Voices in the Field, by J. Allen Fielder

 

 

Many things have conspired to keep me too busy to read more than one book in the last two weeks, and that book was an epic fantasy, which I don't review here.  But I've some good news! At times, I go on binges of reading short story compilations.  In 2011 I came across one written by indie author +J. Allen Fielder, and reviewed it on my fantasy review blog, Best in Fantasy, because I loved the book and only had the one venue for reviewing books. In fact, this was why we created The Dark Side Book Review and began reviewing the many fine books NOT in the fantasy genre here.

 

I met the author in January 2011 through ABNA and was immediately struck by his wry wit and crazy sense of humor. Based on my impressions of him I bought his book as soon as he published it. 

 

I loved  'Voices in the Field' because Fielder went back to the roots of science-fiction.  I felt then and I still feel that this book is a thinking-person's sort of book. There are morality tales, and tales that are simply meant to make you go "hmm...."

 

The Blurb:

"Voices in the Field" is a collection of short stories by J. Allen Fielder. Titles include previously published and unpublished short stories, from the eponymous "Voices in the Field," to the humorously creepy "Mom's Eye View," these stories were written to thrill, chill, and make the reader wonder "What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Other titles include "Liquid," "Truck Stop Love," and "Homemade Pie." Stories range from horror, to mystery, to children's . . . and various points in between

I must say, Fielder delivered on his promises!

 

My Review:

In the first tale, which the book takes its title from, Fielder introduces us to a man whose car has broken down along a rural stretch of highway. This tale is both homey, and frightening, with a sort of Stephen King intensity. Harold is a 71 year old academic who has taken a less traveled route from Kansas State college on his back home to Corinthian College. Alas, this road is exceedingly less well traveled, and Harold's car breaks down. Being a naturally cheerful sort, he settles in to wait for a passing car to get help. To while away the time, he records his thoughts on the machine that he uses to record his notes on. He is a bit old fashioned, and doesn't have a mobile phone. He soon regrets having taken the back road. This is an unsettling story and it sets the tone for the rest of the book very well.

For those of us who are fans of horror, the fourth tale, 'Liquid' is one of the creepiest tales I have ever read. A doctor at the top of his craft is the victim of an attack that completely changes his life. It is a terrible case of 'There but for the grace of God go I', taken to an appalling extreme.

I must say, that I may never eat a pot pie again, having read 'Homemade Pie'. The twist at the end of this tale is a real surprise, and gruesome though the tale is, it is one of my favorites.

'Cowboy Up' is the tale of an urban cowboy with an identity crisis, and a marriage proposal gone awry.

'The Party Pooper' is an extremely graphic tale of two buddies who make porn films in their spare time. These are men whom I wouldn't want to know, but hey - it's all in good fun. (NOT!)

The book ends with 'Weight' a tale of a young man who has suffered a lifetime of abuse for being obese. It is not a long tale, but it is the sort of tale that would have found its way onto 'The Twilight Zone' back in the heyday of morality tales.

I could practically hear Rod Serling 's voice introducing each of these well crafted and deliciously thought-provoking tales!

All in all, J. Allen Fielder has written a wonderfully creepy series of short stories. This book is firmly on my list of keepers, and you can find it at amazon.com for the reasonable price of .99.

72 - hours to Crack the Universe’s Code; Mark O'Brien

72 - hours to Crack the Universe’s Code by indie author Mark O'Brien  is a novel of political intrigue, mathematics, passion and underlying it all, an imperative directive to humanity with dire galactic overtones.

Somewhat like the Illuminati, the Mathematika is a mysterious Greek society founded long before Christianity. The reason for its existence is to bring mankind ‘that which they know but cannot understand’ and was created to ‘safeguard the truths until mankind was ready to understand them’. Now the time has come, and the Mathematika is now ruled by the dark fanatic, Alexander Kepler – who believes ethical lines were drawn so you would know where to cross them. Yet, although he is extremely violent, murderous and obsessive, Kepler is a family man, and his relationship with his wife is one of the lighter parts of the tale. This most violent and evil of men is also a romantic, tender lover. However, the time has come for the world to know some basic truths about the Universe, and it is Kepler’s task to insure they are made public.

To this end, he kidnaps a renowned Muslim leader, Ibn Qurra. His henchmen also kidnap the renowned Rabbi Jacobi, and Father George Pappus, president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation -  all three at 10:45 am on the same day.

Not all of Kepler’s heavies are 100% behind him, one is a traitor, and another considers him to be insane. All the heavies are individuals, which makes reading them enjoyable.

Ransoms are sent: a series of 3 mathematical equations which all must be solved one per day within 72 hours. If one equation is wrong, all three of the kidnapped men will die.

The protégé of George Pappus, Clancy Sylvester, astrophysicist and mathematician, is determined to get his mentor back. The author has researched all three of the religions represented by the three kidnapped leaders, and also the cultures they represent.  The author also appears to have a firm grasp of mathematics, as I do NOT; but  on the positive side he did not make me have to do the thinking so the math was fine. Clancy’s friend Jules Hadamard (female, despite the name) who is a math genius explains it all. All of the characters are distinctly individual, and if some are over the top, well that is part of the fun.

While O'Brien goes a little heavy on the descriptions at times, over all this is a compelling read. There are moments of humor and also of pathos, and the action is non-stop. All in all, I found this to quite entertaining, and well written. This is a good read, and I do not hesitate to recommend it!

Requiem For The Widowmaker, Blackie Noir

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Guest Review by John A. Aragon:

Coarse, gritty, and brutal prose…

I "met" Blackie Noir on an online writers' forum about four years ago. Over the years he occasionally gave us tantalizing glimpses of his coarse, gritty, and brutal prose. Now he has finally published some of his brilliant and savage novels.

REQUIEM FOR THE WIDOWMAKER is an astounding work. It offers a dark vision filled with fascinating, well developed characters from the underbelly of the Southern California biker culture, and from the universal and timeless perspective of homicide detectives.

This novel is action packed, tightly plotted, psychologically incisive, and, ultimately, life affirming, despite its unflinching view of the pain of human existence. It's a page turner--I couldn't put it down. This is a novel such as Charles Bukowski might have given us.

Detective Nadine Kozak and her partner, the aging, old school, Johnny Vance team up to hunt down a vigilante serial killer called the Widowmaker. Their quest will lead them to places in which they must face their own demons and question their most deeply held values.

Blackie Noir's writing is so much fun that some might say: "Yeah, but is it great literature?" My answer is; I don't know. But consider this passage and decide for yourself:

"Watching the water stretching out, it's darker indigo melding with the paler azure of the sky where they joined on the horizon. This early in the morning, both managed to maintain the illusion of pristine cleanliness. As the day wore on the truth would out, their faux virginity shattered, both sky and sea would reveal their true colors, the horizon becoming a pronounced line, as dreary beige met dismal gray. Vance sighed; metaphor for the career of an aging cop."

Noir, Blackie (2012-04-13). Requiem For The Widowmaker (Kindle Locations 5013-5016). . Kindle Edition.

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Special thanks for this week's review to

John A. Aragon, author, trial lawyer and  all-round renaissance man.

'Billy the Kid's Last Ride'  

After Ilium, Stephen Swartz

After Ilium  is an engrossing work of modern literature, delivered with darkly cosmopolitan flair, by indie author Stephen Swartz.  As one reviewer said, 'don't read this if you are expecting a sappy romance novel!' There is a deep story here, and while there is a love affair, this book is much more of a thriller, mixing intrigue and politics with the romance. 

Set against the backdrop of the modern middle-east, After Ilium contrasts the old against the new in multiple ways throughout the story. Historical Ilium of the Trojan era is viewed through the eyes of the young history buff and tourist, Alex Parris as he tours Turkey and Greece, and we see the modern cities that thrive there now. The contrast of old against new provides a vivid tapestry that holds the reader.

The story begins when Alex Parris, a young American wakes up in a foreign hospital. He is terribly injured and his story is told in both flashbacks and dreams.

He has always been involved in the history of ancient Troy, or Ilium as it was called in ancient times. After finishing college Alex journeys to the ruined city that has fascinated him all his life, and on the way there he meets the mysterious and beautiful Elena.

Elena is older and very cosmopolitan. Rather naive at the outset, Alex is attracted to her foreign mannerisms and her aloofness challenges him. They begin a love affair that is filled with both passion and unanswered questions. 

Rather quickly things begin changing for the the worse, in his relationship with the beautiful Elena. Swartz' descriptions of both ancient and modern Ilium are clear and vivid.  The conversations and interactions between the characters are natural and unforced, drawing the reader in and immersing them in his tale.

Alex’s youth and inexperience lead him into a situation that culminates in a series of terrifying events. Nothing is as Alex believes it to be, and he is dragged into a series of nightmarish events that have one comonality - Elena. 

The way Swartz weaves the complex web of both Alex's dreams of ancient Ilium and his drugged memories of what happened to him after he met Elena is engrossing, and I found it hard to put down.

This is not a romance novel in any way. The mystery of what happened to Alex and how his love of the history of Ilium led to his predicament is at times violent and gritty.

I really enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, just good, solid adventure, well-written and engrossing. After Ilium is a book that I would read again! 

In Memory of Greed, Al Boudreau

This week for your dining pleasure, we are serving up a novel of geo-political intrigue, 'In Memory of Greed'.  Indy author Al Boudreau has dished us up a thriller involving the the movers and shakers in the world of Genetically Modified Seeds, and there are some real bad guys in this frequently violent but always entertaining book!

This tale of greed and moral bankruptcy is based on the premise that (quote)'If you control the seeds, you then control the food and ultimately the world.'  This is not that new a concept but what is new is that someone finally got around to writing a real thriller based on that rather simple concept.

ModAgro is the world leader of genetically modified seeds, and the CEO, Stuart Roth is determined to make it the only source of seeds, ruthlessly destroying small businesses and farmers in a way that is both heinous and abusive. He is thwarted in a takeover bid of his competitor, Haverhill, and decides to have the CEO of Haverhill murdered.  His enforcer, Patrick Keegan makes it so, and frames the perfect patsy. 

Murhkin Mocado is a highly trained former US Navy seal.  He employed by John Haverhill, and is the son of a powerful US Senator, and has been on the fringe of trouble all of his life. He is framed for a crime that he didn't commit, the murder of a man that he liked. This begins a series of events that kept me on the edge of my seat! I could visualize this as clearly as if it were scenes in an action movie. Murhkin ends up being both hospitalized and arrested, but it is there that he meets his love interest, a nurse named Jenn Pratt. 

At the same time that Murhkin is involved in his ordeals, Joelle Barstow, an industrial espionage operative is involved in a series of misadventures which are related to Murhkin's troubles.

Soon Murhkin is taken from his hospital bed, and transported first to Keegan's Ireland, and then to the beautifully drawn country of Kenya. Joelle Barstow is tailing them all the way.

These people are not superhuman, they make mistakes.  The rage that is expressed is human in its intensity with one exception.  Stuart Roth is completely over the top, but I liked that about him. As his empire crumbles he becomes ever more out of control. His self-abusive tantrums lend comedic moments to the roller coaster ride, as do his assistant's dead-pan comments.

There is a twist at the end that left me thinking about the book long after I finished it.  This is an excellent first novel, and while it has received some mixed reviews, most of the reviewers seemed to agree with me that this book was a fun dip into the world of political intrigue.