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Breathe
An original and horrific slice of urban terror from one of the masters of the genre... All is not well at SymaxCorp. The work is piled high, people are toiling overnight to meet deadlines, and the supervisors are keeping their beady eyes on everyone. But staff are complaining of feeling sick, and the last health and safety officer disappeared one evening never to be seen again. It's down to new boy Ben, together with temp Miranda, kick-boxing Meera and overweight June to try and get to the bottom of the problem. As colleagues are progressively transformed into mindless, blood crazed zombies, Ben and his friends discover that there really is something in the air...
103 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2011
3 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Fowler
266 books1,285 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 5, 2022
When Ben starts his new job as the Health and Safety Officer at SymaxCorp, he cannot know how his first week will turn out! His predecessor went missing, a large number of staff seem to be suffering from headaches & other mystery illnesses, and there are strange electromagnetic interferences in the building. Along with his colleagues Miranda & Meera, can Ben figure out what is really going on? Is the building making them sick?
The descriptions are good – you can definitely visualise what’s happening - but the sexual content is not necessary. It cheapens what could otherwise be a reasonable idea.
Ultimately it’s a quick read with some wry humour, and will likely appeal to people who enjoy the dystopian or zombie genres, or those who recognise the “corporate hell” portrayed (though the “management floor” does feel very American). I can definitely see it being turned into a ½ hr tv show, but its not a book I would recommend.
The descriptions are good – you can definitely visualise what’s happening - but the sexual content is not necessary. It cheapens what could otherwise be a reasonable idea.
Ultimately it’s a quick read with some wry humour, and will likely appeal to people who enjoy the dystopian or zombie genres, or those who recognise the “corporate hell” portrayed (though the “management floor” does feel very American). I can definitely see it being turned into a ½ hr tv show, but its not a book I would recommend.
May 8, 2019
I think I used to work there
This book is a great commentary on what it's like to work for a giant corporation. You go into a job with high hopes, until you find out what the place is REALLY like. Then, watch out!
This book is a great commentary on what it's like to work for a giant corporation. You go into a job with high hopes, until you find out what the place is REALLY like. Then, watch out!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 14, 2026
This novella won the British Fantasy award in 2005.
September 18, 2023
When the Amazon order containing this book turned up, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by the contents. Sure, it was everything I’d ordered, including two books by one of my favourite authors, Christopher Fowler. One of these was the cause of my disappointment. Not for the contents, but for the size. I expected something a little more than a slim volume containing fewer pages, albeit bigger ones, than the instruction manual for my PDA. Fowler has released a number of short story collections, but I was expecting a novel length novel, rather than something that looks like a short story on its own.
You’ve heard the old phrase about not judging a book by its cover, right? Well, I did. At the very least, I was judging a book by the size of the gap between the covers. More fool me.
It’s Ben Harper’s first day as the Health and Safety Officer at SymaxCorp. His predecessor left his job suddenly about three weeks previously although the evidence suggests that he never left the building. Unused to the corporate world, having lied his way into the job, his suspicions aren’t immediately aroused by a large number of staff apparently suffering with health problems and puts the strange magnetic forces that work on the building down to interference from all the computers in the office. By the end of his first day, he’s starting to realise that things aren’t quite how they should be. By Friday of his first week, it’s all gone very wrong indeed.
Apparently, Christopher Fowler was a humour writer before he switched to writing urban horror stories. Although I’ve never found any of his earlier work, there’s definitely a huge helping of humour in “Breathe”. It’s not laugh out loud funny, but the whole book is presented with a wry grin and a merry twinkle in Fowler’s eye.
It’s a read you can get through very easily. You’d expect this from such a short volume but even so, the story rushes past and drags you along with it. There’s no need for any kind of scene setting, so there isn’t any. The all-action writing style reminds me of Elmore Leonard, although the story is like nothing you’d ever read from him. However, much like Elmore Leonard, there’s a very visual quality to the story that you can see working well as a film.
Unfortunately for Fowler, there’s unlikely to ever be a film made of “Breathe”, as it’s already been done. Essentially, the storyline evolves into something akin to “Shaun of the Dead” based in an office building. It’s a little more all-action and a touch less funny, but if you can imagine a strange combination of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Die Hard”, this is probably what you would end up with.
