Review of Visceral

Warning this review will be like my reviews for scenarios – spoiler free.

Viseral – “the lives of ex-homicide detective Elijah and secluded writer Sadie have been torn apart by Hellwrapper – the infamous serial killer who disappeared without a trace three years ago. In his wake he left a legacy of fear, death and unimaginable suffering.” (back cover)

There has been a minor boom of Swedish mysteries with Larsson, Mankell, Eriksson, Tursten entering into the English language and hopefully with Mischa Thomas we see the same thing now entering into the field of gamer fiction. I know that gamer fiction, often is associated cited as pejorative. However, I do not think so. For me, gamer fiction is fiction written by people who play RPGs, computer games and the occasional board game (especially those European) and write fiction derived from shared feelings, moods and atmosphere that are commonly associated with game play. It has nothing do with the skill or aptitude of the writer. Many great writers get their inspiration, just as many great games get their inspiration from writers. Where gamer fiction is different from the various degrees of fan fiction (from derived works to slash fiction) lies exactly in the detail and nuanced plot.

Thomas, like his RPG – has done a spectacular job in creating a believable horror, thriller, mystery novel whose links to Kult, Call of Cthulhu, Unknown Armies, World of Darkness, and In Nomine bleed through the pages. Mixed together with the typical Swedish mystery, an element of conspiracy and not shying away from the gore. And, like the name this novel is very explicit and not for the faint of heart and those who cannot stand graphic descriptions of sex, violence and overall nastiness. And, because it is not directly tied to anyone one property (but I would encourage Thomas to check out Stygian Fox – Call of Cthulhu line should he want to publish closer to the RPG market) the novel has an independent dynamic separate from all these properties.

This novel is a modern horror done magnificently well. There is a slow build up character development. In the beginning, we are introduced to two characters that we can immediately have sympathy and understanding for. Although, it is likely if we would ever encounter said characters in real life they might be shunned by the majority. For getting inside their heads and experiences, we understand, why they are the way they are. Thomas playfully introduces us to other characters that we can see archetypical NPCs and colour and nicely filling them out that we can have pathos for them. Thomas’ writing style is gritty and well-paced except in one instance that the editor should have caught. At the top of one chapter there is a date. As dates do not figure prominently anywhere in the story, this does not serve to build up suspense but rather serves a marker. The shortness of the chapters is remarkable Thomas is able to put lots of information in small digest sized encounters thus showing greater loyalty to the gamer fiction model than a traditional author.

The selection of Gothenburg is excellent for someone who has never been. Like White Wolf products, Thomas has created a brilliant counter-world or alternative reality that seamlessly blends the real world of Gothenburg with a fictionalized Noir Gothenburg. Thomas is able to flesh out locales from either intimate familiarity or very good research – regardless the result is the same – an excellent setting filled with mood and atmosphere but not specific enough that one has to have a great deal of knowledge of the place to advance the mystery.

Themes explored are our basic human natures, like much of horror, it exaggerates to convey the monstrous with our drives and passions. However, it is not so much a psychological thriller as an emotional thriller. The gore is there in part for shock value but also there solicit primary fear. Playing with our natural desire to look away from the horrific – Thomas skilfully keeps us enthralled by creating the right amount of suspense within the plot. Thomas is able to create a shadowy world where characters emerge from the shadows or chase shadows. My only bone of contention was the use of quasi-zombies – as that has been much too overplayed in this current epoch – there are much more frightening supernatural “monsters” – the old fashioned ghost, not to mention the rich lore of monsters that dominate our games. However, basic evil oozes out of the pages with deal with the antagonist. Thomas gives a terrifying view into the mind of a sociopath. I do not think that any one character is his Mary Sue but in the true tradition of gaming – they represent wish fulfillment of the reader. Although, Hellwrapper is not the greatest of names for the antagonist…but maybe it sounds better in Swedish.

Whether it is the translator or the text was originally written in English the prose is austere and terse – there is no wasted description. Each word is carefully chosen for maximum effect. Therefore, in keeping with the short chapters, this book is very easy to read and digest. Thomas is brilliant at creating a transition between multiple scenes and locales by keeping the writing concise and measured.

I look forward to even more offerings by Thomas both the forays into literary fiction and in the areas of gaming. His RPG Cold and Dark, sincerely impressed me. I think that Call of Cthulhu needs him to write scenarios, as I have already suggested with Stygian Fox, but, certainly Chaosium has the deep pockets for art and editing. As my first reaction upon completion was – “WOW!” but my second was “I cannot wait to inflict this as a scenario upon my group.”