Trapped In Virtual Reality

THE LAST DAYS OF MYTH-REAL by Eric S. Brown is nothing like his Bigfoot stories. The premise is straightforward: the crew of a space voyager are in stasis, while their minds are hooked into a virtual reality game. Unfortunately, the AI running it has changed the parameters, and the crew is now trapped inside.

I love the blend of genres within the game...kind of like World of Warcraft mixed with Fortnite and a touch of Westworld. The characters are diverse and completely awesome, and they provide some spectacular action within the battles. Even the dialogue is exciting. Long-time fans of Brown will also love the inclusion of Squatch.

I'd love a sequel to follow-up on the ship's original mission.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Last One Standing

NIGHT OF THE SASQUATCH by Eric S. Brown has a slightly bigger setting than most of his Bigfoot battles, including a city fortress, an abandoned armory, and, of course, the woods. The author includes more variety among his characters. Between the two elements, Brown is able to create more suspense than usual, and keeps readers guessing.

As for my thoughts: Marcus is a walking turd, Chris really does give hope, Joe has more brawn than brains, and Karen is the one I respect from beginning to end. The soldiers didn't impress me much at all. Overall, one of my favorite Brown stories.

I'm still pushing for the author to include more supernatural opponents in future stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Ouija Revenge

STRAWS by James Baaack and Eric S. Brown is a revenge story, but not as predictable as one might think. The setup is a little on the long side, and there isn't much to the characters, but the ending is great. I do wish more time had been spent on Kathie and Billy's interactions, and I would have liked the two goth girls to have more scenes as well, but the death scenes are creative.

If you're expecting anything like Brown's Bigfoot stories, you'll be disappointed, as the style is more of Baaack's. This is kind of like an 80s horror movie condensed into a short story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hiking Into Hell

BIGFOOT TRAIL by Eric S Brown blends folklore and the supernatural into this brutal battle, setting this story apart from others in this crypto genre. The author immediately begins with the slaughter of some campers, following up with forest rangers, hikers and more, leaving readers to wonder if anyone will make it out of the woods alive.

If you're looking for deep characters or complicated storylines, move along. This is written for action fans who appreciate all the different ways Bigfoot can destroy anyone foolish enough to enter the forest of death.

I also recommend reading Brown's HUNTERS, as well.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sci-Fi Yeti Battle

RISE OF THE YETIS by Eric S. Brown takes place in a dystopian future, with severely limited resources and corporations controlling every detail of daily life. There is just enough sci-fi mixed to create a desolate crypto-nightmare which stands out from most of the author's previous stories.

Not only is there a lot of action, but the drama between the corporate scumbags and the working class is pretty intense. People either tow the company line or become instantly homeless and starve to death. In this case, workers are forced into a doomed mission to retrieve a creature for the big bosses on the mainland.

The ending is gut-wrenching, literally and figuratively.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bigfoot Wants You For Jerky

THE SQUAD by Eric S. Brown is another battle royale with Bigfoot. This time a group of soldiers on a weekend exercise join forces with some young hunters, with everyone being trapped on a mountain and hunted by a tribe of Sasquatch. The author still manages to create new ways for people to die at the hands of the beasts, while keeping readers guessing which characters might survive, if any.

At this point in time, I think it would be interesting to see the survivors from some of Brown's novels form a support group, and, of course, the support group comes under attack. Think: Escape Room with Sasquatch.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Full Moon Death Brawl

HUNTERS by Eric S. Brown is my new favorite story by the author. Every time Brown comes out with another Bigfoot battle, I wonder how close he is to running out of ideas. Pretty much every one of them is a deathmatch with Sasquatch, and the legend always wins, but Brown keeps finding ways to make each scenario stand apart from the others.

I really enjoyed his Yeti story, Blood in the Snow, in which Brown throws in some unexpected extras. Hunters also has some extra elements, which are freaking fantastic! This time Brown has thrown more than one group up against the Squatch, and blended folklore and the supernatural into the bloody mix.

I'd love to see the author include more subgenres of horror in his future stories. Whether you're a fan of Brown or not, this is definitely a must-read.

As always,
AstraDaemon

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