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Halo |
Topic: [Book] Black Dawn
Posted: 2004-07-28 @ 11:25:56
 | Fear the weak writing. |
Black Dawn
By: D.A. Stern
Black Dawn is a good book composed by a good storyteller who doubles as a bad writer. I read through this 400 page novel in just 2 days because the amazing story pulled me in and wouldn't let go. When I stopped reading, I couldn't help but think about what was going to happen next. When I started reading, I couldn't help but get distracted by the amatuer and often lame writing of Stern. To the man's credit, all he's had published prior to this are some Blair Witch and Star Trek fanfic material. Black Dawn is really his first time out on his own, and he shows a lot of potential. I'll probably give him another chance a few years down the road when he's hopefully improved on his finesse and style.
Before moving on, here's a quick plot summary.
A dark god from the ages is rising up in Los Angeles, CA and apocolyptic happenings are coming with him. Fires start in Compton that fire fighters can't seem to put out, and then all power to the city is lost. A blackout for miles and miles, but it's not just an ordinary blackout. Nothing works, cars, cell phones, planes, even things that are supposed to be protected against EMP weapons dont work. Only a few hours later, a wave of madness grips the city. Normal people have become absolutely insane. Mothers mutilate their daughters, human sacrifices, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! Once things in LA pass over, the blackouts and madness slowly spread across the rest of the country.
For a moment, let's forget about all the technical aspects of the novel, and get to the point. Dawn is a horror novel, and it's important to ask "is it scary?". From time to time the book is enough to make your skin crawl, a friendly character will catch the hysteria and suddenly scalp a passer by. Since the book centers around several characters in several locations, Stern is able to put the reader in a place of uncertainty and desperation multiple times. As you finish reading what happens out in LA, you're quickly moved to the blackout's next target. Stern introduces the reader to several new characters right before a blackout, and forces the reader to wonder which of the new group will go insane, which will become heroes, and which will die. It all sounds so exciting to read and it truly is, but it's also dissapointing to see some very neat and spooky scenarios often ruined by a few lame and misplaced sentences.
If you're one that can easily overlook or enjoy a cheeseball here and there, I definately recomend this book to you. The story is fantastic and rather original at times, and if that's all you care about then go get this book right now. If you're more of a technical reader and it sounds like this sort of thing would really annoy you then wait for Stern to get a decent editor, and hopefully you'll be able to enjoy his next novel.(1)Comment
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