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

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