Review: Squirmy and relevant
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2011
It's always a bit awkward reviewing horror, a genre that depends so much on surprise, shock, and unanticipated events. It's hard to say much without tipping off readers and spoiling the reading experience.THE SIXTH SEED features alien abductions, mad doctors, and mysterious pregnancies are common fare for many horror novels, but toss in precarious finances, health insurance, a meddling mother-in-law, incompetent managers, and a job from hell and it's a tough call to say where the real horror lies. Yet Lee Howard stitches them all together in a story where the suspense never lets up. The story also reveals some impressive medical research in a genre where most writers would just double-talk it. The vasectomy scene will have male readers squirming and checking their relevant parts.In the hands of a less competent author, this would be a straightforward story about alien abduction/experimentation. Most such stories follow a predictable sequence of events. But by blending in the personal issues--Tom's work life, finances and family life--the author enriches the characters, deepens the story and just when you think you've got it nailed down, takes unanticipated twists and turns.This should appeal to fans of Robin Cook and similar sf/horror-themed thrillers.