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Eric S. Brown and Susanne Brydenbaugh collaborate for the first time in the zombie novel, COBBLE. The end of the world appears near as a plague has swept the world, causing the dead to arise. Cobble Island stands alone in fighting back and is relatively zombie-free until a military unit and a genetic researcher insist on establishing a base on Cobble. Now, the dead are once again rising but this time they are sentient and led by an evil being as old as time. Will the residents of Cobble Island survive or is humanity's last hope fading? COBBLE contains a wide cast of characters and there are heroes as well as horrors. Although there are no main characters in the usual sense, there are several predominant characters who exemplify either the heroic or evil of humanity, such as Michael, Amy, Terry, and Shannon. Michael Drake is a man haunted by visions of a demonic being stalking him but is willing to face his fears to save others. Terry is the sheriff and wants to do the right thing for the people of the island while Amy is his daughter. Shannon is a man struggling to cope with his fear and losing. Together, these characters and many more present a very vivid glimpse of humanity and their actions will spark numerous debates as to their motivations. Eric S. Brown is primarily a writer of short stories and his talent is very apparent in the bonus zombie story, "And The Dead Shall Rise", provided at the end of the book. Susanne Brydenbaugh also writes short stories and poems and COBBLE is the first full-length book produced by either author. This reviewer has never read anything by either author but was impressed by the short, lyrical style of COBBLE. Rarely has so much been conveyed in so few words! The very succinct style makes the horror of the world island residents are residing in even more apparent as the zombies are not the only evil lurking on the island. The hearts of man can produce awful things in times of distress and this is perhaps the bigger message illustrated in COBBLE. COBBLE is an intelligent person’s horror story as it provides great food for thought regarding the fine line that sometimes separates good from evil. While some may disagree with the ending, the climax provides a very poignant picture of mankind as a whole. Readers looking for the next George Romero style zombie story will probably be disappointed but readers looking for a unique twist on zombies will thoroughly enjoy COBBLE. Eric S. Brown and Susanne Brydenbaugh have crafted a very credible zombie novel that urges readers to consider more than just the next gross-out scene. COBBLE is entertaining, suspenseful, and thought-provoking and a very solid horror novel.Reviewed by Debbie
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COBBLE Rating:
Posted August 2006 |
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