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