What do you think?
Rate this book
God in Black Iron and Other Stories
Cyberpunks, swordswomen, centurions, grifters, and monsters stalk the pages of Matthew X. Gomez’s first collection of short stories. It is a grab bag collection of fantasy and science-fiction, seasoned with a dash of horror. The stories have a focus on action and conflict, designed to deliver a spike of adrenaline to the reader's cerebral cortex.Featuring pieces previously published in ECONOCLASH REVIEW, SWITCHBLADE, PULP MODERN, and STORYHACK magazines as well as a few pieces currently unavailable elsewhere, along with a scattering selection of flash fiction.
190 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2020
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 14, 2020
Matthew X Gomez’s literary heart and soul is in good ol’ fashioned rollicking pulp fiction, or more accurately its modern evolution New Pulp, a literary movement he’s more than lent his hand in codifying and legitimizing in his stint as an influential magazine editor. His own aptitude, budding craftsmanship/artistry, and infectious enthusiasm for the form are all on full display in these twenty-two tales. He knows the ins and outs of what makes the form tick at its essence. There’s not a dull entry in this collection of tales, which run the gamut from cyberpunk, paranormal noir, sword and sorcery, and in at least two cases, that last one’s crueler, tougher, more defiant and unpredictable younger brother Grimdark fantasy. There were also more than a few tales that stood out as true showcases of what Gomez has to offer, some of which genuinely caught fire for me in, y’know, that rare, special way. It’s often in the shorter pieces where Gomez’s true, uninhibited imagination starts to shine in all its perverse, uninhibited glory (such as in atmospherically Gothic, unsettlingly erotic A Call of Vengeance, or the Weird Western Paid In Blood), though these are also often the pieces were one wishes Gomez had let them be longer, giving them room to breathe in all their perverse glory, whatever that might have been.
The standout entries here include:
Ashton & Marcus: The Mead Trip – Two mismatched dimension-hopping adventurer-for-hire buddies, from seemingly disparate realities who somehow got this far on brawn, guts, luck, and rudimentary wits, sort of like Ash from Army of Darkness paired with a beleaguered Viking, bumble their way through Michael Moorcock or maybe Roger Zelazny’s multiverse, just looking for a place for a quiet drink after the last adventure. Spoiler-altert: they get more than they bargained for. Their banter at times reminded me of Joe Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard on acid. The energy and attitude in this piece gave me a sense of Gomez truly starting to let himself off the leash, his own voice starting to crystalize into something special.
Comes A Slayer – The most meditative slow-burn in the collection, and as a result one of the most gripping, haunting and surprising. What begins as a simple, familiar lone-wandering-dragon-slayer-for-hire-comes-to-town piece steadily peals back its layers to reveal something a little different…and a lot trippy, nightmarish, and exhilarating.
Sword of the Legion – What starts as a POW-plotting-escape yarn (Roman soldier captured by Picts) tale takes a sharp left turn that caught me off guard, the results of which I’m not likely to soon forget.
The Whalebone Cane – A junkshop owner gets a strange customer who’s particularly excited about happening upon the title artifact. The best I can further describe this little piece without giving anything away is that Gomez does a very effective job at putting the reader in the shoes of someone experiencing a very unusual encounter, the kind that leaves one blinking and going, “Uh…Yep, okay, that just happened…What in the actual f**k?”
Nothing Like Getting Rained On – A fast, nasty, supernaturally flavored crime-noir story of double-cross and revenge. Perhaps Gomez at his most nihilistically mean-spirited (and I mean that as a compliment; in my opinion, the author of this kind of story hasn’t done their job right if you don’t afterwards feel just a little bit like you need to shower off the urban filth the characters call normal…and Gomez does his job right).
The worst I can say about any of these stories is that after a while, certain repeated motifs start to stick out and grow a little repetitive. No one story here would suffer on its own from, say, the “Someone shows up to hire/beg a world-weary reluctant/annoyed hardboiled protagonist to find/rescue someone for them” formula, but lumped together, it gets a little obvious…even if there were a few standouts that genuinely used said formula to maximum effect on their own, such as the opening cyberpunk piece Limitless). Some of the sword-and-sorcery pieces left me wishing for a little more sense of distinctive world-building, beyond simple “recognizable historical time/place, with the names swapped out and some magic thrown into the mix”/”could be any D&D village”/etc. But that’s a personal preference.
Overall, if you want some fast, fun short-fiction with sharp teeth and some true gems in the mix, look no further.
The standout entries here include:
Ashton & Marcus: The Mead Trip – Two mismatched dimension-hopping adventurer-for-hire buddies, from seemingly disparate realities who somehow got this far on brawn, guts, luck, and rudimentary wits, sort of like Ash from Army of Darkness paired with a beleaguered Viking, bumble their way through Michael Moorcock or maybe Roger Zelazny’s multiverse, just looking for a place for a quiet drink after the last adventure. Spoiler-altert: they get more than they bargained for. Their banter at times reminded me of Joe Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard on acid. The energy and attitude in this piece gave me a sense of Gomez truly starting to let himself off the leash, his own voice starting to crystalize into something special.
Comes A Slayer – The most meditative slow-burn in the collection, and as a result one of the most gripping, haunting and surprising. What begins as a simple, familiar lone-wandering-dragon-slayer-for-hire-comes-to-town piece steadily peals back its layers to reveal something a little different…and a lot trippy, nightmarish, and exhilarating.
Sword of the Legion – What starts as a POW-plotting-escape yarn (Roman soldier captured by Picts) tale takes a sharp left turn that caught me off guard, the results of which I’m not likely to soon forget.
The Whalebone Cane – A junkshop owner gets a strange customer who’s particularly excited about happening upon the title artifact. The best I can further describe this little piece without giving anything away is that Gomez does a very effective job at putting the reader in the shoes of someone experiencing a very unusual encounter, the kind that leaves one blinking and going, “Uh…Yep, okay, that just happened…What in the actual f**k?”
Nothing Like Getting Rained On – A fast, nasty, supernaturally flavored crime-noir story of double-cross and revenge. Perhaps Gomez at his most nihilistically mean-spirited (and I mean that as a compliment; in my opinion, the author of this kind of story hasn’t done their job right if you don’t afterwards feel just a little bit like you need to shower off the urban filth the characters call normal…and Gomez does his job right).
The worst I can say about any of these stories is that after a while, certain repeated motifs start to stick out and grow a little repetitive. No one story here would suffer on its own from, say, the “Someone shows up to hire/beg a world-weary reluctant/annoyed hardboiled protagonist to find/rescue someone for them” formula, but lumped together, it gets a little obvious…even if there were a few standouts that genuinely used said formula to maximum effect on their own, such as the opening cyberpunk piece Limitless). Some of the sword-and-sorcery pieces left me wishing for a little more sense of distinctive world-building, beyond simple “recognizable historical time/place, with the names swapped out and some magic thrown into the mix”/”could be any D&D village”/etc. But that’s a personal preference.
Overall, if you want some fast, fun short-fiction with sharp teeth and some true gems in the mix, look no further.
December 7, 2020
Matthew X. Gomez writes fantasy/sci-fi stories and I’ve become acquainted with his work through the likes of Econoclash Review, Pulp Modern and Switchblade. His writing inhabits genres I wouldn’t typically veer towards, but he writes them with the immediacy of noir and strips away the haughtiness and stuffiness from his fantasy tales and gives us a fun cast of characters, some of whom appear in multiple stories. The mages, thieves, monster hunters, cyberpunk PIs, swordswomen and more make for a rollicking good and violent time. I would especially like to read more of Ariadna and the characters from the title story in the future.
September 19, 2020
DISCLOSURE: The author has, in his capacity as an editor, purchased and pubished my work in the past.
New Pulp features a number of gifted writers and—for now, at least—not as many enthusiastic readers. This results in an inevitable competition for attention. In some cases a writer who works to bring other contributors’ work to the public eye will pay an unfair price, as they’ll have less chance to bring attention to their own work.
Such is the case, I think, for Matthew X. Gomez. Widely known as half of the editorial team behind the celebrated periodical Broadswords and Blasters, he has also been carving out a niche of his own through stories published in Pulp Modern, Storyhack, Switchblade, and elsewhere. His richly entertaining first collection, God in Black Iron and Other Stories, demonstrates that Gomez’s gifts as a writer deserve wider acclaim.
I’ve previously encountered some of these stories in isolation, and I’d come to appreciate Gomez’s skills in terms of plotcraft and ability to establish a sense of place. Seeing his work gathered together has a different feel. Patterns emerge, and additional skills surface.
First, there’s the sheer genre range on display. From classic high fantasy to modern grimdark, light horror to weird western, cyberpunk and steampunk and whatever the hell “The Mead Trap” is, Gomez never comes across as an interloper treading cautiously in new terrain; his extensive familiarity with genre conventions not only to walk sure-footed down familiar paths, but also to make judgments as to when to most effectively break the rules and subvert reader expectations. “Comes a Slayer,” for instance, has the imaginative setting and trappings of magic you would expect in any dragon-hunt, but throws those features into sharp relief with a protagonist who’s all hard-headed practicality, obsessed with outfitting and provisioning, shunning a shining white charger in favor of a mule which he pointedly refuses to name. Paradoxically, a dragon hunter who cares nothing for style points makes for a more stylistic story.
I have also been underrating Gomez’s talent for portraying violence, and the attention he pays to detail in doing so. His characters go to war with pistols and polearms and crossbows and beer steins and axes and stun batons and scimitars and sixguns and spears both short and long and fists both fleshy and cybernetic. There are few "swords" here; instead, there are gladii, and zweihanders, and rapiers, and broadswords, and each is wielded with distinctive purpose. It is immediately apparent in every instance that Gomez has done his homework. His combatants—both heroic and villainous--have chosen their tools with care, they are familiar with the details of their use, and that their fighting styles are crafted to suit their strengths. There are no “hit points” here; each blow is calculated with anatomical purpose. Every feint and positional gambit matters. Mistakes are punished, and expertise doesn’t grant you iron skin; Gomez’s heroes get hurt. This is handcrafted, artisanal violence, and it’s preferable to watching bladed supermen wade unscathed through scores of jumpsuited henchmen, or watching an expert marksman pick off targets while enemy stormtroopers fill the air with errant ammo (well, usually preferable; more on that later). I read this book immediately after Nicholas Eames’ Bloody Rose. And hell, I like Eames, for a variety of reasons. But strictly in terms of the texture of combat, I have no qualms about saying Gomez is better.
In terms of individual stories: “Crystal, Brass and Copper” was one of the best stories I read in 2018, either in or out of the confines of New Pulp, and if I’m picking the standout story in terms of craft, I think this is probably it. The Saladin Ahmed-meets-steampunk aesthetic works brilliantly, but I also think this one features two of the author’s standout characters in the thief Bahar, who navigates believably from tragedy through trauma to triumph, and the inventor Ardeshir, who may or may not have a heart of gold, but is certainly capable of fashioning one on consignment. One of the best things you can say of a story is that it leaves you asking “and then what happened?” at the close. CBC has that effect. I’d be glad of more stories involving either character, though Ardeshir seems to me to offer particularly interesting opportunities.
But “best” is not necessarily “favorite,” and my pick in that category has to be the final story, “Ashton and Marcus: The Mead Trap”, in which a couple of inter-dimensional roustabouts seek a break from their chaotic lifestyles, and don’t find it. I’ve spoken earlier about Gomez’s usual careful attention to the mechanics of violence and the importance of tactics. Ashton and Marcus represent the author reflecting on that talent, tossing it over his shoulder with a shrug, and Getting His Mayhem On.
And I’ve said I’m not generally a fan of that, but I think it might be more fair to say that it’s something I think an author has to earn. By all means, give me Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness, wading waist-deep into undead hordes, but give me Evil Dead 2 first, so I can see the price he paid to wind up with that chainsaw prosthetic. Matthew X Gomez spends this whole book showing me an understanding of relationships, nuance, and battle planning. So, yeah, at the end, it’s OK for him to stuff Sam Raimi and Joe Lansdale and Larry Correia and HP Lovecraft into a blender and serve them to me in a bucket with a little paper umbrella on top. It’s fun, damnit. Ashton and Marcus’s interdimensional travel, and probable inability to learn from their mistakes, offers potentially infinite replay value. I could see this becoming a franchise. Think Hap and Leonard meets Bill and Ted.
So, yeah, you’ve got a tall stack of stuff to read and a limited amount of time to spend in fantasy universes at this point. But I do believe that God in Black Iron and Other Stories is good enough that you’ll find your time well spent. Here is a New Pulp author worthy of your attention.
New Pulp features a number of gifted writers and—for now, at least—not as many enthusiastic readers. This results in an inevitable competition for attention. In some cases a writer who works to bring other contributors’ work to the public eye will pay an unfair price, as they’ll have less chance to bring attention to their own work.
Such is the case, I think, for Matthew X. Gomez. Widely known as half of the editorial team behind the celebrated periodical Broadswords and Blasters, he has also been carving out a niche of his own through stories published in Pulp Modern, Storyhack, Switchblade, and elsewhere. His richly entertaining first collection, God in Black Iron and Other Stories, demonstrates that Gomez’s gifts as a writer deserve wider acclaim.
I’ve previously encountered some of these stories in isolation, and I’d come to appreciate Gomez’s skills in terms of plotcraft and ability to establish a sense of place. Seeing his work gathered together has a different feel. Patterns emerge, and additional skills surface.
First, there’s the sheer genre range on display. From classic high fantasy to modern grimdark, light horror to weird western, cyberpunk and steampunk and whatever the hell “The Mead Trap” is, Gomez never comes across as an interloper treading cautiously in new terrain; his extensive familiarity with genre conventions not only to walk sure-footed down familiar paths, but also to make judgments as to when to most effectively break the rules and subvert reader expectations. “Comes a Slayer,” for instance, has the imaginative setting and trappings of magic you would expect in any dragon-hunt, but throws those features into sharp relief with a protagonist who’s all hard-headed practicality, obsessed with outfitting and provisioning, shunning a shining white charger in favor of a mule which he pointedly refuses to name. Paradoxically, a dragon hunter who cares nothing for style points makes for a more stylistic story.
I have also been underrating Gomez’s talent for portraying violence, and the attention he pays to detail in doing so. His characters go to war with pistols and polearms and crossbows and beer steins and axes and stun batons and scimitars and sixguns and spears both short and long and fists both fleshy and cybernetic. There are few "swords" here; instead, there are gladii, and zweihanders, and rapiers, and broadswords, and each is wielded with distinctive purpose. It is immediately apparent in every instance that Gomez has done his homework. His combatants—both heroic and villainous--have chosen their tools with care, they are familiar with the details of their use, and that their fighting styles are crafted to suit their strengths. There are no “hit points” here; each blow is calculated with anatomical purpose. Every feint and positional gambit matters. Mistakes are punished, and expertise doesn’t grant you iron skin; Gomez’s heroes get hurt. This is handcrafted, artisanal violence, and it’s preferable to watching bladed supermen wade unscathed through scores of jumpsuited henchmen, or watching an expert marksman pick off targets while enemy stormtroopers fill the air with errant ammo (well, usually preferable; more on that later). I read this book immediately after Nicholas Eames’ Bloody Rose. And hell, I like Eames, for a variety of reasons. But strictly in terms of the texture of combat, I have no qualms about saying Gomez is better.
In terms of individual stories: “Crystal, Brass and Copper” was one of the best stories I read in 2018, either in or out of the confines of New Pulp, and if I’m picking the standout story in terms of craft, I think this is probably it. The Saladin Ahmed-meets-steampunk aesthetic works brilliantly, but I also think this one features two of the author’s standout characters in the thief Bahar, who navigates believably from tragedy through trauma to triumph, and the inventor Ardeshir, who may or may not have a heart of gold, but is certainly capable of fashioning one on consignment. One of the best things you can say of a story is that it leaves you asking “and then what happened?” at the close. CBC has that effect. I’d be glad of more stories involving either character, though Ardeshir seems to me to offer particularly interesting opportunities.
