by Eric S. Brown
Pill Hill Press
Hardcover Ed
ISBN:978-1-61706-020-5
Review by: Gina Desory
Review Posted: 10/16/2010
Season of Death is another novellas collection by author Eric S. Brown. The four novellas are Undead down Under where a character named Kyle who you met in Season of Rot one of another novella collection that came before, fights the crocodile-demons in Australia. In How the West went to Hell is a horror western that a book editor travels to the small town of Reaper's Valley to research a dead author's manuscript where he discovers more than just some kind hospitality, plus a yellowed-eyed demon. Kinberra Down is the science fiction novella that is co-authored with Jessica Marie Roberts where Kinberra crew stumble upon an icy planet that is loaded with creatures beyond their imagination. Ragnarock Island is the sequel to the Queen story Eric S. Brown wrote dealing with the survival of the character Scott races through the undead and the troubles that come everywhere he looks.
This is a collection that has many twists and turns. The most noted novella that had a wonderful twist was How the West went to Hell. Eric S. Brown took a western, wrapped it with horror situations and turned the story into a gem.
I found that Kinberra Down lacked holding my interest for very long. There were some really good parts to the story, but the first section dragged a bit. It was not typical Brown writing and perhaps reading Science Fiction by this author is not what readers maybe used to. It is not to say lovers of Science Fiction may not like this, but I found it to be a bit simplistic.
Ragnarock Island took my breath away. If you have read his story called the Queen, you will see the brilliance that came about when this story out of Season of Death was done. The thrill of seeing what the characters were going to do next, what leaped out here and there, it gave chills down my spine waiting to see what would happen as I read. This story certainly is at the top when it comes to this collection.
Undead down Under left a bit of a hole as I read it. It did not present itself as a separate novella. If you didn't read the original story, you as a reader could be lost. Was it good, yes, only because I had read the original story. The strange demons and such portrayed in this story left me craving for me.
Should you buy this collection? I give it a yes and yes. There are some parts where you maybe sighing a bit, however, this is a must buy for Eric S. Brown fans and if you have not read any of his stuff, make sure to get Season of Rot and Season of Death, but reading Season of Rot first to get a grasp of some of these characters.
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Season of Death