You need to be able to suspend your disbelief for this. Part of the horror of Fowler’s earlier works was their touch of realism and the amount of knowledge of London he displayed which made you think that these events could possibly happen to you. This time, he’s gone for the easier option and has set out purely to entertain. Although the office setting is one that will be familiar to many, SymaxCorp isn’t like any office I’ve ever worked in. It’s office life taken to extremes and is all the better for it.
If I were describe “Breathe” in one word, that word would be “fun”. It’s a gripping and highly entertaining read and one I went through in a single sitting and then went back and started again. There’s barely a word wasted and the continual action keeps the pages turning. Yes, it’s short but that feels just about right, as making the story any longer would be to ruin it. It’s short and sweet and just about perfect. For the entertainment value and how it grabs you, it’s possibly Fowler’s best work, even though he has produced better writing and more original stories.
Given the frequency with which Fowler produces short story collections, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see this crop up in one in the next year or two. However, Fowler fans and anyone who enjoys reading purely for entertainment would be advised to grab this now, rather than waiting that long. It’s not the best introduction to Fowler’s work there has ever been, but it’s great fun and shouldn’t be missed.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
You’ve heard the old phrase about not judging a book by its cover, right? Well, I did. At the very least, I was judging a book by the size of the gap between the covers. More fool me.
It’s Ben Harper’s first day as the Health and Safety Officer at SymaxCorp. His predecessor left his job suddenly about three weeks previously although the evidence suggests that he never left the building. Unused to the corporate world, having lied his way into the job, his suspicions aren’t immediately aroused by a large number of staff apparently suffering with health problems and puts the strange magnetic forces that work on the building down to interference from all the computers in the office. By the end of his first day, he’s starting to realise that things aren’t quite how they should be. By Friday of his first week, it’s all gone very wrong indeed.
Apparently, Christopher Fowler was a humour writer before he switched to writing urban horror stories. Although I’ve never found any of his earlier work, there’s definitely a huge helping of humour in “Breathe”. It’s not laugh out loud funny, but the whole book is presented with a wry grin and a merry twinkle in Fowler’s eye.
It’s a read you can get through very easily. You’d expect this from such a short volume but even so, the story rushes past and drags you along with it. There’s no need for any kind of scene setting, so there isn’t any. The all-action writing style reminds me of Elmore Leonard, although the story is like nothing you’d ever read from him. However, much like Elmore Leonard, there’s a very visual quality to the story that you can see working well as a film.
Unfortunately for Fowler, there’s unlikely to ever be a film made of “Breathe”, as it’s already been done. Essentially, the storyline evolves into something akin to “Shaun of the Dead” based in an office building. It’s a little more all-action and a touch less funny, but if you can imagine a strange combination of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Die Hard”, this is probably what you would end up with.
You need to be able to suspend your disbelief for this. Part of the horror of Fowler’s earlier works was their touch of realism and the amount of knowledge of London he displayed which made you think that these events could possibly happen to you. This time, he’s gone for the easier option and has set out purely to entertain. Although the office setting is one that will be familiar to many, SymaxCorp isn’t like any office I’ve ever worked in. It’s office life taken to extremes and is all the better for it.
If I were describe “Breathe” in one word, that word would be “fun”. It’s a gripping and highly entertaining read and one I went through in a single sitting and then went back and started again. There’s barely a word wasted and the continual action keeps the pages turning. Yes, it’s short but that feels just about right, as making the story any longer would be to ruin it. It’s short and sweet and just about perfect. For the entertainment value and how it grabs you, it’s possibly Fowler’s best work, even though he has produced better writing and more original stories.
Given the frequency with which Fowler produces short story collections, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see this crop up in one in the next year or two. However, Fowler fans and anyone who enjoys reading purely for entertainment would be advised to grab this now, rather than waiting that long. It’s not the best introduction to Fowler’s work there has ever been, but it’s great fun and shouldn’t be missed.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
December 21, 2013
It's Christopher Fowler- what rating did you think I would give it...?
I have to say Christopher Fowler's probably the most consistently good writer I read: he's adept at both novels & short stories, & reading this, I find he's a dab hand at the novella too!
Breathe is all about the office building of SymaxCorp: why are staff disappearing? What's causing staff to change? & is there really something in the air...?
