Andrew C

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“Well, I continue to consume the works of Mr. Krall. This book is in the first, second and third person perspectives. It is, at times, laugh out loud funny; in other cases it is absurd and gross. Being the sort of creature that I am, I enjoyed it immensely.
People in the story act sane, act...”

“Well, I continue to consume the works of Mr. Krall. This book is in the first, second and third person perspectives. It is, at times, laugh out loud funny; in other cases it is absurd and gross. Being the sort of creature that I am, I enjoyed it immensely.
People in the story act sane, act crazy, act in a bizarre manner and things that seem impossible keep happening. I really can't say more without giving too much away. In some ways, it is a love story, a story of marriages seemingly on the rocks and the desperate acts some people make to either further destroy their marriages out of revenge. Some times they find that their "hurtful" acts actually strengthen the bond between the couple. One character finds that having his wish come true by being given entrance to a nudist colony (where most of the action occurs) only to discover that it is just too crazy for him.
I want to say more but fear giving away too much. It is not a long book, a novella, really, and reads very quickly. There are two related short stories at the end which bring the reader into greater clarity, or do they? I know this, JK's description of the long lost film regarding the Apocalypse Donkeys is brilliantly crazy and shows to me, amazing freedom of the creative process.
If you are looking for something truly odd and different and thought-provoking, then I do recommend this book. If disjointed, seemingly unrelated chapters and characters all caught up in the same story, then this is for you. if you cannot take those kinds of "jumps" from character to character and voice to voice, then this book will likely drive you crazy and I don't recommend it. To fans of the bizarre, creative, gross and new, I recommend this book highly.”

Bryan D finished reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

Bryan D rated a book.

• Rated 5 stars

James G is now reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

James G reviewed a book.

“An excellent overview of what exactly constitutes life, how life might have come to be on this planet, and the prospects for life in the wider universe. I enjoyed it and the author did manage to convey the science with examples, diagrams, and comparisons where the language got a bit technical.”

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“At the end of this book, Mr. Krall explains that it was his first story published, his first story written, in fact. He says it is his least favorite. That's his business. I just want to say that I flew through it and the only thing that slowed me down was that I had to keep re-attaching my ass,...”

“At the end of this book, Mr. Krall explains that it was his first story published, his first story written, in fact. He says it is his least favorite. That's his business. I just want to say that I flew through it and the only thing that slowed me down was that I had to keep re-attaching my ass, because it fell off from laughing so hard so many times.
This book is, as JK says, an example of Bizarro Fiction, a sub-genre of horror which is definitely NOT for everyone. But if you like grotesque humor I recommend this book strongly. The story is okay, shows some creativity in plot, but is essentially a story of Frankenstein's Monster as the most realistic sex doll in existence. I wonder if JK has read Charles Stross' "Saturn's Children? It certainly came to mind as I read this work. One thing I can say, in general, about all three of the many JK novels and stories which I have read is that if you have read Samuel R. Delaney's "Hogg", and appreciated it, then you will likely love Jordan Krall.
I want to say more but I will just start giving spoilers. One thing I can say is that I can now consider myself a fan of Jordan Krall's work and will be reading more of it. He is, to me, something of a genius at what and how he writes. The caveat stands: very gross and grotesque and NOT FOR Everyone!”

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“When I read "Penetralia" by Jordan Krall, it was a bit of a revelation. I felt a bit of kinship with where his mind went when he set it free and wrote. I told myself several times during that reading that Mr. Krall had definitely been influenced by H.P. Lovecraft. In truth, I don't think that...”

“When I read "Penetralia" by Jordan Krall, it was a bit of a revelation. I felt a bit of kinship with where his mind went when he set it free and wrote. I told myself several times during that reading that Mr. Krall had definitely been influenced by H.P. Lovecraft. In truth, I don't think that there is anyone writing horror today who has NOT been influenced by Mr. Lovecraft, either from reading him directly (which Mr. Jordan admits is true for him) or through reading the many authors who were inspired to write by HPL's works. This book is something of a paean to Lovecraft.
While none of the pieces (I don't know what else to call them) reads like an emulation, the tribute is there in the creativity, the mystery, the grossness, the haunting sense (which Lovecraft had mastered, imho) that this is perhaps all real, no matter how outlandish. I'm realizing as I write that I do find Mr. Krall's works horrific, they are, somehow, not frightening. Perhaps I'm jaded.
I do believe JK does have a true gift for writing, at least for "bizarro" fiction prose and prose/poetry. His prose poems are very nice if read aloud, as poetry should be, I believe.
I suppose if this was the 60's, this writing would be called, "trippy", or something like that. It would be considered psychedelic. That is why, I believe, JK will find a devoted but relatively small coterie dedicated fans/followers. This is good, grotesque, sometimes shocking stuff. The pieces intertwine to some degree but each can stand alone as well.
Sorry for the short review, but, hey, it's a short book. Recommended for those with non-compulsive minds and the stomach for creative grossness.”

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“Okay, this is my first reading, to my knowledge, of a book from a genre I am told is called, "Bizarro." That title fits very well. I could easily say that this book is just a mish mash of utter nonsense, and, in a way, it is. However, I couldn't and didn't want to stop reading it. This tells me...”

“Okay, this is my first reading, to my knowledge, of a book from a genre I am told is called, "Bizarro." That title fits very well. I could easily say that this book is just a mish mash of utter nonsense, and, in a way, it is. However, I couldn't and didn't want to stop reading it. This tells me something.
I will put it this way: there is a dark genius to Krall's writing. The tales are convoluted, it is not a novel, but it could be see as a perversion of what the literary world would typically call a novel. Put together as a series of stories, they all revolved around the father, son and daughter of one family. There is a very good story regarding the father and how he came to be as he is. He is a very dark, deeply perverse "scientist" of some sort who experiments on live subjects. Human subjects. His son is supposed to be carrying on the research but we never find out just what that research is for, other than to satisfy the very darkly perverse needs of father and son.
There is strong enmity between father and son, and there is open incest between father and daughter and brother and sister. There is some suggestion that sister may also be somewhat of a necrophile.
There is no question that this is a book for a very small audience, those who appreciate what may well be very dark genius and VERY explicit gore scenes. It is not for those with weak hears. Still, if you feel the need for something very grossly different from mainstream horror, you may find this fun to read. And, IT REALLY IS QUITE BIZARRE!”

Bryan D rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

James G now owns a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

James G reviewed a book.

“Excellent continuation, can't wait to see what comes next in the series. I found the caster world that exists side by side and under ours very interesting and just as before the characters were very interesting, and the story had plenty of depth and believability.”

Bryan D rated a book.

• Rated 5 stars

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“I reviewed book 2 of this series, "Siren Song," and broke my rule that I would not judge a new series until the third book. "Siren Song" was so good that I felt that was a going to be a series a would stay with based on that book. I almost had to eat those words with this, "Demon Song," the third...”

“I reviewed book 2 of this series, "Siren Song," and broke my rule that I would not judge a new series until the third book. "Siren Song" was so good that I felt that was a going to be a series a would stay with based on that book. I almost had to eat those words with this, "Demon Song," the third book in the series. I am completely open to the possibility that it had more to do with my mood and being overwhelmed with books to read, but I was halfway through this volume and it seemed to hit a wall, or at least, I did. The book seemed to be cooking along fine and then just S-L-O-W-E-D D-O-W-N. I read it in bits and pieces for a while but was close to giving up on it. I didn't. Glad I didn't. Yesterday, I picked it up and decided I would give it one last chance and I would finish it no matter what.
Good choice. A bit more mucking about was quickly followed by some of the most creative plot twists I have ever encountered. I was fascinated by the Siren piece all along, but the possibility raised in this volume (sorry, no spoilers) just grabbed me as extremely creative.
Then, the action, which is something at which Ms Adams excels, took off. The result was a very fast, page turning finish with a gratifying conclusion that leaves so much fertile ground for sequels that I can't wait to get to the next volume, "The Isis Collar."
Good character development, enough ambiguity to some characters to keep the reader (and the protagonist) guessing, good plotting, excellent action all combine to make this a very strongly recommended book for fans of this genre.”

