Overview; Curtis has
allowed Jimmy his college friend to take him to his first gay club. Jimmy promised Curtis a memorable night of
drinking dancing and sex. The night
becomes more memorable than either could have imagined.
“I’m going to call 911 again,” Toby said, pulling his phone
back out. Gil smirked. “You do
that. Now does anyone want to help me do
something useful?”
Review;
“When the dead arose, Jimmy was going down on the balding
accountant.” The first sentence is one
of the best grabbers I have seen in awhile. Mark Allan Gunnells’ novella Asylum
is a briskly paced people trapped by zombie tale, that stands out first and
foremost for Gunnells’ ability to create a diverse cast of characters the
reader can identify with. Curtis, Jimmy
and the rest of the cast are diverse sympathetic and most importantly not
idiots wandering into the dark alone to investigate.
The intelligence of the characters add to the horror of the situation,
because even the best choices in a bad situation can get you eaten. Gunnells’ fleshes out his characters with
deft pacing allowing for the a sense of nearly nonstop fear. The only exception is a section where
characters are pontificating about the horrible treatment of gays by popular
media. While I was in total agreement
with the points made, it was preaching to the choir. The people who need to be told this would not
make it that far into a story with an almost entirely gay cast. Gunnells creates a tense sense of impending dread,
we know something worse is just around the corner. But of what is the question that will keep
you reading.
Gunnell’s descriptions of the zombies are short and sweet,
and his eye for realistic action is well realized. The tone is tense and the reader believes any
character could die at any point. Despite
the classic set-up Gunnells’ Asylum feels fresh.
In the End; Mark
Allan Gunnells has written a classic zombie set up and found in depth with his terrifically
realized characters. Long time genre
fans will find much to enjoy here.
Click for my interview with Mark Allan Gunnells
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