Book Review: Welcome to Necropolis by Bryan Killian

Welcome to Necropolis by Bryan Killian

Paperback, 344 pages

Published March 2015 by Deadite Press

A couple of things before I get into this book. I might not seem like the target audience for this book. Yes I was into Zombie movies before the Walking Dead made them mainstream. I grew-up Romero zombies, low budget Italian zombie affairs ranging from Tombs of the Blind dead, Burial Ground and of course Fulci movies. In my own Zombie novel I savaged the growing zombie mainstream with satire, and I admit nine times out of ten I roll my eyes at the idea of another zombie novel. Then I sat on a panel talking horror with Bryan and decided I had to read his work.

Lets be clear I don't root against zombie novels, infact I had David Wellington's Positive as my number five read of the year. I also had a read reading experience with Killian's Welcome to Necropolis. I choose it as my flight read heading home to Indiana and as such read it in two sittings.

Split into two parts the first in the hours just after the zombie outbreak, and the second part taking place weeks later. Of the two parts of the novel, the second half to me was more interesting. Killian does some interesting things with the set up of the zombie apocalypse, most notable were the chapters that followed Ruth a nurse at a elder care facility. What happens after that is the unraveling of Redding California, the city providing the window into the end of this world.

Killian gives the characters weight and for my money I was most connected to Ty and his gold lab Sugar. The second half becomes more of a survival story as the city has split into factions some surviving in a office building others in a convention center. The strength of this novel is less in the zombie tropes as it is in the heartfelt sorrow I felt for the characters in the closing pages. Without spoilers I will just say the strong moments of the book came in the final pages.

That emotional richness is so important to building terror, I know Killian is working on a follow-up but I am most looking forward seeing what other direction he explores in horror. Super glad he is a part of the San Diego Horror community.

Book Review: Skyrizer by Cody Goodfellow (based on a concept by Phillip Buchanon)

Skyrizer

Written by Cody Goodfellow, based on a concept by Phillip Buchanon Paperback, 222 pages

Published October 2015 by Octocanon

Look I don't need to be shy about certain facts. Cody Goodfellow is one of my favorite writers of my generation, genre wise I think he is criminally underrated talent. Had he come of age as writer in the 80's horror boom there would probably be a industry based on his imagination. In his team-ups with splatterpunk legend John Skipp we got a tiny glimpse of what he could do with another property. So this novel is not an established franchise but that doesn't matter. For this Goodfellow fan it was a chance to see what the mad genius did playing with the toys in someone else's sandbox.

Based on a concept by the Raiders former 17th over-all pick in the NFL draft Phillip Buchanon. Skyrizer is a short but fun read. The story of seventeen year old Mason McCoy. He has climbed a building with the intention of ending it all. Life is not easy in the Chicago projects, he didn't want to end up in prison like his father but a gang is after him. Everything changes when a mass of shooting stars turns him into something else. High above the city he learns the power to fly is just the beginning. He has a job to to do. Save the city, and be the father he never had.

Look it's a simple story but executed with flair that comes with a Cody Goodfellow touch. I don't know how Buchanon and Goodfellow found each other but I am glad they did. This is not the bat-shit crazy mad scientist prose we Goodfellows have come to expect. I personally found it a enjoyable reading experience in part because it is stretch for the author to restrain himself and tell a straight forward story.

This is a superhero story but under the surface I get the feeling Buchanon wanted to express the importance of responsibility that comes with being a hero. It was Goodfellow's job to handle the gee whiz stuff, and he did. I think fans of Phillip Buchanon the football player should support his vision, fans of Cody Goodfellow will have fun watching this dude put on a different suit.

If there is a negative, it is how the book is being marketed and designed. I think a bio with Buchanon's story, Goodfellow's background on the book could help get interest. I think it should be on shelves at libraries. A super hero story with heart from a former NFL player Skyrizer is neat book.

My Top Ten Books/Reads of 2015

2015 was another great year for reading. Here is how my list works. I base the list on anything and everything I read in the year. If it is a new release or from 1936 it doesn't matter. I didn't plan it this way but all top ten were from 2015 or 14 this time. Might be the first time that has happened to me as I read a lot of old school sci-fi and horror. All ten books are masterpieces and a lot of really good novels didn't make the top ten.

