Split Into Something Else

A dual novella featuring ORPHEUS AND THE PEARL by Kim Paffenroth and NEVERMORE by David Dunwoody. Double the terror, double the fun!


ORPHEUS AND THE PEARL
In 1920 Massachusetts, Dr. Catherine MacGuire is mysteriously called to the home of the famous Dr. Wallston, to assist with some medical emergency that defies even his skill. The life-threatening problems she finds there have less to do with broken bodies than with warped souls, and it will take all of her skill as a healer to fix them.

NEVERMORE Malcolm Witt died in his sleep at 11:07 PM. Four minutes later his body rose and walked from the room. Malcolm watched it happen.

And so begins 24 hours of a life-after-death struggle to save his friends, forgive his love, and put himself to rest - body and soul.

ORPHEUS AND THE PEARL by Kim Paffenroth is a pleasant reminder of the psychological element the author brings to his horror stories. If I didn't know any better, I would think Paffenroth channeled both Freud (1919 essay, The Uncanny) and Jung (archetypes) while constructing his characters and their dilemma. Even Dr. MacGuire's reference to Greek tragedies struck a chord (Aristotle's Catharsis). You don't have to be familiar with any of these literary references to appreciate the anticipation of something tragic happening before the end of the story. However, Paffenroth delivers the most terrifying blow in the form a light whisper. Pay attention to the tiny details.

NEVERMORE by David Dunwoody is one of the best damn zombie stories I've ever read, and, yet, Dunwoody has created something much more than an undead tale. The author takes common motivators such as love, betrayal and revenge, mixes them with the supernatural and the result is a thriller worthy of the big screen.

Both stories are examples of the familiar becoming unfamiliar -- the heart of true horror, but the two are nothing alike. Paffenroth and Dunwoody use a similar element to show how human behavior can be predictable and unpredictable at the same time, while remaining original in their storytelling.

An excellent pairing!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Zombie Kids With Brains

In a world overrun by the living dead, one band of survivors built a community with a strange sort of peace with the undead. The dead were contained, but not exterminated.

Now they’ve exiled four people—two undead, two alive—into the wilderness outside the city walls. Lucy, a beautiful zombie overwhelmed by her desire to kill and feed, keeps herself just barely under control around her living companions. Truman, a gentler and more reasonable zombie, looks at the living with something close to disinterest. Rachel and Will have trouble understanding and trusting one another—let alone their undead companions.

Dying to Live: Last Rites by Kim Paffenroth introduces a new dilemma into the zombie survival mindset. Instead of the typical “kill me before I turn” decision, the characters realize it’s possible that they could turn into one of the thinking undead…so, getting infected doesn’t necessarily mean the end of life after all.

Unlike the traditional zombie novels, this is a story about the undead trying to escape the living…the living who are no longer the only “survivors” of the zombie apocalypse. Many authors/directors have tried to humanize zombies, but no one has come close to what Paffenroth has accomplished with Last Rites.

Not only do we see the development of Rachel and Will’s relationship, but we are given intimate details of the relationship between the zombies, Truman and Lucy. We watch as the group is pulled apart when faced with survivors who are rebuilding a society that exploits the thinking undead.

Paffenroth also brings in zombie children. Not the ankle-biting kind; these zombie kids can think too, and they aren’t as innocent as their human counterparts. Everyone suffers in this novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon