After a long month of starting-and-stopping on a few different books, I needed someone to get me out of a reading funk. Figuring Ron Kelly might be able to get me over the hump, I grabbed my copy of FLESH WELDER and gave it a whirl. Did it work, you ask? Hell yes it did.
Croatoan Publishing's FLESH WELDER is a neat little chapbook containing a variety of items for readers to peruse. "Flesh Welder" is a longish short story that effectively mixes horror with sci-fi, detailing a post-apocalyptic world that has fallen victim to chaos and anarchy. Murder, rape, and torture are the order of the day, and General Jeremiah Payne is the one bringing it upon the downtrodden citizens of Ruin Town (formerly Houston, Texas). In their darkest moments, the citizens turn to Dr. Hamilton Rourke, nicknamed The Flesh Welder. Dr. Rourke has found a way to heal the beaten and battered people of Ruin Town by incorporating his knowledge of both medicine and mechanics, a technique he's becoming all too familiar with as a result of General Payne's destruction. Filled with brutality, heartache, and a couple of great twists, "Flesh Welder" is classic Kelly.
Rounding out the book are a very long interview with Ron -- fresh off his re-emergence into horror publishing -- and an excerpt from an upcoming reprint of UNDERTAKER'S MOON (a book that was originally going to be published by Croatoan, but ended up moving over to Full Moon Press). I admit to not reading the excerpt because I plan on reading the full book upon its release, but the interview is quite fascinating, especially the details surrounding his publishing fallout in the late 90's and his revitalization nearly a decade later. It's been a long and winding road for Ron, but one that's ultimately been quite satisfying in a number of ways.
FLESH WELDER is sold out via the publisher. As of the time of this writing, Ron Kelly is selling copies for $12, plus $3 for shipping (which is cheaper than you'll find it on the secondary market). Info can be found here at the Drive-In.
(10 out of 10)
Croatoan Publishing's FLESH WELDER is a neat little chapbook containing a variety of items for readers to peruse. "Flesh Welder" is a longish short story that effectively mixes horror with sci-fi, detailing a post-apocalyptic world that has fallen victim to chaos and anarchy. Murder, rape, and torture are the order of the day, and General Jeremiah Payne is the one bringing it upon the downtrodden citizens of Ruin Town (formerly Houston, Texas). In their darkest moments, the citizens turn to Dr. Hamilton Rourke, nicknamed The Flesh Welder. Dr. Rourke has found a way to heal the beaten and battered people of Ruin Town by incorporating his knowledge of both medicine and mechanics, a technique he's becoming all too familiar with as a result of General Payne's destruction. Filled with brutality, heartache, and a couple of great twists, "Flesh Welder" is classic Kelly.Rounding out the book are a very long interview with Ron -- fresh off his re-emergence into horror publishing -- and an excerpt from an upcoming reprint of UNDERTAKER'S MOON (a book that was originally going to be published by Croatoan, but ended up moving over to Full Moon Press). I admit to not reading the excerpt because I plan on reading the full book upon its release, but the interview is quite fascinating, especially the details surrounding his publishing fallout in the late 90's and his revitalization nearly a decade later. It's been a long and winding road for Ron, but one that's ultimately been quite satisfying in a number of ways.
FLESH WELDER is sold out via the publisher. As of the time of this writing, Ron Kelly is selling copies for $12, plus $3 for shipping (which is cheaper than you'll find it on the secondary market). Info can be found here at the Drive-In.
(10 out of 10)
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