A Son of the Rock

Monkey Brain Books, 2008, 147 p.

In the Prologue we are treated to the more (or less) graphic deaths of our four agonists, Seven, Belle, Eli, Matthew. As they must, given the book’s title, all four arrive in Hell which, as depicted here, seems like a version of a modern US inner city complete with its own low-lifes, its own cops (corrupt, obviously,) its own TV station with its star Trent Knightly – reporter for the allusively named Vox News.

Immersed in various nightmare scenarios particular to each, in their own ways they attempt to escape and eventually come together. There are tales of a way out: but this is Hell, maybe these are only rumours. In Hell of course the only way out is down. At its centre they come upon Lucifer, trapped there for four thousand years, and discover the real power behind this infernal place, the one who consigned them all there in the first place. (Traditional religious believers will not look kindly on this revelation.)

Duncan’s story is related in a necessarily urgent present tense and the text contains copious amounts of swearing. Plus one instance of the n-word. With scenes not for the squeamish. It is set in Hell after all.

Pedant’s corner:- 250 mils (the plural of the abbreviation ‘ml’ is ‘ml’,) “there’s no buttons, no switches” (there are no buttons, no switches,) “wet canvass” (canvas,) discernable (discernible.) “Belle whisper a response he misses” (Bell whispers a response,) “a dark maw of a doorway” (a maw is a stomach, not an entrance,) later “a dark maw at its base” (ditto,) “Matthew and Eli skidding round a corner, Belle and Eli close behind” (one of those Elis should be a Seven.) “There’s no tears in Belle’s eyes” (There are no tears.)