Tag Archives: reality

Book Blast: We Call It Monster by Lachlan Walter

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About the Book:

 

Title: We Call It Monster
Author: Lachlan Walter
Genre: Giant Monster/Kaiju Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: Severed Press Publication
Date: 13th February, 2019

Language: English
ISBN-10: 1925840522
ISBN-13: 978-1925840520

 

 

One ordinary day, an enormous creature dragged itself out of the ocean and laid waste to a city. In the months and years that followed, more and more creatures appeared until not a single country remained untouched. At first, people tried to fight them. In the end, all they could do was try and stay alive.

We Call It Monster is a story of forces beyond our control, and of immense and impossible creatures that make plain how small we really are. It is the story of our fight for survival and our discovery of that which truly matters: community and compassion, love and family, hope and faith.

***

A story-cycle/novel-in-stories, We Call It Monster is written in a grounded and realistic way, with each chapter unfolding from the perspective of a different character, and detailing his or her first-hand experience of the conflict between humans and monsters.

About the Author:

Lachlan Walter is a writer, science-fiction critic and nursery-hand (the garden kind, not the baby kind), and is the author of two books: the deeply Australian post-apocalyptic tale The Rain Never Came, and the giant-monster story-cycle We Call It Monster. He also writes science fiction criticism for Aurealis magazine and reviews for the independent ‘weird music’ website Cyclic Defrost, his short fiction can be found floating around online, and he has completed a PhD that critically and creatively explored the relationship between Australian post-apocalyptic fiction and Australian notions of national identity.

He loves all things music-related, the Australian environment, overlooked genres and playing in the garden. He hopes that you’re having a nice day.

LINKS

www.lachlanwalter.com

www.severedpress.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

www.facebook.com/LachWalter79

www.twitter.com/lachwalter79

CONTACTS

contact@lachlanwalter.com

info@severedpress.com

Excerpt from the Book:

The old man shuffled out to the balcony, dusted off an outdoor chair and then made himself comfortable. The sky was a shade of blue that painters only dream about; it was a beautiful sight. The old man drank it in, leaning back in his chair. He sipped at his coffee and smoked a cigarette. He was happy to wait as long as was necessary – he had all the time in the world and he wasn’t going anywhere.

The monster finally appeared, a blurry smudge in the distance.

Slowly, but not as slowly as he would have thought, it grew both closer and more distinct. The old man laughed out loud; it looked like nothing more than a child’s drawing of something that might have been a lobster or might have been a spider or might have been both, propped up on flagpole-like legs that supported a wetly-shining carapace, a beaked head, and a tail as long as a bus.

It was enormous and ridiculous in equal measure. The old man was surprised to find that it failed to frighten him.

It drew closer to the city. It stopped suddenly and bit a great chunk out of a stately old tree lining a boulevard. Chewing slowly and methodically, it worked its way through the mass of wood and foliage before throwing its head back and opening its mouth wide. Despite his deafness, the old man felt the monster’s keening in his bones and in the pit of his stomach.

He pulled his hearing aid from his pocket, turned it on then slipped it in place.

The beast’s cry was low and mournful, more a melancholy bellow than a ferocious roar. Thankfully, the klaxon-blare of the evacuation alarms had stopped. The monster cried out again and it shook the old man, both literally and metaphorically. The beast shifted its legs, presumably adjusting its weight, and destroyed an office building in the process.

Almost comically, it looked down at the destruction it had wrought and seemed to shake its head.

It looked back up and cried out a third time, and then started walking again. It seemed to meet the old man’s eye. Without breaking its gaze, the old man took another sip of coffee before lighting another cigarette.

Slowly-slowly-slowly, the monster drew closer. You could almost see a smile on the old man’s face.

Book Review: The Laws of Nature by Ashley Franz Holzmann

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About the Book:

Image result for the laws of nature Ashley Franz Holzmann

There is a dark side to human nature that neither can be wished away nor completely mitigated. Ashley Holzmann details just several of these “Laws of Nature” before taking his readers on a journey through the bizarre, the terrifying, and, ultimately, the disturbingly real truths that underlie much of modern American life.

Ashley makes his debut into the horror genre with “The Stump,” a story about an afternoon trot through the woods that quickly becomes a blood bath–and, much as it does for that story’s creature, the scent of fear will only lure veteran horror readers further through the forest. A teenager’s vanity will likely cause his town to be consumed by a roaming swarm of insects that burst forth from his acne-riddled skin in “White Heads;” entire populations vanish into the void of the Alaskan tundra in “Glass Houses;” and superiority takes the form of a murdering, sadistic woman in “Lady Macbeth.”

But Ashley’s best retellings focus less on gore and adrenaline and instead take human psychology as their medium, as demonstrated in “Plastic Glasses,” where readers are brought into a world of disturbing personality and mental disorders. Ashley’s work abounds with stories in this vein, stories which grab a hold of a common failing–such as marital friction in “Hush,” or American male frustration in “Orpheus’s Lot”–and take it to an extreme that is nevertheless not inconceivable for most people.

Coming from the mind of a man who has experienced more than his fair share of humanity, “The Laws of Nature” is, at its finest, a description of universal emotions of loss, nostalgia, anxiety, and soul-penetrating terror. Ashley’s stories elicit empathy from his readers and draw them into worlds where they both acknowledge and cuddle with their fears and which leave them, ultimately, more human.

My Thoughts:

Stemming from real life experiences to stories of fiction, this anthology of short stories explores the human psych and the genre of horror. The stories are diverse and the author focuses on fear as one of the main points of many of his stories. It is difficult to pick up or pin-point any one story as they are all similar and different in many ways. The author writes in an abstract style, sometimes seeming to be impersonal. Many of the stories are in first person and the rest a narration. Murder, hate, suicide, fear, life and finally the human psych are some of the topics explored through the stories.

The author will force the reader to think and experience each of the feelings through the stories and inspire them to think. There is so much food for thought and introspection. As a result of reading this anthology, the reader will come away affected, but much more human, stemming from a realization of sorts. It is difficult to describe this as it will differ from person to person, but it is clear that the reader will experience a vast number of emotions in this collection of stories.

Read this for a rare and interesting experience.

Laugh out Loud with The Professional Freelancer by Rory Scherer

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About the Book:

The Professional Freelancer

After being laid off at my latest company that fell victim to insider fraud, and the job market at its lowest point in years, I decided to follow the advice of my self-made millionaire friend and become ‘The Professional Freelancer’. Spiraling out of control, I found myself involved in several extremely dangerous situations that strangely all seem to be connected involving the mafia, a Korean street gang, a white-collar crime, and masterminding the annual euchre championships at a senior citizens retirement home.

My Thoughts:

This is a hilarious book which most people will relate to since at some point in every person’s life, we have all felt the same as the protagonist. The story is narrated from the point of view of the protagonist, an unnamed man. The events that unfold are sometimes so unlikely, but only add to the drama and hilarity of the situations. This story is very short, making it a fast read, but it s definitely worth the time spent. With a different kind of theme and most of the story set realistically, the reader will be able to relate to some of the situations and laugh at the rest. It shows us what happens when someone ends up taking a mixed genre of jobs, each extremely different from the other, as well as when you are faced with a situation you never expected to encounter in the first place. Add to this temporary memory loss and it’s a laugh riot all the way!

The Magician’s Workshop, Volume Two by Christopher Hansen and J.R. Fehr

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I’m back with book 2 in the series, the continuation of the story and it is mega! Read on to know more about the book and what I thought about it.

About the Book:

The Magician's Workshop, Volume Two

Return to the world of The Magician’s Workshop: Where Dreams Become Reality.

In Volume Two, the Festival of Stars has finally arrived, and the Color Ceremony is about to commence. As children from all over the islands gather to stand before a puller, one question remains: who will have a Color, and who will be found void?

Rejoin your favorite characters as they step forward and receive a label that will have the power to dramatically alter the course of their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

Where the first book was light-hearted with the focus on introducing us to the world and characters, the second book takes the story ahead more seriously. A shift in the direction of the plot adds more to the magic of this series.The declaration of whether our characters have color in them or not is finally given out.

It’s interesting how parallels are drawn between the colors and personality traits. We are shown how people change when color is discovered in them as well as when it isn’t. The distinctions cast between having color and being void is indeed quite unfair. The pressure on the children to have something in them is immense and with high expectations, sometimes it is easy to lose one’s own individuality and identity. It becomes difficult to read about the characters and how they feel throughout this ordeal. Family bonds, friendships and even relationships are strained through this adding to the already declining morale. This is the kind of coming of age idea where after the color ceremony, the children are considered to have “grown up” or are adults. It is a freaky concept, one that can create or destroy a person and the bonds they share with those around them. The harsh rules and manner in which they are enforced do not make it any easier.

