Review: A high-five from the Toxic Avenger.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 5, 2014
What can one say other than that the title delivers what it promises. In the spirit of low-budget, Friday night, monster B-movies - "Black Redneck vs. Space Zombies" is a fun and creative story that manages to elevate itself from its niche by adding a layer of thoughtful social commentary.I'll jump right to the elephant in the room - or rather the title. "Black Redneck" in no way trivializes or avoids its racial suggestions. "Black Redneck" is, in fact, a title of honor that represents the ability of the main character, Jefferson, to rise to a level of what is considered equality in his hometown. And racial equality is dealt with in an honest and genuine scene which I thought was the best in the whole story. It's not preachy, but simply shows how attitudes can be passed down through generations (intentionally or not) and that it's the duty of the older generation to break that chain of thought in the younger. It's not belabored and therefore effective.As for the story, its strength lies in the characters and dialog. The characters that need to be clear and strong are, and - in the tradition of the B-movie - there is a host of supplemental characters whose only purpose is to be fodder for the monster. The dialog between the characters is natural and smooth, with unique voices for each one that is very enjoyable to read.When the time comes for descriptive passages, the prose tends to get over saturated with similes and repetitive words. An experienced editor would help to focus and streamline those passages as well as catch the handful of typos (and make this an unqualified 5 out of 5).However, the fun, boisterous plot and excellent character development far overshadow any weakness. If you get why I mentioned the Toxic Avenger in the title, or just like a good monster yarn, then I recommend this story.