This page is a collection of market
reviews for my writing. These are professional, market level
reviews. And while I would never want to detract from individual
reader reviews because I very much appreciate and respect the opinions
of anyone who has taken the time to read my fiction, I want to
display these critiques. My hope
- my aspiration
as a writer - is to create works that not only entertain, but also have literary merit, and I can't think of a
better way to both convey and promote that message than through market reviews.
The following reviews are all posted in
their entirety. No content has been abridged.
Reviews for Remnant follow
below.
Remnant has
been reviewed in Bestsellersworld, San Francisco Review, Feathered
Quill, Rebecca's Reads, Book Review, Reader Views, ForeWord Clarion,
Midwest Book Review, and Readers' Favorite, along with several blogs.
Interviews for Remnant: I've had the pleasure of doing several interviews regarding
Remnant, which provide some more information as to where the stories came from and some of my inclinations as a writer.
At this point I have links to the interviews at the respective host sites rather than posting the interviews here.
So I invite you to take a look if you choose, but just be aware that these links will take you off this site.
"Remnant" by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb, Bestsellersworld.com
One of science fiction’s most outstanding rising
stars, the talented author Roland Allnach, has an
anthology of three creative and brilliant novellas out
now, Remnant, that should be a hit with anyone
who loves science fiction, in general, and the Military
SF genre in particular. He’s already had one of his
short stories nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and he’s
had several of them appear in various publications.
Remnant’s three novellas, “All the Fallen
Angels,” “Enemy, I Know You Not,” and “Remnant,”
mark a distinct growth for the author, and each are gems
of suspense and craftmanship that will keep you on the
edge of your seat. They’re all great stories on their
own merits, but collected together in the pages of this
anthology, they make for a must-read volume. In this
review, I’ll briefly discuss each of the three novellas
that make up Remnant and get into some of the reasons I
think each one is worth reading, and why the name of
Roland Allnach is rapidly garnishing the attention of
science fiction fans around the world.
“All the Fallen Angels,”starts off the
anthology with a bang. Captain Stohko Jansing (he was a
Colonel and is referred to as such in scenes from his
past in the short story) has had a history that was both
distinguished and infamous, in turn. He is haunted by
his memories of what happened to him on the beautiful
and spell-binding planet Hermium, how he went from being
a peacekeeper to a killer, and his and his wife’s
desires to have children. Stohko discovers he can’t
escape his past, and having been put on trial for his
war-crimes, including shooting and killing a
nine-year-old girl.
He is the captain of his own ship, trying to leave
his past behind him, but he’s drawn back into dealing
with the military when an IS agent, Colonel Osler, makes
him an offer he can’t refuse. Stohko’s ship will be
repaired, and his mounting debts paid off, if he will
agree to towing a ship, the Chyrsopoeia, to Hermium to
dump it off there. It’s a high-risk transport–Stohko is
not told what is inside the ship, but it seems that
whatever it is makes the job one no one else wants to
take. It’s a cursed ship, that even its rats abandoned.
But, can he and his crew make it to Hermium, without an
effect known as Hermium euphoria driving them to actions
they wouldn’t ordinarily commit?
“Enemy, I Know You Not,” is an excellent
story about what happens when one’s enemies can attack
you, even in the realm of virtual reality, within one’s
own mind, and transform people who are seemingly your
allies into your enemies. What can you do to fight an
enemy who knows how to infiltrate your mind, and make
you into a mole, ready to turn against and kill people
on your own side? And, when you realize that it might be
yourself who is the traitorous mole, acting against your
own will, can you live with the guilt? When virtual
reality becomes actual reality, and your actions cause
your fellow soldiers to die, is there any way to right
the wrongs you’ve committed?
That’s the basic premise of “Enemy, I Know You
Not.” Training Officer Sheffield has got some “new
meat,” trainees who are inexperienced, to replace those
Sergeant Ellister and Lieutenant Hovland lost in their
mission to end an insurgency that took place on the
planet Tropico. Before the new soldiers engage in
battle, they have to undergo a virtual training
exercise, or “sim run”. They are linked up together, and
while unconscious, engage the enemy in a training
exercise. They can be “killed,” but as long as they are
awakened in time, they will return back to life. But, if
too much time elapses, they cannot be brought back, and
they will die in reality. This is a very cool story, and
I liked reading about what happens when the men finally
realize they have a traitor in their midst, and wonder
who it is, and paranoia strikes a chord of fear in them.
The final tale in the trilogy, the title story, “Remnant,”
is a suspenseful, page-turning conclusion to the
anthology. It’s about what happens when a terrible
plague hits the Earth, and kills billions of people.
Only one in fifty thousand are left alive, those who
have a natural immunity. This story is about how one of
humanity’s “remnants,” a man known in it as Peter, tries
to survive and start a new life for himself in
Connecticut. Pockets of the survivors have gathered
together, for basic protection and to better obtain the
necessities of life, like food, shelter, and clothing
for everyone. But, this also means living under the
rules of the community, and giving up a part of one’s
freedom. Will the plague prove to be a chance for
mankind’s remnants to create a better world for
themselves, or will it only result in a return to how
they were prior to the plague?
Peter (teamed up with another survivor, Jim
MacPherson) rescues a woman, Emily Lewis, from a man who
has been chasing after her for two days. The man claims
to be a cop, but Peter believes he’s been trying to
catch Emily for other reasons, so he shoots and kills
the man. Peter rationalizes that if he hadn’t killed the
man, he would have come back, and tried to kill them.
Will he find love with Emily, or is she just using him,
trying to recruit him to her point of view? This
concluding story is probably my favorite of the three.
Each deals with the decisions we sometimes have to face,
and how are lives, and those of others, is effected by
them. Do our choices, like those of Peter’s in
“Remnant,” make us “more human,” or “less human”?
Remnant is an action-packed anthology of
Military SF, with the title story dealing with how
mankind’s remnants survive after a global plague. Each
of the three novellas is a beautifully crafted gem of a
story, making the collection one I would highly
recommend to any fans of science fiction. Roland Allnach
is an author who is one of SF’s rising stars, and if you
like Military SF, this is an anthology you’ll definitely
want to check out!
"Remnant" by Roland Allnach
Reviewed
by San Francisco Review
When humans finally visit a far-off world,
there will be no escape from our basic
traits. No matter what the future holds,
jealousy, trust and greed will always be
with us, and Roland Allnach knows this. In
the debut book, Remnant: An Anthology,
he brings us thoughtful tales of conflict
and the folly of being human. The book is
the combination of three short tales, “All
the Fallen Angels,” “Enemy, I Know You Not”
and “Remnant.”
While the three are set in
different places, all carry on a continuing
message–a message that the past will always
affect our future. The relatable themes also
make reading the book a personal journey of
the human condition. It is hard not to read
it and think, “If I was in Peter’s place,
what would I do?” I also enjoyed the use of
exploring the concept of what makes us
human. Many of the stories deal with the
issue of the “natural state” and how memory
makes us who we are–issues that can only be
truly explored in the science fiction genre.
Out of the three short stories, “Remnant”
left a huge impression on me. The story
revolves around survivors of a devastating
plague. The dynamics of the world and the
philosophical subject matter explored was
outstanding. It was chilling how real the
characters felt and how naturally the plot
progressed. It was like reading the diary of
a survivor, and it was very intimate. I
liked it so much that I hope the world of
“Remnant” will be revisited sometime in the
future. Allnach’s writing style can be
described as smart, elegant, and addicting,
and you will find yourself deep into the
story before you know it. Remnant: An
Anthology is an accomplishment of a
book for both die-hard fans and those new to
science fiction genre.
"Remnant" by Roland
Allnach
Reviewed by
Amy Lignor, FeatheredQuill.com
This is an extremely
interesting book - if a bit confusing at the
beginning - that includes three separate
stories,
with the same underlying theme.
Readers begin with "All The Fallen Angels."
Here, people are brought to a place called
Nexus 9 - an outpost in space - where Stohko
Jansing is still reliving some of the worst
moments in his life. Stohko is a man who
once was a major player in the military on a
planet called Hermium. This was a planet of
brilliant crystal seas and beautiful tropic
sunsets. In fact, it was far more beautiful
than Earth could ever think of being.
Unfortunately for Stohko, something hideous
happened on that planet, and he was arrested
on the charge of war crimes. To save his
life, he gave himself up to medical research
and a woman named Siona, so that he could
stay alive to get home to the woman he truly
loved more than life. When a man from
Stohko’s past (and present, unfortunately)
comes to him to let him know he must do a
job, Stohko’s life becomes even worse. He
must return to Hermium and “tow” a ship that
contains people he thought he’d been done
with back at the tribunal. His past
continues to haunt him, as his mind flitters
from past to present - reality to imaginary
events - trying desperately to figure out
who and what he has become.
In story number two, "Enemy, I Know You
Not," readers are once again brought into a
war. And again, as in "All the Fallen
Angels," some of it is truth, while other
parts are pure simulation, yet the
characters have a hard time understanding
what is fact and what is fiction. In this,
we meet up with a Sergeant by the name of
Ellister; he’s not in charge, but has a
tendency to usurp Lieutenant Hovland, who
has been “through the absolute wringer” when
it comes to the worst of humanity. The
“training events” that these particular
soldiers must go through will keep the
reader glued to the page…guaranteed.
Leaving the best for last, the author
provides a heart-wrenching story about how
Earth may just end up one day if we’re not
more careful. In "Remnant," the plague has
struck. There are very few people left on
the earth, and the ones who are range from
the most frightening examples of mankind to
true heroes who want to save all they
can…and, perhaps, find love again. Two men
meet in the woods - one is named Peter.
Peter is a man with a gun and a mission. He
has lived with his memories of the family he
lost for so long, and hasn’t communicated
with others in so long, that trust is not
exactly something Peter has a great deal of.
When he saves a woman from a particular
“slime bag,” Peter soon learns that
loneliness breeds bad things, and that he
needs the company of others to survive. But
what he first must accomplish, is
discovering who to believe and who is
absolutely lying.
With each story offered, the author gets
better and better. He also makes solid
points about faith; trust; hope; and the
horrible things that can happen to a
person’s mind when they feel desperate and
alone.
Quill Says: An interesting read. "Remnant,"
especially, is one story that all
individuals should read and strive to
understand.
"Remnant" by Roland
Allnach
Reviewed by
Kam Aures, RebeccasReads.com
Roland
Allnach’s “Remnant: An
Anthology” is a collection of
three different science fiction
novellas: “All the Fallen
Angels,” Enemy, I Know You Not,”
and “Remnant.”
“…there
she stands, among the whispers
of ruin, caught between so much
anger and hurt and betrayal. So
dark, that night: the whisper
of the wind, the patter of the
rain, the steam of humid air; it
had the feel of dissolution, of
tears and loss and futility.
And there she stands among it
all, among the whispers,
dehumanized, for what is her
life- any life- but the lost
murmur of whispers in the dark?
She
was only nine. I shot her
anyway.”
So
begins the first novella in the
anthology, “All the Fallen
Angels.” This is the longest of
the three stories at
ninety-seven pages, but don’t
let the short length fool you.
Each of the stories packs a big
punch. I enjoyed Allnach’s
writing style, particularly in
this first tale. He doesn’t
just lay out all of the
information up front in his
writing; he gradually divulges
detail by detail until all of
the pieces fit together and the
story is complete.
I found
it interesting that he chose his
title story, “Remnant,” to put
as the last story in the
anthology. “Remnant” focuses on
the remaining survivors after a
plague sweeps through. Of the
three works in the book this was
my favorite, but it was also one
of the shortest in length. I
wish it would have been longer
as it was truly an intriguing
story. I would have loved to
see a full length novel made out
of this one story.
I
believe that “Remnant: An
Anthology” will appeal to those
who enjoy science fiction
novels, particularly military
science fiction. Allnach’s
intelligent writing style is
quite appealing and I expect we
will see more from him in the
future.
"Remnant" by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Donn Gurney, BookReview.com
Remnant – by Roland Allnach Mr. Allnach
takes the reader into a new and strange universe of science fiction,
fantasy, mystery and intrigue – much different from the science fiction
with which this reviewer grew up in the late Forties and early Fifties,
reading Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke. And, of course, our space
explorations were national efforts with great shows of teamwork and
cooperation. If there were intrigues on our space facilities, it was
kept well away from the public. So, the complexities of the Remnant
plots and relationships are a far cry from personal reading experiences.
It’s almost if the author had taken a familiar place to many of us – a
massive truck stop in space, much like those that exist wherever our
Interstate highways meet across our country. Of course, the things
stationed there and the people living in this strange environment are
far different from the denizens of the Nexus and reflect the author’s
vivid imagination and his ability to twist plot and characters into
something very special. The fact that his “day job” has been working
night shifts in a hospital has given him a keen insight into a variety
of human qualities and faults – all brought together as humans expand
their universe with the “old Earth.” Space exploration and the
possibilities of new world’s colonization was an exciting and
imaginative feature of the science fiction novels created by the early
writing masters, going back to Jules Verne. Reading those books does not
really prepare one for Mr. Allnach’s vision of our future and, in fact,
to this reader he presents a very dismal prospect of humans carrying
their traits into new and unexpected places while still hauling the
human emotional baggage with them. Of course, he is writing about a very
distant future and the earlier writers thought it was coming much
sooner, especially once the Russians and Americans began to tickle the
fringes of what lies beyond. I rather hope Mr. Allnach is mistaken as to
the future outside or solar system but, of course, this will all
transpire long after the current crop of readers is long gone. But, down
inside I have a gnawing feeling he is right – the explorers and
colonizers of the future may well think and perform as do his
characters. He writes well and cleanly, forcing the reader to form his
own mental images of these new worlds and their inhabitants. This, to my
mind, is the mark of a solid writer and I should hope that Mr. Allnach
continues in this vein. This is a book well both the reading and the
thinking that comes with the reading. If you’re interested in a somewhat
different tale of what’s ahead, this is a “Must Read.” If you’re not so
interested, it may be a very disturbing book but still worth the effort.
"Remnant" by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake,
readerviews.com
Roland Allnach’s
“Remnant: An Anthology” consists of three stories within the science
fiction genre. The stories are linked in theme by characters seeking
self-truth and redemption through finding their true moral center.
The first of the three novellas, “All the Fallen Angels,” is the story
of Stohko, a convicted war criminal and his attempt to make peace with
his past. He is filled with paranoia, guilt, confusion, self-deception,
hostility and hate.
In the second novella, “Enemy, I Know You Not,” a military officer,
Lieutenant Hovland, is assigned a group of recruits for simulated
training exercises. He is tortured with corruptive thoughts of
rebellion, order, and the illusion of control while he tries to find his
loyalty in paranoia of suspicion and mistrust.
The final novella, titled “Remnant.” continues with the theme of
behavioral research and centers around the conflicted emotions of Peter
Lowry, the survivor of a global pandemic. Peter is confronted with the
prospect of making peace with past memories when, Jim MacPherson and
Emily Lewis, two other survivors attempt to bring him back from
self-imposed isolation.
Influenced by the writing of mythology and classical literature, Allnach
follows a pattern in his writing using character driven themes. Although
he writes primarily in the Science Fiction genre he develops depth and
substance to his characters in situations outside of the realm of our
“common world.”
Each of the three novellas in the anthology follows a pattern of a
nightmare of “tangled, convoluted confusion.” Stohko experienced Hermium
euphoria, chaotic eruptions of jumbled moments in time in “All the
Fallen Angels.” He was plagued by a trance-like weaving in an out of a
delirious dream moving from guilt of the past, the realities of the
present, and the hopelessness of the future.
Lieutenant Hovland lost his sense of purpose in “Enemy, I Know You Not.”
When a malfunction at the simulator turned a training level exercise
into an actual lethal fight for survival, Hovland found himself
suspected of subversion. This created a feeling of paranoia, suspicion,
exhaustion, futility, betrayal and retribution.
In “Remnant” Peter Lowry becomes a prime example of traumatic stress
syndrome as he works through the negative characteristics of blind
obsession, mistrust, suspicion, guilt, and the positive qualities of
genuine empathy, concern, discipline and loyalty.
I especially appreciated Roland’s literary style: -- His vivid word pictures -- His insights demonstrated through character driven dialog -- His creative imagination -- His use of foreshadowing
Allnach’s writing in “Remnant: An Anthology” is haunting, begging for an
interactive response from the reader in an honest self appraisal; asking
the “what if” questions created by identifying with the protagonist in
well written literature. Roland Allnach is destined to become recognized
for his contributions in whatever genre of writing he may choose.
Remnant, by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Peter Dabbene, ForeWord Clarion
With Remnant,
Roland Allnach presents three novellas
that promise to haunt the reader long
after the cover has been closed. Though
the title refers specifically to the
last story in this collection,
Remnant also indicates the dystopian
future in which all three stories take
place, a future in which exploration and
technology have advanced far enough to
spread the human condition into the far
reaches of space.
The first story,
"All the Fallen Angels," begins with a
dream, setting the tone for a tale of
redemption sought in the shadow of a
planet that seems to influence the
emotional state of its inhabitants. The
story is enjoyably surreal, bringing to
mind Stanislaw Lem's Solaris,
while remaining firmly grounded in the
gritty details of the main character, a
guilt-plagued military officer named
Stohko.
The second
installment, "Enemy, I Know You Not," is
a suspenseful action thriller featuring
a squad of soldiers on a training
mission gone awry, a situation in which
the trust they've developed as
comrades-in-arms is quickly destroyed,
leaving them suspecting the worst of
each other and questioning the morality
of their cause. It's a more cerebral
version of James Cameron's Alien
in which, instead of being hunted by an
insect-like alien, the marines target
themselves.
"Remnant," the
finale, is reminiscent of elements of
Cormac McCarthy's The Road or
Stephen King's The Stand. After
most of civilized society has been swept
away by a plague, Peter Lowry has holed
up by himself, suspicious of everyone
and everything. Faced with a choice
between rebuilding the world with other
survivors or remaining alone with his
memories, Peter is conflicted, as he
tells a fellow survivor: "I despised
the world-that-was. Even as I feared for
my family when the plague came, part of
me welcomed the anarchy with open arms,
part of me relished the idea of having
it all come crashing down, part of me
had always longed for the time after it
all fell apart and the twisted adventure
of survival without any external check."
But Peter Lowry has to decide if he
really wants what he thinks he
wants.
Overall, the
three pieces fit together nicely,
without seeming forced. The characters
feel authentic, not simply serving as
dialogue devices, as in lesser-crafted
science fiction tales. The questions
raised are significant ones, posed
thoughtfully without becoming preachy or
overly didactic. While the text is
marred occasionally by a misused or
misspelled word, the writing is
engrossing enough that these few
mistakes are easily overlooked, specks
of dirt on a nearly perfect gem of
sci-fi.
Remnant
has been named a finalist in the science
fiction category of the 2011 National
Indie Excellence Awards, and Roland
Allnach has previously been nominated
for a Pushcart Prize. His star is on the
rise, and Remnant will surely not
be the last of his writings left behind,
but rather a bright precursor to a
brilliant, not-so-dystopian future.
Remnant, by
Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Willis M. Buhle, Midwest
Book Review, Reviewer's Bookwatch
The same thing that
brings us a paradise can very easily
bring us a wasteland. "Remnant" is a
collection of three science fiction
novellas from Roland Allnach as he
presents unique tales of many futures
and what we reach for to try to make
sense of everything around our lives.
With plenty to ponder and plenty to keep
readers reading, "Remnant" is a fine
assortment of thought, highly
recommended.
Remnant, by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Lee Ashford, Readers Favorite
"Remnant" consists of 3 stories, each of which
could be titled "Remnant". The first, and the longest, story was 'All
the Fallen Angels', a futuristic glimpse of a vacation resort planet,
renowned for the innate sense of euphoria experienced by all who visit
it. However, the permanent residents of the planet became overwhelmed
and disenchanted with the constant euphoria, requiring the Navy to
intercede and quell rebellion. The Colonel in charge went a bit
overboard, and was convicted of war crimes. Given a choice between death
or submitting to experimentation, he chose the latter, never guessing
how brutal that would be. Therein lies the story, which alternates
between the present time and various periods of flashbacks. The second
story was 'Enemy, I Know You Not', which again involved military
intervention to quell rebellions, but on many planets, as needed. After
a particularly deadly intervention, new recruits were installed to
replace the casualties. The entire platoon then entered into a computer
simulated training battle - basically a very interactive video game - in
which all the senses are involved; when a "sim" gets shot, the actual
soldier feels the pain. If killed in the simulation, they merely wake up
and remove the game-activating helmet. But a computer glitch traps the
platoon in the game, and fatalities in the simulation result in actual
deaths of the soldiers. Story three is 'Remnant' in which a global
plague kills virtually the entire planet Earth, leaving only 1 in 50,000
to carry on as a remnant population. It focuses on one man who needed to
come to terms with the loss of his family, while he, though unworthy,
survived.
This entire book was very well-written. The characters were
well-developed and seemed like real people. It would be very difficult
to read this without feeling a great deal of empathy for the characters.
You will smile when good things happen to them, and feel their anxiety
when bad things happen. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough;
reading it will be an exceptional experience.
Bronze Medalist, Horror,
2012 Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards
Finalist, Paranormal, 2012
Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards
Award Winner-Finalist,
Fiction/Horror, 2012 USA Book News Best Book Awards
Award Winner-Finalist,
Fiction/Anthology, 2012 USA Book News Best Book Awards
Reviews for Oddities & Entities:
--Review by
Readers Favorite. Read the review here,
below. --Review by
Bestsellersworld. Read the review
below. --Review by Cynthia Brian, host
of World Talk Radio's 'Starstyle', read
below. --Review by
Reader Views. Read the review
below. --Review by
Pacific
Book Review. Read the review below. --Review hosted by
Net Galley (courtesy of Vanessa Powell). Read the review
below. --Review hosted by Net Galley (courtesy of April Reynolds).
Read the review below. --Review hosted by Net Galley (courtesy of Carole Holland).
Read the review below.
Interviews for
Oddities & Entities:
The opening splash for O&E
also constituted my first television appearance. I
appeared on Lifetime's morning show, The Balancing Act, on June
14, 2012. You can watch the full interview right here:
Oddities & Entities, by Roland
Allnach
Reviewed by Lee Ashford, Readers Favorite
"Oddities & Entities" by Roland
Allnach, categorized as horror fiction, is unlike any other horror
fiction I have ever encountered. The book is comprised of six stories,
each of which is written a cut above the norm. There are no recognizable
monsters in these stories, no sophomoric zombies, no evil ancient
vampires, and none of the standard fare I have become accustomed to in
the horror genre. I do like the usual run of the horror genre, but this
book is written with thoughtful intelligence, for an intelligent adult
reader. I do not mean to imply sexual situations or coarse language.
What I mean is, any intelligent reader, capable of deep thought, will
find this book irresistible. The six individual stories are as unlike as
any six stories can be, yet each one is so sufficiently well-written that,
if sold as individual short stories, I wouldn't hesitate to award 5
stars to each of them.
To say I like this book is a crass understatement. Each story drew me in
and evoked my empathy for various characters. These stories forced me to
actually think beyond what I was reading. Each premise was unique, at
least in my experience; I have never encountered any other stories that
even approach the situations these present with authority and
authenticity. If I could boil down my perception of this book into a
single word, that word would be WOW! Roland Allnach's first anthology,
"Remnant", which I have also read, was placed as a finalist in the
Science Fiction category in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards. I
absolutely expect "Oddities & Entities" to follow suit. If you read only
one book this year, make it this one. Be prepared to have your comfort
zone challenged.
"Oddities & Entities" by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb, Bestsellersworld.com
If you’re fans of quality horror
literature, you owe it to yourselves to check out the
up-and-coming author, Roland Allnach, and his
collections of brilliant novellas, Remnant
(which I’ve reviewed at (Bestsellersworld) elsewhere),
and Oddities & Entities. The stories he writes
are stealth bombs of suspense and they have a high
creepiness factor that suck his readers in like
quicksand teeming with all sorts of vile, squiggly
creatures. That may sound unappetizing, if you, like his
characters, are mired in the quicksand of predicaments
he writes about; but, if you’re a fan of the horror
genre reading them, they’re like electrical shocks to
the pleasure centers of the brain.
Oddities & Entities
consists of six marvelous miniature masterpieces of
horror. I won’t go into each in-depth, but I will touch
on some of the many highlights that make this a
stand-out collection that you should add to your
personal libraries. The six novellas are: “Boneview (one
of my personal favorites),”Shift/Change,” “My Other Me,”
“Gray,” “Elmer Phelps (also nicely atmospheric and
twisted),” and the collection concludes with the
polished gem, “Appendage.”
“Boneview,” is a tale about a
young woman who has a most remarkable gift, though it’s
often more like a curse to her: Allison can use her
psychic ability called boneview to see how people will
die. It’s like she gets an X-ray gaze into their
futures, into whatever degenerative bone diseases the
people might develop. Allison can peer into their bodies
and learn if they will get into a car wreck, or fall off
of a ladder and break their necks.
Allison discovers that her
powers are more of a burden than a blessing. Two
different entities want to get at her and use her for
their own purposes. There’s a bizarre but very cool
creature called the Curmudgeon who wants to become more
human, and desires to steal her first-born to accomplish
this goal. And, there’s someone who is ostensibly a
human, but who travels all around the country killing
people with the sight and cutting out their eyeballs to
save their immortal souls.
In “Shift/Change,” a hospital
worker struggles to regain his memory while being
confronted by a series of desperate people. The
character, Eldin, takes life and death very
nonchalantly, telling the new employee with the memory
issues, John, that: “Time don’t mean nothin’ down here.”
Some people like the junkie, Rose, pay Eldin money to
shoot up there. Others pay for the twisted desire of
necrophilia with the “stiffies.” i.e., to have sex with
the corpses. How is this new employee similar to one
that the hospital used to employ? When one has
unfinished business to take care of, can even death
prevent him from giving himself up to the cops?
“My Other Me,” reminded me of
Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, especially the ones in
which he mentions doppelgangers. That’s because, in
Allnach’s novella, a college student finds himself
displaced in his own body by his alter ego. If your
alter ego is someone like Superman, everything’s
fine–but, what if your alter ego was that of a serial
killer? “My Other Me,” is a great take on this theme.
I’ll just discuss in brief one
more of the six novellas, “Appendage.” It is the final
story of the collection, and it’s about what happens
when a cynical mercenary is hired by his son to protect
a research lab on the verge of a stunning discovery.
Without hopefully giving too much away, the story
reminded me somewhat of the movie Predator. That’s
because much of it takes place in a jungle. The
mercenary, Randal, discovers that he has an inoperable
brain tumor. This novella, among many other things,
illustrates that “Going Green,” is not always a good
thing to do.
Oddities & Entities is
a collection of six tales of the macabre which will
chill your spine. The novellas made me think, as I was
reading them, of some of the best Twilight Zone episodes
I’ve ever viewed. Roland Allnach already impressed me
with his suspenseful collection of short stories,
Remnant, and he has proven with this latest
collection that he is rapidly becoming a master of the
horror/suspense genres. Horror afficionados, check out
Oddities & Entities today, and be on the
look-out soon for my interview with the author, Roland
Allnach, at this site (Bestsellersworld)!
Review of 'Oddities & Entities'
by Cynthia Brian, host of World Talk Radio's 'Starstyle'
5 STARS - Horror in Poetic Prose
Normally books I choose to review
are non-fiction, upbeat, positive, and life-enhancing. Horror is not a
genre that I read, but when Roland Allnach’s Oddities & Entities
crossed my desk, I was intrigued by the sentence “Set in the
mysterious space between the everyday world and an existence just beyond
reach, ‘Oddities & Entities’ traces a path through the supernatural, the
paranormal, and the speculative.”
The
read didn’t disappoint. Oddities & Entities is an anthology of
six tales that explore the meaning of life beyond flesh and bone. The
stories are gritty, gruesome, bewitching, and beautiful. Allnach began
writing as a hobby when he was a teenager without dreams of becoming an
author. After more than two decades working the night shift in a
hospital, he had experienced an abundance of strange and abnormal
activities, many of which found their way into his writings. Allnach is
a master storyteller with a powerful pen. His words flow as gently as a
stream meandering through a bucolic meadow even as he describes
nightmarish scenes.
Roland
was a guest on my internationally broadcast radio program, Starstyle®
-Be the Star You Are!® and he enthralled our listeners around the world
as he described real life happenings hidden beyond the veil, his writing
process, and his runaway imagination. An avid reader, Allnach has a
do-it-yourself personality, thus when he writes, he studies what he
reads then designs his own musicality for his sentences. The fluid
transparency of his words catapult the reader into the world of his
macabre characters forcing one to make a moral judgment on his
philosophical musings. We experience the paranormal, the speculative,
and the crazed with Allnach’s poetic prose. He is a master writer of the
surreal and deserving of the numerous awards he is winning.
