Customer Reviews

The Mines of Behemoth

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Shea is one of the most underappreciated fantasy authors alive. This book will delight serious fans of the fantastic with its outrageous landscapes, bizarre creatures, vivid prose and plentiful black humor. Don't miss it.

This is the question I ask myself. While Shea's character Nifft adventures in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy world, I would really characterize it as horror. And some of the best horror I have ever read. Now, when Shea tries to write pure horror, it IS the best I have ever read (Fat Face, I Said The Fly). Mines Of Behemoth has Nifft and his pal Barnar decending into the titular mines on a mission to gather a liquid from giant insects. Naturally, once at work, they find further trouble to get into by descending into Hell itself. Such close proximity to Hell leads to subtle changes in their personalities.
To fans of Nifft ( I.E. anybody who has ever read one of his adventures) this book is a must read. At least two or three times. Shea is the type of author writes stories that affect you long after you read them, as certain realizations set in only upon consideration after the story is finished. The best example of this is his horror novella I, Said The fly. The horrors within that story are really only hinted at. But yet, it is one of the most "horrific by implication" stories I have ever read.
If there is one thing Michael Shea is horribly guilty of, it's not writing enough! His stories are far too few. As I am reading one of his works, I frequently look with dread at the constantly shrinking number of pages.

Having read the classic "Nift the lean" I licked my lips with anticipation when I heard that there was a sequeal/prequeal.I opened the pages expecting something akin to "The Demon Sea" sadly that was not the case. I found the writing surprisingly difficult to read lacking the usaul Jack Vance verve and wit combined with a Clark Ashton Smith imagery. Still other Michael Shea fans may disagree, how ever for me it was disappointment becaue I know Michael Shea is an exceptional writer.

My first exposure to Michael Shea was in 'Nifft the Lean'. It is an excellent book which throughly grabbed my imagination. I looked forward to more Nifft stories. Unfortunately, 'Behemoths' is nothing like the former book. It is written in the first person in a very stilted style which I found difficult to read. Or maybe what I found difficult was believing that this was the same Nifft protrayed in the earlier work? In either case before I got very far into the book I was wishing a fatal accident on Nifft or his companion. Anything to end the incipid dialogue.

For those who want to read Michael Shea at his best go pick up 'Nifft The Lean'. Leave this one to collect dust.