Blog@ captain Troy Brownfield here. We’ve got a new additon to the team, and I think you’ll enjoy it quite well. Jess Peacock, the writer behind the most excellent blog The Crawlspace and contributor to Bloody-Disgusting.com, will be joining up to bring you genre-related prose reviews. If you’re curious why we’d add a prose reviewer, then you should be aware that a rising number of horror novelists and others are making the transition to the comics page. Furthermore, an increasing number of genre novels are getting the comic treatment. It’s only fair that we add another layer to this circuit. For his big debut, And now . . . Jess!

Review: Feed by Mira Grant

I have to admit, I have a tendency to trumpet my love of the zombie sub-genre on the grounds that the walking dead are often a wonderful metaphor for larger social ills. George Romero tackled out of control consumerism with his seminal film Dawn of the Dead, while Max Brooks addressed global relations in his superior novel World War Z. The truth of the matter, however, is that while social commentary is a mainstay in zombie fiction, a walking dead novel without the appropriate amounts of carnage is nothing more than a rose without petals. In other words, entirely useless.

Feed, the first book in Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy, is a distinctly bloodless zombie novel that leans heavily on addressing issues of new and traditional media, terrorism, and a little political cynicism thrown in for good measure. Interesting subjects, especially when mixed into a post-post-apocalyptic society where the zombie holocaust is 25 years old, parts of the world are still off limits due to the walking dead, and the population is divided between isolating themselves from any potential danger versus attempting to reclaim some semblance of real life. Unfortunately, Feed is a 599-page zombie novel with very little focus on the zombies.

Despite its shortcomings, Feed does provide some brief moments of fascinating futurist thinking with regard to how society would operate in a world recovering from an undead onslaught. From the advanced blood testing technology (manufactured by Apple, of course), to the restrictions on pet ownership (animals of a certain size run the risk of zombification), to the abolition of the death penalty (who needs one more zombie in the world?), Grant has obviously done her due diligence in attempting to create a fully fleshed-out near future that feels genuine and tangible. However, her overly redundant focus on safety procedures overstays its welcome within the first two chapters, dragging Feed into tedious monotony.

Ultimately, Feed never succeeds at creating any suspense, fear, or even acceptable violence that one would expect in a zombie novel. By focusing on the political machinations at play within the story at the expense of any substantial undead action, Grant seems to be dragging out the well worn trope that humans are the true monsters in the world (been there, read that). Perhaps Grant will amp up the horror in Deadline, book two of the trilogy due out in 2011. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I even care to find out.

Review: Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony E. Zuiker and Duane Swierczynski

Billed as the world’s first digi-novel (it’s not, see the far superior Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman), Level 26: Dark Origins is a horribly flawed attempt at immersing the reader in a world that, ironically, doesn’t always involve reading. The creative offspring of co-author Zuiker (best known for creating the hit television show CSI), Level 26 provides access to a website where the reader can watch video “cyber-bridges” intended to deepen the novel’s experience. Unfortunately, it is the actual experience of reading the book that proves wanting.

The novel focuses on the hunt for Squweegel, the latex and butter (yes, butter) covered serial murderer who has the distinct honor of being the world’s fist Level 26 killer (based on a ratings system that previously topped out at 25…duh). Always a step ahead of the authorities, it falls on the shoulders of ex-detective Steve Dark, a previous victim of Squweegel’s murderous predilections, to slay the monster once and for all. While it would be nice to gush over Level 26’s original spin on well-worn serial killer plot devices, unfortunately the story is about as uncomplicated as it sounds.

To be fair, co-author Swierczynski (see my review for his novel Severance Package) does an amazing job of moving a story along that seems doggedly determined to mine every overused uncatchable killer convention ever put to film or print. A preternaturally skilled, resourceful, and devastatingly clever serial killer? Check. An emotionally scarred super detective with a mysterious connection to said killer? Check. Religious imagery elevating the villain to Thomas Harris levels of bombastic flare? Check. And long diatribes about the hunter and the hunted simply being two sides of the same coin? Check. Swierczynski’s brisk pace helps somewhat in obfuscating these glaring stereotypes, however Zuiker seems to have more of a passion for the gimmick of splicing television production with seventh grade level literary plot devices.

According to the website, the “cyber-bridges take the experience to the next level, immersing you in the action and putting you inside the minds of a twisted serial killer and the man sent to take him down.” Regrettably, Zuiker fails to grasp that an imaginative and dense story is what immerses readers generally looking to escape the force-fed nature of the visual medium. I couldn’t shake the paranoid feeling that there was a Pied Piper at work here, leading unsuspecting victims into a world of visual passivity through a well-publicized novel (an inverted Reading Rainbow perhaps?)

