Review: Glad Tithings
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
***Four Stars***R.E. Wood's "Glad Tithings" is an atmospheric, slow burn of a novel, which will appeal to fans in the Sci-fi, horror and suspense genres.  The author utilizes a number of key thematics and well-established tropes in order to explore theological, and humanitarian questions.  "Glad Tithings" is partially based on theories regarding references in the bible to Ezekiel, broader theological questions as well as the conflict within and between humanity.The work centers on two baby boomers, Rick and Jill Wilson, who have lived an exemplary life of hard work, and sacrifice in order to retire early.  Moving from the city to the country town of Parrish, the Wilsons' high hopes of a dream life begin to unravel almost from the outset.  At first glance, Parrish is a town that is decaying and it is, but not only for economic reasons.Tensions between the Wilsons and the local inhabitants that, at first, appear to be attributable to the outsider/insider experience in a small, close-knit town are revealed to be something more complex.  Wood's use of the rural/urban dichotomy underscores the atmosphere of alienation from the main protagonists in the small, sleepy town of Parrish and by extension, readers.The setting underscores that what often appears idyllic on the surface can mask horrors underneath.  Salvation and redemption for the Wilsons comes in the form of the charismatic local preacher.  The Wilsons are encouraged to join the local church and become `one' with the town.This, however, is when the Wilsons' lives are further complicated.  Parrish is by no means an ordinary town and is the center of an alien invasion couched within religious indoctrination, and a brainwashed population.  There is a metaphor contained in Wood's work for those with an interest in broader discussions about religion and mechanisms used to quash dissent.In essence, the Wilsons' plight becomes a Kafkaesque examination of humanity's resistance in the face of insurmountable odds.  Odds, which become more impossible as the Wilsons have to overcome not only aliens, but also, the treachery and apathy of other human beings.There is a lot to enjoy about Wood's work:  the setting, the atmosphere, and the employment of Sci-Fi to raise broader questions about humanity itself.  The book also raises questions about gender, marriage, identity, resistance to oppression and humanity's fundamental inability to form common accord where needed.As an unashamed Star Trek fan, I enjoyed the Star Trek symbolism and the homage to some of the foundational texts in the Sci-Fi/horror genre.  In places, however, I felt the pacing could have been tighter as there had been a lot of foreshadowing and I wanted to see events unfold.  Around the mid-way point of the book, I was reluctant to put the work down because I had to see how it ended.I would recommend "Glad Tithings" to anyone who is a Sci-Fi/suspense/horror fan and leave you with the inverted Borg motto:  "resistance is never futile and it's preferable to apathy."