Review: Reptile Museum by Cody Pickrodt

Nick Murray reviews a graphic tale of a world in which the apocalypse has long since come and gone. Folks get by how they can and mysterious characters appear without warning.

Apocalyptic fiction is thick on the ground these days. So much so that it is hard to see the quality wood for the repetitive trees. One can find themselves sifting through Walking Dead clones wishing for the days when the end of the world didn’t have to be signalled by shambling zombies, never thinking they’ll see the end until, as if by chance, they stumble upon Cody Pickrodt’s Reptile Museum. 

Advertisement

Review: Blood Fugue by Joseph D’Lacey

Alexander Mee was less than satisfied by Proxima’s latest offering, Blood Fugue. A sexed up vamp horror with all the subtlety of gravel. 

Eros and Thanatos, or Desire and Death. These are the drives that Freud believed acted within and amongst humans to motivate our heinous and holy intents as well as our internal conflicts. They are also key to understanding Horror as a genre, which plays on both at the same time. Dracula is a great example of this, the Count is a player but I’d want stake him for coming near my loved ones. Frankenstein’s monster is another, it seeks love but is doomed to destroy. Their journeys may be odysseys of furious savagery, but they are enthralling to read, and their downfalls bittersweet.

Review: Veronica Britton: Chronic Detective – N.P. Boyce

It took me many years to learn patience. Despite my decidedly calm current demeanour, I definitely had a temper-dappled childhood. One such instance, or series of instances as I never learned, was my relationship with Where’s Wally. These densely packed and intricately drawn megapictures were a constant torment for my prepubescent self. What should have been a simple activity, that of locating the titular striped nomad, became an exercise in frustration. This was not because I couldn’t locate Wally, but because I would stumble upon so many other characters and situations that were infinitely more interesting. Why should I bother with a bobble-hatted tourist when there’s a wizard bouncing on a trampoline – oh wait what’s that? An alien with a – and that – and that – and that!?

My childhood self was dissatisfied with the task given to him when there countless other astonishing stories I would rather follow. I realise now that I was probably overstimulated and overtired. Regardless, it was an issue I felt strongly about. This is the very same hang-up I have with Veronica Britton: Chronic Detective. There is just so much going on!

Review: The House That Groaned by Karrie Fransman

Karrie Fransman’s first graphic novel is a story of disparate bodies and the ties they form in the space that contains them. Sombre and dark with bursts of delight. Read our review of this brilliantly crafted snapshot of human interaction.

An Interview with Komal Verma

We caught up with the delightfully charming novelist Komal Verma and chatted about master writers, American dramas and her debut fantasy novel, The Sword and the Scion.

To call Komal Verma merely a writer would be pretty inaccurate. A woman of many talents, Komal is a writer, director, accomplished video producer/editor, and much-read film reviewer. Recently we got talking about her up-coming novel, The Sword and the Scion, and couldn’t resist delving deep into the world she has created for the book. All that is to come, but first, we wanted to get to know the hand behind the pen. So, here is our tête-à-tête with Komal Verma.

Read the entire interview after the jump.