Protege

by Anthony Ferguson

A violent tale of the troubled relationship between three generations of men, one of whom is dead. Kevin is a teenage boy apprenticed in a metal workshop in the early 1980s. Struggling with his emotions and a broken first relationship, he finds himself swept up in a masculine world he is ill equipped to navigate. He is mentored by Jerry, the leading hand, a man with his own dark secrets. Unable to conceive a son of his own, Jerry struggles to relate to Kevin, while experiencing flashbacks to his brutal experiences in the recently concluded Vietnam War. There, Jerry endured his own protégé relationship with the sadistic commanding officer, Billy Kane. Billy's spirit still plagues Jerry as he struggles to cope with a post-War Australian society suddenly inundated with Vietnamese refugees, the very people he fought against on his tour of duty as a boy in a man's world. Acting on Billy's advice, Jerry starts taking matters into his own hands. Kevin and Jerry stagger toward an explosive conclusion when they are left in the factory overnight to complete a project to meet a deadline, both haunted by their own personal demons. It soon becomes apparent that only one of them will leave in the morning, and with Billy Kane whispering in his ear, Jerry knows it's two against one.

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2020

About the author

Anthony Ferguson is an author and editor living in Perth, Australia. He has published over seventy short stories and non-fiction articles in Australia, Britain and the United States. He wrote the novel Protégé, the non-fiction books, The Sex Doll: A History, and Murder Down Under, edited the short-story collection Devil Dolls and Duplicates in Australian Horror and coedited the award-nominated Midnight Echo #12. He is a committee member of the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA), and a submissions editor for Andromeda Spaceways Magazine (ASM). A four-time nominee, He won the Australian Shadows Award for Short Fiction in 2020. His first short story collection will be published by IFWG in 2023. Visit his website at https://anthonypferguson.wixsite.com/...

Reviews

[Cameron Trost · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's any such subgenre as "working-class thriller", this debut novel from Anthony Ferguson would have to be considered a prime example. The author sets up his targets and gets only bulleyes. The dialogue is crude and to-the-point, befitting its suburban Australian setting and flashbacks of the Vietnam War. We are shown two worlds, one a jungle full of horror and inhumanity, and the other a suburban wasteland where the dream of backseat blow jobs provides some meaning after a day's work in a factory. Of course, the reader soon comes to understand that these worlds aren't so far apart. The lines blur as refugees and memories just keep coming. This novel is graphic and confronting. It examines conflict between generations, between men and women, and particularly between the racist mindset and a changing world. It is in some ways reminiscent of the film, Romper Stomper, in the way it illustrates dark issues in the Australian psyche. The climax is thrilling and inevitable and the ending is very apt, with just the right amount of teasing brightness. Recommended for the reader who likes to explore serious social issues through nasty settings, failing marriages, bad language, and various degrees of physical, sexual, and psychological violence. It's your call!

[David Schembri · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3 and a half stars*
If you’re after a grim dark novel, then this is worth your time. Ferguson throws you into the atmosphere of a steel works factory and into the jungles during the Vietnam War. There will be difficult roads to cross in this story, but you will enjoy it if you have a strong stomach. This novel is just a taste as more from Ferguson is around the corner and I can’t wait. Although this journey may have been too grim for me, it may be just fine for you. One last thing, don’t forget to look up Ferguson’s short story work: he’s brilliant.

[Maurits Zwankhuizen · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Protege' is a ripping read. The two main protagonists are compelling and believable characters. I raced through the book. There was lots of action, the tension built well with an increasing sense of impending doom. Also, readers outside Australia should prepare to get a crash course in Aussie slang. Do I recommend it? Bloody oath I do!

[Matthew Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine a fair percentage of Generation X looks back on the eighties with nostalgia. Yet I think (deep down), this might be fallacy; that our view of growing up is not just through the lens of rose coloured glasses, but outright deception. We tend to dwell on what was good, and ignore the pitfalls. What Ferguson does here is take a deep dive into those pitfalls. Essentially, he puts them under a microscope … not matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel. And why not? This is, after all, the genre of horror.

The story is a simple one: Kevin, an adolescent on the precipice of manhood, enters the workforce: a factory realm of toxic masculinity, bullying, and racism. And this is the eighties. Where what would be unthinkable today is basically commonplace: experiencing maltreatment at the hands of miscreants, and receiving little support from any corner … because everyone (including your parents) are party to the crime.

As a book this could be termed ‘coming of age.’ But coming of age in Australia when toxic masculinity was at its apex is like a tour of hell – not Pleasantville. I mentioned horror is supposed to make us feel uncomfortable, and Kevin’s adventures elicit this in abundance. More than once, I was reminded ‘Snowtown’ … both the real life events and film, where ageing men who are supposed veterans of life perpetuate a cycle of cruelty and violence to a younger generation.

An easy book to digest. Well worth your time.

[Stefan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Protege is an intense thriller, and page turner.

A gripping first release from Ferguson, which doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of masculinity
and its trappings of apathy and violence, especially in Australian culture.
What I loved, was the space allowed for us to understand the characters. While some may find the initial few chapters, "Slow," I believe this time given to build the characters, and the rough working class world they inhabit, is a welcomed difference from the break neck pace some authors feel they need to jump straight in with.

There is no doubting that some scenes are very graphic in terms of violence. However, the characters are so well written, and the story so well developed, that the violence never feels unwarranted or simply for shock.
I whipped through this book, and genuinely enjoyed the ride.
Horror and thriller fans will love this!

[Noel Osualdini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin is the worst apprentice the shop has ever hired. He is lazy, incapable, and absconds to a hidey-hole he has built himself to escape work. Of course, he’s facing his own challenges—a job he hates, first love, getting his driver’s licence—when he meets Jerry, a Vietnam veteran whose life has taken a turn for the worse. Jerry’s wife, Marissa, has noticed some changes in Jerry and leaves him, but she’s thrilled to get some attention from much-younger Kevin.
Kevin and Jerry will meet in a final battle on the shop floor, the young man starting to find his way versus the jaded, life-weary fighting man.
A fast and very satisfying read.