Cost of Doing Business | Horror Story Review | AstraDaemon

DEEP TERROR by Eric S. Brown is an action-packed mix of science fiction and horror. I can think of several movies and books with scientists disturbing something evil in an ocean trench, but Brown's creatures stand out from the rest...not at all what I expected.

The in-fighting among the crew is full of suspense, but didn't interest me as much as what happens outside of the research facility. I love the battle scenes with the Silt Stompers!

Anyone familiar with Brown's writing style won't be surprised by the ending, but I'm still hoping the author might give a us a sequel. I'd like to know more about the substance being harvested.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Not Much Horror | Book Review

AMAZON HORROR CRUISE by Eric S. Brown is a horror novella sprinkled with mythology, but surprisingly few monsters. The way Captain Eli carries on, I expected far more problems for the crew along the river journey. The actions scenes are thrilling, but not as many I expected from the author.

Compared to Brown's previous work, this one seemed a little on the bland side. I recommend PRIMAL FORCE for a better jungle nightmare.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Monster Week | Island of Death | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

13 MONSTERS by Eric S. Brown is an oceanic creature feature packed with action and death. Billionaire Matt Drake has built his own aquatic complex to house his collection of sea cryptids, but his security team severely underestimated the dangerous intelligence of the monsters within.

A naval rescue team is sent onto the island without adequate intel, and they pay for this mistake with their lives. In fact, this novella is series of bad decisions made by the characters, resulting in a brutal variety of slaughter scenes.

If you're looking for a horror story set at sea, without the typical threat of sharks, I recommend this latest massacre from Brown.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Vietnam Cryptid | AstraDaemon

PRIMAL FORCE by Eric S. Brown is one of the stories I've been hoping the author would write. Brown has written about so many different cryptids, I wondered if he would include the one rumored to exist in the jungles of Vietnam. There are numerous reports from veterans about the creatures, named after their common method of attack. One could call this novella, historical horror.

The story is full of action, and not as predictable as some of the author's previous creature features. The ending caught me off guard, and left me wondering if the whole thing had been a fever dream or a waking nightmare. I'm recommending this one to horror fans who enjoy monster vs. man.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Mother's Wrath | AstraDaemon

Desron 22 was on standard shakedown maneuvers when the squadron discovered the Pleasure Bound. The massive cruise liner was adrift, everyone aboard her, dead except for a single survivor. The man’s wild tales of monsters from the deep were hard to believe until those very monsters came after the squadron itself. Now a desperate battle for survival rages on the waves as the firepower of the United States Navy goes head to head with unspeakable terrors no human was ever meant to see and live.

KRAKEN by Eric S. Brown is another brutal creature feature taking place in the middle of the ocean. True to the author's killing style, many of the characters don't last long enough to make much of an impression, but their individual reactions to the attacks kept me hooked. Some have given up all hope, others are willing to fight tooth and nail. As a result, the action scenes are thrilling...my favorite is the deck battle involving Diana and Fox.

If you enjoy movies such as Deep Rising or The Meg, I recommend reading this novella.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Loch, Stock and Two Bloody Storylines | AstraDaemon

 

LOCH NESS HORROR by Eric S. Brown is a novella which mixes Nessie folklore and undead horror with Psionic elements, creating a frightening apocalyptic encounter with a terrifying leviathan. Anyone expecting this to simply be another twist on the famous cryptid is obviously not familiar with the author's writing style. Brown once again reminds readers, a terrible situation can always be made worse, especially when there's more than one monster to battle for survival.

In this case, the nightmare unfolds through two storylines, exposing how a plan to save the world from a necro-virus has fallen apart. One group attempts to make contact with an ancient creature for a cure, while the other group is overrun in their fortress. When the two POVs finally merge, characters are slaughtered on every page.

I also recommend Brown's novella THE CAVE for another dystopian-thriller.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Pirates, Megalodons and the Old Gods - Oh My! | AstraDaemon

MEGALODON APOCALYPSE by Eric S. Brown is a novella which would make a great dystopian action movie. Think Mad Max crazies battling The Meg in Waterworld, with a cameo from Lovecraft. Not much time to get attached to any of the characters, but they are just elaborate chum anyway. This is a conflict-driven story, complete with plenty of Michael Bay splosions. If you're looking for anything with deeper meaning, look elsewhere.

Brown did such a great job creating this terrifying future, I'd love to see another horror-thriller set in this world.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Not What You Might Think | AstraDaemon

Dr. Leia Carpenter arrives aboard Sonar Platform 1 as the biggest storm of the season is closing in on the top secret research facility. Her job to confirm or debunk the results of the experiments being conducted there quickly becomes a desperate battle for survival. Carpenter finds herself pitted against not only the raging storm and enemy agents but against a prehistoric creature that should not exist- a giant Megalodon with an equally large appetite and a burning desire for vengeance against those who have held it captive.

MEGALODON by Eric S. Brown is a novella centered on a military experiment involving the prehistoric sea creature. While somewhat similar to the movie Deep Blue Sea, the author takes this into a different direction with the naval warfare aspect. I thought this would be predictable, but Brown managed to surprise me several times.

I'm used to reading the author's Bigfoot stories, but I enjoyed his take on sharks much more. I'm looking forward to reading more of Brown's sea creature features. I also recommend Brown's PIRANHA, which features a mutation of the legendary killers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Face Off | AstraDaemon

MONSTER HUNT by Eric S. Brown is more of a scifi-thriller than a true Lit RPG. The action is almost nonstop, especially with the characters choosing combat situations for each level. Unfortunately, the characters aren't very developed, so they don't seem like much of a true team.

I don't think this is the worst story Brown has ever written, but it's certainly not his best. For a better hunting theme, I recommend HUNTERS instead.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Sasquatch and Zombies

LAST STAND IN A DEAD LAND by Eric S. Brown is a unique blend of folklore, science fiction and horror spun into an undead thriller. Whether you read Brown’s work for the gory action, the mix of monsters, or his sick humor, readers will be quite pleased to sink their teeth into this tale.

There’s so much controversy around the nature of the undead and possible outbreak scenarios, it’s easy to forget the other monsters lurking throughout our history, but Brown has created a brutal reminder: crap can always get worse during a zombie outbreak, especially if humans aren’t the top of the food chain in the first place.

I think this is the very first story I read by Eric S. Brown, making me an instant fan. Years later, stories such as HUNTERS has kept the author on my favorites list.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Denial Is A Killer

BIGFOOT: ALASKA by Eric S. Brown begins with a hunting party getting slaughtered by some mysterious beasts. A search party goes missing soon after, so a third group decides to enter the danger zone to figure out what happened to the others. With the help of a local Native guide and a lifetime resident, they soon find themselves fighting creatures they thought were just folklore.

I'm amazed Brown hasn't run out of death scenes, but the author continues to keep readers guessing as he proceeds to massacre his characters, page after page. We can only hope 2020 will not include these monsters.

I also recommend PIRANHA by Brown, which offers a new twist on a familiar threat.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Fantastic Alien Creation!

INTO THE LIGHT by Eric S. Brown is such a great sci-fi apocalypse story, I wish the author had used the concept for a full-length novel, or, at the very least, a novella.The Dwellers seem like an unstoppable force, but I can't help but wonder *hinting for sequel* if Brown's Sasquatch would be able to fight off the aliens.

Brown really should consider a double creature feature, followed by a third installment, with Hugh somehow being the savior of the human race.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Day, New Enemy

AFTER Z DAY by Eric S. Brown is another one of his zombie shorts with an unusual twist. In this case, the author has a Lovecraftian surprise for his group of survivors. Some of the characters believe if they can fight the undead, they can fight their new enemy, but others in the group have nothing left to give.

Between the dialogue and the action, readers are sure to feel the exhaustion and desperation of Sparks and his companions.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead Last

MARTIN KIER AND THE DEAD by Eric S. Brown begins with a great intro from Jonathan Moon (Children of God, Heinous), offering a little insight into this short story. Martin Kier, a genetically enhanced clone, offers the safety of his home to a group of survivors, while placing himself in harm's way.

This isn't really my cup of tea, as far as zombie stories go, but there is still a lot of entertaining action to be had.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Corruption Above and Below

HOW FRAGILE THE SOUL by Eric S. Brown is a post-apocalyptic story which begins with the typical undead horror and then descends into bloody madness. The author packs a novel's worth of action into this short, and keeps things moving at a fast pace by introducing a variety of characters, from the beginning to the very end. The epilogue is a shocker.

Definitely recommending this dark thriller to zombiephiles!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Down to the Bones

PIRANHA by Eric S. Brown takes place in North Carolina. A plane carrying a military experiment goes down in a river, and a nearby small town becomes the feeding ground for a new kind of predator. After a mutilated body washes ashore, during a rain storm, the townsfolk soon find themselves caught in a flash flood filled with deadly creatures.

This novella is very much like a SyFy movie, but with the savage brutality Brown regularly unleashes on his fans. The action is gruesome, and the suspense will eat away at you. This is not your dad's underwater nightmare...this is a new reason to fear the water.

Not only do I recommend this story, I also recommend THE CAVE by Eric S. Brown.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Fight

In the blink of eye, the city of New York was thrown into a battle for survival and it was every man and woman for themselves.

YEAR OF THE DEAD by Eric S. Brown is a flash fiction story about a guy who finds himself in the middle of a zombie outbreak on New Year's Eve. The author provides a lot of action in a just a few pages, but the ending left me wanting more.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Bad Memory

NIGHT SHOPPING by Eric S Brown is the first story he published, featuring zombies instead of Sasquatch. This flash fiction piece centers on a group of teenagers who have had their drinking plans disrupted by an undead outbreak. The three young men decide to grab supplies from a store before the place is overrun, but everything goes wrong within minutes.

There's a six week jump in the story, which creates a lot of unanswered questions, specifically about Laura. Based on this story, I would never have guessed what kind of story-teller Brown would become. I am happy to say his more recent work is far better...but we all have to start somewhere.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Interdimensional Hellscape

THE CAVE by Eric S. Brown is an action-packed science fiction thriller, much like Starship Troopers and The Mist, mixed with the apocalyptic terror the author is well-known for. What begins with a camping trip, ends with bloodshed and destruction. Unable to escape his past childhood trauma, Nick must guide a military expedition into a cave full of nightmares.

The question isn't whether or not the group will survive, but how many creatures can each one kill before they take their last breath? Will it be enough? The ending is shocking...I didn't expect this to be part of a series, but I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

School's Out Forever

THE GUARD by Eric S. Brown is one of his most action-packed Bigfoot novellas. I love the different ways the townsfolk and the soldiers kill the monsters in this one, especially the efforts of Tim and Cato. While most characters aren't around long enough to reveal much of a personality, the survivors make an impression with the various ways they fight back.

If you enjoy this story, I recommend HUNTERS and RISE OF THE YETIS, both by Brown.

As always,
AstraDaemon