Momma Durtt

by Michael Shea, Linda Shea (foreword)

Something strange is going on at the Quicksilver Mine in central California. Dead bodies are being dumped there; strange sounds and smells are emanating from its black depths. As increasingly bizarre phenomena occur in the area around the mine, people begin to wonder if Nature itself has turned against humanity and is rebelling at the violation of its pristine beauty.

And are some of those who work in the mine actively conspiring to bring about a cataclysm that will overwhelm the region and the Earth?

Michael Shea began writing Momma Durtt in 1986. A few years later, he entered the University of San Francisco, to secure a Master's Degree in its writing program, and he completed this novel as his thesis. But Momma Durtt has lain unpublished ever since.

Hippocampus Press is proud to present this novel of cosmic eco-horror from the pen of one of the masters of contemporary weird fiction, as well as the novella version, published in Weird Tales of Fall, 2012. With vibrant characters, racy language, and a spectacular denouement, Momma Durtt is uniquely suited to our own times, when climate change is alerting us to the dangers of tampering with Nature.

Genres: Horror

310 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2024

About the author

For the British author of thrillers and non-fiction see Michael Shea

Michael Shea (1946-2014) was an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author who lived in California. He was a multiple winner of the World Fantasy Award and his works include Nifft the Lean (1982) (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and The Mines of Behemoth (1997) (later republished together as The Incomplete Nifft, 2000), as well as The ARak (2000) and In Yana, the Touch of Undying (1985).

Reviews

[Jack Tripper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This previously unpublished novel (originally started in ‘86 and completed in ‘92) from the late Michael Shea is much more of a standard 80s King-esque horror tale than I’m used to from him. There is some of the weirdness that I’ve come to expect, but it’s loaded with entirely unsympathetic characters: corrupt city officials, corrupt land developers, corrupt waste management types, mafia goons, etc., which made it difficult to remain invested in their fates.

It’s a decent “Mother Nature gets revenge” eco-horror story, with some cosmic leanings, but way too padded, imo, as the handful of chilling moments are far too spread out. Better is the novelette version included at the end, which was originally published in Weird Tales back in 2012. But the perfect length might have been something in between, with maybe a few more relatable characters (or a few less characters altogether).

Had this been published back in the day as a trashy-looking mass-market, I possibly would have been more receptive, but my expectations are much higher when I see Michael Shea’s name on the cover. Still, if this was his attempt to cash in on the 80s horror boom (his only published horror novel during that period was the Lovecraftian pastiche The Color Out of Time), it’s not a bad effort by any means, and the writing is definitely a notch above your typical paperback from hell of the era.

[Captain Kipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad this saw the light of day with this posthumous publication from Hippocampus Press. It's a great book, written in Shea's distinct blend of contemporary grit and cosmic horror, that builds to a tremendous finale. Here's hoping we see more Shea publications and reprints.