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The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories
A Parasite from Proto Space summoning memory-eating worms? Funeral machines devouring teenagers? Cosmic voyages to Pleroma, and a frog baby that transcends time and space? These are just some of the things you'll find in this collection of stories by Brett stories that will warp your reality until his mind becomes your world...."Brett Petersen's The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories has been compared to the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, and Charles Bukowski, among others. Suppose I told you that I not only agreed, but added Frank Herbert, Sam Delany, and Olaf Stapledon to that lustrous list, and added them after reading just the first two stories in Petersen's anthology. In the words of Ringo, would you stand up and walk out on me? If you did, that would be your loss. Petersen's way with words is superb, his dark imagination boundless, his eye for detail and logic in fleshing out these paranoid visions keen and impressive. If this sounds like your cup of tea, pick it up.".--Paul Levinson, author of The Silk Code, Borrowed Tides, and The Plot to Save Socrates..."A Confusion Wave beaming in from the farthest-out Far Out, scrambling up to unscramble our partially-scrambled minds.".--Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying..."Petersen's stories are an acid-drenched, kaleidoscopic blend of genres reminiscent of Dick and Burroughs, but with their own unique breed of genius. The experience of reading The Parasite from Proto-Space and Other Stories is not unlike ingesting a powerful psychedelic--one that will leave a lasting impression of your psyche.".--Brendan Vidito, author of Nightmares in Ecstasy..."Reading The Parasite from Proto Space feels like you're on a footchase pursued by Mad Mr. Petersen himself. He's got a messenger bag full of creatures he spliced together in his basement workshop, and every time you think you're getting ahead, you turn around to check if he's still behind you and get smacked in the face by a 50-pound alien memory worm that needs you to validate its childhood trauma.".--Charlene Elsby, author of Hexis..."If George Bataille and Ray Bradbury had a baby, and that baby was GG Allin, and that GG Allin baby read Ursula Le Guin and Charles Bukowski in equal measure, and that now grown-up baby watched Beavis and Butt-Head reruns on summer afternoons, then we might approach describing the phantasmagoric mise-en-scènes Brett Peterson has put together here in this collection. The contact high one gets is contagious.".--Daniel Nester, author of How to Be Inappropriate
161 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 29, 2020
Brett Petersen sci-fi anthology Parasite from Proto Space and other stories is quirky and lingers on your mind.
A funeral machine that eats up teenagers, to memory eating worms on what left earth, to a boy who is scared of crows, to a frog baby who moves across time and space. These are few of the stories that revolve around human emotions in a distorted world.
Petersen has used a brilliant technique of showing the perception of the world is mind-dependent. What we see is through a mirror of mind and emotions. It’s our experiences that distorts the world around us.
My favourite is Memory Eaters, it’s one of the stories written with vivid description and, its ending is emotional. Petersen, with a casual approach, talked about sensitive topics and moral implications.
The book is thought-provoking and completely unusual from the books in this genre. This book should be read for its sheer quirkiness.
My rating for the book 3.5 stars.
Thank you, Brett Petersen, for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
A funeral machine that eats up teenagers, to memory eating worms on what left earth, to a boy who is scared of crows, to a frog baby who moves across time and space. These are few of the stories that revolve around human emotions in a distorted world.
Petersen has used a brilliant technique of showing the perception of the world is mind-dependent. What we see is through a mirror of mind and emotions. It’s our experiences that distorts the world around us.
My favourite is Memory Eaters, it’s one of the stories written with vivid description and, its ending is emotional. Petersen, with a casual approach, talked about sensitive topics and moral implications.
The book is thought-provoking and completely unusual from the books in this genre. This book should be read for its sheer quirkiness.
My rating for the book 3.5 stars.
Thank you, Brett Petersen, for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2020
"The Parasite from Proto-Space" by Brett Petersen is a Science fiction collection of 9 short stories. This is my first time reading short stories so I had a different experience. Each story was so unique from each other from the titles to the endings. There weren't many characters in each story and that's the thing I loved the most in this book.
I loved the two short stories "The Labyrinth and the Jingling Keys" and "Ca-Caw!". The former one is about a boy who was sent to a "place" when he was a child by his parents. It was like an asylum except here children were given tasks, cruel punishments and drugs that would give weird dreams.
The latter "Ca-Caw!" (Yes! I know it's a weird name but this is the one I liked most) is about Jimmy who had a phobia of birds (especially crows) because of an incident that happened in his childhood. This story mainly focuses on mental illness and I did love it. I liked the ending of both these stories.
I don't like the rest of the stories much. The reason is that each story started off so good but the endings were not so vivid. That's the main drawback in this book. Overall it's a good one time read.
I loved the two short stories "The Labyrinth and the Jingling Keys" and "Ca-Caw!". The former one is about a boy who was sent to a "place" when he was a child by his parents. It was like an asylum except here children were given tasks, cruel punishments and drugs that would give weird dreams.
The latter "Ca-Caw!" (Yes! I know it's a weird name but this is the one I liked most) is about Jimmy who had a phobia of birds (especially crows) because of an incident that happened in his childhood. This story mainly focuses on mental illness and I did love it. I liked the ending of both these stories.
I don't like the rest of the stories much. The reason is that each story started off so good but the endings were not so vivid. That's the main drawback in this book. Overall it's a good one time read.
May 24, 2020
Brett Petersen’s The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories has been compared to the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, and Charles Bukowski, among others. Suppose I told you that I not only agreed, but added Frank Herbert, Sam Delany, and Olaf Stapledon to that lustrous list, and added them after reading just the first two stories in Petersen’s anthology. In the words of Ringo, would you stand up and walk out on me? If you did, that would be your loss.
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March 25, 2020
My first tip to everyone who will be picking up with book, DO NOT skip the Author’s note in the beginning. I am in the habit of always reading it, because I like to know the head I am about to get inside of. But many a times, I read it towards the end. This time, I do not know what made me read it in the beginning but let me just tell you, it is pretty worth it. It made me smile and is a healthy dose of motivation right there.
But I did not know what I was getting into until I read about a parasite in an open-mic trying to explain what proto-space is to a room full of junkies high on KFC (not the chicken I tell you, but the drug mix). It was so weird that it was fun to read. I felt like I was reading Bradbury mixed up with Bukowski written by Donnie Darko. And guess what? That’s not the only story you get to read. There are eight more, and each weirder than the one before. Because of the absurdity, I absolutely adored this experimental book full of entertaining elements. But, it would be wrong of me to not mention that I did get confused sometimes because I couldn’t figure out how it all shaped up into one coherent story. Yet, I guess that was the point. One thing common about all the stories was that it was science fiction and I love weird science fiction. Explaining this book or summarizing it is like to translate Persian poetry. You can do it, but you’ll kill the charm while trying. So just READ IT ALREADY!
But I did not know what I was getting into until I read about a parasite in an open-mic trying to explain what proto-space is to a room full of junkies high on KFC (not the chicken I tell you, but the drug mix). It was so weird that it was fun to read. I felt like I was reading Bradbury mixed up with Bukowski written by Donnie Darko. And guess what? That’s not the only story you get to read. There are eight more, and each weirder than the one before. Because of the absurdity, I absolutely adored this experimental book full of entertaining elements. But, it would be wrong of me to not mention that I did get confused sometimes because I couldn’t figure out how it all shaped up into one coherent story. Yet, I guess that was the point. One thing common about all the stories was that it was science fiction and I love weird science fiction. Explaining this book or summarizing it is like to translate Persian poetry. You can do it, but you’ll kill the charm while trying. So just READ IT ALREADY!
October 27, 2020
Book Review - The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories by Brett Petersen
If you’re looking for something weird that touches on serious content, like dealing with autism, then you’ve got to read Brett Petersen’s new sci-fi anthology The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories. The book is dedicated to those on the “autism spectrum, those with mental illness, and those with disabilities both visible and hidden. My advice to you is to never stop pursuing what makes you happy.” I whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment.
The story opens with “The Parasite from Proto Space,” plunging readers deep into the strange. This parasite hopes to help humanity enter Proto Space, but no one will believe him. Despite the silliness, it feels very much akin to a person dealing with some sort of issue. These parasites are our minds shouting at us and we refuse to listen. Sound familiar?
Another story that struck me was “The Labyrinth and the Jingling Keys.” Brett does a wonderful job throughout the book with his word choice and sentence structure. Like one creating a painting, he expands the reader’s view on both the outer and inner word, especially in this story. One line that hit me: “Bubbles, some of them larger than houses, appear at the Images of my peripheral vision. One of them contains a gingerbread house on top of a hill of powdered sugar. In another, a young Soldier is lying on a cot. Flies are swarming around Spear of bone jutting out of his leg. A second Soldier is pouring whiskey down his throat and his third is sharpening a hacksaw on a slab of stone.”
These stories, sometimes graphic and sexual, seem to replicate the inner workings of the author’s mind. As if this book is the key to his soul, his words are the secret.
If you’re looking for something weird and thought-provoking, I suggest taking a look at this selection of quirky stories.
If you’re looking for something weird that touches on serious content, like dealing with autism, then you’ve got to read Brett Petersen’s new sci-fi anthology The Parasite from Proto Space & Other Stories. The book is dedicated to those on the “autism spectrum, those with mental illness, and those with disabilities both visible and hidden. My advice to you is to never stop pursuing what makes you happy.” I whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment.
The story opens with “The Parasite from Proto Space,” plunging readers deep into the strange. This parasite hopes to help humanity enter Proto Space, but no one will believe him. Despite the silliness, it feels very much akin to a person dealing with some sort of issue. These parasites are our minds shouting at us and we refuse to listen. Sound familiar?
Another story that struck me was “The Labyrinth and the Jingling Keys.” Brett does a wonderful job throughout the book with his word choice and sentence structure. Like one creating a painting, he expands the reader’s view on both the outer and inner word, especially in this story. One line that hit me: “Bubbles, some of them larger than houses, appear at the Images of my peripheral vision. One of them contains a gingerbread house on top of a hill of powdered sugar. In another, a young Soldier is lying on a cot. Flies are swarming around Spear of bone jutting out of his leg. A second Soldier is pouring whiskey down his throat and his third is sharpening a hacksaw on a slab of stone.”
These stories, sometimes graphic and sexual, seem to replicate the inner workings of the author’s mind. As if this book is the key to his soul, his words are the secret.
If you’re looking for something weird and thought-provoking, I suggest taking a look at this selection of quirky stories.
February 27, 2020
I knew I was going to like this when it started out with some random douchebag mumbling nonsense, whacked out on a cocktail of drugs. Specifically ketamine, fentanyl, and crack. For sure, that would likely kill the most hard core drug addict, but it sounds like a wild ride down a short rabbit hole.
In any case, my over all impression of this anthology was pretty solid. It's morbid, bizarre, and a ton of fun. Some of it was a little too jumbled. I wasn't a particularly big fan of the second story Summoning the Memory Eaters, as it was kinda droning. But over all, this collection of stories was an entertaining ride and was fairly well written, even if a bit experimental. Part of what makes a good story is the imagery and immersion and this exited both of those things. While some of the jumble could be a bit staggering and buck me from my readers trance, over all, it kept my attention. As I'm often to point out, for a reader like me with severe ADHD, that's all that matter. Getting me to sit in place and read a full book is extremely difficult and anyone who accomplishes that feat can ware that as a badge of pride.
All in all, there are three solid stories (and more) that make this collection worth the cover price. The rest are good extras that you may or may not enjoy.
As usual, if you want to read the full review (SPOILER WARNING!!!), copy the following link: https://vocal.media/horror/reed-alexa...
In any case, my over all impression of this anthology was pretty solid. It's morbid, bizarre, and a ton of fun. Some of it was a little too jumbled. I wasn't a particularly big fan of the second story Summoning the Memory Eaters, as it was kinda droning. But over all, this collection of stories was an entertaining ride and was fairly well written, even if a bit experimental. Part of what makes a good story is the imagery and immersion and this exited both of those things. While some of the jumble could be a bit staggering and buck me from my readers trance, over all, it kept my attention. As I'm often to point out, for a reader like me with severe ADHD, that's all that matter. Getting me to sit in place and read a full book is extremely difficult and anyone who accomplishes that feat can ware that as a badge of pride.
All in all, there are three solid stories (and more) that make this collection worth the cover price. The rest are good extras that you may or may not enjoy.
As usual, if you want to read the full review (SPOILER WARNING!!!), copy the following link: https://vocal.media/horror/reed-alexa...
October 1, 2020
I found that some parts were interesting, the nature of some verses were written like composition that permits a reader to appreciate singular entries and become mixed up in its fantasy-like symbolism.
Overall, it was like reading a journal of someone on a 60's acid trip is the best I can describe it. Many of the stories were erotic. I can not say in a good way or a bad way, but a different way. One would have to read it and substitute the actual act for what I believe to be symbolism. I can't deny I find the aspect of sexual relations with some of the partners to be disturbing. A creepy crawly like parasitic life form is living on Earth, and engaging in sexual relations with a college student was my least favorite part of the book. It read like an adolescent sexual fantasy. Maybe I'm not experience enough to understand this genre.
Another good point is it was well written.
Overall, it was like reading a journal of someone on a 60's acid trip is the best I can describe it. Many of the stories were erotic. I can not say in a good way or a bad way, but a different way. One would have to read it and substitute the actual act for what I believe to be symbolism. I can't deny I find the aspect of sexual relations with some of the partners to be disturbing. A creepy crawly like parasitic life form is living on Earth, and engaging in sexual relations with a college student was my least favorite part of the book. It read like an adolescent sexual fantasy. Maybe I'm not experience enough to understand this genre.
Another good point is it was well written.
November 19, 2020
The Parasite From Proto Space is cheeky, hilarious and trippy. I knew from the first page I was going to love this book. I found Petersen's writing style to be a bit reminiscent of Douglas Adams and Mike Russel but with a unique twist. If you're a fan of strange fiction, or things that will make you wonder if you aren't actually on an acid trip, you're going to love this book. If you're not, it might not be your cup of tea, but might want to give it a try anyway.
January 29, 2020
Amazing debut from an author I'll certainly keep an eye out for.
You will love this book if you love old school Bizarro like Kevin Donihe, Carlton Mellick and Jordan Krall
SUMMONING THE MEMORY EATERS is one of the best short stories I've ever read.
You will love this book if you love old school Bizarro like Kevin Donihe, Carlton Mellick and Jordan Krall
SUMMONING THE MEMORY EATERS is one of the best short stories I've ever read.
August 11, 2020
I'm a huge fan of Lovecraftian-inspired SF as well as anything with interdimensional travel and body horror. The themes of each story delighted me. Mr. Petersen sets us up on multiple quests around his universe with a unique sense of style and a much-needed dose of clever absurdity.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews