The Black Death of Babylon, A Review

The Black Death of Babylon starts with two death bodies, darkened and decayed a few hours after their deaths by an invisible killer that hasn't seen the light of day in over 5000 years. That's where Don Oberbier fits. He's a seasoned investigator of anomalies, none as frightening as The Black Death of Babylon, now he must run against time to find the person who set free this bacteria before fear runs rampant at Babylon University and the real killer finishes up his horrific work.

A dark mystery/suspense, The Black Death of Babylon is atmospheric, enigmatic, and a thrill. Imagine the lovechild of Fringe, The X-Files, The Masque of the Red Death, and Indiana Jones. Weird? You'll be surprised at how well McFadden manages to pull this one out.

The characters are interesting and the reader is treated not only with the mystery behind the killings, but with the many secrets every character seems to be holding up. However, I must say the main character, Don Oberbier, is a hard sale for the reader. He is rude, arrogant, and a jerk who puts people through hell just for the kicks. Now, this is the guy we will follow through the ordeal and the one for which the reader must root...like I said, a tough sell. The supporting characters are better rounded, though, and they are in fact the ones with whom I connected and for which I rooted, so I still enjoyed the ride.

As much as a mystery, The Black Death of Babylon is a Science Fiction that uses the world of Scientific Investigation to propel us into the fear of technology and knowledge without moral boundaries. The science behind the story is pretty sound and allows the reader a rare insight into the dog-eat-dog world of scientific discovery. A nice treat that will also let you wonder just how scary it is to know that a handful of people are in absolute control of the deathliest viruses/bacterias known to mankind. True story kids. Ask the CDC.

My regular readers know I review horror mostly and when I dare out of the genre the results are a gamble. With McFadden's work I was pleasantly surprised and I'm happy to say to my non-horror-readers that this is a great book for everyone. If you enjoy Fringe, this is a book for you, its mysteries will have you all guessing to the very last page. 

If you are interested in Edward McFadden or wish to buy the book, just follow the links back there.

A to Z Challenge. Letter M.

And with letter M we have...

Movie.

Martyrs (2008)
Directed by Pascal Laugier

Plot: Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her oppressors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna, who also suffered abuse, she quickly descends into madness and her own delusions. Anna, left on her own, begins to re-experience what Lucie did when she was only twelve years old.

Review: A warning for all interested in this canadian jewel; the movie is part of the extreme violent and bloody slasher movement. I wouldn't categorize it with the rest of the Torture Porn movies (Hostel anyone?) simply because there is a deep, profound story and a reason for the violence. The movie attempts, and succeeds in my opinion, to show the deep emotional pain and scars that torture/abuse leaves. It is a harrowing story that somehow manages to have a somewhat uplifting ending. This is not for the faint hearted but definitively interesting and thought-provoking.

Book.

Midnight by Dean Koontz.
Published by Berkley in 1989.

Blurb: Four people are the last hope of Moonlight Cove because one by one the rest of the citizens are changing into boogymen, werewolves, mythical creatures, or something entirely new. They are the New People; the willing victims of a seductive experiment in chemically induced evolution. They can transform their bodies at will and eliminate unproductive emotions, like grief and compassion. In fact, the only instinct left to the New People is self-preservation, and their only emotion is fear. And they want the rest of humanity to join them.

Review: After a very gory, crude recommendation, I have something lighter and entertaining for you. "Midnight" is set in a small town in Northern California, where an experiment is transforming humans and a small group of survivors, along with an FBI agent, band together to respond to the horror. There is a pervasive sense of eerieness throughout the story and although the book is not without violence, it is not stomach-churning. True to his style, Koontz generates suspense and terror more through implication than explicit description, so fret not my squeamish friends. Also, as usual with Koontz, the book reads more like a mystery with a supernatural twist. "Midnight" was a Bram Stoker nominee in 1990.


Now a little extra.
For those who asked me to include Lovecraft in the list I give you At the Mountains of Madness.
Published in Outstanding Stories Magazine in 1936.

Blurb: A novella, At the Mountains of Madness is a tale of terror unilke any other. The Barren, windswept interior of the Antarctic plateau was lifeless--or so the expedition from Miskatonic University thought. Then they found the strange fossils of unheard-of creatures and the carved stones tens of millions of years old--and, finally, the mind-blasting terror of the City of the Old Ones. 

Review: This is one of my favorite Lovecraft stories, mostly because I read it in my youth and got me so stoked I read everything with his name on the cover that came my way. I couldn't stop thinking about the Necronomicon for months. I actually believed it to be a real satanic book and searched sea and earth to find a copy. Back then there was no internet to tell me my search was futile because the book existed only in the brilliant mind of the author. My heart broke when I found out. =(