Curse of the Murderous Dummy (Atomic City Terror Book 1)
Adult; Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror; (Market)
Welcome to Atomic City. A spooky and isolated mountain town, with more scares per square inch than anywhere else in the world. Discover a place where cutting edge science walks hand-in-hand with horror, and mind-blowing technology is indistinguishable from rip-roaring terror. UFO cults, wicked witches, wayward werewolves—vampires, zombies, and aliens—all have a home in Atomic City. And these are their stories.
In this very special inaugural installment, there’s an evil dummy on the loose, and he has murdering on his mind. What connects a brilliant physicist who accidentally blew up his wife in a science experiment, a family of four whose father is struggling with alcoholism, and a sentient dummy with an appetite for bloodshed?
Is it just a common love of ventriloquy, or is there something more sinister afoot?
In this terrifying tale, some dummies will live and other dummies will die. And behind it all, a struggle to control the minds of everyone on Earth.
Plot/Idea: 6 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 6 out of 10
Overall: 6.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: The book begins in medias res and the storyline moves along fairly quickly. A horror-comedy with some playful hints of satire, Laemmle’s novel has a linear plot that doesn’t bother much with complexity.
Prose/Style: Much of the humor in this quirky, lively story is derived from the snappy and witty dialogue.
Originality: Possessed dummies and dolls almost comprise a sub-genre unto themselves at this point, and as such this novel is not particularly original or unique. The story it tells is all its own, and the book is presented with sufficient personality to entertain.
Character Development: As a horror-comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, the characterization leans into caricature to good effect, though this largely comes at the expense of complexity or depth.
Date Submitted: August 17, 2020
