Apocrypha Sequence: Deviance (2011)

Sex :
Violence :
Author Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Publisher Smashwords Edition
Length 32 pages
Genre Psycho
Blurb None Listed
Country

Review

“That is impossible, Mr Blaine. The girl's vocal cords had been removed.” - Detective

In case you are wondering, yes we're smack in the middle of a Shane Jiraiya Cummings fire-storm with a whole bunch of reviews of the Author's works coming your way. So batten down the hatches as I take a look at the first of the four part Apocrypha Sequence, Deviance.

Cummings delivers a collection of five stories with an introduction to get you into the feel of what you are about to experience. For veteran Cummings' readers a couple of the stories are like revisiting old friends, while a couple were entirely new for yours truly. The underlying theme here is the darkness of the human soul, just how depraved can we become, and what redemption might there be? It's pretty dramatic stuff, I smell a mini series to be honest, and if you like your horror dripping the red stuff then you are in the right place!

The first three stories concerned themselves with goings on at the Stratton Memorial hospital while the final two stories in the collection seep out into the wider City. Let's lift the shroud in the hospital morgue and see what might await on the slab, be warned this is a dark journey into the depravity that lurks in some human souls.

Hear No Evil kicks off the collection in style. The story is an excellent example of Author Cummings' ability to blend precise prose with horror themes to deliver a work that I would defy a mainstream Critic to find fault with. Centering around psycho action down in the Memorial morgue, Cummings delivers a twist on standard splatter fare that had me in the right frame of mind for the rest of the collection. I would urge readers to grab a copy of Deviance on the strength of the lead off story alone, you will not regret the decision.

In The Cutting Room Cummings twists the focus away from a demented Doctor and onto something entirely different. I had previously read this tale of autopsy shenanigans elsewhere but remained entirely impressed with the share vicious nature of the piece in this collection. For anyone who used to read those Pan horror collections dial right in you are on fertile ground. Interlude, With Lavender sees Cummings in a more whimsical mood, with the story more aligned to traditional parlour horror tales than the out and out confrontation of more modern styles. For those who like a slight twist with their horror, then set your sights on this supernatural tale that works more as a mood piece than anything else. Be warned Cummings drops a tad of humour into the mix here as well.

Reaching beyond Stratton Memorial Dark Heart Alley (An Urban Fable) introduces the concept of the urban as being able to be carnate. But what happens when the urban is the decayed heart of a crime area? Will the carnate being have a few Roos bounding around the top paddock? Cummings provides an answer to urban blight, and why some areas of major Cities seem destined to decay without the dubious help of property developers. The Author demonstrating here he can get down in the trenches and mix it with the urban beat. Rounding out the collection is a re-print of the flash piece Wrack that tantalised readers in Shards as the post apocalyptic once again has it's far share of psychos.

While the outlook of Deviance is certainly blood drench, the Author takes no prisoners here, there is more happening than simply a trip down the path to splatter punk, (if that term still holds relevance). Cummings remains an excellent writer, the prose is superb throughout, and never short changes the Reader with a story that should have been left at the bottom of the draw. So feel safe in venturing into Stratton Memorial you are in good hands, though I would tend to avoid an invitation by the Author to spend a lot of time down in the basement.

A fantastic start to the Apocrypha Sequence author Shane Jiraiya Cummings with Deviance demonstrates his ability to take a naturalistic writing style, dip it in British prose standards, before deep frying it in dark themes. If you ever needed an introduction to the Author's body of work or wondered why Cummings is held in such high regard then Deviance will provide the requirements. This is must read stuff and puts the Author in the same league as Brit wunderkind Clive Barker circa Books of Blood. So yeah end of day, and what ever other homily floats your boat, I had a good time with the collection. High recommendation kids, get your read on right here!

ScaryMinds Rates this read as ...

  Shane Jiraiya Cummings hitting one out of the middle.