Book Review 230 // Pear Shaped Man by George R.R. Martin

Got to be honest didn't expect a George R.R. Martin novel to drop in my reading list. Like many I attempted to read Game of Thrones but was ultimately bored by his writing style in those novels. I am hoping he does better in horror.

Title: The Pear Shaped Man

Author: George R.R. Martin

Blurb: Everyone knows a Pear-Shaped Man. Jessie meets hers when she and her friend Angela move into their new apartment--he lives in the rotten-smelling basement apartment--wet lips, whiny voice, eating Cheez Doodles with warm Coke. He's always waiting for her, inviting her down to his apartment ... he has 'things' to show her. When Jessie's obsession with this repulsive man turns to paranoia, it takes over more than just her life. 

Review

Okay, okay, okay. I'm creeped out! This was a delightful read (wrong term, but it was), and I am thoroughly creeped out and feeling a little gross in my soul.

This story hit home, I've lived in a few big cities throughout my years, London, Birmingham, and Ottawa, and I feel like I've met a Pear Shaped man multiple times, ignore the actual way they look, but the way they act and can make you feel uncomfortable is very telling. The character's habits and mannerisms make me super uncomfortable just reading them, and throughout the story, I am left willing the Jessie character to flee. This feeling of dread builds throughout the novel, and how this hasn't become a horror film, I will never understand. It hit me in the creep zone, and hung on throughout, which is an impressive feat.

The downside for me was the ending. It seemed rushed and poorly throughout, leaning into a supernatural-style finish rather than a killer/psycho. I feel a more classical killer ending would have finished my nerves off completely and had me fearing the darkness. But hey, what do I know?

Have any of you read this?

Book Review 226 // The Greater Festival of Masks by Thomas Ligotti

Continuing my dive into modern horror authors with "The Greater Festival of Masks" by Thomas Ligotti (1985). There is not a lot of info on this title out there. Whether it is due to it being a short story or just found within other titles is still being determined. It is a short piece that I found within Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror (Amazon link).

I had never read a Thomas Ligotti title before or even heard of the name. So I was going in blind with this story. The title itself was a game of two halves. The rich descriptions, the location and the setting, were all unique and enjoyable. But I quickly became lost in the plot. Unsure if we were experiencing real life or dreamscape. I fully understand this is maybe the point of the title, but it was jarring.

We join a traveller called Noss, who is in a somewhat out-of-place city in the throws of a festival. The festival's theme involves wearing masks, and soon the lead finds himself in a crowded and rather creepy shop selling carnival masks. At this point, I start to lose the plot's focus. Noss is left in charge of the shop he has just entered (weird how this is so easily accepted), and while being tempted to wear a mask, he is also lured into the shop's backyard, where we get to experience some of the festivals.

From what I understand, people wear two masks throughout the celebration. The first mask causes your features to be smoothed out, while the second mask creates a new face. It fits the idea of changing your outside to match the world around you while your true character remains hidden. This idea of fakeness and hiding away spreads as we realize that even the buildings are fake, with doors leading nowhere, balconies with no access, and stairways that connect to nothing. Everything seems to want to mimic something else.

I was left confused and I may need to read other works of Ligotti to understand this one more. But I am also getting strong King in Yellow vibes. The faceless fears, masks and a dream-like city etc. My ultimate enjoyment of this title comes from my fear of Masks. I have always enjoyed the horrors of Halloween, Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre due to the faceless horrors of the killers, so the idea of a city full of masked people creeps me out!

What are your thoughts? Have you read a Ligotti tale?

Book Review 223 // Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament by Clive Barker

Something a little different this week. I've wanted to change up my reading of late and move beyond sci-fi. With this in mind, I started reading and reviewing some of my other loves - horror.

I am a big horror fan, especially the classic stalker-style or cosmic horror versions. But before diving head first into some classic titles, I wanted to visit some short stories. And where better to start than a Clive Barker tale.

Title: Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament

Author: Clive Barker

Page Count: 35 pages

It can be found in Clive Barker's Books of Blood (amazon link).

Review

The story is straightforward and almost too simple in its direction. With it being written in 1984, it is a testing point for his later works and set his style for otherworldly body horror in motion. I could also be wrongfully incorrect and made up that fact.

Our lead character, Jacqueline, could be more likable. Though she is a strong-willed, independent character, she suffers from a weak back story. The title begins with an attempted suicide from which she is saved by her husband. The reason why she tried it is unknown, and we are just left with a character suffering from "nobody understands me" issues. This lack of understanding hinders the reader from bonding with the character as we should. This is an issue Barker fixes in later tales, so we can put this down to a lack of experience.

Following the suicide attempt, Jacqueline is sent to therapy, a place she does not want to be. To make matters worst, her doctor is shit! He is condescending and toxic, blaming her for wanting to commit suicide for attention and saying she is failing in her womanly duties. This helpful behaviour triggers a hidden power within Jacqueline, where she can manipulate human flesh with her mind. As she images the Doctor with breasts, we read has his body warps and starts producing breasts. Unfortunately, Jacqueline can't control these powers, and the doctor ultimately ruptures from the inside out!! Realizing her power, Jacqueline starts to practise and manipulate the world around her, and we join her on this life-changing adventure that ultimately leaves a pile of bodies behind.

Her time as a rich man's mistress was a highlight of the tale and definitely helped show character growth. While the ending was sad and depressing, it definitely rounded out the story.

Overall a solid read. Had its faults, but it gave me plenty to write about, so altogether a win.

Book Review 207 // Halloween Kills: The Official Movie Novelization by Tim Waggoner

Hot on the heels of Halloween comes Halloween Kills, and then next week, we have the release of Halloween Ends. So expect at least one more review in October on this series!

Title: Halloween Kills: The Official Movie Novelization

Author: Tim Waggoner

Buy via Kindle on Amazon.ca

Format: Kindle

Blurb: The official novelization of the highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

Minutes after Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and granddaughter Allyson left masked monster Michael Myers caged and burning in Laurie’s basement, Laurie is rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, believing she finally killed her lifelong tormentor.

But when Michael manages to free himself from Laurie’s trap, his ritual bloodbath resumes. As Laurie fights her pain and prepares to defend herself against him, she inspires all of Haddonfield to rise up against their unstoppable monster. But as a group of other survivors of Michael’s first rampage decide to take matters into their own hands, a vigilante mob forms that sets out to hunt Michael down. Evil dies tonight.

Review

I seem to be reading a lot of Tim Waggoner's works, and I have to say I am enjoying them. When it came to this title, it is, of course, based on a film, so Waggoner didn't have a lot to work with. It takes under 2 hours of film to make into a novel.

I am a fan of the Halloween franchise, including the comical mask film of the third. You know what is coming, but like a slow-motion car crash, you just can't look away. It is an actual slasher title that has you screaming at the characters as they make error after error. I like to believe I would survive an encounter, but to be honest, I most likely wouldn't. I also love that this giant of a man is quite possibly the faster walker and stealthiest man to ever exist!

What I enjoyed about the book was that Waggoner gets to expand the characters; we get more depth to them in the book than we ever see on the screen. We learn more about the victims and their lives, and it aids the reader in understanding why they keep making bad choices. This is also true of Myers as we once more climb inside his head to go along on the ride, giving him purpose and reason whilst not creating a cliche killer.

It is, for sure, a quick read but hugely enjoyable at this time of year and has me excited for the third title Halloween Ends. Due to the way it is being released, the chances are I will finish the book before seeing the film, so I am intrigued by how they compare to each other.

Who else here loves some Halloween movie goodness?

Comic Review 181 // Alien Vol. 1 Bloodlines by Philp Phillip Kennedy Johnson

I just can't stay away from the Alien franchise. This time we get to enjoy Marvels' first outing with the series. Will this be a success or suffer a lot like Dark Horse did over the years.

Title: Alien, Vol. 1: Bloodlines

Author: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: Salvador Larroca

Commercial Fluff: The iconic cinematic terror makes its Marvel debut! Gabriel Cruz gave his life to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation — almost literally, thanks to an alien attack that he barely survived! Recently retired, Cruz is trying to patch things up with his abandoned son with the help of his friend, a Bishop-model android. But his re-entry into civilian life is not going smoothly…, and his encounters with the deadly Xenomorphs are far from over! Now, Cruz has only one chance to save his son from the horrific fate he barely escaped. The clock toward total collapse is ticking. The aliens are loose! Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Salvador Larroca team up for an all-new tale of the sci-fi/horror titan that has terrified audiences for decades. No one is safe. No one is innocent. And no one can hear you scream.

Format: 144 pages, Paperback

Buy Now: Amazon Link

Review

Going, to be honest, and straight-up say it wasn't that bad! Yes, it has issues, but it is not worse than Dark Horse Comic versions. Like most Alien tales, the story is generic; of course, we have the "evil" company, Androids and loose Xenos. There are also a few good plot twists that better people will realize before I did. But ultimately, there is nothing new, and to be truthful, I didn't care.

I found it interesting that they added an Apex alien instead of using the Praetorian class alien? But the real standout piece was showcasing new hybrids; the goat-style one was cool and extreme Headbanger metal of them. But like many people, I don't truly understand the idea of this humanoid xenomorph; I am hoping it will all be explained, but it seems forced in when a classic Queen Mother could have the same effect. The design seemed wrong to me, but I am willing to see what they do with it.

The human and Android characters were pretty throw-away for me and, for the most part, flat apart from Bishop, who always makes me smile. I'm not really sure where volume two will take us?

So, where do I sit on this title? Above average, worth reading and wasting a lazy Sunday on but not a go-to must recommend. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments.

Alien Isolation Walkthrough Part 2 - Axel is crazy

Time for some more gameplay action of Alien Isolation. Will I finally meet a Xenomorph, who the hell is this Axel guy or will I just spend 30 minutes pooping my pants at every noise? Only one way to find out!

I am also tweaking my new mic, so hopefully, this sounds okay (let me know in the comments). I hope you are enjoying this new series, let me know and I hope we can keep these videos coming.

This video is part of Adventure with Peps blogging:

Solo Link to everything social media

Get the book - Alien Isolation

Camera: Sony Alpha ZV-E10

Mic: Blue Yeti Nano

Book Review 152 // The Birth of Hunger by David Annandale

Got a few short stories reviews incoming in the upcoming weeks. They are all from the Necromunda title Uprising by Black Library. Mostly release during the Dark Uprising game release they seem to follow a theme of making the rules seem exciting and interesting.

The first title in the series is The Birth of Hunger by David Annandale. This opening tale is only twenty pages long but God Damn! does it set the mood and make me crave more of Annandale's writing. It does a great job of introducing us to the all-new Corpse guild and the newest Necromunda gang the Corpse Grinder. This is a sticking and eerie tale following one man's descent into the ultimate horror of cannibalism. 

This is dark, seriously dark, even for the Grim Dark Future of 40K. It is so well written and captures everything that I love about the setting. This would be the story I recommend to friends to introduce them to the setting. It has really made me want to pick up the game, but can my wallet afford it?

Buy the book: Amazon.ca Link

I hope you enjoyed it? Feel free to comment below or seek me out on one of the many social platforms that I hang out on. Here is a quick LINK (Solo bio link) to my details. Cheers to reading this.

Audio Review 51 // Alien: Covenant - The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster

Oh, what a surprise more Alien! Yep, I am addicted and love a good Alien product. I personally was a fan of the Covenant film. It felt fitting and deserving of its telling, did it fit with the OG films? Nah, but it expanded the galaxy and the setting and this I can appreciate. So let dive into the audiobook:

Title: Alien: Covenant - The Official Movie Novelization
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Fluff:
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in his groundbreaking Alien adventure. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise. But it is actually a dark, dangerous world.

When they uncover a threat beyond their imaginations, they must attempt a harrowing escape.

Acclaimed author Alan Dean Foster also returns to the universe he first encountered with the official novelization of the original Alien film. Alien: Covenant is the pivotal adventure that preceded that seminal film, and leads to the events that will yield one of the most terrifying sagas of all time.

Listening Time: 8 hrs 58 mins

Review

Let's get some facts out there.

1. Alan Dean Foster is a great movie to a novel writer. I enjoy his work.
2. This feels like Ridley Scott and has us focused on the Alien.
3. I enjoyed the film and novel.

So let us get into it. We discover the fate of the Prometheus and Elizabeth Shaw and David. We also get an all team of people to enjoy and of course Walter. We also get the Neomorph, a new sub-species created by the joining of a Fungus spore/virus and a human, rather than the traditional facehugger to human. In the film it was gross, whilst in the book, it was terror-inducing, pure body horror taken to a new level. Basically, this form will track you and infect you, before turning your own body against you. All this and the virus is microscopic so you can't even fight it!

The cast in my opinion is your standard movie characters. A strong female lead, a religious man who cares too much for the opinion of others, macho action characters who die off quickly and an overconfident pilot. A blessing of the novel format is the fact we learn more about them, it answers questions I had about them and actually makes me want to care about them. A definite plus. Daniels is of course the stand-out character. A strong female lead, who though obs broken by mental trauma is able to rebuild herself and come back stronger every time something goes bad. Such inner strength is her main feature, no mothering nature of Ripley, just pure self-survival instincts and I love it. If I was ever in this type of situation I would also like to think I had the resolve to just worry about the next step and not get overwhelmed by the disaster.

Overall it rang true to the book, it added depth and was an enjoyable listen. Go treat yourselves!

Buy the audiobook: Alien: Covenant

I hope you enjoyed the review? Feel free to comment below or seek me out on one of the many social platforms I hang out on. Here is a quick LINK (Solo bio link) to my details. Cheers to reading this.

Audio Review 48 // Alien 3 by William Gibson

Say what! Another Alien post you say, sure I can do that. I hope you are enjoying this run of Alien sci-fi as much as I am. I can promise you one thing...there is more coming. Hahahahaha. But back to today. We enter the new and unexplored world of Alien 3 by William Gibson. I was excited to listen to this so let us dive in.

Title: William Gibson's Alien 3 (Aliens / Predator / Prometheus)
Author: William Gibson.

Buy using my Amazon link: Hardcover / Audio

Fluff:
Audible is bringing William Gibson’s lost Alien III script to life in audio for the first time, to mark the 40th Anniversary of the birth of the Alien Franchise.

Alongside a full cast, Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen reprise their iconic roles as Corporal Hicks and Bishop from the 1986 film Aliens.

Father of cyberpunk, William Gibson’s original script for Alien III, written in 1987 as a sequel to Aliens, never made it to our screens, although it went on to achieve cult status among fans as the third installment that might have been after being leaked online.

This terrifying, cinematic multicast dramatization—directed by the multi-award-winning Dirk Maggs, is the chance to experience William Gibson’s untold story and its terrifying, claustrophobic and dark encounters between humans and aliens, as a completely immersive audio experience.

The story begins with the Sulaco on its return journey from LV-426. Onboard the military ship is the cryogenically frozen skeleton crew of that film’s survivors: Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Bishop.

We travel aboard and hear an alarm blare. Our heroes are no longer alone...

Starring: Tom Alexander, Barbara Barnes, Michael Biehn, Cliff Chapman, Samantha Coughlan, Ben Cura, Dar Dash, Harry Ditson, Mairead Doherty, Lance Henriksen, Graham Hoadly, Lorelei King, Laurel Lefkow, Martin McDougall, Sarah Pitard, Michael Roberts, David Seddon, Andrew James Spooner, Siri Steinmo, Dai Tabuchi, Keith Wickham, Rebecca Yeo.

Review

This is why I love audible, they are breathing life into an unproduced screenplay that the fans have loved for years. This is a real top-shelf move by them and I really appreciate the effort. I am excited to see how the story should have progressed and ultimately moved into the Earth War book by Bantham Publishing.

It was not a perfect story and had its issues as Gibson attempted to limit the role of Ripley in the story, which he does rather well by putting her in a coma, but I feel the story lost some of its heart by doing this. Luckily we still have Newt, Hicks and Bishop for entertainment and boy did they bring it. We are finally introduced to a wider galaxy beyond Weyland Yutani and the marines, we discover rival companies and space-faring colonizers. We see that the Xenomorph isn't such a big secret after all and is in fact big business for the group who can weaponize it first. We also get to see how the xenomorph infects people in a purer form, think Prometheus film and you aren't far off.

Overall an amazing story experience, which only makes me feel sad that it wasn't chosen as the successor to Aliens. Was it perfect hell no! It suffered from far too many characters and locations, and we were jumping across non-stop, which made parts hard to follow. But it was ultimately a short, sweet, listen and something that a true fan will love to listen to.

As always I hope you enjoyed and will support my blog by using the link below.

Instagram: Adventures with Peps.

Tik Tok: Adventures with Peps.

Youtube: Adventures with Peps.

Ko-fi: Adventures with Peps.

Audio Review 47 // Aliens: Phalanx by Scott Sigler

Will I ever move on from the Alien franchise? Who knows? What I do know is that the following audio drama was epic. So read on!

Title: Aliens: Phalanx
Author: Scott Sigler
Fluff:
Its Medieval carnage meets Alien as a pre-industrial society fights against extinction brought about by a massive infestation of Xenomorphs.

Ataegina was an isolated world of medieval castles, varied cultures, and conquests, vibrant until the demons rose and spread relentless destruction. Swarms of lethal creatures with black husks, murderous claws, barbed tails and dreaded "tooth-tongues" raged through the lowlands, killing ninety percent of the planet's population. Terrified survivors fled to hidden mountain keeps where they eke out a meagre existence. When a trio of young warriors discovers a new weapon, they see a chance to end this curse. To save humanity, the trio must fight their way to the tunnels of Black Smoke Mountain--the lair of the mythical Demon Mother.

GET A COPY via Amazon Associates link: Aliens: Phalanx 

Style: Audio Drama

Review

First, up the author, Scott Sigler requests no spoilers in the reviews given about this book. I respect that and really understand why. If you could please reframe from spoilers in the comments thank you. If you want to discuss the plot with me reach out privately through email or on social media and we can chat.

The story's biggest and most interesting feature is the setting, no Corps, no spaceships, no lasers, pulse carbines or incinerators. This is a hack and slash novel almost hitting fantasy over sci-fi. Set on a part of the world barely explored, which we know is possibly an Island, made up of mountain holds dug into the landscape and hidden away. We also know of Northern Raiders from another Island but that arc is not really explored.

The world, in general, is at a feudal/pre-medieval level in my opinion. They understand bronze working, crossbow production and basic military warfare like the phalanx. They have some medical knowledge, but most of this seems to be handed down from generation to generation. There is this overwhelming feeling that more has been forgotten than remembered, and each hold seems to have unique personalities and traits along with religions. It also seems each hold specializes in one thing, be it a certain medical crop, mineral or manufacturing process. In theory, they should work together to create a better world, but isolation and fear reign supreme instead.

Into this interesting world comes the "Black Demons" aka the xenomorph. Our poor citizens, don't have the knowledge or true understanding to know what they really are, and instead of fear them almost like a boogie monster. Expect to read terms like demons, spiders and tooth tongues throughout the book. This really brings it all to life as they are exactly those things when you look at them. 

The book's main focus is Ahiliyah, and what a great character. She is easy to relate to, be it her struggles in a male-dominated society, or her forward-thinking viewpoints. You quickly grow to love her. Also, the other two main characters are enjoyable after a while, whilst the villains/other casts all play an important role.

The story as a pre-warning is more about the humans than the aliens, it deals with their struggles which have been shaped by the alien presents on their society and as a book it contains, plenty of twists, turns and shock value. Great listen and was more than I expected. I highly recommend it!

As always I hope you enjoyed and will support my blog by using the link below.

Instagram: Adventures with Peps.

Tik Tok: Adventures with Peps.

Youtube: Adventures with Peps.

Ko-fi: Adventures with Peps.

Comic Review 150 // Virus by Chuck Pfarrer

After reading how Distressed in the Bug Hunt series was based on a comic Virus, I just had to go off and find a copy to read. Turns out it is an extremely hard comic to find. I will have a link below for an amazon version, but I recommend looking around instead of paying these high ass prices!

Right, let's go.

Title: Virus

Writer: Chuck Pfarrer

Artist: Howard Cobb

Publish Date: 1992

Publisher: Dark Horse

Don't worry about catching this virus -- it will catch you! When the crew of the ocean-going tug The Electra runs across an abandoned Chinese radar ship adrift in the Pacific, it seems like their ticket to Easy Street; Maritime law says they can lay claim to the ship and the millions of dollars worth of top-secret electronics on it! However, collecting on those millions is easier said than done. The Wan Xuan may be abandoned, but it's far from deserted. Something is alive inside the ship's computers, and it's building monstrous bodies for itself from pieces of machinery and the corpses of the hapless Chinese crew!

I got all the 80's action/sci-fi movie vibes from this comic. The plot is straightforward to follow. The mysterious weather front, causes the boat and its crew to be washed off course, leading them to discover an abandoned Chinese warship. Upon investigation, they soon discover that the ship is not what it seems, and it would seem an alien force has infected the ship and is feeding off both machines and humans, creating weird and crazy-looking bio-mechanical monsters.

I found it kind of strange just how accepting the characters were to the idea of the creatures, and they just roll with the extreme body horror that unfolds around them. The artwork feels very much of the era and plot though fun was lacking depth. Very fun to read if in the right mood, but didn't age well overall. I can definitely see how the plot of Distressed was inspired by this.

As always, I thank you for reading. I hope you will take a moment to use one of the links, and help support the blog. Thank you.

Instagram: Adventures with Peps.

Tik Tok: Adventures with Peps.

Youtube: Adventures with Peps.

Ko-fi: Adventures with Peps.

Buy the Paperback edition (expensive): Virus

Miniature Monday // Painting Xenomorphs

Welcome to the next installment of my Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps by Gale Force Nine series. I am painting all 15 xenomorphs based on the tester model I completed last week (see here). As always, I would love a subscription and a hello!

I hope you enjoyed it? I also hope you will give me a follow over on Youtube. Here are some photos of the final results.

Thanks for the visit. See you again soon.