A novel written and released in a serialized series of blog posts originally in 2004 and then was later published in print in 2006. The story revolves around a former United Nations weapons inspector named Dekalb; who's daughter, Sarah is being held in Somalia by the Woman's Republic and their leader, Mama Halima. A key factor to the plot is Mama Halima's infliction with AIDs, which fortunately for Dekalb, requires her to have certain medication in order to continue to live. Dekalb being a former UN weapons inspector and resident of New York City is entrusted with a mission to NYC to find and recover AIDS medication for Mama Halima. The Republic is represented by several young female warriors, among them is one named Ayaan who plays a major role throughout Dekalb's mission. These young girls are bred specifically to fight for the Republic and they're willing to give up anything for their operation including their lives.
The story opens up with the feeling that it is basically your typical zombie piece, but quickly deviates from this illusion with the addition of Gary. Gary is a former medical student who theorizes that the undead are only “mindless” due to cerebral hypoxia, a lack of oxygen supply to the brain, which occurs when the subject “dies” and becomes reanimated. Using his theory and his access to medical supplies, Gary gets into a cold bath, presumably to keep the swelling down when his body dies, and attaches himself to a dialysis machine and respirator to keep his brain functioning while he's “dead” and the epidemic courses through his body. The inclusion of Gary is just the beginning of the story's deviation from a normal zombie survival story; As the story progresses you find that there are others like Gary that are in all ways dead aside from their brain and they all possess special powers that are accessible through a dark network of energy. I think this inclusion of dark energies and necromantic powers gives Monster Island almost a fantasy like feeling and puts horror into a sub genre in which to classify the novel. Also, different from most is the fact that even animals can become undead beings and they aren't specifically chasing after the cliché “brains” of origin, but rather they're trying to satisfy an unbearable hunger that is satisfied by any given thing with nutrients but they are more drawn to the golden “glow” of the living.
The differences in rules of the common zombie aren't the only things that give the author's, David Wellington's, novel a definite contrast from the rest. One of my favorite parts of the Monster Island is that it's written in a serialized fashion, making each chapter a more quickly resolved idea than the typical fiction novel. Wellington, does an excellent job of setting up each scene with adequate amounts of visual indications that never feel too overly descriptive or adversely underwhelming and bland. In addition, every other chapter is displayed in either the view of Dekalb or the antagonist, Gary, giving the reader two story lines to follow which often segregate and overlap each other several times in the story, a technique I'm a big fan of.
I'm very happy I took the time to read this novel thoroughly and I'm looking forward to reading Wellington's 2 other books in the series, I'm a big fan of the zombie genre in all forms of media. The subject of zombies gives in to our human nature because at one point zombies were human, and no one knows exactly what the course of action would be to dealing with them. Survival is always an interesting situation and one that reader's love to be entertained with so these are reasons to why I feel the zombie genre is so popular with the current generation, and really would a worldwide epidemic really be that inconceivable? No, I don't think it would...
-Dan
...And here's my corresponding metal pick of the week:
All Shall Perish - Herding the Brainwashed
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Frankenstein
Frankenstein is a book written in the early 1800's by a young Mary Shelley, and is often credited as being the first in it's horror or goth (both are often used as interchangeable terms) genre. It is obvious that Frankenstein does possess some of the characteristics that are commonly associated with gothic literature, this is mainly apparent as it's subject matter revolves around a hideous and abhorrent creature whose creator assumes that the “monster” is an evil spawn bent on the destruction of those around him.
In my opinion Frankenstein wouldn't be considered a gothic novel really but, I can definitely see how it would be credited with being the first, since all genres in any creative endeavor deviate and evolve from their source material, to the point where not many aspects are retained from the original.
The book is captured through a series of letters written by captain Robert Walton, who is on a dangerous mission headed for the North Pole. The captain's ship becomes trapped in the frigid north within seas of ice where Walton encounters another “man on a mission,” this man being Victor Frankenstein. The captain takes the cold riddled Victor on board to help him recuperate and this is where the story's plot unfolds as Frankenstein tells his “horrifying” tale.
Victor is possessed by a unyielding desire for mastery in the arts of alchemy, but after attending a university he is quickly informed that it's an honorable goal, but one that isn't realistic in his age of living. He begins his studies of chemistry and natural philosophy and eventually after years of research makes breakthrough discoveries. With the use of his knowledge he goes on a feverish pursuit to bring life to a being, but instead of re-animating a human, he creates a hulking mass (out of different pieces of dead human remains that he acquired) with multi-braced limbs and skin hardly stretched over it's features; he wanted to create something the world had not yet seen. Upon giving the creature life Victor immediately regrets his actions, as his mind was clouded by his desires, and he retreats leaving the newly born creature to it's own devices.
Throughout the story Shelley has you sympathize with both characters, but mostly Victor's creation I feel, even though his looks may be perceived as demonic in nature Victor was actually the evil one. Dr. Frankenstein through out the novel kept everything in secret knowing almost all of his actions were of selfish desires and in the end it came to “haunt” him, which is what he undeniably deserved.
When all is said and done, Frankenstein is a great novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I'm looking forward to reading some more fiction in the genre.
-Dan
Oh and as a side-note, being a metal aficionado often times other art forms like illustration and books will remind me of songs that I like, Frankenstein reminded me of this... WARNING this is death metal so if you're not into that sort of thing, don't listen! :-D
The Black Dahlia Murder - A Selection Unnatural
In my opinion Frankenstein wouldn't be considered a gothic novel really but, I can definitely see how it would be credited with being the first, since all genres in any creative endeavor deviate and evolve from their source material, to the point where not many aspects are retained from the original.
The book is captured through a series of letters written by captain Robert Walton, who is on a dangerous mission headed for the North Pole. The captain's ship becomes trapped in the frigid north within seas of ice where Walton encounters another “man on a mission,” this man being Victor Frankenstein. The captain takes the cold riddled Victor on board to help him recuperate and this is where the story's plot unfolds as Frankenstein tells his “horrifying” tale.
Victor is possessed by a unyielding desire for mastery in the arts of alchemy, but after attending a university he is quickly informed that it's an honorable goal, but one that isn't realistic in his age of living. He begins his studies of chemistry and natural philosophy and eventually after years of research makes breakthrough discoveries. With the use of his knowledge he goes on a feverish pursuit to bring life to a being, but instead of re-animating a human, he creates a hulking mass (out of different pieces of dead human remains that he acquired) with multi-braced limbs and skin hardly stretched over it's features; he wanted to create something the world had not yet seen. Upon giving the creature life Victor immediately regrets his actions, as his mind was clouded by his desires, and he retreats leaving the newly born creature to it's own devices.
Throughout the story Shelley has you sympathize with both characters, but mostly Victor's creation I feel, even though his looks may be perceived as demonic in nature Victor was actually the evil one. Dr. Frankenstein through out the novel kept everything in secret knowing almost all of his actions were of selfish desires and in the end it came to “haunt” him, which is what he undeniably deserved.
When all is said and done, Frankenstein is a great novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I'm looking forward to reading some more fiction in the genre.
-Dan
Oh and as a side-note, being a metal aficionado often times other art forms like illustration and books will remind me of songs that I like, Frankenstein reminded me of this... WARNING this is death metal so if you're not into that sort of thing, don't listen! :-D
The Black Dahlia Murder - A Selection Unnatural
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