10-Love is the Law by Nick Mamatas

It paints a more edgy hardcore mystery than books with double it's word count and sales. This book however deserves the hype. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? please. Dawn is character that doesn't just look out of place in society, she is out of place in the Long Island basement punk rock shows too. A follower of both Trotsky and Crowley, who finds her mentor in communism and magik murdered. Short but intense read.

9-The Fold by Peter Clines

The whole novel hinges on a "Oh shit" moment that is 200 or so pages into the novel. Clines manages to create enough interesting characters and seed enough mystery that it carried me through. I suppose he will lose some readers before getting to that big Oh shit moment. I personally feel the pay-off makes the ride worth it all. If you are new to Clines I would start with his novel 14 or his classic zombie super hero crossover Ex-heroes.

8-The Least of My Scars by Stephen Graham Jones

The concept is weird, and is often the case with bizarro literature you just have to ride with it. It gets weirder as it goes but SGJ pays off the reader quite nicely. His prose here is lean and deliberate, if you pay attention to things like story construction and wordsmithing then you can’t go wrong. It is a well done piece of work on several levels. I mean it's about an agoraphobic serial killer, seriously.

7-A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

It is a book that will be debated by those who read it for years to come. The writing is deceptively good. I read this in part because months ago many people were declaring it the horror novel of the year. I liked it a lot but think some of the hyperbole surrounding it hurt the book with me. Not Tremblay's fault he hit all the right notes. Long after I closed the book, I was still thinking about it,and my opinion changed. It was better than I first thought. For reasons that are a total spoiler.

6-The Border by Robert R. McCammon

The Border reads and feels like a McCammon novel from the 80's. That my friends is a super wonderful thing. In tone and story this book feels like a perfect blend of two of his classics Swan Song and Stinger. It is absolutely a horror novel set against the end of the world. Stinger was unique in the RRM Catalog because it was the most science fiction of all his works. Until the The Border that is.

The Border is a Science Fiction end of the world horror novel that will appeal to fans of McCammon and kinda feels like putting on a great classic album or movie.

5-Postive by David Wellington

This is a tale of survival and a coming of age for a young man whose arc finds him accepting responsibility he never dreamed of. Not a zombie novel more of a survivor novel. Taking place 20 year after the zombie apoclayse, this road novel has a simple concept but was very effectively told.

4-The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

I read three excellent novels by Pinborough, all three were masterpieces in their own right. The Death House was next level good. It is true that a novel called The Death House is in fact a beautiful story. Some of the most beautiful stories are told in the darkest of settings and that is the case here. It is the Yin and Yang of darkness and beauty that makes this story special. With Blurbs from Stephen King and Neil Gaiman don't take my word for it.

3-Skullcrack City by Jeremy Robert Johnson

This book is like nothing else you have ever read but everyone loves a comparison right? JRJ wears his influences on his sleeve, but not to crutch level. If you forced me I would say it felt like a way weirder take on Carpenter’s They Live if William Burroughs and Clive Barker worked on the script and Cronenberg directed. It is the only one of the books on this year's list I plan to re-read soon. Intelligent bizarro that ends the world and threatens reality.

2-The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Mitchell himself has called this a collection of novellas but he is being unfair to his own book, it is a novel it simply has a unconventional structure. That will lose many readers as it feels like the story that takes a few hundred pages to come together. The reality is the story is all laid out at the beginning but the Mystery and weirdness is such that you miss it. You'll find yourself looking back and realizing it was there all along.

The Bone Clocks is part horror, part speculative fiction and fantasy. One could even argue that it is a bit of a vampire novel, to the point Mitchell has a character say "Don't say the V word" at one point. In the end genre is a distinction Mitchell clearly gives zero fucks about. Yes this is fantastic writing and it elevates itself over most genre fiction but honestly that is all it is a VERY GREAT sci-fi/fantasy/ horror novel. I think you should read.

Number one is...

The Silence by Tim Lebbon

This novel is in the tradition of British dystopias ranging from Day of the Triffids to 28 Days Later. The Silence is a high concept monster novel that creates terror in the reader by milking every drop of the idea. There is a moment 2/3 of the way through the narrative that was the most brutal scene I have experienced since the ending of the Mist. I knew this scene was coming, it was obvious and Lebbon gave the reader plenty of warnings. Despite all the warnings reading it still hit me like a gut punch. Lebbon never misses beat, using the concept to ramp up the horror.

My Top Ten Radio Shows and Podcasts of 2015

My Top Ten Radio and Podcasts of 2015!

