Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

By Mark Clapham

Rebellion ebook, out now

It’s bad enough being able to see ghosts, and having to battle zombies – the worst thing for David seems to be that he is having to do this in America!

Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair on the narrator, but there is quite a bit made of the differences between Britain and America, as the narrator – a ghost-seeing Englishman – is embroiled in a ghost’s attempts to bring peace to her own body. It provides a wry extra level to the tale, and pulls it above the average “smash the zombie on the head and realise you’re in deep shit” sort of story.

If you were choosing someone to have on your side in the zombie apocalypse, David is also probably someone who would be so far off the list, you’d have forgotten he existed. However he steps up to the mark, with a little help, and as his progress through a top secret base continues, you do start to hope that he’s going to make it through moderately unscathed.

The narrative voice allows Mark Clapham to pull some stunts that might not work otherwise – you know they’re coming, you know they’re going to be a bit obvious, and the narrator tells you that’s the case without apologising. There are some gory moments, as you’d hope in such a tale, but they’re used well so the pace doesn’t feel unrelenting.

Verdict: A suitably horrific Rebellion debut for Mr Clapham. 7/10

Paul Simpson