Death of Heaven
JZ Murdock
Zilyon Publishing, Inc. (2014)
ISBN: 978-1936809042
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (10/2023)
JZ Murdock’s “Death of Heaven” lured me in with a sense of poignancy as childhood friends James and Jimmy played treasure hunters in the suburban yard. It seemed like such a sweet tale. Until I turned the page and discovered abject horror. This novel is unrelentingly unique, defying the norms of the classic horror genre. JZ Murdock doesn’t think outside the box: he IS outside the box. Expect nothing “normal” here.
With an imagination that brings to mind certain hallucinogens, the author takes the reader on a mind-numbing roller coaster ride in a haunted mansion. There are highs and lows, twists and turns, but all of them happen in the eerie darkness. James and Jimmy have grown into adulthood, but both have struggled to overcome their childhood trauma. Now they’ve got to rely on each other as they begin receiving disturbing messages about the potential destruction of all they know. But that’s part of the paradox here; the more they find out, the more apparent it is that all they’ve ever known is… incorrect. Unfortunately for them, things begin spooling up at such an incredible rate that they don’t have time to process all they’ve received. They’re racing against time and doing it on thin ice.
JZ Murdock presents his readers with a highly imaginative and unique read. It’s a bit of a “Frankenstein” piece if you will. Made up of previously written short stories and wrapped with an overarching meta storyline that strings them all together, this is decidedly not your normal horror or sci-fi novel. Within its pages, readers will find viscerally gritty scenes of unimaginable (except to the author) inhumanity. Yet there are also pages of amazing prose dealing with philosophy, psychology, the human condition, and man’s reliance on religion. My mind may have blown a fuse or two making these transitions.
A dark character rode my mind, I knew that. A dark rider who made no compromise and rode in ways both surreal and inexplicable. Eventually I began to believe him. Someone was indeed out there. And in here.
This is high-functioning fiction, not designed for those who just want a quick, light read. It demands attention from its readers with its profundity and its depth. So often I read a novel and think to myself that I would love to see that story brought into production. I don’t ever see that happening with this novel- all the thought, rhythm, and mystery of this piece simply wouldn’t translate to a movie screen.
While I profess the storyline is remarkable and highly creative, I struggled with the inconsistent pace as the author led his readers from horror into philosophy, then on to his next whim. For me, this felt like the literary equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting. The reader will most likely get out what the reader puts into this story.
I can easily see this novel becoming a cult classic in the vein of HP Lovecraft. With its polarizing style, it’s fair to anticipate that most readers will either love it or loathe it- there is no in-between. If you enjoy reading avant-garde literature that shatters genres and tropes, this one’s for you.
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