DNA

DNA

By Raven Bourne

Self-Published

Available at Amazon.com

405 pages

Long ago, after Star Trek had become a huge media success, the book world jumped on the profit-bandwagon and we were suddenly flooded with new Trek novels written by multitudes of recognized sci-fi authors and eventually others by amateurs entering the field.  Always intrigued by how others viewed characters we enjoyed, we picked up lots of these and for the most part those by veteran sci-fi scribes were enjoyable while others were outright entertaining.  Then one day we picked up one particular paperback written by two ladies and within the first two chapters had to put it down as the tale was so steeped in juvenile romanticisms, it was as if someone had turned a classic space opera series into a Harlequin Romance.

Which was when we realized that there are writers, regardless of their skills or life experiences, unable to disguise their respective genders in telling a story.  We are not saying that is a bad thing, only that it is a recognizable facet among some writers.  Case in point, had we not known Raven Bourne’s gender before digging into her book, we would have easily identified it as having been penned by a woman within the first few chapters.  How so?  Because there is unavoidable romantic fantasy lens that shades every single aspect of this novel from plot to pacing and characterization.  This is clearly a female perspective and it is so pervasive, we doubt many of our pulp action-loving readers would be able to honestly appreciate it.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at what this DNA is all about.  Dr. Raen McNeil, a beautiful, sensitive genetic biologist, uncovers a secret relating to the evolution of mankind.  In fact this revelation argues against the accepted principles of known science and hints at alien manipulation.  What if mankind’s tendencies towards violence and all the baser, savage instincts were never suppose to be the norm?  What if a particular genetic code was purposely excluded from our ancestors locking us into a fate of perpetual destruction?

No sooner does Raen uncover this missing gene then she is abducted by a humanoid alien who believes she is his intended soulmate.  Meanwhile a major pharmaceutical company hires private eye, Jacob Fourth, to find her.  Jacob is a no-nonsense pragmatic character with an ego to match.  His search for Raen, although interesting in the locales it takes him, is the book’s weakest section and could easily have been shortened.  Once Jacob finds Raen and her alien-lover, both of them are whisked away way on a starship and sent on an amazing journey at the heart of which lies either the salvation of mankind or its demise.  Bourne’s aliens are fun as well as fascinating and it is their interaction with Raen and Jacob that is most rewarding. Whereas most space opera sagas are filled with ray-blasters, starship encounters and hostile environments, DNA is more a fantasy forum to explore religion and philosophy and their relevance to the human condition.  In the end, DNA puts forth some interesting theories and examines who we are as race while suggesting a peaceful future as a genuine alternate path…if we are wise enough to choose it.

We hope to see more from Ms. Bourne but humbly suggest her next project be leaner and less ambitious allowing her to improve her skills while trimming the extraneous fat.  The shorter lessons are usually the ones we remember best.

STINKING RICH

STINKING RICH

By Rob Brunet

Down & Out Books

277 pages

Danny Grant is a young Canadian just out of high school with absolutely no talent or ambition to get ahead in life.  More content to be a pothead slacker, he survives pulling whatever scams will bring him quick, easy cash.  Then he lands a dream job, watching over a huge crop of marijuana for a biker gang.  But is he has no clue who hired him.  All contact is done via texting etc.  Danny’s job is to make sure the plants, growing in a big barn on the abandoned country farm are kept watered until harvested.

For this he’s paid several thousand dollars a week; money he quickly loses at a local Indian run casino.  All of which leads to him accidently clubbing another slacker in the head with a baseball bat and the poor guy.  He buries the corpse in the woods behind a trailer park.  As soon as the biker gang sells their crop, Danny plans to take his final paycheck and vamoose.

But his luck continues to run bad and during the night of the drug exchange, a police officer stumbles onto the scene.  Then someone torches the packed grass and the entire barn goes up in flames.  Bikers and their buyers scatter and in the confusion a duffel bag containing seventy-five thousand dollars disappears.  In truth, Danny has escaped with it.  He buries the loot under the outhouse of an old man who lives in the woods and then is promptly arrested and sent to prison on a manslaughter charge.

And that’s just the opening chapters of Rob Brunet’s hilarious crime comedy filled with some of the craziest, eccentric characters you’ll ever find packed together between two covers; both crooked and decent.  The plot goes into high gear when it skips ahead to Danny’s release from prison, an occurrence that has lots of people excited.  These include Perko Ratwick, the idiot biker who had hired Danny in the first place.  Since that night of the barn fire, the rest of his grungy gang blame him for the loss of their money and fully expect him to make amends by retrieving it.  Then there’s Officer Max Ainsley, the cop who accidently stumbled onto the drug buy and interrupted it  He is considered incompetent by his colleagues for not having called in back-up and having allowed the money to go missing.  Add to this cast the sexy Linette, Danny’s public defender who wants the money for herself and seduces Officer Ainsley into helping her find it.

Of course the only person who knows where the money is hidden is Danny.  Imagine his surprise when he digs up the outhouse to discover the duffel bag is gone!

Trying to properly describe “Stinking Rich” is like trying to catch grasshoppers.  You no sooner snatch up one then a dozen jump up all over the place.  There are lots of other great supporting characters that fill this wacky crime story and this reviewer was shaking his head and chuckling often before the entire madcap carousel finally spun down to an exhaustive finish.  Rob Brunet is a gifted writer who somehow manages to corral a dozen insane characters and through them tell a tale unlike any we’ve ever heard before.  He is a name you want to keep an eye on.  We certainly will.

HELLFIVE - El Mosaico Vol 3

HELLFIRE

El Mosaico Vol 3

By Michael Panush

Curiosity Quills Press

243 pages

One of the many things this reviewer loves about New Pulp is how writers are willing to change or alter standard book formats.  Michael Panush does that quite admirably in this, the third volume of his weird western series, El Mosaico.  For those of you who missed the first two volumes, the saga revolves around an American Civil War version of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”  Built by a demented southern doctor/scientist, Clayton Cane was assembled from the parts of dead confederate soldiers and brought back to life in the hopes of being the first of many such “reborn” soldiers in a last ditch effort to safe the Confederacy.  Luckily for the Union, the war ended before others could be created and Cane escapes his creator to begin his new post-war career as a mercenary bounty hunter in the Wild West.

That’s the basic premise of the books and volumes one and two were clearly put together as collections following Cane’s many bizarre adventures.  At the end of book two, he had settled in a small Texas town called Hellfire and become its sheriff.  “Hellfire” picks up exactly from that point and two thirds of the book details Cane’s efforts to protect the town from a power hunger mining corporation owned by one Gaspar Noble.  Noble wants to dig all the mineral wealth out of the grand Silver Mesa without a thought to how his greed will lay waste to the town and its people.

Though written as a novella, each chapter in the battle for Hellfire has a unique individual story twist.  Then, just as that major story concludes, Panush continues the book with two stories featuring Cane’s newly acquired female deputy, Nelly Needles, a terrific character that really livens up the series. And as if that wasn’t enough, there is one more huge surprise awaiting the reader.  Closing out the book, Panush propels us into present day with the introduction of yet another fantastic pulp hero, El Hijo Del Mosaico, a Lucha Dor Mexican fighter claiming to be the son of the legendary gunfighter. 

We’d love to tell you more, but would require spoiling some really great surprises that await you in “Hellfire.”  So now you can see our dilemma caused by Panush’ innovative approach to series writing.  Is this a novel or a short story collection? A strong argument could be made for both cases but that in itself seems foolish as the important issue here is the marvelous fun of this book offers up.  We lavished much praise on those first two volumes but without hesitation, “El Mosaico Vol 3 Hellfire,” is by far the best one yet.  If you like great weird western pulp action, you won’t find a better series than this one.  Nuff said!