Grey
Jon Armstrong
Night Shade Books, 2007
Trade Paperback
248 pages
$15.00

The cover art is intriguing and it's a perfect fit for this novel of highly stylized writing and storytelling. Jeremy Geddes paints a surreal mix of grey tones with only a touch of color that represents the author’s main character as both a young man who lacks color not only in how he dresses but as a person. He’s a nineteen year-old, parasitic momma’s boy who depends on his father’s income. Although he transforms into a young man eventually, through a combination of love and sacrifice, he never represents the “everyman”. Most readers will not empathize or even sympathize with this young man. But this indecisive, adolescent narrator serves the author’s point to great effect. Armstrong is not telling a simplistic story to entertain; he is weaving an allegory of our time. With the current fascination of American pop culture at an all-time high, where the demand for photographs of such vacuous personalities as Paris Hilton have created a glut of paparazzi, it is inevitable that we see parodies, poignant satires of these fancifully garbed caricatures—people the general public love to see rise to terrific popularity only to be necessarily crushed eventually. It’s an age-old tale, to be sure. The public build these personalities up only to knock them down. We might hypothesize and analyze for page upon page why the public feeds on such a destructive cycle but to no point. The fact is that the trend exists and Armstrong demonstrates it accurately through his first person narrator, the young, male socialite—a character on the level of a Hilton, Britney Spears or the recently deceased Anna Nicole Smith (the focus solidly placed on the fashionable designs of clothing as a metaphor). Does Armstrong succeed? At delivering an allegorical tale, yes. But is the novel worth reading based on this alone? The story is outrageously over-done. In one instance, when asked what skills he has, the narrator cannot even respond—he hasn’t even the ability to answer a question (to be fair, he was a terrific dancer at one time, but he refuses to dance anymore). The irony in that alone is representative of the book. If you enjoy or, better yet, prefer a more literary than commercial read and you can appreciate a satirical stab at not only the fashionable elite of entertainment but a subtle yet obvious social comment on the general public and its destructive nature, then give Grey a read; it will not disappoint you.

Sung in Blood
Glen Cook
Night Shade Books, 2006
Limited 125
172 pages
$50.00

Roughly the size of a trade paperback this limited hardcover is quite attractive (there’s a $24 trade hardcover that lacks only the signature sheet). With cover art by Bob Eggleton and a unique copper-colored foil stamp on the front board the book stands out. Oddly, the cover and the title to Cook’s short novel do not really capture what’s inside. The story is pure fantasy with barbaric sword fights and dueling wizards, but unlike the recent trend toward gritty reality, this tale is more comic adventure—a Robin Hood and his Merry Men type of romp. It’s true that the plot has a serious enough tone to it. The main character is seeking not only vengeance for the murder of his father but also attempting to protect the very city they reside in from an old, powerful sorcerer. Yet there is nothing but a humorous camaraderie among his cast of men, and how could one expect anything less with names like Rider, Chaz, Spud, Soup, Greystone, and Preacher? If you sit back and relax, this is a very entertaining read. Do not bring along any preconceived notions drawn from the tranquil, stylish cover art or the fancy title. It could have easily had a comic barbarian cover with the title: Rider’s Rascals versus the Evil Sorcerer Shai Khe. Still, a very entertaining read for those who enjoy fantasy.

Nearly People
Conrad Williams
PS Publishing, 2001
Limited 300 hardcover
78 pages
$40.00

The hardcover for this novella has thick, white paper—very easy on the eyes—but average boards and signature sheet, with both numbers written in red ink. The cover art is by Wieslaw Walkuski and it suits the content. In his introduction to this novella, Michael Marshall Smith points out that hunger is what drives the protagonist in Williams’ story: first, the hunger for food, the physical need; second, the hunger for enlightenment, the spiritual need. Overall, this theme—the physical to the spiritual—is handled well. But there is a distinct transition and that bothered me. We do not go gracefully from one realm to the other in this surreal story. In only a couple of pages spiritual hunger supplants physical need—to the point that you actually wonder if the main character, Carrier, no longer needs to eat. One minute she’s hunting for dog, the next, she’s doing yoga. This transition was far too abrupt for me, as was the loss of her companion and the way in which Carrier seems to even forget him, though she’s been caring for him, literally, for months. I enjoyed the novella for what it tries to do—Williams is a good writer—and feel it succeeds to a point, but I think it needed a dozen more pages to allow the reader to gradually adjust to the need for spiritual fulfillment. Those who have read Williams’ The Unblemished will find the same bleak struggle within the distinct confines of a surreal cityscape here, which is haunting in its own way.

The Unblemished
Conrad Williams
Earthling Publications, 2006
Limited 500
367 pages
$45.00

If you are a small press book collector and/or a reader of horror fiction, then you must own a copy of this book. The production values are near perfection. The dust-jacket art is beautiful while grotesque, and includes a similar image on the back. The boards are simple brown yet have a classy look to them. The endpapers are tan and textured, very nice. The signature page is illustrated and stylish. And the story itself . . . is reminiscent of Clive Barker (pre-Imajica Barker, that is). Conrad tells a wonderful story of a truly nightmarish tale. The Unblemished seemed original despite a sense of being well-situated in the genre. At first glance, it’s a zombie (or ghoul) novel. After a hundred pages or so, you see it goes much deeper; it’s a surreal look at a gritty city. And, to the author’s credit, he slips in a few chapters utilizing second person and one of the first person perspective—all to great effect. Here are a few examples of just how interesting and potent the writing is when he sums up London when it’s under siege by the “zombies”: “Nobody truly owns the city. Nobody belongs. Everyone is in one kind of transit or another. Know that and you have the upper hand on your enemy.” (p. 80) And in a chapter where he uses the second person perspective to great effect, drawing the reader front and center: “Hysteria could take you in any number of directions, once its teeth were sunk into you. You laughed, you screamed, you died. It was a hell of an entertainment.” (p. 211) Horrifying but funny, nonetheless. Finally, a touch of the profound: “But that was the beauty of human nature; there was always someone else stronger than you.” (p. 312) A marvelous book in every way.

Damage
Lee Thomas
Sarob Press, 2006
Limited 42
148 pages
$115.00

I guess that when an author writes two spectacular books in a row it’s inevitable the reader might have high expectations for the third release. I can’t say I was disappointed, but I wasn’t as impressed with this novel, especially considering the price tag. Sarob is not my favorite press or even close. Their production values are middle of the road, even on a deluxe like this. Two examples of this lack of quality are the cheap paper used and the poorly printed signature sheet (I think my little HP ink jet could have done a better job). Despite my dislike for Sarob, however, I was excited to see a new Thomas book. He writes strong, believable characters and can tell a terrific story. In this tale of black magic set in a suburban town, I struggled with his protagonist’s memory loss. I’ve never been a fan of stories that reveal the plot through a memory slowly regained. Fortunately, Thomas takes a slightly different route—only the protagonist’s “bad deeds” have been lost. He has, for instance, lost the memory of how he was an arrogant ass that nobody liked. I’m over-simplifying here, for sure, but that’s the general idea. Thomas truly handled the task well, despite my grumbles. But I found myself disliking the antagonist here, and for the wrong reasons. Too quickly for my tastes—meaning, without development—this character rises to power and takes over the story. He’s an older guy who everyone sees as “beautiful”—I emphasize the word because it’s used repeatedly to describe the bad guy. He’s evil, but everyone likes him, are drawn to him. This adoration would be fine if it had been developed as intricately as the main character and his brother, but he’s not. A few other characters, late in the novel, are suddenly brought into importance without background, like the police officer who is suddenly infatuated with the protagonist’s wife. Once again, this would be acceptable and believable had we known the guy knew her previously, but we don’t—even when he’s been in her house and questioned her there’s no mention made that he knew her in high school. But a few chapters later, he’s obsessed and the info is mentioned. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the novel. It’s difficult, in my opinion, to make a black magic story work—and Thomas is very close. I just wish more time had been devoted to developing the malevolence of the antagonist; it would have made the conclusion more satisfying, but, again, this book was good, very good when compared to most published this year. In fact, I think it deserves a second reading.

Falling Angel
William Hjortsberg
Millipede Press, 2006
Limited 300
300 pages

Although this is the fifth volume from Millipede I received it last; fortunately, the line of books is theme oriented and can be read or collected in any order, which is probably a good reason for not numbering the books. The dustjacket on this novel is nice, very nice. The black is a matte finish, whereas the devil and angel (which is on the back) are glossy—a great touch. The only thing that detracts from this limited is the typos—over a dozen; in one instance, an entire line has no spacing between words, which is inexcusable for a $65 dollar book. Now, the story . . . phenomenal! I wish I hadn’t seen the movie Angel Heart before I read this because it gives too much away. A first-timer to this story is in for a hell of an adventure. The writing is professional and creates the detective ambience most characteristic of noir. But this is a horror novel. There’s no mistaking that fact. It’s worth reiterating; this is a horror novel. Not only that, it’s a book you’ll comeback to. Harry Angel, Epiphany Proudfoot, Johnny Favorite, and Louis Cypher are unforgettable characters. Also included is an intro by Ridley Scott, a revealing but brief forward by James Crumely, a letter by Stephen King, and a short story. The story is the highlight of the extra material—a quirky, humorous tale of the old west that doesn’t have anything to do with the main novel, so I recommend reading it much later, after you’ve had time to absorb what Falling Angel, the novel itself, has to offer.

Declare
Tim Powers
William Morrow, 2001
Trade Hardcover
512 pages

Saturated with dense layer upon layer of methodically researched details from pre-cold war and post-cold war espionage, spy-craft, this novel requires determination and a hunger for information to make it even two hundred pages in. The damned thing reads like a nonfiction primer to that political monster so gloriously exalted as “The Game.” But don’t be fooled by the plodding pace. The supernatural plays an intrinsic role; you simply need to wait over three hundred pages to really witness it. And if you survive to the four hundred page mark, you’ll be overwhelmed by djinn, fallen angels, and a terrific lightning show atop Mount Ararat. Question is: are you a stalwart reader, a true acolyte of Powers’ prose, a dedicated researcher of “The Game,” or just a damned masochist? Truthfully, if you’re not one of these types of people, you will not survive the adventure. Did I enjoy the book? Yes and no. I appreciate Powers skill and depth of research, his dedication to bringing life to history while retaining the history, but I was not entertained. Only the sporadic love affair made this story have true heart. There is something to be said for the protagonist’s coming to terms with his life, but it’s a depressing—if realistic—depiction. Powers is amazing and unique.

Down in the Boneyard
Keith Minion
White Noise Press, 2006
Lettered 52
36 pages

After the crap that was The Church of Dead Languages (story-wise) and the mediocrity of Werewolf Porno, I had almost no hope for this chapbook. I mean, hell, it’s illustrated and written by Minion and he runs the press, so how good can it be? Well, it’s really damned good! The four stories herein are not going to transform the genre, but they do demonstrate that this guy can write quite well. His style is very visual, descriptive, which might not be a surprise considering he’s an artist—but one thing does not necessarily prove the other. The proof is here, though, in this chappie. My favorite story was the first one: “Killer.” But they’re all examples of solid storytelling, quality fiction. And there’s a nifty little gallery of ten illustrations in the back. Great stuff from several stories Minion has illustrated. My only gripe is that the cover and title have nothing to do with the contents. There is no boneyard, nothing even remotely related to a cemetery, in fact. But that’s a very small niggle in light of the content.

20th Century Ghosts
Joe Hill
PS Publishing, 2006
Limited Deluxe 200
340 pages

Nice, suitable jacket art (Vincent Chong) and a fairly nice limited. The signature sheet is clean but unexciting and I’m not a fan of PS Publishing’s spines; I don’t know the technique they use, but I’m always afraid a page is going to fall out. Now, I bought this book before I knew anything about Hill, but I found out who he was before I read this anthology. Did knowing he’s the son of Stephen King change my point of view as I read? Undoubtedly. I was even more critical. There were a couple of stories I really didn’t care for and I was surprised to find that this anthology is not all horror. But that’s nothing compared to how much I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the stories and how well Hill put them to paper. This collection is wonderful. The stories are varied in not only theme but genre. There’s everything from mainstream fiction to magical realism to horror. And nearly every story is successful at achieving that penultimate goal: memorable. These are the stories that you’ll come back to on occasion to read again, not because you forgot them, but because you enjoyed them. A forest’s worth of printed praise has been published concerning Joe Hill and I feel it’s absolutely earned. He is both subtle and poignant—a terrific pleasure to read such stories and to appreciate fine, well-crafted writing. Fantastic stuff.