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Review Date: 3/19/2010
What if when you died there was no Heaven, no Hell, only a weigh station on the road to eternity; a place where the righteous and the wicked shared the same space; where creatures existed solely to torment what was left of your existence; what would you do?
This is the premise for Stormcrow Hayes' and Rob Steen's book, AFTERLIFE. Hayes, a screenwriter by nature, weaves a compelling tale that takes some unexpected turns and offers some thought provoking concepts along the way. He manages to avoid the trap that ensnares many authors turned comic book writers, the tendency to over-write. Many of these crossover writers forget comics are primarily a visual medium. The art is as important to the storytelling process as the writing. Hayes provides a terse script that succeeds in moving the action along without bogging it down with self-indulgent turns of phrase. In many instances Hayes is content to let the moody art of Rob Steen speak for itself.
Rob Steen is known for his work on children's books. Despite this background he is able to populate the world of AFTERLIFE with macabre, sometimes frightening, characters who perfectly fit the mood and tone of Hayes' script. He successfully portrays the overcrowded world of life after death as well as the barren landscape of this bleak existence. His work is reminiscent of the stop motion work seen in "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride." In fact, this material would lend itself well to that style of animation.
I enjoyed this book. I found it an entertaining read offering a fresh perspective on what happens next. If it accomplishes nothing else, AFTERLIFE will make you think. Definitely a journey worth taking. I look forward to the next volume of the series.
This is the premise for Stormcrow Hayes' and Rob Steen's book, AFTERLIFE. Hayes, a screenwriter by nature, weaves a compelling tale that takes some unexpected turns and offers some thought provoking concepts along the way. He manages to avoid the trap that ensnares many authors turned comic book writers, the tendency to over-write. Many of these crossover writers forget comics are primarily a visual medium. The art is as important to the storytelling process as the writing. Hayes provides a terse script that succeeds in moving the action along without bogging it down with self-indulgent turns of phrase. In many instances Hayes is content to let the moody art of Rob Steen speak for itself.
Rob Steen is known for his work on children's books. Despite this background he is able to populate the world of AFTERLIFE with macabre, sometimes frightening, characters who perfectly fit the mood and tone of Hayes' script. He successfully portrays the overcrowded world of life after death as well as the barren landscape of this bleak existence. His work is reminiscent of the stop motion work seen in "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride." In fact, this material would lend itself well to that style of animation.
I enjoyed this book. I found it an entertaining read offering a fresh perspective on what happens next. If it accomplishes nothing else, AFTERLIFE will make you think. Definitely a journey worth taking. I look forward to the next volume of the series.
Review Date: 1/3/2012
I haven't read Zelazny in many years so it was delightful to return to a collection of his work that I had never read before. Though I wouldn't say this is his best collection, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it to any Zelazny fan, but also anyone who enjoys short stories with fantasy, science fiction, or mythological twists.
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