The Master Magician turns up with words of encouragement along the lines of color, no color, it doesn’t matter, but to accept all anyway. This comes across as a surprise and a rather new concept to everyone who think that the ultimate goal is to be found with color and then to train to get into the magician’s workshop. No-one seems to know or understand the hardships that it entails or even those that follow this kind of dream. There also seems to be an underlying sub plot to change how things are perceived in the islands for so many years. We meet some rather interesting older characters who though briefly introduced in Book 1, have more importance in this and probably further on. There is talk of how everyone should be equal irrespective of whether they have color in them and this seems to threaten a lot of people. This is a difficult idea to change and would take a lot of work.

Now that everyone has found out their place (it feels harsh to write it this way, but I cannot think of another way of articulating this), it’s time to move further, to train, to find new goals and to deal with the next stage of life. The authors slowly emphasize the importance of two characters, Kai and Layauna, and the story slowly shifts focus with more of the later chapters written from their points of view. Coming out with the kind of colors they have, it will give us a sense that the tests that life will throw at these two will be harder and that they will need all the help and support from their friends and family. It is also clear that now, having been declared as adults, our beloved characters cannot let their guards down and need to be careful about whom they trust.

This book continues on in chapters from where the previous left off. The authors flawlessly craft the story to take us further and draw us in. They maintain the playfulness and style of expression which is quite refreshing and enhance the concepts and story. It is easy to experience everything with the characters and this is one of the main things that drew my attention.The style of writing, the description about each projection only add to the soaring imagination of the reader. A wonderful feat achieved successfully by the authors. Kudos to the work they have done and the time they have spent in creating this world.

It has been a while since reading Harry Potter, that a series in this genre has kept me hooked. I will say it again and again that this is one mega awesome read! Keep projecting and I hope that the next book comes out soon.

The Magician’s Workshop, Volume One by Christopher Hansen and J.R. Fehr

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I was provided with a free copy of the book by Wondertale in exchange for an honest and magical review! “It’s going to be mega” is what I was promised and it definitely is mega! Read on to know more about the book (first in a series) followed by my thoughts!

About the Book:

The Magician's Workshop, Volume One

Everyone in the islands of O’Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is granted the title of magician and is given fame, power, riches, and glory. This volume of books follows the journey of a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.

Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.

Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.

Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world.

Webpage: www.oceea.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQGHGBH

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Magiciansworkshop/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32948256-the-magician-s-workshop-volume-one

My Thoughts:

Whoo whoo whooosh! That’s how the story flowed and finished in a flash of color, before I could find my bearings and return to the surface!

A wonderfully written story of a world where everyone has magic and can do magic, the authors take it one step further into the world of augmented reality. We are introduced to a myriad of people, both old and young and follow them on their various journeys. This book, the first in the series, is mainly an introduction. We are given a glimpse into the islands of O’Ceea and it’s inhabitants, their lifestyles and personalities.

The story is well written and though initially it may seem a tiny bit confusing, everything starts to make sense after a while. There are vivid descriptions that inspire the reader to imagine even further than what the authors have already shown us. The concept of projections and the fact that it forms the basis of the plot line makes this idea all the more interesting. It forces us to draw on our imagination and experience a new kind of high while reading. Just imagine being able to create anything that you can think of, make something you dislike taste or smell or even look better! So much fun! As everyone in O’Ceea say, it’s mega!

The authors introduce many characters, children around the age of 16 mainly, who are on the verge of being “tested” to find out whether they have “color” in them or are “void”. These terms will start to make sense once you read the book! As we meet each character and get to know them, the authors prepare us to embark on a journey that will see these characters traverse through their lives on the paths they are destined for. They are well-developed and many have a complex past with a lot of ups and downs. Each one has their own experiences and talents to speak of. With everyone in this world being able to do even a basic form of magic, it becomes rather interesting to see where the authors take us with this concept. It comes across as a story of growing up, moving forward in life no matter what is thrown at you as well as following your dreams among others.

The story ends rather abruptly, ensuring that once this is finished, the reader will be left wanting for more. Having been given just a taste of the magic, the reader is left hoping for more and more. I really enjoyed this book and will stop my vague review here to avoid jumping into plot explanations and revelations. So jump right in to experience a new kind of magic! Definitely worth the read and will leave you craving for more and more and more!