Black Helicopters

by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Black Helicopters is Caitlín R. Kiernan’s first SF novella since 2004’s The Dry Salvages. Certainly one of her most ambitious tales to date, a narrative spanning one hundred and eighty-six years exposes a labyrinthine underworld of global conspiracy, secret societies, synchronicity, chaos theory, and interdimensional apocalypse. As a horrific plague unfolds on the shores of New England, two shadowy agencies are pitted against one another in a race to understand the consequences of a psychiatrist’s bizarre experiment involving a pair of albino twins. In this “game of chess,” even the most minute act sends infinite ripples through eternity, the struggle shaping the history of the future.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Novella, Fantasy, Short Stories, Lovecraftian

89 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2013

About the author

Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan is an Irish-born American published paleontologist and author of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including ten novels, series of comic books, and more than two hundred and fifty published short stories, novellas, and vignettes.

Reviews

[Ian Mond · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Charles Fort quote at the start of Black Helicopters possibly provides a clue to the novella’s intentions. According to Wikipedia, Fort was a researcher in anomalous phenomena. Black Helicopters is over toppling with anomalous phenomena. We’ve got secret organisations, CIA skulduggery involving psychics and drugs, a Lovecraft inspired apocalypse and sections set in the medium and far future.

None of it really comes together, which makes the novella feel more like an outline for a novel than its own story. In fact there’s this constant feeling that there's a bigger story bubbling and seeping through the cracks. But for me it never emerged.
I just never felt that I was on the same wavelength as the novella.

And yet there’s something about its intangible, non-linear, madcap nature that’s lingered with me. It’s a story that I want to discuss, partly because I’m curious to know what others thought of it, partly because I feel that through discussion the novella will start clicking into place and partly because Black Helicopters is the sort of challenging, ‘maddening’ (as Gary Wolfe puts it) story that should spark debate and conversation between genre folk. It’s a shame that the novella isn’t more wildly available.

Whether I fully understand Black Helicopters, whether I’m on its wavelength, the novella has left an impression. Ephemeral. Frustrating. Tantalising. Let the discussion begin!

[Karl]

This copy of Black Helicopters accompanied the Leather Bound "The Ape's Wife" a signed and numbered copy 429 of 600 copies.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a thin line between a complex, experimental story which doesn't explain everything, and a mass of pretentious bullshit. This story is *just* on the "complex" side of the line. I mean, you don't get more pretentious than having the same exact scene in two different parts of the story, except the first time the dialogue is in french. Seriously.
But mostly, for me, it worked. With scenes out of temporal order, some POVs barely intelligible, and one seriously weird setting, it managed to give the feeling of having shown us a small part of a vast, terrifying story. And we get enough answers to avoid the "ok, this was random bullshit" effect.
Still... I feel like I have read an excerpt from a great, and long, lovecraftian horror\spy story book, more than a self contained novella. If a full novel existed, I'd buy it immediately.

[Moonglum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Helicopters was fun with its post modern style, and references to black holes, Shogoths, Alice in Wonderland, choas theory, and such. The jumping around time and occasionally stream of consciousness-ish prose reminded me of Burroughs, or Kathy Acker. Fungi are more fun, so I liked Agents of Dreamland better, but Black Helicopters had a kind of unique vibe that I appreciated.

[An Redman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is fanciful and way over my head in some chapters. I hope it doesn't belittle the novella when I say the Acknowledgements page got me thinking real hard about what I'm reading and what I should/could be reading.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extremely disjointed Cthulhu-ish story filled with strange monsters, weird organizations and bizarre characters. It didn't really end and parts I couldn't make heads or tails of. An experimental piece, the author's written better stories.

[Skyler Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m actually writing the review for this one before putting in my rating because honestly I can never decide how I feel about it. If you read about the author her entire career seems very impressive and you get the feeling while reading this… thing that you’re playing checkers and she’s playing five d chess. Like that everything obviously makes sense and that we’re just too stupid to get it. Like she sees how this novel makes sense, that all the pieces fit together. That it comes to a satisfying conclusion. But nah. That’s too much for me sister. So yeah it’s kinda just a bunch of wild ass shit. But it’s gay so like I’m not going to put it under three stars.

[Simon Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter, but not as enjoyable as part one

[John Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a type of novel that is just a puzzle set by the author for the reader to try and solve. Typically books like this will have convoluted tortuous plots, numerous cryptic references and at the end of it all you're never told whether you, the reader, have succeeded in solving the puzzle or not. And that's OK, lots of people like doing puzzles. Just because a book is a puzzle not a narrative shouldn't damn it.

And ... I'm really not sure if Black Helicopters falls into this category or not. It reads that way, but I don't think Kiernan intended it as a challenge - a puzzle that you either succeed or fail at. I get the impression she just had a lot of fun writing it. In this sense it's more like the New Weird genre. It's not the story that is the main aim of the book but the wonderful landscape that you walk through on your way to the final chapter.

And I did enjoy it though I feel no great urge to dash back and reread it. While I have no idea what the story is about (if indeed it's about anything) the book does have some wonderfully bizarre writing in it, and I did enjoy the view. But I really can't recommend this book to anyone who isn't already fond of the New Weird style of writing.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kiernan's format for the book; I suppose that it is becoming clear that I'm a sucker for nonlinear storytelling. The entire time I was reading Black Helicopters I expected that the last couple of chapters would tie everything together neatly and they kind of did and didn't at the same time. There are clear connections between certain parts of the novella and other parts still have me stumped. I'm happy, at the very least, to see that I'm not the only goodreader who didn't totally "get it."

But, nonetheless, I still really enjoyed this story. Certain elements fell into place by the end that have my mind buzzing and trying hard to fill in connections to parts that still seem incongruous. I think this would be a great book club read for many reasons (interesting themes to discuss, good characters, etc.) but it would also be fun to puzzle out exactly *what* is going on here. Please someone read this so we can discuss it!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Kiernan. However, while this is another solid Kiernan short novel, it is not her best. Many of her stories adopt the non-linear narrative and because of this, I was not as wowed as I might have been if I was not already familiar with her style. This story is more in line with her other “science fiction” pieces (which I prefer) vs the supernatural . However I found her short stories in A is for Alien, and her novelette the Dry Salvages, more interesting, possibly because I was not as familiar with her work and these stories were fresh and exciting. Regardless, if you enjoyed the Black Helicopters but have not read some of her other science fiction pieces (Riding the White Bull, Zero Summer, Bradbury Summer, The Dry Salvages, Houses Under the Sea etc.) do yourself a favor and read them!

[Tiffany Lynn Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
With the far flung time jumps and changing narratives Black Helicopters isn't the easiest piece to follow at times. The end also offers little in the way or resolutions and left me feeling like I'd been denied half the story but in Kiernan's hands I don't hate that. I could have done without all but one of the added chapters she mentions at the end but there is little else I would change. This one will be rattling around in my brain for a while.

[John Devenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to review this amazing novella. I have mixed feelings about it. While I really enjoyed it savouring the wonderful use of language I have to admit that I didn't completely understand it. But for some strange reason that doesn't seem to matter. It is a very complex tale and one that I look forward to reading again.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caitlin Kiernan's work is intriguing but I never fall in love with it. Her mish-mash of Lovecraft, Alice in Wonderland, and time travel ticks off lots of my boxes, but I wish she would have more fun with it. This novella straddles literary fiction and pulp, but doesn't go deep enough into either to really satisfy.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of the book put me in mind of The Naked Lunch, if only due to the incomprehensiblity of some of the the prose. I gave it a 3 because I enjoyed parts of it. I'm still not really sure what was going on; I'll have to read it it again sometime.

[Janet Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't enjoy working my way through the complexities. I did follow it for the most part, and picked up on a lot of literary allusions--although certainly not all--but it was too much effort for too little fun.

[Tudor Ciocarlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiernan at her best and one of the best novellas I have ever read.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving an incursion of the old gods from Maine to Mars. I didn't understand all of it but I liked most of it.

[Curt]

Did not finish

[Andrew Capehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiercely imaginative, but fragmented.

[SOUP CHAMP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a bit of hard time following along, and it is a bit more out there than Agents of Dreamland, but still an absolute blast. I really hope we get more in this series.