Any clues as to what the characters are feeling or thinking come solely
from what is seen and heard by them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">It's a bold move, and
one made possible by the author having full creative control over his work,
something which allowed the “experimental” collection of short stories <i>Wyrd and Other Derelictions</i>, stories in which there were no characters at all. <i>Wyrd</i>
worked brilliantly, (and I still believe that the format of the derelictions should
be regarded as a new sub-genre), and it has to be said that <i>The Vessel</i> is
equally successful in achieving what the author set out to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">I have some
reservations of course; one of the things I find most impressive in Adam’s
writing is the tension he creates and then maintains (see <i>The Ritual</i> and
<i>No One Gets Out Alive</i> in particular). Much of that tension arises from
getting inside the characters’ heads of course, something which doesn’t happen
here and, while there are scenes within <i>The Vessel</i> that create their own
tension what we have here is a much faster paced read which rattles along from
one chilling development to the next.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">That said, the
characters in The Vessel are far from cardboard cut-outs, simply there to
progress the plot. They are all of them fully formed and Jess’s backstory is
more than adequately explained. In true cinematic style, using visual clues,
her current and past experience is summed up in a single line:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">With fingers
reddened by cleaning agents, she habitually worries an old scar that cuts her
top lip and extends to her nose.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">As succinctly as
that, light is thrown on Jess’s relationship with her ex, Tony, giving an
insight into his character even before we meet him, painting a picture of him in
readers’ heads that manifests as unease whenever he appears.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">There are a number of
visual references to circles in the novel too; the window above the door of Nerthus
House, hand gestures made by Flo, even the layout of the village of Eadric
itself, all of which play into a notion of circularity, of wheels both literal
and metaphorical slowly turning, of ends becoming beginnings – history repeating
itself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">The cinematic style
and form of the novel is reflected in its short chapters, each representing a
scene in the film that would have been. As the book hurtles towards its climax
there’s even rapid cutting between action in different locations within a
scene. At one point, there’s even the literary equivalent of a jump scare, a
sudden jolt of action and sound (yes, sound) that managed to startle me. I have
to say that it’s a device I hate in films but I was certainly impressed by this
one. There’s a nice use of bookending too, a sequence which opens the book
closes it too, a fitting use of the technique given the motif of circularity
which runs through the narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed <i>The
Vessel</i> very much. It’s true that I missed languishing in the Nevillesque
for an extended period of time (I polished it off in two sittings) but the skilful
way the narrative has been constructed here is impossible not to admire. It’s
refreshing to see an author refusing to rest on their laurels and try different
things, especially when those efforts result in something as clever and entertaining
as <i>The Vessel</i>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-34256072840745376812022-03-24T11:06:00.002+00:002022-03-24T11:06:54.045+00:00Seeds of Destruction<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWgRQKXkA4ZkLYjFufP5Awfrdq7svSgJzbfFq9N4eQo_d_P3auqFpBFV09O33uDbaO6C32jBZLy9KWe72arYepezZgB8rdRdgqZuBOCNrhbeHiNpMIgXVuDRiSEcdehE0PazjZpSvFjOZzm53EX1Lv4im_YdmKLl2wMQjU69wMZcFIzRTCIO1Zl9r3Q/s3303/DAMOCLES%202%20COVER%20png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="3303" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWgRQKXkA4ZkLYjFufP5Awfrdq7svSgJzbfFq9N4eQo_d_P3auqFpBFV09O33uDbaO6C32jBZLy9KWe72arYepezZgB8rdRdgqZuBOCNrhbeHiNpMIgXVuDRiSEcdehE0PazjZpSvFjOZzm53EX1Lv4im_YdmKLl2wMQjU69wMZcFIzRTCIO1Zl9r3Q/s320/DAMOCLES%202%20COVER%20png.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Seeds of Destruction, the second volume of the Damocles
Files series was published last month. It’s another collaboration with my good
friend Benedict J Jones and once more features the exploits of DAMOCLES, an
organisation housed in the Ministry of Information in London’s Senate House
whose mission is to fight a shadow war against the occult machinations of the
Axis forces.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Volume One centred around the efforts of the Sons of Fenrir
to bring about Ragnarok, the Norse end of days but this storyline features a
different kind of threat entirely – albeit one with potential world-ending
implications. In keeping with the format established in Volume One, the novel
covers the entire period of World War Two and is made up of discrete short
stories and novellas linked by an overarching narrative. (Unlike Volume One, we
actually knew what the overarching story was – which made writing the stories
that little bit easier…) As before, the stories were mainly divvied up between us
but on a couple of occasions the stories were properly co-written.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whereas Volume One revolved around the war in Europe, this
second book expands the Damoclean universe into the Pacific theatre. This allowed
us to introduce Damocles’ American counterparts, Office 49, a division of the
proto-CIA OSS. It also allowed us to set the stories in a variety of exotic
locations, a hugely enjoyable part of the writing process for me personally and
these include China, Japan and the Philippines.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although Damocles is a fictional organisation (or is it..?),
its exploits are set among real events and great care was taken to ensure the
authenticity of the world we were creating. Actual events which are referenced
in the book are the Bataan Death march and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Real people turn up too, (as was the case in Volume One), including engineer
turned resistance fighter Wendell Fertig and his friend, Australian guerrilla fighter
Jock McLaren.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>areal joy to
revisit the world of Damocles and, because of the way the books are structured,
to revisit too the characters we had created some of whom didn’t make it to the
end of the first book. Taking centre stage this time is Edgar Case, who had a
cameo appearance in Volume One. Edgar’s training in natural sciences makes him
the cornerstone of the investigation this time around and his exploits allowed
me release my inner nerd both in terms of his scientific knowledge but also his
love of cryptic crosswords. I had great fun creating the cryptic clues which
are dotted throughout the book (all of which have deeply significant answers of
course), so much fun that I had a go at compiling a whole Damocles themed
crossword which you can have a go at <a href="https://share.eclipsecrossword.com/play/1ed60412/damocles-competition?fbclid=IwAR1jLnMnZqsjcUAVbz_LjpYIfPfc3meLp_WMVprVVpVrENY-bvaHhTkxpIo" target="_blank">here</a>. Edgar is probably the closest
character to myself although his receding hairline, grumpiness and antisocial outlook
on life are of course nothing like me at all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As well as the crossword clues, I also had a bash at writing
some poetry for the book – specifically Japanese death poetry – but that should
certainly not put you off buying the book. Getting the chance to do stuff like
this, along with the (almost) free rein to choose exotic locations in which to
set the stories, is one of the many joys of writing in the Damocles universe
and I’d like to think that the enthusiasm we both have for the project comes across
on the page.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another huge joy is seeing what our designer Peter Frain
comes up with to grace the covers of the books. I think the design he came up
with for Seeds of Destruction is right up there with his best work, perfectly
capturing the essence of the story – and including a wonderful reference to
Hokusai’s The Great Wave.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’re 55000 words into Volume Three already and the
storyline had already taken us to Abyssinia, Albania, China, France, Spain, Italy
and Southern Iraq with plenty more to come. This looks like being the most
supernatural of the three books and I’m loving delving into ancient religious
texts by way of research for it. In another war-spanning tale, established
characters will return alongside a whole host of new ones to prevent…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, that would be telling.<o:p></o:p></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-81058423779057903892021-10-25T09:11:00.003+01:002021-10-25T09:11:50.021+01:00Cunning Folk<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PNEaQ47tQ/YXEsPSshd4I/AAAAAAAABOU/AhqXzXLgDcIZzHsFc-MYkFcJWrgyr2ecQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/9781838378905_1024x1024%25402x.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PNEaQ47tQ/YXEsPSshd4I/AAAAAAAABOU/AhqXzXLgDcIZzHsFc-MYkFcJWrgyr2ecQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9781838378905_1024x1024%25402x.jpg" width="205" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Cunning
Folk</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is the new
novel from Adam Nevill and the second published by the author’s own imprint
Ritual Limited. As with all previous Ritual publications, the book itself is a
thing of beauty with another stunning piece of artwork from Samuel Araya
gracing the cover. The hardback edition is particularly striking, following the
precedent set by 2019’s <i>The Reddening</i> by omitting the title and giving
full exposure to a monstrous visage, in this case a terrifying boar with curved
tusks and glaring, red eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book’s
protagonists are Tom and Fiona who, along with daughter Gracey and dog Archie,
are moving into their new home, a house they’ve bought after years of living in
rented accommodation. A new start awaits them all, an escape from unscrupulous
landlords and the grim existence of life as tenants…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK, it’s
clear from the start what kind of story this is going to be. Even if it weren’t
for the hugely effective prologue to the book, in which the fate of the house’s
previous owner is revealed, savvy readers will realise that things “probably”
won’t be going to plan for the family, and that their dream of a new life will
instead be a nightmare. The trope of the “moving into a new house unaware of
its dark and secret past” is far from new but – I have to admit – is a
particular favourite of mine, particularly if the properties are in remote,
rural locations. To his credit, Adam gives a nod to this early on in the book
during a game of I-Spy as the family approach the house. “Something beginning
with H” elicits both “home” and “haunted house” as replies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sinister
dwellings have of course featured in Adam’s books before, most overtly in <i>Apartment
16</i>, <i>House of Small Shadows</i> and the recently screen-adapted <i>No One
Gets Out Alive </i>(which expands hugely on the aforementioned horrors of
living in rented accommodation). The challenge then, was to see if he could
come up with something new on the theme, a challenge I was fairly confident he
would rise to given his recent invention of a whole new sub-genre with his
amazing <i>Derelictions</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
confidence was not misplaced. After carefully arranging all the pieces to set
up readers’ expectations, Adam skilfully pulls the rug from beneath their feet
and gives us something else entirely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The house
is in a state of decrepitude, something which gives Tom the opportunity to flex
his DIY muscles as he learns the art of being a “home owner”. Unfortunately,
despite the overwhelming sense of pride and achievement the act of laying a
single piece of lino in a room brings with it (yes, I speak from personal
experience), things turn darker for Tom. It soon becomes obvious that the house
requires a huge amount of work –
something that will cost money the couple do not have; Tom is freelance but
currently with no contracts whilst Fiona works in a bank. This introduces a
tension into their relationship, a tension which is exacerbated by the introduction
of the book’s other main characters, Tom and Fiona’s next door neighbours the
Moots.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Moots
are wonderful creations, and it’s clear from the start that something is
decidedly “off” about them. Adam has a real gift for describing the weird and
such is the case here. The neighbours not only have a distinctive appearance,
their behaviour is also somewhat unsettling; visitors to their property appear
to interact with them in a way that suggests obeisance, as if the Moots have
some power and control over them. Whilst this is strange enough, it’s their
proprietorial attitude to their own property – and the land around it – that
brings them into conflict with Tom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
“that’s not how we do things around here” sentiment is one familiar to anyone
moving into a new area, a manifestation of the belief that ownership and
control are somehow part of the act of simply living in a place for some time. The
Moots, however, take this concept to its extreme – and some of the things they
do do are very strange indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book
is mainly told via the viewpoint of Tom but it’s a clever move on the author’s
part to describe the first of the truly bizarre set-pieces through the eyes of
Gracey who has wandered into the woods behind the house. There, she comes
across a clearing and witnesses a strange ritual being performed by the Moots.
Through her innocent eyes, the activities on display are strange but in a funny
way; to the readers’ eyes of course, they are something else entirely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grotesqueries
are stock in trade for Adam and the manifestations within <i>Cunning Folk</i>
are a fine addition to his monstrous menagerie. Those whose childhoods were
traumatised by the TV show Pipkins will have their nightmares rekindled here
and there’s more than a passing
reference to the author’s short story <i>Pig Thing</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Conflict,
inevitably, arises between the two households and, as the paranoia and tension
increase, so Tom’s behaviour becomes ever more extreme. The ratcheting up of hostilities
is cleverly done, a contrast being drawn between the seemingly calm and
controlled Moots and the increasingly erratic Tom. The narrative raises the
possibility that all this is in Tom’s head of course, something that clearly
occurs to Fiona whose frustration with her husband further exacerbates the
tension that is already there between them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whatever
the driving force behind the conflict, it culminates in a scene which is
possibly one of the most disturbing Adam has ever written. Which is saying
something. The scene brings things to a head, and ushers in the third act of
the book in which revelations abound and a whole new context is placed on
events.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Cunning
Folk</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is adapted
from Adam’s own screenplay – something which is reflected in the present tense
prose of the novel. (Lines like “Tom picks up the chainsaw” work in both
formats). This is something which both benefits and detracts from the
narrative. The need to condense the story into what would be ninety minutes on
screen (or 120 if there’s a bigger budget…) means that the narrative cracks
along at a fair old pace. Short chapters reflect short scenes on film. Whilst
this is a positive (“it’s a literal page-turner!”) it also means that there’s some
loss of tension. Both <i>The Ritual</i> and <i>No One Gets Out Alive</i> are
supreme examples of the author creating – and, more importantly, sustaining –
incredible amounts of tension but I felt that was lacking a little in <i>Cunning
Folk</i>. Both those books have of course been made into films and whilst <i>The
Ritual </i>movie managed to recreate some of the tension of the book, <i>No One
Gets Out Alive</i> – whilst being hugely entertaining in its own right – had no
chance to do the same, having reduced the original 600 plus page novel into a
swift 85 minutes running time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It could
be argued that this “need for speed” sacrifices the time for character
development and, indeed, it often seems that Fiona simply acts as a foil for
Tom. The story really is Tom’s however, it’s his actions and reactions that
drive the narrative - and Adam does have a very good track record for having strong,
female lead characters in previous novels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These are
minor quibbles anyway. The characters are still well drawn enough for you to
care about them and what happens to them – which makes “that” scene all the
more impactful. Whilst I delighted in the longueurs of many of Adam’s previous
works, immersing myself in the worlds he’d created, I really enjoyed hurtling
through <i>Cunning Folk</i> – in fact the change in pace from previous works is
testament to his versatility. And to be left wishing there had been more is no
bad thing either…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cunning
Folk</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> is, well,
cunning – playing with readers ‘expectations throughout. It’s a potent blend of
psychological and folk horror with a hefty dose of violence added to spice
things up. The conclusion, reached via an action-packed third act, is deeply
satisfying – which is a description I can apply to the book as a whole. It’s
further evidence (were it needed) that Adam Nevill remains at the forefront of
contemporary horror fiction. Long may that situation continue.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-45316730995973550472021-09-30T13:05:00.001+01:002021-09-30T14:19:24.932+01:00CYASAWEMWN?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBwx71YnNyc/YVWmcC7Q20I/AAAAAAAABNo/FFZA11pkBHcosuN0sai7_844XB0WYg1rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s346/51buD8cBvlS._SY346_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="222" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBwx71YnNyc/YVWmcC7Q20I/AAAAAAAABNo/FFZA11pkBHcosuN0sai7_844XB0WYg1rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/51buD8cBvlS._SY346_.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve Accidentally Summoned a World-ending Monster. What Now?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is the latest offering to spring
from the loins of author Duncan P Bradshaw, those same loins which have already
produced a number of books with really long titles. Like the best marmalade, the
book is thick and chunky, the spine of the paperback alone is an incredible one
inch (24mm) wide and the volume weighs in at an impressive 17oz (482g). If
these amazing statistics alone aren’t enough to convince you to buy it (bear
in mind there’s a kindle version too but it’s difficult to make any kind of anthropometric
measurement of a virtual medium - but let’s say it’s 21g which is the weight of
a hummingbird or a human soul) then maybe the words inside will be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">There are
loads of them, verbs, nouns (some of them proper), adverbs (I know!) and adjectives
– all arranged in an order which makes them instantly readable and sometimes
hilarious. The most important word in that sentence, of course, was “order”
because that’s the key to enjoying this book to its fullest, is indeed the principle
upon which it has been created/extruded from loins. The thing is, the reader
themselves decide on the order in which the pages within are read!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I know, this
is a major dereliction on behalf of the author; reading books is supposed to be
relaxing, an activity done for pleasure and here we are having to do ALL the
work. There are however, ample instructions as to how this might be achieved;
at the end of some sections a choice is presented to the reader as to which
page to go to next, each of which will lead the story down a different path.
(In the kindle version, this is achieved by the use of hyperlinks like <a href="https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ">this one</a>). It’s a clever concept and
one which – if it hadn’t been for Edward Packard coming up with the idea of the
Choose Your Own Adventure books – would be totally unique. Readers who
manage to ignore the feelings of paranoia born of wondering if they’ve chosen
the right path and stressing over whether they’re going to be lost in a never-ending maze
within the book will enjoy themselves greatly, following the eclectic bunch of
characters to not one, but TEN different endings. The challenge of course is to
find them all, and minimise the number of times you say “bollocks, I’ve been
this way before”. As an added bonus, there’s a hidden section which will take
the (crafty clue-solving) reader into a completely different realm (not
literally) in which they will uncover – shall we say – stories within the
story…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As to the
plot… well, the title pretty much sums it up and to be honest, I can’t be arsed
to review ten different stories. It is hugely entertaining though, with lashings
of the trademark Bradshaw humour and surrealism with enough fourth wall
breaking to satisfy even the most ardent and critical aficionados of postmodern
metafictional mucky jokes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Joking
aside, the book truly is a wonder to behold. It’s mind-boggling to contemplate
the amount of work that must have gone into producing it. It’s an amazing
achievement and one which has been pulled off with aplomb (see mucky jokes
above).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I loved
the time I spent wandering around aimlessly in the dark corridors of this book.
In the best traditions of GoreCom, it will have you laughing out loud one
moment and stifling a gag reflex the next (sometimes simultaneously actually).
It could well be the author’s finest hour (or minute if you choose ending
seven).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">By way of
homage to the book and its central theme of “be careful playing word-based
games, you never know what might happen” and also to a key character who –
despite only warranting a couple of sentences – provides the beating heart of
the novel, here’s a wordsearch puzzle containing a number of key themes from <i>CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve Accidentally Summoned a World-Ending Monster</i>. Which you should <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Congratulations-Accidentally-Summoned-World-Ending-Monster/dp/1999751256/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1624906117&sr=8-1" target="_blank">buy</a>.
Now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ysuM0U92Ko/YVWm2Gl18uI/AAAAAAAABNw/PKfm1C_xADEkbR8YIKSZx7bMim2DeYt8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s639/Untitled.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="498" height="445" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ysuM0U92Ko/YVWm2Gl18uI/AAAAAAAABNw/PKfm1C_xADEkbR8YIKSZx7bMim2DeYt8QCLcBGAsYHQ/w346-h445/Untitled.png" width="346" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-69728262253070187302021-05-17T10:23:00.000+01:002021-05-17T10:23:13.641+01:00Wings in the Darkness<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdaBcMBopDY/YKI1w0cIFjI/AAAAAAAABMM/QKXzpRm5MkkUa-Se6eghVz7h2z_nPbdhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1001/witdfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdaBcMBopDY/YKI1w0cIFjI/AAAAAAAABMM/QKXzpRm5MkkUa-Se6eghVz7h2z_nPbdhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/witdfinal.jpg" /></a></div><br />This Friday, (21<sup>st</sup> May) sees the release of <i>Wings
in the Darkness</i>, a novella set in the world of The Damocles Files; a series
of novels created by Benedict J Jones and myself which are a mixture of military
action and supernatural horror set during World War Two featuring the exploits
of the eponymous organisation.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The novella is actually an expansion of one of the stories
featured in <i>Ragnarok Rising</i>, the first novel in the series which will be
released in the summer. It was written by way of an introduction to Damocles
and features many of the characters who populate the world we created and,
whilst it works perfectly as a standalone read, also drops a few teasers and
hints to events in the novel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Wings in the Darkness</i> tells of the search, by
Damocles, for a vitally important artefact and a such involved a humongous amount
of research in order to create a realistic scenario for where, and how, it was hidden
in the first place. We both knew where it was of course, but the trick lay in
getting our characters to do their own research in order that they could track
it down, laying down a trail of clues for them to follow. Enter some warring Iron
Age tribes, ancient Norse kings, an expert on the Icelandic sagas and a folklorist
with a specialised interest in the “hidden people” and the scene was set.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As with writing the novel itself, I hugely enjoyed co-writing
<i>Wings in the Darkness</i>. I can’t wait to invite people into the world we’ve
created and the novella is the fist step in that process. It will be available
as an ebook for Kindle only and is the bargain price of only 99p. It can be
pre-ordered <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Damocles-Files-Wings-Darkness-ebook/dp/B093T3S66B/ref?fbclid=IwAR3xMunzZDiQOWZ3URr0oUWCNPVF1eEXrJ418rItFDw0NPZF3cDITsDVWQo">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-14972212213594859112021-05-06T09:10:00.000+01:002021-05-06T09:10:37.609+01:00The Damocles Files Volume One: Ragnarok Rising.<p> Just over three years ago, my very good friend Benedict J Jones
approached me with an offer to co-write some stories with him based on the exploits of a
secret government organisation during World War Two whose remit was to investigate
and combat the occult machinations of the Axis powers. I, of course, leapt at the chance. We’d already collaborated
on the Dark Frontiers series of horror western novellas and know each other’s
writing inside out, it was a real no-brainer for me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So we began writing. As usual, Ben already had a huge array
of characters ready formed to throw into action along with tons of background
information on the organisation he had called Damocles. Using that as my
starting point I launched myself into the writing, creating my own characters (and
appropriating one I’d already used in some short stories).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was soon after we’d started writing that the idea came to
create an overarching storyline and present the stories as a novel with a
fractured narrative rather than a straightforward collection. Which only made the
project more exciting as far as I was concerned. And more of a challenge, it
has to be said. There was a degree of retro-fitting going on once the stories
were finished and one story in particular was re-written four times to adapt to
the evolving narrative.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I loved every moment of it. I can honestly say I’ve never
enjoyed a writing process as much as I have creating The Damocles Files. The solitary
nature of writing appeals to my hermit-in-training lifestyle and outlook on
life but the whole process of co-authoring was amazing, with ideas sparking
back and forth between us and, I have to admit, generating a sense of
competition - seeing who could come up with the next plot twist or development
in the narrative.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the whole, we would write the individual stories on our
own but on a couple of occasions we co-wrote a story. Most notably we did this
for the novella that concludes the novel which has four different
timelines running simultaneously. From what began as an idea for a collection
of shorts, a 110,000 word epic has emerged and I couldn’t be prouder of the
final product. I think it contains some of Ben’s best writing (and one of his
darkest, most compelling characters), and I’m really pleased with what I
contributed too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The history has been meticulously researched and a number of
real life events (and people) are featured in the storyline. It’s an
unabashedly pulp novel full of derring-do, grand heroic gestures and noble
sacrifice. It also has werewolves, undead Vikings, ancient mariners and ghost ships. There are
twenty two stories in total, plus an epilogue, which range in length from a few
hundred words to the aforementioned novella and cover the entirety (almost) of
the war.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The artwork which graces the cover of the book is provided by
Peter Frain of 77Studios, the creative genius responsible for (amongst many
others) the covers of the Dark Minds novellas. His idea knocked the hugely
unimaginative ones I’d had into a cocked hat and what he’s come up with is a
perfect encapsulation of the feel of the book. The nods towards the design of a
famous comic are done with love and respect as well as a huge amount of skill.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The novel will be available this summer. By way of whetting
people’s appetites, and introducing Damocles and some of its employees, we decided
to write a short story which we’d make available prior to release. As these
things do, the short story became an 18,000 word novella… Wings in the Darkness
is an expansion of one of the stories in the novel and will be released on May
21<sup>st</sup>. It’s available for <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B093T3S66B?dchild=1&keywords=wings+in+the+darkness&qid=1619699731&s=digital-text&sr=1-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=ginnutofhor-21&linkId=d57f58fd5dc15e002ac6137dca6a3440&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">pre-order</a> now at the bargain price of 99p.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I loved working on The Damocles Files and hope the end product
is as enjoyable to read as it was to write. And yes, this is Volume One – we’re
80,000 words into Volume Two which follows the same format but focuses on an entirely
different theatre of the war. There'll be standalone short stories and novellas to come too. Exciting times!<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DS7nBPVegI0/YJEUyTjGvMI/AAAAAAAABLk/Cb3ocsn2VWo3-A2_T3Fy6mYsHwwr1c21ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DAMOCLES%2BFILES%2BCOVER%2BJPEG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DS7nBPVegI0/YJEUyTjGvMI/AAAAAAAABLk/Cb3ocsn2VWo3-A2_T3Fy6mYsHwwr1c21ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DAMOCLES%2BFILES%2BCOVER%2BJPEG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-61239132544152966362021-05-05T09:59:00.001+01:002021-05-05T10:00:59.523+01:00Under A Raven's Wing.<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSD3Et6MhDg/YJFRymAFXNI/AAAAAAAABL4/57xkfjzJmOAHKJkB5LJTxAtFKIT1G-83QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/under-a-raven-s-wingcoverjpeg_orig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="745" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSD3Et6MhDg/YJFRymAFXNI/AAAAAAAABL4/57xkfjzJmOAHKJkB5LJTxAtFKIT1G-83QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/under-a-raven-s-wingcoverjpeg_orig.jpg" /></a></i></div><i><br />Under A Raven’s Wing</i> is a new collection of stories
by Stephen Volk and is published by PS Publishing. The seven stories contained
within this beautifully produced book describe the exploits of a young Sherlock
Holmes and his tutelage, in the Paris of the 1870s, by another famous fictional
detective C. Auguste Dupin. It’s a marvellous concept bringing together the two
men - the veteran and the rookie - with the old master passing on his knowledge and wisdom to the young man
at the beginning of his career, and something Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would
heartily approve of I’m sure, having acknowledged his own debt to Poe’s
detective when creating the character of Holmes.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of the stories bar one are presented as letters from
Holmes himself to Inspector Lestrade, written as the master detective nears the
end of his own life; a neat inversion from the original stories in which the
narrator was Holmes’ partner in crime(busting) Dr Watson. The final story, the incredibly poignant <i>The Mercy of the Night</i>, is
the only one not to follow this format – except it sort of does. The bulk
of the narrative is a letter from Dupin to Holmes – which finds its way to
Lestrade nonetheless, courtesy of Holmes himself who adds his own
correspondence as a coda, giving the whole thing the feeling of a story within
a story, a dream within a dream.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I confess, the last sentence of that paragraph was a
desperate attempt on my behalf to shoehorn a Poe reference in. And pretty awful
it was – unlike those that are distributed about the book itself. There’s much
joy to be had at spotting them – some are more obvious than others – and they’re
an indication of just how much work has gone into producing these stories. The
level of detail is astounding, in particular the recreation of the voices of
the two fictional detectives both of which ring absolutely true.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With his wonderful Dark Masters Trilogy, Stephen showed
himself a master at placing real people in fictional situations to produce
compelling stories and insightful character studies. In <i>Under A Raven’s Wing</i>,
he’s flipped that around, placing two fictional creations in real historical
settings, populated by real people – including Jules Verne – and set against
real events such as the dedication of the Statue of Liberty (a scene in which I
believe I spotted an uncharacteristic lapse in the accuracy of Holmes’
recollections…) Jack the Ripper flits through one of the stories but there are nods to famous fictional characters too; the Phantom of the Opera and the
Hunchback of Notre Dame also get honourable mentions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s great skill employed then in the creation of this
fictional/real world but the key to the success of any crime fiction – which is
what this is after all – is in the plots themselves, the crimes which have to
be solved. Once again, the author has come up trumps; the mysteries here are
ones Poe and Conan Doyle would have been proud of creating themselves – seemingly
impossible crimes which are solved by the characteristic application of logic
and rationality. Whilst Holmes might be the main subject of the book, the nature of the mysteries he and Dupin solve owe more to the latter’s creator, most strikingly in <i>Father of the Man </i>which involves the plot device of a premature burial (and which is my
favourite of the collection).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In truth, the book is an origins story, telling as it
does of the apprenticeship of Holmes. As such, it does a marvellous job of
inhabiting the character and even provides explanations for, and origins of,
many of the great detective’s trademarks; the magnifying glass, the violin –
even his drug addiction.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I really can’t express how impressed I was with <i>Under A
Raven’s Wing</i>. The stories in here are some of the best to feature the
character of Sherlock Holmes that I’ve read – and bear favourable comparison to the
originals. It’s proof yet again that Stephen Volk is one of the most creative
writers currently plying their trade and also one of the most skilled at his
craft. It’s a book I recommend highly.<o:p></o:p></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-44457886032434147652021-02-15T10:41:00.000+00:002021-02-15T10:41:08.454+00:00There Goes Pretty<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3PPxh5EJxPw/YCZYJLfpfSI/AAAAAAAABKY/be8SVA-U7JMSmEgectzNIt6GWky0J8H-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s592/there-goes-pretty.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="421" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3PPxh5EJxPw/YCZYJLfpfSI/AAAAAAAABKY/be8SVA-U7JMSmEgectzNIt6GWky0J8H-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/there-goes-pretty.jpg" /></a></div><br />There Goes Pretty</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is the latest
novella from Dark Minds Press, the eighth in the series. It’s penned by C. C.
Adams, an author whose work I’ve enjoyed in the past (and who featured a
favourite monster of mine in his earlier novella <i>But Worse Will Come</i>).</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">It tells the story
of the relationship between Denny and Olivia and opens with their wedding at
Shakespeare’s Globe in London. As the couple begin their new life together, so
the cracks begin to show – more than the to-be-expected frictions of living
together though, there is an external agent interfering with their plans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">A feature of all Of
C. C.’s writing has been the excellent characterisation he produces and <i>There
Goes Pretty</i> is no exception to this. All the characters within are well
formed with traits and habits which ring true. The relationships between those
characters is another strength of his writing and this is definitely to the fore
here. The interplay between Denny and Olivia and the mistakes they make (with
the associated over-thinking) will be familiar to anyone in a relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">With the
groundwork done establishing the characters and their relationship (and with only
a little foreshadowing), the supernatural elements of the story are introduced
about a third of the way into the novella. I have to say that the two main scenes
in which this happens are extremely effective, generating a real sense of
terror and panic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">They’re effective
too in the way they fit into the narrative, happening when the couple are apart,
casting an air of ambiguity over them and leading to a situation where trust
becomes a major issue for the newly-weds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">As the relationship
deteriorates, so the rationale for the strange events is revealed. Whilst I was
cool with the reveal I did feel that it could have been done in a more dramatic
way than it is here, there’s no real “wow” factor to the revelation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The book rallies
for a strong, and clever, finish though – one that nicely plays with the themes
of friendship, loyalty, trust and love which have run through the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I liked <i>There Goes
Pretty</i> very much; it’s further evidence of an author on the brink of big
things and a fine addition to a fine range of novellas. Once again the stunning
artwork featuring the characteristic red/black colour scheme is provided by <a href="https://77studios.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">77Studios</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">You can buy <i>There
Goes Pretty</i> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/There-Goes-Pretty-CC-Adams-ebook/dp/B08W3FMJ8P/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=there+goes+pretty+cc+adams&qid=1613125707&sr=8-1" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-15526028098282337692021-01-28T10:02:00.002+00:002021-01-28T10:02:53.487+00:00On the Shoulders of Otava<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-982dbNh8Xmo/YBKLSranwzI/AAAAAAAABKA/bqw_SxKgbZU9Cb7KDUoAUrDoFBWMB-sHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s426/on-the-shoulders-of-otava-hardcover-by-laura-mauro-5120-p.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-982dbNh8Xmo/YBKLSranwzI/AAAAAAAABKA/bqw_SxKgbZU9Cb7KDUoAUrDoFBWMB-sHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/on-the-shoulders-of-otava-hardcover-by-laura-mauro-5120-p.png" /></a><i></i></div><i>On the
Shoulders of Otava</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">
is a novella by Laura Mauro and is published by <a href="https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/absinthe-books-78-c.asp" target="_blank">Absinthe Books</a>, a new imprint
of <a href="https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/" target="_blank">PS Publishing</a>. Its title is taken from a line of the <i>Kalevala</i>, a
nineteenth century epic poem which recounts the oral history of Finnish
folklore and mythology. Extracts from the poem provide epigraphs for each
chapter of the book - appropriately so, given the prominence the mythology has
in the narrative of the novella.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The story
is set in 1918, during the civil war which raged in Finland as a result of the
political vacuum left behind after the end of the First World War. This
conflict was a horribly literal class war, fought between the mainly middle and
upper class Whites and the Reds of the Socialist Workers’ Republic. The war
lasted fifteen weeks but tens of thousands died, many at the hands of death
squads and executioners.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
protagonists of <i>On the Shoulders of Otava</i> belong to a unit of the
Womens’ Guard -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a division of the Red
Guard. Around 2000 women served in such units, some as young as fourteen. The
story focuses on the experiences of Siiri, and begins with her glimpsing a
shadowy figure in a churchyard, wandering as if in a trance. This figure turns
out to be a fellow – male - soldier who, the next day, carries out a violent,
seemingly unprovoked, attack on the squad leader.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The scene
describing the attack is cleverly written – as are so many within the book – with
the action happening at a distance, almost off-camera and only its aftermath
being described in any detail. The reader gets to share the shock of the book’s
characters as the nature of the wounds which have been inflicted are revealed
in the discussion that follows the attack.<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This flash
of violence also serves to introduce the mystical aspects of the story
(although this is kinda foreshadowed with the gothic-tinged shadow in the
churchyard scene). The attack was completely out of character for the
perpetrator – a “goody-goody” by all accounts – but the possibility is raised
that it could be linked to his prior disappearance on a hunting trip in the
woods during which he experienced what may have been a supernatural event.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As the
narrative progresses, and Sirii and her companions find themselves isolated in
those same woods, so the supernatural elements come more into play. The choice
of an ancient woodland as location is a perfect one and an incredible sense of
atmosphere is generated by some wonderful prose. It’s an inspired choice of
location too, given the prevalence of the natural world, and animals in
particular, in Finnish folklore. Most notable among these are Otso, the bear - a
major player in the creation mythology and Tulikettu the firefox. Amid the
established mythology, Laura has added (as far as I can tell) her own invention
– that of ghost-lighting. It’s an intriguing concept, and one which lies at the
heart of the narrative - so any further discussion here will unavoidably lead
to spoilers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Finnish
folklore is possibly less well known to most than other nations’ variations –
not least the Norse mythology of their Scandinavian neighbours and therefore
necessitates some introduction. This is done skilfully however; the stories are
cleverly woven into the narrative, never once feeling bolted on, instead
merging into the flow of the story seamlessly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ambiguity
plays a big part of course. The best weird fiction balances the fantastic with
the normal, allowing the reader to arrive at their own decisions as to what is
real and what isn’t. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap if being too
obtuse, and leaving the reader scratching their head as to what they’ve just
read. Such is not the case here. That fine line has been navigated very
successfully and the novella is as accomplished at creating a sense of awe and
wonder as it is in recording the harsh reality of being at war in a hostile
climate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">On the
Shoulders of Otava</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">
is a wonderful piece of writing. It’s beautifully constructed, the themes it
establishes in the opening scenes carried through consummately to the
conclusion. It’s a (relatively) short read but manages to pack in some great
characters (and their interactions and motivations), social and political
comment that doesn’t bludgeon the reader, elegant prose (written in a hugely
involving present tense), a brilliantly created sense of atmosphere and a
salutary reminder of mankind’s place (i.e. insignificance) in the grand scheme
of things. It’s a book I highly recommend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-42550674545289604082020-10-15T11:00:00.000+01:002020-10-15T11:00:17.752+01:00Wyrd and Other Derelictions<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uu9rj2gp51c/X4cGD-jZN0I/AAAAAAAABIM/2qaITGU6thweiUZt4_c-ocbZqJW4dei7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/wyrd.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uu9rj2gp51c/X4cGD-jZN0I/AAAAAAAABIM/2qaITGU6thweiUZt4_c-ocbZqJW4dei7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/wyrd.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">The theatre
critic Vivian Mercier once described Samuel Beckett’s <i>Waiting for Godot</i>
as a play in which “nothing happens. Twice.” In much the same way, Adam
Nevill’s new collection <i>Wyrd</i> <i>and Other Derelictions </i>from his own
<a href="https://www.adamlgnevill.com/ritual-limited-shop-2/">Ritual Ltd</a> could be described as a book in which nothing happens. Seven times.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mercier’s
quote wasn’t meant to be disparaging of course, (quite the opposite in fact),
and neither is my appropriation and modification of it; the stories in <i>Wyrd</i>
are what the author describes as “derelictions” and are all set in the
aftermath of some terrible event, consisting of descriptive passages of the
evidence left behind. Thus, nothing actually happens during the stories - but a
lot has certainly happened just prior to them beginning. <i>Hippocampus</i>,
the story which opens the collection is one of my favourite pieces of short
fiction anyway, much of that admiration being for the style in which it was
written so it’s wonderful that Adam has taken that concept and run with it,
developing and expanding it to produce the six original stories which accompany
it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Given the
nature of the stories there are of course no characters in which to invest your
emotions and no dialogue. What we have instead are long passages of descriptive
prose, a presentation of evidence and inferences from which the reader must
discern what has happened. It’s a bold move and in order to work requires
writing of the highest order.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which, of
course, it has. Whilst in essence the stories are lists of observations, the
writing is so assured and skilful that they read like extended prose poems,
composed in such a way that there is a momentum to the words, a rhythm and pace
which pulls the reader in and carries them along. The imagery created is
sublime and unsettling; symmetrically arranged stones, dimly lit rooms,
buildings full of the dead… I’m often guilty of comparing Adam’s work to film
technique - so once more can’t hurt: the stories in <i>Wyrd</i> put me in mind
of long, single-take tracking shots, the camera moving fluidly through a scene.
Such sequences can help build tension – especially if they are dialogue-free –
the viewer waiting for something to happen, for something or someone to
suddenly appear, and this is exactly the feeling that’s created by all of the
stories in this book. The power of suggestion has rarely been so effectively
deployed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">[As I
write this part of the review, I’m struck by the thought that the sequence in
Goodfellas sound-tracked by <i>Layla</i> and showing the discovery of the
bodies is pretty much a filmic version of a dereliction: aftermath displayed in
all its wordless glory: </span><a href="https://youtu.be/1Z6MJIjCJ20"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">https://youtu.be/1Z6MJIjCJ20</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> ]<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because
the reader is an active participant in the discoveries made within the stories,
they are written in present tense, something which only helps to increase the
tension. Implied within the form of the stories is the presence of an unseen
narrator – or more properly a guide, leading the reader from one gruesome discovery
to the next. On the whole, the guide offers no explanation or rationale, simply
points out what is to be seen, allowing the reader to reach their own
conclusions. I say on the whole as in some of the later stories, the guide certainly
becomes more conversational, even offering up some suggestions as to what might
have happened. I saw this as an evolution of the form as the book progressed,
the style and content changing ever so slightly – or perhaps as signs of a
growing familiarity between guide and reader. This is most apparent in the
story <i>Monument</i> which at some points even drifts into second person,
describing directly how “you” feel and the narrator/guide referring to “we” on
a couple of occasions. I started reading <i>Wyrd</i> late at night and (because I'm old) had
to read it in two goes but my advice would be to read it all at one go if
possible, (definitely achievable, the overall length is that of a novella), and
enjoy the subtle changes in the relationship fully. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s a
change in the timing of the point of entry into the stories too. Whilst the
early stories show the aftermath of events only, later tales offer fleeting glimpses
of the perpetrators and create a feeling that events are still unfolding. The
horrifying prospect that what is being described is not just an aftermath but
also a beginning is one which looms large in these later tales.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The dead
litter the pages, often described in forensic detail that isn’t for the
faint-hearted. The “who” of the whodunnit is most obvious in the title story of the collection even if the “why” is open to speculation but in the rest there are only hints as to who, or what, has perpetrated the foul deeds on
display. Hints of supernatural interference abound, possibly even extra-terrestrial
forces have been at work here. Notably, there’s a distinctly coastal theme to
the locations described, a perfect choice, a place where two worlds intersect
and most of the aftermaths described are in remote areas, their isolation
adding to the atmosphere and feelings of abandonment – and yes, dereliction - wonderfully.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Wyrd</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is an incredible piece of work. As
I stated earlier it’s a bold move on the author’s part to take it on and the
stories will not be to everyone’s liking. In musical terms this is definitely a
concept album but in my opinion the concept is a brilliant one and the
experience of reading this collection is one I thoroughly enjoyed and one I’m
looking forward to repeating very soon. As ever, the book itself is a work of
art with the impeccable production qualities we’ve grown to expect from Ritual. Once again, a stunning piece of art from Samuel Araya graces the front cover.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don’t
think it’s hyperbole to say that <i>Wyrd</i> pushes the boundaries of short
fiction writing. Adam Nevill has produced a work of stunning originality and
may even have created a new sub-genre in horror fiction. I loved this
collection and can’t recommend it highly enough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-84573171639375830442020-08-14T10:50:00.000+01:002020-08-14T10:50:08.129+01:00The Fallen<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6zpBQ6PYxA/XzZdmHBXO6I/AAAAAAAABGw/qn9pOuoawfopju_pJo4SEfZuDC0u8zf_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/TheFallenB%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1325" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6zpBQ6PYxA/XzZdmHBXO6I/AAAAAAAABGw/qn9pOuoawfopju_pJo4SEfZuDC0u8zf_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/TheFallenB%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></p>My second
novel <i>The Fallen</i> is being published in September by <a href="https://demainpublishingblog.weebly.com/">Demain Publishing</a>. This
will be my third collaboration with the press, and its head honcho the
irrepressible Dean M Drinkel, with my novella <i>The Lost</i> featuring in
their debut publication, the WW1 themed anthology <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkest-Battlefield-Paul-Edwards-ebook/dp/B07KCLHCGF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+darkest+battlefield&qid=1597398346&s=digital-text&sr=1-1">The Darkest Battlefield</a></i>
and my short story <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shattered-Short-Sharp-Shocks-Book-ebook/dp/B07P1YXDC9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=shattered+anthony+watson&qid=1597398274&s=digital-text&sr=1-1">Shattered</a></i> taking the number 11 slot in the Short,
Sharp Shocks series.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Fallen
tells the story of three different times mankind has come into contact with the
same supernatural force – a fallen angel – those times being the present day,
during World War Two and at the end of the sixteenth century. The protagonists
are the scientists onboard an Arctic research vessel, the merchant seamen
onboard an oil tanker which is part of an Arctic convoy and a group of
mercenaries hunting down religious icons for Tzar Ivan the Terrible
respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The novel
is presented in a nested format, with the present day section providing the
first and last parts, wrapped around the World War Two section which is itself
split around the Russian section which makes up the heart of the story. The
plan was to show the interlinking nature of the three sections, and how actions
in one would have consequences in the others and this seemed a more interesting
way of doing it rather than just presenting them in chronological order. I did
toy with the idea of presenting them in reverse order, which could have worked
quite well, but decided in the end to stick with the more convoluted format.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Mt
original idea was to write a novella set in an Arctic convoy and as I began
plotting, I realised that it would need a prologue. When that prologue – the Russia
section - turned out to be 25000 words or so, I realised that I had a novel on
my hands… About halfway through writing the WW2 section, I had the feeling that
the novel would need something more – which is how the present day section came
about. The three sections were written in their entireties: Russia first, then
WW2 and finally the present day section. Only after all were completed did I
chop them up into the order they appear in the final version. That said, I’d
made the decision to use the format whilst I was writing the WW2 section –
which allowed me to arrive at a suitably cliff-hanging point at which to make a
break both in this section and the present day one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Fallen</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> is a creature-feature and is
partly a homage to the books and films which I love and which have influenced
the things I write about. The most obvious cinematic references are to <i>The
Thing</i> (and <i>The Thing from Another World</i>) and <i>Alien</i>. It’s
always tricky getting the balance right in situations like this but hopefully I’ve
succeeded in paying homage rather than blatantly ripping off. There are enough
references in the text – overt and subtle – to acknowledge the debt I owe to
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I had a
great time writing <i>The Fallen</i> and I hope the enthusiasm I felt has
transferred onto the page. At heart I’m a frustrated film director and writing
this novel has allowed me to present the epic blockbuster I’d have loved to
direct. It has some of the biggest set-pieces I’ve ever written but hopefully
enough human drama to make you care about the characters I’ve pitted against
the demon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">My thanks
again to Dean for taking this on and also to Adrian Baldwin for creating such a
fine cover. <i>The Fallen</i> will be available first as an e-book then later
as a paperback and you can pre-order it <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FCM4VS9/">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-30783362896646614322020-04-28T09:57:00.000+01:002020-04-28T09:57:06.712+01:00Flower Power.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GeM6HlvJwKI/XqbueuxcIqI/AAAAAAAABFk/ANFVRcYSEAYEQfd7cQQCz8F5TP8_j_cDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/received_191675215318558.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="863" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GeM6HlvJwKI/XqbueuxcIqI/AAAAAAAABFk/ANFVRcYSEAYEQfd7cQQCz8F5TP8_j_cDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/received_191675215318558.png" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want
to Steal Your Bones! </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Is
the latest literary offering from the force of nature that is Duncan P
Bradshaw. This is the man who in the past has brought us his own
interpretations of the classic horror tropes of extra-terrestrial cannibal nuns
and serial killer vacuum cleaners. For this book, the author has put aside the
literary style and allegory of those earlier works and is definitely playing
this one for laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want to Steal
Your Bones! </i>– where do I begin? The ending maybe? Blimey, I didn’t see that
coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In all
honesty, there was much of this book I didn’t see coming. (OK, all of it). Anyone
searching Wikipedia to find useful bits of information to use in a review to
make themselves look clever will discover that works of surrealism contain the
element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non—sequitur. All of these things
are present in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers!
They Want to Steal Your Bones! – </i>so it definitely is surreal. For those who
read the whole Wikipedia article rather than just finding interesting
sound-bitey snippets, there’s the discovery to be made that surrealism is
regarded by many as an expression of the author’s unconscious mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If this is
true, then the picture <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the
Flowers! They Want to Steal Your Bones! </i>paints of Duncan P Bradshaw is a
deeply disturbing one. Then again, it is only Wikipedia so it’s probably wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want to Steal
Your Bones! </i>What’s it about then? It’s about a couple of hundred pages in
total, each one of which contains images and ideas that will disturb or
entertain you depending on your personal genetic makeup. The title’s a giveaway
really so if you don’t want to spoil the story I’d recommend not looking at the
cover or the first few pages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In truth,
it’s probably best not to dwell too much on the plot as , although it’s there,
its main function is to provide a framework on which to hang a smorgasbord of
surreal concepts, those concepts given flesh (and bones natch) by an array of
eccentric characters. Among those characters is the narrator himself, a
cunning, fourth-wall breaking malcontent who make this book more meta than
meta-meta-man, meta-king of metaworld.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want
to Steal Your Bones! </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">bombards
the reader with madness. Reading tip number two is to remove the idea that
“that couldn’t possibly happen” from your repertoire of thoughts before you
start. If you cling to a realistic, pragmatic approach to your enjoyment and
evaluation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers!
They Want to Steal Your Bones! </i>then you’re going to be in real trouble. Go
with the flow is my advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Those familiar
with Mr Bradshaw’s oeuvre will be aware of his penchant for appropriating
cultural references and twisting and corrupting them into something terrible
(yet entertaining). There are the occasional nods within <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want to Steal Your Bones! </i>– most
notably <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jason and the Argonauts</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alien</i>, but this is a book that relies
less heavily on them, making it all the more worrying that the scenes and
set-pieces which make up the book are based on original thoughts. I was
actually impressed by this change in tack, saw it as evidence of an author
growing and maturing, finding their real voice, coming into full bloom as it were. And then the narrator made
exactly the same point and opened up a vortex into another dimension.
(Possibly). In truth, that was my favourite meta-moment in a book full of them.
Indeed, the book is so metafictional, it’s quite possible that it’s actually a
reinterpretation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The French
Lieutenant’s Woman</i> – though one done in a more literary style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want
to Steal Your Bones! </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">is
the weirdest book I’ve ever read. It’s also one of the most entertaining.
There’s always a risk that a book quite this bizarre can alienate a reader, of
tipping over into self-indulgence. Luckily, that’s a trap <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want to Steal Your Bones! </i>doesn’t
fall into. (If it did, it wouldn’t be a real trap anyway, merely some kind of
device for harvesting the nectar of wildebeest). Each random image and idea
somehow fits into the overarching theme and narrative, and all are written with
a finely judged sense of comedy timing. I will admit to laughing out loud on a
number of occasions. Here you’ll find a Speedo-clad policeman with concealed
trebuchets and mysterious gentlemen dispatching clues via the medium of biscuit.
There’s some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> silly stuff in
here too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t Smell the Flowers! They Want
to Steal Your Bones! </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(copy
and paste is such a useful tool) is less a novel, more an experience. It’s an
experience I recommend you should definitely, err, experience. Bizarre, surreal
but most of all hugely entertaining. As is the case with all of EyeCue's output, the production values are superb with as much care and attention lavished on the presentation as the madness of the narrative. I suggest you buy it. Now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-39326209759926196782019-10-25T10:12:00.000+01:002019-10-25T10:13:53.076+01:00The Reddening.<br />
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<i>The Reddening</i> is
the new novel from Adam Nevill. It’s the first to be published by the author’s
own <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.adamlgnevill.com/ritual-limited-shop-2/">Ritual Limited</a></span> (the company’s previous two books
being collections of short fiction) and the author’s ninth novel, arriving some
two and a half years after the last one, <i>Under a Watchful Eye</i>.
Within that time, of course, the film version of Adam’s third novel, <i>The
Ritual</i>, has been released to huge acclaim.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s little surprise that <i>The Ritual</i> was such an
effective film as Adam’s writing has a true cinematic feel to it. This is not a
case of damning with faint praise - cinema is an art form in itself and when
done well can evoke the strongest of emotions - rather a huge compliment to the
skill of the writing itself. That writing is so assured and precise that the
images it seeks to convey are delivered straight into readers’ imaginations,
the scenes playing out in their minds’ eyes as they follow the words on the
page.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The cinematic feel to <i>The Reddening </i>is perhaps
enhanced by its differences to <i>Under a Watchful Eye</i>. Whilst the
latter was a slow burner of a novel, preying on psychological rather than
visceral fears, <i>The Reddening</i> pelts along at a cracking pace,
employing multiple points of view and short chapters both of which lend a real
urgency to proceedings. A few of the chapters start with a startling image or
piece of action – the literary equivalent, I guess, of a jump scare – and the
author even manages to use sound effectively (again testament to the skill of
the writing) to unsettle and terrify the reader. There’s a scene in Adam’s
novel <i>Last Days</i> which really freaked me out at the time, and
which still gives me a shiver to think about, involving strange sounds on a
recording and that effect is recreated in a scene in <i>The Reddening</i> with
equally impressive results. The power of suggestion created by “noises off” is
not to be underestimated (think movie versions of <i>The Exorcist</i> or
even <i>The Ritual</i> – the scene where Luke can hear whatever is
happening to Dom in another room inside the cabin…) and it’s used to brilliant
effect here again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s the set-pieces in <i>The Reddening</i> that really
stand out though; among them a dog attack, a desperate fight against drowning
and, at almost the halfway point of the book, a scene of extreme horror that is
one of the most disturbing things I’ve read in quite some time. I’m already
regretting using the term “extreme horror” as that conjures up (in my mind
anyway) lurid and gratuitous descriptions of violence designed to shock and
disgust rather than create any real feelings of horror. The scene in question
does involve extreme violence but the writing here is so good that the emotions
it stirs in the reader are ones of horror in its purest sense; eschewing over
the top descriptions, the spare and concise way in which it is written
magnifies the terror of what’s happening. It’s a grim and relentless scene that
will leave you shaken and stirred; a masterclass in how this type of thing
should be written.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Set in Adam’s own stomping ground, <i>The Reddening</i> is
a novel of folk horror. Its starting point is the discovery of a cave
containing Neanderthal remains, among which is found evidence of ritualistic
behaviour involving bizarre, dog-headed idols, mass slaughter and cannibalism.
The novel opens with a series of vignettes, setting the scene and introducing
some of the book’s characters. The always tricky job of providing information
to the reader is handled very cleverly, the findings of the teams exploring the
cave are presented retrospectively in a press conference, the reader
discovering the horrors alongside Kat, one of the book’s main characters. It’s
another brilliantly written scene with the dark revelations of the dig stirring
feelings of horror and revulsion in Kat, her emotional responses magnifying and
enhancing those of the reader experiencing them vicariously.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It soon becomes apparent that the horrors uncovered in the cave
aren’t as ancient as they might seem. Enter Helene, the book’s second
protagonist: sister to Lincoln who has disappeared after having made the
aforementioned recordings near the site of the cave. It’s another clever
move, introducing a character to play the role of the outsider – a standard in
any tale of folk horror, a baseline of normality against which to measure the
strangeness of the “locals”. This is done extremely effectively when she finds
herself caught up in a procession, the inherent hostility of the residents –
and the sense of unease and danger this creates - permeating the whole scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As both women pursue their investigations, so the dark secrets of
this particular part of South Devon begin to reveal themselves. People, it
seems, have been disappearing on a regular basis. A possible explanation for
these disappearances is that of a drugs empire protecting itself, a nice sub-plot
which injects some ambiguity into proceedings and also the allows the
introduction of seventies’ folk singer Tony Willows who may or may not be
involved in what’s going on. It also allows some nice cross-references to
Adam’s other books, a feature of most of his novels; subtle enough that if you
spot them you’ll feel the warm glow of familiarity and your own cleverness but
if you don’t the narrative is in no way affected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whilst the drug runners may provide a rational explanation for the
disappearances and general weirdness, there is another, supernatural, rationale
to be considered. Something, or so it seems, lurks beneath the surface of the
ground; something worshipped – and feared – since prehistoric times. As with
Black Maggie in his novel <i>No One Gets Out
Alive</i>, Adam has created an entirely plausible, and terrifying, mythology as
the backdrop to <i>The Reddening</i>. Old
Creel is a fine creation, a distant relative of <i>The Ritual’s</i> Moder but a traveller along a different evolutionary
pathway. I do like a good monster, and there are none better at creating them
than Adam Nevill. As with Moder in (the novel of) <i>The Ritual</i>, the descriptions of Old Creel are handled in such a way
that the reader’s own imagination is engaged to paint their own picture of what
the monster looks like. It’s another example of skilful writing and reinforces
that in most cases, less really is more. Samuel Araya provides an incredible
image for the book’s cover, perfectly capturing the imagery suggested by the
prose within. The cover of the hardback is particularly effective, presenting
the art work unencumbered by the book’s title - an artistic decision which
works incredibly well. As with all of the Ritual Limited books it’s a quality
product, the care and attention to detail apparent in every aspect.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The separate storylines eventually converge in a thrilling
showdown at the book’s conclusion. The third act actually begins with a
flashback – a bold move considering it could have interrupted the momentum
which builds all through the novel. Could have, but doesn’t. Backstory is
provided in order to give the reader information the protagonists lack and sets
the scene for the final showdown. There may not be any wicker men involved but
the horrors Adam conjures are just as effective.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Reddening</i> is
described on the paperback edition’s cover as a Folk Horror Thriller and there
can be no argument that this is exactly what it is. It’s the paciest book Adam
has written, hurtling along, drawing the reader towards its horrifying climax.
The writing throughout is of the highest quality, nothing is sacrificed to the
momentum of the plot and the characters populating the story are perfectly
drawn; real people facing an unreal situation. The use of location is
particularly effective here, the eerie landscape of South Devon a character in
itself. <i>The Reddening</i> is in essence a plot driven, literary
novel. Now there’s a thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although I’ve just used over thirteen hundred of them, words can’t
adequately describe how much I enjoyed <i>The Reddening</i>. There are a
few authors whose new books I await with great anticipation and Adam Nevill is
most certainly one of them. The imagery and themes contained within <i>The
Reddening</i> make this possibly the quintessential Nevill book but I
don’t for one moment think that this is an author resting on his laurels. The
change in tone, and style between this and <i>Under a Watchful Eye</i> shows
how gifted and versatile a writer he is and I can’t wait to see what comes
next.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-38740982437561216442019-08-02T12:01:00.001+01:002019-08-02T12:01:23.906+01:00Apocalypse Then. And now...<br />
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Getting old has many advantages. To be fair, I’ve yet to
experience any of them – the only changes I’ve noticed thus far are a
musculo-skeletal system that seems to take a couple of hours longer to wake up
than my brain (at which point it does nothing but complain anyway) and an increased
desire to wave my fist and shout “gerroff my lawn!” at passers-by. Something
else it’s brought however, is a wave of nostalgia which has manifest itself in
a longing to revisit the books I read in my youth, to rekindle my love of the
horror genre by reading the works that hooked me in the first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joy then, greeted the news that PS Publishing have re-issued
a book from one of my literary heroes, Stephen Laws, with a swanky new signed
hardback and trade paperback edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i>.
First released in 1998, I not only read it then but attended a launch for it in
Newcastle. The fact that Stephen hails from Newcastle, and set the majority of
his novels in the North East played a big part in my admiration of him but not
so much as the skill and imagination he employed in his writing did. Each of
his novels – whilst grounded in the familiar tropes of the horror genre –
always presented something original with new and entertaining ideas crammed
into every intricately constructed plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Such is very much the case with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i>, Stephen’s tenth novel, an epic (in every sense) tale of the
aftermath of what appears to be an earthquake which strikes the town of
Edmonville. Following the vividly described destruction, the town’s surviving residents
find themselves marooned on isolated pillars of rock, the rest of the town
having disappeared into what appears to be a huge crevasse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The crevasse is, of course, the Chasm of the book’s title.
And yes, I’ve used a capital C – exactly as the author does throughout the
novel, and for good reason. This is no ordinary chasm, is in fact…<o:p></o:p></div>
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To say more would of course be a huge spoiler. Much of the
joy of the novel comes from working out exactly what has happened alongside the
book’s characters. Alongside the physical dangers faces by the protagonists, a
host of supernatural threats are also thrown into the mix, most notably the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vorla</i>, the darkness that dwells within
the Chasm. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vorla</i> is a brilliant
creation, a tour de force of imagination, a truly original monster.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The characters facing up to the horrors within Chasm are all
skilfully drawn – real people thrown into an unreal situation and reacting in
exactly the ways their characters dictate. The book’s protagonist is Jay O’Connor
(whose initials – minus the O’ - may or may not be significant) whose journal
entries provide a framing device for the novel. Jumping between these journal
entries and the narrative itself (told in third person) lends a fragmented
nature to the novel, something I loved as someone who appreciates form as much
as content in a novel. This effect is further enhanced by introducing what
appears to be a completely separate storyline in the early part of the book,
the “Ordeal of Juliet Delore” before cleverly bringing the two strands
together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A feature of Stephen’s writing is the cinematic feel he
brings to his stories. His prose is so precise and his powers of description so
skilful that it really does feel as if you’re watching a film as you read the
book. There are some who will throw their hands in the air at this, or possibly
wring them theatrically as they cry out, protesting that books and films are
different art forms but personally I greatly appreciate any author who has the
skill to paint pictures with their words that put images directly into my head.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i> is a prime example of this
skill, with a whole host of brilliantly rendered set-pieces to enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i> is a long
book, but so tightly written and with so much action contained within that you’ll
fly through it. The fractured structure lends itself to plenty of cliff-hangers
(including one thrilling literal example) which keep the reader hooked. The
supernatural horrors are a joy to read – a mix of originality and new
variations of established tropes – but it’s the introduction of some human
monsters in the book’s third act that ushers the reader towards the conclusion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I vaguely remember a feeling of disappointment when I first
read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i> that the horror had
switched tone but on my re-read now see that it was in fact a master-stroke.
Throughout, the book is beautifully constructed, edited to maintain pace
wonderfully, storylines and characters interacting to brilliant effect and so
it is that the introduction of the Caffney family provides the catalyst for the
novel’s dénouement, disrupting the tenuous status-quo the narrative had fallen
into.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s heroism, redemption and action galore in the
conclusion of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i> and, ultimately,
the explanation both characters and readers have been searching for. If I have
any criticism of the book it’s probably that the huge ideas the events
described in the novel are based on are covered relatively quickly. It’s far
from an info-dump but perhaps a little more time spent on the revelations may have
been better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I loved re-reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i>,
enjoyed it more this time round. Given it was written in 1998, I had concerns
that it may have felt a little dated given that this is the original text of
the book. To be honest, this isn’t the case. True, there are no mentions of the
internet or mobile phones – smart or otherwise – but, given the cataclysmic
events which occur disable all means of contact with the outside world this isn’t
really an issue. At one point a Ford Cortina appears but this only added to the
nostalgic glow I was seeking anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m so happy that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chasm</i>
has been given a new lease of life and is available again to a new generation
of readers. It’s a thrilling, terrifying, thought-provoking read – pretty much
everything I want from a horror novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can – and should – buy it <a href="https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/chasm-trade-paperback-by-stephen-laws-4856-p.asp">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-75261957653418096742019-07-12T09:57:00.000+01:002019-08-02T12:01:53.859+01:00Holy inappropriate.<br />
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Duncan Bradshaw prefers cats to dogs and tea to coffee. He
doesn’t like gravy. Despite these bizarre – some might say borderline psychotic
– tendencies, I still like him, as a person and as a writer. With such a warped
outlook on the important things in life, it’s unsurprising that his writing
oeuvre lies well ensconced within the weird end of the literary spectrum. This
is a man whose last novel featured a psychopathic vacuum cleaner on a killing
spree.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His latest release, a joint publication via his own Eye Cue
Productions and the Sinister Horror Company, is a summer blockbuster of a
novel: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space! </i>(Or
CNFOS for short – a name rejected by Lovecraft for one of his Great Old Ones
because it was too easy to pronounce). It’s a book which the author claims is
evidence he has finally found his voice. I wouldn’t disagree. I’m not entirely
sure <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where</i> he found it but wherever it was, I imagine
there was a sign saying “enter at your own risk” on the door.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cannibal Nuns from
Outer Space!</i> – what’s it about then? Those looking for a profound
meditation on melancholia in post-modern society will be disappointed. Mind
you, if that’s the type of book they’re looking for, I should imagine
disappointment is a big part of their lives anyway. There’s little melancholy
to be found here although, come to think of it, there is some post-modernism –
most notably in the frequent references and homages to classic films which are
dotted throughout the narrative. These are all handled deftly, enhancing rather
than distracting from the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Scattered too, are name drops of indie authors, something I
occasionally do find distracting but here presented in such outlandish
situations that the jokes are magnified. It could be the case that real
character traits have been exploited for comic effect. If that is so, then
there’s one Welsh author I’d be reluctant ever to share a bus journey with.
(There’s also an early mention for an “Anthony the Lesser Peeved”, a statue
that weeps blood – it’ll make more sense when you read it. I’m currently in
communication with my lawyers regarding a potential defamation proceeding).<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Over the word “lesser”).<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I digress.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As the title subtly hints at, the story concerns the threat
posed by a group of extra-terrestrial sisters of little mercy arrived on earth
to harvest human flesh. Their arrival doesn’t take place until quite a way into
the book which instead begins by introducing the novel’s protagonist, the
foul-mouthed and slightly deranged Father Flynn, member of the Order of the
Crimson Rosary, in the midst of performing an exorcism. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Things go as badly as might be expected, ultimately
requiring the calling-in of reinforcements, neatly introducing the book’s other
main characters, Flynn’s rival Father O’Malley and the demon itself. The whole
opening sequence is a joy to read, with some excellent one liners and highly
inventive use of names. Possibly aware of how unrealistic these scenes are, and
with an eye to keeping fans of literary horror happy, the author cleverly introduces a beard-dwelling axolotl to help ground the whole thing in
reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flynn’s performance - and his subsequent handling of the aforementioned
bleeding statue - culminate in his becoming surplice to requirements for the
Order of the Crimson Rosary. A last chance is offered to him: rehabilitation at
the St Judas Centre for Reaffirmation of Faith & Training Convent. It’s
here, amid a plethora of cultural references, that he ultimately encounters the
titular nuns, who have landed their spaceship nearby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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High jinks ensue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Twice now I’ve mentioned the cultural references which
litter the narrative, a feature of much of Duncan’s writing. He’s a proper
magpie in this respect, finding a pleasing line of dialogue or action set-piece
and pilfering them to reinvent in his own, slightly warped, way. I picture him
sat atop a huge pile of shiny snippets, leaving only to find a fellow magpie to
bring joy, or two more for a girl, three for a boy. Failing that, he’ll
probably just shit on your car’s windscreen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The nuns themselves are a fine creation. (SPOILER: They’re
not real nuns). The reasons for their arrival on Earth are explained along with
their history and there’s much graphic blood and guts-letting to be enjoyed as
battle commences. Entrails and jokes fly thick and fast as the forces of good
and evil, and evil duke it out head to head.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a rare gift to combine comedy and horror successfully,
it’s often the case that one suffers as a result of the other but that’s not
the case here. Even if you don’t get the references, there’s still plenty of
the author’s own deranged humour to make you laugh out loud and, more
importantly, a strong narrative upon which the jokes and entrails are hung.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A word too about the presentation of the book. Much work has
gone into the formatting and layout, with a variety of versions available, each
unique in its own way. The version I read as an ARC will ultimately be the
kindle release and, in keeping with the cinematic theme, contains
“trailers” for other movies ahead of the main feature. Both of which, I have to
say, I would go and see.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CNFOS is yet another triumph for Mr Bradshaw. If you can’t find
anything to entertain you within its pages then your either dead or – worse –
Jacob Rees Mogg. Whilst marking a natural progression from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Sucky</i>, nicely developing what is a very distinctive style of
writing, it also increases anticipation for whatever lunacy spills forth next
from one of the weirdest brains in the writing community.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-88303336161765945612018-12-17T12:41:00.000+00:002018-12-17T12:41:38.639+00:002018 in review<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right then, that’s another one done. As 2018 draws to a
close it’s time for another ramble through the archives to pick out my personal
highlights of the year. In a revelation even more shocking than last year’s
announcement that I was leaving Dark Minds Press (the shock for most being that
I was actually involved in the first place), I have to announce that there will
be no Dark Muse awards this year…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason for this is that this year I’ve changed my
reading habits. Whereas in previous years I’ve pretty much focused exclusively
on new releases from small presses – with a view to a potential review – I
decided to take the pressure off a little in 2018 and take my time over what I
read, much of which involved re-reads of books from my past. Stephen King has
featured much in this re-reading process and I began the year with The Stand
and IT – both epics which rekindled my love of losing myself in long novels.
This pretty much set the pattern for the year and I’ve read more novels than
any other form this year, short stories have very much taken a back-seat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a result of this, I simply haven’t read enough of the
shorter forms to compile a list long enough from which to select. Granted, all
the awards I’ve given before have been limited by the pool from which I select
but this year that problem was exacerbated and it didn’t seem fair to choose
the best of such a small field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As such, the list presented at the end is a top ten of my
favourite reads of the year and combines novels, novellas and short stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The decision to leave Dark Minds was driven by a desire to
spend more time on my own writing. I don’t take it personally that, since I
departed, DM was nominated for two British Fantasy awards. It’s great news too
to see that Ross is going to keep Dark Minds going and I look forward to
experiencing a DM publication as a reader.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With regards freeing up more time to write, it’s slightly
ironic that I’ve spent a big portion of my time in 2018 editing three novellas
and formatting a PhD thesis. (Seriously, if you think formatting a novel or
anthology is difficult, give one of those a go). I also had the joy of
re-formatting my novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses</i>, which
I’ve recently self-published after Crowded Quarantine Publications folded
shortly after its initial release.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was, I have to say, a labour of love. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses</i> is a book I’m extremely proud
of so I was happy to go the extra mile with its re-release, putting a lot of
work into the layout and formatting. I can now laugh in the face of section
breaks, headers and footers in Word. I was lucky to have a great cover for the
first printing and Neil Williams has produced another stunner for its
re-release.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Counting Witnesses as one publication, my tally for 2018 is
four – which meets the informal target I set myself a few years back. My second
publication was a brace of short stories released for Kindle, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Past Horrors</i>. 25000 words for less than
a quid was a tempting offer for a small number of people but it wasn’t until I
ran an offer giving it away for nowt that people really took notice. It flew
off the shelves, to linger on virtual TBR piles for years to come. Am I bitter?
No. OK, the yacht and villa are still on hold but – given this is something I
do to keep me sane, and not to earn a living – I’m more than happy that there are
people out there actually reading my stories. It is, after all, what they’re
for. To quote Neil Hannon, “a song is not a song until it’s listened to,” I
feel much the same way about stories – so thanks to everyone who downloaded <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Past Horrors</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Next time I'll feature a Golden retriever with psychic abilities. That number 8 spot will be mine...)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Third up was my short story <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Collateral Damage</i> in the marvelous George A Romero tribute
anthology <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stories of the Dead</i> which
was edited by two very fine authors in their own right, Duncan Bradshaw and
David Owain Hughes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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November brought the release of my novella <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lost</i> in an anthology of World War
One horror novellas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Darkest
Battlefield</i>, which was published by Dean M Drinkel’s new venture Demain
Publishing. I’m sharing the pages with writers whose work I’ve long admired and
am flattered to be in their company. I also had the pleasure of working with
them on the edits to the stories. It’s available now as an ebook with a
paperback version due in the new year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru4xSB7CWdQ/XBeWk7n6sGI/AAAAAAAABBc/SML0wDpWjpQzp7y7nDfvzBO6FmWPo-k6gCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG-20181106-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1092" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru4xSB7CWdQ/XBeWk7n6sGI/AAAAAAAABBc/SML0wDpWjpQzp7y7nDfvzBO6FmWPo-k6gCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG-20181106-WA0000.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The writing continues. I’m currently 55000 words into a
second novel which leaves around another 30000 words still to do. That should
be complete next year as will, hopefully, the project I’m working on with my
good friend Benedict J Jones; a series of interconnected stories featuring a
WW2 Special Ops unit with supernatural overtones.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So then, to my top ten list. It is presented here in no
particular order and features those pieces of writing which have given me that
extra something above and beyond just being entertained. It’s fair to say that
I wish that I could write stuff half as good as this – there are a couple which
set the bar so high that I’m filled with despair that I could never achieve
that level of skill (but in a good way…) – so massive thanks to all the authors
here listed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s to more of the same in 2019.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hell Ship by </i>Benedict
J Jones<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maniac Gods by </i>Rich
Hawkins<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shiloh<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> by </span></i>Philip
Fracassi<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am the River by </i>Ted
E Grau<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Masters
Trilogy by </i>Stephen
Volk<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Painted Wolves by </i>Ray
Cluley<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ningen by </i>Laura
Mauro<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cabin at the End
of the World</i><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> by </span>Paul
Tremblay<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where the Wounded
Trees Wait by </i>Paul Edwards<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones by </i>Bartholomew
Bennett<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-27524578342074809822018-12-03T10:13:00.001+00:002018-12-03T10:13:49.313+00:00Witnesses (#2)<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CBbUzgnaS-E/XAUBtdwSy6I/AAAAAAAABAQ/_9ZLhjY8VSQ0WVKH0G3qiBlCM8yEZvgZwCLcBGAs/s1600/witkincov_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1012" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CBbUzgnaS-E/XAUBtdwSy6I/AAAAAAAABAQ/_9ZLhjY8VSQ0WVKH0G3qiBlCM8yEZvgZwCLcBGAs/s320/witkincov_001.jpg" width="202" /></a>Today sees the release – I should say re-release – of my
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses</i>. It was first
published in February by Crowded Quarantine Publications but unfortunately
turned out to be their last book before closing down. The rights reverted back
to me and, rather that begin the lengthy process of touting the book around
again I decided to put all the experience I’d gained through Dark Minds Press
to re-edit and re-format <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses</i>
myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having worked with Neil Williams on many of the Dark Minds
covers, he was an obvious choice for the new cover and, yet again, he’s
provided an amazing work of art to grace the novel. In a twilight zone-esque
moment, I recognised the mountains which provide the backdrop to the cover as
my favourite walk of all time, the head of the Newlands Valley in the Lake
District – a fact not known to Neil when he was creating the cover. I’m
fortunate, I guess, that my book has had two outstanding covers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This new edition contains a new foreword and the notes at
the end about how the book was written have been extended but the text remains
otherwise the same (apart from one typo which somehow got through the editing
process first time round which is now fixed). Whilst this can be considered as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses: Redux</i>, I resisted the urge to
include an extended section set in a French plantation as I felt it would slow
the momentum. Whilst the words remain the same, I’ve played around a little
with the layout and decided to use different fonts for the different timelines
and characters within the novel to “enhance” the reading experience. (This is
only available in the paperback – those reading the kindle version will have to
suffer the confusion and bewilderment that readers of the original version had
to endure). (Which was deliberate BTW).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m very proud of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witnesses</i>,
it’s a book I put a lot of work into. Initial reaction was very positive and I
hope that continues now that the book is once more available. You can buy the
book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witnesses-Anthony-Watson/dp/1729157599/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543827553&sr=1-3&keywords=witnesses+anthony+watson">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-65253218854692597822018-11-12T10:23:00.000+00:002018-11-12T10:23:46.012+00:00The Darkest Battlefield.<br />
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I’m very happy to announce that a new collection of WW1
based horror novellas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Darkest
Battlefield</i>, is now available to pre-order. It’s the inaugural publication
from Dean M Drinkel’s new publishing venture Demain and is a sequel of sorts to Darker Battlefields which was published
a couple of years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kindle edition features my own novella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lost</i>, alongside stories from Richard
Farren Barber, Paul Edwards and Terry Grimwood. A paperback is in the pipeline
which will feature the added bonus of a novella from Dean himself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The idea for The Darkest Battlefield was proposed by Dean
shortly after publication of Darker Battlefields and once the decision had been
made that he would be publishing the book, all that remained was for an editor
to come forward. Ignoring the eminently sensible advice to never volunteer for
anything, I offered my services and as a result, found myself in the wonderful
position of reading three superb novellas – stories whose company I am honoured
to share here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My own novella is set against the backdrop of the Third Battle
of Ypres – or the Battle of Passchendaele as it’s come to be more commonly
known – a conflict which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and
which was fought in some of the worst conditions imaginable with persistent
rain turning the battlefield into a quagmire in which thousands drowned. The
option to not participate because it was raining was not one available to them.
A senior officer, visiting the battlefield towards the end of the fighting
burst into tears and asked his driver “did we send our men into that?” Passchendaele
was also the place where the German army first used mustard gas, and this plays
a hugely significant role in my story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve long been obsessed by the Great War, something which I
believe dates back to when I was ten or eleven and picked up some books in my
great-uncle’s house about the conflict. What I read in there horrified me and
when I asked my uncle about his experiences he refused to go into any detail
and even as young as I was I could sense his discomfort. I’ve subsequently learned
that my paternal great-grandfather was a hussar at the Somme (though I’m not
sure if he participated in one of the last cavalry charges ever) who was killed
by a sniper and that my maternal grandfather was bayoneted in the shoulder and
held as a prisoner of war.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve used the conflict as the backdrop for many of my
stories and it’s a subject I’ll no doubt return to in the future. I’m very
proud to be a part of this project, the stories presented here taking a variety
of approaches to the theme. Also included is a foreword from Adrian Chamberlin
and original poetry from John Gilbert.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can pre-order <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Darkest Battlefield</i> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkest-Battlefield-Paul-Edwards-ebook/dp/B07KCLHCGF/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1542014800&sr=1-1&keywords=the+darkest+battlefield">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All Hell<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Richard Farren
Barber<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The horrors of the Great War are felt all over the world,
not least by those left behind, the mothers of the soldiers fighting in the
trenches. They wait every day for the arrival of the delivery boy bringing the
letters that tell of the death of another son, hoping that this is not their
turn. They will do anything to ensure the safety of their boys.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When a mysterious stranger arrives in New Radford, she
brings with her the promise of hope, a way of ensuring the safety of the young
men of the Nottinghamshire town. Mary Fothergill is drawn to the woman,
desperate to keep her sons William and Henry alive - but will the woman’s
demands be too high a price to pay?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where The Wounded Trees Wait<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Paul Edwards<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the battlefield memorial at Mametz, Caryl searches for
the place where her grandfather Huw lost his life. Gifted with a psychic
ability passed down from her grandmother, she begins a journey into the past,
uncovering truths which throw light not just on her family’s history but her
own life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amidst the revelations of Huw’s final days, connections form
as past and present grow ever closer and Caryl’s own destiny is revealed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Maria<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Terry Grimwood<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sacrifice of war has new meaning for Major Ernst Dreyer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The son of an abusive father, he has escaped his past and is
now a Major in the German army, his company held in reserve as the British
mount their attack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His request that the men be moved up to the front line
arises from more than a sense of honour or patriotism – much more is at stake
than the future of his homeland. A deal has been made, one which must not be
broken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lost<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Anthony Watson<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amid the rain and mud of Passchendaele, an army chaplain and
medical officer form a friendship and uncover the cursed history of the
battlefield which is their temporary home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An evil long since dormant is reawakening and the pair find
themselves in a race against time to combat the supernatural horrors of the
past, even as the third battle of Ypres rages around them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-38236643125157930072018-10-30T09:58:00.001+00:002018-10-30T09:58:32.909+00:00Mr Sucky<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Sucky</i> is the
latest offering from Duncan P. Bradshaw and is published through his own
imprint <a href="http://duncanpbradshaw.co.uk/eyecue-productions/">EyeCue Productions</a>. With a word count coming in at somewhere between a
long novella and a short novel, it’s an everyday tale of
serial-killer-becomes-vacuum-cleaner, a trope which has been woefully underused
within the genre. Vacuum cleaners had been around for some fifty years by the
time Kafka wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Metamorphosis </i>but
he chickened out, preferring to use a giant insect to express his weird father
complex thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those expecting gritty social commentary will be
disappointed if they pick up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Sucky</i>
but those looking for some cleverly crafted bizarro fiction will find much to
enjoy here. It’s a mix of extreme horror and comedy (“Gore-Com”) which manages
to combine both elements very effectively. I’m generally not a fan of extreme
horror but when it’s presented in such a gloriously over-the-top fashion as it
is here you can’t fail to be impressed by the imagination that has gone into
some of the set-pieces. Before I started <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr
Sucky</i>, I wondered how a vacuum cleaner could possibly murder people but now
I’ve finished the book, I feel I’ve been educated (and quite possibly know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too</i> much about the process).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the “Gore” half of the equation works well, how about the
“Com”? It’s really hard, being funny. Many have tried before and failed but
there are some outstanding examples of horror/comedy hybridity out there too.
It’s difficult because everyone’s sense of humour is different, one man’s
side-splitting hilarity is another man’s melancholy and despair. Personally, I
pride myself on my grumpiness but I have to say that Mr Sucky had me laughing
out loud on more than one occasion. (Cue awkward conversations with my better
half as to what it was that had made me laugh. “Well, there’s this hoover,
possessed by the spirit of a serial killer, who’s just sucked someone’s
intestines out…”) It takes skill to get the blend right and it’s here in
abundance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “hero” of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Sucky</i>
is Clive Beauchamp, a serial killer with a split personality, the two halves of
which provide the (mainly) first person narrative of the story. The events of
the novel/la take place in the Quantico motel (a reference, I presume, to the
FBI building – an organisation whose first director was J Edgar someone). Clive
is setting up his latest kill, unaware that it will be him who will be Dyson
with death – unsuccessfully as it turns out – himself becoming the victim, initiating
a chain of events which, by a series of bizarre and unfortunate turns of fate,
results in his spirit being transferred into the titular vacuum cleaner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following this, much chaos ensues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest, Clive’s reanimation as a domestic appliance is
one of the less bizarre things to happen as the varied cast of characters make
their appearances. It’s all very cleverly done with the humour ranging from
broad to subtle, the violence from intense to very intense. What I particularly
enjoyed was the structure of the narrative which was fractured, jumping around
in time and point of view. Reminiscent of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pulp
Fiction</i> with its disrupted and looping timelines; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pulp Suction</i> perhaps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a blast with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr
Sucky</i>, enjoyed the hell out of it. It takes a strange, twisted kind of
imagination to produce something as bizarre yet enjoyable as this and, luckily
for us all, that’s exactly what Duncan P. Bradshaw has.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><br />
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<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-13081797599101496042018-10-15T10:32:00.000+01:002018-10-15T10:32:35.267+01:00I Am The River<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Am The River</i> is
a novel by T E Grau and is published by <a href="https://www.lethepressbooks.com/#/">Lethe Press</a>. Anyone who visits this blog
regularly will know how big a fan I am of Ted’s writing with his previous,
shorter works featuring heavily in my year’s best picks. Those frequent
visitors may also be aware of my penchant for historical stories too so it will
be no surprise to them to learn that this novel’s setting, during the years
following the Vietnam War, raised my expectations to even greater heights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The novel’s protagonist is Israel Broussard, a G.I. echoing
Thomas Wolfe’s sentiment that you can’t go home again, stranded and adrift in
Bangkok, battling his personal demons via therapy – courtesy of both medics and
bottles. Broussard is haunted by his experiences, literally – the ghosts of his
past manifest as a huge, black dog which follows him everywhere: Black Shuck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So too, Israel is plagued by visions of a river rising up
around him, a less overt image than the black dog and perhaps one related to
his experiences. The scenes in Bangkok are related in first person, present
tense and, as such, are wide open to the interpretation of unreliable narration
– Broussard is, after all, a damaged man. However, this narrative choice is
important in the overall construction of the novel, intermingling as it does
with third person, past tense flashback sections detailing the mission which
proved to be Broussard’s downfall. This swapping of narrative styles is effective
in creating a sense of disorientation in the reader but also allows a brilliant
masterstroke towards the story’s conclusion when the two styles merge as
Broussard’s personal journey into his heart of darkness reaches a critical
point. I’m a huge fan of books where narrative styles are used in creative ways
and this is one of the finest examples I’ve seen in a long time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mission which provides the straw to break Broussard’s
back is no ordinary one, rather a Psy-Ops exercise carried out in Laos. It’s
another great decision on the author’s part to choose Laos as a location. The
country was invaded and occupied by North Vietnam and was used as a “safe” area
for their troops to retreat into as well as a supply line. Unable to officially
send troops into Laos to engage combat, America instead dropped two million
tons of bombs on the country (almost as many as during the whole of World War
Two) – creating a legacy in which 300 people are still killed to this day every
year because of unexploded ordnance. The details of the mission are cleverly
kept a secret from the reader as well as Broussard and his fellow expendables.
When it is finally revealed, it seems outlandish and ridiculous – on a par with
the CIA’s list of plans for the assassination of Fidel Castro – but when it’s
deployed… oh man, it sent a shiver down my spine. There’s some brilliant
writing going on here –as is the case throughout the novel – pulling the reader
into the bizarre events which unfold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The culmination of these scenes, as far as Broussard is
concerned, is an act of extreme violence which sows the seeds for his
subsequent fall from grace. It’s a brutal scene, one that’s difficult to read.
The violence is graphic but not gratuitous – far from it, there could be no
other way to write such a significant moment, to show the depths to which war
can bring a man.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet again, I’ve been blown away by Ted’s writing. A stated earlier,
the use of different narrative techniques is outstanding. In particular, some
of the first person sections have an almost poetic feel to them, a stream of
consciousness from a damaged mind reflected not only in the choice of words but
also, very cleverly, the formatting of those words on the page. Whilst this is
mainly an internal story, the scene setting of the environments in which it
occurs is also handled magnificently with some striking imagery which will
linger long in the mind; the spectacular Plain of Jars, the megalithic landscape
which is the site of the mission and hundreds of flames – burnt offerings - floating
down a river to name but two.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s much reference to the belief of wandering ghosts
throughout the novel and, in essence, that is what Broussard is. Far from home,
(and all of the prejudice he faced there as a black man from the southern
states), he’s a literal lost soul looking for redemption. It’s his journey
towards that goal which is the story of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
Am The River</i> and it’s a journey I’m glad I took. This is an outstanding
piece of writing and, given that there is so much in it, it’s surprising that
it’s at the shorter end of the word-count for a novel. It’s a book that
satisfies on so many levels and one which has raised my expectation for what
Ted comes up with next to even higher levels.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-37581362622363278992018-10-08T10:33:00.001+01:002018-10-08T10:33:49.734+01:00The Dark Masters Trilogy<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Masters
Trilogy</i> is published by <a href="https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/">PS Publishing</a> and brings together the two
previously published novellas, <i>Whitstable</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leytonstone</i> alongside the
concluding story in the series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Netherwood</i>.
All are written by Stephen Volk, and are fictionalised accounts of episodes in
the lives of notable talents in the creative arts, Peter Cushing, Alfred
Hitchcock and Dennis Wheatley respectively, the books’ titles originating from
the locations in which those events occur.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve already reviewed both <i>Whitstable</i> and <i>Leytonstone</i> – <a href="https://anthony-watson.blogspot.com/search/label/Whitstable">here</a>
and <a href="https://anthony-watson.blogspot.com/search/label/Leytonstone">here</a> – so this review will focus mainly on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Netherwood</i>. The titular location is a boarding house in Hastings,
the final residence of the Great Beast himself, the wickedest man in the world,
Aleister Crowley and the place to which he summons novelist Dennis Wheatley.
Although this meeting is fictional, the two men had actually met in real life
some years earlier at the Hungaria Restaurant near Piccadilly Circus, and it’s
this prior connection which Crowley, (and the story), exploits. Following the
meeting, Wheatley based some of his characters on Crowley – thinly enough that
umbrage, or even offence could be taken. Possibly enough that some kind of
revenge would seem appropriate…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the most notable achievement of the two previous
novellas was the degree of characterisation they presented, offering new
insights into both Cushing and Hitchcock. Such skill is even more evident in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Netherwood</i> with an equal emphasis on
both Wheatley and Crowley. Whilst this is a work of fiction, it is - has to be –
grounded in fact and the requisite exposition and back-story is presented here
in masterful fashion. The novel opens with a scene set on a train in which
Wheatley meets a young soldier and his sweetheart, the dialogue – both internal
and external – providing the story of Wheatley’s military service in a way that
appears seamless and natural. Anyone aspiring author, (and a few established
ones), should use this trilogy as a masterclass in developing character. The
information is all there but isn’t dumped on the reader, rather it’s presented
as part of the natural flow of the narrative, character is revealed by action and
interaction. It’s sublime stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a little unfortunate that Wheatley is up against Crowley
here; unfortunate in that in comparison to the force of nature that is the most
famous member of the Golden Dawn he comes across as a little anodyne. Crowley,
however, is a different matter altogether. Despite his frailty, (he was at this
point close to death), he dominates every scene; unstable, eccentric,
impossible to read there’s a real sense of unease and disquiet whenever he
appears. Anyone whose “career” is built on spouting, to all intents and purposes,
bullshit, requires a huge amount of charisma to be successful and this was
undoubtedly the case with Crowley. Charismatic enough to entice a figure of the
establishment such as Wheatley, (a man who is inwardly please that the soldier
on the train doesn’t recognise him), to answer his call.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason for Wheatley’s attendance turns out to be more
than just catching up on old times however. He is there to help Crowley, to
face a threat which will be too much for the frail, heroin addicted “beast” to
confront on his own. Once again, great skill is shown in presenting the
scenario around the threat and the discussions which convince the staid author
to participate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That participation involves the performance of a magick
ritual, the presentation of which is yet another highlight of this brilliant
novel. As seen through the experiences of Wheatley, it’s a stream of altered
consciousness full of graphic and disturbing imagery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s the crowning glory of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Netherwood</i> that Crowley’s motivations in involving Wheatley remain
ambiguous. The hint of revenge – or spite - suggested earlier may be the case
but other interpretations hold equal weight. Redemption is a common theme in
conclusions and this too may be the case. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Netherwood</i>
pours away the snake-oil, revealing the hidden depths to Crowley’s character
and it’s possible that a personal tragedy is the driving force behind this
final act. Maybe the motivation was his humanity after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Humanity – or, more precisely, human nature – has been the
underlying theme of all three books in the trilogy. The three books have
followed a traditional structure with the second part the darkest by far. A strange
claim perhaps, given the black magic and Satanism which is so much a feature of
Netherwood but my feelings on finishing this final part of the trilogy were
ones of optimism, not least because of the stirring meditation on the nature of
art – and artists (another theme of the whole trilogy) – on which it ends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each book in the trilogy is a masterpiece. Combined, they
produce a kind of synergy, creating an outstanding reading experience. Perhaps
their greatest achievement is to provide convincing portrayals of their protagonists
despite being fictional accounts, all done through the skill and craftsmanship
of the writing. Now that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i>
magick.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-65426408874606991232018-10-01T11:20:00.002+01:002018-10-01T11:20:49.986+01:00The Pale Ones<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oedOSTnC9TI/W7H05N2X2vI/AAAAAAAAA-4/dK0ALan-tagHmGO7y24dskVTUfP6KdbfQCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BPale%2BOnes%2BBartholomew%2BBennett%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oedOSTnC9TI/W7H05N2X2vI/AAAAAAAAA-4/dK0ALan-tagHmGO7y24dskVTUfP6KdbfQCLcBGAs/s320/The%2BPale%2BOnes%2BBartholomew%2BBennett%2Bcover.jpg" width="208" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones </i>is a
novella by Bartholomew Bennett and is published by <a href="https://www.inkandescent.co.uk/about">Inkandescent</a>. Both author
and publisher are new to me but, having now experienced the wonder that is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones, </i>I’m glad that connection
has been made. Inkandescent’s mission statement, “a commitment to ideas, subjects
and voices underrepresented by mainstream publishing” is a noble one and worthy
of support. On the basis of this novella, a commitment to quality is also
apparent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones </i>has
been described as literary horror, a term about which I have mixed feelings.
Whilst I enjoy both genres – yes, I believe “literary” is as much a genre as
thriller, Sci-Fi or romance – and there are some sublime examples of the
combination of the two, there are also others in which the horror element is noticeably
lacking, the author believing that creating a sense of confusion and
bewilderment amounts to the same thing. Getting both aspects right is a joy to
read and that’s very much the case with this novella.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s set in the world of second hand book dealers and begins
with our narrator encountering Harris, a fellow-collector, who advises him to
purchase a specific book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War Two
Destroyers. </i>A relationship develops between the two, culminating in a joint
expedition to the north of England to seek out new (i.e. old) stock. Whilst my
punning heart was slightly disappointed that this wasn’t a trip to Hull and
back, (they don’t get as far as the port), the unsubtle meaning of that potential
bad joke still stands as Harris proves himself to be the companion from Hell.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first person narrative allows much enjoyment to be had
from his cynical reporting of the pair’s adventures. There is, of course, a
suggestion of unreliability; much like the protagonist of Lowry’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Under the Volcano, </i>a book referenced
more than once in the story, the narrator has some alcohol – and relationship –
problems. This potential unreliability adds a frisson of ambiguity to some of
the scenes he describes, bizarre behaviour from associates of Harris, Harris’
description of his customers as “children” and, most potently of all, glimpses
of strange creatures sculpted – so it would seem – from papier mach<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span>…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was wasps that confirmed to Charles Darwin that God was
not responsible for the creation of life and the flying insects subliminally hover
around the fringes of this story. (Actually, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> subliminally – they are on the cover of the book). Wasps, who
create nests made of chewed up paper; wasps who kill the hosts from which they
hatch – not to say their own parents and siblings; wasps who spoil any summer
picnic. (Okay, not all of these are relevant to this story).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones </i>is a
journey of discovery for the narrator. Yes, it’s a tale of book hunting but
what he uncovers amounts to much more than a rare first edition. The
realisation that his meeting with Harris was not a chance encounter (the opening
line of the novella is really quite important), and that it’s not the books
themselves which are so important to him is only the beginning of his
discoveries and the narrative slowly builds towards a denouement that will leave
you shocked as well as sending a shudder along your spine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pale Ones </i>gets
it absolutely right. Beautifully written prose, loads of ideas buzzing around
and – most importantly – proper scary. I loved it, and look forward to what
both author and publisher come up with in the future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-56634087026152680282018-09-17T10:08:00.001+01:002018-09-17T10:08:58.617+01:00Wolf's Hill<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolf’s Hill </i>is the
third book in the four volume <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Road </i>series
written by Simon Bestwick and published by <a href="http://www.snowbooks.com/">Snowbooks</a>. The previous two volumes
are reviewed <a href="https://anthony-watson.blogspot.com/2015/11/hells-ditch.html">here</a> and <a href="https://anthony-watson.blogspot.com/2016/12/devils-highway.html">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Events in the post-nuclear-apocalyptic world have thus far
seen the formation of a rebellion against the ruling Reclamation and Protection
Command led by the wonderfully named Helen Damnation ably assisted by a host of
other characters, not least the Grendelwolf Gevaudan Shoal. Added to this is a
heady concoction of science and ancient magic as the military commanders seek
to procure the ultimate weapon to use against the rebels.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both previous books did an admirable job of creating a fully
realised post-apocalyptic world populated by realistic, fully rounded
characters (with detailed back-stories) whilst at the same time sustaining a
narrative which hurtles along at breakneck speed. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolf’s Hill</i> is no exception to this; indeed, it expands the world
Simon has created and also introduces a raft of new characters. Reading this
book, I was perhaps even more impressed than I already have been at the work
involved in creating the world and its huge cast of characters. I have visions
of a huge piece of paper, probably covering an entire floor of a room, covered
in names, locations and events with arrows and lines connecting them all like a
Jackson Pollock painting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here we’re introduced to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Garalakh Tep Sharhr</i>, the “Dwellers beneath the Hill” – a whole
community hitherto unknown who, it’s implied, will play a huge role in what is
building up to be the decisive battle between the two opposing forces. It’s a
bold move, waiting until the third book to introduce them but it’s one that pays
off and which is handled very cleverly – their presence revealed in one set of
characters’ timeline, their history in another. I was put in mind of Simon’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Mountain</i> series of stories whilst
reading these scenes – no bad thing. Their introduction also feels part of the
natural progression of the narrative, not bolted on for convenience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make no mistake, this third volume in no way treads water,
is not simply filler before the big finish. There’s more plot here than you can
shake a stick at, not least the very bold move to present divisions within the
rebellion and a threat to them from an unexpected source.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whilst Helen faces up to these problems, Tereus Winterborn
begins strengthening the alliances between the regional commanders using a
mixture of politics and thinly veiled aggression. It’s here that I had my only
problem with the book as Simon has chosen to name his commanders after notable
personalities in the indie horror world. Granted, he has changed the sex of
many of them but I found it took me out of the story as I was reading these
scenes – imagining Jim McLeod as a woman will do that to a person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such minor criticism aside, there’s still so much to enjoy
between the pages of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolf’s Hill</i>. I
particularly enjoyed the character development of Dr Mordake, whose back story
is presented here. The good doctor is set to play a major role in the
conclusion so it was good to see him get a starring role here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I loved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolf’s Hill</i>;
it’s no mean feat to keep up the pace and energy of a series this far into it
but Simon has succeeded admirably in so doing. It’s not hyperbolic to describe
the series as epic – there can be no denying that it is. This really is a
massive achievement and deserves no little respect for that. This is a major
work and should be recognised as such. The best thing is, of course, there’s
more to come - and I can’t wait to see how everything concludes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915078903290331507.post-82111854882874018262018-08-13T11:00:00.001+01:002018-08-13T11:01:40.715+01:00At the Mercy of Beasts.<br />
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Monsters. I love ‘em. Of all the myriad variations of horror,
it’s the monsters I love the most. They were my first love, my gateway drug if
you like, and it’s a love which has endured for many years now. I recently saw
an online discussion about the need to suspend disbelief in horror
movies/books, the implication being that it was a hindrance to the enjoyment of
a piece of work. To some extent this is true, if an author asks too much of a
reader then it can ruin the reading experience but I’ve always regarded the
suspension of disbelief as a vital part of my enjoyment of horror. I read
horror as an escape from reality, as entertainment, and the books I enjoy the
most are those which present alternative realities, worlds in which monsters
can, and do, exist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(And yes, human beings can be monsters too. But that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> reality and God knows there’s enough
examples in the world right now to make reading it in a piece of fiction pretty
much redundant).<o:p></o:p></div>
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(I blame Scooby-Doo. The disappointment I felt as a child when
the ghost/mummy/zombie was revealed as a real person has stayed with me all
this time).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which self-indulgent rambling brings me to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At the Mercy of Beasts</i>, a collection of
three novellas by Ed Kurtz. The joy I felt at discovering this book was pushed
to almost unbearable limits (I know, but bear with me, suspend your disbelief) when
I found out that each of the stories took place in historical settings. Surely
this was too good to be true?<o:p></o:p></div>
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No, it wasn’t. I loved every bit of this book; the period
detail, the characters, the plotlines and - of course - the monsters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The opening story is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black’s
Red Gold, </i>set in the Texas of 1919 and detailing the exploits of a pair of
oilmen, Black and Wells, whose drilling operation uncovers a rich seam of the
titular substance, a fluid similar to oil – though different in colour – but which,
it turns out, burns for much longer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The fluid is biological rather than geological however,
emanating from the first of the collection’s beasts, a huge tentacled monster
residing underground. The knowledge that the Red Gold comes from an animal
(from huge vesicles on its back) does nothing to deter Black in his efforts to
extract the fuel, his desire to become rich over-riding any concerns for the
welfare of the beast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a tale of exploitation then, and one which becomes
darker when the beast fights back and the men sent down into its lair become
infected with bubo-like sacs which are filled with the same fluid. It’s a
development which gives a whole new meaning to the term Human Resources…<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a strong start to the collection, the story’s political
allegory sitting very comfortably and unobtrusively within a cracking, and at
times darkly humorous, narrative.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next up is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kennon
Road, </i>which takes place in the early years of the twentieth century in the
Phillipines shortly after the Phillipine-American war. It’s a story which,
unlike the first which created a new monster (albeit one which put me in mind
of Gla’aki), uses an established myth – that of the manananggal – to provide
its creature.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And boy, what a creature. Reading a cold description of the
manananggal in Wiki or suchlike fails to bring out the true horror of this
vampire-like monster but that’s certainly not the case in this incredibly
atmospheric tale. Kurtz’s take on the mythology results in a truly disturbing
creation and the passages in which it features are deeply unsettling. Anyone
who thinks monsters are old-hat and have lost their power to terrify should
definitely read this novella.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story takes the form of an investigation into a series
of grisly murders, a template which allows exposition with a natural feel to
it, a few twists and turns along the way and a number of incredibly effective
set-pieces.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadheader </i>rounds
of the collection and is the most contemporary of the three novellas being set
in 1977. The title has nothing to do with fans of the Grateful dead but refers
to the practice of truckers taking on a cargo without going through the usual
formalities and paperwork. The trucker in this case is Pearlie Pearce, a
brilliantly realised character who picks up hitchhiker Ernie Kinchen, a Vietnam
veteran haunted (literally) by his time in the warzone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a fast-paced, incredibly pulpy story featuring car
chases and fights. The monsters here are vampiric in nature too, modelled on
the chupacabra, fittingly given the story’s US/Mexico border setting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadheader </i>provides
a thrilling end to a superb collection of stories. Along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kennon Road </i>it provides ample proof that
there’s plenty life in the old monsters yet. Honestly, all those publishers who
state “no vampires (or other monsters) in their submission guidelines are
missing a trick. It was a joy to read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
the Mercy of Beasts </i>and it’s a book I recommend highly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anthony Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992065094913929889noreply@blogger.com0