Customer Reviews

Angel Dust Apocalypse

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Though I do enjoy novels, I get the most enjoyment when I can engross myself in an entire story from start to finish in one sitting, and yet still be able to return to the author's world at a later time.

With that in mind, it says a lot about the addictive quality of Johnson's writing when I found myself taking in all 18 stories in Angel Dust Apocalypse in only two sittings-granted, I read about 12 of them while on a two-hour train ride to New York one evening, but hey, usually I just sleep.

The unifying factors of the stories in ADA are the surreality of the world in which the characters live and the relentlessness with which Johnson explores the individual psyches of his subjects. Though the majority of the circumstances and settings in these shorts are purely fictitious-even other-worldly-the qualities exposed are pure and concentrated doses of the darkest aspects of humanity that we ourselves are rarely brave enough to face up to. Johnson revels in turning inside-out our innate desire to mask our carnality and brutality.

The best example of Johnson's sinister mutilation of morality is in eleventh piece, entitled "Saturn's Game." The story starts like this: "You could bite Todd's nose off. That's the thought at the back of my head. That's the thought I ignore. I squelch the sinister sentiment and refocus on my friend."

The first time I read that opener I knew I was in for trouble. In the ADA author's notes, Johnson explains himself by stating, "C'mon, you know you've had thoughts like this guy. Someone once told me that there's no such thing as morality, and that it was just a social construct to eliminate a person's willingness to do hideous things. Or maybe I just made that up." Even in his damn author's notes, Johnson makes the reader laugh, cringe...and self-consciously examine himself. So, in regards to myself, have I had thoughts like this? ...No comment. (Well played, Mr. Johnson. Checkmate.)

In its most twisted moments, Johnson's writing (like fellow Portland, Oregon resident Chuck Palahniuk) is too gleeful to pigeon-hole as strictly "horror," and when he steps outside the gross-out game, he transcends most other straight literary writers.

For instance, "Swimming in the House of the Sea" is one of the longest and most poignant stories of ADA. It centers around a 21-year-old, Wolf, and his mentally handicapped brother (who has an even stranger name, "Dude"). Wolf is an obvious loser who lives lazily on his mother's coin in exchange for shuttling Dude back and forth along the California coast between his flaky divorced hippie parents. On one such trip, Wolf's car breaks down in Bakersfield, and the brothers must spend the night in a hotel where Wolf's attempt to relax in the swimming pool is constantly interrupted by antagonists. After a tense confrontation with a hotel guest that brings to mind Holden Caulfield's run-in with the pimp in Catcher In The Rye, the reversal of roles between brothers causes Wolf to reconsider his cynical view of Dude. It is among the most touching stories I've read by any author, amazing for a piece of work that begins with the sentence, "The retard is finally asleep, which is great because now I can head down to the hotel swimming pool and relax."

For all the horror, gore, disembowelments, touching stories of sibling love, and science fiction oddities that are crammed into the pages of Angel Dust Apocalypse, there is one super-short story that stuck with me more than any other: "Branded," a one-and-a-half-page story that relates the thoughts of a male narrator as he reluctantly performs oral sex on his new girlfriend, "to initiate a sort of deepening of our relationship." The reluctance is caused by his discovery of a horrible, "raised, ropy-white and red-rimmed" scar on the inside of her thigh that is in "the exact shape of the McDonald's logo." So what thoughts invade the imagination of the narrator as he performs cunnilingus? The taste of "fancy ketchup," "Grimace and the Hamburgler," "the killing floor for McDonald's Inc." Disgusting, even ridiculously juvenile, you might think as you read this story. Then Johnson ends it abruptly with a stab to the heart that defines the callous and shallow nature of so many people, and so many relationships: "She was a wonderful human being, with a laugh that you'd want to hear at the gates of heaven. And I am weak for leaving her."

Amidst all the material in ADA are two classic short stories that originally saw print in Verbicide, the tale of "body modification royalty" entitled "The League of Zeroes" (from Verbicide issue 11), and the simple, Bradbury-esque tale of the apocalypse as seen through the eyes of a deaf young boy, "Snowfall" (from Verbicide issue 13).

Angel Dust Apocalypse is a nice length; at 180 pages it's what you could consider a "companion book," to be brought along in your rucksack on a road trip alongside your Henry Millers and your Hunter S. Thompsons- the perfect amount of short stories to keep the reader engaged through an initial reading, yet eager to pick it off the shelf again in the future. ADA is every bit as smart as it is gut-churning, and every bit as moving and introspective as it is horrifying and humorous. Is Jeremy Robert Johnson the next big thing? I can only hope that people will catch on. If he can keep it up, Johnson will surely earn a place as a classic voice of the contemporary counter-culture.

Angel Dust Apocalypse is 18 truly twisted tales, by a newer talent to the horror genre, Jeremy Robert Johnson. Normally I am not a short story fan, but this collection kept me riveted, from the beginning to the end. Most of the stories are shocking and truly cringe worthy (in a good way). Some may even be harbinger of the future yet to come, speaking of Body Mod Freaks and Nuclear holocaust. My Favorite Stories are as follows:

League of Zeros - the future of body mod

Working At Home - Truly cringe worthy

Luminary - Tale of brotherly love.

Sharp Dresses Man At the End of the Line - I might start thinking about a cockroach suit of my own if things keep moving in the direction they are now. JRJ's Novella, Extinction Journals, Takes off Where this one ends.

Two Cages, One Man - Victim's love of abuser and cage

Wall of Sound: A Movement in Three Parts- Just remember if you must use drugs moderation, moderation, moderation. And if someone tell you there is a Mutant type A Streptococcus in said drugs take his word for it and turn him down.

So if your into horror, check him out you will not be disappointed.

Back in the 80's, Stephen King proclaimed, "I have seen the future of horror... and his name is Clive Barker." Well, there was some good stuff there ("Books of Blood", "The Inhuman Condition") but I lost interest after "The Damnation Game", not that it wasn't a good book. I didn't have any money for any books other than textbooks back then. But I digress....

I think that King was a bit premature in naming his successor. Now that 20 years have passed, he might reconsider that pronouncement and check out Jeremy Robert Johnson. Maybe he can refer to JRJ as the "next generation" of horror so that Clive can keep his title.

I found out about "Angel Dust Apocalypse" from Girl on Demands' blog POD-dy Mouth. She nominated it for a 2005 "Needle Award", her best-of-the-POD's award (POD stands for Print On Demand, a popular means of self-publishing for individuals and small presses). After reading her review, I was convinced that it was worth checking out... and I was not disappointed.

ADA, published by Eraserhead Press, is an excellent collection of short stories. JRJ has an uncanny way of getting inside the heads of his characters to reveal just how screwed up they are. I'm reminded of Lovecraft, not in an imitative way like Derleth, but more evocative in that his essence seeps into the way JRJ narrates from the main character's POV. Whereas Lovecraft dealt in cyclopean horrors and things-that-should-not-be, JRJ shows us the horrors of pharmacopeia, biotech, and neurological damage. He bring us inside the minds of these damaged (well, most of them were) individuals and show us, quite rationally, the method to their madness.

The opening story, "The League of Zeroes", extrapolates a future where body piercing and cosmetic surgery come together to make your daughter's eyebrow piercing seem quaint.

"Dissociative Skills" redefines "self-discovery" with the help of Special K and a scalpel.

"Working At Home" makes you wonder what's really going on in those biotech companies. Squeamish readers will wish JRJ hadn't thought about it. It reminded me of a certain King short story about worms from space, though JRJ's are genetically engineered.

Nuclear holocaust is visited in the hauntingly beautiful "Snowfall", the darkly humorous "The Sharp Dressed Man at the End of the Line," and the literary "Last Thoughts Drifting Down."

The book ends with "Wall of Sound", a trio of ill-fated drug tales where the main characters push the limits of drug exposure. JRJ doesn't glorify their experiences. He straps us in to their minds as we ride rollercoasters of synaptic overload. He may not be preaching "Just Say No, Kiddies", but anyone reading these tales of rave drug use gone bad will reconsider popping that pill or placing that tab on their tongue.

I'm purposely leaving out many other good stories (like "Luminary") so that I don't spoil it any further for you. He's good! If you like horror, or even bizzare fiction, you should check him out. "Siren Promised", a novel he co-wrote with Alan Clark, has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for best first novel. Isn't that enough of a reason right there?

This book is amazing. The story placement is seemingly random but everything fits. It starts off with a body mod story and goes to a kid mainlining lightning bugs with little or no transition. But the truth is that the book doesnt need it. Each peice is a stand alone mastepiece but as a collection it just works.

I bought this book reluctantly, because I am not fond of short stories. I am more of a novel reader. However, I was amazed at these short stories. What struck me was what Jeremy Robert Johnson knew what not to write. His stories didn't seem different for the sake of being different. He didn't hype up the drug references or any kind of gore. The stories were just good short stories that showed a different world that one could see happen.

I am jealous of this writer.

This was the most original and entertaining book that I have read all year. Johnson has elements of Palahniuk in his writing, along with a little Steve Aylett and some splatter-punk awesomeness added to the mix. This collection of short stories never has a dull moment. I suspect that many people will be able to plow through it in one sitting. I look forward to seeing more of Johnson's work in the future.

Even being a lover of offbeat and new punk-horror, I must admit that my original attraction to 'Angel Dust Apocalypse' was the stunning and morbidly beautiful cover art by Morten Bak. A quick glimpse at content and some healthy recommendations (one by author Chuck Palahniuk) had me dishing out the old dollars for my copy. If you love horror, you will not be disappointed in the collection of short and flash fiction by upcoming author Jeremy Robert Johnson.

Table Of Contents:
The League Of Zeroes
Dissociative Skills
Amniotic Shock In The Last Sacred Place
Precedents
Stanley's Lips
Snowfall
Ex-Hale
Working At Home
Priapism
Luminary
Saturn's Game
Branded
The Sharp Dressed Man At The End Of The Line
Two Cages, One Moon
Sparklers Burning
Last Thoughts Drifting Down
Swimming In The House Of The Sea
Wall Of Sound: A Movement In Three Parts
I. BURN/Liquidation
II. PURGE/Deeper
III. TRANCE END/A Number Of Things Come To Mind

Following the stories are some interesting notes on each by Johnson, plus an author's background blurb. Johnson is not only a talented writer of punk-horror, but has a superb sense of humor as well, evidenced in his comments.

My favorite stories are 'The League Of Zeroes', a tale of grotesque body modification for fancy and fashion. 'Amniotic Shock In The Last Sacred Place', displaying a man's hideous fetish to regress and what modern science can do for him. 'Luminary', caressing us with familial love and the odd power of absorbing fireflies. 'The Sharp Dressed Man At The End Of The Line', will a cockroach coat protect you from nuclear fallout, and what material could possibly be better? 'Swimming In The House Of The Sea' is a remarkable normal and touching tale of family ties and nasty tempers. And of course, the drug infused dances of trilogy tales 'Wall Of Sound: A Movement In Three Parts'.

I've read a lot of new authors in the horror field, and I believe Johnson will be seen around more and more. Imagine my surprise, after having already purchased this book, to discover that it has been nominated for an award. Yes, there are moments of shallowness and a few characters that do not compel, but Johnson's imagination soars above that and brings us new and fresh tales of the twisted, the gross, the buggy, and the psychosis of the drug culture, all intertwined together into a tight collection of dripplingly fun adventures.

I intend to check into his other book written with talented Alan M. Clark called 'Siren Promised'. Enjoy!

When I picked up Jeremy Robert Johnson's `Angel Dust Apocalypse', I had no idea it was a short story collection. Even as I began the process of reading, I was sure I was reading a novel. I don't know if this observation says anything other than I'm a bit of an idiot. It may also suggest that the level of cohesion in this collection adds a novel-like quality that compelled me.

Johnson is great at painting with words and injecting layers of meaning upon even the simplest observation. It adds an emotive quality to, what is often, very bizarre and dark subject matter. He grounds his stories in a strange humanism that one can easily relate to.

The stories themselves, while acknowledging each other, also stand alone. Whether Johnson is exploring Cronenbergesque body horror, drug-induced hysteria or romanticism, each story shines with talented idiosyncrasy as well as a strange sense of empathy.

Jeremy Robert Johnson has crafted a fascinating collection with `Angel Dust Apocalypse' and a highly recommended one.

If there is one aspect of storytelling which Jeremy Robert Johnson has mastered, it's in creating and following memorable characters. Having read this a while back, I re-read this collection and immediately felt at home with my old gateway book. Whether it's Jake playing in the nuclear ash mistaken for snow, Curt playing surgeon on himself, or James being fed and morphed by Nurse Sebac, there's a lot to be compelled by. Hell, the latter story ("Amniotic Shock in the Last Sacred Place") happens to be one of my favorite stories of all time for the way that takes a real-life fetish and a sinister institution and melds the two into a struggling mother-and-child relationship. And for those who have read the fantastic "Extinction Journals," "The Sharp Dressed Man at the End of the Line" provides another story of Dean, which seems to take place before "Extinction Journals" while Dean has just completed his cockroach outfit and is watching the bombs fall. Even without the other great stories making up the meat of this book, the book would probably be worth buying for that one alone.

Granted, these stories are not without their flaws. "Walls of Sound," for example, oddly felt a bit long for what it was trying to accomplish. Also, sometimes the punctuation and all-caps made things a bit silly. For example, "WHERE THE HELL IS MARY???????" (yes, seven question marks. I counted) from that same story. If there was a 4.7 rating on Amazon, I would almost be compelled to rate it that for how the mood occasionally was made silly by accident from the all-caps and punctuation.

Taken as a whole, however, Angel Dust Apocalypse deserves its acolades because of how each story is executed and because of the people involved that are executing the stories. Very compelling, very enjoyable.

(this review originally appeared at www.thirdeyemag.com)

Angeldust Apocalypse belongs to an emerging genre called Bizarro fiction, which holds disturbing imagery as one of its defining characteristics. I could focus on these often macabre situations in Angeldust Apocalypse -- moments of human body modification, subcutaneous worm trafficking, corporate logo shaped scars -- but to do just that would be doing this collection a severe disservice. This collection of 18 short stories does deliver on the promise of its post-modern genre, but doesn't stop at shock value. Where postmodern fails to offer direction, Jeremy Robert Johnson's Angeldust Apocalypse builds bright trail markers out of luminescent beetle guts and fetal sinew.

With this book, Johnson's only story collection, the events aren't disturbing for the sake of shock, but instead act to inform the characters, drive plot, and ultimately support each story as a crafted experience. In the opener, "A League of Zeroes," for instance, affection is gained and shared within the culture via body modification, much the way lipstick and eye shadow function in a "traditional" culture. There is an underlying exploration of acceptance as these self-imposed atrocities are encouraged due to the surrounding social context, not merely for the sake of morbid reader accolades. And like great characters should, Johnson's often translate their position among their particular sub-culture with clarity and poignancy: "We just ended up like this. We followed a natural progression from past to present. We're not Post-Apocalyptic, we're Post-Yesterday"

The collection isn't without its stylistic tangents. "Last Thoughts Drifting Down" reads like a prose poem built around the famous Bhagavadgita quote: "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." (Later expressed by Manhattan Project scientist Robert Oppenheimer as he watched the first atomic bomb test.) The chaos surfaces in this story and, like its atomic inspiration, is uncontrolled. The closing story, "Wall of Sound: a Movement in Three Parts," though more reserved, is also afflicted by this experimental approach. These stories could have been left out of the collection without compromising unity, but because the collection is otherwise so strong, I can respect Johnson for including them. He seems to be testing the waters; telling his readers that he is willing to sacrifice a little if it means possibly discovering something deeper.

Other noteworthy stories include: "Snowfall," a beautiful story of a naïve child embracing nuclear winter on an aesthetic level, unaware of the tragedy the black snow conveys; "The Sharp Dressed Man at the End of the Line," a prologue to Johnson's impressive novella follow-up Extinction Journals; and an interesting addition called "Author Notes," in which Johnson delivers small behind-the-scenes anecdotes on each story.

Think of Angeldust Apocalypse as "Post-Yesterday" magical realism where a dismembered tongue orates the strange while simultaneously maintaining the taste for which it was intended.