Congeal

by John F. Leonard

It starts with reports on the news of an inland lake turning semi-solid. Surely, a media joke, some lame April Fool’s prank? The before and after pictures are vaguely ludicrous and oddly disturbing, the contrast stark and strange. First, darkly rippling water that hints at hidden depths. Slightly spooky and perfectly normal. Next, a putrid blotch of clotted sludge which bears little resemblance to anything aquatic.

It isn’t a joke.

And pretty soon, that greasy, sickening substance isn’t confined to an inland lake. It’s spreading. Flowing over fields and filling streets. Each morning brings a new revelation. Countryside denuded of life and towns empty and echoing.

The night is when it changes, becomes something that consumes. Something infinitely worse than a congealed impossibility.

Congeal is a short tale of apocalyptic horror. How the world ends may not be how you expect. Nuclear Armageddon or a zombie apocalypse could get beaten to the punch.

Our apocalypse may come from below. An ancient, cosmic entity bubbling up to the surface in search of food. It’s also the story of one individual and her fight to stay afloat in a sea of despair.

Genres: Horror

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

John was born in England and grew up in the midlands where he learned to love the sound of scrapyard dogs and the rattle and clank of passing trains. He studied English, Art and History and has, at different times, been a sculptor, odd-job man and office worker. He enjoys horror and comedy (not necessarily together). Married with two astonishing children, he now lives a few miles from the old Victorian house in which he was born. Scribbling scary stories seems to keep him vaguely sane (accurate at time of writing).

Reviews

[James Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congeal is a neat little apocalyptic tale. I remember as a child, some sixty years ago now, that I watched a film at Saturday Morning Film Club, called 'The Green Blob.' I wonder if Mr Leonard has seen the same film. The film frightened me; this green blod oozed out of the earth and killed everything it touched. I can't remember how it ended because I probably had my hands in front of my eyes. Come to think of it, the film was black and white, so good job they let us know the blob was green.

Anyway, Congeal, same story, just as frightening, now in glorious techno colour. I subtracted one star because ALL the prose is written in high-tension short sentences, and half of each sentence is filled with incredibly tiresome adjectives and very dull adverbs.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a scary good read, whether in large doses or in nibbles. Congeal is a small book with plenty of big scenes. One in particular was sad and I wished hadn’t happened.

How do I describe the plot. I’m thinking equal parts The Blob and Cloverfield, the movies. With some touches of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Whatever it is that oozes up from the bowels of the earth and seeks to consume everything on the planet is terrifying.

The author sets up the story quickly, brings the characters to life and then unleashes some wild scenes. Many don’t survive.

Take a look at the fabulous cover. That’s just one of the things you have to worry about with this stuff. Is it sentient? What will stop it? Can it be stopped? All questions I had to know the answers to. Did I get those answers? Some, yes. Some, I drew my own conclusions. And that’s okay. A good book should keep me thinking about if afterwards.

I was wrapped up in this immediately and could easily have read Congeal as a full length novel. Short stories are meant to be read in gulps and the author did a great job.

[Kim Napolitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another way to go...

Mr. Leonard never fails to fascinate me with his stories. This one a unusual spin on the end of world, a hideous intelligent sea of well.. goo, comes forth from under the earth to end mankind. It’s does a pretty good job witnessed first person by the survivor Amelia as she watches all she knows and loved vanish before her eyes to join a group of others to find escape up high, away from the ground and death. No spoilers here and if you’ve read other books by this author there is a connection brewing that is fantastic! You can read this in a day, fast and sad and absolutely terrifying. Your imagination makes it all much more scary! Read immediately!

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't you hate it when your life is going along great and then the world ends? I sure do. So does Amelia. One minute she's living her happily ever after, barely concerned about some weird thickening of lake water, and the next she's running for her life from some form of gelatinous ooze that's consuming everything in it's path. Food is scarce, the power is out, and she's running out of places to hide.
This was a fast paced post apocalyptic sort of sci fi horror. If that's your genre than I highly recommend this novella.
It put me in mind of The Blob but without the teenage goofiness.

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

John is one of the standout authors who can really put the humanity factor into his works. Even with Congeal, I was enjoying the bleak blobby world of it all when he quite niftily delivered the bombshell of what it's all about. Well, what it's all about for me, anyway:
there really are two types of people. Ones, who like to have their rainbow hued bubble of happiness and content and who fall apart at the sight of trouble. Others, who thrive on the burst of said bubble and find freedom in things having turned to shit.

Congeal is a great post-apocalyptic horror title, that doesn't bore with overt detail and yet gives a wholesome view of the dreadful situation, matter of survival and the rot of what it means to be human among it all.

[Steve Stred · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

4.5/5

John F. Leonard has quickly become one of my go-to authors. He puts out quality releases and his interconnected Scaeth Mythos he’s developed have always been fun. Saying that – I still haven’t read Bad Pennies, the origin tale of all the books I’ve read since. This is something I really need to fix.

Congeal is both a standalone story but also a follow up to The Bledbrooke Works.

I enjoyed this subtle nod to the ongoing apocalyptic story that John has developed, but I also enjoyed the afterword where he discusses that this could simply be one trajectory that occurs. A fascinating idea.

Overall I enjoyed this story. Post-apocalyptic stuff is hard for me to enjoy lately. I think The Walking Dead really crushed my enjoyment of it but Leonard actually asked some of the questions real folks would ask; “What happens when we run out of toilet paper? Or out of food? Nobody is producing any more, nothing is being bottled, and it’s not like we can Google instructions or search the internet for how to do the stuff we’ve never been taught.”

That has been my ongoing issue with a lot of post-apocalyptic stuff and I’m glad to see it written down like this for once. Now, don’t get me wrong, Congeal is still post-apoc through and through.

The story picks up just after the incident alluded to in ‘The Bledbrooke Works.’ We are introduced to Amelia and follow her from the beginning to the end of the story.

The Clag as it’s become known is a gelatinous blob that is all-consuming and as the reports start to come out, many people are in disbelief. Believing this to be a made-up news story or a practical joke. Soon though, as everyone becomes impacted by the ‘thing’ they start to believe. Leonard does a great job of helping us feel that sense of unease growing and then when reality hits we are thrust into some great action.

The ending of the story is a great think point, one that is nicely set up and I was glad to read that afterword. Originally I was going to rate this book 4 out of 5, simply because I felt John had written himself into a corner and there wasn’t anywhere to go from here. Another post-apoc tale told and man has reached his ending, but that small sliver of opening added at the end that he tucked in was well played and let me see the story breathe at the end.

I’m excited to see what John comes up with next and as I wrote in my last review of one of his books, I really do need to read Bad Pennies!

[Georgia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congeal by John F Leonard is a post-apocalyptic horror story which I chose to read as a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team. I received a copy from the author but this does not affect my review at all.

I think this is the longest story I have read from this author but the pace is unrelenting throughout. Congeal is the stuff of nightmares. You know, those ones in which you are being chased by something that doesn’t tire when you do, and which may subside during daylight but by night returns bigger than before.

At the beginning of this story we meet Amelia, who is running, along with Pete, who definitely annoys her, but then her choice of company is limited so beggars can’t be choosers. There were more in their group but that number dwindled in ways that you need to read the book in order to discover.

As always with Leonard, the writing is a joy to read, each turn of phrase or descriptive passage a delight and I highly recommend this to all who like their reading to be on the dark side.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human civilization is a fragile thing and author John Leonard does a superb job of depicting this frailty and the ease with which society can fray and disintegrate when faced with calamity which knocks out the power and other communication sources. A primeval ooze, that becomes know as the clag, is sighted in a lake in a small rural town. It moves swiftly and silently, popping up in cities and towns all of the world within days. The clag comes from the very centre of the earth and uses man's own interventions against him such as the sewers and the manholes. It sweeps in vast, rippling sheets of mud-like substances across entire suburbs and towns leaving nothing in its wake. The few survivors are left stunned and helpless to try and regroup and survive in virtually impossible circumstances.

Amelia has recently found the love of her life, William, and they live a happy and relaxed life in the country with their dog. Amelia has just discovered she is pregnant and their joy will be complete, but before she can even tell William the news, the clag strikes and her life is torn to shreds. Amelia flees her home and the terrible memories associated with it and happens to come across a small group of survivors led by a man called Pete.

This book is a true horror book. In fact, it is the ultimate in horror as the main characters alternatives gradually disappear as different survival theories fail, one after the other.

For me, the most interesting aspects of this book where the characterizations of the various survivors in the group that initially revolve around Pete, a man who has a plan and a determination to survive. As the circumstances of the group become more hopeless and the group shrinks, their shaky unity starts to fracture and conflict starts to divide them. There would seem to be a lot of truth in the old saying "divide and conquer." It reminded me a bit of Lord of the Flies by William Golding when the tentative leadership and attempt at a society breaks apart with tragic consequences.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine novella that fits perfectly into the limited space - I do appreciate writers who understand how to use the shorter format so well.

Amelia had a happy life with a man she loved, but then the Clag arrived; now she's stuck in a deserted city with a guy she can't stand, as nasty slimy stuff from the deep bowels of the earth rises up to swamp the world....

Having just read two post apocalyptic novels that centred round human relationships and practical survival, Congeal underlined to me how many subsections this genre has; this one is far into the 'horror' end. Amongst its many strengths, I liked the short, sharp prose style, so appropriate for the horror and despair of Amelia's situation, though not without dry humour. I also enjoyed that those in the group with whom she found herself trying to survive―a standard in all PA stories―were not all of the likeable, resourceful, charismatic variety, as they so often are; indeed, Pete, Maurice, Yvonne and the others were types she would have avoided like the plague (pun intended) in real life.

A good ending, too―I had no clue about Amelia's fate, even by 95%. Anyone who has read the author's recent novella The Bledbrooke Works will enjoy the connection between the two, but both are entirely stand alone. Oh, and one more thing - in the flashbacks to Amelia's pre-apocalypse life, she refers to her mother as 'Mom', several times. As she is English, living in England, and her story is written by a British author, I questioned this - out of place American English is one of my 'ouches', but apparently it's a Birmingham-Irish thing, as well. Just making this point, in case it's one of your 'ouches', too.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now we're getting down to business... what started in Mr. Leonard's Bledbrooke Works is brought to the surface in Congeal (budumtsssss). We're neck deep into the apocalypse and there's nowhere to hide. I'm a sucker for "Ancient Ones" stories and Mr. Leonard does not disappoint. I particularly liked the parts dealing with this "thing" and learning of its past... why it does what it does. We're well-into some Lovecraftian mythos here and it's terrifying. Although it is a continuation of the previous book, one not need to read Bledbrooke Works to know what's going on (but it would be a mistake not to. It's a great story). I wholeheartedly recommend Congeal.

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congeal is one of those words thank makes your stomach feel icky. Not a good thing for food or blood or goo. This was a great and unique apocalyptic take. I enjoyed it, it was exciting, gross, sad, and vivid in descriptions. Goo d stuff.

[Alan Loewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to The Bledbrooke Works

Congeal is a character-driven story about the end of the world. Combining the Blob with the Thing, Congeal is a story that keeps the reader fascinated as the story progresses.

[Maureen Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congeal by John F Leonard is a refreshing change from the all too common zombie dystopian story. This chilling tale is not about the threat of the walking dead but about a creeping gunge that comes from below the ground. I thoroughly enjoyed how this author cranked up the tension as the substance initially tagged the 'clag' spouts from a lake. Slowly but surely it spreads during daylight hours devouring any living substance in its path. This is no 'B' movie nonsense, this has the reader believing it could happen. An horrific organism lying dorment for millenia inexplicably begins to spread across the land. Leonard's use of words is excellent as is his portrayal of characters. Amelia and Pete were never going to be bosom buddies but of a necessity they muddle along trying to keep away from the 'clag' as it grows by leaps and bounds. An excellent gripping story that well deserves a FIVE STAR rating. I'll read more from this author. He is good, very good.

[Reads_Must · Rating 2 out of 5]

Congeal
Sci-Fi
John F. Leonard
⭐️⭐️.5

• ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘᴛɪᴄ • ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ • ɴᴏᴠᴇʟʟᴀ •

I found it hard to connect with this book and become engrossed with the plot.

The writing style wasn't for me. Although it was a short read, I felt like the FMC spent a lot of time just rambling and going off on tangents that weren't relevant and they didn't actually make any difference to the plot.

The pacing was too slow for me and I kept wanting more action.

Some readers may like this book but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.

[Raymond St. Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts okay

The first few pages held my interest reminded me of The Blob movie unfortunately that resemblance ends halfway in the tale. I spent the rest skipping along whole sections of the story cause it felt as if I were reading filler the author inserted pages. I felt the ending was disappointing.

[Morgan Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on AphoticRealm.com

“The human race was in the presence of the unknown and unknowable.”

There are many post-apocalyptic books out there. Many are much of the same just with different characters, settings, and particulars about the actual ending of life as we know it. Zombies pollute most of them as hardened humans battle the undead in a world that no longer resembles home.

But here, the enemy is something that is difficult to picture, yet beautifully and grotesquely described. The destroyer of the world is some kind of sentient ooze/liquid/slime shit. With tentacles. It comes from underground and desecrates anything in its path.

Yes, the ‘beast’ is so Lovecraft, but the story is anything but. Amelia, a woman who’s lost everything, bands together with others in her situation to try and survive the horrors of this ‘thing’. Nothing is safe in the world; if it’s alive, it’s lunch!

The way this monstrous entity is portrayed is awesomely done, some of the language used had me nodding along in appreciation of the sentences.

So now on to the name of this other-worldly life-ender; The Clag. I’d seen this mentioned in some promotional posts etc, and couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed at the title of the horrifically cosmic antagonist. It sounded like something you’d cough up during a heavy cold. But what Leonard does brilliantly here is share the ridiculousness of the name with the reader. The Clag was named by the media when the outbreak began, and as the story continues, the name becomes less comedic and certainly more sinister.

Now I shudder when I see it written.The Clag. (I’m shuddering now).

The majority of the story is told as a backstory; the beginning of this apocalypse, Amelia’s journey to this point, and the meeting of the survivors. There’s no real plot twists or red herrings thrown in, but that doesn’t matter. Once the ooze has trapped you, its unnervingly sinister destruction of mankind is enough to keep you gripped.

I must also mention the term ‘aphotic realm’ making a cameo. Nicely done!

This book is one short, shocking and terrifying read. I’d also say it is a piece that needs to be ‘experienced’ and not just read. Mr Leonard truly is a man on form!