Review: Luke Smitherd hits another home run
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 29, 2014
I'd like to write a review that does Luke Smitherd justice, but I doubt I can.  Smitherd has the ability to imagine scenarios that are truly bizarre and frightening, then build his stories using well crafted characters.  The first book of his that I read was "The Stone Man", which blew me away with its depth and unique story  line.  "The Black Room, Part I" and "The Man on Table Ten"came next, again impressing me with both.Smitherd's characters aren't heroes in the superhero and action adventure style.  They are simply good people going about their normal and quite ordinary lives suddenly being forced to deal with situations that are horrifyingly not normal.  Their bravery doesn't come without weak knees and tears of fear.  He writes smoothly and easily.Science fiction is probably not the right category for Smitherd because his books aren't science or tech based, but I'd hate to box him into fantasy with wizards, werewolves, and the like.  Smitherd reminds me of Shirley Jackson's or Ray Bradbury's fantasy.  As for terror and horror, those who like theirs basted with buckets of blood and torture will find Smitherd unsatisfying.  He's too sophisticated for that.  There may be physical horror in his books, but his focus isn't on that.  It is on the horror in the mind, the terror of dealing with unstoppable evil or incomprehensible situations beyond your control.I'm delighted to have come across such a talented upcoming author.