BOOK REVIEW: Highway to Hell by Armand Rosamilia

 

You know those stories about the zombie apocalypse where there's some humor and features a couple of zombies you almost feel sorry for or think are cute?

Yeah. This ain't that. 

Highway to Hell is a 74-page novella written by extreme horror writer Armand Rosamilia. Yes, I know it was published nearly two years ago, but I'm just now getting around to writing about it, so it's new to me.

Rosamilia has done an interesting thing with this little piece of disturbing genre literature: He's redefined one of the most popular storylines in horror today. It's like completely changing the vampire myth to make it possible for said bloodsucker to be out during the day. And sparkle. But not suck. Figuratively. Or literally? Fuck, I don't know. I haven't worked this out completely and I've been drinking.

Anyway.

With the popularity of The Walking Dead and movies like Zombieland and 28 Days/Weeks/Months etc., the dystopian nightmare that is the dead rising from their graves and taking over the world has become a little played out. But in the first couple pages of Highway, Rosamilia changes the game. How?

Zombie rapists.

He's not called an "extreme horror" writer for nothing. In the very first pages of the story, when zombies are fisting their victim and violating them in the most brutal, sexually-depraved manner possible, it's safe to say this isn't your father's zombie story. Some authors, especially horror authors, will attempt to go for the shock value and ride the story on that and that only. Rosamilia is different, however.

His characters are relateable. You feel empathy for them. You understand them. You get them. As a reader, you can understand their bravado and at the same time, their insecurities. These are real people. Zombie apocalypse stories are nothing new at all.  While, in my opinion, Max Brooks did it best with World War Z, what Rosamilia has done in a very short span has made the reader not only feel a kinship with the protagonists, his style of writing truly makes you want to know what's going to happen next.

And then there's the zombie rape. The cannibalism portrayed in the vast majority of zombie movies focuses on a longstanding worldwide taboo. What Highway to Hell has done has made a zombie attack feel even more personal. It's safe to say, most people don't feel they will ever be a victim of a cannibal, especially one who intends to dine upon you whilst you still live. Rape and sexual assault, however, is a different animal. The idea of being violated in that manner is something real, something tangible. While it's a base fear many women have, it's something men are terrified of in a very dark place they rarely, if ever, speak of. The rape of a woman is horrible. The rape of a man is, in that man's mind, horrible, unnatural, and nearly impossible to ever recover from. That is what makes Rosamilia's story all the more terrifying. The idea of being eaten alive is gruesome; the idea of having your genitalia and various orifices violated in as graphic, gruesome manner as possible is truly disquieting.

Rosamilia isn't for everyone. I equate what he does to music, specifically metal. If someone tells you they're a metal fan, more often than not, they're talking about Metallica, Slipknot, Godsmack, and maybe, maybe, Slayer. When you bring up bands like Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Cattle Decapitation, et. al., that "metal" fan is looking at you like you just ate the head off a kitten. Rosamilia's writings are like those latter bands. He's not for everyone, but if you can get past the squeamishness of the subject matter, you will be entertained.

For more on Armand Rosamilia, check him out at his Web site, his official page on Facebook, and on Twitter.

A Rare Titanic Family

 

Once again, the great folks at Left Bank Books hosted another great literary event, this time with Dr. Julie Williams, author of A Rare Titanic Family. The story focuses on her great uncle, Albert Caldwell, his wife Sylvia and their son Alden and their escape from the ill-fated Titanic. The book itself is a compelling read, but if you have the opportunity to see Dr. Williams promote it, do not hesitate. She's a natural showman and is a wealth of knowledge and humor. For the full story I wrote for Walrus Publishing, click HERE.

Dr. Deborah Harkness Brings the Magic to STL

(Dr. Deborah Harkness signs copies of her new book, Shadow of Night, at a recent visit to the Schlafly Branch of the St. Louis Library. Photo by Kurt Bali)

Had a lot of fun a week or so ago when I attended a panel hosted by Left Bank Books (which are always fun) featuring Dr. Deborah Harkness as the guest of honor. She was in St. Louis promoting her new book Shadow of Night, a sequel to A Discovery of Witches and the second book in the All Souls trilogy. Even though the audience was predominantly female, based on listening to her speak and what I've read of her books, Harkness should not be on the verboten list when it comes to male fans of the fantasy genre. I did a little write up for Walrus Publishing and if you would like to take a look, click HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: Wendig's "Blackbirds" Dark, Gritty & Fun as F***

(Blackbirds, Chuck Wendig, Angry Robot Books)

I stumbled upon Chuck Wendig about a year ago when I literally StumbleUpon'ed his website/blog Terrible Minds. It was a very short story that was very, very good and from that moment, his blog has been a regular stop for me. I've purchased and read his numerous ways on how to be a better writer, I've participated in his flash fiction challenges, and I've found great wisdom via his Twitter account.

While he's penned other pieces, Blackbirds was his first original novel (Double Dead, the story of a vampire who awakens during a zombie apocalypse, is part of a line of books by various authors called Tomes of the Dead) and I purchased it immediately.

Before I go much further, yes, I know the book's sequel, Mockingbird, is about to drop, so it makes this review seem a tad late. To that I say, piss off. Blackbirds hasn't been out long and to get to Mockingbird, you have to go through Part 1 and I'm telling you about Part 1.

I loved it. Miriam Black, the story's anti-hero protagonist, is easy to feel sorry for, but not very easy to like, at least not in the beginning. She's a drifter, a thief, a drinker of hard liquor and smoker of cigarettes. She uses vulgarity like a master artisan weaves a tapestry. She also has the ability to discover, based on flesh-to-flesh contact with another person, how that person is going to die. She knows the gory details, down to what that person is thinking, the circumstances leading to their demise, and the exact date and time.

She drifts through life, hitching rides from seedy motel to filthy biker bar, getting money when she can, taking advantage of those about to die. Black runs with no real direction, no real plan. That all changes when she meets Louis, a truck driver with a heart of gold. He gives her a much-needed ride on a rainy night and she discovers, after touching him, he dies violently at the hands of a psychopath as he calls out Miriam's name.

After getting involved (by getting involved, I mean fucking) a con man named Ashley, Miriam runs afoul of the decidedly nasty folks who are after the aforementioned shady young man. Louis gets involved, Miriam does bad things, then some good things, more bad things, takes part in an interview regarding her past and powers, and then has a big showdown with the bad guys.

I'm not trying to simplify the book, but I don't want to ruin it. The theme has been done before, but as with any story, the greatness or not greatness (Suckness? Crapness?) lies with the author and how he is able to describe his universe to readers and Wendig is a master of it. He provides readers with a nearly overwhelming pallet of vivid scenery and character construction. Example: "She was as pale as a tanless ass." That shit REEKS of awesome. His dialogue is expertly-crafted. Many authors are able to write well and make the reader feel as though they are part of that world until the characters open their mouths. Conversation is not nearly as easy to write as people think, but Wendig nails it.

And let's get something straight: Yes, Wendig curses. A lot. On his blog. Within his Twitter feed. In his stories. In his writing tips. Again, however, it is not gratuitous. Wendig caters to a certain core group of readers. Snooty, aloof Shakespearean poets are not going to get anything out of his tips; a young writer who loves Christopher Moore, Neil Gaiman, David Sedaris, etc., will not only love the natural flow of Wendig's four-letter-word-filled advice, but will truly learn from it. He speaks the language of his fans and as a result, has built a following of devoted readers.

Blackbirds is a quick read, a fun read, and one that sticks with the you long after the last chapter has been finished. Wendig draws you in, engrosses you in his world, and, most importantly, makes you genuinely care for people who are, on the surface, pretty unlikeable.

In summary: Order the fucking book. You'll be a better person. And you'll learn a shitload of new curse words. Click HERE to start your journey with Miriam.

Randy Blythe is FREE...now what?

(Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe was FINALLY freed from a Czech prison, but his troubles are far from over. Photo courtesy of Willie-Adler.AllAxess.com)

After spending more than a month in a Czech prison in Prague for what can be generously described as a trumped-up charge, Lamb of God lead singer/screamer/growler Randy Blythe is finally back in the U.S., no thanks at all to the U.S. government. Rolling Stone, who also provided zero voice to his plight while he was actually incarcerated, took time from their busy schedule of promoting Madonna and Justin Beiber to talk to the Richmond, Va., native. For the full interview, that includes Randy's description of life in prison and his (limited) interaction with the U.S. embassy, click HERE.

REVIEW: 'Dark Days' in St. Louis

 

Had a great opportunity to view a panel recently with four of today's best Young Adult authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Dan Wells, and SJ Kincaid. Wrote up a piece on the experience for Walrus Publishing and they were kind enough to run it on their website. If you would like to read what some great writers have to say about the art of being a scribe, how to get into the business, or just some info on some great books, click HERE.

I am the Walrus! Or At Least Published at Walrus

(All four variant covers of issue No. 1 of Legends of the Dark Knight, autographed by Denny O'Neil. Yeah. Dig me.)

So I've been talking for almost a month about how I was going to write up my experience with legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neil (I know, he did other stuff, shut up) from his appearance at Project: Comic Con here in St. Louis June 9. I was honestly going to blog it and then I became involved in a relationship with locally-owned and operated Walrus Publishing, a group by and for St. Louis-area writers. It happened in STL, Denny's an STL native, so I waited so I could have the story published on their site. Everybody's happy.

To read the awesomeness that was Denny O'Neil, click HERE. I'm going to write some other stuff for Walrus as well, such as book reviews and literary event coverage. I'll post some info here, but be sure to check out the Walrus Publishing website by clicking on the link over to the right on this page. You won't regret it.