Book Review: The Fold by Peter Clines

The Fold by Peter Clines

Hardcover, 384 pages Published June 2015 by Crown

The Fold is a interesting novel. It is a very straight ahead character driven science fiction tale that in the final act takes on a pulpy horror feel. I read the novel knowing nothing, I didn't read the jacket description, and Clines gave us almost no details at his Mysterious Galaxy signing event I went the week the book was released. The less you know the better for this novel, but that is often the case.

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. That moment hit me pretty hard and I felt the fear and terror of the characters in a way that could not happen without the build up.

Our point of view for the story is Mike an interesting character, an english teacher who is recruited by Darpa to give his opinion on a teleportation device they are building. Why him? He has a photographic memory something that sounds cool, but when you get into the character you realize it is a burden. He is asked observe this teleportation system called the Alaqureque door and recommend to the Washington suits if they should keep funding it.

Peter and I have mutual friends and have appeared together on a panel before so I like the guy personally. I read two of his novels (Ex-Heroes and 14) before and liked both of those alot. The Fold is a science fiction novel, and much more influenced by the science than many sci-fi novels. It has horror elements in the final act but for the most part your narrative drive is the characters dealing with a good old fashion "what if?"

The big twist of this novel comes long before the end but it is powerful one. The moments before and after might lose some readers but I think it is the power of the story, and one worth reading.

Video: Goddamn Killing Machines interview!

Book Review: A Dark Phantastique edited by Jason V. Brock

A Dark Phantastique edited by Jason V. Brock

Hardcover, First Trade HC, 730 pages

Published October 1st 2014 by Cycatrix Press

There is notion with publishers that anthologies don't sell. That if you release one into the world that it is most likely going to be ignored and lost in the mix. Part of the problem is the sheer number of them. Forget for a moment the "Years best" books, those are a different breed coming with a certain swagger. Even editors who do a good job can some times release hundreds like Martin Greenberg did in the 80's. Ellen Datlow has made a name for herself with her yearly best of becoming probably the most important judge of short horror fiction the genre has. When comes to anthology awards Datlow has become a Meryl Streep of horror almost automatically walking home with a Stoker for her collections. They are very, very good after all. They are quality so forget her books for moment. We face a yearly output of 30 or so titles with Cthulu's name attached to sex, hardboiled crime or historical for example. The sheer number of Vampire and paranormal romance is daunting too.

That said through the years there are anthologies that have stood out as important documents in the evolution of the genre. Dark Forces edited by Kirby Mccauley Meta-Horror by Dennis Etchinson or Millennium (Revelations) edited by Doug Winter are all fantastic examples. In his third attempt at editing (first without Bill Nolan) it is clear Jason Brock was influenced by those books.

His first two "The Bleeding Edge" and "The Devil's Coattails" are shorter and concise. I mean Lets be real for a second this is a 700 plus page antho featuring mostly stories but poems, art and a screenplay as well. Brock is a very picky selector of stories, and for that alone his anthologies are worthy of the time and money you'll put into them if you choose to buy/read them. They deserve to be in every library in the country that takes dark literature seriously. This book is not cheap, but it is a serious book laid out with interesting design Like pages that feel like reptile skin, it cracks along the binding as you open it. This is a serious BOOK, in bold and all caps.

The only weakness is layout and design of the book. Brock did a great job making his magazine and digest designs for Dark Discoveries and Nameless digest over the years. Here it seems a bit much. Just give me the stories!

The stories are great. Some of my favorites include Squatters by Nicole Cushing, Lizard Man Dispatches by Ray Garton and Dust made into Words by Cody Goodfellow. (Note I think my love for Cody's story was in part because of the fantastic reading he did of it at World Horror in 2014). What unites this collection is less of outright horror but deft use of the surreal and what felt like a dark shading over each story.

Jason Brock and I have had public disagreements, normally that would not be the topic in a book review but we have at times gotten nasty with each other. Yet it didn't stop Jason from buying one of my stories for Nameless digest. I only bring this up because of a long introduction at beginning is in part about this topic. How do we as a community treat each other? Jason and I buried our hatchets, and enjoyed each other's company at the last con we were at together.

He has alot of important points to make but that is not why you should invest in this book. You should invest in this book because of the high quality of the fiction. This is an anthology that stands above.

Reading/ lecture event in Bloomington 2007

Interview I did in 2010 about Vegan Revolution With Zombies

Interview I did to promote Vegan Revolution...With Zombies on Animal Concerns of Texas an El Paso Texas based animal rights show on Public radio. From October 2010

New Movies I Think You Should See!

Cop Car is A great low budget indie thriller that is part coming of age, part thriller and all fun. Kevin Bacon is fantastic.

I am not a huge Guy Ritchie fan but I loved his updated Man from U.N.C.L.E. which man manged to hit all the right notes.

Book Review: In The Gulfs of Dream By David Barker and W.H.Pugmire

The Gulfs of Dream and other Lovecraftian Tales by David Barker and W.H. Pugmire

Hardcover, SIGNED AND Numbered Hardcover Edition,Trade paperback 274 pages PUBLISHED June 2015 by Dark Renaissance Books

Hailing from the American northwest far far away from the northeastern lands where Lovecraft lived and worked these two authors certainly carry his flag. I have read very little work before from either but I have enjoyed several Pugmire live readings in Portland at the H.P. Lovecraft film fest. David Barker I knew less about other than he was a writer also from Oregon.

This collection has novellas co-written by the two authors and collects solo stories by each other. I can see why these two were drawn to each other. I doubt I could have told you who wrote each story with a blind taste test. Having their names before the stories did help to give little clues to make makes each tick.

Pugmire as an author looks very modern but his style and often his stories feel as though they are pulled straight out of 1935. The same could be said of Barker. I have to admit that this is not my favorite style of horror, but if you like the grand old style of H.P Lovecraft you can't go wrong here.

The opening and title novellas were fantastic with meta moments of the authors inserting commentary about the form and style they were using. In one meta moment a character talks about his own writing owing too much to Poe. In the title story characters have asides talking about what a weird tale is or is not. It talks about a actual Museum of Weird Tales.

This book is not exactly my cup of tea but I am really impressed by it. Barker and Pugmire make a natural team and create atmosphere of dread that feels like it comes from a dusty old book in the library.