By Matthew J. Barbour
The apocalypse comes in many forms. Nuclear holocausts and zombie apocalypses have both been well-known in recent years. However, there are other forms, including ecological apocalypse. This is the Gaia hypothesis taken to an extreme. The Earth is a self-regulating organism, always trying to find balance. Humans have disrupted this balance. Now, nature rises up to destroy humanity.
This is, in part, the theme of a new novel by Laura Cooney and LL Soares, Green Tsunami (Some cosmic horror elements are also added.) However, this book is not necessarily an ecological warning about human destruction of the environment. Like many modern apocalyptic adventures, the emphasis is on the human factor. The event is simply a lens to explore the relationship between people.
exist Green Tsunamia huge wall of green slime washes over the land. Most of the living things have died, and those that have survived have been horribly mutated. In addition, the line between inorganic and organic life begins to blur, and houses and cars have biological elements. All of this seems to be part of a larger metamorphosis that is taking place, but what will be the final outcome?
The story is told through a series of emails between two survivors, a husband and wife. Green TsunamiThe husband was at home at the time and woke up to find that his foot had been horribly mutated. The wife was at work at the time and now serves “Balloon Head”, a mutant with a deformed skull and limited psychic powers.
Their son was a monster before the Green Tsunami. Before the Green Tsunami, his guilt for torturing animals and threatening others with a knife set him on the path of a serial killer. Now, after the Green Tsunami, he is truly a monster. With his centipede-like body and his lust for flesh, he devours whatever is left in this strange land. The couple must accept their son, the monster he has become, the monster he has always been.
inside Green TsunamiThe setting is the most dazzling thing in the novel. The story is extremely complex, subtle, and there is a lot to take in. In addition to deformities and animal-human hybrids, there are plant-human hybrids, living buildings and cars, and new forms of insect life. All of this changes as the novel progresses.
It takes several synopses to explain it all. The author does not make any consistent effort to do so. As a result, the book feels disjointed to some extent. Those who expect all aspects of the story to be explained are bound to be disappointed.
That being said, the ending is surprisingly satisfying. It’s a true ending. While other stories could be written within this context, these specific individual stories are complete.
The cover design is also worth mentioning. In an era when most stories are lucky to receive an exclusive cover design image, Green Tsunami Not only does this book have a beautiful cover design, but there are many illustrations throughout the book. Artists who contributed to this novella include Daniel Verkys, Ju Kim, Will Renfro, and Justynn Tyme. All of the images do a great job of drawing the reader into the unique scenes created by Cooney and Soares.
Whether you like or dislike Green Tsunami depends a lot on your perspective. The humanity and story between these three people is there. The setup can alienate some readers. If you like stories to be complete, tightly wrapped, and built on logic, this book may not be for you. However, if you are looking for fantasy elements and don’t mind things being left unexplained, check it out (it’s here).
score: 3/5