A joyous dystopia (yes, I know that's a contradiction in terms), where the writer positively loves what he's doing: the author's enjoyment of this horror he's created is palpable,& makes for an excellent read.
Read it. Read it NOW!
I have to say Christopher Fowler's probably the most consistently good writer I read: he's adept at both novels & short stories, & reading this, I find he's a dab hand at the novella too!
Breathe is all about the office building of SymaxCorp: why are staff disappearing? What's causing staff to change? & is there really something in the air...?
A joyous dystopia (yes, I know that's a contradiction in terms), where the writer positively loves what he's doing: the author's enjoyment of this horror he's created is palpable,& makes for an excellent read.
Read it. Read it NOW!
December 27, 2016
It would be wrong to think of the board members as villains. Nothing is as black and white as that anymore. They’re a group of ordinary, hard-headed businessmen; but their luxurious private world is cocooned, far away from the floors below. They no longer empathise, because they’re dealing now in abstract concepts.
An unqualified health and safety officer teams up with a temp and a couple of her friends to investigate a very sick building and find out what happened to his predecessor, who has disappeared without trace. An enjoyable and amusing horror novella.
An unqualified health and safety officer teams up with a temp and a couple of her friends to investigate a very sick building and find out what happened to his predecessor, who has disappeared without trace. An enjoyable and amusing horror novella.
July 20, 2009
Eh. I am only giving this book three stars because it was based on a novel concept (a building designed to be the perfectly controlled environment for peak worker efficiency - i.e., even the air was pumped in, and it had chemicals in it to make the workers be busy little bees).
The story, however, would have worked better as a 1/2 hour Twilight Zone episode. Juvenile writing, poorly developed characters. But a quick beach read....I read it in one afternoon on the beach.
The story, however, would have worked better as a 1/2 hour Twilight Zone episode. Juvenile writing, poorly developed characters. But a quick beach read....I read it in one afternoon on the beach.
August 29, 2012
Imaginative horror story about a corporate environment that is unhealthy, today the least. I thought the concept was fun but it needed better execution. Fowler's prose is clunky and his characterization is wobbly. The book tended to veer between being graphic in its descriptions to being sloppily vague. In the end, it came across like a horror television short written by someone not entirely sure of the details of his settings or his characters, but with action that plows on through.
August 7, 2009
This book was okay, I suppose. It's quite short, and the writing leaves something to be desired. It read like a screenplay to me with very little character development. I think it would be better suited as a screenplay, with Simon Pegg starring as Ben. It's silly throughout, but the insane co-workers make it nice and grisly. It's worth a read if you just want a short, strange story to enjoy.
June 21, 2012
I didn't finish this book. It's the second of his that I've tried, and the second I didn't finish. It reads like a play script, and is crammed full of vile things humans do to each other. But the violence is not only gratuitous, it's unbelievable. I don't think I'll be trying another of Fowler's books.
August 9, 2012
I loved it,extremely entertaining and imaginative as always,although there were a few nonsensical scenarios which were difficult to imagine and what on earth happened to Howard? I love Christopher's humour and sarcasm and one of the descriptions which made me laugh out loud,amongst many was "He has his razor-edged cricket bat slung across his back like some kind of Home Counties bounty hunter".
October 17, 2012
Unfortunately not Christopher Fowler's best work. I liked the premise, it just really needed more details and more character development, it felt slapped together like he had a few spare minutes to knock out a book.
July 31, 2012
Book is less than a hundred pages? Still manage to randomly throw sex into it! That pretty much sums up my opinion of this book. Though, there were a few okay parts, overall it seemed like a short story that would be thrown into the back of a Playboy or something.
January 1, 2016
A ridiculously absurd story, overfilled with clichés and brimming with below-average quality language. Though this book provided some sad entertainment, primarily due to its pitiful attempts at humour, it is not a read to be recommended to anyone.
May 25, 2012
The only reason i gave it an average mark was the ending. Everything else was beautifully written in great detail as expected from him, my own personnal opinion was that the ending was lacking alot
January 23, 2014
I enjoyed it. It was short. It was violent. It was out of control. I rolled my eyes a bit about the guy crawling around cut in half but figured it was all in good fun so what the hell!
April 21, 2013
Super creepy techno-thriller. Industrial espionage at it's best.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews