Customer Reviews

Radiant Dawn

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Imagine this- a few years back there was a strange meeting where James Ellroy, Robert Ludlum, David Foster Wallace, Swamp Thing-era Alan Moore, Mendel, Darwin, and the ever-expanding tissue mass from the end of Akira were all sitting around a table, holding a séance where they brought back the ghost of H.P. Lovecraft. Imagine that Lovecraft gave them a message from beyond the grave- "I was right! The Old Ones exist! You have to tell the world!"

"But how will we do that?" the strange and majestically gifted group asked.

And then the ghost commanded them to write a pair of seriously epic horror/action literary thrillers (RADIANT DAWN & RAVENOUS DUSK) under the pseudonym of Cody Goodfellow.

I know the whole scenario is ludicrous, but that's the feeling I had when I was reading these books. Both RADIANT DAWN and RAVENOUS DUSK contain moments of real vision and creativity equal to the greats mentioned above- the intricate plotting, conspiracy, and character arcs of Ellroy, the clean, propulsive action of Ludlum, the rampant intelligence and density of Wallace, the sense of comic book activity elevated to high literature that Moore can pull off, the biological and evolutionary radicalism of Mendel and Darwin- it's all here, amidst Lovecraft's tentacles and the machinations of our own obscure political landscape. And it kicks ass.

The plot of the books is so labyrinthine that describing them here would be futile, but I can say that it involves an ever-expanding global conspiracy revolving around mankind's place on Earth and the potential awakening of creatures vast and ancient and powerful. Central to the tale are three fully-developed characters, Zane Storch, Stella Orozco, and Martin Cundieffe. Storch is the battle-scarred ex-soldier who just won't stay down (think Marv in Sin City, but slightly smarter and more driven). Stella is the feisty everywoman just trying to stay alive at any cost. Martin is, well, Martin is a lot of things, but first and foremost he's a cunning FBI agent with a knack for finding the right info while the world is going crazy around him. The dynamic between hard-charging Zane and wiley Martin will be especially resonant to readers of Ellroy's L.A. Confidential or American Tabloid (Zane is the Bud White to Martin's Exley, the Pete Bondurant to his Ward Littell).

RADIANT DAWN & RAVENOUS DUSK (effectively parts 1 & 2 of one giant story-yes, you need both books, and no, you can't skip ahead to RAVENOUS) are fiercely smart, fast-paced novels for the reader who wants cinematic thrills and chills, and as a nice bonus, fascinating ideas. There are moments here where both Goodfellow's line-by-line writing and his gift for the epic and visionary are nothing less than stunning. Remember the first time you read Clive Barker's "In The Hills, The Cities"? Remember that moment towards the end where your jaw dropped and you realized King wasn't pulling your leg when he said this Barker guy was the real deal? There are hundreds of moments like that throughout Goodfellow's RD books.

Both are highly and absolutely recommended.

This Author is truly a Bright New Star On The Horizon, and if this book is any indication of how good he can be, there's many great stories ahead.

Just finished reading Radiant Dawn last night and I still have a few nightmare images implanted in my mind. This one really is a nail bighter for those of us who like action packed horror fiction with excellent intrigue and characterization. We follow our protagonists from the deserts of Iraq to the Mojave desert on a rollercoaster ride that makes its way through Death Valley and beyond. And death is actually a welcome blessing for those misfortunate enough to survive the terror that is unleashed upon the world.

John Skipp says this is H.P. Lovecraft mixed with Tom Clancy, Thomas Pynchon, with a bit of Phillip K. Dick, and I couldnt agree with him more. He also says that Cody Goodfellow is truly an original. All I know is I can't wait to read the next book.

Here's to a rising new star, who will bring you many sleepless nights.

When I met Cody Goodfellow at a local Science Fiction convention, I had him sign my recently purchased copy of Radiant Dawn. He wrote on the front page, "Cancer = Evolution." The novel definitely plays that thought out very well.

There is much more going on than a simple evolutionary tale, many different stories are played out, revealing bits of information that helps sustain the suspense and keeps the reader continuing on, wanting more. I enjoyed how the different organizations intertwine and compete with one another in their unique way.

I found a couple of times I would become lost in the narrative as scenes moved quickly, and Highway 101 turned into Interstate 280 in the San Franscisco Bay Area. However, the issues were minor in comparision with the larger story. A story that is not complete and has many unanswered questions. The reason why Ravenous Dusk was written to complete the story - a book I am currently reading.

If you like suspense, horror or science fiction, not to mention a good military thriller, I would definitely recommend taking a look at this book. (...)

A friend recommended this book to me and it turned out to be a pleasant
surprise. It suffers from none of the weaknesses that have, in recent
years, caused me to steer clear of the genre. It's
paranoid survivalists, clandestine government agencies, a rogue militia
and a reclusive cult all coming together in California's
high desert. There's enough craziness to be fun and enough reality to
be scary. Although the action is almost constant, the characters
(many, many characters) are all interesting, well-drawn individuals.
The main character, Storch, is a former soldier suffering from
the ill-defined Gulf War syndrome. He has ended up in a community
of hermits and other misfits who just want to be left alone.
Sgt. Storch doesn't get the quiet retirement he's looking for though.
His survivalist store is raided by what seem to be federal agents,
but nothing is as it seems in this novel. If you don't mind a lot
of mayhem and the occasional exposed intestine, this is a good way
to take a fresh look at what it really means to be human and
whether "human" is always a good thing to be.

Radiant Dawn is by far the best novel written by a Freshman author. Full of twists and turns, Radian Dawn will leave you re-thinking known conspiracy theories, the military, and biological research. Pepperd with Lovecraftian undertones, Radiant Dawn remains an original and fresh look on where evolution might be going.

After seeing "Radiant Dawn" keep popping up as an Amazon recommendation and reading all the 5-star reviews, I decided to take a chance and buy a copy. Glad that I did.

The thing about most authors in the "action" genres is that they do most of their research by watching bad movies and reading mediocre novels. Not the case here. It was refreshing to see credible scenes and authentic dialogue with a cast of characters that include special forces soldiers and federal agents -- most authors have absolutely no idea how these people act and talk, or the bureaucratic nonsense they need to put up with throughout the course of an average day. Goodfellow nailed it.

A lot of reviewers claimed that this book was part of the Chtulhu mythos -- but maybe that becomes clearer in the sequel? RADIANT involves a type of radiation that mutates people into something that remains humanoid and can pass as human, but is virtually unkillable. And they want you to join them in the "evolution" of the human race.

A very well written book and a thoroughly enjoyable story. I'll likely be ordering the sequel in the near future.

Radiant Dawn is an excellent Lovecraftian tale in modern-day America (though you'll only get hints of this until the sequel). Goodfellow's prose is sometimes startlingly good at description, and the tale itself is extremely creative. You DO NOT need to be a Lovecraft fan to enjoy these works- action, horror, military intrigue, mystery, all of these play into the plot. High recommended.

From start to finish Cody Goodfellow has produced a masterpiece, combining action, intrigue, sci-fi (or fact?) and horror in a scintillating combination.
Man no longer needs to evolve as we invent everything that we would have needed to evolve to achieve. But at a cellular level our bodies are still trying to evolve and at Radiant Dawn this is happening - leading to inevitable conflict between humans and those who are becoming more than human. Sinister government projects, seedy underworld characters, CIA, FBI and special forces interact to make this book a delight and with three perfectly realised and believable (but far from the normal hero type) lead characters the switch of focus from chapter to chapter prevents boredom ever setting in. The plot twists like a snake in the sands of Death Valley where much of the book is set, and the explosive ending sets up perfectly for the sequel, Ravenous Dusk, which I'm off to read NOW! I've read hundreds of sci-fi and horror novels: this is absolutely in my top 10 ever! Miss it at your own loss!

Cody Goodfellow is one of those rare powerhouse writers that bursts onto the scene with talent and a real story to tell... and then for some reason is completely ignored. Nobody I know has read this book, and I found it to be an excellent, compelling read. Conspiracy theories, mutants and a little bit of Lovecraft thrown in for good measure. I would definitely recommend it.

This man can WRITE!!! Exciting, spellbinding, so many other great adjectives. This is great horror. The characters are well drawn, the story moves quickly, the plots (yes, plots, lots of them) are wonderful separated so that you wonder how he's going to get them all to come together. A great read. I just started "Ravenous Dusk". If it is as good as "Radiant Dawn" it will be wonderful. Who is this Cody Goodfellow, and why isn't his name as well known as Stephen King?