Before I do movies and books this year I had a top ten I wanted to do for the first time. I listen to a lot of radio/ podcasts while walking, commuting to work, cooking and various other stuff. I have varied interests so this list includes sports, entertainment and news. I listen to less music than early points in my life, and I admit I often have at least one headphone in listening to one of these shows.

10. The Horror Show with Brian Keene (podcast): Author Brian Keene and Co-host Dave Thomas talk about all things horror. They do good interviews with authors and filmmakers. I often like shows they hate but there is a lot of practical advice for writers.

9. The Nerdist Writer’s Panel (podcast): If you are a fan of the golden age of story-telling in television or enjoy discussions about creation of story, then this podcast is worth a listen. This podcast hosted by writer Ben Blacker has some of the best writers in Television. Many are straight interviews but most are recordings of panels from conferences. Q and A with Jeff Goldsmith is also great but less consistent with new episodes.

7-8. The Lightning round/ Bolt Talk (podcast) As a total nerd for all things Chargers listening to not one but multiple podcasts devoted to the team is weekly thing during the season. Bolt Talk hosted by Ray and Loren is great, with a community feeling to it. Some of the callers and Chat room commentors have been a part of the show forever. But if you want to break down the x’s and O’s really get nerdy with Chargers football Garrett and Jamie on Lighting Round is a must listen. Serious Chargers nerds should listen to both.

6.Serial(lNPR podcast) Yeah I got hooked like everyone else. Serial was based on a fascinating story, maintained mystery through out and didn’t provide answers. I loved it. Excited to dive into season 2.

5. WTF with Marc Maron(Podcast): OK sometimes he annoys me but Maron gets the best guests and does fantastic interviews with actors, writers, musicians, comedians and Presidents. What I like about the show is that MM often asks great questions about the process of creating his guest’s art.

4.The Ross Tucker Football (Podcast): My favorite nationally based football podcast, hosted by former Buffalo Bills lineman Ross Tucker. But it’s not just any Ross Tucker podcast… Never mind inside joke for loyal Tuck-heads. Ross always has a smart take on football and I like his personality, he makes me laugh. I am in my fifth year of following football through Ross, going back to his days on ESPN’s Football Today Podcast.

3.Dread Media (Podcast): Covering horror fiction, movies, and comics this podcast is a must list for me weekly, yes you read that right weekly. Desmond Reddick is a teacher, dad, writer and manages to put out this podcast pretty much every week. I have listened to a good amount of the over 500 episodes. It doesn’t hurt that he peppers the podcast with metal songs normally themed to watch the horror film reviewed. I have been a guest a few times on DM and consider important to keep up with the horror underground.

2. The Dave and Jeff Show (7-10am mornings am 1360 xtra sports)

For pure sports talk in San Diego I enjoy Dave and Jeff. They have been my morning commute since the day they came back on the air. While Dave Palet has gained the nickname El diabol because he generally takes the negative opinion. These guys are likable, Jeff Dothseth is witty and makes me laugh a few times every morning. Let’s face it as a San Diego sports fan we need a good laugh. The best thing I can say about their show is they feel like friends, if no reason we take the piss out of each other on twitter.

I mean the station cut the show an hour earlier in the year and several fans rallied on twitter to get our hour of Dave and Jeff back.

1. Scott and BR (1090 AM San Diego weekdays 3-6 pm):

I have listened to this show since I lived in Portland and downloaded it as a podcast. I have admit I used to not be a huge fan of this show. Scott kaplan is a former NFL kicker and his sidekick is 80 era Charger linebacker Billy Ray Smith. They were off the station for awhile after Kaplan made offensive comments on air. As pure sports talk the show is OK. The news updates come from the underrated presence of Linda Whelmby. The three of them have a great interplay and dynamic that often makes me laugh, but in a normal sports talk year they wouldn’t make my list.

So why is Scott and BR my favorite listen of the year? Faced with possibility of the Chargers leaving San Diego, the show has become something else. For three hours a day the Scott and BR show has become a part of the story in San Diego. Scott Kaplan has become a warrior fighting for San Diego and the fans. The musical chairs in the LA stadium battle has become a crazy house of cards style battle with this show becoming ground zero.

Much more than sports radio, at times the show has become community activism and the voice of a frustrated fan base in the worst Chargers season ever. Award worthy it has become a next level experience.

Book Review: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Hardcover, 624 pages

Published September 2014 by Random House

Man Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2014)

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2015)

Specsavers National Book Award Nominee for UK Author of the Year;

Audible.co.uk Audiobook of the Year (2014)

Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2014)

In the last couple years I have soured on big sprawling epic novels, anything over 400 pages always seems to have a hundred pages or so that feel like padding. In the late 90's it was impossible to publish a short novel, and I normally enjoy 250-300 page novels best. Coming in at 624 pages I almost passed on the Bone Clocks, but I was interested for three reasons. 1) I loved the film of Cloud Atlas 2)It won the World Fantasy Award for best novel and 3) I am plotting geek that enjoys stories with many levels, and multiple stories weaving together.

The Bone Clocks is a sprawling book that the author admitted is more a collection of novellas, really 5 100 page novellas with a epilogue. That maybe a over simplification as it is one story just broken up into different point over views. Each novella hops around 10 years into the future starting in 1984, and ends up 2044. The first novella's POV character returns time and again through the story but only takes center stage again in the last two novellas.

Mitchell himself has called this a collection of novellas but he is being unfair to his own book, it is a novel it simply has a unconventional structure. That will lose many readers as it feels like the story that takes a few hundred pages to come together. The reality is the story is all laid out at the beginning but the Mystery and weirdness is such that you miss it. You'll find yourself looking back and realizing it was there all along.

This novel is clearly on that line between what is considered high literature and genre. Think of novels like Mary Dorian Russell's The Sparrow which was a pure Science Fiction novel but was never marketed using genre infact the publisher avoided it like it was a contagion. It was science fiction, it was also horror but it never got placed in the genre ghetto and was treated as something more artistic. I think the Great Brian Evenson is an author who writes great horror fiction author but is thought of as literature. Good for him, he is that good, but these distinctions are of course a bunch of bullshit. The authors know it too.

The Bone Clocks is part horror, part speculative fiction and fantasy. One could even argue that it is a bit of a vampire novel, to the point Mitchell has a character say "Don't say the V word" at one point. In the end genre is a distinction Mitchell clearly gives zero fucks about. Yes this is fantastic writing and it elevates itself over most genre fiction but honestly that is all it is a VERY GREAT sci-fi/fantasy/ horror novel. I think you should read.

So I went into the novel cold, not knowing anything about the plot or concept. I think if the above aspects of the novel sound interesting than stop right here. mild spoilers ahead. The main character is Holly Skyes who we meet at a teenager in 1984. Her parents are upset that she has a older boyfriend, she decides she is going to runaway from home with him only to find out he is sleeping with her best friend. Holly can't go home and gets a job on a farm. She isn't there long when she discovers that her little brother went missing at the same time. That is where the mystery begins. The story takes us all over the world and into Holly's elder years. It is a interesting journey.

Is it my favorite novel of the year? Not even close, but it maybe the best I read all year. Those are two very different things.

Book Review: The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

Paperback, 320 pages

Published in the U.S. September 2015 by Titan Books (first published February 2015)

I am not even sure where to start. Pinborough has become one of my favorite authors who is enjoy a very well deserved success. the first novel of hers I read was a novel called "A Matter of Blood" which was a blacker than black noir that kicked off the fantastic Dog Faced Gods Trilogy. Some might find it hard to imagine such a beautiful story coming from the same mind, but SP has written a variety of novels. And yes it is true that a novel called The Death House is in fact a beautiful story. Some of the most beautiful stories are told in the darkest of settings and that is the case here. It is the Yin and Yang of darkness and beauty that makes this story special.

One impressive thing is the very intentional lack of world building in this novel. There is almost no background on the world beyond the walls of the Death house and the isolated island that has become a prison for the characters. Children who failed a blood test. Found to be "defective" in a world we are told they can't be a part of, torn from their families they have to learn to live together. Toby our narrator has memories about his past life but we don't hear much about it at all. That annoyed me at first, but after finishing the novel I realize the feeling isolation required this and it was a sign that we were in the hands of superior story-teller who knows very well what the hell she is doing.

Toby lives with the other defectives in the Death House, hidden from the world they know they will live there until they die. It will happen to them all, the blood will drain from their eyes and they will suffer. When they get sick they are taken to sanatorium and a memorial soon follows.

Sounds pretty sad, but this is the story of the children learning live and love in a world of misery and disease. The first 100 pages didn't hook me, but based on the strength of my experiences with Pinborough's past work I kept reading and I am thankful that I did. The last 100 pages more than made up for my hesitation at the start. The ending was powerful and just another sign that Sarah Pinborough is one of the best we got.