SIMULACRUM AND OTHER POSSIBLE REALITIES, Jason V Brock, Hippocampus Press, $20, 252 pages, ISBN: 9781614980551, reviewed by Barry Hunter.
In his introduction, William F. Nolan compares Brock with Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, Chad Oliver and William Clayton Johnson. H feels that Brock would be right at home with group of authors and after reading this collection of prose and poetry, I am very inclined to agree with him.
There are stories that are written that would fit right into a collection by Matheson, Lovecraft or Bradbury but have a uniquely Brock twist and flavor. This collection will definitely give you a good sampling of Brock’s dexterity and I’m sure that you will develop a taste for his writing with this collection.
“What the Dead’s Eyes Behold” answers that question. “One for the Road” is one of those rest stop gone wrong tales. Witches sue each other in “The Hex Factor”. “The Underground is a tale of the strange folks you meet on the subway. “Van Helsing: His True Story” is exactly that. “By Any Other Name…” is a unique job interview for a unique position. “Black Box” would have made an excellent Twilight Zone episode. Discovering a previously unknown island off the coast of Antarctica and vegetarians is an interesting combination in the HPL inspired “Milton’s Island”. The title story is a very interesting story about Virtual Reality.
“Palindrome Syndrome”, Frac/tion”, “People After Their Murder by the U.S. CIA”, and “poem from the Future” are my favorite poems of those presented.
If you like you horror with a dash of humor, a hearty amount of intelligence, and leaving you wanting more when you have finished, this is the book for you. Thank you Jason Brock and Hippocampus Press for a feast of good reading.
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