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Rating: Summary: Corrosively thoughtful Review: I picked this book up because I was in the mood for some violent horror, and this book looked like it fit the bill. What it did was meet my expectations beyond anything I imagined. I will not make the mistake many reviewers do (well, hopefully it is a mistake) and give away key plot points. Let me say this. This is about the human condition, and perception. What we perceive to be real, what others perceive, what is right, what is wrong, what matters, what does not, why it does, what is on the other side, what is on this side, you get the picture. Then it puts those thoughts through a wringer insulated with barbed wire and acid. Every step of the way it challenges you. When the pupil is ready, the teacher appears. What if you're ready, and there is no teacher? Read this book. Then think about it. Put it away for a while. Then read it again. This book is where fiction should be heading.
Rating: Summary: Landscape of the really strange... Review: I picked up this book expecting a typical vampire tale and it seems like that's just what it's going to be for about 50 pages or so. Then everything twists, and I mean *really* twists, in the weirdest possible direction. This is less of a vampire novel than a psychotic prose poem of human depravity and evil. The author seems to be invoking a post-apocalyptic world where no one even seems to realize or care that the apocalypse has long come and gone. Everyone worships an iconographic media celebrity/intelligence chief named Nikka Seven who's sort of like a kinky Egyptian priestess. She travels through the night in a long black limousine kidnapping men so she can turn them into women in her underground pyramid crypt. (see what I mean by weird?) Meanwhile, she's the love-object of two men: her loyal knight-in-black armor, Mahoney, and a disaffected vampire named Caleb who's supposed to be stopping a renegade messianic vampire named Io who's one of the most (...) fictional characters I've ever encountered.The main plot-sort of-seems to center around the sacrifice of the kidnapped princess of England that will be broadcast live via internet from a Stonehenge that may or may not be real. For that matter, the sacrifice itself may not be real, and one of the points the author seems to be stressing is exactly this: is anything real? There are countless murders, mutiliations, and tortures described throughout this book, all interspersed with insane rants against the entire human species. One of the highlights, or low-lights, is the generic suicide note that readers can apparently tear out of the book to use for their own suicides. The writing in this book is several cuts above the typical "horror novel" fare, so readers should be prepared for some style with their slice-and-dice. This is a thinking (...) novel and one that any fan of say Lautreamont or Sade or Bataille will want to have on their shelf.
Rating: Summary: I know there is a plot there somewhere... Review: Let me preface this review by stating that I am a reader, not a writer. I admire anyone who has the stamina to not only write a novel but to also go through the craziness that is publishing to get a book on the shelves. I like reading new authors, and I especially enjoy following an author as he develops his craft.
Having said that, I also like a book that has an interesting story. I found After Human to be somewhat disjointed--I was never quite sure where the characters were going, what they were doing, why they were doing it, or, for that matter, who they were in the overall story. Maybe that's the point. Maybe Cross intended this to be a very surreal look at the blurred line between reality and the fantasy world created by the media and gobbled up by an unthinking public. It seems to be a post-apocalyptic story involving some form of vampire or undead creature. There is a high body count, a lot of blood and gore, graphic sex, and scenes of torture. Oh, and those are all done for the fun and amusement of these ultra chic creatures who are bored and need to kill in order to liven up their days. I have no problem with sex and violence in my reading as long as they fit in with the flow of the story, but the story never really flowed regardless of the sex and violence.
I'm willing to concede that perhaps I just didn't get the story. Perhaps it is over my head. All I know is that after reading all 299 pages, I can't really tell you the gist of the story. There are also quite a few typographical errors throughout this edition, and although this certainly is not due to any fault of Cross, the errors proved even more distracting in an already confusing story.
If you like sexually ambiguous, bored, pop culture fetishist vampires who don't really follow the "rules" of traditional vamps, then you should give this book a try. I give Cross points for decent writing, and I honestly would try another book by him. After Human, however, will not remain in my collection.
Rating: Summary: Corrosively thoughtful Review: One of the duties of a reviewer is to stick through a novel to the bitter end, be it ever so painful, so that the reader won't have to make the same mistake. But for the first time in almost 4 years of reviewing, I honestly wish I had simply thrown a book away.
'After Human' is ostensibly a horror story, although to what purpose I am not cognizant. Michael Cross devotes himself to cataloging the existential angst of a miscellaneous collection of serial killers (who may or may not be vampires) all of whom dote on dissection, torture and gratuitous cruelty. And that is exactly and precisely the plot, other than some apocalyptic meanderings which are over before they start. Most of the readers confusion will arise from a stubborn believe that there is some undercurrent of meaning that has escaped them. Have no fear, it is not there.
Imagine a great catalog of gory moments and splashed organs, interspersed with writing that is so tedious that, at some point, you will become convinced that the authors entire intent was to irritate the reader into giving up books entirely. What I am trying to say is that, even if you like forays into SM literature, this is less of a book than you might want. Characters who lock themselves is dark underground crypts for the sole purpose of playing dice with thighbones are weird, but unless a great deal of skill is applied, they are not interesting.
Somewhere around page 200, I lost all interest in making a polite expression of reviewerly distaste. Once upon a time I read a book review that announced that the book under consideration was so bad that the readers should decamp to their local bookstores and earnestly try to discourage people from reading the book. While this may not be that awful, it is a disappointing attempt to revisit the vampire theme from a self-consciously shallow viewpoint.
Almost everything is better...
Rating: Summary: I Just Can't Stand It Anymore I Just Can't Stand It Anymore Review: One of the duties of a reviewer is to stick through a novel to the bitter end, be it ever so painful, so that the reader won't have to make the same mistake. But for the first time in almost 4 years of reviewing, I honestly wish I had simply thrown a book away. 'After Human' is ostensibly a horror story, although to what purpose I am not cognizant. Michael Cross devotes himself to cataloging the existential angst of a miscellaneous collection of serial killers (who may or may not be vampires) all of whom dote on dissection, torture and gratuitous cruelty. And that is exactly and precisely the plot, other than some apocalyptic meanderings which are over before they start. Most of the readers confusion will arise from a stubborn believe that there is some undercurrent of meaning that has escaped them. Have no fear, it is not there. Imagine a great catalog of gory moments and splashed organs, interspersed with writing that is so tedious that, at some point, you will become convinced that the authors entire intent was to irritate the reader into giving up books entirely. What I am trying to say is that, even if you like forays into SM literature, this is less of a book than you might want. Characters who lock themselves is dark underground crypts for the sole purpose of playing dice with thighbones are weird, but unless a great deal of skill is applied, they are not interesting. Somewhere around page 200, I lost all interest in making a polite expression of reviewerly distaste. Once upon a time I read a book review that announced that the book under consideration was so bad that the readers should decamp to their local bookstores and earnestly try to discourage people from reading the book. While this may not be that awful, it is a disappointing attempt to revisit the vampire theme from a self-consciously shallow viewpoint. Almost everything is better...
Rating: Summary: Brilliant Black Comedy and Pseudo Existentialism Review: This book has been completely mis-marketed, maybe disguised, as watered down Anne Rice vampire angst. A synopsis is pointless and misleading for a book such as this. Perhaps that's the problem the publisher had when deciding how to market this one. It's not a vampire book. The characters don't even resemble vampires after the first few chapters. After the first few chapters the books itself doesn't resemble anything I can compare it to. Except maybe one of Charles Manson's parole hearings. Soaked in pop culture references, fraught with casual bloodbaths and apathetic orgies. This book is an exercise in uninhibited thinking and storytelling. It is a parody of nihilism and philosophy beautifully illustrating how influenced by the electronic media novels have become. And it's laugh out loud funny. It's not any one thread of continuity that makes this book wonderful. This book has no continuity, this book is antithetical to continuity. This book is made wonderful by hundreds of nuances that would be ruined by description here.
Rating: Summary: Abysmal Review: This long and erudite book I found to be incredibly confusing and boring, despite its belonging to four of my favorite genres: horror, fantasy, vampires, erotic. I am an avid reader owning thousands of books, have a master's in literature, but found the plot impossible to follow. The constant negating of statements by qualifying them with alternative "truths" or outright dismissal was irritating. Nevertheless, the themes of the book, which I believe to be disparagement of a highly technical, entertainment-obsessed, media-led society came through loud and clear. The sexy scenes were more sick than erotic. It reminded me of a symphony with a recurrent melody and motif but lacking transition and logic.
Rating: Summary: Abysmal Review: This long and erudite book I found to be incredibly confusing and boring, despite its belonging to four of my favorite genres: horror, fantasy, vampires, erotic. I am an avid reader owning thousands of books, have a master's in literature, but found the plot impossible to follow. The constant negating of statements by qualifying them with alternative "truths" or outright dismissal was irritating. Nevertheless, the themes of the book, which I believe to be disparagement of a highly technical, entertainment-obsessed, media-led society came through loud and clear. The sexy scenes were more sick than erotic. It reminded me of a symphony with a recurrent melody and motif but lacking transition and logic.
Rating: Summary: Very Confusing. . . Review: While rummaging through the horror section at my bookstore I came across this book, and when I read the insert on the first couple of pages, it seemed like a very new and interesting novel. After the first couple of chapters though I realized this was not my type of book. I finished this story, but there is no way I can even remotely begin to describe what the story was about. I found the story very confusing, and probably because all of the characters were so unlikeable you could care less about what happened to them. Also, there was so much unecessary death by every character in the novel (unless you were a victim) that was described with such detachment, you felt nothing. The story begins at the remains of a big party, and everyone at the party is dead. You find out that there is a rogue vampire on the loose and he is killing entire groups of people. He has killed before, but now he is making it very noticeable. There is a company/government entity (I have no idea what to call them) that handles these situations so the general public remains unaware. At this party there was a famous women who is missing, and that will make this party hard for this clean-up crew to cover up. This women has been kidnapped by the vampire Lo who is the vamp on the killing rampage. The person in charge of this clean-up crew/organization is a women named Nikka who is very rich and very powerful. (Thoughout the novel she is also terrorizing and killing people, but "her people" who are afraid of her, clean up after her). Nikka enlists the aid of one of the last remaining vampires, Caleb, to find the killer. Caleb is very old and could care less about humans. He does look for Lo but while looking for Lo he is also on a killing spree killing people, and then calling a number so a clean up crew can get rid of the body. This book jumps back and forth between characters and again, none of the characters are even remotely likeable. Throw in the fact that the descriptions are awful (black leather, that type of thing) and you have a novel that makes no sense. Maybe this novel is supposed to contain symbolism that we should be able to unravel. Still, if you are a simple vampire reader like me, I think you may find this book a little difficult to follow.
Rating: Summary: Very Confusing. . . Review: While rummaging through the horror section at my bookstore I came across this book, and when I read the insert on the first couple of pages, it seemed like a very new and interesting novel. After the first couple of chapters though I realized this was not my type of book. I finished this story, but there is no way I can even remotely begin to describe what the story was about. I found the story very confusing, and probably because all of the characters were so unlikeable you could care less about what happened to them. Also, there was so much unecessary death by every character in the novel (unless you were a victim) that was described with such detachment, you felt nothing. The story begins at the remains of a big party, and everyone at the party is dead. You find out that there is a rogue vampire on the loose and he is killing entire groups of people. He has killed before, but now he is making it very noticeable. There is a company/government entity (I have no idea what to call them) that handles these situations so the general public remains unaware. At this party there was a famous women who is missing, and that will make this party hard for this clean-up crew to cover up. This women has been kidnapped by the vampire Lo who is the vamp on the killing rampage. The person in charge of this clean-up crew/organization is a women named Nikka who is very rich and very powerful. (Thoughout the novel she is also terrorizing and killing people, but "her people" who are afraid of her, clean up after her). Nikka enlists the aid of one of the last remaining vampires, Caleb, to find the killer. Caleb is very old and could care less about humans. He does look for Lo but while looking for Lo he is also on a killing spree killing people, and then calling a number so a clean up crew can get rid of the body. This book jumps back and forth between characters and again, none of the characters are even remotely likeable. Throw in the fact that the descriptions are awful (black leather, that type of thing) and you have a novel that makes no sense. Maybe this novel is supposed to contain symbolism that we should be able to unravel. Still, if you are a simple vampire reader like me, I think you may find this book a little difficult to follow.
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