Still Life [Paperback]

Darren Venn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2004

Mara's design for a happy queer family looks bleak. Her lingering relationship blues and the mounting tension between housemates, Joe and Adam, may shatter her plans for pregnancy.But these things are about to become the least of her worries. For someone has designs on Mara that transcend even her worst nightmares www.jojbarker.com

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A terrifying tale for strange new families.

About the Author

Jo J. Barker writes horror fiction with a queer slant. Having scared off all of his ex-boyfriends in three continents, he now lives happily with his life-partner in Oakland, California, dreaming up new ways to say ?boo.?

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595315100
• ISBN-13: 978-0595315109
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,573,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A mix of horror and character, June 21, 2004

By 

Debra B. (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Still Life (Paperback)

This book sits astride two genres. It's both a horror story (in the serial killer, psycho category) and a lesbian/gay relationships story. Surprisingly, the author pulls this off, and by the end of the book, I was involved in both story lines. Complications built on one another, heightening the tension, to a final climax and satisfying resolution.

I liked Mara, the main character. I was a little disappointed by the fate of her initial love interest, Lucy, which seemed to constitute the main lesbian content. Initial chapters looked like they were leading up to a relationship between them, but this was cut off before it could be consummated. The twist that the story took with Mara's former lover made up for this, however. The gay men seemed realistic, trying to be monogamous but failing at this.

There is a good balance of descriptive prose and dialogue, with some well-painted settings.

In some places the gore was a bit much for me, with the scenes in the basement almost persuading me to stop reading, but then again this is a horror story. Fortunately I was too involved in the story by this stage and had to find out how it ended.

All in all a pretty good novel.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wrapped in Plastic, June 16, 2004

By 

Simon T. Stensford (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Still Life (Paperback)

I wasn't sure about this book when I first picked it up, but as I read further I became engrossed in it. It starts out with a confused hetero sex scene, and becomes distinctly gay and lesbian on the second page. It isn't until chapter three that the horror is introduced, but then this builds into the story more and more, until it takes over.

The killer's m.o. is interesting. He uses a technique called "plastination," sucking the fluids out of the victim's body and replacing them with silicon, effectively turning the victim into a plastic object. I haven't seen this before in a horror story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Paced, June 11, 2004

By 

A.K. Crawford (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Still Life (Paperback)

Mara, a lesbian, is trying to have a baby with her (...) roommate, Joe. Confused about her feelings for her ex-lover, and mixed up after a passing encounter with one of her students, she finds herself the target of a sicko stalker, whose motives are strange to say the least.

Meanwhile, Joe and his lover Adam are having their own difficulties, and Joe's jealousy ends up splitting the couple. The stalker uses this opportunity to get closer to Mara, a situation which threatens her, the baby and everyone in the house.

Well written and fast paced. I'd recommend this one.