Home » Posts tagged "Lovecraftian fiction" (Page 5)

Book Review: The Final Reconciliation by Todd Keisling

 


The Final Reconciliation by Todd Keisling

Crystal Lake Publishing, 2017

ASIN: B01N385I94

Available: Kindle edition, Audible

After thirty long years of silence, Aidan Cross, physically and mentally scarred, is finally granting an interview. He wants to open up about his time with his heavy metal band, The Yellow Kings. Aidan reveals an impossible account of music, the occult, and death with his story about The Yellow Kings’ unreleased album, “The Final Reconciliation”, which led to their live concert resulting in a bloodbath.

After The Yellow Kings sign a record deal and embark on a successful tour, they meet Carmilla Bierce after an intense concert in Texas, and ask her to join them. The lead singer, Johnny, becomes increasingly entranced with this new addition to their tour bus. She convinces them to take her along to Dim Carcosa, her pet name for Los Angeles. Carmilla quickly takes control: her influence over the band comes swift and heavy. Aidan suspects something is wrong, but when he tries to communicate his worry to his friends, they either don’t listen or she is in the way.

The way the new album is being recorded is troubling to Aidan. Carmilla does not permit the band to play more than a small selection of songs at a time, and the recording studio has been set up in a ritualistic way by  Carmilla herself. Then dreams come, of otherworldly robed creatures with their faces hidden behind masks– visions of true Carcosa, all with the same message: “Take off your mask.” Carmilla also orchestrates The Yellow Kings’ final reconciliation, the concert to end all concerts, at least for The Yellow Kings and their fans. Masks for everyone, ritual robes and medallions for The Yellow Kings, and patterns for the band to follow, musically and physically, all add up to a bloody evening.

There is much to like about this novella, especially if you are a fan of horror and metal. The writing keeps a fast pace and engages the reader at every twist and turn. The characters are memorable, particularly Aidan and Camilla. Aidan is clearly struggling with past events, and wants to finally tell his story. When he discovers the reason behind the journalist wanting the interview, Aidan’s reaction is what is to be expected given the way he told his story. I remain conflicted about Carmilla. There is a line in the novella comparing her to Yoko Ono or Courtney Love, which made me wholly suspicious not of her, but of Aidan. Women are often blamed solely for the downfall of something, like a musical group, without blame being leveled at their male counterparts. For this comparison to be assigned to Carmilla immediately made me question Aidan’s motivations. Also, since we are only hearing Aidan’s side of the story, how much of his story is reliable? Several questions remain, but one thing is clear. Nothing is as it seems in the world of Carcosa. Recommended.

Contains: brief sex, brief body horror, some gore, lots of reference to amazing metal bands (I’m looking at you, Mastodon).

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on May 27, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Alabaster Shadows by Matt Gardner and Rashad Doucet

Alabaster Shadows by Matt Gardner and Rashad Doucet

Oni Press, 2016

ISBN: 9781620102640

Available: Paperback,  Kindle edition, comiXology

 

In this all-ages graphic novel, the Normandy family moves to a new neighborhood. The children, older brother Carter and little sister Polly, are nervous and excited about their new place. Upon arriving, they are welcomed by Mr. Randolph and Miss Crowe, his receptionist. Miss Crowe, who is clearly unenthusiastic about children, is also the head of the Community Council. Mr. Randolph, who seems to know there is something odd about the neighborhood, pointedly asks Carter and Polly to let him know if they see anything strange.

Carter is the first one to notice something out of place: a mysterious leak in the basement. The leak is walled up by the Community Council in his absence,  but Carter, returning before the mortar has fully dried, pulls a few bricks out of the wall to discover a giant water droplet hovering in the air: a portal to another world.

Carter is joined by Polly and a group of neighborhood kids on his journey to discover what is going on in his crazy neighborhood, Harley is the Mulder for the group; her brother Warren, is a devoted skeptic; and Dudley is a shy boy who sits at the back of the classroom, where he draws a mythical creature on his desk that he claims lives under his bed. Together, they solve problems through the dreamscape, decipher an ancient language with the help of a mysterious ring, and face shadowy monsters along the way.

The story has numerous Lovecraftian elements to it, which made it very enjoyable for me. The fact that it’s a great story for multiple age and reading levels is a bonus. I’ve been hunting for horror-themed graphic novels in particular for my youngest nephews, and this one fits the bill perfectly. The artwork is bright and colorful, without being garish, and the monsters are pretty great. This book also offers some needed diversity in graphic novels as Carter and Polly’s parents are a biracial couple.

Polly quickly became my favorite character when she faced one of these monsters after earning a separate detention from her brother’s, but I’ll leave that for you to find out what happens. I’m looking forward very much to the next book.

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on December 18, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavelle

Tor Books, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-0765387868

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, Audio

 

This could be one of the most important books of the year, maybe in quite some time. The cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, especially his stories of the “Old Ones”, the Cthulhu Mythos, has been a driving force for decades: however, most of the recent books standing in the shadow that he has cast, have been disappointing.

Lovecraft’s virulent racism has been the topic of considerable controversy over the last several years. The question of how to reconcile his problematic views with his genius has been a difficult one for readers and lovers of horror to wrestle with. In The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor Lavelle responds to Lovecraft’s racism by re-visioning of one of his most racist stories, “The Horror at Red Hook”, bringing it up to date by presenting it from a fresh point of view. Excellent on its own, The Ballad of Black Tom is easily one of the finest horror stories bridging the racism of our dreadful past to our present-day troubles.

The story features an African-American musician and hustler, Charles Thomas Tester, living in downtrodden Harlem in 1920s New York. He travels to Flushing Meadows, delivering dangerous occult items, always hunted by gangs and bigoted cops, knowing each trip might be his end. One evening, he meets up with the mysterious Robert Suydam, who promises Charles a fine payday to play at his party. Charles is unaware that the man seeks to awaken the “Sleeping King.” After suffering daily, with the threats of street life in jazz-age New York, the otherworldly doesn’t frighten him much… but it should.

Lavelle is a strong, talented writer with a voice I would like to hear more often. His style is as smooth as the notes of the forbidden song Charles plays, which transforms 1920’s New York into the living, breathing organism it needs to be for this novella. The Ballad of Black Tom is a twisting tale of the Lovecraft mythos that is both refreshing and suspenseful. I could easily have read more of Charles’ journey, which ends with a surprising, but utterly satisfying conclusion. If this book is not claiming awards next season, there’s something wrong with the system. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on September 30, 2016 by , 1 comment
First « 34567 » Last