Book Review: King Space Void by Anthony Trevino

King Space Void by Anthony Trevino

paperback, 104 pages

Published October 2015 by Eraserhead Press

New Bizarro Author Series

"When you love someone, sometimes they can mean the whole world to you. Or several worlds.

King Space Void is a planet-eating entity whose consciousness resides in the body of a gargantuan machine made to look like a man and powered by thousands of people. Dane Shipps is one of the best workers of in King Space Void, until the day he finds a mangled woman named Scarlet still alive and intertwined in the machine's ductwork who convinces him to step outside of his routine. Together they plan to take down King Space Void and everyone inside."

Starting in 2009 Eraserhead press has had a series of first time authors publish novellas in this series. The series has seen alot excellent writers get their start and move on to big things. Styles as different as the absurdist hyperbole of Vince Kramer's Gigantic Death Worm to more literary works like Muscle Memory by Steve Lowe. Authors have gone on to have bestsellers like Patrick Wensink, or respected horror novels like the work Nicole Cushing who seemed to never return to bizarro. In seven years I have had mixed feelings reading these books. My favorite before this year was Daniel Valasty's Church of TV as God.

I admit I am bias as this author Anthony Trevino is a friend. A San Diego author we hang out often, go to movies together and talk about the craft of writing all the time. That said I am not required to like his work, and believe me if he put out a turd I would tell him that it smells. So believe me when I say I happy and impressed by this book.

Thankfully the only thing I have to complain about is the short length of this book. I could have spent easily twice as many pages reading about this world. This surreal space opera reminds me of Snowpiecer at times. The contained world of Dane who lives and works inside the body of person shaped giant space vessel that eats worlds is vividly drawn.

In the short page count Trevino uses sharp prose to paint a surreal world and fills it with vivid characters. That balance is the key strength of King Space Void. The action is fun and you can see hints of the action and crime influences I know the author brings to the table.

Like many books in the NBAS the biggest reason to get the book outside of the entertainment you'll get from reading it is knowing that you were there at the start of a awesome career.