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Monstrumführer
In 1936 Dr. Josef Mengele discovers Victor Frankenstein's lab journal in the attic of an Ingolstadt dormitory and is tasked by the Reich Institute with replicating his reanimation procedure.
While hiding in a bookstore in Warsaw, a pair of Jewish twin brothers, Jotham and Eli Podczaski, come across the letters of Captain Walton to his sister, detailing the ill-fated story of Frankenstein.
When Jotham and Eli are captured by the Gestapo and encounter Mengele in the gray confines of Auschwitz KZ, they alone recognize the origin of his bizarre, sadistic experiments. Jotham hatches a plan to escape the camp and travel north, to find the only being capable of stopping Mengele from providing the Third Reich with a new race of undying stormtroopers; the only being on earth who will believe them ... Frankenstein's original creature.
While hiding in a bookstore in Warsaw, a pair of Jewish twin brothers, Jotham and Eli Podczaski, come across the letters of Captain Walton to his sister, detailing the ill-fated story of Frankenstein.
When Jotham and Eli are captured by the Gestapo and encounter Mengele in the gray confines of Auschwitz KZ, they alone recognize the origin of his bizarre, sadistic experiments. Jotham hatches a plan to escape the camp and travel north, to find the only being capable of stopping Mengele from providing the Third Reich with a new race of undying stormtroopers; the only being on earth who will believe them ... Frankenstein's original creature.
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2017
5 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Edward M. Erdelac
80 books115 followersEdward M. Erdelac is the author of thirteen novels including the acclaimed Judeocentric/Lovecraftian weird western series Merkabah Rider, Rainbringer: Zora Neale Hurston Against The Lovecraftian Mythos, Conquer, Monstrumfuhrer from Comet Press, Terovolas from JournalStone Publishing, and Andersonville from Random House/Hydra.
Born in Indiana, educated in Chicago, he lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and a bona fide slew of kids and cats.
Born in Indiana, educated in Chicago, he lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and a bona fide slew of kids and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 22, 2017
Dr. Mengele has discovered Frankenstein's journal and is using it to create an army of invincible Nazi warriors. Jotham Podczaski goes north to find the only thing that can stop him: Frankenstein's original creation...
Edward Erdelac earned the golden ticket from me by virtue of The Merkabah Rider series. When he asked if I'd give this a read, it was an automatic Yes.
In Monstrumfuhrer, Erdelac juxtaposes the atrocities of the holocaust with the horrors of the reanimated dead. Jotham and his brother are rousted from their hiding place in a sympathetic woman's attic and dragged away to Auschwitz. Mengele takes an interest in Jotham, making him his errand boy, while Eliazar joins the resistance. Once Jotham sees Mengele's true colors, he manages to escape and heads north.
Erdelac's writing has improved by leaps and bounds since the Merkabah Rider series. Much like I thought The Dark Knight was too good to be a super hero movie and Batman was the weakest part, Monstrumfuhrer is almost too good of an account of the holocaust to have Frankenstein's monster in it.
Not that things don't get interesting once the Creature shows up. It turns out he has reasons of his own for coming back to civilization. The latter part of the book echoes the latter part of Mary Shelley's classic. It wasn't quite what I expected but was damn satisfying.
The writing was great but I thought maybe a little too much time was spent at Auschwitz. Or the Frankenstein elements could have been eliminated altogether. Even so, I enjoyed Monstrumfuhrer quite a bit. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Edward Erdelac earned the golden ticket from me by virtue of The Merkabah Rider series. When he asked if I'd give this a read, it was an automatic Yes.
In Monstrumfuhrer, Erdelac juxtaposes the atrocities of the holocaust with the horrors of the reanimated dead. Jotham and his brother are rousted from their hiding place in a sympathetic woman's attic and dragged away to Auschwitz. Mengele takes an interest in Jotham, making him his errand boy, while Eliazar joins the resistance. Once Jotham sees Mengele's true colors, he manages to escape and heads north.
Erdelac's writing has improved by leaps and bounds since the Merkabah Rider series. Much like I thought The Dark Knight was too good to be a super hero movie and Batman was the weakest part, Monstrumfuhrer is almost too good of an account of the holocaust to have Frankenstein's monster in it.
Not that things don't get interesting once the Creature shows up. It turns out he has reasons of his own for coming back to civilization. The latter part of the book echoes the latter part of Mary Shelley's classic. It wasn't quite what I expected but was damn satisfying.
The writing was great but I thought maybe a little too much time was spent at Auschwitz. Or the Frankenstein elements could have been eliminated altogether. Even so, I enjoyed Monstrumfuhrer quite a bit. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
July 19, 2017
"The overall feeling I got from this book was one of awe. The writing style was just superb. Superbly paced, superbly explained and superbly sensitive to one of the main parts of the story, namely the Holocaust. So many genres are covered in this book it is difficult to put it into just one. If I had to pin it down though, it is a horror story of the purest kind."
See here for the full review:
Monstrumfuhrer
See here for the full review:
Monstrumfuhrer
February 26, 2017
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Edward M. Erdelac's Monstrumführer is a dark adventure for horror connoisseurs who love stories that differ from mainstream stories. It's a satisfyingly grim novel that combines history, pulp elements, dark fantasy and horror elements in a fresh way, because the author spices up the story with action and touches upon themes of survival, isolation, vengeance and exploitation.
In less capable hands Monstrumführer could have easily become an average monster mash-up with wartime horrors, but Edward M. Erdelac knows what he's doing and delivers a memorable story that has style and substance. Monstrumführer is a stunning blend of Nazi medical horrors and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a faint touch of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl (The Diary of Anne Frank). The author effectively combines different elements and creates a dark and captivating story for horror readers.
Because the synopsis of this novel reveals quite a lot of information about the story, I won't go into details about the happenings. I'll only briefly mention that Monstrumführer is a story about Jewish twin brothers, Jotham and Eli Podczaski, who encounter the dreaded Dr. Josef Mengele, who is infamous for his sadistic medical experiments, and find out about the origin of his experiments.
The characterisation works well, because the author writes fluently about the characters and what happens to them. Jotham and Eli Podczaski are realistic and well-created characters. Although they're twin brothers and alike in form, they have different interests, likes and dislikes. They share an interest in only a few things. The author's vision of their hiding in a bookstore felt realistic, because they were boys who tried to survive in a hostile environment.
I consider the Creature to be a unique and well-created character. The author succeeds in making the Creature a fascinating being who lives in isolation in the cold northern wastes. His portrayal of the Creature will intrigue readers who are familiar with Mary Shelley's story.
The scenes between Jotham and the Creature are excellent. In my opinion, the dialogue in these scenes works well, because they've been written in a specific manner.
I liked the way the story began in 1936 in Ingolstadt, because the author wrote about how the young Dr. Josef Mengele visited an old friend of his family and was given old and valuable books, which contained alchemical and magical texts by old masters. One of these books was written by M. Victor Frankenstein.
One of the best things about this novel is that Edward M. Erdelac takes his time to set up things and doesn't rush with the story. I like his way of moving the story forward, because he tells what happens to the brothers and how Jotham seeks out Frankenstein's first creation, the Creature, so that Mengele's creations can be stopped.
The author's realistic vision of wartime atrocities and Nazi medical experiments is shockingly dark and disturbing. He doesn't sugarcoat anything, but leads his readers into the terrifying world of Nazi regime and medical horror. I'm sure that what Jotham and Eli witness at Auschwitz will linger on the readers' minds, because the author writes memorably about Mengele's disturbing medical experiments and what goes on at the death camp.
I found it intriguing that the author wrote about the folklore of the Sami and mentioned Stallo, which is a spirit from the Nether World (half-troll and half-man). I think that many readers will find the mention of the Stallo fascinating, because it is something that is not often seen in speculative fiction.
As an interesting piece of information I can mention that this novel has a brief mention of a book written by the mad Alhazred. I think that fans of Lovecraftian fiction will be delighted to spot this in the text. I'll also mention that - as a Finn - I found it interesting that the author used a bit of Finnish in the story.
Ever since reading the amazing Merkabah Rider novels, I've enjoyed Edward M. Erdelac's prose and writing style. Now that I've read Monstrumführer, I can say that he's one of the best authors of modern horror fiction, because he dares to write about things that are often left untouched by other authors and fluently blends harsh realism with speculative elements.
Before I finish this review, I think it's good to mention that the author is not easy on his readers. Some of the scenes are unpleasant and may evoke feelings of discomfort and unease in those who are easily shocked.
Edward M. Erdelac's Monstrumführer should be on every horror fan's reading list, because it stands out among modern horror novels by being something different and captivatingly dark. It's a well written novel that will fascinate many horror readers.
Excellent horror fiction!
Edward M. Erdelac's Monstrumführer is a dark adventure for horror connoisseurs who love stories that differ from mainstream stories. It's a satisfyingly grim novel that combines history, pulp elements, dark fantasy and horror elements in a fresh way, because the author spices up the story with action and touches upon themes of survival, isolation, vengeance and exploitation.
In less capable hands Monstrumführer could have easily become an average monster mash-up with wartime horrors, but Edward M. Erdelac knows what he's doing and delivers a memorable story that has style and substance. Monstrumführer is a stunning blend of Nazi medical horrors and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a faint touch of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl (The Diary of Anne Frank). The author effectively combines different elements and creates a dark and captivating story for horror readers.
Because the synopsis of this novel reveals quite a lot of information about the story, I won't go into details about the happenings. I'll only briefly mention that Monstrumführer is a story about Jewish twin brothers, Jotham and Eli Podczaski, who encounter the dreaded Dr. Josef Mengele, who is infamous for his sadistic medical experiments, and find out about the origin of his experiments.
The characterisation works well, because the author writes fluently about the characters and what happens to them. Jotham and Eli Podczaski are realistic and well-created characters. Although they're twin brothers and alike in form, they have different interests, likes and dislikes. They share an interest in only a few things. The author's vision of their hiding in a bookstore felt realistic, because they were boys who tried to survive in a hostile environment.
I consider the Creature to be a unique and well-created character. The author succeeds in making the Creature a fascinating being who lives in isolation in the cold northern wastes. His portrayal of the Creature will intrigue readers who are familiar with Mary Shelley's story.
The scenes between Jotham and the Creature are excellent. In my opinion, the dialogue in these scenes works well, because they've been written in a specific manner.
I liked the way the story began in 1936 in Ingolstadt, because the author wrote about how the young Dr. Josef Mengele visited an old friend of his family and was given old and valuable books, which contained alchemical and magical texts by old masters. One of these books was written by M. Victor Frankenstein.
One of the best things about this novel is that Edward M. Erdelac takes his time to set up things and doesn't rush with the story. I like his way of moving the story forward, because he tells what happens to the brothers and how Jotham seeks out Frankenstein's first creation, the Creature, so that Mengele's creations can be stopped.
The author's realistic vision of wartime atrocities and Nazi medical experiments is shockingly dark and disturbing. He doesn't sugarcoat anything, but leads his readers into the terrifying world of Nazi regime and medical horror. I'm sure that what Jotham and Eli witness at Auschwitz will linger on the readers' minds, because the author writes memorably about Mengele's disturbing medical experiments and what goes on at the death camp.
I found it intriguing that the author wrote about the folklore of the Sami and mentioned Stallo, which is a spirit from the Nether World (half-troll and half-man). I think that many readers will find the mention of the Stallo fascinating, because it is something that is not often seen in speculative fiction.
As an interesting piece of information I can mention that this novel has a brief mention of a book written by the mad Alhazred. I think that fans of Lovecraftian fiction will be delighted to spot this in the text. I'll also mention that - as a Finn - I found it interesting that the author used a bit of Finnish in the story.
Ever since reading the amazing Merkabah Rider novels, I've enjoyed Edward M. Erdelac's prose and writing style. Now that I've read Monstrumführer, I can say that he's one of the best authors of modern horror fiction, because he dares to write about things that are often left untouched by other authors and fluently blends harsh realism with speculative elements.
Before I finish this review, I think it's good to mention that the author is not easy on his readers. Some of the scenes are unpleasant and may evoke feelings of discomfort and unease in those who are easily shocked.
Edward M. Erdelac's Monstrumführer should be on every horror fan's reading list, because it stands out among modern horror novels by being something different and captivatingly dark. It's a well written novel that will fascinate many horror readers.
Excellent horror fiction!
May 12, 2018
I never read the book blurb before beginning. Because I didn't, I was putting this one off. I expected lots of battles and politics. Boy! Was I wrong!
This is the hauntingly beautiful tale of a boy who lives through one of the most atrocious times in history. He enlists the help of Frankenstein's Creature to help him both exact revenge and save humanity.
Erdelac did a phenomenal job of explaining Jotham's feelings towards Auschwitz. Though we see some of the atrocities committed, they aren't brought front and center like a freak show. Instead, we're shown the slow burn side. We see bodies stacked up like kindling. We're given a tour through the bakery. There are a few parts that are gory, but Erdelac leans more heavily towards the side of assaulting our humanity and morality to show us the gravity of the situation.
Frankentstein's Creature is also done incredibly well. He's frightening and beautiful at the same time. Seeing humans from his point of view will change yours. The creature is pained by our ugliness, yet at the same time we see his vulnerabilities and ugliness.
The meshing of World War II and Frankenstein is seamless. By the time you finish the book, you realize how close to reality it actually could be. I'm not saying that Frankenstein's Creature is out there, waiting to hunt us down at the right opportunity. What I'm saying is that it's a great What If. Frankenstein's Creature could be considered a super race. I could ponder on this all day but what's important is that Erdelac brought us an altered history that's believable.
I'm not a history buff. I'm not a military buff. I don't enjoy stories that are mainly war and politics. I loved this story. By telling it from the perspective of a young boy, it has become powerful.
This is the hauntingly beautiful tale of a boy who lives through one of the most atrocious times in history. He enlists the help of Frankenstein's Creature to help him both exact revenge and save humanity.
Erdelac did a phenomenal job of explaining Jotham's feelings towards Auschwitz. Though we see some of the atrocities committed, they aren't brought front and center like a freak show. Instead, we're shown the slow burn side. We see bodies stacked up like kindling. We're given a tour through the bakery. There are a few parts that are gory, but Erdelac leans more heavily towards the side of assaulting our humanity and morality to show us the gravity of the situation.
Frankentstein's Creature is also done incredibly well. He's frightening and beautiful at the same time. Seeing humans from his point of view will change yours. The creature is pained by our ugliness, yet at the same time we see his vulnerabilities and ugliness.
The meshing of World War II and Frankenstein is seamless. By the time you finish the book, you realize how close to reality it actually could be. I'm not saying that Frankenstein's Creature is out there, waiting to hunt us down at the right opportunity. What I'm saying is that it's a great What If. Frankenstein's Creature could be considered a super race. I could ponder on this all day but what's important is that Erdelac brought us an altered history that's believable.
I'm not a history buff. I'm not a military buff. I don't enjoy stories that are mainly war and politics. I loved this story. By telling it from the perspective of a young boy, it has become powerful.
February 7, 2017
This was a crazy ride, my friends. I pre-ordered this one expecting it to be good campy B-movie fun. You know, Frankenstein's monster versus the Nazis? Classic setup if I've ever seen one. Then I read the first twenty pages and realized a few things all at once. 1)This book is incredibly serious. 2)This book is incredibly dark. 3)This book is incredibly good.
Now, I've never read anything by Mister Erdelac so I suppose it's my own fault for assuming the basis of the book without doing a background check on the author. Had I any idea that I was getting myself into a grim, macabre retelling of an Auschwitz survivor...whew. I was not prepared, folks, let me tell you. However, dark as it may have been, it was well worth it (although I do despise the ending). Do yourselves a favor and pick this one, all the while keeping in mind that Mister Erdelac takes a crazy, ridiculous scenario and turns it into an eerie, disturbing, nearly credible reality.
Now, I've never read anything by Mister Erdelac so I suppose it's my own fault for assuming the basis of the book without doing a background check on the author. Had I any idea that I was getting myself into a grim, macabre retelling of an Auschwitz survivor...whew. I was not prepared, folks, let me tell you. However, dark as it may have been, it was well worth it (although I do despise the ending). Do yourselves a favor and pick this one, all the while keeping in mind that Mister Erdelac takes a crazy, ridiculous scenario and turns it into an eerie, disturbing, nearly credible reality.
November 4, 2024
I've always been a fan of the creature Frankenstein created by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. I have always thought of her as being the Mother of Sci-Fi. I too felt the the creature was enduring, probably eternal, perhaps because of the special way it was created. This story is worth the read. It's well-written, most of the characters are from history and the "Doctor" in this story is just as cruel as Victor was. WE all know the story of Mengele!
January 31, 2023
A truly great novel. Erdelac paints a vivid picture of one of the most deplorable events in history whilst seamlessly blending one of the most iconic characters in all of horror into one fantastic story. Get this novel.
November 16, 2020
Incredible. Erdelac's words bring the horrors of Auschwitz to life, while making Frankenstein's Creature an equal but different horror.
Not just for horror fans, but fans but historical fiction as well.
Highly recommended.
Not just for horror fans, but fans but historical fiction as well.
Highly recommended.
March 9, 2017
Sort of a sequel of Frankenstein, picking more than a century later than where we left his creature in Mary Shelley's novel, Monstrumführer is an excellent novel that combines war, horror, adventure and more in the most horrendous setting of mankind: the concentration camps in WWII.
Our hero is Jotham, a little boy who crosses paths with Mengele in Auschwitz, each one of them having a key to reveal the secret of Frankenstein and his creature. When Mengele finally succeeds in creating life, Jotham must enlist the help of the creature to stop the mad scientist.
Always full of fantastic descriptions, plot twists and so much gore, Ed Erdelac does a magnificent job of conveying a state shifting constantly between awe and horror. Extremely recommended!
Our hero is Jotham, a little boy who crosses paths with Mengele in Auschwitz, each one of them having a key to reveal the secret of Frankenstein and his creature. When Mengele finally succeeds in creating life, Jotham must enlist the help of the creature to stop the mad scientist.
Always full of fantastic descriptions, plot twists and so much gore, Ed Erdelac does a magnificent job of conveying a state shifting constantly between awe and horror. Extremely recommended!
February 18, 2017
Boy enlists Frankenstein's monster--called the Creature here-- to help him stop Dr. Josef Mengele from creating a Nazi force that could not only win the war but destroy the world.
On the surface Monstrumfuhrer would seem a simple mashup. Nazi medical horror and Mary Shelley. There's plenty of action, including some amazing displays of the Creature's strength, and colorful scenes set all over the globe. Auschwitz comes to horrifying life as a machine of suffering powered (the most horrible truth) by a human heart. But the story goes deeper than comparing the Nazis' atrocities on a larger scale with that of Dr. Frankenstein. And while it conveys the awful choices made in wartime on all sides very effectively (a scene with one German family is heartbreaking) it goes beyond the problems of adherence to a moral code when survival, or at least escape from torture, takes over all considerations. Monstrumfuhrer is about exploitation.
We always think the other person is the one who exploits. No one is as cold about its motivations to use others as the Creature (it was born out of exploitation, right?), but unlike humans the Creature doesn't deny its nature to manipulate or use coercion to get what it wants. It offers a unique and chilling perspective on how all people exploit each other and justify it with a self-lie. This idea shadows the narrative, its people, events, the clash of wills and ideas between characters. It sounds misanthropic, but it comes as more of a plea for empathy which might be lost in all the action if the story were not so well-written.
If I haven't sold you on it yet, just read it for the monster action and the Frankenstein elements. Shelley's tale fits right into the storyline and the Creature is rendered faithfully with her portrayal of it.
On the surface Monstrumfuhrer would seem a simple mashup. Nazi medical horror and Mary Shelley. There's plenty of action, including some amazing displays of the Creature's strength, and colorful scenes set all over the globe. Auschwitz comes to horrifying life as a machine of suffering powered (the most horrible truth) by a human heart. But the story goes deeper than comparing the Nazis' atrocities on a larger scale with that of Dr. Frankenstein. And while it conveys the awful choices made in wartime on all sides very effectively (a scene with one German family is heartbreaking) it goes beyond the problems of adherence to a moral code when survival, or at least escape from torture, takes over all considerations. Monstrumfuhrer is about exploitation.
We always think the other person is the one who exploits. No one is as cold about its motivations to use others as the Creature (it was born out of exploitation, right?), but unlike humans the Creature doesn't deny its nature to manipulate or use coercion to get what it wants. It offers a unique and chilling perspective on how all people exploit each other and justify it with a self-lie. This idea shadows the narrative, its people, events, the clash of wills and ideas between characters. It sounds misanthropic, but it comes as more of a plea for empathy which might be lost in all the action if the story were not so well-written.
If I haven't sold you on it yet, just read it for the monster action and the Frankenstein elements. Shelley's tale fits right into the storyline and the Creature is rendered faithfully with her portrayal of it.
February 6, 2017
warning GrimDark as fuck nothing is grimmer then a story grounded in reality
iI had the pleasure to get a early copy of Edward M Erdelacs Monstrumfuhrer this man is one of the best writers in genre fiction If you think you seen the best stories of Frankenstein monster you are dead wrong. Edward expertly combines the obsessive Nazis and there assembly line of war and there obsession of the occult and mad experiments in hindsight These two things work perfectly together. trying not to spoil to much it leads to some of the darkest shadows of the human soul. this book is a amazing written i dindt really know where it was going until the last few pages. I Graciously thank Edward for letting me read his novel. this is one of the most intelligent Frankenstein book i have ever read
iI had the pleasure to get a early copy of Edward M Erdelacs Monstrumfuhrer this man is one of the best writers in genre fiction If you think you seen the best stories of Frankenstein monster you are dead wrong. Edward expertly combines the obsessive Nazis and there assembly line of war and there obsession of the occult and mad experiments in hindsight These two things work perfectly together. trying not to spoil to much it leads to some of the darkest shadows of the human soul. this book is a amazing written i dindt really know where it was going until the last few pages. I Graciously thank Edward for letting me read his novel. this is one of the most intelligent Frankenstein book i have ever read
December 23, 2017
What a great book. Mixing horror and historical fiction with great skill. If he keeps writing books that are this good, Mr. Erdelac will be a huge success. A masterpiece.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews