First off, let me say that I’ve been a fan of dinosaurs in a horror space since the first time I watched Jurassic Park. (Because YES, it is a horror movie, and no I will not be taking questions about that.)
Second of all, I didn’t even realize dino horror was a thing in the Indie horror writing community! When Alex Ebenstein posted about his upcoming novel ‘Reanimated Rex’, I could NOT move fast enough to sign up for a copy.
When I received my copy in the mail, I started reading it the same day. Let me say this, the nods to Jurassic Park are strong. So there are numerous times when you’re reading you’ll feel like you’re experiencing similar things. However, this is not Jurassic Park. This concept is really unique in the way these dinos come back to life. I love the use of dinosaur knowledge in this as well. My son (5 y/o) is obsessed with dinosaurs and I know a lot more about them than I ever thought I would. I even showed him the art in this and he was so excited for me.
Speaking of the art? The cover design for this is absolutely beautiful. The artist is on Twitter as @freakyraptor, but I love the way the colors are and the look and feel of these dinos. They are scary and menacing in the best way possible. The addition of the dino face above each chapter is perfect and adorable. And seeing the chapter end drawings of these monstrous prehistoric babies really pulls you in to just how unsettling it would be to come across one that was, say, not a statue.
I love the homage to Jurassic Park, from themes to names. Sam and Laura are, I assume, intentionally named after the actor (Sam Neill) and actress (Laura Dern) in Jurassic Park. The name Alan is used for a main character as well. There are things like this throughout.
I found myself really getting into the energy of suspense in this and I really wanted answers. The answers were clear enough, while reminding us that science isn’t always so easily understood. I found the story and characters both believable and engaging. This had the right amount of breathing room to screaming and running in terror. This was actually my first book by Alex, but I can assure you it will not be my last! Especially if he does more dinos!
Reanimated Rex will be out May 14th!