First Published: 2013
Contains spoilers
I feel a little strange about reviewing this, firstly because Willie Meikle is a friend on facebook and secondly because I am not sure how I feel about shorts being sold separately on amazon. As part of a collection, fine, but individually one has to ask is this price/substance ratio set fairly for the consumer?
Now, having said that, I didn’t buy this – it was on a special free offer when I got hold of it – and the question I ask is not a criticism of the author and indeed this particular short is something so special that it is definitely worth buying.
We have looked At Meikle’s work before, in the form of the rather excellent the Watchers Omnibus and, to be fair, his book Eldren: the Book of the Dark has been sat in my wishlist for some time. This short is a prelude to Eldren.
What he has done is, in fact, rewritten and re-imagined the old testament, and done so for vampires – or Eldren. In the beginning God makes Yorah and then, from Yorah's blood and dust and clay, creates Eriah. One commandment is given them, not to eat of the flesh of the creatures God has created. The serpent comes to Eriah and suggests that the blood is not meat and will offer warmth and succour and she attacks a lamb. Having seen this Yorah intervenes but she is in a frenzy and attacks him, their spilt blood mingling with the earth and creating the Eldren. The Eldren slaughter the creatures of the world and God damns and casts out Yorah, Eriah and the Eldren – cursing them to live in thirst and darkness and to never bear children in his image, creating the sun to blot out the darkness during the day. God then turns his attention to creating Adam – whose children are the Adamites.
As the story continues we discover two clans of Eldren emerging, those who maintain worship of God and those who turned their backs on his Ternants – the Unforgiven. Later still the Unforgiven mingle their blood with the Adamite tribe of Dan and create the Blood Childen...
Steeped in biblical language and prophecy, Meikle creates a really unique and interesting backstory that was utterly fascinating and very cleverly, and beautifully, written. It has certainly made me really want to read Eldren: the Book of the Dark (and so I will, hopefully in the near future).
I’m still not sure, generally, about selling shorts in kindle format but this is one that really deserves to be read. 8.5 out of 10.
6 comments:
He's aware of the Unique reputation of the Tribe of Dan, that's impressively Esoteric.
This kind of thing doesn't really sit right with me.
Each to their own but, to be fair, whilst it does reimaging the old testament (or even creating a sidebar to it in some respects), as I read it I didn't think it was something a christian or a Jew would be offended by
My Theology is very grounded in the doctrine that there was no Sin or Death of any kind before Adam's Sin.
Again, fair comment if that is your faith... I actually don't think this contradicts this as the sin of Adam and Eve is not addressed.
In this the Eldren came before and any death caused was of animals (ok there is a whole theology/philosophy question there, I know). They were cast out and God created Adam (in this) the story of the Eldren runs parallel (until the comingling with the tribe of Dan) and therefore the sins and death of man is not addressed and can run along parallel lines.
Judeo myth sees a bride of Adam prior to Eve (Lilith) and this also leads to a pseudo-vampiric story.
However, if it doesn't sit right I can appreciate that. For me, as a non-Christian, playing with the mythology is fine but I accept that for someone whose faith believes it to be more than mythological writings might not wish to look at fiction that uses it as a basis.
Hmm? Sounds very interesting. I don't like zombies, but have been reading Stant Litore's Zombie Bible which is very good. This sounds like the same kind of thing. I'd be very curious to see how he does this. Thanks for the tip, good sir.
-Jimmy
Hiyah Jimmy
as I say, worth checking :) hope you are okay
Post a Comment