Dead Sea Fruit (2010)

Sex :
Violence :
Author Kaaron Warron
Publisher Ticonderoga Publications
Length 422 pages
Genre Collection
Blurb None Listed
Country

Disclaimer: Please note this review reflects the opinion of the team at ScaryMinds and should in no way be construed as representing the views of the AHWA Shadows Award Judges. This review is for the edification of ScaryMinds readers and does not constitute a “literary criticism” or any other criteria the Shadows Judging panel may take this year.

While I'm personally involved in the Shadows Awards this year I would point out that my review following in no way reflects my opinion of the source material from an Awards perspective.

Review

Kaaron Warren's third published collection contains twenty-seven stories ranging from previously published award winning entries such as Fresh Young Widow and The Grinding House to new previously unpublished works like Sins of the Ancestors or The Coral Gatherer. Clearly influenced by the various places she has lived, (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Fiji), Ms Warren presents a collection that travels the highways and byways of Speculative Fiction. Each story is infused with the often off beat nature of the Author's unique style making Dead Sea Fruit a surreal experience for the reader.

The title of the collection sounds like it should be a Biblical reference. Naturally it's not going to be that easy but dictionary.com could inform me that Dead Sea Fruit is defined as “something that appears to be beautiful or full of promise but is in reality nothing but illusion and disappointment”. That pretty much sums up the stories in the collection, don't go looking for any happy endings here as the tone is pessimistic almost tragic in nature. Which isn't to say Ms Warren simply focuses on the dark side of human nature, there's far more going on between the covers here and it's quite likely to leave the reader wondering exactly what they have got into. There's almost a mystic quality to the writing, the sort of thing you would expect an Oracle to impart, where you have to determine the meaning from hinted at plot lines.

Besides a few stories that are pretty much set in a different definition of reality, it's sometimes hard to determine if a story is taking place in the everyday or you have slipped into another dimension where things don't quite happen as they should. Most of the collection can be viewed as being set in an alternative realities, or some time in the future, or just plain not happening in the cold hard light of day. Even when society has fallen in a Warren story you are unlikely to get a reason for the apocalypse. The Author doesn't throw all the explanations out there, Ms Warren's job is to write the stories ours is to work out just what the hell is happening. While this might all sound like the stories in the collection are pretty inaccessible this will prove not to be the case for the average reader. The plot lines are clear, the narrative easy to follow, just don't expect things flashing in big neon signs.

Horror fans need not be concerned, while SciFi and Fantasy tends to run rampant in a Warren collection, the dark genre tends to raise it's head either in thought or plot in the most unlikely of circumstances. For an outright horror concept Edge Of A Thing resonants with the ending likely to chill a lot of people with it's implications. Similarly Gaze Dogs Of Nine Waterfall knocked my socks off, there's something distinctly unnerving about the concept of vampire dogs. And it has to be said that Kaaron Warren has resurrected K9 horror honour after the atrocity committed against the species in both Zoltan Hound Of Dracula and Blade Trilogy. Actually Warren's story is a hell of a lot more serious and hangs together like an abstract painting making a comparison to B grade flicks something of a bad choice. I probably have a real soft spot in my heart for this tale due to reading it late one night and being interpreted by one of our Jack Russell Terriers leaping onto my lap, talk about needing a change of undies.

Kaaron Warren continues to delight with tales of dark intent that will leave the reader breathless.

Before moving along I should also mention the tale of Bone Dog, originally published in AGOG! Terrific Tales (2003), I had read this story previously but it was real nice to touch bases with the story again. The narrator's final situation never ceases to bring a smile to my face, probably the wrong reaction but you get the feeling Kaaron Warren is having a sly wink at the audience.

Having highlighted some of the horror stories, and arguably ever story in the collection could be viewed as being primarily a dark genre outing, I would argue that the reader will appreciate even the stories that don't seem on the surface to be trying to scare them. As stated, the Author takes a warped view of what short fiction can achieve, and that has to be given top marks.

Before wrapping, see I do try and stay close to the size limits on this site, a word about the excellent volume Ticondergo Publications have delivered that does full justice to the stories. The cover and internal artwork is by Olga Read and is extremely effective in representing the collection as a whole. Good quality paper stock and excellent choice of font make Dead Sea Fruit a pleasure to read.

I had a lot of fun with Kaaron Warren's latest collection and managed to read from cover to cover over the course of two evenings. Besides the attack of the insane terrier it was plain sailing and the pages seemed to disappear with alarming speed. I will probably go back and read through more leisurely when I have the time, so there's something to look forward to. If you are a regular Warren reader or haven't had the pleasure of testing the waters with the Author then I would say Dead Sea Fruit is well worth dialling into. A recommended collection that should be a prerequisite of any true horror fan.

Dead Sea Fruit is available from Ticonderoga Publications' online store right here or from most reputable book stores. The listed price is $35.00 plus postage and handling, and yes the online store will ship to most Countries. Further details on the collection can be found on Ticonderoga's company website click through.

ScaryMinds Rates this read as ...

  Kaaron Warren proves why she is held in such high regard Down Under.