Puddle People by Eamonn Bradley
Walter Minsk is sick of the world. Of people who just don't get his incredible work, his inventions, his lifelong dream of global peace and unity.
Not seeing the change in his fellow man that he so greatly desires, Walter has decided to take matters into his own hands.
People need to learn a lesson. An ice-water cold lesson.
But when his experiments fall flat and the townsfolk of Sterling, Northern Ireland, start to go missing, the case falls to Chief Bill Reilly.
A dark comedy of cat and mouse ensues, and who will win is anybody's guess...
Puddle People is the latest novel from Eamonn Bradley (co-founder of the Dark Veil Society), whose previous books include The Veil and The Ranger, and I have to say, I struggled to know how to start this review, because, simply put, Puddle People is unlike anything that I have read before.
The ‘mad scientist’ (and I use that term lightly in this case) trope is most certainly well-established in literature and, as with any piece of writing, it can be incredibly difficult to conjure up something original—something that stands out from the rest and sticks in the mind. With Puddle People, Bradley has bound countless strides beyond achieving that.
The last time I enjoyed reading a novel this much—a novel that filled my head with imagination and pure excitement and joy with every page—it was Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which is fair to say has been some considerable years. That’s not to say that they carry any similarities as they are vastly different novels. But it is the same uniqueness and wonderment of PP that makes it one of the most enjoyable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I make zero apologies for sounding like I'm gushing icing sugar from a toffee-coated gob.
The novel is incredibly well-written, with a flow and style that has its very own fingerprint which keeps you engaged and invested in the characters and the story from start to finish, never straying or taking your mind out of the world that Bradley has created. The central figure in this novel, inventor Walter Minsk (alongside his fantastic digital ‘sidekick’ Alice), is easily one of my favourite characters in recent memory, and he has a depth and likeability that shines throughout, with ideals and intentions that reflect real-world issues, coupled with bizarrely brilliant sci-fi/horror solutions that are the result of outstanding creativity from the author. There are also other wonderful characters throughout such as Chief Billy Reilly (the excellent ‘cat’ in this cat and mouse escapade), Freedom, Doug and others that compliment the story incredibly well and continue to drive the narrative forward.
The language and dialogue are superb, and it all felt very natural and authentic. I felt that the present tense was a great choice for PP and it had me fully immersed throughout. I found myself smiling and laughing on several occasions from the very beginning. The horror aspect of the novel is not over the top and is wholly relative to the theme and tone of the book. Beautifully unique. I really could go on and on, but at the risk of becoming irritating, I will just say this—Puddle People is unlike anything else you will read. It is dark, funny, fascinating, thought-provoking, exciting, original, captivating, strange and bloody brilliant. The whole thing made me excited to turn to the next page.
This is an incredible piece of work by Eamonn Bradley. Applause, applause! If you are a fan of all the things that I just mentioned, you need to go and grab yourself a copy of Puddle People immediately, if not sooner. This book deserves an extremely wide reach; this would make an awesome movie. I, for one, can’t wait to read it again and have a printed copy sitting on my shelf.
You can keep up with all the latest releases from Eamonn Bradley by heading on over to the amazing Dark Veil Society website, where you’ll find many other shit-hot indie horror authors. Plus you’ll find the links to his socials and Amazon Author page. Don’t forget to check out his other novels: The Ranger, and The Veil and stay tuned for more info on his upcoming novel Silver Sun.Thank you. DVS!
