David Wellington - Monster Island

The Zombie genre is a well trod, yet stubbornly narrow path. Despite these limitations people still find ways to create new variations of worlds where the undead have rule the earth. 

Monster Island is one particular variation I haven't seen before. The story begins with Delkab, an ex-UN Inspector who travels to New York from Somalia via a sea-trawler on a mission to retrieve life saving drugs for a African overlord, months after a zombie outbreak has destroyed any semblance of modern society. An interesting twist - involving a zombie who's just a bit smarter than the average bear - occurs a third of the way in and Delkab finds himself and the Somalian girl-warriors diverted from their mission to save themselves and the living who remain in the city.

New York is a perfect location for the undead, being both beautiful and poetic in its transition from tourist hub to a lifeless tomb to the death of modern society. Wellington makes an effort to show us all the sites, shorn of their light and bustle and life. It's not quite a bleak post-apocalyptic world (if you can call a zombie infestation such) as, say, Cormac McCarthy's weightily-grim The Road, but the story takes us to a deadly silent Times Square and invites the reader to imagine such a dead, empty world with great effect. Sadly, Wellington's novel never reaches the gravitas that McCarthy attains with heartbreaking ease.

Monster Island is a zombie story through and through. It even has 'A Zombie Novel' printed on the front of the paperback. It nails its colours to its mast. Be in no doubt here; the characters are all a backdrop to the actual meat of the story itself -  the undead. Because of this the story both fails and succeeds. Wellington has some good ideas, taking the genre in an interesting direction, but singularly fails by very lightweight characterisation, cringe-worthy dialogue and not knowing when to reign the invention in. Most notable is the ending which requires various energetic leaps of faith by the reader. This particular reader wishes Wellington's editor had been paying closer attention with the naughty stick.

He also lacks the writing chops to convey the story beyond a very flat narrative. Wellington tells us what goes on: he can't evoke.  The horror isn't any deeper than the 'click here to add more gore' approach and there's little dimension to any of the characters beyond a bit-part character in a Buffy The Vampire Hunter episode. Simply put: it lacks ambition. 

But give Wellington some chops. In spite of the above I enjoyed the action scenes and he weaves a good story. But for those who are after more than a shock-horror-gore-zombie novel - be prepared for disappointment. If you are - great. If not - it is a shame because the ideas are worth much more than box-ticking genre-pulp fiction. If this was in the hands of a writer who had more enterprise, or one who was less blinkered to the genre, then Zombie Island could have been something quite special. 

King would have aced it.

John Courtney Grimwood - End Of The World Blues

This is my first experience of John Courtney Grimwood, and it is a positive one. His characters are well rounded, with a particularly good ear for dialogue. He's also keen on cross-genre writing - a concept as a writer I'm in favour of. When mixing genres it's important to maintain the integrity of the story underneath: the mix is nothing without a compelling narrative. End Of The World Blues succeeds, but in spite of this.

In End of The World Blues (henceforth known as EOTWB) we have two parallel stories - one set in modern day Japan and the other in a future version of what appears to be a dying Earth. While the story following Kit, an English bar owner in Tokyo, soon to have a number of live changing events is a conventional thriller, the parallel narrative following Neku, a princess living within a 'sentient' castle in the future, jarrs in its execution.

Yet apart from Neko and her appearance in Kit's life in modern day Japan, these parallel narratives keep a firm distance apart. Barring the odd tweak you could remove the science fiction mix from EOTWB without being any the worse off. The question is: why is it there? My problem with the sci-fi element is not that it's unwelcome, but that less attention has been furnished to the future world than with more conventional real world. Grimwood doesn't give the reader the time to relate to characters in the future earth - each one is weak, unmemorable and for the most part unlikeable, whereupon in the real world each character has depth and and human, modern day interest - that Grimwood has been unable - or unwilling - to translate to the future portion of the novel.

Grimwood is an engaging writer, sharp and witty, yet is subtle enough with his characterisations that cliches are avoided and surprises are unexpected. He puts me in mind of a less romantic Michael Marshall Smith, thin on hyperbole but generous with allowing his characters space. I will look forward to reading more of his work.

Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond Review

The last two films I have seen based in Southern Africa are The Constant Gardener and, most recently, Blood Diamond. Both movies paint a thoroughly depressing picture of oppression that will no doubt have the local Tourist Board pulling their hair out.

The truth is that as brilliant a film Blood Diamond is it is equally depressing. When inundated with shot after shot of abuse, murder, rape, kids taking heroin, more abuse, whole villages being razed to the ground and children with guns shooting indiscriminately it is hard to put the plot on the back burner and spend the entire movie feeling incredibly sorry for those who live there.

While Blood Diamond is not a true story the elements that comprise the political and social aspects are based on the diamond trade in various countries in South Africa. You can visit the Blood Diamond website (http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/) and browse locations and events following the conflict diamond impact. Necessary reading.

It is easy for the subject matter to overwhelm the film, a shame as it is both beautifully shot and acted with conviction by all present. While DiCaprio surprises and conveys the word 'harrassed' with every fraught frown, Benin born Djimon Hounsou takes the honours as the more than convincing father searching for his family in war torn Sierra Leone.

The ending provides some resolution, but based against the reality of the situation it could be accused of being something more than just hopeful. While a more realistic resolution would be the more brave option, perhaps it would be more than a westernised audience could bear. While Blood Diamond attempts to show us the diamond trade unfiltered, it is at the end where the film loses its nerve.