Rebecca Brock, RLB, 2007I should begin with a word of explanation as to why I'm reviewing a self-published collection here, which - according to NecroScope's official guidelines - is something to be avoided. So here it is:
Rebecca Brock gives good zombie.
Having recently read two cracking zombie tales by Brock - 'Night Shift' (The Best of All Flesh) and 'Junebug' (History is Dead) - I felt that even a self-published collection of this author's work was likely to be a reasonably safe investment. And I'm pleased to report that my hunch proved correct.
Abominations collects eleven short fiction reprints - most, though not all of them, zombie-related - plus one novel excerpt. All are engaging and entertaining, and Brock displays a keen understanding of the human condition (including aspects that we might prefer not to address). Also, in a genre where we've come to expect 'sharp shock' endings, Brock is refreshingly skilled at the 'deceptively soft' ending; we see the inevitable approaching from a fair distance, but Brock's understated concluding lines impart a sense of disquiet that remains long after the book is laid aside.
To sum up, I really enjoyed Abominations. True, the publication could have done with some more attention to formatting and editing (which is something even professional presses overlook occasionally); but, overall, this is an extremely enjoyable collection, and one that left me looking forward to reading more from Rebecca Brock.
Abominations is available through Amazon, in print or e-format. Go buy it. That is all.
1 comment:
Thank you for the nice review, Chuck. Hope you caught my zombie mash-up 'A Christmas Carol of the Living Dead.'
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