Unfortunately, as is the norm these days, Level 26: Dark Origins is only the first in a series that seeks to expand the interactivity by opening future novel plots to reader suggestions. Next up is Dark Prophecy, with the Level 26 website already raving over how well the cyber-bridges are coming together in post-production, with barely any mention of the actual book.

Ah, listen to that piper play…

Review: Hater by David Moody

You have undoubtedly seen the faces and stories: The mother who suddenly drowns her two children in the bathtub. The dedicated father who shoots his family before turning the gun on himself. We ask how such seemingly well-adjusted people could suddenly turn so violent and so heinous as to brutally murder those they hold most dear? We reassure ourselves that we could never harm the ones we love, that we are above such societal aberrations. What would happen to our world, however, if half of the population did exactly that?

Hater, written by David Moody, throws society into a chaotic tailspin after violent assaults by ordinary citizens, tagged Haters by the media, skyrocket. No rhyme or reason can explain who will suddenly attack, or who the victims will be. Before long, nobody can be trusted, and civil unrest quickly spreads in a riveting tale that is part 28 Days Later, part The Crazies.

Moody personalizes the rapidly deepening paranoia by primarily focusing on the first person narration of Danny McCoyne, an everyday schlub struggling to support his young family with a monotonous, low paying city job (his daily routine is only slightly less horrific than the Haters). As the violent attacks spread, McCoyne holes up inside his home with one eye on the frustratingly vague news reports and the other on every potentially suspicious action of his wife, kids, and father-in-law.

The looming division within McCoyne’s family is reflected in society at large. From gays vs. straights, liberals vs. conservatives, and religious fundamentalists vs. everyone else, we are growing increasingly wary and antagonistic of anyone who does not think exactly as we do. Moody simply upgrades these ideological clashes into physical attacks, highlighting the danger society is faced with when nuance and empathy are exchanged for a strict black and white, us versus them worldview.

While based in the U.K., Hater has presciently tapped into the current political and cultural zeitgeist in the United States. Abhorrent rhetoric, while always existing in American society, has reached a critical mass coupled with mainstream legitimacy as of late. While aggressive lines have already been drawn symbolically in our culture, one must wonder how long we can keep the logical next step at bay.

Without spoiling the fun, it must be noted that Hater takes a sudden sharp turn part way through the novel, forcing the reader back on his heels and elevating the story from clever horror fare to an ingenious psychological and spiritual metaphor. However, at the risk of leaving too many clues, a deeper discussion on the importance of the twist will have to wait for the upcoming Dog Blood (book two) review.

While the journey of Hater from self-published phenomenon to pet production project of genre powerhouse Guillermo del Toro could easily outshine the power of the story, Moody has managed to invest in his novel a message of modern importance that should continue to resonate for years.

Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Walk through any bookstore these days and you’re bound to see some familiar, albeit slightly modified, classic book titles: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter. Little Vampire Women. Jane Slayre. Not to mention my personal favorite, Android Karenina. Over the past two years, the bestseller lists have been inundated with a veritable gold rush of literature’s most iconic and historic characters and stories…with a horrific twist. Kicking off this literary mash-up mad dash was Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2008 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which transformed Elizabeth Bennet from playful paramour of Mr. Darcy into a zombie killing martial arts expert. The success of Grahame-Smith’s remix of Jane Austen has not only spawned the aforementioned onslaught of imitators (including a prequel: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), it also nabbed the attention of Hollywood, as Natalie Portman is set to produce and star in the film adaptation.

Perhaps bookending this fad, Grahame-Smith is back with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, a well-researched and surprisingly emotional novel that suggests an alternate reason for the American Civil War and the rise of arguably our greatest President in history. Written by the author after the discovery of Lincoln’s secret diary, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter shares how young Abe was thrust into destiny after the discovery that his mother, as well as several others close to him, was murdered by vampires.

Confronted with far too much tragedy, fueled by revenge, and driven by the sharpest of minds (not to mention a sharper ax), Lincoln sets off into a world filled with vampires, intent on playing some role in an end to the secret scourge plaguing our young nation.

As would be expected, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is chock full of historical cameos, not the least of which is the inclusion of Edgar Allen Poe, who explains to Lincoln that the vampires are being pushed out of Europe due to the bloody excesses of the notorious Elizabeth Bathory, only to find anonymity and a steady food supply (i.e. slaves) in America’s south. Unfortunately, Mr. Poe meets his end on the streets of Baltimore under mysterious circumstances soon after encountering Lincoln, denying us the pairing of an occult battling dynamic duo.

Nevertheless, the metaphor of vampirism in relation to slavery is surprisingly prescient here, as we are a nation built by enslaving, feeding off of, and growing strong from the blood of an entire race of people. Despite what seems like just another capricious book title designed to squeeze a few more dollars from the genre crossover fad, Grahame-Smith handles this historically sensitive issue with surprising taste and grace. In addition, Lincoln’s assassination, which could have easily devolved into the realm of action cliché, is treated with the magnitude and solemnity it deserves.

In the end, Seth Grahame-Smith avoids the clownish and ridiculous to construct a novel that speaks to the heart of our national history and identity, while also serving up plenty of the genre staples that readers are hoping for. Fast-paced and fun with surprising depth to its characters, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a must read for horror and history fans alike.

Review: 23 Hours by David Wellington

Author David Wellington has managed to craft what few people have even attempted over the last decade: an exciting and fresh literary vampire series that is neither romantic nor youth driven. With nary a sparkle in sight, Wellington’s vampires are bloodthirsty and brilliant, the new apex predator on the planet. As grotesque in their appearance as they are in their ethics, these nearly invulnerable monsters don’t want to so much suck your blood as rip your head off and gulp down what gushes forth.

From 13 Bullets, the first novel in the series, through 99 Coffins and Vampire Zero, Wellington has thrust his lesbian-cop-heroine Laura Caxton into a ferocious and sadistic milieu of politics, personal sacrifice, justice, and the supernatural. In the latest entry, 23 Hours, Caxton is forced to sacrifice everything, including her freedom, as a consequence of her violent campaign against the vampires.

Buried deep within Pennsylvania’s Marcy State Correctional Institution, Caxton not only has to contend with other prisoners who would covet the opportunity to kill a former cop, she must also survive Justina Malvern, the world’s oldest and most cunning vampire. Equally enraged and fascinated by her long-term adversary, Malvern overruns the correctional facility, giving Caxton twenty-three hours to either become a vampire or die.

Aside from the action and intensity that Wellington brings to the table, what sets this series apart, particularly in this most recent outing, is the level of realism within which the horror manifests itself. Caxton’s incarceration feels genuine, conveyed with a lean prose that paints a grim and gritty veracity. Personally, this is as close to prison (or Wellington’s vampires for that matter) that I would like to get without a visitor’s badge and some heavily armed guards. However, for the sake of an excellent read, the author’s authenticity sets the stage for one of the better vampire novels in quite some time.

While not a fan of the author’s zombie trilogy (Monster Island, Monster Nation, Monster Planet), Wellington has succeeded at carving out a solid genre niche for himself with the Laura Caxton series, while joining a small list of horror writers breathing new life into the vampire mythos. With Frostbite, Wellington’s current take on the werewolf legend, one only hopes for equivalent success.

Review: The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw

Since its publication in 2003, Dan Brown’s wildly successful novel The Da Vinci Code has inspired innumerable knockoffs hoping to hitch a ride on the Robert Langdon money train. The Atlantis Code is just one more.

Charles Brokaw (a pseudonym) has patched together a Frankenstein’s monster of tired clichés, well-worn plot devices, and stereotypes straight out of every standard Hollywood blockbuster of the last twenty years. The hero, Thomas Lourdes, is half Robert Langdon half Indiana Jones, a world famous linguist and archeologist (I’m not entirely sure how one becomes a celebrity by studying languages) who quickly finds himself drawn into a very real search for the mythical Atlantis. Replete with foreign baddies, complex puzzles that only Lourdes has the capacity to solve, and revelations of global and historical significance, The Atlantis Code certainly does its best to out code all of the other codes out there.

Thrown into the mix is a dastardly secret society tucked deep within the Vatican (where else?) that will stop at nothing to prevent Lourdes from uncovering the uber-religious secret Atlantis hides. Joining Lourdes on his globe trotting adventure are two women, one a tough as nails Russian policewoman, the other a not so bright television host. Both are amazingly gorgeous. Both end up in Lourdes’ bed (of course).

It is this portrayal of the female characters within The Atlantis Code that truly drags the read into utter ridiculousness. From the heavy handed, lascivious descriptions of their physical attributes, to the Harlequin romance inner monologues of their irresistible sexual attraction to Lourdes, these female supporting players were seemingly cut from the adolescent Playboy fantasies of a writer who simply failed to grow up and accept women as more than trophies for display.

With the Atlantis Code, Brokaw does his damndest to create the next pseudo-intellectual action-adventure literary blockbuster. Not surprisingly, however, the piggybacking of so many overused stock cinematic and literary tropes only serves to spotlight the absurdity of Thomas Lourdes and the inane plot that drives his journey. There is absolutely zero character development or growth in the book, and the climax only succeeds at inducing some confused head scratching, not to mention plenty of regret for dropping the cash on this hardcover abortion.

Review: The Arcanum by Thomas Wheeler

There was a time, not too long ago, when struggling novelists would find a certain amount of success writing treatments and screenplays for television and film. Recently, however, that trend has reversed itself as creative concepts that begin their lives as big budget movie pitches find an outlet on the bestseller lists. Take, for example, The Strain, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s vampiric literary hit based on del Toro’s treatment for a new television series (which, not surprisingly, has come full circle as a green lit small screen project).

Enter Thomas Wheeler, a low level Los Angeles based screenwriter with a gem of an idea that may have been a little too smart for Hollywood: bring together some of the most imaginative minds of the early twentieth-century to battle an evil so dark and insidious even they may be woefully inadequate to emerge victorious. Harry Houdini, Marie Laveau, H.P. Lovecraft, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle form The Arcanum, a group whose purpose is to stem the flood of supernatural wickedness continually tearing at the seams of our reality during a period of history where everyday life was transforming technologically and spiritually.

Wheeler introduces us to The Arcanum after they have disbanded after decades of working together, years which have produced strained relationships, buried emotions, and, for Lovecraft at least, a battle with encroaching madness as he balances on the shaky precipice between our world and the unknowable void of the occult (which, let’s face it, is not too much of a stretch for Lovecraft).

Faced with a tragedy that potentially forecasts the end of humanity (naturally), Doyle must travel to Old New York to re-form the one group that stands a chance of stopping the accelerating evil. The rest of the group has moved on, however, and the creator of the greatest literary detective of all time finds that one member’s celebrity and another’s imprisonment for a series of ghastly murders threaten to halt the rebirth of The Arcanum before it even begins.

Not surprisingly, The Arcanum is traveling a similar path to that of The Strain, and is set to be directed by Randall Wallace (We Were Soldiers) with Wheeler writing the script. While the translation from book to screen should be relatively easy given the very cinematic nature of the prose, one cannot help but remember the on screen abortion known as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen based on Alan Moore’s amazing graphic novels recounting the exploits of a similar team comprised of literary figures such as Allan Quatermain and Captain Nemo.

Despite this concern, it can be said that The Arcanum is a close to brilliant blend of various strains of magic, over the top action, Gnostic Christian mysticism, the Cthulhu Mythos, and Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. In addition, it wildly succeeds at seamlessly constructing a history that many of us desperately want to be true, and a fascinating fictional window on some of the more colorful and fascinating characters of our time.

Review: The Arcanum by Thomas Wheeler

There was a time, not too long ago, when struggling novelists would find a certain amount of success writing treatments and screenplays for television and film. Recently, however, that trend has reversed itself as creative concepts that begin their lives as big budget movie pitches find an outlet on the bestseller lists. Take, for example, The Strain, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s vampiric literary hit based on del Toro’s treatment for a new television series (which, not surprisingly, has come full circle as a green lit small screen project).

Enter Thomas Wheeler, a low level Los Angeles based screenwriter with a gem of an idea that may have been a little too smart for Hollywood: bring together some of the most imaginative minds of the early twentieth-century to battle an evil so dark and insidious even they may be woefully inadequate to emerge victorious. Harry Houdini, Marie Laveau, H.P. Lovecraft, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle form The Arcanum, a group whose purpose is to stem the flood of supernatural wickedness continually tearing at the seams of our reality during a period of history where everyday life was transforming technologically and spiritually.

Wheeler introduces us to The Arcanum after they have disbanded after decades of working together, years which have produced strained relationships, buried emotions, and, for Lovecraft at least, a battle with encroaching madness as he balances on the shaky precipice between our world and the unknowable void of the occult (which, let’s face it, is not too much of a stretch for Lovecraft).

Faced with a tragedy that potentially forecasts the end of humanity (naturally), Doyle must travel to Old New York to re-form the one group that stands a chance of stopping the accelerating evil. The rest of the group has moved on, however, and the creator of the greatest literary detective of all time finds that one member’s celebrity and another’s imprisonment for a series of ghastly murders threaten to halt the rebirth of The Arcanum before it even begins.

Not surprisingly, The Arcanum is traveling a similar path to that of The Strain, and is set to be directed by Randall Wallace (We Were Soldiers) with Wheeler writing the script. While the translation from book to screen should be relatively easy given the very cinematic nature of the prose, one cannot help but remember the on screen abortion known as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen based on Alan Moore’s amazing graphic novels recounting the exploits of a similar team comprised of literary figures such as Allan Quatermain and Captain Nemo.

Despite this concern, it can be said that The Arcanum is a close to brilliant blend of various strains of magic, over the top action, Gnostic Christian mysticism, the Cthulhu Mythos, and Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. In addition, it wildly succeeds at seamlessly constructing a history that many of us desperately want to be true, and a fascinating fictional window on some of the more colorful and fascinating characters of our time.

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