Live Bait

by Cameron Pierce

Hard-living, hard-drinking former drug dealer Gordon West has spent most of his years alone, fishing the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Then one day, fishing for sturgeon, he meets Bob, a man not unlike himself, but the river monster that brings them together is unlike anything they've ever seen. The beginning of their friendship marks the end of Portland as giant crayfish, blood bass, and disembodied tentacles rip apart their city. Gordon has no choice but to follow Bob as he sinks deeper into the apocalyptic madness. Live Bait is the story of Gordon West in his own words, written from his prison cell at the end of the world.

Genres: Horror, Bizarro Fiction

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2015

About the author

Cameron Pierce is the author of eleven books, including the Wonderland Book Award-winning collection Lost in Cat Brain Land. His work has appeared in The Barcelona Review, Gray's Sporting Journal, Hobart, The Big Click, and Vol. I Brooklyn, and has been reviewed and featured on Comedy Central and The Guardian. He was also the author of the column Fishing and Beer, where he interviewed acclaimed angler Bill Dance and John Lurie of Fishing with John. Pierce is the head editor of Lazy Fascist Press and has edited three anthologies, including The Best Bizarro Fiction of the Decade. He lives with his wife in Astoria, Oregon.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I thought this had a really strong first half. Gordon and Bob’s organic friendship was heartfelt and sincere. That was the soul of this story. And I thought the concept of a superfund area with contaminated water and large aberrations was fun. So you have these two old men looking for purpose as they batte a giant fish. I thought that was such a great concept. And Bob having such a low respect for himself, it would have been awesome to see him bring the beast down. He’d have that redemption, public recognition. and a feel good sort of conclusion. But instead we got a hard pivot into a large scale, end of days scenario, full of cults and many oversized antagonists. I don’t think it was a bad concept, but the initial set up and expected execution would have sufficed. The latter portion just felt overdone and overshadowed the characters that brought this story to life. I also saw a lot of telling, not showing, which I really dislike in books this short. Simpler is better, but, even with all my criticisms, it was still a decent experience.

[Andrew Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live Bait is a fun, quick read full of fishing, friendship, loneliness, desperation, blood, booze, drugs, and cults (often all at the same time). If you're a fan of Cameron Pierce or strange sea monster stories, then you should definitely give this one a go. This novella might be my favorite story of Cameron's fish related work, or at the very least, it is tied with his collection Our Love Will Go the Way of the Salmon.

[Tim Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live Bait is a fantastic new novella from Cameron Pierce, author of Our Love Will Go the Way of the Salmon. Pierce uses his love of fishing to provide a backdrop for a story of loneliness and the search for a human connection at the end world. Two men, who live solitary lives, are drawn together during a fight to land a monster fish. The two men soon become close friends, less because of their similarities that out of their yearning for a human connection. Gordon narrates the story from his point of view and brings the reader into his world, contemporary Portland beset by monster fish.

What will happen to the outsiders, those who live on the margins of society, when the world comes crashing down? Live Bait tackles that question with admirable results. The story is engaging from beginning to end and takes on, at different times, a hallucinatory vibe, the portrait of a friendship, a tale of water monsters and class differences as the known world crumbles. There is a ton of stuff going on is this roughly 80 page story, enough that when you finish it in one sitting, you’ll be left thinking you’ve just read a thousand-page epic.

Earlier this year, Cameron Pierce released Bottom Feeders, co-authored by Adam Cesare, which was also a great yarn about monster fish. The fascinating thing is that Live Bait is as different a story as it can be while still being about man-eating and world-destroying fish. It’s a lyrical, intelligent and emotionally raw story that delivers from beginning to end.

[Jo Quenell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ton of fun. Fast-paced, weird water monster horror that took some sharp turns throughout. As usual with Pierce, each sentence carries a punch while retaining some pulp charm. Read this in a sitting.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun novella about river monsters in Portland. Things go bizarre by the end. Quick entertaining read

[Joe Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Cult of Bob

Like usual, another great read from the likes of Cameron Pierce. The book started off just as I had expected, with the story of a fish, but from there, I was hooked in placed, and drug along for the ride. It didn't go in the direction I was expecting it to, but that's why it made it a fun read. Give it a shot, just like any other by Cameron, and you will not be disappointed...

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mix of fishing and horror!

Quick, fun beach read! Definitely worth your time if you are into either! You'll like it. Sixteen word minimum. There!