You're Going To Need More Than Beef Jerky

BIGFOOT VS. PREPPERS by Eric S. Brown is yet another deathmatch between a group of humans and the legendary creatures. While this novella offers the same formula (Bigfoot tribe attacks, humans totally screwed), Brown still manages to change up the ways the characters are brutally slaughtered. He also includes quite an assortment of personalities among the preppers.

There is one question, asked multiple times by the folks at the compound, which kept me hooked throughout the bloodshed: why didn't anyone ever see a Sasquatch during all those years they spent on the mountain? I wanted to know what triggered the hairy beasts, after so much uneventful time had gone by.

The ending had me scurrying back to the story, Day of the Sasquatch, looking for a connection. I'll admit, I haven't read Brown's Bigfoot Wars yet. Maybe a more seasoned Brown fan will be able to figure it out.

As always,
AstraDaemon

When Everything Goes Wrong

A vast, subterranean system of caves has been discovered in Antarctica. Dr. Leo Berkman, a leading expert in the field of Crypto-zoology, is brought in to help study the strange lifeforms found within the caves. Strange tracks in the snow and an attack on one of Delta Base's rovers points to there being more within the caves than anyone expected. And soon, Dr. Berkman and the crew of Delta Base will find themselves in a desperate battle of survival.

BLOOD IN THE SNOW by Eric S. Brown follows a team investigating an elaborate cave system. They immediately discover new species, which distracts them from both internal and external threats to their project. Unfortunately, everyone is focused on their own personal agendas, further weakening the group's chances of survival.

Brown throws everything into this story: betrayal, cryptozoology, metaphysics and an old fashioned apocalyptic bomb. There is no lack of action or drama, but I felt more could have been done with Berkman's storyline. I would have also enjoyed seeing Berkman's discovery develop into something more. With everything going on at the base, the author could've easily written a full-length novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Get Up Out The Way

All communications with The Tarican 4 Colony, a new Earth terra-forming project, were lost. No one in Earth Gov. could explain why. A joint military/civilian team of soldiers and experts have been dispatched to investigate the sudden silence, but will they be ready for what they are about to discover?

COLONY OF THE DEAD by Eric S. Brown kept me guessing about the source of the infection. The reveal towards the end would make another great story, perhaps a prequel. While the action and suspense are fairly solid, this zombie story didn't meet my expectations for Brown.

THE GUIDE is a bonus Bigfoot story. This flash fiction piece has a very dark ending, which makes the Sasquatch look like a kitten.

NO STINKING YANKEE is a bonus zombie story in flash fiction form, a moment in the Civil War with the undead.

I'm going to assume these stories were written before Brown nailed down his writing style because all three pale in comparison to the author's recent work in the last few years.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Ain't Got Time For What You Feel

Raped and left for dead, Linda was exiled from the Barrens. Somehow, she learned to survive in a world filled with the walking, hungry dead.

And now. . .Linda is coming home to settle up with the people of the Barrens.

Bullets will fly and there will be blood.

COLD VENGEANCE by Eric S. Brown is a flash fiction story taking place in a post-apocalyptic setting. The only safe place from the Snarlers is the Barrens, but the people inside aren't safe from the cruelty inflicted by the living. Linda, cast out and left for dead in her youth, discovered the Barrens is not the only holdout.

Told mostly through flashbacks, centering on Linda's survival and determination, she is about to complete her revenge plan, when she finds herself injured yet again...and trying to escape the undead. The story, despite the short length, is filled with suspense and action in equal measures.

I would love to read a full-length novel about Linda and the Barrens.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Blizzard of Blood

Deep in the arctic, a military transport crashes. The soldiers aboard find themselves stranded and battling the elements to survive. . . But something is out there in the snow, watching them. Soon, they will discover that some legends are real and there are worse ways to die than from the cold.

Crashed by Eric S Brown is a blizzard of blood. A change in command goes horribly wrong as a military group is drawn into a battle with an army of Yetis. Although the beginning is slow and the story is basically a tooth and nail slaughter, the author's trademark beast feast delivers quality winter warfare. The setting is chilling, and the action is thrilling.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Island of the Damned

Roak Island was a quiet little place, a picturesque paradise, despite the dark legends of its past. It was the sort of place that Colonel Vaughn and his elite squad of operatives never would have imagined being deployed on. 

When all communications with the island are lost, he and his men find themselves sent in to discover what has happened there and why everyone on the island has suddenly gone silent.

They will soon discover that some legends are real.

Bigfoot Island by Eric S. Brown is a brutal novella about the ill-fated mission of a special ops team. Once again, Brown portrays the North American legend as a ferocious predator, nearly unstoppable. This might upset some cryptozoologists, but it makes for a fantastic horror-thriller. Especially with the cold disregard the author shows for his own characters.

I'm impressed with how many different stories Brown has written about this species, without seeming redundant. The mix of action and quiet moments cranks the suspense, until readers get an adrenaline rush just from reading. The ending is an unexpected gut-kick.

If you enjoy folklore mixed with terror, I recommend the stories of Eric S. Brown to all horror fans.

As always,
AstraDaemon

When The Cold Does Bite

A military team is dispatched to locate the source of a strange radiation in Antarctica. They find far more than they bargained for and quickly become locked in a battle for survival with monsters straight out of legend.

Attack of the Yetis by Eric S. Brown is snow-covered carnage in the form of Yetis vs. soldiers. However, Brown creates his own version of this popular creature of legend, with a surprising mix of horror and science fiction. There is no joy to be found in these pages, only action and death...but the battle scenes are amazing.

I'm hoping Brown might consider writing a sequel to this novella, or maybe even a prequel. I have so many unanswered questions about these Yetis.

As always,
AstraDaemon