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Geist: Prelude
THE SYMPHONY BEGINS Midway through the dull, grey journey of college, Victor Roland, a high-functioning autistic, is dragged into his own world of sword and steam. Here, the year is 1884, by Imperial reckoning. In the shadows of its cathedrals, a series of grisly murders sweep the metropolis of Holy Gothica. Soon after his descent, Victor learns of portals in televisions, where daemons lurk in an abyss shrouded in fog, and emerge when blackouts wrack the city. But when he discovers that his friends from “reality” — Charles Garner, a middle-aged “connoisseur of cannabis,” and, Beatrice Morrison, a biker with a goth streak — are trapped in here, Victor resolves to find them, lest they wind up kidnapped by, “the Dollmaker,” and slaughtered behind the screens. Fortunately, Victor awakens to the power of Geist — to summon a living facet of his own psyche, to battle the evil born of everyone’s souls. A power that earns him a chance to find his dear friends, and perhaps even a way home … Whimsical, humorous yet terrifying, Prelude will hold readers long into the night and pave the road for a series of dark fantasy and gothic dystopia.
233 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2018
4 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Fallon O'Neill
12 books8 followersDiagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at a young age, Fallon O'Neill has been writing genre fiction for over fifteen years. These initial vignettes would eventually become the earliest drafts of his debut novel, Geist: Prelude. Dedicated and passionate, Fallon has workshopped the Geist series with the Blue Moon Writer's Group for over seven years, culminating in winning second place at the Will Albrecht Young Writers Competition of 2012, and publication in the eighth issue of the Blue Moon Art And Literary Review. Thereafter, Fallon went on to publish the six books of the Geist series and is currently writing his next major projects. His favorite pastimes include roosting at dive bars, blasting JRPG soundtracks into his skull, and staring at the wall to keep the existential dread at bay.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 10, 2019
Whether your tipple is Harry Potter magicke and Game of Thrones smackdowns or your quaff of choice runs more to a steampunk-gothic cocktail of scientific Jules Verneian verisimilitude, you’ll find much to enjoy in this debut novel of a trio of unlikely human and mechanical anti-heroes who find themselves suddenly thrown together on a common quest to rid the world of evil; each seeking (and maybe even finding) his own individual redemption along the way.
BUT, you don't have to be a genre fan at all to appreciate Fallon O’Niell’s cinematic story-telling in Geist Prelude – He engages you from the get-go, introducing you to a slew of quirky characters who wend their way in a weirdly limned, vividly evocative Tim Burton-meets-Charles Addams-meets Hieronymus Bosch world that's so easily conjured in your mind's eye, the scenes could be lifted right off the page and incarnated as a graphic novel, podcast or film.
True, you'll enjoy this quest story simple of itself, but the more you ARE steeped in different literary genres, films, music and the arts in general, the more you'll revel in the artistic homages O'Neill liberally laces into the story. I imbibed Geist twice to write this and found it readily yielded unexpected new allusive pleasures I'd missed the first time around midst the author's Dickensian delight in onomatopoeic sibilant alliterative word play.
And the synergies between O'Neill's detailed world and say, films like Kurt Wimmer's “Equilibrium,” Michael Radford's “1984,” Spielberg's “Minority Report,” Truffault's “Fahrenheit 451,” Orson Welles' “The Trial,” et. al., to name just a few! What an eclectic education this young polymath from California must've had to write such wondrous strange stuff!
We open in the present day waking world of a boring math class with dweeby, geeky oddball Victor, a fellow who, at first, you don’t find at all sympathetic. While reading a well worn volume of Dante and ignoring the droning teacher, the hapless Victor is discombobulated and tongue tied by the loin-stirring goth girl sitting behind him, one Beatrice -- Aha! The hint of SEX and romance is in the offing? And even betwixt some very sentient droids we soon will meet? You betcha.
After a post beer-and-artisan-cheese induced stupor chez his favorite pub, Victor finds himself precariously clinging to Beatrice from behind, as she madly but expertly tools her ample hog along the highway at a brisk 85 mph. A crash. The two potential trysters fly through the air de-paired and, along with Victor's perennial third wheel wingman in the sidecar, Charles, are thrown into the sunless iron-domed realm of Holy Gothica, circa 1884, at least by Imperial time reckoning.
Definitely not Kansas anymore, Victor swiftly observes. Surprisingly, Victor grows on you. So do his off-putting hostile hosts, Thaddeus and Leng, Holy inquisitors and priestly guardians of Gothica who seek Victor out under orders to take him in tow, certainly as a person of interest, if not outright enemy of the state.
I finished this first of the trilogy and wanted MORE -- Just as Dickens does in his cliffhangers in the monthly installments of his novels, O'Neill leaves you clamoring for what's next -- We NEED to know what will become of our reluctant hero and his guardians, their friends and nemeses, and the way off-kilter Dr.Caligarian Holy Gothica, let alone its treacherous (or is she?) empress.
BUT, you don't have to be a genre fan at all to appreciate Fallon O’Niell’s cinematic story-telling in Geist Prelude – He engages you from the get-go, introducing you to a slew of quirky characters who wend their way in a weirdly limned, vividly evocative Tim Burton-meets-Charles Addams-meets Hieronymus Bosch world that's so easily conjured in your mind's eye, the scenes could be lifted right off the page and incarnated as a graphic novel, podcast or film.
True, you'll enjoy this quest story simple of itself, but the more you ARE steeped in different literary genres, films, music and the arts in general, the more you'll revel in the artistic homages O'Neill liberally laces into the story. I imbibed Geist twice to write this and found it readily yielded unexpected new allusive pleasures I'd missed the first time around midst the author's Dickensian delight in onomatopoeic sibilant alliterative word play.
And the synergies between O'Neill's detailed world and say, films like Kurt Wimmer's “Equilibrium,” Michael Radford's “1984,” Spielberg's “Minority Report,” Truffault's “Fahrenheit 451,” Orson Welles' “The Trial,” et. al., to name just a few! What an eclectic education this young polymath from California must've had to write such wondrous strange stuff!
We open in the present day waking world of a boring math class with dweeby, geeky oddball Victor, a fellow who, at first, you don’t find at all sympathetic. While reading a well worn volume of Dante and ignoring the droning teacher, the hapless Victor is discombobulated and tongue tied by the loin-stirring goth girl sitting behind him, one Beatrice -- Aha! The hint of SEX and romance is in the offing? And even betwixt some very sentient droids we soon will meet? You betcha.
After a post beer-and-artisan-cheese induced stupor chez his favorite pub, Victor finds himself precariously clinging to Beatrice from behind, as she madly but expertly tools her ample hog along the highway at a brisk 85 mph. A crash. The two potential trysters fly through the air de-paired and, along with Victor's perennial third wheel wingman in the sidecar, Charles, are thrown into the sunless iron-domed realm of Holy Gothica, circa 1884, at least by Imperial time reckoning.
Definitely not Kansas anymore, Victor swiftly observes. Surprisingly, Victor grows on you. So do his off-putting hostile hosts, Thaddeus and Leng, Holy inquisitors and priestly guardians of Gothica who seek Victor out under orders to take him in tow, certainly as a person of interest, if not outright enemy of the state.
I finished this first of the trilogy and wanted MORE -- Just as Dickens does in his cliffhangers in the monthly installments of his novels, O'Neill leaves you clamoring for what's next -- We NEED to know what will become of our reluctant hero and his guardians, their friends and nemeses, and the way off-kilter Dr.Caligarian Holy Gothica, let alone its treacherous (or is she?) empress.
May 26, 2019
Fallon O'Neill can write Gothic fantasy. His rich and highly descriptive writing evokes a dark world that is both compelling and atmospheric. The story moves with fast and furious action as Victor the protagonist attempts to find his friends and make sense of the horror surrounding him. It is a story of self realisation and courage, an entertaining multi layered book. 'Everyone has a hidden part to them.' Fallon tells us and he is able to expose these fears and lay them to rest. Worth a read.
January 8, 2019
In Mr. O'Neill's debut novel Geist Prelude he does an incredible job of weaving together relatable characters, culture references and classic saga thrills in the likes of Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit and Harry Potter (in that epic story "coming of age" way.) I really enjoyed his fresh take on magic use and the detail with which Mr. O'Neill constructed his world. I don't want to spoil what I mean by explaining it, so you'll just have to read it for yourself, but the clue is in the title. I also loved his fresh take on symbolism; tarot cards, gaming dice, a shillelagh and more. All five main characters are fresh and interesting. The main protagonist Victor is flawed, but likable. The same goes for the other two main characters. And don't get me started on leaving me hanging on what happens to Beatrice! I can't wait for book two to find out. If it's anything like Charles's events then I'm very excited about it. I heard Mr. O'Neill read bits of his book in person and let me just say... um... AUDIO BOOK PLEASE! He has an amazing talent for voice acting and I'd buy an audio version of this book immediately if it was available. I can't wait for the other two books in the trilogy.
October 15, 2018
Talk about an engaging debut novel, this 24 year old author lives up to the promise of his Irish name. Fallon O'Neill is the 'urban fantasy writer' to watch. I’m not normally a fan of genre fiction, but by page 22 I was smitten with the fearless, mortorcyle-riding ‘Beatrice' and would have liked to have seen more of her in this fast-paced, gothic yarn. This said, ‘Victor ’ the lead character, is an enjoyable protagonist. As a feminist, I especially appreciated his feminist sensibilities.
February 12, 2019
Author Fallon O'Neill has created a chilling, macabre world in Geist Prelude. His descriptions are extraordinarily vivid and imaginative. He weaves elements of classic literature, music, and stoner retro into an unlikely but satisfying whole. The crowning achievement of this dystopian steampunk story is the complexity and warmth of its protagonist, Victor, who, despite his mental and emotional turmoil, still is a warm and steadfast friend.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews