Breathe [Deluxe Edition] [Hardcover]

Christopher Fowler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2004

An original and horrific slice of urban terror from one of the masters of the genre. All is not well at SymaxCorp. The work is piled high, people are toiling overnight to meet deadlines, and the supervisors are keeping their beady eyes on everyone. But staff are complaining of feeling sick, and the last health and safety officer disappeared one evening never to be seen again. It's down to new boy Ben, together with temp Miranda, kick-boxing Meera and overweight June to try and get to the bottom of the problem. As colleagues are progressively transformed into mindless, blood crazed zombies, Ben and his friends discover that there really is something in the air.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Catching Your Breath A word of warning. If you're at all familiar with my writing, the following novella is not what you'd expect from me. In fact, it's unlike anything I've written in a long time, and there's a specific reason for this. I think as writers mature, they gain the confidence to launch into new styles of narrative, but sometimes they also lose something. There is a directness and an innocence in early books that can be hard to recapture. The most disheartening thing a reader can tell you is that he or she loved your first novel. 'Breathe' developed from three different directions; some research I did for short stories, the idea for a movie, and a desire to write simply and directly again. It was intended as an experiment in returning to roots, and what is known in the film industry as a 'teether', a tale to encourage neophytes. It is very difficult to write simply when you have become addicted to complex sentence structures and oblique ideas, so I deliberately limited myself - present tense only, no lengthy descriptions, no literary tricks, characters defined by their actions, no carefully buried subtexts. In the last few years I've tried every short-form genre I can think of, from noir to romance, satire, parody and farce, but I haven't turned my hand to pulp horror in years. The exercise a fast blast of fresh air for me. I made extensive notes, then sat down and wrote the first draft in one sitting. The intention, after all, was to not let you catch your breath. Oddly, I've since discovered that the idea is not as far-fetched as it may appear; A Japanese company has been offering a very similar service to the one proposed by the Symax Corporation. Without the zombies, of course. Christopher Fowler --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Christopher Fowler lives in King's Cross, London. After writing several humour books, including How To Impersonate Famous People, he shifted into 'Dark Urban' writing. His first short story anthology City Jitters featured interlinked tales of urban malevolence. He has since had seven further volumes of short stories published; City Jitters Two, The Bureau Of Lost Souls, Sharper Knives, Flesh Wounds, Personal Demons, Uncut and The Devil In Me, with another, Demonized, due out Christmas 2003.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Telos Publishing; 1 edition (October 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903889685
• ISBN-13: 978-1903889688
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,989,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fast Paced Thrill Ride, September 26, 2005

By 

Helen A. Wallace "Annie Wallace" (Maineville, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breathe (Paperback)

If you've ever worked in a corporate enviroment, have a twisted sense of humor and enjoy a good horror story this one is for you. A very quick read, fast paced and tremendously entertaining. I cannot fathom why Christopher Fowler is not on the best seller lists - his writing is witty and breezy even when describing some very nasty goings on. I highly recommend Mr. Fowler's work to anyone who is looking for a well written, fast paced and fun read!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Turkey, May 12, 2009

By 

Miran Ali "I don't like anonymous reviewers" (Dhaka, Bangladesh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breathe (Hardcover)

Terrible terrible novella written by a very good author. Frankly I couldn't even finish it. It's a black comedy horror about modern corporate life in what I thought was the Gherkin in the City. Read Fowler's other stuff. Much better.