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“I read this book and finished it at the end of the second week in April. I can say this: I enjoyed it, it was fun and helped me get to sleep at night. Other than that, I have to admit, it is forgettable. I've just looked down the table of contents and flipped through to see if I could find any...”

“I read this book and finished it at the end of the second week in April. I can say this: I enjoyed it, it was fun and helped me get to sleep at night. Other than that, I have to admit, it is forgettable. I've just looked down the table of contents and flipped through to see if I could find any where where I could say, "Oh, yeah, that was great!" For me, there were no such moments. Apparently these are stories that Mr. Severin penned between 2000 and 2011.
I will admit, I had never heard of him, but the review I read suggested that I might like it so I obtained it. It will now be sent to my Kindle archive, where it will stay for as long as those things last.
So, that's it, midling book, nothing stands out, and I don't recommend that anyone go out and buy it or download it from the Kindle store.”

Superb Curmudgeon reviewed a book.

“I recently reviewed "Engineering Infinity." It is an anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan, as is this volume. Edge of Infinity, iis, in a sense, a sequel to Engineering Infinity. The premise is the same, put together an anthology of wonderful short works by some of today's Science Fiction and...”

“I recently reviewed "Engineering Infinity." It is an anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan, as is this volume. Edge of Infinity, iis, in a sense, a sequel to Engineering Infinity. The premise is the same, put together an anthology of wonderful short works by some of today's Science Fiction and Fantasy writers.
As with his previous book, Mr. Strahan has triumphed in his quest.
Now, I admit, I just simply LOVE anthologies since I can read shorts works by some of my favorite writers and I am introduced to new ones. It is, in a sense, the best of both worlds. As with all anthologies, I loved some of them, "The Peak of Eternal Light," by Bruce Sterling, whom I would put in the top ten list of sci-fi authors writing today. It demonstrates Sterling's ver dry sense of humor, as well as his unique take on our current culture.
I cannot say I disliked any of the stories, not at all. For example, Paul McAuley's, "Macy Minnot's Last Christmas on Dione, Ring Racing Fiddles's Green, the Potter's Garden," is a good, entertaining story, good, but not great. It did not inspire me, as so often happens when I read anthologies, to run out and buy up everything he's written. On the other hand, "Drive," by James S.A. Corey, is good enough that I will look into reading more of his stuff. (BTW, sorry if I offended any McAuley fans.)
All in all, if you are a sci-fi enthusiast, you will, I am certain, find some things that you will like in this book. If you are curious about sci-fi and want to know more about it, Edge of Infinity is a great place to start, as is Engineering Infinity. Between the two of them, they demonstate just how far and wide this genre can range. The curious reader will also find that some authors do require more than casual reading, i.e., the reader has to pay close attention, while others can be read in a more leisurely fashion.
I apologize for the rambling review, but in conclusion, this a a very fine anthology of modern science fiction writing today. My guess is that all readers will find something they like in the book. Recommended.”

James G is now following Ryan Sean OReilly.

James G reviewed a book.

“Much better than the movie anyway which was good in itself but obviously a stripped down version of the book made for twilight fans. There was so much more depth in this story with more characters and more detail, especially about the abilities of casters and the distinction between them and the...”

“Much better than the movie anyway which was good in itself but obviously a stripped down version of the book made for twilight fans. There was so much more depth in this story with more characters and more detail, especially about the abilities of casters and the distinction between them and the incubus/succubus. The relationship between Ethan and Lena seems a lot more believable in the book.”

James G now owns a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

Bryan D has read a book. (see 3 more books added to shelf)

Bryan D rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars