News

Shaun Hamill’s ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ is a Gripping, Terrifying Tale

Published

5 years ago

October 15, 2019

“I started collecting my older sister Eunice’s suicide notes when I was seven years old,” A Cosmology of Monsters, the debut novel of Shaun Hamill, begins, and believe me when I tell you that this is one of the most challenging, beautiful, and harrowing novels I’ve read in some time.

It’s the kind of narrative that gets under the reader’s skin, shining a spotlight on the dark recesses of our own minds and relationships and forces us to ask difficult questions of ourselves and those around us.

What is a monster, after all? What makes a monster become a monster? Am I a monster? Are there monsters in my family?

The novel tells the story of the Turner family who, for whatever reason, have touched a fantastic and dangerous world beyond on our own in an inscrutable way that they do not understand. It is a land filled with monsters, and this connection slowly tears them apart from the inside out breeding obsession, disease, and strife like weeds in a springtime flowerbed.

For all its dysfunction, you see, the Turner family wants nothing more than to be whole. It simply doesn’t know how, and the unfettered realness of that challenge sparks deep emotion in Hamill’s readers.

We root for this family and at the same time we are repulsed by them. We love them, but never want to see them again.

This works most especially well in Hamill’s narrative by putting us in the capable hands of the youngest member of the family. By the time Noah was born, their troubles had already begun to take root, and much like Noah, the reader doesn’t fully understand why.

A child becomes our guide, taking our hand and leading us through Hamill’s carefully constructed labyrinth. It is effective and terrifying especially as Noah becomes more and more involved in his family’s story.

We watch as Noah grows up making the mistakes of youth and adolescence, and are unable to keep him from taking “the wrong” path. Then we question which path was right or wrong to begin with.

In short, he has created what might be considered a horror Bildungsroman–a term used in literary criticism to describe a novel that focuses on the moral and psychological growth of its protagonist in which ways a character changes is most important.

Hamill took this form literally and figuratively in his novel, earning praise from Stephen King who compared the work to the novels of John Irving who demonstrated a subtle mastery of the form in his novel The Cider House Rules.

What is most impressive, however, is that this author in his first published work knows exactly how to manipulate the reader. He creates a puzzle that demands to be solved even when we are stricken with horror by the emerging image, and he does all of this while ultimately telling a story about the importance of family and identity.

He is undeniably an impressive talent and a new voice to watch within the genre.

And remember those questions I mentioned at the beginning of this review? If you’re lucky, you might be able to answer one or two of those by the end of the book. If not, you may be pondering them for days to come.

Either way, make no mistake, once you pick up A Cosmology of Monsters, you will not put it down until its ghastly, heartbreaking conclusion.

A Cosmology of Monsters is available in hardback and e-book editions. You can pick up a copy at Amazon!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

13 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NEON (@neonrated)

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

14 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube