We all know by now, if you have visited this website, that this is a horror website.

That being said, I’m participating in a blog tour courtesy of Meerkat Press (thank you very much, Meerkat Press), which includes this incredible sci-fi/dark fantasy novelette by Eugen Bacon. Bacon has been awarded the Soltice, British Fantasy, and Foreword Indies Award and has been a Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy award finalist. This esteemed writer and author has created an incredibly crafted story in Novic, and it is astounding!

In Novic, we come across the titled character as they are trekking through this storied and hostile land. The opening pages lend to unsettling imagery that is at once grotesque yet strangely humorous. The effect of the description of just the snow camel’s breath alone is disorienting, but it pulls the readers into a world that resists logic and thrives on unease. It’s not straightforward science fiction or horror (and we love our horror), but it’s something in between. Speculative fiction blurs the lines and boundaries of genre, and I enjoyed Novic for this reason.

Novic is a mystery, and we get to see that as the story continues forward after the beginning pages show us Novic in a precarious situation. But as the story progresses, we get to lean more into Novic’s background, his family life, and how he comes to be the way he is. You can consider this novelette the origin story of Novic, who he is, and where he comes from. But it’s only a glimpse, and his story lies bare before the reader who is taken in by the lyrical and surreal beauty of Bacon’s words, how richly they flow. We get some of the story from Novic’s perspective, but then it changes to the viewpoint of others connected intimately to Novic. There’s ecstasy and death in the story, a life lived and a legacy born. Not only is this Novic’s story, but it also shows how T-Mo is born as well. By the somewhat sad end of this story, you begin to understand the richness of this world that is built by Bacon, and hunger for a bit more.

Novic is a wonderful read. It’s about survival in a hostile, unyielding world, one that mirrors the wrecked state of its protagonist. Themes of isolation, disorientation, and humor weave through the narrative, making the book both haunting and oddly playful. It’s short enough to leave you sated, yet still provides enough story that you’re not left starving for more. However, if you lean more towards horror that is consuming, it’s a genre-bending piece, even with its strange, atmospheric, and creeping in from the edges perception. It is a perfectly balanced story, colliding wonderfully with some horror elements. It’s a journey that lingers long after the final page.

Novic is available on Meerkat Press, Bookshop, and Amazon. They even have a $25 Meerkat Press Giftcard giveaway, so get in on that so you can get this amazing novelette and more.