Fried Green Zombies Review

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(More customer reviews)Did you ever see one of those news reports about the guys who live out in the country being abducted by aliens and telling a whole story about how they were probed and such? Well, this story could serve as an adendum to that with Chett and Harry, our two hillbilly buddies who discover aliens, zombies, and 4x4's from hell.
The story really starts out with our two hicks just trying to have a relaxed time out hunting and fishing, but they stumble on a tall, burqa wearin' hotty who doesn't speak English. From there they pull their sometime buddy and full time nerd Clay into the story as things get a little crazy when they see a 4x4 come climbing out of what was once a lake but which has been zapped out of existence. Soon the corrupt Sheriff, a couple of aliens in a banged up space craft and hundreds of zombies are involved.
Did I like this wacky tale? Lets just say I got a kick out of it. For an independently produced book it was well written with no real typos or other glitches that took away from the fun of it. Some of it seemed a bit adolescent (Amazon women from space who like to get naked every time the lights dim) but in a good natured, goofy sort of way. The aliens, named Roscoe and Earl, are almost like intergalactic moonshiners in a way. Uncle Crank was another oddball character. To me, the best way to describe this story was to imagine an old episode of the Dukes of Hazard...now drop some serious acid...and you got Fried Green Zombies...though I don't really think any of the zombies, except for the zombie chickens Uncle Crank had, came close to being fried.
If you are looking for an amusing zombie/alien tale then you might find this story to be right up your alley, though the zombies are not the biggest part of the story, except for the ones behind the wheel of the big truck that seems to come up out of the ground lookin' for revenge. Sure, there are plenty of rotting corpses but they are just one part of a pretty complicated story involving a whole lotta strange things going on. If you are looking for something scary, this is probably not your best bet, since the author keeps things pretty light throughout. But overall, this book was a hoot.

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Bovina is a sleepy little town, until two friends find themselves battling truck-driving zombies, aliens, and dirty cops after finding a beauiful, busty burqa-bedecked stranger standing on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Aided by a classic computer nerd and a crazy man wielding a frying pan, follow Chett and Harry as they battle their way across the rural countryside and ultimately save the world. Or do they?

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Contagious Review

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(More customer reviews)As a big fan of Scott's books, I was excited for the release of this book. This is the first time one of his books has been available in print before being released as a podcast, so it was my first time being able to read one of his stories at my pace instead of waiting on new episodes to be released.
Big Mistake.
I inhaled this 400+ page monster in two days, and could not put it down. The novel is intense, thrilling, terrifying, and action packed. The book is a sequel to his novel Infected which (for the most part) took place in the incredibly small setting of an apartment living room. The sequel pulls out all the stops, moving to a few truly memorable setpieces on the rushing ride to an over-the-top finale that boggles the mind in its intensity and scale. Great characters, humor, gore, and a story based on actual science and technology that's terrifying in it's near-believeability.
Buy this book and read it. If you're on the fence, at least visit the author's website, where you can listen to a VERY high production value audio version on the first book, or read it as a pdf. If you like what you see of Infected, this book will get its hooks in you bad. Don't say you weren't warned, and say hello to Chauncey for me.

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The Dead Ringer Review

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(More customer reviews)In a lateral logic puzzle, the author gives you a set of seemingly incongruous facts forming a "fair play" mystery. If you can fit the facts together correctly, you can solve the mystery.
"Dead Ringer" is a lateral logic puzzle. All the pertinent facts are there. You just have to recognize which ones are relevant and the solution is obvious. At least it's obvious after Ed and Am Hunter explain how the facts fit together.
A naked midget is found stabbed to death at the carnival. Later a chimpanzee drowns, and finally a child dies. Through the first two deaths, Ed and Am Hunter mind their own business. The third death stirs them to action, and the mystery is quickly solved. They arrive at the solution independently, but Am gets there a little quicker than Ed.
It's not great detective fiction, but it will give the reader an insight into life in the fifties--inside and outside a carnival. Ed and Am form a congenial team. Not quite on a par with Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe, but likeable nonetheless.

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In most murder cases, the setting stays put, if nothing else. But when murder comes to visit the J. C. Hobart travelling carnival, the entire operation has moved town before Captain Weiss can gather any tangible leads. For young Ed Hunter, the case throws him together with a gorgeous redhead from the posing show, but as another murder occurs, and then a third, he and his Uncle Am find their hands full with more than just their ball game concession. In a strange atmosphere of freak shows, show girls, and an escaped chimpanzee, Ed and Uncle Am take it upon themselves to find the killer on the loose - a killer who chooses his victims according to size.

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Ghost Ship Review

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(More customer reviews)A blend of mystery, ghost story and pirate tale, Dietlof Reiche's Ghost Ship is a brilliant novel that will keep readers intrigued until the end. Set in a small New England community in present day, Reiche supplements his story with flashbacks to the 18th century that add to the ghostliness of the tale.
Vicki is a twelve year old girl who works as a waitress in her dad's restaurant, Ye Olde Seashell Room. A community that thrives with tourism, their spectacular bay is the main reason people go there to escape. Except one day, the bay disappears. Nothing is left except a muddy area where the bay used to be, until the Storm Goddess shows up. A two hundred and thirty year old sailing vessel, the Storm Goddess appears in the middle of the empty bay looking brand new. Vicki and her new friend Peter appear to be the only one troubled by the bay's disappearance and the ship's reappearance. Could this have anything to do with Vicki's ancestor's journal? He was a quartermaster on the ship and Vicki's reading of the journal coincided with the bay's disappearance. Suddenly Vicki is being haunted by ghosts and she knows the only way to return everything to normal is to get aboard the ghost ship and unlock an ancient curse. All that stands in her way is a greedy mayor, a story hungry reporter, a security detail and her curfew.
Reiche story unfolds in such a way that a reader is never bored, yet kept in suspense until the end of the tale. His characters are fun and adventurous, everyday people who find themselves thrown into a mystery. The book, though it could be classified as horror, is perfect for ages 7-12 because of its lack of gory details and Reiche's masterful story telling skills.
[...]

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Night Wings Review

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(More customer reviews)The Native American Abenaki people have a legend about a huge flying creature called Pmola. It lives in the mountains, guards its treasure, and punishes trespassers harshly.
To thirteen-year-old Paul, this legend has always been little more than a scary story, until the dreams start haunting him. Then, he and his Grandpa Peter run afoul of a ruthless treasure hunter who has heard the legend of Pmola. Soon, Paul's nightmares are taking on an even deeper meaning than he could have ever imagined.
NIGHT WINGS is an exciting story that blends an ancient legend with modern criminals. It gives the reader heroes to cheer for and villains to hiss at, and something scary that literally goes bump in the night. What's not to like?
It also offers a fascinating peek at some Native American traditions and beliefs from an author who is himself of Abenaki heritage.
NIGHT WINGS is recommended for readers who like a scary story told in an engaging style. It is a fairly short novel, which makes it especially appropriate for younger readers. Older readers might be left wanting a longer tale, however. They are probably used to more character development and multiple plot lines, both of which are largely lacking in this book.
Nevertheless, NIGHT WINGS is an engaging story about a fascinating Native American legend that should have appeal for horror fans.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan

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Peculiar, MO Review

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(More customer reviews)Question: How does an extraterrestrial civilization survive the impending destruction of its home planet?
Answer: Embed your species' DNA in meteors and send them flying throughout the galaxy in hopes that eventually one of the meteors will impact on a planet that is suitable for regeneration of the species.
That's the scenario for Robert Williams' first rate science fiction novel "Peculiar, MO." The story reminded me a bit of a cross between "Andromeda Strain" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," but in fact it's neither. In "Andromeda Strain," the action takes place primarily at a remote laboratory where scientists study the alien organism that has infected and killed most of a small town's population. In "Peculiar, MO," the action is in the town itself and centers around the organism's effects on the local people and a biological terrorism military unit that is studying the alien organism and trying to limit its spread. The tension grows steadily as the unit's scientist comes to the terrifying realization that the organism is attempting to invade the earth, not just infect it.
The author's scientific explanation of the mechanism by which the alien plasmids (short strands of DNA) could use earth's plants and animals, including humans, to regenerate the alien species and rebuild its group consciousness and memory is quite detailed. I don't remotely have enough science background to know how plausible this is, but it was a fascinating concept that was more credible than the typical aliens-invade-human-bodies stories. I'll give the author a lot of credit for originality.

The author builds the story around several characters. The principal characters, including Kelly Ross, Spencer Dale, and the mysterious John Gordon, are likable, well developed three-dimensional characters. There are some bad guys too, and the author kills them off in some very satisfying (i.e., gruesome) ways.

As another reviewer noted, the military unit involved in the story was very small and was led by a non-commissioned officer, with privates doing most of the work. This wasn't very realistic, since the government had already dealt with a previous meteor strike that contained the alien plasmids, so the potential danger was recognized. I'm guessing that the author's reasoning was that a larger unit, such as a battalion, would have brought too much attention from the local people. In any case, this is a fairly minor quibble.
Having read other stories by Robert Williams, I expected the writing to be of professional quality, and it was. The story flowed smoothly from scene to scene, and the characters' dialog was realistic. The story grabbed me from the beginning, and the action is pretty much nonstop, ending in an extremely tense and violent climax. Blended smoothly into the action is the relationship between Kelly and Spencer and the blossoming romance that brings them closer together.
Editing was generally good, but there were a number of typos in my Kindle version. There weren't enough mistakes to affect my enjoyment of the book, but the author should have proofread his final manuscript more closely.
No spoilers here, but after reading "Peculiar, MO," I don't know if I'll ever turn my back on a cat again!
The bottom line: This is a first rate page-turner for science fiction and techno-thriller fans. It's certainly one of the most original and intelligently written alien invasion stories I've read.


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Welcome to Peculiar, MO. For most, life is good in this idyllic Midwestern town, until a falling star brings an unearthly menace. Soon animals are found dying of a mysterious disease. At night, beasts begin to cry out in voices that sound almost like words, as they are drawn to a burned clearing to serve an alien will.
Local widow Kelly Ross, who is struggling to make ends meet after the death of her husband, sends her young son into the forest on an errand, where he makes a frightening discovery.
Spencer Dale, the town's mechanic, whose past contains a painful secret, begins to experience strange dreams and visions, as he relives memories that are not his own.
Nine-year-old Rachel, a child of nature, becomes linked to an unspeakable crime that took place more than eighty years in the past, while a military operation moving inexorably towards the meteor's impact site makes its presence, and its plans, known.
All of their lives are linked together, and their courage and faith are tested, as they are drawn to the site where the star fell to Earth and an alien life cycle reaches its terrifying climax.

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Rats, Bats & Vats Review

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(More customer reviews)What do Shakespeare, Irish freedom fighters and wet lettuces all have in common? Nothing? Well until I read this novel I would have agreed. In this case they are just a few of the many ingredients that go to make Rats, Bats and Vats an excellent read.
Drunken, lecherous cyber-intelligent rats with a fondness for shakespearean insults; fanatical cyber-intelligent bats with a penchant for blowing things up; a vat-grown human and an heiress. Not the most likely of comrades. And yet when thrown together under trench warfare conditions, the result is an enthralling mix of realism, pathos, gritty humour and riveting, fast paced action. A most refreshing change.

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Guide To Writing & Publishing Science Fiction Fantasy Horror Review

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(More customer reviews)Now here is a different sort of writing guide! I loved it! First, it zeroes in specifically on the genres I'd like to write about, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, rather than just being for anyone who wants to write just anything.
Secondly, it does not treat the would-be writer of such genres as a "newbie." This thoughtful and well organized guide assumes you already have a grasp of these basic things. Rather, the Guide To Writing & Publishing Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror by Rob Shelsky gave me exactly what I needed.
It dwells specifically on how to write in the above three speculative genres. As the Guide says, they all have very much in common, and so those common elements allow the writer to write any of the three (using this book as a guide, of course). It also delineates the differences in each genre, the added elements required for horror versus fantasy, versus science fiction, for instance. The book gives five easy steps to getting published and then each chapter goes into depth on how to do all these things. For example, I had no idea that the first two lines of a book were really so critical, could make or break somebody wanting to buy it! Neither did I realize what ingredient is absolutely essential to horror (read the book to find that one out). Nor did I realize the common pitfalls of writing fantasy, the mistakes many (even accomplished authors)make, if they don't do some research and watch out for certain things!
What's more, the Guide To Writing & Publishing Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror details such things as how to promote cheaply as an independent author (free, do-it-yourself book trailers, for example), how to respond to publishers, how to create settings for stories, develop characters, develop plots, etc. Just check out the table of contents of this book. It shows you just how in-depth the contents are with regard to writing in these three speculative genres.
A Guide To Writing & Publishing Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror is just chock full of great advice, straightforward information, and a cut-to-the-chase approach to not only writing in these genres, but getting published in them, as well. I give Rob Shelsky's Guide To Writing & Publishing Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror the full five stars, because it certainly has helped me to get moving in my writing. My recommendation? Buy the book! It really does help--a lot!


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The Peabody- Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium Review

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(More customer reviews)F. Paul Wilson continues to amaze me! This is a GREAT story taken from the impossible to find anthology "Freak Show" which Wilson edited. It's another interesting tale involving the "Otherness", which fans of Wilson's "Repairman Jack" series will know about. It revolves around some circus characters and freak show oddities and is quite an entertaining read. Hats off to Wilson for publishing this HIMSELF so that more people could get a chance to read it.

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Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti Review

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(More customer reviews)Dark and tense and powerful. One of very few contemporary novels that didn't have any missteps for me. Every plot point and characterization felt inevitable and right.
The writing is gorgeous--lyrical and dramatic without being overwrought. Every so often there is a phrase that makes you feel like you've just been punched...in a good way. The characters are compelling, tough, and vividly drawn.
If you think you might like this, you probably will. But I'd also recommend this to people who aren't particularly interested in steampunk, or fantasy, or circuses, or post-apocalyptic fiction, so long as you really like elegant prose and are willing to try something different.

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The Mechanical Circus Tresaulti travels the landscape of a ruined country under the spectre of war, but when two of its performers become locked in a battle of wills, the circus's own past may be the biggest threat of all.

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The Lost World Review

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(More customer reviews)So far, my favorite book is "The Lost World", despite some of it's obvious flaws. Such would include the large number of inconsistancies between Jurrassic Park and this sequel, and obviously the only reason Crichton wrote this was because Universal wanted a sequel for Jurassic Park, but these are easily forgiven over the quality of the work. As opposed to the first Jurassic Park, Crichton takes much more time in his visual descriptions of the actions in this novel, giving a better sense of the passage of time. One would notice that this book is noticably longer than the first. Crichton, like usual, is a master of educating his readers while entertaining them, better than many writers. Of course, one has to mention the often frightening edge-of-your-seat suspence that makes this novel impossible to put down. If you read this book and find yourself still craving knowledge and dinosaur action, I would suggest the novel "Raptor Red" by Robert T. Bakker. This book is also extreemly informative as well as action-packed, however it does not have the real scary edge of The Lost World or Jurassic Park. On the other hand, it is written from the Raptor's perspective, and is a real interesting twist on normal dino stories.

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