The reviews are in! And other news...

We interrupt your regularly scheduled intermittent updates to provide a bunch of links to places that have reviewed my debut novella Tribesmen, which is currently available in both print and ebook editions (nookers click here) from John Skipp's Ravenous Shadows.

Starting things off is one the most recent ones, from cable network FearNet by Blu Gilliand.Then we have some additional kind words from Chris Hallock at All Things Horror, another review from Ken Wood at Shock Totem, one from Jassen Bailey at The Crow's Caw. Fellow author S.D. Foster was also nice enough to post this review on his site. I was a big fan of Foster's short story collection A Hollow Cube is a Lonely Space, so his recommendation is a real thrill.

Aside from those, many people have been kind enough to take time to leave thoughts on both the amazon page and on Goodreads.

To say that I am both overjoyed and humbled by the reception Tribesmen has gotten so far would be an understatement. But I'm not resting on my laurels, oh no, I'm hard at work on the next thing(s), looking forward to joining the Samhain family with the January release of my first full-length novel Video Night, and generally feeling good about all aspects of my life.

Bone Meal Broth has also gotten a few nice reviews on amazon, one of which came from Joe Robin who writes for the website Daily Grindhouse. Joe was nice enough to send me a few questions which became this interview over on DG, where we talk movies, books and the meaning of life.

Not only did they run that interview, but Daily Grindhouse also asked me to list my top ten grindhouse/cult flicks, I was difficult and chose five movies and five cult books.

I want more people to give Bone Meal Broth a try, I'm really proud of it and confident that they'll like it. So I've dropped the price to 99 cents (or .77 GBP if you're British). Whatta bargain!

Okay, I think I've tried to sell you enough things for one day.

I'll be back sometime this month with reviews of some of the books I'm reading. Probably.

Do Not Go Gentle: Blaze of Glory by Weston Ochse

I’m a horror fan, but that label can mean a lot of things. You can be narrow in your fandom and only like ghost stories or “hardcore” horror. Me, I consider myself an omnivore, I like every conceivable shade of the horror genre, as long as it’s done well. But while reading Weston Ochse’s Blaze of Glory I was forced to acknowledge that I do have a bit of a bias when it comes to horror: I LOVE creature features.

Blaze of Glory is a first rate literary creature feature, it’s got an eclectic and likable cast of survivors, some thoughtful allusions to the subgenre’s past, and a host of creatures that are both creepy and original.  Oh, and it’s also got Dylan Thomas poems being recited while our protagonists douse salt-sensitive monsters with Super Soakers.

What I love about Blaze is Ochse’s constant mashing-up of high and lowbrow, of funny and scary, of the themes of hope and despair. Ochse is working in a genre that has seen every kind of creature, but he still keeps things fresh by never quite coloring in the lines.

The “maggies” (a nickname derived from maggots) come in different flavors. Some are the size of buses, toppling buildings and ripping up pavement, while others are small enough to live inside you (there are a few moments of gory body horror in the story ala The Thing). The monsters are captivating, but Ochse also understands the need for compelling human characters for readers to root for. This is a short novel, but enough time is spent on characterization that we grow to care for Buckley, Little Rashad, et al.

Highly recommended, especially for only three bucks.

This was my first Ochse book, but it won’t be my last. I’d read his work before in the pages of Shock Totem and have already secured a copy of his collection Multiplex Fandango.

Also worthy of mention is that Blaze contains a lengthy afterward by the author wherein he describes the trials and tribulations of trying to get this story to the screen. Reading about how tantalizingly close this came to being a feature film is frustrating, as I’m sure that it’s something many readers would still like to see one day.

"The most powerful mind on the planet, but a body like a wet paper bag"

Rio Youers’ Westlake Soul is one of the very few books I’ve ever finished and said to myself “I’m going to read this again some day.” There are just too many books I want to get to, and not enough hours in my life to go re-reading everything I liked. But I didn’t like Westlake Soul, I loved it.

Westlake Soul is the story of Westlake, a twenty-three year old surfer, who’s put into a persistent vegetative state by a surfing accident. The catch is that the novel is narrated by Westlake himself, he’s been trapped in his boy, but his mind is working better than it ever has. Westlake’s accident has “flipped the iceberg” of his mind, allowing him powers of perception far beyond human limits (for example, he can talk to the family dog and can “release” a projection of himself to anywhere in the universe), but still his body languishes on life-support and his family is beginning to give up hope.

The central conceit is a good one, but the novel wouldn’t be half of what it is if not for Westlake himself. Youers has crafted a character that can relate this immensely sad premise without letting the novel feel too dour. Westlake is optimistic, funny, affably self-assured, while still feeling flawed enough to be a real person.

That’s not to suggest that Westlake is some kind of romp, it’s not. In fact, if the book goes to some very dark places and if it doesn’t bring you to the verge of tears at least once, I’m going to wager that you’re dead inside.

I sat on this review for a few days, I’d finished the last 100 pages or so in one long sitting and immediately took to twitter and Goodreads to gush. So many superlatives were bubbling up in my mind (“Best book eva 4 real!”), so I told myself to take a chill pill and compose my review in a few days. Well the time has elapsed, and I still love this book. I think all that time to think on it has actually enhanced my appreciation for it.

I’ve covered Youers’ work once before on the blog, and somewhere in that review of Mama Fish (which is still awesome) I implied how great this guy was going to be, Westlake is proof-positive of that. What a great book. Pick it up ASAP, you'll thank me.