Customer Reviews

The Steel Breakfast Era: The Decadent Return of the Hi-Fi Queen and Her Embryonic Reptile Infection (Eraserhead Double #3)

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

 

 

First, I'd like to address the complaints about this book (Carlton Mellick III's Steel Breakfast Era) not having a point. The people who say this probably don't read much. Not all books have a point or at least have a point that's clear. It seems like some people feel threatened when they don't understand something.

The bizarro (or surrealist/absurdist ect) genre is a strange one. It's for people who like weird things. If you don't.. then no, you have no business reading the book and then complaining that it's too weird or that it lacks a point. I don't read romance novels and then complain that there was too much emotion and not enough action.

Okay, so on with CM3's novella. As one reviewer complained.. the syntax is different. Different from traditional writing and also from the author's later work. But don't worry, it's not at all distracting like some of Kenji Siratori's work (but that's a WHOLE different animal).

Think Dawn of the Dead meets Return of the Living Dead Part 3 directed by the guy who did Tetsuo the Iron Man. I even got a little Cronenberg vibe, too. Now, I know it may seem like I'm just name dropping. That may turn people off but let me explain. For people who are not familiar with the bizarro genre or Mellick's work, the easiest thing to do is to compare it to things that those readers may be familiar with. Fans of Tetsuo may have never heard of this book or author but may very well enjoy it.

As one reviewer complained, there is a detached feeling that doesn't bode well for people looking for an emotional attachment to the characters. I say, so what? There are plenty of books (classics and otherwise) I have read that lacked characters I cared about. Look at Cormac McCarthy. He gets raved about but his books lack any real connection to the characters. I'm not saying that they are bad books.. but just that some great books lack certain aspects that we may be used to.

Oh, and there is plenty of awesome gore and very interesting characters. Honestly, the imagery is a strong point "The Steel Breakfast Era" and is probably one of the main strengths of the author whose work I happen to enjoy a lot.

One negative thing (if you can call it that) is that I felt like it could have been longer. That's the problem I have with a lot of CM3's work.. because I enjoy each story so much, I want MORE of it. Maybe a sequel would be nice. Or a film. I can see this being turned into a film, for sure. But I think it'd have to be directed by a cutting edge Japanese director.. as they seem to have a crazier grasp on things.

Anyway, "The Steel Breakfast Era" is a gore punk sci-fi biological horror story complete with sex, zombies, and some humor, too.

Ah, finally, a double printing where the stories on both sides are good! I picked this up for the Carlton Mellick story, "The Steel Breakfast Era", but was pleasantly suprised by the flipside book by Simon Logan. Mellick is in fine form here, delivering a story set in a twisted and surrealishly nightmare reality where humans are in the minority and band together to save themselves from swarms of ravenous zombies. While that might not sound like a particularly unique idea for a story, Mellick infuses it with enough of his brilliant humor, incredibly strange nuances, and distincly descriptive style to create a world unlike any other. Simon Logan also delivers an interesting story set in another vision of a postapocalyptic world. His and Mellick's stories complement each other nicely, and together they make for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. More than worth checking out for anyone who enjoys good writing in all its forms.

This flip book, containing THE STEEL BREAKFAST era by Carlton Mellick III on one side and THE DECADENT RETURN OF THE HI-FI QUEEN AND HER EMBRYONIC REPTILE INFECTION (whew!) by Simon Logan on the other, is a double-barrel shotgun blast of futuristic insanity. Both novellas are a delight, and suck you entirely into their respective unsettling universes. Mellick's is the more surreal, a cross between the mechanized horror of the Japanese film TETSUO (IRONMAN) and the apocalyptic zombie-fest DAWN OF THE DEAD. He makes it work, and his main characters - however weird - are moving and oddly innocent. Simon Logan, the author of the stunning short-story collection I-O, delivers a blackly humorous, campy-fun tale that still takes some very biting swipes at corporate mentality. In his future world, even street gangs need PR agents and fashion consultants, and the ultimate aspiration is to make it into television - in a weirdly literal fashion. One (or two?) of the most enjoyable books I've read in some time! Raw, exciting imagination run wild.

Unlike other zombie fiction where the dead suddenly rise from the ground and people are forced to figure out what's going on and deal with it, "The Steel Breakfast Era" begins in a future where the zombies have already taken over and people have been forced to live in remote areas and cramped bunkers. Most of society has adapted to this lifestyle and are resigned to continue with it, but one man has had enough. He constructs a woman from body parts and joins up with a gang of warriors to fight the zombies and try to take back a part of humanity that has died long ago.

The book is filled with Mellick's usual blend of surrealistic imagery and graphic horror violence. Comprised of short chapters and fast paced narratives, this is one of the better additions to the zombie genre in recent years. This is the first of two Mellick books I've found to be comparable to "On the Far Side of Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks" (a western/zombie/postapocolyptic story by Joe R. Lansdale), the second being "Sex and Death in Television Town." I would recommend this to any fan of cross genre horror/SF fiction, as it draws from so many influences and yet remains completely original.

The Simon Logan story is also pretty good. It is also set in a bleak future, and pokes fun at the corporate world. Truthfully, I don't remember as much from it as I did from the Mellick book. I do remember that it was a fast read and interesting idea, but I have yet to pick up any more by this author.

Steel Breakfast Era has its faults. To its credit, it's a creative gore fest with an interesting mythology behind it-however, very little of this mythology is put to any use adding any metaphoric depth. In his Introduction that author states his divided purpose: firstly he acknowledges that this book is really just a miss-mash of ideas where he simply decided to "not think about it so much and write the stupid book." We then encounter his second purpose, his belief that "the only purpose a human being can have on this planet is to create art" followed by the belief that body transformation is the highest form of art-but also that everything in this world is art. The trouble of the book comes from this. He feels no need to validate any image, or add any depth or meaning to anything descried: his world is aesthetically purposed and based. He presents allusions but never develops or realizes any of these, and his metaphors speak loudly but don't offer any substance. He creates an interesting premise in the bio/mechanical/creative/destructive "Tik-worms" but he doesn't take them anywhere-reducing them to a means to transform the world into something gigeresque simply because they/he finds it attractive. The concepts of sexuality could have been interesting, but they tend to fetishize rather than explore: plays briefly with sexual identity as object but doesn't offer any condemnation of it-he plays with notions of pedophilia, sadism, masochism, cannibalism, mutilation, augmentation-but he doesn't develop any of them into a statement-rather he just blurts them out. In terms of his violence, it's comic-booky but it lacks the illustrations that validate the excess of the genre. His fight scenes seem drafted by a thirteen year old perpetually adding something to the battle *wouldn't this be cool!? Wouldn't this be cool!? Yeah-and after he rips the zombie in half with his laser guided spike catapult glass chainsaw, he unzips his pants, and instead of a dick he has five dicks and each of them has a sword and then he cuts zombies up with it* and sure-that's fun-but it's not deep. It's trite. I like trite stuff, but anyone trying to pawn this book off as if it has an iota of meaning is just being silly-this book does not trudge the depths of the soul or mine the horrors of the human psyche. If you want an amusing/grotesque read which will distract you for an hour or so, then buy this book-if you're expecting something intellectually/psychologically engaging... you'll be let down.

There are two very good stories in this book. If you like Japanese cult cinema you should enjoy both of them immensely. I'm surprised these authors aren't Japanese, because they capture the attitude of pseudo-cyberpunk Japan perfectly. The abstract post-apocalypse backdrop sets a dreary and hopeless tone for these dark tales. I really liked the descriptions and bizarre situations. Though most of the characters are inhuman and hard to relate to, they are disturbingly interesting to follow. I plan to read more books by these authors. I've already read Mellick's Razor Wire Pubic Hair, but I'm excited to get into more Simon Logan as well. These are two promising new authors. Give them a try if you're interested in reading something a little different.

In The Steel Breakfast Era by CM3, we are presented with a gripping novel about the survival of the human race, as flesh is mutated into machines by tiny parasites. Ideas such as self mutilation, art form, society, and creation ethics are all subtle subtexts to this novel, which add depth and character to this bleak outlook on life itself. A very enjoyable novel, fast paced enough to keep you turning the page, but with enough raw emotional energy to make you think. The interesting plot twist at the end will have you wondering about humanity and begging to read more of CM3's works.

The Decadent Return of the Hi-Fi Queen takes place in the ruins of society, where gang warfare has taken to the airwaves in hopes of gaining power over the masses. After her first brush with death, the Queen is transformed into a brand new creation by her marketing firm, where she takes on a new personality and MO. An interesting commentary about the state of electronic media and materialism plays a deep undercurrent throughout the text, and the evolution twist at the end of the story makes for a delightfully terrifying, yet tactfully refreshing read. A must read for any fan of the surreal/science fiction genre.

This is quite possibly one of my favorite books of all time. The Steel Breakfast Era is like... Dawn of the Dead meets Naked Lunch meets A Clockwork Orange, it's very funny, interesting, existential, scary, and bizarre at the same time.
Basically, if you enjoy: zombies, torture, sex, violence, post-modernism, true punk culture, good books, anything bizarre or crazy, buy this book. I swear, you will not regret it.
I'm really looking forward to this guy's next book. Five stars.

first I will start with Simon Logan's The Decadent Return of The Hi-fi Queen. The visionary the author comes along strong, but to keep the reader interested he lost me. The queen returns and demands her crew to fight off the Felidae. Overall I give 2in a half stars.
Carlton Mellick bizarre mind takes us into a dark fantasy Where he creates his very own girlfriend. Turns out to be a sex fiend. They battle zombies to the end with a Bizarro ending. Overall some laughs and strange stuff you suspect from CMIII. 5 STARS!

Okay , so when this came out years ago i read and loved it. This was my first attempt at reading some more obscure forms of literature and i have to say that i am way glad i did. Since reading I have not been able to really enjoy a more normal form of writing but thats ok because the way that both of these authors write and publish material there are all sorts of options. I feel safe to say that between these two authors here that they are by far two of my favorites and have read multiple titles from each. All of which have turned out to be amazing.

Mellicks side in this split is amazing, brutal, intimate, sexual and contains all sorts of your bizarro needs!

Logan's side in the split is a cyberpunk masterpiece , a very amazing setting, amazing story, perfect action one of my favorites of all time.

Since i bought this forever ago i have re read it over and over again because it is just that good!