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Lethal Birds
Lethal Birds is a collection of five memorable stories from award-winning author Gene O'Neill with an Introduction by author Eric J. Guignard. It includes a novella that kicks off the beginning of his new novel The White Plague, the Bram Stoker Award (r) winning novella The Blue Heron and Bram Stoker Award (r) nominated novella Rusting Chickens. Operation Rhinoceros set in Borneo where Gene spent some time avoiding local delicacy the Sago palm tree grubs, available raw or roasted, and supposedly sweet and as tasty as prawns, rounds out the collection. The idea for the book occurred to Gene at a birthday party for his grandson, T.J. His mother made a birthday cake per his instructions, of the popular game, Angry Birds. Gene looked at that cake and remembered some of his best stories included or had birds in the titles and so Lethal Birds was conceived.
290 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 23, 2017
EDITED (2/23/2017) - This book was just listed on the 2016 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.
If you look up the term “renaissance man”, do not be surprised if instead of a definition, you see a picture of Gene O’Neill. As Eric Guignard’s introduction to Lethal Birds states: “He was a U.S Marine and a champion boxer. And a college basketball player. And a multi-degreed business man, a property rights specialist, postal worker, corporate vice-president, husband, father, grandfather, and a hundred other things besides being an award winning author…” I would like to add, he’s a very personable gentleman as well.
While I haven’t actually met Gene, we have conversed online many times; and you can tell, just by the way he carries himself, that he is one of those people you would love to meet in person.
But besides all of that, the man can write. His life experiences come through in just about everything he puts down on paper. Gene has a way of describing things that make you not only feel like you are there, but actually make you experience phantom smells and tastes – based on the situation. From the eerily quiet jungle, to a simple boat ride, you are drawn into the story and not released until Gene tells you it’s time.
Lethal Birds is a collection of five stories – all revolving around birds (of some sort).
The collection starts off with his Stoker nominated story, Rusting Chickens. I have to publicly apologize to Gene. I reviewed this story a while ago in another anthology and I wrote that I didn’t “get it”. I can only say that the first time I read the story either I was under the influence of something, or the story I originally read wasn’t this one. Reading it a second time, I need to not only retract my original assessment, but state for the record, that this truly is a great piece of work. It takes PTSD to a whole new level, and is extremely touching, in a horrific and tragic way.
Next up is The While Quetzal – this was an interesting story, revolving around a mundane life and a harbinger of death. The ending was an unexpected turn.
Operation Rhinoceros Hornbill was a real treat to read. It’s a novella that is the first part of his upcoming novel The White Plague. It was truly frightening, and extremely timely given the volatile times we live in. Imagine a deadly virus that kills specific people with incredible precision. I can’t wait to read the novel.
Masque of the Rd Horde is one of my favorites; not only because it is a nod to Poe, but the concept was completely different. Gladiators who are covered in holographic tattoo that battle in underground venues. A nice sci-fi horror story.
Last, but not least, is The Blue Heron. We meet Ryan O’Toole for the first time in this story (he is also in Operation Rhinoceros Hornbill). He’s a “retired” Black Ops veteran who needs to find out why his old recon buddies are being murdered – each found with an origami blue heron.
If you haven’t had the chance to read any of Gene’s work, you couldn’t do better than to start with this one. It is put together very well, with a nice mixture of story types, character types, and just the right amount of terror; not the kind that makes stay up at night afraid of shadows, but the kind that makes you stay up at night with terrifying thoughts running through your head.
If you look up the term “renaissance man”, do not be surprised if instead of a definition, you see a picture of Gene O’Neill. As Eric Guignard’s introduction to Lethal Birds states: “He was a U.S Marine and a champion boxer. And a college basketball player. And a multi-degreed business man, a property rights specialist, postal worker, corporate vice-president, husband, father, grandfather, and a hundred other things besides being an award winning author…” I would like to add, he’s a very personable gentleman as well.
While I haven’t actually met Gene, we have conversed online many times; and you can tell, just by the way he carries himself, that he is one of those people you would love to meet in person.
But besides all of that, the man can write. His life experiences come through in just about everything he puts down on paper. Gene has a way of describing things that make you not only feel like you are there, but actually make you experience phantom smells and tastes – based on the situation. From the eerily quiet jungle, to a simple boat ride, you are drawn into the story and not released until Gene tells you it’s time.
Lethal Birds is a collection of five stories – all revolving around birds (of some sort).
The collection starts off with his Stoker nominated story, Rusting Chickens. I have to publicly apologize to Gene. I reviewed this story a while ago in another anthology and I wrote that I didn’t “get it”. I can only say that the first time I read the story either I was under the influence of something, or the story I originally read wasn’t this one. Reading it a second time, I need to not only retract my original assessment, but state for the record, that this truly is a great piece of work. It takes PTSD to a whole new level, and is extremely touching, in a horrific and tragic way.
Next up is The While Quetzal – this was an interesting story, revolving around a mundane life and a harbinger of death. The ending was an unexpected turn.
Operation Rhinoceros Hornbill was a real treat to read. It’s a novella that is the first part of his upcoming novel The White Plague. It was truly frightening, and extremely timely given the volatile times we live in. Imagine a deadly virus that kills specific people with incredible precision. I can’t wait to read the novel.
Masque of the Rd Horde is one of my favorites; not only because it is a nod to Poe, but the concept was completely different. Gladiators who are covered in holographic tattoo that battle in underground venues. A nice sci-fi horror story.
Last, but not least, is The Blue Heron. We meet Ryan O’Toole for the first time in this story (he is also in Operation Rhinoceros Hornbill). He’s a “retired” Black Ops veteran who needs to find out why his old recon buddies are being murdered – each found with an origami blue heron.
If you haven’t had the chance to read any of Gene’s work, you couldn’t do better than to start with this one. It is put together very well, with a nice mixture of story types, character types, and just the right amount of terror; not the kind that makes stay up at night afraid of shadows, but the kind that makes you stay up at night with terrifying thoughts running through your head.
September 21, 2016
I was lucky enough to pick this up at his author signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank. Lethal Birds is an excellent collection of award winning stories from Gene O’Neil. I read this book in one sitting in a waiting room. Cover to cover I can’t think of a better way to pass the time.
January 31, 2018
I first came across Gene O'Neill's work in the late 90s. He wrote the kind of short story that I can't get enough of: weird, well crafted, and an atmosphere that you can fall into. His work makes you think and sticks with you long after you've finished. The stories in Lethal Birds still hold that magic.
Lethal Birds contains five stories, all different in tone, that are thematically connected by birds. Several of the stories also deal with military or ex-military personnel and the strange things that happen to them. The quietness of the military-themed stories reminds me of Straub's Blue Rose stories: quiet, stealthy, and atmospheric. "Rusting Chickens," the first piece in the book was the stand-out piece for me, a perfectly written story that I savored. I enjoyed each story in the book, and it left me wanting more.
Lethal Birds contains five stories, all different in tone, that are thematically connected by birds. Several of the stories also deal with military or ex-military personnel and the strange things that happen to them. The quietness of the military-themed stories reminds me of Straub's Blue Rose stories: quiet, stealthy, and atmospheric. "Rusting Chickens," the first piece in the book was the stand-out piece for me, a perfectly written story that I savored. I enjoyed each story in the book, and it left me wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews