Brian Keene - Labyrinth Mythos

 I've been reading Brian Keene for 17 years with the publish of Rising by Leisure Books. 

I've read 19 of his novels and really enjoy the Labyrinth Mythos he created. I have not being enjoy his politics but fortunately they aren't that forceful that make me turn away like Stephen King. My main problem with him (not him per se, it was the the way books were publish - Basically he started with Leisure Books but then it close down. He then started publish by Deadite Press and those were avaiable to buy but a bit steep rise on the pay while the novel lenght diminuish. Then I got a bit away because they were evermore dificult to find. 

So what did he publish and what I've read

1. The Rising (Read)
2. City of the Dead (Read)
3. The Rising: Selected Scenes From the End of the World (Read)
4. The Rising: Deliverance (Not Read - Don't Have)
5. The Fall (Coming Soon) 

1. Earthworm Gods (Read)
2. Earthworm Gods 2 Deluge (Read)
3. Earthworm  Selected Scenes From the End of the World (Read)

• Levi Stoltzfus Series

1. Dark Hollow (Read)  (don't know why this is a Levi since he doesn't enter
2. Ghost Walk (Not Read but Have)
3. A Gathering of Crows (Read)
4. The Last of the Albatwitches (Not Read - Don't Have)

1. Clickers II (Not Read - Don't Have)
2. Clickers III (Not Read - Don't Have)
3. Clickers vs Zombies (Not Read - Don't Have)
4. Rogan Series (Not Read - Don't Have)

1. Hole in the World (Not Read - But Have)
2. The Lost Level  (Not Read - But Have)
3. The Chinese Beetle (Not Read - Don't Have)
4. Return to the Lost Level  (Not Read - But Have)

• The Labyrinth Series - Supposedly this will be a 7 part series or 5.

1. The Seven (Not Read - Recently Bought)
2. Submerged (Coming Soon) 

• Novelas / Other novels

1. Terminal (Not Read - Don't Have)
2. Ghoul (Not Read - Have)
3. Dead Sea  (Read)
4. Shades (with Geoff Cooper)  (Not Read - Don't Have)
5. Kill Whiteyl (Not Read - Have)
6. Darkness On the Edge of Town(Read)
7. Castaways (Read)
8. Urban Gothic (Read)
9. The Girl on the Glider (Not Read - Don't Have)
10. Entombed (Read)
11. Take the Long Way Home (Read)
12. Jack's Magic Beans  (Read)
13. Scratch (Not Read - Don't Have)
14. The Damned Highway
15. Alone (Not Read - Don't Have)
16. The Cage(Read)
17. Sundancing (Not Read - Don't Have)
18. An Occurrence in Crazy Bear Valley (Not Read - Don't Have)
19. Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road (Not Read - Don't Have)
20. The Complex (Read)
21. Pressure (Not Read - Don't Have)
22. School's Out (Not Read - Don't Have)
23. White Fire (Read)

So let us see what more does it bring. The problem is with the amounts of books we read, some stuff we forget and so it's kind of hard keep remembering the connections between stories. Some are easy like in the complex, others are more difficult.

So a bit of information given by Brian Keene Faq

THE SEVEN: The Labyrinth, Book 1 

That cover features Frankie (from THE RISING series), The Exit (from THE COMPLEX and various short stories), Teddy (from EARTHWORM GODS), Bloom (from various short stories), Tony (from the CLICKERS series and various short stories), LeHorn (from DARK HOLLOW), and Lucifer, last of the angels. Other characters from my mythos who appear in THE SEVEN but are not on the cover include Ob, Nodens, Kandara, Colonel Livingston (CLICKERS), Ochse (PRESSURE), The Sleepwalker, the Grim Reaper, and the Hellertown RHIC (location of the climactic final battle in THE RISING). 

40K novels - Will actualize...

 

Movie Review: Hunting Souls (2022)

 I've been watching horror movies since - since I remember myself. I've now watch more than 1000 horror movies and it's my favourite genre.

What makes a bad movie? Well usually can be a combination of things, either the plot is boring, either the pace feels wrong, the monster is not that spooky and so on. There is also another that I really can't forgive and that's acting. This movie had two main characters and a child. There are other characters but they are mostly side and some only appear in one shot - like the medic or boss and so on.

So a house is being hunted by a astral being - probably some Lovecraftian monster that roams the astral planes - you know who I am speaking -the Dimensional Shambler.

The family is trying to work things out and so far so interesting but the acting is so cringe - first the young girl is feeling sick and they take her to hospital - WHY IS THE MOTHER IS THE FRONT SIT WHEN THE CHILD IS SICK IN THE BACKSIT? WTF?

Then the screaming in the hospital and the response from the nurse. Then odd stuff happens but the marriage couple don't speak AT ALL. a social worker had spoken with the mother and child and she didn't said anything to the husband? OH but I love you so much. Then the all stuff of nightmares and he hearing stuff but nobody talks. God forbid if they cooperate - because THEY LOVE SO MUCH ONE ANOTHER.

Then the ending.. Oh well.. Overall the story & plot it's okish but the acting is bad. 3/10

Book Review: Last Resort: Zombicide - Josh Reynolds

Author: Josh Reynolds
Book: Last Resort: Zombicid
Year: 2021
Pages: 360
Part of Series: Solo - Part of Zombicide Series.
Reading Time: 5 days - April of 2022
Rating: 6 stars

I've played Zombicide. It was one of the first boardgames I kickstarted then I sold it because it was boring as shit. Basically we've got a couple adventures and they must do X or Y. Meanwhile you've got zombies trying to get to you. Most are slow, some are runners and then there are big fatty boys/girls. Some you've got one hit and that's hit, but the big guys took a lot of hits/different more potent weapons.

But that's it. That's the game. Here it felt that, and kudos to Josh Reynolds accomplishment on portraying a game in a book. You've got a couple of people who must go from point A to B so they can find a new place to live meanwhile they fight the undead and the living as well. Basically Walking Dead.

You've got some interesting characters, Westlake, our main protagonist is basically a cunning thief that is on a path of revenge but at the same time help other people, not because he wants butt it's better , safety in numbers. You got some other interesting characters. As someone point out, some died - again walking dead and the mission is complete. But you already know the ending- the best is the journey and characterization.

If they release more , I don't know if I will buy them but IT was good. It felt like that sunday movie you watch but coming monday you don't really remember what was about, or the name of characters.

TV Series Review: The Reason I Can't Find Love (2011)

 Well, here we go... That's a day of my life I will not return.

7.5 rating on MyDramaList and I think either people are hopeless romantics or idiots.

The story is the following; you've got 4 girls in different stages of life and ages that are trying to love.

Each one is dealing with different problems. Our main character is working on a company where she is well respected and his childhood's friend return from abroad. But he is marrying a young girl. Of course she loves him.

Then we've got a young teen who never really fell in love and falls for the wrong guys - twice.

You've got a older woman who is married but each live in their own house - odd.

And the last one is a girl who hasn't discover her place in working envirorment OR love.

So we've got this gals here, all searching for the same thing but in their wake, other people suffer, in other they are the ones to suffer. 

I know they are niponic therefore their culture is different. There is a lot of men taking advantages over woman, one of them even sleep with a guy so she can enter a job. But in the end, all characters really fell flat - except one.

The first one, for all 10 episodes wanted to date her best friend, dated for a while a guy who was a pearl of a person and destroyed his heart. In the end after, he even broken with his fiance (mutual) and declaring love for one another she basically said - fuck it. IF I follow you it will not be my dreams. I can understand the thinking of "maybe I love you or not" BUT here is done in a way that really fell as she was undecided teen. And although I understand I don't accept her being a nice character. Good for her for finding a good place BUT no.

The second woman, is the only one that really fall in love and I can respect her. She was young, was mistaken, people mistaken her so I can stand by her. Glad she found peace and love.

The third girl is the typical nowadays modern woman. Live for work and put love in second place, going so far as not wanting to live in the same house of her husband. But when the internal clock starts beating she suddenly wants her husband back... the husband has fallen for the fourth woman. So during the next episodes basically is the guy deciding if he should follow new love OR stay with his wife. He was never truly a bad person and really try to understand his way but in the end he hurts the fourth woman, the fourth woman in turn sleeps with a guy to get a job - so she is not without fault and the third woman as I said it's a person who sees the guy as a mean to have children.

Bah. I am disappointed... 

Book Review: Kothar and the Magic Sword by Gardner F Fox (Kothar #2 out of 5)

Author: Gardner F Fox
Book: Kothar and the Magic Sword
Year: 1969
Pages: 154
Part of Series: 2nd Novel of 5.
Reading Time: 3 days - february of 2022
Rating: 6 stars

This is the second novel on the series and we follow Kothar on his adventures. Well on this book we expect some kind of conflict from Sorceress Red Lori which was imprisoned by Kothar on book one but being a sorceress she tells Kothar that is going to follow him and curse him.

He and his trusted magic sword Frostfire (cursed making him never be wealthy).

There are two stories, the second story has more Red Lori and it's more interesting than the first one.

There isn't that much to talk about this.

I don't think this is a clone of Conan or clonan. It's fairly interesting tales and the guy is fairly different from Conan in many regards.

I did enjoy it, and will be continue to read the next ones.

The first tale is about a mercenary job and save a girl while the second advances the plot for the red lori and kothar. I will be reading the following novels.

Book Review: Dark Hollow - Brian Keene (The Levi Stoltzfus Series)

Not the cover of the book I have but better

Author: Brian Keene
Book: Dark Hollow
Year: 2006
Pages: 305
Part of Series:
The Levi Stoltzfus Series #1 (HAHA - No it's not)
Reading Time:  5 days (Between February and March of 2022)
Rating: 7 Stars

I am undecided between 7 or 8 stars. First of all, the all being Levi Stolzfus is wrong. That character doesn't appear in this book at all, unless it has an alias. 

Well, so what is this book about? This book deals with a couple of normal people dealing with a supernatural element.  Adam Senft is the main character. He is a writer dealing with several frustrations at the same time, first not being able to start a new novel; second being sexual frustration due to the alienation of his wife. They were happy married but after two pregnancy that went very wrong they start distance themselves, slowing drifting apart sexually.

In that street there are a bunch of people, the bachelor of 40's, the elderly couple, the funny guy who recently lost his wife (not dead but she cheated on her and left him) and so on.

Right from the bat, we get thrown into some weird stuff - 

"It was on the first day of spring that Big Steve(dog) and I saw Shelly Carpenter giving head to the hairy man"

This is the first line, and the book starts showing us  what is happening and so on. Not that graphic. I saw Brian Lee Durfee review and I Think he never read splatter horror stuff. this is pretty mild in my opinion.

So basically from this moment on, people start disappearing, hooves (like in goats and such) starts appearing nearing houses and other small stuff happens like pipes music being heard and everyone getting aroused and such. What we get from each consequent chapter is that group of people trying to find out what is happening connecting to the great Mythos Brian Keene created (although very mildly - you don't need to read anything by him to understand).

Is it good? Is it worthy? 

Welll, yes and no. If you've read like me a dozen of his novels, then yes, it's worth to see one more book within that mythos - although after reading it I find it fairly skippable since the links are very few. In regard of horror novel per se, I've read better and worse. If you want to start reading a brian Keene novel I wouldn't start with this one and go to the City of the Dead/Rising duology or even the conqueror worms. They are way better and  really connect to the his mythos. The Darkness Edge of Town as well. Enfin,  I will read the second - Ghost Walk in the coming months.

IF you are asking me, is it graphic nudity/sex scenes or gore? 

Some spoilers ahead

I don't think so. There are some sex scenes with satyrs (beastiality?). There are some depicting scenes of horror and gore but nothing that much detailed. I've read far worse.  His despiction of Shelly is awesome - wish I could see her in real life.

Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022

 I really love watching horror movies. Chainsaw Massacre franchise I enjoy some - others not that much. In an era of remakes - this is another one that bites the dust. 

When I Watch my Horror stories I want to feel the thrill, the suspense or the gore  (depends of the novel) I don't want to talk about nowadays politics. Just in the ten minutes of the movie, you've two girls (sisters) plus a multicultural couple - because you know. Then they meet a generic white guy which has a gun and one of the sisters complains (without any provocation at all) that why he has that gun - must be to compensate for something else). The guy doesn't even get bother and say something that is for protection of some pests. Then afterwards they see the police and of course the all " hold your hands, I am black person unless I get shoot attitude" and the police officer is just helping them get to the place without losing themselves. Then they arrive to the deep texas town and alas what do you have on display? The confederation flag. Then an insane woman calling the black guy negroe. Enfin, then I give up. I jump to the end and unfortunately only one of the sister survived. I hope for death to them all.

WHY do you do this? Looking back, maybe the director, producer or writer wanted just that. Kill off this new generation of offended people. But alas it upset me at such level I couldn't give up 1h30 of my life for it. 

Are good movies a thing of the past?

Tell me a of a remake that was a success? 

1 star

Book Review: Wayward, Pines, Last Town by Blake Crouch (Wayard Pines Series)

Author:  Blake Crouch 
Book: Pines & Wayward & Last Town
Year: 2012/2013/2014
Pages: 303/298/294
Part of Series: Trilogy
Reading Time: 3/4/2
Rating: 7 / 6.5 / 3 Stars

BOOK 1

When the tv series was coming out I remember watching every episode on TV (which was quite unnatural to me) and I really enjoyed the first season. Then something happened (a new season) and it was a bit crap. I didn't even knew books existed. Then last month I've watch a guy talk about the series so I crap the audiobooks while I worked (which is usually when I hear) - but in this particular case I even heard after work hours as I was so enamoured with the story.

We follow Ethan Burke as he wakes after a brutal accident in a place called Pines. His mind is not totally there and the town is pretty weird, people he finds out don't behave how a normal town should behave.

It was quite interesting to get to know why Ethan was there, how his family was handling his disappearance and a couple of other characters.

If you didn't watch the show I would advice you do it if you enjoy Twin Peaks (the original - can't talk about the sequel); x-files and one oldie called the Prisoner (back in 1968). I have no doubt Crouch inspired in all of these.

So the ending is quite brilliant and that's why I flagged with "spoilers". You get hints that something is amiss when he saw a body decomposed and unfortunately since I already watch the show I knew what was happening BUT there are hints (someone from the 80's and other from the 2010's and so on...) So humanity destroyed itself (they think) and humankind start evolving into monsters (Aby's (aberrations)) and the best part is the monologue (conversation) between Dr Jenkins and Ethan like what's more important to humankind? I know freedom is very important and most people either prefer to be killed or died without it.

So humankind died, Jenkins try to reanimate society with 80 people or so and tell them what is happening, after one year 1/3 had committed suicide, birthrate was zero and so on... if you don't a goal in life you stop living (?) so, next batch he doesn't say what is happening and people start living - although how come no one calls outside pines an such? There are some plotholes but okay.

In the end Burke decides to live with his family (the two previous times (?!) he try to leave ) and now he decides to protect his family and live the lie... Let us hope on the second because on the series he doesn't appear on season 2. I think there will be differences between, because in the series the abbies breach start slaughter everyone and Ethan sacrifices himself... SO I am very hype for season 2- sorry books 2 & 3.

BOOK 3

Well, having liked a lot of the previous two novels I thought that I would enter this one right way. This one was bad. I must say. The story builts so nicely in previous books but this one is just have one crappy ending.

I dislike the ending to the death and this is politics like it or not... would you rather live a society with less freedom but safe OR in a society where you can be free but be unsafe? That's interesting and to me there is no wrong or correct. But how come don't they criticise our main character? due to his actions, (with freedom at heart) almost 300 people died and still people would follow. The 300 people accept his ideas? That's why I don't believe communism is a viable way.

How can people cheer him on - when his way made so many people died? I don't think pitchett is any better - he after all .... piiiiiiiii spoilers BUT the other one is no hero as well.

Enfin, then the ending - they decide to go back to "sleep". Well, lets go by step -

You've got food for 4 years at most- Why sleep again and wake in another 10k years or so? It makes zero sense. Do you believe that humanity will go from humans to beasts back to humans? Do you expect aliens? Why go to sleep? How long the machines work without human supervision? They alread had work for 2k - how? did they have unlimited fuel? it's a machine that harness some unlimited energy? OK - and that machines worked for 2K years and now ill work for another 10K or 20K?

Well lets be real, humankind would never evolve or de-evolve so rapidly in 2K years. BUT LET's say it did. Now you think they will become smart in another 2K or 5K? Hmm... so why didn't they try working it out in four years of supplies (planting, starting to hunt etc and then if they couldn't - then go back to sleep? it makes zero sense.. I understand -its new it's funny - better than the tv series BUT is it worth the praise on this 3 novel? Nope. There's a reason some novels that are sequels the rating here raises from each book - it's quite normal, since usualyl 1 and 2 stars people most drop the series and then if the second deterr those people they will drop and therefore the thirrd will be the better rating - this is the normal way. On this series it started with 3.93 (100K ratings) then up to 4.13 (57K) then down 4.09 (53K). Enfin...

This will not deter me from reading a couple of other books by him but I didn't enjoy this one.

Book Review: Doctor Who: The Lovecraft Invasion - Robert Valentine

Author: Robert Valentine
Book: Doctor Who: The Lovecraftian Invasion
Year: 2020
Pages: 32 (Audiobook 2H)
Part of Series: Solo 
Reading Time: 1 day
Rating: 1 star

Snyopsis
The Doctor, Constance and Flip join
forces with 51st-century bounty hunter, Calypso Jonze, to hunt down the Somnifax: a weaponised mind-parasite capable of turning its host's nightmares into physical reality. Chasing it through the time vortex to Providence, Rhode Island in 1937, they arrive too late to stop it from latching onto a local author of weird fiction... Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

With time running out before Lovecraft's monstrous pantheon breaks free and destroys the world, the Doctor must enter Lovecraft's mind to fight the psychic invader from within.

Can he and Flip overcome the eldritch horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos? And will Constance and Calypso survive babysitting the infamously xenophobic Old Gentleman of Providence himself?

Review

The author is an idiot.

So you hate Lovecraft and think he deserves to die? LOL

How to alienate people who enjoy Lovecraft stories? Read it.

"if i knew he was racist I wouldn't have read it" LOL then stop reading everything publish... because everyone is a racist accordingly to twitter even doctor who... why he didn't had a black character from the first 6 or 8 incarnations? He may be a racist... and gays? hmm homophobic?

You, the author, have no problem milking Lovecraft ideas while judging the person WHO lived in a different era which was "normal" to be like that. But sure you are almighty in your throne of righteous.

So everyone that loves Lovecraft WRITINGS is a racist? Yeah, that's why I don't bother say the racist homophobic doctor...

Go away bad human being called Robert Valentine.

How to start the year - it can only become good

Book Review: Uzumaki - Junji Ito

Author: Junji Ito
Book: Uzumaki
Year: 2000
Pages: 653
Part of Series: Omnibus 1/2/3 
Reading Time: 18 days (2021)
Rating: 10 stars

Enter Uzumaki.

This is the first manga I've read from beginning to end in paperback. And one of the fewest I've really enjoy it. I've seen the japanese movie and then the anime featuring Junji Ito stories. So I tried and I love it.

This is a 650 page story. Each chapter it's a independent story but reading them all makes more sense than reading a isolate chapter (apart from the last which will have no purpose reading isolated).

Basically the city Kurouzu-cho is being plagued by spirals pattern (uzumaki em japanese).

In the beginning people start being fascinated by spirals and have really no consequence but then it turns into obsession - and then deathly.

As the chapters progress we see more of this uzumaki and then it changes from being a plague to entity in itself. It's very subtle this changes but every few pages you get that feeling.

In this tale we follow Kirie and the first person to notice the spiral plague and her boyfriend Shuichi.

After the last chapter there is a lost chapter that deals with the uzumaki in a parallel universe but with the same consequences and instead of being focused on a town is more widespread.

There were things I really didn't get it, like why Kirie didn't become affected by the spirals like everyone else did? I've got to read more about this.

Edit: https://uzumaki.fandom.com/wiki/Kirie... for more information about Kirie and Uzumaki in itself.

Overall, I really love it. Love the black art and the colour as well. Nice contrast. Going to buy the rest of his work.

Book Review - The Underwelling - Tim Curran

 Author: Tim Curran

Book: The Underdwelling
Year: 2011
Pages: 2 
Part of Series: Solo 
Reading Time:  2 days
Rating:
3 Stars

This was the third novella I've rad from Tim Curran in such a short time.

In this tale we follow a miner in this beginnings. They discover a cave, or rather fell to it. There they found strange trees that should not existe in this time and age.

One thing I must in favor it's the claustrophobic feeling.. This is how I imagine Excavation should have been (from James Rollins -. but it was not). So yeah..

It's good but not the best from Curran.

Although I may say that he is my favorite writer of Gore (this was not gore at all

Book Review: Siberian Incident - Greig Beck

Author: Greig Beck

Book: Siberian Incident
Year: 2019
Pages: 246
Part of Series: Solo 
Reading Time:  10 days (2020)
Rating:  6 Stars

When I started reading stuff from Tim Curran and other Severed Press authors and I saw a Greig Beck story I thought I would love to read it. I've known his novels for several now and they look cool thrillers in the same vein of other novels mixing thriller with adventure and ancient monsters and so on (I'm looking at you Jeremy Robinson and James Rollins)

Well, what we've got here is an American guy who makes a deal with some Russian guys to create a farm on sturgeon. But then stuff doesn't happen the way he wants after all this are Russians and Russian mafia has it's hands on everything/anything. When he disappears , his ex army brother and wife go to Russia to deal with it.

Apart from these mafioso other stuff start to happen and so more Americans (ex-military) arrive at Russia. Then the book changes a bit and if it was more thriller to more commando fighting the Thing from OuterSpace.

What about the monsters... some spoilers ahead!

Well what we've got here is some monsters that transverse space but when they arrive at earth they have no technology... how? They use dead bodies to make things and use them so they walk on land and so on... they built things out of corpse but then Greig Beck never explained how they transverse the cosmos. Poorly written this part.

Spoilers Finish

My main problem with most of these kind of novels Thrillers/Adventures/Monsters seldom end bad. They usually overcome their problem and all is fine which is a bit boring and predictable.