9/11/26
Today we observe both the still haunting and tragic anniversary of 9/11 and the not-so-tragic anniversary of Norm-11.
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Pretty much on the road non-stop this month, so apologies for the light content this past week. That pace will continue in the weeks ahead, and into next month. My Patreon gets content posted to it daily, but everything else is on standby or “update when time allows” status. (Received a number of emails and texts wondering where last Sunday’s newsletter was).
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Women In Horror Year: Day 122
Jamie Hallow and the End of the World by A.V. Wilkes
Jamie Hallow is an Unbeliever…
For thousands of years, the Legion protected humanity from eldritch terrors. But when the nukes dropped, the balance was broken. The Legion retreated underground, ceding the surface to radioactive fall-out, surface scavengers, and things from Outside.
Several years since the war’s end, queer teenage misfit Jamie Hallow – Legion born and raised – finds the bunker’s theocracy stifling. His ex-boyfriend has pledged allegiance to the secretive Taskforce, running missions into the hot zone of the crumbling city.
And when Jamie learns just what his ancient cult is prepared to do to ‘save’ humanity, he must choose where his loyalties lie.
Written by A.V. Wilkes (a pseudonym for horror/thriller writer Ally Wilkes, last seen here way back on Day 35 of Women in Horror Year ) and billed as “HP Lovecraft meets Mean Girls by way of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” Jamie Hallow and the End of the World is a bonkers and enormously fun novella that will appeal to a wide variety of horror fiction fans. Those looking for Lovecraft-styled cosmic horror will not be disappointed, nor will those looking for a post-apocalyptic setting, a coming of age drama, unapologetically Queer horror, or a dystopian nightmare that is equal parts surreal, dark, and — at times — humorous.
Perhaps what is most impressive is the staggering amount of fully-fleshed world building that Wilkes is able to establish in such a slim volume. Clocking in at only 110 pages, this novella feels like a massive epic three or four times that size. Equally well drawn are the characters — their hopes, desires, motivations, and fears all fully rendered with a masterful economy of words. It’s an excellent case study for new and aspiring writers who want to learn how to do such important things.
As a reader, i want more of this world and these characters. I bet you will, too. Jamie Hallow and the End of the World is available in paperback and eBook from Cemetery Gates Media. Snag it this morning, and that’s your Saturday plans taken care of.