Oddities
& Entities will entice,
frighten, and shock as the little voices that live in the author’s mind
jump into yours. Enjoy the creatures, the complexities, and the
curveballs. The horror and the haunting have never been more
therapeutic!
Cynthia
Brian is Producer/Host of StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® Radio and a
New York Times best selling author
“Oddities & Entities” by
Roland Allnach is composed of six engrossing,
and sometimes grossing short stories. Each one
is unique in its own way, and completely
different from anything I have ever read before.
Reading these twisted stories gave me an awesome
escape that made me feel like I was on a ride
through a fun house with no idea when it would
be over or where I would end up. As a result of
the uniqueness of the author’s ideas, he is in
control of the journey because you will have no
idea what is going to happen next in his
creative imagination.
If you are looking for a
romantic comedy, this is not the book for you.
Although there are several relationships that
are involved in most of these stories, they tend
to be out of the norm. Way out of the norm as a
matter of fact. For example, in “Elmer Phelps,”
the main character has two relationships to deal
with. One would be perfect, if it wasn’t
complicated by Elmer’s secret dire need for
consuming raw flesh. There is also a bit of an
issue with how well he gets along with his
sister who shares his dietary needs. I will stop
there because I don’t want to spoil it.
As I read each story, I
appreciated how well Roland Allnach was able to
write such complete, detailed scenes in the
space of a short story or a novella. He does a
wonderful job of describing the scenes and
helping you dive right into the characters’
minds. He will take you to some dark and twisted
places, and you will enjoy having goose bumps on
your arms. And when you are done with reading
“Oddities & Entities,” you will be extremely
relieved to find yourself back in your mundane
world, as I was. Then, if you are like me, you
will find yourself looking on the Internet to
find out what else Roland Allnach has written
so that you can dive right back into that
twisted darkness.
"Oddities & Entities", by Roland Allnach
Reviewed by Jason Lulos
Psychoses, psychics, neuroses, and revelations not explainable
by common sense biology, the characters in this fantastic
collection of stories reveal and discover, to quote the author,
a human "is a bridge, and not an end."
The borders between psyches, humans and the world, the natural
and the supernatural are not shattered; they are subtly made
fluid as bridges themselves. Each story in “Oddities and
Entities” is beautifully written and the flawed characters, from
fallen angels to reluctant vampires, do not just romantically
accept their nature as some cookie cutter cult figures might.
These characters, in Hamlet-esque style, question the hell out
of who they are and therefore take philosophical and
psychological tangents about what they are in relation to the
world.
"Boneview" is the first story in the collection. Allison, an
atypical Goth girl, plagued and protected by a ghoul of a
guardian angel from birth, has psychic abilities. This is, of
course, a blessing and a curse. In the end, she must make a
choice between two kinds of sight. It is a Bildungsroman,
beautifully dark.
"Shift/Change" is composed of two stories which surprisingly
intertwine. John, a literal or figurative fallen angel, finds
potential redemption while working with a hedonist in the
mortuary of a hospital. Think Night Shift but written by Stephen
King or the Coen brothers.
Mo, short for "My Other Me," an alter-ego and more. What starts
out as a dark vignette about a shy young Noel stalking a young
beauty becomes a similarly dark, but slapstick dual personality
war in which Noel and Mo take turns kicking each other out of Mo
and Noel's body. A wonderful philosophical tangent comes from
the shadowed (out of body) Noel, who struggles with this new way
of perceiving the world. "If what he perceived as his intellect
was a fantasy generated by his own flesh, then the perception of
existence about his flesh was fantasy as well. Nothing was real,
and so everything was real." A fine deconstruction.
"Gray." Dave, our protagonist has a small man expelled from his
brain during a feverish bout of nose blowing. The homunculus,
"Gray," is not the ghost in the machine; he's a symbiote who
establishes order, living in virtual harmony with his human
comrade since birth. Perhaps a comment on the fallacy that the
world can be described or even lived in binary oppositions, the
gray symbolizes the fluctuation between black and white concepts
such as order and freedom.
A reluctant vampire, "Elmer Phelps," unwilling to join the
fraternity/sorority of the unspoken vampires, falls in love with
Samantha, a waitress at the local diner. A small town love
story, with charm and sensitivity, turns into an all out blood
bath before it's over. Elmer's older sister praises the immortal
lifestyle and shy Elmer's conscience resists. She is a psychic
bridge to Elmer, a depraved but protective older sister,
encouraging Elmer to partake in all things forbidden.
The final, and aptly named, appending story is "Appendage."
Think of a Buddhist or Transcendentalist Island of Dr.
Moreau. Randal is a mercenary hired by his son, Jonah, to
protect his discovery of an elixir called "Purity," a veritable
panacea. The miracle drug from the jungle is a kind of "cure
all" but not exactly a new "discovery." Sort of a spoiler: The
"villagers" have mastered a certain art: Transcendental in mind
and body. What reads like an action/horror story actually segues
nicely to an end (or a bridge, I should say) connecting humans
and nature with a lyrical lasting image of the rustling of
leaves as the echoes of our ancestors. This is a great
book. Nothing you expect to happen, happens. The author keeps
you thinking and turning the page over and over.
Review of "Oddities &
Entities" by Vanessa Powell
Hosted at Net Galley and
Goodreads
4/5 Stars
I was hooked from the first story inOddities
& Entities,
"Boneview," and I'm pleased to say this carried throughout the volume.
Its one of those short stories collections where its they aren't really
short stories, so much as fiction meeting all the length required for
the story and nothing more. The theme throughout is an exploration of
the body, mind, and soul, but also of disconnection and reunion. Its
also intensely creepy, startling, and you could probably substitute a
cup of coffee for one of these stories if you need to stay up and alert.
My favorites were, "Boneview," "Shift/Change," "My Other Me," "Grey,"
and "Elmer Phelps," and while none of the stories are connected I can
picture them existing in the same universe of wonder and danger.
Starting with "Boneview," and ending with "Appendage," gave the whole
volume a very polished and cyclical feel. Four stars though, as I just
didn't like the non-linear style of "Appendage," (non-linear just has to
be done in a certain way for me) and "Grey," starts rather slow.
This was my first foray into Allnach's work, I like his style, intense
with just enough details to picture the absolute work. There's a subtly
that requires the reader not to be thick to get the gist, like "Elmer
Phelps," and makes the realization more intensely horrifying. I'd
recommend it to fans of Neil Gaiman and Victor Lavalle.
Review of "Oddities &
Entities" by April Reynolds
Hosted at Net Galley and
Goodreads
4/5 Stars - VERY Different
The author takes you into multiple different
places with several short stories. Just
about the time the author almost loses my
interest, he peaks it again and again. The
stories are quite different than any I’ve
read yet in some strange way I can not only
realize them but I understand them. Each
story has its own little lesson and yet you
don’t realize it until the very end. The
author does not leave gaps here which I
love. At the end of each story he does not
leave you wondering what happens to each
character which I have found is a rare
occurrence in most books these days. The
author could leave a bit less information
leading to the story but at the same time it
really catches you once you get past it and
leaves no unanswered questions. I would
recommend this book to most of the people I
know it has a little bit of everything in
it. It does come with dark humor which I
love and a subtle creepiness that keeps you
looking around once you’ve read a story or
two. The author introduces you into a place
of his thoughts that only he could explain
and brings imaginable creatures to life.
This is
possibly one of the best shot story
collections I have ever picked up,
at the same time as being one of the
oddest.
The six stories
take elements of human psychology
and well-known supernatural and
paranormal creatures and turns them
on their head with spine-chilling
results.
All of the
stories were clever and very
different from each other – at the
end of the book I could remember the
main elements of each with very
little thinking because they had
each left me with a little something
to think about and mull over.
Allnach’s
characterisation is fantastic, no
two characters were the same and
none of them felt flat or
unrealistic as is often the case in
short stories. Within the confines
of the short story structure it is
very easy to have one-dimensional
characters because there simply
isn’t time to fit in a mass of
backstory and the main story you
want to tell, any writer will tell
you it’s difficult to strike a
balance successfully. Allnach never
once fell into this trap, cleverly
using the characters thoughts and
memories to fill in gaps in some
stories and simply by moving the
time quickly and efficiently through
others. Every story got me engrossed
enough to not want to put it down
because I wanted to know what the
characters would do next – their
world was always so close to mine in
every way it was a bit like
following the progress of a friend.
Several of
the stories got gory and violent but
never in a way that seemed out of
place – it was always something you
had seen coming and fitted perfectly
with the story, inevitable but often
gruesome – my stomach turned on more
than one occasion. Despite this, I
never once wanted to stop reading,
the stories were so intriguing that
I simply had to keep reading – my
face must have been a picture as I
winced my way through some scenes,
equally disgusted and fascinated. It
was a bit like watching a scary
movie from behind a cushion – I
wanted to look away but simply
couldn’t in case I missed something
important.
Every now
and then I got a bit bogged down by
long words and slightly heavy
language but it was never enough to
make me stop reading and usually was
used well in context that I could
carry on reading and glean the
meaning from what else was said and
going on.
The thing
that has stayed with me most from
reading Oddities and Entities
is the realisation that the
human brain is very finely tuned and
it’s surprisingly easy for that
balance to be disturbed and thrown
off course, often without you even
noticing. That’s what made it so
scary, there were very few points
during the stories where I could
have put my hand on my heart and
sworn that I wouldn’t have made the
same choices as the characters in
their situation – even the choices
that led to things I normally
wouldn’t even imagine.
It turns out
much scarier things can happen than
turning into a ‘vampire’ if you get
bitten by the wrong sort of bat, the
grey sense of order in the world
maybe has much darker roots than the
‘human logic’ we assume and those
weird, whispering, out-of-character
thoughts you sometimes have? Yeah,
they’re not the ‘you’ that you think
they are…
-- Interview with Cynthia Brian, host of 'Starstyle'
on Voice America. Interview segment is at minute 22 on the program
slider. Visit
Voice America to hear the interview.
-- Interview with Linda Maria Frank on 'The Writers Dream':
5 Star
rating from Readers' Favorite.
Three reviewers comments follow.
(Review by Ioana Marza for
Readers' Favorite)
Prism is a collection of short stories that span multiple locations,
times and worlds. Roland Allnach has a great talent for creating worlds,
building an atmosphere and painting for the reader a believable setting
for each story. His power of description is considerable. The style of
writing is diverse and changes from one story to another. “Titalis” is
akin to a Greek tragedy, “Of Typhon and Aerina” is all in epic verse,
while several of the stories belong to the science fiction and
paranormal genres. Some of the writing styles are easier to read than
others, but the stories are all very well written. When he is not
constructing tragedies that feel as genuine as something taken out of
mythology, Allnach is writing stories in an almost ambiguous way which
makes them interesting and mysterious without becoming confusing.
A glass prism separates white light into a spectrum of colours, and this
is an apt title for Roland Allnach’s book. The most simple or even
trivial activity such as a child’s fear of darkness or a bored pupil’s
imagination running wild while at school becomes a big adventure when
seen through his prism. The theme of war is most recurrent, specifically
the human traits (whether good or bad) that drive people to war. Honour,
love, deceit, hunger for power - they are all seen through the Prism of
Allnach’s imagination. The whole collection of stories is interesting
and intriguing and sometimes even moving. There is a dark element in
most of them. I definitely enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it.
(Review by Lisa Jones for
Readers' Favorite)
Prism by Roland Allnach is a wonderful
collection of short stories which manage to capture the imagination. I
became hooked from the beginning on this enthralling eclectic collection
of rare delights. I think that the mixture is just right and there is
something for everyone here. The author did get great feedback in the
preview to this book, which always makes the read more enjoyable, and I
knew I would not be disappointed. Out of them all, my favourite has to
be the first story with the soldier whose men had all died. He goes
looking for water and his life changes forever. I found this captivating
and imaginative and could not stop reading.
Roland Allnach delivers a wonderful collection of stories in Prism. It
was cleverly written in a way which attracted the reader from the
outset. Each story was different and unique. I think there is something
for all tastes and I expect to be seeing more great things from this
author. The development of the plots and characters had just the correct
balance and I was just taken away into the realms of my own imagination.
I look forward to another similar collection from this author and I
would highly recommend this book to all. It brings an air of mystery,
along with witty and wonderfully delivered tales. Prism will certainly
be one of those rare books to add to my collection of precious finds.
Overall, I would say that you are missing out if you don't read this
book.
(Review by Rattan Whig for
Readers' Favorite)
A timeless, exquisite collection of
short stories that's bound to leave you mesmerized and awestruck.
The compilation is a masterpiece, besides being lifelike in many ways.
The selection of stories indicates a true literary master at work. Each
story itself is superbly written and offers glimpses into some of the
less visited areas of human psychology. The stories tend to relate to a
constant stream of boundless energy and the forces at work in the human
mind. That the human mind is the true master of each person's outward
behavior and inner thoughts is known and well respected, yet the depths
are untested and unknown to a large extent. What these depths hold and
exactly how it manifests as a reflection is the deeper mystery. The
reality tends to get lost in the quagmire of thoughts for it is the
thoughts that define our reality. Reality and the perception of reality,
or, in other words thoughts and fantasies, take on a different meaning
under stressful circumstances and preclude the owner from acting in
their best interest. For some, this defines the life that they live each
day while for some others it is the sign of things to come. Yet, one
unmistakable fact is their presence and their influence on everything
around.
Much of what we don't understand about being human is inside our head.
Popular line I read somewhere, dismissed as another interesting choice
of words, yet so true in the context. How could the human mind be so
majestic and frighteningly unfamiliar, so inviting yet so fear-invoking,
so brilliant to imagine yet so fearful in reality? Why does the reality
differ for each person? Why is there no rest even while one is
surrounded by all the creature comforts? The answers to these and
similar questions may not be the prerogative of this book as much as it
is the thought provoking and curiosity raising element many of the
stories succeed in inducing. A wonderful and memorable read!
Review of 'Prism' in Feathered Quill Book
Reviews
Reviewed by Amy Lignor
When you think of the word,
'prism,' you think of glass; that triangular shape with refracting
surfaces at acute angles that separate white light into a spectrum of
colors. It is not an overstatement to say that this author, with this
collection of the best of his short stories along with his newest
creations, is most definitely that 'spark' of pages that shoots a
spectrum of colors through the mind and imagination.
There are too many to delve into for a review, so selecting some of the
most extraordinary (which was difficult, considering the writing never
fails to entertain), is what to do in order to attempt to frame the
pictures that Allnach has created.
In the very beginning the reader opens to the world of a soldier; a
soldier who is in thought, considering he's all that’s left of what
everyone assumed would be a triumphant army. The promise of this battle
to the people had been that it would be swift - with the golden armored
soldiers making sure to defeat a smaller, less-armed, less-experienced
culture that was basically fighting with passion. There are morals here
galore, with the foundation
telling that money and nobility do not equal success when put up against
a man who lives and dies for their beliefs. Readers watch the solider
deal with his survival, deal with his own valor, and stay loyal to his
oath to protect a city that he can no longer defend. Among him his
madness, savages, and a woman who needs that soldier’s protection no
matter what the cost. The tale is "After the Empire," and the plot is
vivid, dramatic, and extremely enticing.
A young boy sits in the classroom, like most, bored with the reality of
school. Engaging his imagination the boy becomes "The Great Hunter,"
heading into a world through his drawings and mind, where predators must
be slain...and perhaps where new prey can be found back in reality.
Bone-chilling fear makes the reader want to hide under their own bed in
"Creep." William, the grad student who has found a once-in-a-lifetime
discovery and rushes to share the news with his Professor in "Apogee,"
learns the valuable lesson that when something comes once, perhaps it is
the most loved and most supportive person in your life who should head
the news...making one of those moments that rarely happen during a
lifetime. The 5-Acts of "Titalis" take the reader's breath away, as a
journey to a place of lost glory is taken,
where minds and souls work and play.
On and on this collection goes, with tales for literally everyone's
tastes. Each genre is spoken for - from the Technicolor world of sci-fi
to humor to horror to fantasy, and beyond. Allnach has a voice that
speaks so loud readers lose themselves in the stories, making this a
whole lot of fun!
Quill says: Just like a prism, this is a dazzling collection.
Review
of 'Prism' for Rebecca's Reads
Reviewed by F.T. Donereau
Author Roland Allnach, in his new collection of stories, titled,
“Prism,” has taken the risk of alienating readers with too varied a
selection of genres. Everything is in the stew here: futuristic tales,
love stories, horror, on and on, filling the pot with all manner of
ingredients. How easily this might have backfired. After all, how many
of us indulge in so many different styles of storytelling? At first I
wondered why in the world Mr. Allnach would do it. The answer, in my
mind, has now become a simple thing: he is blessed with an abundance of
imagination, and either could not contain it, or, wisely I now believe,
chose not to. Here you have the splendor of falling into worlds wholly
designed by the author, then finding others more grounded in real life
scenarios. You have heartbreak and fear and love and Sci-Fi. You have,
in the end, pure, unadulterated creativity. And what (in this case,
nothing, absolutely nothing) could be wrong with that.
Mr. Allnach surprises with each new story here. You must open your mind
to difference, to receiving your entertainments in different forms. It
can be hard for a reader to do this; we are trained to hold one plate of
food at a time. If such habits can be put aside, “Prism” will shatter
you into countries that glimmer, stories that entrance. The themes of
life are the same no matter how they are presented. If prejudices are
put in a drawer, locked from sight and ability to interfere, you will be
given hours of pleasure. Roland Allnach is a storyteller. He can conjure
and feed the head things that keep a reader turning pages. You have
pieces like, Icon, an interior work, hard boiled, wherein a modern day,
unnamed `Critic' exposes the price of obsession, the pain of
exploitation. Later, you come upon, Titalis, a story which draws a world
long gone, an ancient place of hills and plains and war and warriors.
The grit of it can be tasted, the actuality of what no longer exists,
brought alive fully. With, Turn of the Wheel, Allnach uses colloquial
language, a first person narrator, plain spoken, to give a straight
forward, morbid account of family tragedy. Something for everyone? More
like everything for anyone in love with fine literature.
“Prism” is a book of stories written with precision. It does not dance
with overwrought stylings. Instead it chisels out what is needed with
laser description, true to the ear dialogue, characters built into
believability, and stories that capture the attention. Forget about
picking the genre you're most attracted to; widen the avenues, take all
of them in. Doing so will give what is most wanted: the pleasure of
living tales un-lived before. Mr. Allnach is no light weight. Below the
surface of many of his stories things are swimming that must be thought
about to be discovered. Layers are important because they reveal. This
collection is to be savored, read again and gain. The gift received for
your time will be enormous. More, and better than that, it will be fun.
Review of 'Prism' at
Bestsellersworld
Reviewed by Douglas Cobb
Just like prisms
reveal brilliant colors of the spectrum,
so does Roland Allnach’s collection of
short stories, Prism, reveal a
wide spectrum of brilliantly written
short fiction written by a master
storyteller. The majority of the 17
short stories in Prism have
been previously published in venues
ranging from Rose & Thorn Journal
to Bewildering Journal.
Prism is like a collection of
greatest hits that just keep on coming,
each successive tale better than the
preceding one, but all of them crafted
and refined by a genius wordsmith.
This review won’t
discuss every single one of the gems
within the pages of Prism, as
that would somewhat spoil the joy that
readers of this fine collection owe to
themselves to experience firsthand.
However, I will mention a few of the
short stories to give you a tantalizing
taste of the banquet of tales that await
you.
The first short
story in Prism is “After
the Empire.” It was originally
published in the Summer 2008 issue of
The Armchair Aesthete. The tale is told
primarily through the thoughts and
perspective of a soldier who still seeks
stubbornly to defend his city despite
its having been overrun by a ruthless
enemy. The soldier is sick, hungry, and
thirsty, but he is persistent in
honoring what he feels is his duty.
The only other
character who speaks and attempts to
befriend the soldier is a woman who had
been a servant in the household of a
wealthy man’s family. Everybody except
for her has been killed. She is the only
one left. When the soldier meets her, he
asks her if she has a horse he can use
even before he asks for some water to
drink. The soldier is stubborn, perhaps
due to a sense of loyalty; or, perhaps
because he knows no other way of life.
“11,”
the second tale in the collection, was
originally published in the Fall 2008
issue of Allegory. The story is about a
man, Carl, who feels as if he has been
tormented by an unseen person ever since
he was a young boy. The tormentor seems
to delight in destroying any tiny hints
of happiness in Carl’s life, killing a
pet dog that he had when he was a boy,
burning down his parents’ house with
them trapped inside, ruining any chances
he might have had at love and a real
life. What is the significance of the
number "11" and the tattoo of it that
Carl, who becomes a janitor, has on his
hand? You will have to read the story to
find out!
The third short
story in Prism, “Icon,”
first appeared in the January 2009 issue
of Midnight Times. The story tells about
a music critic, who is known wherever he
goes as just “the critic.” He can make
or break the musical acts he sees with
just a few lines in his column. In “Icon,”
he becomes infatuated with a particular
act, a woman who sings punk music,
drinks vodka and vomits on the stage.
The critic treasures every encounter he
has with her, even the most fleeting
ones. He bails her out of jail several
times yet never turns his back on her,
even when he, himself, is criticized for
losing his objectivity.
These three
wonderful short stories are just the
beginning of Prism by Roland
Allnach. He writes of tragic love,
serial killers, aliens, and many other
topics, and includes elements of
speculative fiction, myths, science
fiction, and horror in the 17 tales in
this latest collection. If you are
looking for an excellent collection of
short stories from one of today’s
premier authors, look no further than
Prism by Roland Allnach!
Review of
'Prism' at Pacific Book Review
Rated 5 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Jason Lulos
Quite an intriguing and
thought-provoking storyteller. Each
piece in this collection is literally
and figuratively engaging. In short,
Allnach's abilities as a storyteller in
transporting the reader to fantastic
worlds is obvious, but these tales also
lend themselves to allegorical
comparison with current issues, private
to sociological. The wide cast of
characters in this collection range from
the pathetic to the triumphant to the
homicidal and psychotic. The collection
could have aptly been called “Tragedy
and Comedy” but that would have been too
cliché. There is plenty of tragedy, some
comedy, numerous elements of the surreal
and always with hints of suspense. He
keeps you guessing. In this collection,
you will find short stories reminiscent
of Poe's style of the grotesque,
troubled mind. You will also find epic
poetry, Shakespearean tragedy, and
occasionally some comic relief. There is
something for everyone, but the roads in
most of these stories are dark and
paradoxically laden with hope and
hopelessness.
The
final story, “Dissociated” is on the
cyclic nature of things, writing, and
life. A nice way to close, considering
the first story, “After the Empire,” is
about the end of things. Although there
is a wide range of issues and genres in
Prism, there is the sense of a
continuum, much like a concept album
where the songs exist on their own but
somehow synthesize together. The soldier
in “After the Empire” willingly fights
for a lost cause. The protagonist in
“11” fights against his own
subconscious. The critic in “Icon”
fights against the media's sycophantic
infatuation with celebrity; and thereby
fights against himself. So, there is
this continuum of struggle, reflection,
rebuilding, reconciliation. In
“Memento,” Henry tries to reconcile by
reaching out to his enemy's family.
Internal psychological struggle and
actual war parallel each other like the
two faces of a prism, with multiple
angles of introspection and allegorical
interpretation on the sides. Dark as
they are, they invite the reader to look
at struggle as difficulty but also as an
accepted challenge, and there is
optimism in that pessimism. It's not all
Sisyphean. Allnach provides levity with
the nose-picker in “The Great Hunter”
and the poem “Tumbleweed” otherwise
titled “An Ode to a Well Endowed
Gunslinger.”
I
have to mention “Beheld” as a really
interesting look on creation itself. But
where Allnach really goes out on a limb
is with “Titalis” and “Typhon and
Aerina.” Titalis is a tragedy with
Shakespearean themes and the flowery
language to boot. “Typhon and Aerina” is
an epic poem written in classical style.
This makes an interesting juxtaposition
in the collection; so much science
fiction is set in the future, but these
are ambiguous as they could be in the
distant past, the distant future, or in
some parallel universe. This calls to
mind the Family Guy mockery of Star Wars
noting the tale is “in a galaxy far, far
away but somehow in the future.” Kidding
aside, this is the mark of a good
science fiction writer; to give tales
some linear ambiguity, leaving it up to
the reader to decide if they've already
happened or have yet to be.
Review of
'Prism' at Hollywood Book Reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Ella Vincent
Prism by author Roland Allnach shows the
full spectrum of his creativity,
storytelling skills, vivid imagination
and although may be a bit frightening at
times, he is always entertaining.
Prism is a collection of Roland
Allnach’s newest short stories and
acclaimed poetry all in one book.
Allnach’s short stories are compelling
and engaging tales. The stories are
haunting and graphically terrifying; in
a good way. One standout tale is “11’’
about a man driven to unspeakable acts
by his bullying tormentor.
Another intriguing story is “Icon.’’
That story details the dysfunctional
relationship between a Courtney
Love-like troubled female rock star and
an obsessed music critic. One story,
“Creep’’ is a simple story about a boy
battling monsters he creates that sends
an evocative message about fear. Some of
the stories are graphically violent, but
teach a subtle lesson about obsession,
cruelty, and love.
Allnach’s stories also feature other
genres, like science fiction in “ The
City of Never,’’ dystopian fantasy
fiction in “After the Empire’’ and
long-form poetry like “Of Typhon and
Aerina.’’ There’s even some humor in
Prism in the midst of all the drama and
horror. One poem, “ Tumbleweed (An Ode
to a Well-Endowed Gunslinger)’’ is a
humorous look at a Wild West lawman.
Allnach’s genres vary and so do his
characters. Many of them are tragic, but
also have an underlying gentle humanity,
like the rock singer in “Icon.’’ The
fictional settings of places like
Eurimedon in “Titalis’’ come to life as
a brilliant example of Allnach’s
storytelling skills.
Allnach’s adult fiction would be perfect
for horror fans that love the
spine-tingling stories of authors such
as Stephen King. The science-fiction and
fantasy stories would also be great for
Game of Thrones fans that want more
adult fantasy fiction to add to their
collections. Prism would also be a great
addition to libraries’ horror or
science-fiction sections.
The stories are so vivid, they could
easily be made into a horror series,
similar to Tales from the Crypt.
“Titalis’’ could also be turned into a
book series of its own with its rich
characters and storylines. Allnach’s
writing asks a lot of provocative
questions, and readers will enjoy trying
to find the answers.
Prism shows the full range of Roland
Allnach’s unique writing. The collection
of stories will introduce readers to new
worlds and new ways of looking at
traditional book genres. Author Roland
Allnach’s award-winning literature shows
that short stories can leave a
long-lasting impact on readers.
The
book cover for Prism offers a glimpse
into a formidable journey of the mind.
Your sensibilities will be shocked,
appalled, energized, scared, saddened,
and relieved as you forge your way
through chapters of fantasy, horror,
mythology, war, tragedy, humor, and
speculative fiction. A compendium of
many of Allnach’s award winning and
Editor’s Choice stories previously
published, Prism is a science
fiction adventure appearing real.
His
previous book, Oddities and Entities,
centered on the speculative,
supernatural, and the paranormal,
written in a style that I labeled
“poetic prose”. In Prism,
Allnach, continues the odyssey of grim,
gruesome, groaning eruptions that
shatter one’s perception of normalcy.
Cannibalism, insanity, and incest are
equally examined alongside topics of
love, lunacy, and gossamer lightness of
being. Without warning, we are pulled
into the depths of darkness then
rocketed to the radiance of blinding
brightness, all within a few pages.
Prism is an emotional roller coaster.
Without a doubt, Allnach is a literary
genius painting portraits that
simultaneously repulse and attract.
Whether his subjects are wilting or
witty, the poetry of his words conspires
to entrap the reader in a web of
seduction. After reading Prism, you’ll
want to know the back-story of how he
hatches his ideas. Has he heard tales of
such horrors during his twenty-year
night watch at the hospital? Has he
witnessed true-life experiences that
have transitioned into his prose? Are
his writings derived from a vibrant
imagination, terrifying nightmares, or
raucous reality?
Only
Allnach can answer these questions and I
intend to ask him on his next visit to
my radio program, Starstyle®-Be the Star
You Are!® In the meantime, pick up Prism
and prepare for a wild ride, an E ticket
with steel seat belts required.
The
optimism resides in the truth that
Roland is on a roll…stay tuned!
Cynthia
Brian is Producer/Host of StarStyle®-Be
the Star You Are!® Radio and a New York
Times best selling author.
