Red Cells

Punktown #10

by Jeffrey Thomas

Private detective and mutant shapeshifter Jeremy Stake (hero of the novels Deadstock and Blue War) has fallen on hard times in the far-future city of Punktown. When he is offered an opportunity to masquerade as another man to do his prison sentence for him, Stake agrees, but this is a new type of penitentiary—existing in its own pocket universe.

In this isolated prison, a series of gruesome murders have occurred, and the inmates soon force Stake to investigate. Can Stake catch a killer that might not even be human, without becoming just another victim?

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Novella

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2014

About the author

Jeffrey Thomas is an American author of weird fiction, the creator of the acclaimed setting Punktown. Books in the Punktown universe include the short story collections Punktown, Voices from Punktown, Punktown: Shades of Grey (with his brother, Scott Thomas), and Ghosts of Punktown. Novels in that setting include Deadstock, Blue War, Monstrocity, Health Agent, Everybody Scream!, Red Cells, and The New God. Thomas’s other short story collections include The Unnamed Country, Gods of a Nameless Country, The Endless Fall, Haunted Worlds, Worship the Night, Thirteen Specimens, Nocturnal Emissions, Doomsdays, Terror Incognita, Unholy Dimensions, AAAIIIEEE!!!, Honey Is Sweeter Than Blood, Carrion Men, Voices from Hades, The Return of Enoch Coffin, and Entering Gosston. His other novels include The American, Boneland, Subject 11, Letters From Hades, The Fall of Hades, The Exploded Soul, The Nought, Thought Forms, Beyond the Door, Lost in Darkness, and A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Dealers.

His work has been reprinted in The Year’s Best Horror Stories XXII (editor Karl Edward Wagner), The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror #14 (editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling), and Year’s Best Weird Fiction #1 (editors Laird Barron and Michael Kelly). At NecronomiCon 2024 Thomas received the Robert Bloch Award for his contributions to weird fiction.

Though he considers Viet Nam his second home, Thomas lives in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shape-shifting private detective doing time in a trans-dimensional maximum security prison populated by aliens and mutants, watched over by robot guards and haunted by creatures from who-knows-where… and convicts are exploding at random. Author Jeffery Thomas turns noir on its head with a wild ride through a strange sci-fi landscape with horror riding shotgun in this fast-paced and thought-provoking novella that will leave you wanting more.

This was the first Punktown story by Jeffery Thomas I have read. It is oddly reminiscent of Clive Barker and H.P. Lovecraft, with some James M. Cain through in. After reading this, I'm going to add the books Deadstock and Blue War to the top of my TBR list, to see if that comparison holds true with this character in his other books. I’ll probably end up reading the entire Punktown series in quick fashion, too.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare yourself for yet another fantastic story by Jeffrey Thomas! Fantastic in the true sense of the word. Fantastic: imaginative or fanciful; remote from reality. It doesn't get much further from reality than this story. I have enjoyed the work of Mr. Thomas that I have read so far, especially his collection Beyond the Door. (You can check out my review on it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

This tale takes place in a prison. But it's not a regular prison. It's not even on this planet. Yeah, this is one of those kind of stories. In this prison, inmates are dying and no one knows how or way. All they know is the prisoner is gone and their cell is soaked in blood. A lot of blood.

That's all I will say about the plot. This tale features a recurring character from Mr. Thomas' Punktown series, Jeremy Stake. I actually haven't read the Punktown novels yet, but that did not hinder my enjoyment of this dark science fiction/horror tale.

If you have an hour or so to spend, and you enjoy dark science fiction mixed with a bit of gore and a nice mystery, this is the novella for you. Highly recommended!

[Jon Recluse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC from NetGalley.

A private detective with a mild case of shapeshifting, doing time for a client who can't be bothered, in a maximum security prison, tucked away in a pocket universe, populated by aliens and mutants, watched over by robot guards and haunted by trans-dimensional specters....and the convicts are exploding at random. Thomas takes noir on a wild ride through a science fiction landscape, with horror riding shotgun in this breathtaking, thought provoking novella that will leave you wanting more.
An excellent introduction to the wondrous imagination of Jeffrey Thomas.

Highly recommended!

Publication date: March 18, 2014

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ex-military private detective, Jeremy Stake is used to strange missions, but he's about to embark on one of his most peculiar jobs yet. Stake has a mild form of Caro turbida, a mutation that gives him the ability to shift his form to mimic any human. He has been hired to act as a doppelganger for a felon who wants to skip out on his sixth-month jail sentence in the Trans-Paxton Penitentiary, a high-security prison locked away in a pocket dimension outside a major city. However, he soon discovers that the standard risks of jail life--boredom, bad food, and navigating life amongst the gangs that control the majority of the prison--are the least of his worries. Someone--or something--is systematically murdering the inmates, causing them to explode into a welter of blood and particles. If Stake can't figure out what's behind it, he may very well be next.

Red Cells is a fast, fluffy read. I finished it in a little under an hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I'm a sucker for anything vaguely hardboiled, and Thomas is definitely working off those tropes, but with all the added fun that comes from a soft-scifi backdrop. In Stake's world, "muties" (mutants) and various humanoid alien species are common, half the prison staff are robotic, and bizarre pale ghostlike creatures haunt the transdimensional space. However, while I greatly enjoyed the exuberant scifi scenery, I felt that the story could benefit with another round of revisions. Don't get me wrong--it's competently written and doesn't suffer from typos or grammatical errors. The stylistic weaknesses were more a tendency towards Tell-Not-Show and Instant Paraphrase. I also think the plot could do with a little more cohesion and the characters a bit more dimensionality. To me, Red Cells seems slightly uncomfortable as a novella; while the structure is that of a short story, it lacks the short story's fast punch and tight plot, but the character development and complexity one expects from a novel is also absent.

All the same, I felt that Thomas made good use of the hardboiled tropes, including a few chuckle-worthy favourites; for example:

"I'd like to talk to them, if I can think of an excuse to go to the infirmary."
Null nodded, then turned to Billings. "Break his nose."

Overall, I enjoyed Red Cells; Thomas is very good at building up suspense and the story's lighthearted, often amusing antics were a nice change from the more serious books I have been reading. I also think the idea of a chameleon detective is both promising and entertaining. With its snarky conversations, action-packed plot, and gratuitous gore, Red Cells reminds me a bit of a TV episode: fast, silly, and fun.

Rating: 3.5

Excerpted from my review at booklikes.

~~I received this ebook through NetGalley from the publisher, DarkFuse, in exchange for my honest review.~~

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first journey into Jeffrey Thomas' Punktown universe. While I've long enjoyed his short stories (in particular, his fabulous collection BEYOND THE DOOR), I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one.

This struck me as a science-fiction/fantasy mix mostly, with some nice elements of horror thrown in. The main character is a shape-shifting being, who happens to be a P.I. Once I began to become familiar with the different type of characters, everything really started coming together. The atmosphere was rich and descriptive, and characterization--while quite different from a "typical" story--was very good, in my opinion.

The storyline progressed rapidly, and I read the entire novella in one sitting. I plan on going to look up some of Jeffrey Thomas' other Punktown stories.

4 stars.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy Stake is a private investigator that agrees to do one man's prison sentence for him. A normal being couldn't do this but Stake is a shapeshifter and can take on the man's countenance. The prison is set in space in a man made pocket universe that traps everything there - prisoners and space- dwelling life forms alike. Stake is pressed to put his investigative powers to use when prisoners start dying in a messy, unexplainable matter and he becomes to next target.

This is my first time reading about the future universe that Thomas had dubbed Punktown and it was a blast! This is one of those books that hooks you in from the start and the action and intrigue never let up until the end. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read more from Thomas! HIGHLY recommended!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Punktown story by Jeffery Thomas I have read. And after reading this, I'm going to move Deadstock and Blue War up in my tbr pile. I have always enjoyed a PI story with a SF twist. The main character in this story is a shape shifting PI named Jeremy Stake. He is hired by Edwin Fetch to pose as him and serve his time in this new penitentiary that is located in a pocket universe. Once in, he hears of these murders happening in a mysterious way. This is when the story takes off. I enjoyed this fast paced, quick read. I gave Red Cells 4 stars.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stake is a shape shifting PI, paid to do a prison stretch for a client. The prison exists in it's own small universe and Stake soon notes that there are other beings in the universe around the prison. He is forced by other inmates to look into the gruesome murders of several prisoners and soon realises that understanding their unique environment is the key to solving the murders.

I loved Thomas's world building in this story, he adds in so much detail to the world he creates especially the technology and different mutants/aliens that exist in it. This was a really nice mix of SF and noir.
For me the story didn't flow as well as it could have and I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more detail in Stake's experiences in the prison, the story seemed to move very quickly to him trying to solve the murders.

Stake was a great character and I hope the author releases 'Dead Stock' and 'Blue War' onto Kindle soon.

[Ctgt · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mind bender for me. I have gotten out of the habit of reading Sci-fi and I found myself pretty caught up in the concept of not only encountering creatures from different planets (and they abound in this novella) but also from a different dimension. I thought of them sort of the same way that I think of those crazy aberrations that they find in the deepest trenches of the ocean---and that analogy plays out here. Creatures that actually live among us, but we cannot, except under the most unusual circumstances, come into contact with them. What if we not only invade but also attempt to take up residence their “inner space?” How will they respond? Especially since we have no idea of what their capabilities really are. Add to that very interesting social commentary on what we choose to do with our “less desirable” population and our endless desire for conquest.

This is no space opera. Very thoughtful and well done. Another great novella from Darkfuse.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

PRISON-world pocket-universe science fiction with popular series character Slade. Highly imaginative.

[Terry Weyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffrey Thomas’s new novella, Red Cells, is set in his PUNKTOWN universe full of mutants, odd species, and humans, and the good, bad and ugly of each. Red Cells deals more with the ugly: Edwin Fetch has earned himself a six month term in the penitentiary for possession with intent to sell purple vortex. Specifically, he’s to be shipped to the Trans-Paxton Penitentiary, known to its inmates as the Wormhole, a transdimensional prison carved out of the planes between existence. But Fetch has a better idea. He hires Jeremy Stake, a mutant whose condition is called Caro turbida, to serve the time for him. Stake’s mutation allows him to assume the shape of another if he concentrates hard enough on it, and Stake has had a tattoo of Fetch (holding a gorgeous woman for verisimilitude) inked on his arm to keep him focused. Stake is a former soldier in the Blue War, which ended fifteen years ago, and he finds himself at loose ends now, not making enough as a private investigator to make ends meet. All of this is nicely set-up in a prologue that puts the reader in the middle of the story with a minimum of infodumping; Thomas’s style is straightforward story-telling, which works well for the complex worldbuilding he does here.

The inmates at the prison are a mixed lot: mutants and humans and other species all mingle and form gangs based on different criteria (not always on the basis of race, either). The guards are a mix, too; half of them are robots. Everyone in the place seems to be on edge because a few prisoners have been killed in their cells, and no one knows who’s doing the killing or why. The murders seem especially brutal, as if the men exploded; there is little left except blood. No one has seen anything, and the omnipresent cameras always seem to go on the fritz when a murder is committed.

Stake is found out almost immediately, when Fetch is arrested for dealing purple vortex just about the time Stake arrives at the Wormhole. Naturally, Stake isn’t released, but is charged with helping a convicted criminal elude captivity; the warden thinks he can get even more creative than that, drumming up a charge for accomplice to a drug dealer after the fact, abetting a fugitive, and a lot more. The mutant gang sees an opportunity in Stake’s continued incarceration and his background as a soldier and a PI, and makes Stake a proposition: we’ll take care of you and keep the other prisoners off your back if you figure out what’s killing people around here.

It’s in the nature of a mystery that you’ll want to hear nothing more about the plot. It also in the nature of a mystery set in a prison that you’ll find some of the usual sorts of characters who have inhabited such stories since they were first told: the corrupt warden, the sympathetic prison guard, the psychotic prisoner and the disabled prisoner with a heart of gold. The horrific murders provide few clues for Stake to go on, but the experienced mystery reader will likely be able to figure this one out. Thomas plays fair with his readers even as he deals in horrors that H.P. Lovecraft would have been happy to have invented. I read this novella in one sitting, happily engrossed in a classical mystery structure with a science fictional setting.

Red Cells is one of a series of novellas released by the relatively new independent publisher DarkFuse, which specializes in dark fiction, modern horror, suspense and thrillers, many in low-priced electronic format only, though it also publishes limited edition hardcovers and trade paperbacks. It offers subscriptions to its offerings in the various formats as well. I’m impressed with what I’ve seen thus far. The books are well-edited, properly formatted and completely proofread — which ought to go without saying, but in the present e-book publishing climate are worth noting with approbation. I’m looking forward to reading much more from them.

Originally published at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi.... 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 to take account of different rating criteria.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...

In Red Cells, Jeremy Stake is used to strange cases, considering he worked as a private detective. Since he’s a shapeshifter, it’s no problem for him to change into the appearance of one of his clients, and do his time in jail instead. However, keeping up appearances isn’t all that easy – if he stops focusing, he might start slipping into someone else’s skin.

When he signed up for the job, he never expected someone would try to kill him the moment he steps foot inside the prison. A few inmates have been killed in a most gruesome matter, and the inmates are terrified. They turn to Stake to investigate the murders. Stake is reluctant at first, but when he becomes the newest target of the murderer, he has no choice but to get involved.

I loved all the background and setting of this story. Half of the staff are robots. Mutants are common in this world, the transdimensional space surrounding the prison is haunted by ghost-like creatures. The inmates are a colorful bunch – some humanoids, others mutants, and all of them are hardboiled criminals yet they do manage to get pretty terrified when someone is out to get them. Stake is an intriguing character. He’s not easily scared, has a quick mind, but he’s also fast to result the violence, kind of like a hardboiled noir detective stuck in a science fiction world.

So far, so good. And I would’ve really enjoyed this book, if it weren’t for how this reads a like a novel squeezed into a novella. The murder mystery is good, the characters are awesome, the setting is marvellous. But everything is ripped away too soon. The murder mystery isn’t scary because we find out way too soon who is behind it and why. We can never really invest in the large cast of characters because by the time we get to know them, they’re ripped out of the picture. Even connecting with the main character is tough – he’s a too complex character for a novella this size, especially since he shares screen time with all of the other characters.

Too much was going on, and too fast, to really enjoy this book. The culprit behind the murders isn’t even scary because we don’t have time to get scared. It’s like trying to cram a movie into a one-hour TV episode.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it failed to really grasp my interest. I wished I could’ve felt more invested in the characters, but alas.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of authors try to create one giant, consistent setting to play around in, but too often they fail because they treat the setting as just that: a setting. Jeffrey Thomas succeeds because Punktown is more than just a setting for a large number of his stories, it's a character in those stories. Even in tales that largely take place somewhere else within the Punktown universe, such as Red Cells, Punktown itself makes it's presence known by how it's shaped the characters that have lived there.

Red Cells takes place in an interdimensional prison, something of an experiment for the powers-that-be in Punktown; what better place to squirrel away the worst criminals than somewhere that, even if they manage escape the walls of the prison, they're probably worse off? Enter Jeremy Stake, private investigator and hero of Thomas's Deadstock and Blue War (you don't need to read these first, but they're good books so you should anyhow!). His latest job is to impersonate a criminal and serve his sentence. Not surprisingly, this plan falls apart almost from the beginning.

Needing something to do to occupy his time (and help protect himself from other inmates), Stake agrees to investigate a serious of prisoner deaths that started occurring shortly before his arrival. The truth behind everything is telegraphed to some extent, but still quite enjoyable.

One of Thomas's greatest strengths, especially with Punktown stories, is his ability to throw in little callbacks to earlier works that, if you're not familiar with the earlier stuff, just seem like random little details that don't detract from the story you're reading, but if you are familiar with other Punktown tales really help tie everything together and further define the setting of Punktown as a character in its own right. Red Cells is no different, with several callbacks to Deadstock and Blue War and even earlier works in the setting. Again, you don't need to read any of that to fully enjoy Red Cells, but, in my opinion, all of the stories and novels are worth reading so you can see the whole picture of Punktown.

[Gabriella Gricius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Read: It was, you guessed it folks, another NetGalley book for me. I chose Red Cells pretty easily because it seemed like one of those gritty prison novels that had a touch of detective class that would make it one I would enjoy.

Review: I really like Red Cells. Admittedly, I wished it had gone on a little longer (because let’s be real, under 100 pages?), but I loved just about everything else about it. The prison environment was very realistic, not that I would know. And I also loved the way that new technology was integrated into the similar way that prison was portrayed.

Looking at the characters, Stake is a great main and he raises the profile of all of his fellow investigators. I love how he is a ‘mutie’, but has a sort of mutation that I would not have even thought of, let alone been able to portray in words. His friends in the guard and enemies in the cells are well rounded and really give credence to the dynamic that exists in most prison novels.

The plot was exciting and kept moving at a pace that I very much enjoyed. Just at the point when I was about to sigh and roll my eyes at another expository piece, I was shocked by the whole Edwin plot (ah, so great!). And the whole communications by the robots and epilogue: gosh. It was fantastic.

So naturally the whole page number really put a bummer on things because I felt as though it could have been expanded and made the story rounder… but there’s no changing facts.

Rating: 3.9/5 Stars

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Jeremy Stake. As a mutant shapeshifter, he takes a chance to impersonate another man to do his prison sentence for him. This is no ordinary prison though, it is a prison that exists in its own universe. Now inmates are being murdered, well, obliterated. All that is left of them is a spray of blood. It is now up to Stake to find our how they are being murdered and why.

This was an exciting, quick read. It has elements of sci-fi as well as horror. It is set in the fictional world of Punktown, that the author has written about in other books. It was fast paced and kept me page turning. The characters were interesting and varied in their descriptions. This is the first of the Punktown books I have read, and I shall certainly be seeking out some more!

[Stefani Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this story from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you DarkFuse!

A story that is under 100 pages has no excuse to be boring, this one was boring. But it was also not badly written. In fact, I think if the story was given more time and space to develop then it could have been really good. As a short story, however, it felt rushed and hectic.

Read the rest of this review at Written Among The Starst

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since most writing by Jeffrey Thomas is just freakin' uh-MAY-zing, a "pretty good" novela by him is what's "really good" from most others. Compared to Punktown, this was 4 stars, but still a good, solid read. Well-paced, with the usual alternate-reality craziness that a Jeffrey Thomas reader comes to expect from Punktown-universe stories.

[Erick Mertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book, I’m definitely willing to read more in this story world.

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Publisher: DarkFuse
Publishing Date: march 2014
ISBN: 9781940544250
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 3.5/4.0

Publisher Description: Private detective and mutant shapeshifter Jeremy Stake (hero of the novels Deadstock and Blue War) has fallen on hard times in the far-future city of Punktown. When he is offered an opportunity to masquerade as another man to do his prison sentence for him, Stake agrees, but this is a new type of penitentiary—existing in its own pocket universe.

In this isolated prison, a series of gruesome murders have occurred, and the inmates soon force Stake to investigate. Can Stake catch a killer that might not even be human, without becoming just another victim?

Review: The cover art is lame in that it evokes images of the mundane with some red color overlay.

Stake, a shapeshifter, gets busted in prison, while trying to emulate a client. While there, prisoners inexplicably start disappearing leaving only splattered blood behind. The shifters in prison want Stake to find out why the killings are occurring.

This was a good short read. Hard to really rate novella’s. The story-line, while swift and engaging, leaves little left for plot and character development. The author does a good job developing characters within the confines (get it?) of the novel. I enjoyed the end, where the “entities” are stealing android prostitutes or rather hijacking them in order to learn more about the human species. I thought the novel could have been made whole by continuing this story-line. Hints of Blade Runner and all that. As it is, I feel that this gets a good score for incompleteness.

[Robert Defrank · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILERS!

This came under the header of one of those books that I wanted to like a lot more than I did. On the one hand, I was loving the concept of a shapeshifting mutant private investigator on hard times who takes a payment to serve someone else's six-month sentence in an alien prison in a pocket dimension. Only then a series of mysterious murders occur in the prison, forcing the mutant PI to take action.

Well written with interesting characters and an amazing setting, but certain aspects of a shapeshifting main character with no business in this high-security place could have been utilized to keep the tension mounting and up the sense of paranoia, but instead he's discovered by the warden fairly early and the story becomes more of a standard whodunit. Good, but could have been great.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeremy Stake is a Private Investigator, who is incarcerated at an isolated prison facility just outside the universe and around the corner from Punktown. The prisoners are being brutally murdered, or rather evaporated, and Jeremy needs to do some pretty slick and quick investigative work to solve these murders before the entire facility ends up as a fine red mist.

Red Cells is a pretty damn good and gritty sf/horror/noir tale and evidently, I have been missing out on the Jeffrey Thomas boat. I am looking forward to catching up, not only with Jeremy Stake in “Deadstock” and “Blue War”, but with all of the interesting inhabitants of a wee little city nicknamed Punktown. 4+ Stars! Highly Recommended!

[Mommacat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Cells is the newest science fiction thriller in the Punktown universe. Jeffrey Thomas has a thousand stories to tell and not all of them are horror - which I found a little disappointing. I am a fan of both science fiction and Jeffrey Thomas so I went into this book with an open mind. I'm so glad I did. Punktown is a fun place!

This book focuses on a maximum security prison and the goings on inside. There are a variety of beings both inside and outside the area in which the prison is located.

Like King's Castle Rock universe or the Star Trek universe no previous books need be read to enjoy this story. But you must be a science fiction fan to fully appreciate it. I plan to look for more.

Recommended.

[L J Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting world building

I've given this book three stars as the story, while well written, was not as engaging as I had hoped. However I plan to read further volumes in the Punktown line that this author has established. The lead character here is a mutant who can change his appearance at will. For a payoff of a large amount, he is going to serve six months in prison in place of the actual felon by replicating him. But there are problems at the prison that were not known or considered. The story moves at a good pace and there are some nice character portraits. Punktown itself seems to be a well thought out planet sized city incorporating many races, alien as well as human. I want to visit it again.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleased to see so much new Jeffrey Thomas in the Kindle store. Then I was disappointed to see how short the story is. But once I got started reading, I was delighted and engrossed. Mr. Thomas never wastes the reader's time with excessive exposition. Like China Mieville's writing, it's sink or swim. You might find yourself briefly perplexed, but you will not find yourself bored. And the perplexity will resolve favorably if you just pay attention and keep going. Me, Thomas is one of my favorite writers.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't Noir/Sci-fi story, I almost gave it 5 stars, because the writing and framing is excellent and the author has a slew of talent; however, 2 things killed it for me: 1) The long discourse to explain the plot nearing the ending, with so much focused on action, pages of explanation really just broke up the overall flow of the story, and 2) The ending; which really never reached a true conclusion of any sort whatsoever.

Still, for the writing style and the depth the author poured into this, I'll give another book a shot down the road.

[Timothy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeffrey Thomas gives us nice crime noir story set in a science fiction type world with shape shifters and other worldly creatures. I’m not normally drawn to sci fi, but didn’t find it difficult to get a handle on the author’s universe, which is a continuation of his Punk Town series. The publisher, Darkfuse, always serves up quality writing and this is no different. I would be interested in reading more from Jeffrey Thomas.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first visit to Punktown and we were only there for the beginning and the end. I really enjoyed this novella and will read more Punktown tales in the near future. I really liked the charactor of Stake and want to delve more into his history. This is another example of the diversity of tales you will find at Dark Fuse.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. I know nothing about the author but the writing seemed a bit amateurish. It was good, but there were some awkward sentences and the plot kind of puffed out at the end (in my opinion). It's a nice short read that feels a bit like an episode of a Sci-Fi TV show or something. Definitely worth checking out.

[David Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I despair of publishers. Here's an author of such great talent. He gets started with is likely to be a great novel and then the publisher stops him in his tracks and publishes a novella version.

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