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Towers
When we are locked inside ourselves, nothing outside could be worse.
After fending off giant monsters for a thousand years, a sentient guard tower is ready to go to heaven with his soulmate. However, the lovers are reborn as lowly humans and forced to live inside the structures they once piloted. Separated by thousands of miles and trapped within menageries of horror, their only hope at being reunited is to turn into giant monsters and roam the wasteland in search of one another.
After fending off giant monsters for a thousand years, a sentient guard tower is ready to go to heaven with his soulmate. However, the lovers are reborn as lowly humans and forced to live inside the structures they once piloted. Separated by thousands of miles and trapped within menageries of horror, their only hope at being reunited is to turn into giant monsters and roam the wasteland in search of one another.
84 pages, Paperback
Published October 5, 2015
48 people want to read
About the author
Karl A. Fischer
2 books20 followersKarl Fischer is a writer and crazy person living in Colorado with his wife and child. He likes bad movies, fantastic movies, black coffee, and books that make him cry. He is the co-editor at Excession Press.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 27, 2015
Lured by the promise of Heaven, Alti and Quatra became Towers, tasked with battling giant monsters for a thousand years. Alti wakes after his term to find himself flesh once again. Has Quatra made the same fate and can he find her?
The 2015 New Bizarro Author series sure has a lot of love stories in it, doesn't it? This time, it's between two kids who become sentient battle towers and then regain their fleshy forms, only to become giant monsters. Haven't we all read that story before?
No, actually, we haven't. Towers is a uniquely bizarre tale of a love that lasts for a thousand years. It's not very sappy about it, either. Alti experiences doubts, much like all of us who have served guard duty as a living Tower for a thousand years.
I found a few typos but the only real gripe I have with this one was the shifting time frames were a little unclear at times. Still, the raw emotion pouring off the page made me forget such things pretty quickly. Three out of five stars.
The 2015 New Bizarro Authors homepage
The 2015 New Bizarro Author series sure has a lot of love stories in it, doesn't it? This time, it's between two kids who become sentient battle towers and then regain their fleshy forms, only to become giant monsters. Haven't we all read that story before?
No, actually, we haven't. Towers is a uniquely bizarre tale of a love that lasts for a thousand years. It's not very sappy about it, either. Alti experiences doubts, much like all of us who have served guard duty as a living Tower for a thousand years.
I found a few typos but the only real gripe I have with this one was the shifting time frames were a little unclear at times. Still, the raw emotion pouring off the page made me forget such things pretty quickly. Three out of five stars.
The 2015 New Bizarro Authors homepage
November 21, 2015
So wow.
I was surprised and delighted at the quality of this novella. Karl Fischer has some CHOPS when it comes to throwing down words on paper. This dude can WRITE.
So I’ll admit I was intrigued with this book’s basic conceit before I even read one word: two lovers, a man and a woman, finish their 1000-year sentence as sentient guard towers helping mankind’s last survivors fight tirelessly against kaiju monsters from the sea. They expected to enter the afterlife together, as they had been promised, but instead are rendered back to their small and ineffective human forms and are separated by continents with no knowledge of how to reunite.
Like WTF??!!! What kind of plot is that?! It sounded crazy! And it was. But Fischer treats his subjects and plot with both gravity and care. As such TOWERS ends up reading like a mind-bending love song, a poetic descent into a world torn asunder, a parable for what happens to us when love and live too strongly and how that may warp us, transform us, turn us into things we never intended to be, and an homage to the resiliency of that inner voice that encourages you to keep fighting even against impossible odds.
There is SO MUCH going on in here, delivered to you by way of zigzagging, colorful prose and bizarre apocalyptic imagery, this book basically DEMANDS a second read, if not to fall deeper in love with Fischer’s use of language, then to further decipher the hidden (and, at times, obfuscated) meaning behind every word.
For a debut novel, this is a meteor. I seriously enjoyed it.
I was surprised and delighted at the quality of this novella. Karl Fischer has some CHOPS when it comes to throwing down words on paper. This dude can WRITE.
So I’ll admit I was intrigued with this book’s basic conceit before I even read one word: two lovers, a man and a woman, finish their 1000-year sentence as sentient guard towers helping mankind’s last survivors fight tirelessly against kaiju monsters from the sea. They expected to enter the afterlife together, as they had been promised, but instead are rendered back to their small and ineffective human forms and are separated by continents with no knowledge of how to reunite.
Like WTF??!!! What kind of plot is that?! It sounded crazy! And it was. But Fischer treats his subjects and plot with both gravity and care. As such TOWERS ends up reading like a mind-bending love song, a poetic descent into a world torn asunder, a parable for what happens to us when love and live too strongly and how that may warp us, transform us, turn us into things we never intended to be, and an homage to the resiliency of that inner voice that encourages you to keep fighting even against impossible odds.
There is SO MUCH going on in here, delivered to you by way of zigzagging, colorful prose and bizarre apocalyptic imagery, this book basically DEMANDS a second read, if not to fall deeper in love with Fischer’s use of language, then to further decipher the hidden (and, at times, obfuscated) meaning behind every word.
For a debut novel, this is a meteor. I seriously enjoyed it.
November 12, 2015
To begin with, I have to confess something I didn't realize until recently: I hate writing reviews. It feels like doing homework, only on something that's supposed to be fun. So, I have to feel really compelled to write a review these days. The reason for today's compulsion is this year's class of New Bizarro Authors, courtesy of Eraserhead Press. This is one of the few annual events that still brings me some joy in a frustratingly adult, postmodern, miserable, hand-wringing, finger wagging, bureaucratic existence. For a few hours, Karl Fischer helped me forget about that existence. Perhaps even project it onto the protagonists of his novella.
Towers is a postapocalyptic tale that feels refreshing due to its complete lack of zombies, power grid failures or any of that other bullshit that has become as standard as Bill O'Reilly hanging up on callers must be to talk radio listeners.
It's a love story that stabs you and hurts you in the same way that Tiffany Scandal's There's No Happy Ending did, because although two lovers are the main characters, their love is treated as if it's inconsequential to anything. They are forced to live in what I could only understand to be giant robots with communities of mutated lifeforms living inside. All of this in the name of religion. Karl doesn't beat you over the head with religious commentary, though.
The true stars here are the combined love of Alti and Quatra and the prose of the novella itself. Fischer definitely seems to have had his thesaurus handy here as he plows through stygian imagery with the most careful descriptions. No stilted sentences here. The whole thing flows like poetry.
My only real critique is that the ending seemed a bit too abrupt, that there wasn't enough time for our star crossed lovers to share the stage with their bleak cast of crustacean antagonists. I felt like maybe it should have been full length to better explore this world Fischer carved out for us, and also allow Alti and Quatra more time to a) spend together and b) find each other again.
Towers is a postapocalyptic tale that feels refreshing due to its complete lack of zombies, power grid failures or any of that other bullshit that has become as standard as Bill O'Reilly hanging up on callers must be to talk radio listeners.
It's a love story that stabs you and hurts you in the same way that Tiffany Scandal's There's No Happy Ending did, because although two lovers are the main characters, their love is treated as if it's inconsequential to anything. They are forced to live in what I could only understand to be giant robots with communities of mutated lifeforms living inside. All of this in the name of religion. Karl doesn't beat you over the head with religious commentary, though.
The true stars here are the combined love of Alti and Quatra and the prose of the novella itself. Fischer definitely seems to have had his thesaurus handy here as he plows through stygian imagery with the most careful descriptions. No stilted sentences here. The whole thing flows like poetry.
My only real critique is that the ending seemed a bit too abrupt, that there wasn't enough time for our star crossed lovers to share the stage with their bleak cast of crustacean antagonists. I felt like maybe it should have been full length to better explore this world Fischer carved out for us, and also allow Alti and Quatra more time to a) spend together and b) find each other again.
September 19, 2016
Wow. To serve 1,000 years in the hopes that all will work as planned and you will be reunited with the love of your life for eternity. Towers is a testament to the power of love, within an unusual dystopian sci-fi context. The transition of the humans into their tower forms and their subsequent reincarnation were fascinating. The lush, descriptive prose flows without a hitch. The book's premise is out there, but all together it is simply moving. This is the type of bizarro that I enjoy the most, on the darker side, rich with emotional struggles and perseverance. A very impressive first book to say the least.
March 6, 2016
A touching, strange, and eerie story set in a post-apocalyptic world haunted by strange daikaiju where the remnants of humanity live in defensive platforms called Towers. These Towers are driven for a millennia by a human sentience, but one, Alti has been removed or rejected by his Tower, and in the aftermath is experiencing a strange series of transformations... is he becoming that which he has been created to fight, or will his search for his lost love, Quatra, herself imbedded in a Tower, fuel an even greater evolution? A beautiful story of love and monsters. Highly recommended.
December 1, 2015
This is a heartfelt, gut-wrenching love story about two people that are deeply in love but separated by fear and distance, unable to understand the ravaged world and bodies that they have been thrust into. Alti must confront some of his fondest memories to inflate his courage sacs and bolster himself against kaiju, uncertainty, and the distance he must go to be with his love again.
This is a beautifully written novel that has some bitchin' giant monster fights, but also an enormous heart.
This is a beautifully written novel that has some bitchin' giant monster fights, but also an enormous heart.
February 23, 2016
ID SAYS:
FWAAAWAAAAZZOOOOKKK!!!!! What the fuck is that coming out of the ocean?? Those are some nasty looking creatures. Pretty sure they want to obliterate us. Shit. Quickly, everyone, into the towers! Thank Christ we have such brave compatriots willing to sacrifice themselves for a millennium to become these giant edifices of 100% BAD ASS KICK THE LIVING PISS OUT OF THESE MUTATED INSECT MONSTROSITIES!
And it's not all terrible news. Why, if they are able to somehow survive a thousand years of uncompromising carnage and death coming at them day and night, they are rewarded with a trip to heaven and everlasting peace and happiness. Bliss with the ones you love, content that you did your part to ensure humanity's survival. Fuck yeah! What more could a mere individual mortal ask?
So, I guess Alti has plenty of reason to wonder why he wasn't allowed to enter heaven after his tower stint. He was promised it along with the love of his life, Quatra. Instead, he's been reborn another oyster in the shell, another human stuck inside a tower. He's needed, the administration is pleading, he is essential.
But what about his service? What about those promises?? What about Quatra, you bastards??? This isn't what he signed up for. Oh, you better believe he's gonna find out what the fuck is going on.
EGO SAYS:
If there's one thing I try to understand in people, it's the motivational force that love brings with it. Alti is driven completely for and toward the one he loves. He is scared, though. What if his love isn't genuine? He worries, perhaps, that this love is too perfect and therefore it, or his perceptions of it, must be wrong. I like this flaw, as I believe it important to always have some doubt in mind. It keeps the mind alert and ready for change. I cannot predict the whole of a thing, only it's pieces, and not knowing can be scary but it is also a reason to strive, to live.
Alti's love interest, Quatra, is the opposite. She knows. Instinctively. I like this flaw, as well. Her certainty comes with risk, but she is willing to risk. The dangerous aura she radiates only makes Alti's love for her strengthen. She is patient, also. Calmly standing by Alti's side when he is unsure. Acquiescing when he decides they should become towers so they can spend an eternity in heaven together afterward. And when they are separated, and Alti is faced with the possibility of never seeing her again, he chooses to believe that she is out there doing exactly what he is, searching.
As this is a love story, primarily, there are not too many ancillary save for one, Yuan, who acts as a guide for Alti in more than one way. The question of who Yuan is is never fully answered, but his purpose is definable enough. He seeks to help Alti escape the tower to seek out Quatra, but he also encourages a transformation in Alti, one that begins with never giving up and using his new pincer claw hands to their fullest extent.
SUPER-EGO SAYS:
I must say, first and foremost, that this book is weird. Of course, you say, it's a Bizarro book so why wouldn't it be weird? Okay, this is true, but there is something in the style, the language, the flow of this short novel that makes it downright odd. It feels odd. This is a compliment. I was reminded of some of the early Bizarro books I read some 7-8 years ago, particularly of Carlton Mellick III's TEETH AND TONGUE LANDSCAPE. It's not just that the story is weird, it has a weird sensation to it that made it a joy to read.
Mr. Fischer has a knack for pulling on the heartstrings, and this reader is ready to admit a scene or two got him a bit teary-eyed. His language is vivid and voracious without ever bogging down the rhythm of the story. He keeps it detailed but clear, and his descriptions pull you into the repugnant, hellish landscape and compel you to endure the madness alongside his poor, lovesick, antagonist.
What I took from this book overall was it serves as a reminder to us that no matter the situation, no matter what changes about our life, environment, or our very selves, we can find solace and the strength to push forward with the singular momentum of the constant we call love. I love this book and this book loves us all. I recommend reading it with a juicy tangerine. You'll understand soon enough, dear oysters.
FWAAAWAAAAZZOOOOKKK!!!!! What the fuck is that coming out of the ocean?? Those are some nasty looking creatures. Pretty sure they want to obliterate us. Shit. Quickly, everyone, into the towers! Thank Christ we have such brave compatriots willing to sacrifice themselves for a millennium to become these giant edifices of 100% BAD ASS KICK THE LIVING PISS OUT OF THESE MUTATED INSECT MONSTROSITIES!
And it's not all terrible news. Why, if they are able to somehow survive a thousand years of uncompromising carnage and death coming at them day and night, they are rewarded with a trip to heaven and everlasting peace and happiness. Bliss with the ones you love, content that you did your part to ensure humanity's survival. Fuck yeah! What more could a mere individual mortal ask?
So, I guess Alti has plenty of reason to wonder why he wasn't allowed to enter heaven after his tower stint. He was promised it along with the love of his life, Quatra. Instead, he's been reborn another oyster in the shell, another human stuck inside a tower. He's needed, the administration is pleading, he is essential.
But what about his service? What about those promises?? What about Quatra, you bastards??? This isn't what he signed up for. Oh, you better believe he's gonna find out what the fuck is going on.
EGO SAYS:
If there's one thing I try to understand in people, it's the motivational force that love brings with it. Alti is driven completely for and toward the one he loves. He is scared, though. What if his love isn't genuine? He worries, perhaps, that this love is too perfect and therefore it, or his perceptions of it, must be wrong. I like this flaw, as I believe it important to always have some doubt in mind. It keeps the mind alert and ready for change. I cannot predict the whole of a thing, only it's pieces, and not knowing can be scary but it is also a reason to strive, to live.
Alti's love interest, Quatra, is the opposite. She knows. Instinctively. I like this flaw, as well. Her certainty comes with risk, but she is willing to risk. The dangerous aura she radiates only makes Alti's love for her strengthen. She is patient, also. Calmly standing by Alti's side when he is unsure. Acquiescing when he decides they should become towers so they can spend an eternity in heaven together afterward. And when they are separated, and Alti is faced with the possibility of never seeing her again, he chooses to believe that she is out there doing exactly what he is, searching.
As this is a love story, primarily, there are not too many ancillary save for one, Yuan, who acts as a guide for Alti in more than one way. The question of who Yuan is is never fully answered, but his purpose is definable enough. He seeks to help Alti escape the tower to seek out Quatra, but he also encourages a transformation in Alti, one that begins with never giving up and using his new pincer claw hands to their fullest extent.
SUPER-EGO SAYS:
I must say, first and foremost, that this book is weird. Of course, you say, it's a Bizarro book so why wouldn't it be weird? Okay, this is true, but there is something in the style, the language, the flow of this short novel that makes it downright odd. It feels odd. This is a compliment. I was reminded of some of the early Bizarro books I read some 7-8 years ago, particularly of Carlton Mellick III's TEETH AND TONGUE LANDSCAPE. It's not just that the story is weird, it has a weird sensation to it that made it a joy to read.
Mr. Fischer has a knack for pulling on the heartstrings, and this reader is ready to admit a scene or two got him a bit teary-eyed. His language is vivid and voracious without ever bogging down the rhythm of the story. He keeps it detailed but clear, and his descriptions pull you into the repugnant, hellish landscape and compel you to endure the madness alongside his poor, lovesick, antagonist.
What I took from this book overall was it serves as a reminder to us that no matter the situation, no matter what changes about our life, environment, or our very selves, we can find solace and the strength to push forward with the singular momentum of the constant we call love. I love this book and this book loves us all. I recommend reading it with a juicy tangerine. You'll understand soon enough, dear oysters.
September 24, 2016
This was like wandering into an H.R. Giger landscape to watch a love story. Dreamlike, at the same time dark and hopefully compelling. I was startled by how alien the world was at the same time that the underlying story felt relatably familiar. It's an interesting combination, one definitely worth reading.
September 30, 2016
Full Review
Towers is a strong debut. Despite the disappointing resolution, its masterful prose, strange imagery, and pathos make it well worth reading
Towers is a strong debut. Despite the disappointing resolution, its masterful prose, strange imagery, and pathos make it well worth reading
February 21, 2016
Towers – Karl Fischer
“We were towers and we shattered the sky.” So starts Karl Fischer's Towers. It sounds like a lyric or a line from a poem, doesn't it? Well keep that in mind, my little curious one, because that's what this book is, a massive love poem.
The basic plot is after a thousand years fighting giant monsters as a massive sentient tower, our hero, Alti, hopes to be reunited with his love Quantra in some sort of eternal paradise. However, once his thousand years is up Alti is dismayed to find, instead of paradise, he is once again just a human within one of the gigantic towers. He then sets out on a homeric odyssey to be reunited with Quantra and spend the rest of their mortal lives together. And homeric is right, this is an odyssey, not just on the journey that Alti endures but through his own physical transformation.
This, for me, appears to be the central question Karl is asking: what would you do for the one you love? How far would you go? It is this emotional question, and Karl's response and thoughts on it, which drive most of what's interesting about this book. In the end, this is a long epic love poem – look, my love, look how far I will go, how much I will endure, how much I will sacrifice, my world, my religion, my friends, even my body. You can't help but love someone who is willing to show his emotions like that.
As I said, this is a poem, and it stands or falls on the reader coming to terms with that. Do all the images hit home, not for me, but most of them do and that is enough. Some of the imagery I found confusing (that's probably a consequence of the speed I read it at) and some of the secondary characters were a bit hit and miss for me. But in the end, the main character of Alti and his emotional roller-coaster is what pulls you through.
So, all in all, my little curious one, do we recommend this book? Yes, you should read it. Karl is trying to tell you something important. We all start as Towers, emotionally separate from each other, and then as we grow and change and metamorphose we become powerful and vulnerable at the same time. We cry out for someone just like us, our own breed of monster, and if we're very lucky we may just find that someone who is a monster like us because in the end we're all monsters for the ones we love.
“We were towers and we shattered the sky.” So starts Karl Fischer's Towers. It sounds like a lyric or a line from a poem, doesn't it? Well keep that in mind, my little curious one, because that's what this book is, a massive love poem.
The basic plot is after a thousand years fighting giant monsters as a massive sentient tower, our hero, Alti, hopes to be reunited with his love Quantra in some sort of eternal paradise. However, once his thousand years is up Alti is dismayed to find, instead of paradise, he is once again just a human within one of the gigantic towers. He then sets out on a homeric odyssey to be reunited with Quantra and spend the rest of their mortal lives together. And homeric is right, this is an odyssey, not just on the journey that Alti endures but through his own physical transformation.
This, for me, appears to be the central question Karl is asking: what would you do for the one you love? How far would you go? It is this emotional question, and Karl's response and thoughts on it, which drive most of what's interesting about this book. In the end, this is a long epic love poem – look, my love, look how far I will go, how much I will endure, how much I will sacrifice, my world, my religion, my friends, even my body. You can't help but love someone who is willing to show his emotions like that.
As I said, this is a poem, and it stands or falls on the reader coming to terms with that. Do all the images hit home, not for me, but most of them do and that is enough. Some of the imagery I found confusing (that's probably a consequence of the speed I read it at) and some of the secondary characters were a bit hit and miss for me. But in the end, the main character of Alti and his emotional roller-coaster is what pulls you through.
So, all in all, my little curious one, do we recommend this book? Yes, you should read it. Karl is trying to tell you something important. We all start as Towers, emotionally separate from each other, and then as we grow and change and metamorphose we become powerful and vulnerable at the same time. We cry out for someone just like us, our own breed of monster, and if we're very lucky we may just find that someone who is a monster like us because in the end we're all monsters for the ones we love.
May 8, 2016
The next time someone says to me, “Oh, bizarro is just meant to shock people,” I’m going to shove Towers into their hands and then push them out the door.
In a wasteland ravaged by giant monsters, Alti and Quatra are drafted into becoming sentient guard towers. Once their service ends they’re promised an eternity together as payment. The only problem? Life is never that fair or easy. No, instead Alti finds that he’s been betrayed. Locked within another tower and slowly becoming a monster himself, Alti sets off on a journey driven by the one thing that can catapult any human into the hungry void: LOVE.
Few writers can write about violence in a way that is both revolting and beautiful. It takes the skill and know-how of a truly talented voice to do so, and Karl Fischer is one of those few. We’re along for the ride as Alti’s mind, body, and spirit undergo a blitzkrieg of torment that we can’t look away from. However, never once does it feel like Fischer ebbs into gratuity. These scenes are necessary and expertly crafted to show you how ugly one’s own journey and transformation can be—as far as character arcs go this is one of my favorites.
Along with the poetry of Towers, Fischer presents Alti’s love for Quatra in a very sincere manner. What do I mean by that? Well, a lot of times the protagonist’s quest for a loved one seems more like a drone on a mission; there’s no questioning of the possible outcome or if the desired partner even wants to be saved. There’s none of that in Towers. Fischer shows us Alti’s moments of doubt, fear, and the idea that maybe Quatra won’t be at the end waiting for him. This understanding and representation of emotions (everything from hate to infatuation) helped me feel closer to Alti; so when he hurt, I hurt.
My complaints are minimal. I felt the ending was hurried and less-thought out than the rest of the book. A solid 20 pages or so more I think would have rounded the narrative out a bit. Also, there’s a bit of confusing imagery that made it difficult to understand exactly what was happening—nothing that can’t be fixed in Fischer’s next book.
Overall, Towers is a beautifully written lover story and Fischer’s voice is the equivalent of a heavy weight prizefighter. If you’re looking for bizarro with a strong literary backbone then this is definitely the book for you.
In a wasteland ravaged by giant monsters, Alti and Quatra are drafted into becoming sentient guard towers. Once their service ends they’re promised an eternity together as payment. The only problem? Life is never that fair or easy. No, instead Alti finds that he’s been betrayed. Locked within another tower and slowly becoming a monster himself, Alti sets off on a journey driven by the one thing that can catapult any human into the hungry void: LOVE.
Few writers can write about violence in a way that is both revolting and beautiful. It takes the skill and know-how of a truly talented voice to do so, and Karl Fischer is one of those few. We’re along for the ride as Alti’s mind, body, and spirit undergo a blitzkrieg of torment that we can’t look away from. However, never once does it feel like Fischer ebbs into gratuity. These scenes are necessary and expertly crafted to show you how ugly one’s own journey and transformation can be—as far as character arcs go this is one of my favorites.
Along with the poetry of Towers, Fischer presents Alti’s love for Quatra in a very sincere manner. What do I mean by that? Well, a lot of times the protagonist’s quest for a loved one seems more like a drone on a mission; there’s no questioning of the possible outcome or if the desired partner even wants to be saved. There’s none of that in Towers. Fischer shows us Alti’s moments of doubt, fear, and the idea that maybe Quatra won’t be at the end waiting for him. This understanding and representation of emotions (everything from hate to infatuation) helped me feel closer to Alti; so when he hurt, I hurt.
My complaints are minimal. I felt the ending was hurried and less-thought out than the rest of the book. A solid 20 pages or so more I think would have rounded the narrative out a bit. Also, there’s a bit of confusing imagery that made it difficult to understand exactly what was happening—nothing that can’t be fixed in Fischer’s next book.
Overall, Towers is a beautifully written lover story and Fischer’s voice is the equivalent of a heavy weight prizefighter. If you’re looking for bizarro with a strong literary backbone then this is definitely the book for you.
May 11, 2016
You know there is tendency to think of bizarro as nothing but Dildo jokes and juvenile humor. Shock and awe marketing of Baby Jesus Butt Plug and Ass Goblins of Auschwitz get the rage of Bill O'Reilly and the WTF's of Boing Boing alike. Nothing wrong with that kinda of bizarro I am all for absurdist fiction many contain deeper themes but for myself I am into the dark bizarro. I know this is a first time writer in the new Bizarro author series but in the 77 pages of Karl Fischer's Towers there are more moments of genius than authors with a dozen books under their belt.
This is pure bizarro fiction a completely surreal setting with a balance between poetic prose and emotional resonance this genre has not seen since Forrest Armstrong's Deadheart Shelters. Don't be fooled by the back cover this is not a cheap Kaiju novel. Sure it takes place in a world long agao destroyed by giant monsters but the themes are love and humanity - expressed in fantastic prose.
Fischer is an excellent writer who manages to balance the surreal concept of humans reincarnated as giant sentry towers and forced after a thousand years to be vivid at moments. There we moments where the prose impacted me with perfectly placed line. My favorite on page 51 "I recorded a memory:the day I woke up in the cellular walls of my corpse."
OK I need more and longer works by this author. Twice this year the New Bizarro Author series delivered big time. Between King Space Void by Anthony Trevino and Towers we have uncovered two excellent new voices that deserve your attention. If you like high lit style weird fiction that has emotional weight and meaning you have found a excellent book. Towers is a great first step here is hoping Karl Fischer needs chance to run a marathon.
This is pure bizarro fiction a completely surreal setting with a balance between poetic prose and emotional resonance this genre has not seen since Forrest Armstrong's Deadheart Shelters. Don't be fooled by the back cover this is not a cheap Kaiju novel. Sure it takes place in a world long agao destroyed by giant monsters but the themes are love and humanity - expressed in fantastic prose.
Fischer is an excellent writer who manages to balance the surreal concept of humans reincarnated as giant sentry towers and forced after a thousand years to be vivid at moments. There we moments where the prose impacted me with perfectly placed line. My favorite on page 51 "I recorded a memory:the day I woke up in the cellular walls of my corpse."
OK I need more and longer works by this author. Twice this year the New Bizarro Author series delivered big time. Between King Space Void by Anthony Trevino and Towers we have uncovered two excellent new voices that deserve your attention. If you like high lit style weird fiction that has emotional weight and meaning you have found a excellent book. Towers is a great first step here is hoping Karl Fischer needs chance to run a marathon.
December 24, 2019
I got this book from Karl's Excession Press —check them out, they're publishing awesome things!—, as it's sold out everywhere else. It's a beautiful, short book that elevates an already great premise with incredible prose. Get it if you can!
June 11, 2016
The prose is poetic and the plot is phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and fall in love with a sentient tower. Or, do the next closest thing and read this book.
February 21, 2017
Karl Fischer’s Towers is journey to another time and place- a post-apocalyptic landscape full of sentient infrastructures, monsters, and heartbreak. It’s a poignant tale of lovers separated by not only by the government that promised them eternity together, but their own insecurities and blinding need to be together.
Filled with the self-doubt and weaknesses only humans can feel, Towers is heart-rending and beautiful. My only complaint is that… there could have been more, but that’s less about the novella and more about my hunger for the way Fischer works with words. I’d suggest it to any glass-half-empty, monster-loving romantic… and plenty others.
Filled with the self-doubt and weaknesses only humans can feel, Towers is heart-rending and beautiful. My only complaint is that… there could have been more, but that’s less about the novella and more about my hunger for the way Fischer works with words. I’d suggest it to any glass-half-empty, monster-loving romantic… and plenty others.
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