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Written by Felicity Dowker
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Thursday, 03 September 2009 |
Twelfth Planet Press June 2009 ISBN 9780980484144
Clarion South graduate Peter M Ball is a Brisbane-based author fast making a name for himself with his own particular brand of speculative fiction. Ball has been a Writers of the Future finalist, was nominated for this year’s Ditmar Award for Best New Talent, and his short stories have enjoyed publication in professional markets such as Apex Magazine, Fantasy Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Jack Dann’s Dreaming Again anthology. Now, Twelfth Planet Press brings us Ball’s longest work to date in the form of Horn.
Horn introduces Miriam Aster, an ex-cop turned freelance detective. Oh, and one more thing: Aster has died, and been returned to life by her exiled fairy queen ex-lover. Given her extraordinary background, it’s Aster the authorities reluctantly turn to when a girl’s body is found in a dumpster with some very unusual injuries. What follows is a brisk spin into madness, filled with evil that tapers to a sharp, glittery point.
Around twelve inches of it, in fact.
Ball’s novella is overtly warped in its approach to some much-loved fairytale stalwarts, and therein lies its principal charm. The soft and fluffy is made dark and gruesome, it works, and it’s a guilty pleasure to partake of. The noir style meshes well with the twisted urban fantasy subject matter, and Ball’s characters are succinctly and credibly portrayed. Ball’s unique take on the unicorn mythos is both refreshing and disturbing. I enjoyed Horn’s protagonist; Miriam Aster is a strong, complex woman, and her relationship with her fairy queen ex-lover is equal parts poignant and brutal. Ball’s writing itself is business-like and confident, maintaining a snappy pace and rhythm throughout the novella.
The (already infamous) “unicorn snuff porn” scene was awful. That’s ok: it was meant to be. It was in context, and thus avoided being gratuitous, but I didn’t like it. This is less a criticism and more an appropriate reaction to a very unsettling scene – it speaks of the power of Ball’s voice, that he can truly disturb a reader when he sets out to do just that. In addition, the novella ended rather suddenly, and I was disappointed by that – again, this is a desirable criticism – I wanted more!
Horn is a memorable, unique, and highly polished work. Spanning noir, horror, fantasy and several other sub-genres, it has widespread potential appeal. The novella is an excellent showcase of Ball’s ability as an author, and also a fine example of Twelfth Planet Press’s intriguing novella range.
Peter M Ball can be found online at http://www.petermball.com/ , and Twelfth Planet Press can be found online at http://twelfthplanetpress.wordpress.com/. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 September 2009 )
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