Book Review: Flashback Dan Simmons

Flashback by Dan Simmons
560 pages
Little Brown and Company

Dan Simmons is a brilliant novelist, and perhaps one of the greatest genre authors working today. The intelligence and versatility he has show in sprawling epics such as Carrion Comfort(A vampire horror novel) Hyperion (far future hard sci-fi) to historical epics like Black Hills is amazing. I can't state enough the level of respect I have for the writer and the novels he has written. That being said I have mixed feelings about his most recent Science Fiction novel Flashback.
Flashback is a long hard boiled mystery set deeply in the apocalypse dystopia genre that blurs the line between Science Fiction and Horror.

Speaking with the Agony Column podcast Simmons went as far as to say he didn't think of it as Sci-fi, He might not like the analogy but the plot and the basic concept also had a bit of a cyperpunk feel. The dystopia warning novel is a well respected genre that critics often elevate out of the genre ghetto and Simmons seemed intent on writing a modern Alas Babylon or Brave New World. A huge number of Americans believe our country is going down the wrong path and Flashback is a Simmons exploring that concept to it's worst possible conclusion.

The plot is great, and expansion of a Simmons novella which was written when Simmons had somewhat different political views. Nick Bottom is a detective, he is private now since his addiction to a drug called Flashback has kept him from the force. Flashback causes the user to to re-live in a near catatonic state the happiest moments of their lives for a one dollar a minute, the really bad part is 87% of America is addicted to it. The country is falling apart, Texas is a separate nation, Mexico controls the southwest, and Islam is taking over the world.

Nick Bottom is hired by a Japanese millionaire to investigate the murder of his son on american soil. He tries to solve the mystery by using Flashback and working with one of the businessman's personal ninja bodyguards. The relationship between Bottom and the Japanese body guard Sato is one of the highlights of the novel.
So what did I think of the novel? Well I read the whole thing, and I read it fast, Simmons is of course a skilled writer, so in his hands I had a enjoyable read in many ways. In the end however I cannot recommend this novel. It's not just because of the politics, which are entirely loony right wing nonsense. As the author of a novel called “The Vegan Revolution...With Zombies,” I know a thing or two about writing political novels, and certainly have read novels I didn't agree with before, and even liked a few of them. When I wrote Vegan Rev. I was very concerned that the story, and the characters came first, that I would not bend the novel to fit my views. That being said that novel was a satire. I think Simmons might have been better off fully inserting his tongue in his cheek.

While not as transparent and ideologically consumed as Crichton's State of Fear, that book was simply unreadble. Simmons wore his heart so much on his sleeve that he took his eye off the basic plot construction and prose that have made him a giant in the field. I honestly think it is Simmons weakest novel. Parts of the mystery are conveniently are withheld for no logical reason, cringe worthy right wing inter dialogues distract from the pace of the story, and the history of the future take on insanely unrealistic nature to fit Simmons's views. That's his right, it's his novel, the problem for this reader is that some of those future histories were so ludicrous it took me out of the novel. In a satire sure, but this was not a satire. The worst example is a off handed comment about the mayor of NY being the Imam of the mosque, my memory might be off but he may even be the the vice president too. You see just at the edge of this novel is a creeping fear of that the Arabs are going to take over the world.

In that same Agony column interview Simmons claims that he is a political centerist and he expects the book to anger readers both on the right and left. No way, this book is a right wing nut-fest only separated from Glen Beck's chalk board rants by the author's sharp story telling skills(which in my opinion have never been more dull). In 2006 Simmons created a shitstorm by publishing an essay on his website called message from a Time Traveler, linked here(www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/161014...) which many - myself included see as a racist far right call for war with the Arab world. Flashback is not only an extension of those ideas but he breaks lots of new ground. Bashing left wing intellectuals in general (and Ward Churchill specifically), left activists(who are just tattooed and pierced idiots), denying global warming, bashing global climate scientists, a world that sits back and allows a second holocaust of Jews and portraying the Japanese to be even more evil than a Hong Kong movie would dare. (After the Japanese treament of the Chinese in WW II, it's not shocking that a huge % of HK movies have Japanese villains, not sure what Simmons has against them)

I am glad Glen Beck is already off the air on Fox because I could really honestly see him loving and blurbing this novel. When I finished this novel it had me wondering what Simmons thinks about the recent Arab spring, where people in several Arab countries rose up on their own demanding freedom. Many are dying today fighting for freedom in Syria, Iran and Libya - that doesn't jive with the fear mongering peppered throughout this novel. The story it self is entertaining, but Simmons is not up to his usual high quality, unless you have exhausted your Dan Simmons novels I would suggest going further back in the catalog.

Complete writings published and unpublished

Hey here is a complete list of my major writing projects. Several are in the pipeline on there way to being published. I own all the copyrights and every single work has been registered with the Writer's guild. Please let me know which projects you are most interested in. Helps me and my publisher figure out what is to come.

Novels:

Hunting The Moon Tribe:
Published: 2011 Little Otick Books
1st draft written 2006-07
Genre: Wuxia Pan Chinese Martial Arts fantasy, Horror, Adventure, Monsters, bizarro.
David's notes: I worked on this off and on since 1994, it combines my love for kung fu fantasy movies and traditional horror.

Selected Blurbs: "Chinese mythology, some seriously unnerving horror, Maoist politics, a sweet coming-of-age story, dark magic, and high-kicking martial arts... I've never read (or seen) anything like it." --Bram Stoker award winning author Lisa Morton

It's a scary martial arts fantasy that will please just about everyone. David Agranoff is a gifted storyteller." --Jordan Krall - Author of Fistful of Feet

Punk Rock Ghost Story
Unpublished
1st draft written: 2007
Genre: Horror, Punk Horror, Cult horror
David's notes: A punk twist on a traditional ghost story. The tale of an Indiana punk band 'People's Uprising' who buys the old tour van of the classic hardcore act – The Fuckers. Frank the singer of The Fuckers, never returned from their 1982 tour and the mystery was never solved. Not until now.

Last Warriors of the Earth(Book one):
Unpublished
1st draft written: 2007-2008
Genre: Cyberpunk, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Eco-horror, apocalyptic.
David's notes: This novel is a personal favorite. An intensely political eco – Apocalypse was written to be the opening novel of a trilogy. Very influenced by John Brunner's Sci-fi classic The Sheep Look Up, it not only explores ecological destruction but how capitalism and various corporations use the government and media to blind the public to the danger. This took the longest of all my novels to write.

Demons of Winter:
Unpublished
1st draft written: 2009
Genre: Gothic Horror, Literary Horror, Surreal horror.
David's notes: I wrote this novel before I went to the Borderlands writer's boot camp and work shopped it there. I finished it before camp, but have since re-drafted it into a stronger work. In my opinion this is my best novel, a traditional gothic horror story about the death of a parent, that mixes monsters with "a what is reality?" tale similar in vein to Phillip K.Dick.



The Vegan Revolution...With Zombies:
Deadite Press Released 2010
1st draft written: 2010
Genre: Zombie,satire, Horror comedy, Punk Horror,Cult horror
David's Notes: My first released novel, I never planned on writing a full length satire, but I had a lot of fun doing it.

Selected Blurbs: “Has the potential to alter world views of those who read it...the social messages throughout are clear for those open enough to see, laugh, and personally reflect on it.” --Dr. Colin Salter in the Journal of Critical Animal Studies

“This is a comedic zombie tale that really works...enough violence and gore to satisfy the gore hounds with enough comedic relief to balance it all out.” --Famous Monsters of Filmland

“Never before has an attempted conversion to an alternate lifestyle been such crazily quirky fun...The author has a field day poking fun at the complications that ensue from conflicting subgroups. He is unsparing in his comic commentary.” --Hellnotes

Goddamn Killing Machines:
Published: Forbidden Planet due out 2011
1st draft written: 2011
Genre: Mind twisting Sci-fi, Military Science Fiction, What is reality?
David's notes: This one is coming out soon, and I am extremely happy with it. I like to think of it as the Heart of Darkness written by Phillip K. Dick and directed by an early John Woo. GKM is about a team of military contractors in the 23rd century who are wanted for a series of war crimes. Their team leader Nick Jarvis is given the task, arrest his team members and bring them in for a mission or they face a fate worse than execution. The mission - track the craziest member of their team who is hiding on a hostile world. The team travels down a river eleven times the length of the amazon searching for their target and they discover a horrible truth about their mission.

Selected Blurbs: “GODDAMN KILLING MACHINES had me leaking testosterone and gunpowder until I was somehow able to put it down. Fans of Garth Ennis, Neal Asher and Larry Niven will find instant fun here. I sure did.” -Edward Morris , 2005 BSFA nominee; 2009 Rhysling nominee; author of the BLACKGUARD series (Wildside/Borgo)


Boot Boys of The Wolf-Reich:
Published: Due out from Deadite 2011 or 12
1st draft written: 2011
Genre: Punk horror, cult horror, classic monsters, Coming of age horror, Skinheads
David's notes: When I was sixteen I was a anti-racist skinhead from a small town that went often to visit the big city skinheads in Chicago. This is a very personal and intense novel, but most of all I think it is a lot of fun. Skinhead gang wars and monsters.

Full Length Screenplays:

Hunting the Moon Tribe:
1st Draft written: 2002
Award nominations: Dimension films open door contest finalist, 2004 Nicholl fellowship semi-finalist.
David's notes: My first attempt at a screenplay, and it placed in a national amateur screenwriting contest. It was a huge confidence boost. After it placed in the Nicholl a amateur contest sponsored by the oscars, I received lots attention from production companies, I got excellent feedback but most were scared away by the mostly Chinese cast and hug special effects budget.

Don't Tell:
1st draft written: 2002
Genre: Arthouse, indie, crap.
David's notes: I had this terrible idea that I might want to be a “serious” non-genre screenwriter. This screenplay is a love story between two closeted gay men on the frontlines of the Vietnam war. Think war movie meets Broke back Mountain. It was as bad as it sounds, I have a hard time with how I wrote 96 page script thinking this was a good idea. There is an action scene that I am super proud of, but the whole thing is pretty bad.

Purgatory:
1st Draft written: 2003
Genre: Horror
David's notes: A straight forward horror script. It involves ghosts, psychic children, secret military experiments, serial killings. The story is connected to a novel I have outlined to write in the future. I may someday turn this into a novel but it's doubtful. There is a lot wrong with this script, but could be fixed in a further draft.

Demons of Winter:
1st Draft written: 2004
Genre: horror. Surreal horror.
David's notes: After I saw the movie “The Hours,” I wanted to challenge myself to write a horror script with a similar structure, it has three separate time lines which end up being one story. The script is OK, but I think it is much, much better as a novel.

Last Warriors of the Earth:
1st Draft written: 2004
Genre: Science Fiction, eco-horror, post- apocalypse, action.
David's notes: I would like to write a trilogy of novels based on this story. It gets confusing here. This screenplay was what I wrote first, but since I started the novels, I went further back in the story. So the story of the screenplay will be Book Two, when I get there. I also worked for a few months on concept art and developing a graphic novel based on this trilogy with artist Rick Clarke.

Home for the Summer:
1st Draft written: 2005
Genre: Horror
David's notes: I realize the title leaves something to be desired, the story is basically about a group of college freshman who return after their first year to find their home town consumed by vampires. They have to overcome social differences and lingering family issues to defeat the monsters before the fall tourist season brings fresh blood. Not my favorite concept, but probably my best screenplay, this one could be sold as Breakfast Club meets Salem's Lot. I wrote this purely as a commercial project. I think it is a tight, perfectly paced screenplay, which I have pitched a few times to production companies. Almost sold twice. Might someday turn it into a novel.

Hellsville:
1st Draft written: 2005
Genre: modern horror
Awards: 2006 Writers on the Storm quarter-finalist
David's notes: A traveling nurse takes a job at a isolated rural hospital in southern Indiana. Once there she discovers the halls are being roamed by several tortured spirits. Bodies start turning up, and the nurse investigates. Probably my favorite horror screenplay, It is a very early Clive Barker influenced piece. It was inspired by a conversation I had a with my cousin who is a nurse. She told me some of the legends about the hospital where she worked. It gets pretty weird. I would love to turn this into a novel, but I would need to do lots of research on medical issues, nursing, etc. In the works.

The Slaughter: (Co-written with Eric Prescott)
1st Draft written: 2006
Genre: modern horror, Vegan themed horror.
David's notes: Eric approached me with the idea of writing a vegan themed horror film. This script has a High Tension, or Wolf Creek feel. This a very brutal script, that I am proud of. Eric has gone on to produce the “I am Vegan” webisodes and open a vegan pizza place in Boston. He has said the project is not dead, I hope so.

Novellas:

The Fallen Guardian's Mandate:
Published: Free Zine of Fantasy and Science Fiction January 2010
David's notes: Serialized novella prequel to Hunting the Moon Tribe. It takes place in china during the Manchu takeover – 1644. Basically think Kung Fu movie meets X-files. I never got to finish it or develop the story like I wanted to. If Hunting The Moon Tribe takes off more I promise I will.

Punkupine Moshers of the Apocalypse:
Published in The Bizarro Starter Kit(Purple) 2010
David's notes: A novella that takes place after a nuclear war in 1987. This is my weirdest story about a punk rock village populated by punks who don't know about a non-punk world. When the river runs dry a a group of warriors have to travel up river to find out why. Think Tolkien meets Decline of the Western Civilization.

Anthologies and Collections:

The Gutter Limits by Booger Murphy (Co-written w/ Gabriel Llanas, Paul Stuart and Cari Beltane)
Published by Punk Horror press 2005
David's notes: A fun collection of bizarro flash fiction, Each of the authors wrote five stories. Mine included: Parking Loch, Big Weed, Dip, Drive cab & Hate people, What's more Metal? and He Gets Around. I did a fun reading of “He gets Around,” at the bizarro bunker house warming party a few years back. It's a funny story about serial killer yard Gnome.

The Vault of Punk Horror (Anthology Co-Editor W/ Gabriel Llanas)
Published by Punk Horror press 2006
David's notes: This anthology has an amazing table of contents, great stories, by great authors, but is super limited and rare because we didn't know what we were doing. I am hoping it is able to get back into print someday.



Screams From a Dying World(Collection)
Published by 1st edition Punk Horror press 2006, 2nd edition Afterbirth Books 2008
Awards: Nominated for the wonderland award best collection.
David's notes: The first edition has six stories, and the second has twice as many. I am supert stoked about this collection, the job Afterbirth did with it and the amazing cover art by Shane Durgee. The stories range from science fiction, horror, bizarro to dark satire. My favorites include Surrogate and Coast to Coast.

Insignificance and other Terrifying Realities (collection)
Published: Still homeless, might not be for a few years yet.
David's notes: I have all the stories ready and complied for a collection of Lovecraftian style cosmic horror tales. A few novellas and several short stories, all fit into the cosmic horror theme. I have enough now, but I might like to let this shake out for awhile, see what new stories develop.

Published Short stories:
Fifth Noble Truth – Flurb webzine
Punkupine Moshers of the Apoclayse – Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple)
The Call – The Vault of Punk Horror
A Planet of our Own – Freezine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Addiction(With Cari Beltane) - Wretched and Vile
Dip – The New Flesh
Eternal case of the Mondays - Kizuna: 2011 Japan Disaster Relief Fiction Project

Zines:

Voicebox #1-6
Issue #1 Interviews with Advance and Dead Center (1991)
Issue#2 Interviews With Dan O'Mahoney and Strife(92)
Issue #3 Interviews With Framework and Snapcase, First issues with Vegan articles.(93)
Issue #4 Super hardline issue.(93)
Issue #5 : Interviews With Gene Bauer of Farm Sanctuary and Howard Lyman. This issue was graphic designed and edited by Ryan Kegley. Probably best zine I ever did. (94)
Issue #6: Syracuse ADL issue.(96)

2002-05 I did a website revival of Voicebox at militantveganstraightedge.com where I scanned a posted a lot of the old articles, and wrote several new ones.

Defense,Rescue and Survival # 1-4 (1995-98)
Unveil the lies (Editor) (1998)

Websites/ Blogs
Voicebox website 2002-05
Postcards from a Dying World Blog 2006- present
Forged in the flames 2009- Present (currently taking a break it's not dead yet)

Book Review: The Five by Robert McCammon

The Five by Robert McCammon
Subterranean Press
$26.95
520 pages

McCammon is the author several of my favorite novels. In the 80's he was one of the most popular horror writers riding the wave of Stephen King's massive popularity. While He was often compared to King, I have always felt McCammon was a superior novelist. Novels like Boy's Life, Mine or Swan's Song are near perfect tight novels that work like an engine firing on all cylinders.

In the last few years McCammon seemed to stray from the horror field, his novel output slowed and he turned to historical mysteries set in the early years of New York city. These books are thick, well researched and even though I bought them and they sit on my shelf they just didn't interest me enough to read them.

I first heard of McCammon's return to the modern setting like most when Stephen King said it was the best novel of the year and McCammon's best. Ok sold, and right to the top of the “To be read pile.” I'm glad I did, I might not agree that it is McCammon's best but it is one of the best novels I have read in some time.

The Five is the story of a struggling rock band who the novel is named after. They are strange group of people living the hard life trying to make it a go as a touring band. Shortly after the book starts the band starts to fall apart. After the manager and keyboardist admit to Nomad the band leader that they are done it looks like the band is over. After they finish the tour.

It's to bad because their new video for an anti-war ballad “When the storm breaks” is starting to get play. It also was noticed by a traumatized Iraq war sniper who is anything but a fan. That is when said sniper decides he wants to make sure those snot nosed rocker never finish their tour. This is where the novel about hard rockers becomes a thriller, or much like McCammon's classic novel 'Mine' a horror novel without one shred of supernatural tropes.

'Mine' was thriller about a mother and her kidnapped child, her struggle to get her child back. Of course when you read 'Mine' you get into the characters and story long before you realize there is a much deeper subtext. The Five is a thriller, and road novel about rock and roll but it's subtext comes to the surface about 375 pages into the book. At that point the message becomes a little heavy handed, but that doesn't matter one bit. McCammon is so skilled at pacing and characters that you are so invested in the story that you'll realize the subtext was peppered through out.

There is a moment when the message is pushed to the surface. But I liked it. The Five is a novel about the tapestry of Rock and roll, the universe of live music, what it all means. The Five works on many, many levels. It's a masterpiece written by a man who has a few of those. This book should have wide appeal and it's a crime that is not a a Number one bestseller.

Book Review: Should have killed the Kid by R. Frederick Hamilton

Should Have Killed The Kid by R. Frederick Hamilton
$12.95 Legume Man Books
300 pages

OK let me say off the bat that the marketing and exterior look of this book had me scratching my head. The cover is a pretty looking take on the Melbourne (Australia) skyline engulfed in flames. This where a good portion of the book takes place. That is not the curious part, inside the cover is four blurbs and I know that is far from weird. Except that two of the blurbs were straight up bad reviews that almost scared me out of reading the book. It was a free review book so I kept going. The book has no description to draw me in either, All it says on the back of the book is “Fuck...”

Which is what the main character says when faced with most unpleasant situations. This book is filled to the brim with very unpleasant situations, but if your a fan of good creepy unsettling horror fiction then that is what you are looking for. I am thinking that Legume Man thought your reading experience would be better served if you didn't have any clue what the plot was to spoil the surprises.

I am not sure I agree with that thinking, but reguard less it is an excellent horror novel, that builds amazing amounts of tension and suspense throughout. If you trust my opinion stop reading this review and just get your hands on the book. If you still need more convincing and think a little plot description is needed before you invest well read on.

Should have killed the Kid is a supernatural Apocalypse thriller which has both Lovecraftian vibe (without direct connection to the mythos) and an extreme horror feel. At first I thought of it as Stephen King's The Mist with A Quentin Tarantino structure, but after the first 100 pages the structure smoothes out into a linear fashion. The book is structured and patterned for maximum suspense that left me with only a few nitpicks.

The main character is named Dave, when we meet him he is hiding with a group of survivors after creatures referred to as the Claw of the Shadows have appeared over Australia and begun to erase humanity and it's vast civilization from the earth. So what makes Dave so interesting? The people hiding with him don't know it, but Dave caused the whole thing to happen.

The novel then takes us back to the time, when Dave failed to act on the a duty which would have prevented the whole thing from happening. Judging from the title you may have figured out that Dave was supposed to kill a child.

The more pure the heart of the sacrifice the more happy the claw of the shadow will be. So we are set up for an adventure to sacrafice the right kid, at the right place and end the mess.

This a excellent example of how independent publishing brings us interesting and original horror fiction. I am very happy I read this book, I think serious horror fans will like it. My only nitpicks are to do with the ending. Towards the end I lacked sympathy for the boy, and I thought the child Dave had to sacrafice could have had a little more dimensions to him. It would have made the ending more tense and suspensful. Also the book is set up for a sequel that I didn't really feel completely sold on.

Should Have Killed the kid was a pleasant surprise for me. I always say that great suspense novels feel like climbing a very tall unstable ladder. And that is what I felt like I was doing when I read this novel. Thumbs up.