But “best” is not necessarily “favorite,” and my pick in that category has to be the final story, “Ashton and Marcus: The Mead Trap”, in which a couple of inter-dimensional roustabouts seek a break from their chaotic lifestyles, and don’t find it. I’ve spoken earlier about Gomez’s usual careful attention to the mechanics of violence and the importance of tactics. Ashton and Marcus represent the author reflecting on that talent, tossing it over his shoulder with a shrug, and Getting His Mayhem On.
And I’ve said I’m not generally a fan of that, but I think it might be more fair to say that it’s something I think an author has to earn. By all means, give me Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness, wading waist-deep into undead hordes, but give me Evil Dead 2 first, so I can see the price he paid to wind up with that chainsaw prosthetic. Matthew X Gomez spends this whole book showing me an understanding of relationships, nuance, and battle planning. So, yeah, at the end, it’s OK for him to stuff Sam Raimi and Joe Lansdale and Larry Correia and HP Lovecraft into a blender and serve them to me in a bucket with a little paper umbrella on top. It’s fun, damnit. Ashton and Marcus’s interdimensional travel, and probable inability to learn from their mistakes, offers potentially infinite replay value. I could see this becoming a franchise. Think Hap and Leonard meets Bill and Ted.
So, yeah, you’ve got a tall stack of stuff to read and a limited amount of time to spend in fantasy universes at this point. But I do believe that God in Black Iron and Other Stories is good enough that you’ll find your time well spent. Here is a New Pulp author worthy of your attention.
December 21, 2020
Reading Matthew Gomez’s thrilling story collection is a reminder that pulp fiction hasn’t died—it's been kept alive by enthusiasts and aficionados of the tradition, and most thankfully by talented pulp writers like the author himself. This collection is both a love letter to pulp and a proof of life: the style is not only alive, but thriving if you only know where to look (HINT: Look right here). Make no mistake, God in Black Iron is largely a collection of fantasy stories—but there is also so much thrill and joy in the occasional tech noir and sci-fi tales that I found myself marveling at the author's breadth of talent. Not only will you find monsters and sword-wielding heroes within these pages, but pistol-pulling noirish characters as well.
What connects these stories is a sense of humanity, a sense of the bonds that make us human—despite our flaws and worst impulses—no matter how much we’ve been bionically modified or ensorcelled. There’s a beating heart here, and not only will you feel its warmth on every page, but you get a sense that the lives of these characters extend far BEYOND the page, inhabiting worlds ripe for exploration in future stories.
But I haven’t even mentioned THE ACTION. Like other reviewers, I was impressed by the mastery of the fight scenes, and somewhat astonished with the precise descriptions of each weapon and each body blow. Reading these stories, I recalled my own childhood, when I spent entire summers playing CRPGs on my Commodore 64, watching the turn-based battles roll up the screen as text descriptions. Does anyone remember Bard’s Tale? Ultima? Wizardry? Let me tell you, I’m all in for that.
God in Black Iron is a perfect “glove box” book to read on your lunch break or when you’re stuck in traffic. Or better yet, keep it in your cubicle and sneak a story when you’re in between projects. Just make sure it’s within arm’s reach, wherever your safe space is located. You can never overestimate the power of a great pulp adventure to brighten your day. After all, if you can defeat a dragon with nothing but a spear and a bit of dragon magic, you just might be able to bang out those TPS reports your boss has been badgering you about so you don't have to come in on Saturday...
What connects these stories is a sense of humanity, a sense of the bonds that make us human—despite our flaws and worst impulses—no matter how much we’ve been bionically modified or ensorcelled. There’s a beating heart here, and not only will you feel its warmth on every page, but you get a sense that the lives of these characters extend far BEYOND the page, inhabiting worlds ripe for exploration in future stories.
But I haven’t even mentioned THE ACTION. Like other reviewers, I was impressed by the mastery of the fight scenes, and somewhat astonished with the precise descriptions of each weapon and each body blow. Reading these stories, I recalled my own childhood, when I spent entire summers playing CRPGs on my Commodore 64, watching the turn-based battles roll up the screen as text descriptions. Does anyone remember Bard’s Tale? Ultima? Wizardry? Let me tell you, I’m all in for that.
God in Black Iron is a perfect “glove box” book to read on your lunch break or when you’re stuck in traffic. Or better yet, keep it in your cubicle and sneak a story when you’re in between projects. Just make sure it’s within arm’s reach, wherever your safe space is located. You can never overestimate the power of a great pulp adventure to brighten your day. After all, if you can defeat a dragon with nothing but a spear and a bit of dragon magic, you just might be able to bang out those TPS reports your boss has been badgering you about so you don't have to come in on Saturday...
October 26, 2020
Spoiler alert: I'm not someone who reads fantasy, usually. I struggled to get through Lord of the Rings, and couldn't manage to read past Page 10 of the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones series.
But I dug "God in Black Iron" in a serious way. Not all the stories are fantasy, but the ones that are... well, they deliver. I'm not a reader who wants or needs 500 pages of world-building and exposition (and it helps that we're dealing with short stories here, instead of a full-length novel or series); I want the story's reality sketched out in some deft strokes before moving into what I'm here for: swords, nasty creatures, some cool spells, and heroes/mercenaries/wizards doing what they do best.
In other words, if you're trapped on the subway or stuck waiting for someone or you just want to spend a lovely afternoon reading some pulpy stories that move like rocket-trains and deliver exactly the jolt you crave at such moments... this is a collection for you, and you should grab it as soon as possible. If more fantasy was written like this, I'd probably be much more of a fantasy reader.
But I dug "God in Black Iron" in a serious way. Not all the stories are fantasy, but the ones that are... well, they deliver. I'm not a reader who wants or needs 500 pages of world-building and exposition (and it helps that we're dealing with short stories here, instead of a full-length novel or series); I want the story's reality sketched out in some deft strokes before moving into what I'm here for: swords, nasty creatures, some cool spells, and heroes/mercenaries/wizards doing what they do best.
In other words, if you're trapped on the subway or stuck waiting for someone or you just want to spend a lovely afternoon reading some pulpy stories that move like rocket-trains and deliver exactly the jolt you crave at such moments... this is a collection for you, and you should grab it as soon as possible. If more fantasy was written like this, I'd probably be much more of a fantasy reader.
March 29, 2021
God in Black Iron is a collection of short stories and flash fiction covering epic fantasy, SF and grimdark genres. I bought the print version (because I like a physical book to hold in my hands,) and I have to say that it is well produced, with a great cover painted by Luke Spooner.
This being a self-published book, it would be stretching the truth to say that it was error-free. You will find the occasional missed inverted commas, clunky sentences and typo. With self-published books like this, I’m kinda forgiving of these imperfections. We can’t usually afford editors as the return on putting our books out there wouldn’t allow us to recoup the cost. As long as the underlying stories have value and serve to transport me into another world for a brief time, then I’m happy. Matthew Gomez has great writing chops in this respect, and has put together a great collection that’s easy to read and altogether entertaining.
You’ll also find a few regular tropes, such as sell-swords and guns for hire, but this is what you buy into with Gomez’ style. He’s creating a pulp-comic book vibe that you’ll either be into or you won’t.
.
I will also make mention of the generous scattering of ink drawings by Ran Scott. These are superbly sketched and fit the genre perfectly.
Whenever I finish a book, I always reflect over how long I’ll remember the storyline(s), and there’s certainly some characters in Gomez’s ‘God in Black Iron’ that will endure in my head for some time. Perhaps there are a few that could form the basis of a whole novel! If you like your fantasy varied, hard-boiled, at times humour-filled and reminiscent of Jim Butcher on steroids, then this collection is for you.
This being a self-published book, it would be stretching the truth to say that it was error-free. You will find the occasional missed inverted commas, clunky sentences and typo. With self-published books like this, I’m kinda forgiving of these imperfections. We can’t usually afford editors as the return on putting our books out there wouldn’t allow us to recoup the cost. As long as the underlying stories have value and serve to transport me into another world for a brief time, then I’m happy. Matthew Gomez has great writing chops in this respect, and has put together a great collection that’s easy to read and altogether entertaining.
You’ll also find a few regular tropes, such as sell-swords and guns for hire, but this is what you buy into with Gomez’ style. He’s creating a pulp-comic book vibe that you’ll either be into or you won’t.
.
I will also make mention of the generous scattering of ink drawings by Ran Scott. These are superbly sketched and fit the genre perfectly.
Whenever I finish a book, I always reflect over how long I’ll remember the storyline(s), and there’s certainly some characters in Gomez’s ‘God in Black Iron’ that will endure in my head for some time. Perhaps there are a few that could form the basis of a whole novel! If you like your fantasy varied, hard-boiled, at times humour-filled and reminiscent of Jim Butcher on steroids, then this collection is for you.
September 26, 2020
(4.5 stars rounded up to 5)
The God in Black Iron and Other Stories is a solid collection of fantasy, western and cyberpunk tales. More sword and sorcery, adventure, and cool factor than the feeling of wonder and world building, but the latter is definitely present with jinn, creatures, horrific deities, and a unique take on a dragon slayer that was one of my favorites. Adventurers, mercenaries, private eyes, and thieves are the heroes of the book, and plenty of leading women, which added a variety of experience.
Gomez shines in his economical establishing of genre and setting, his exciting and vivid action scenes, and his snappy dialog that can only be described as "cool" or "badass". The read is fun and engaging.
My only real issue with it, which may be more of a personal preference, is that while the stories felt whole and resolved, there wasn't the "gut-punching" or "world-shattering" endings that I expect as a reader of weird fiction and horror short stories. It's possible that this is a difference in genre that I'm not used to, but I was left wanting more. And while I appreciated that their were reoccurring characters, after finishing the collection, I wanted a Gomez novel that I could really sink my teeth into.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for the purpose of leaving an honest review.
The God in Black Iron and Other Stories is a solid collection of fantasy, western and cyberpunk tales. More sword and sorcery, adventure, and cool factor than the feeling of wonder and world building, but the latter is definitely present with jinn, creatures, horrific deities, and a unique take on a dragon slayer that was one of my favorites. Adventurers, mercenaries, private eyes, and thieves are the heroes of the book, and plenty of leading women, which added a variety of experience.
Gomez shines in his economical establishing of genre and setting, his exciting and vivid action scenes, and his snappy dialog that can only be described as "cool" or "badass". The read is fun and engaging.
My only real issue with it, which may be more of a personal preference, is that while the stories felt whole and resolved, there wasn't the "gut-punching" or "world-shattering" endings that I expect as a reader of weird fiction and horror short stories. It's possible that this is a difference in genre that I'm not used to, but I was left wanting more. And while I appreciated that their were reoccurring characters, after finishing the collection, I wanted a Gomez novel that I could really sink my teeth into.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for the purpose of leaving an honest review.
February 5, 2023
Straight out of the gate, Matthew Gomez's short story anthology is a fast-paced, gritty read for scifi and fantasy readers alike, as well as a great mix of multigenre stories. Most of the stories are a perfect 15 minutes in length, which means you can pick it up and put it down with ease and not have to worry about losing the thread of the story. Some of the more entertaining and inventive stories utilize the antagonist POV.
Read
March 12, 2022Matthew X Gomez's, new book, 'Project Prometheus',
had trapped me in my recliner for several hours straight!!
I couldn't put it down. Reading this book was like binge
watching season 1, of his character's story on Amazon Prime.
Buy or download 'Project Prometheus'.
I would encourage everyone to read it.
had trapped me in my recliner for several hours straight!!
I couldn't put it down. Reading this book was like binge
watching season 1, of his character's story on Amazon Prime.
Buy or download 'Project Prometheus'.
I would encourage everyone to read it.
July 22, 2023
Good collection
This was a good collection of action adventure sci-fi and fantasy pulp stories. Gomez did a good job at the sci-fi but I felt he excelled at the fantasy stories. I wouldn't mind seeing a full length fantasy novel from Mr. Gomez in the future.
This was a good collection of action adventure sci-fi and fantasy pulp stories. Gomez did a good job at the sci-fi but I felt he excelled at the fantasy stories. I wouldn't mind seeing a full length fantasy novel from Mr. Gomez in the future.
September 19, 2022
Not my usual subject matter, but these were well-written and descriptive.
March 17, 2024
Loved these tales mixing Medieval battlefields and futuristic hellscapes. Noir to the core!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews