IAN DOWN UNDER VS HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE

Ian explores some Hostile Architecture and discovers that buildings aren’t the only things that crumble.

TITLE: Hostile Architecture

AUTHOR: Joseph Murname

GENRE: Horror

PAGES: 110

FORMAT: e-book

PRICE: $12.99 paperback, $2.99 e-book

G’day all, it’s your increasingly snowed-under-by-ARCs, should-have-finished-these-already reviewer here, coming to you from the strange upside-down land known as Australia.

Today, I’m diving into Hostile Architecture by the insanely talented Joseph Murname — a cosmic/supernatural horror novella that should most definitely be topping the best-selling charts. Why? Let me give you the rundown.

The story follows Ben Castle, an elderly homeless man and once-in-demand reporter, who has found solace at the bottom of a bottle after some devastating life events. He survives day-to-day by collecting bottles for recycling and busking with his grandfather’s fiddle, just to scrape together enough money for his daily fix of drowning himself in drink in order to keep his pain at bay. When we meet him, Ben is spending time with Connor, a young man in his twenties that he has befriended, when a mysterious stranger approaches, promising them a life without want for anything. Ben knows better than to accept, but Connor doesn’t, and he leaves with the stranger and doesn’t return.

Soon, more members of the homeless community begin to vanish, and Ben embarks on a quest to track down the stranger — a supernatural entity in disguise — to try to put a stop to whatever it is he is doing. This decision will lead him along a path where he’s forced to relive the agonizing memories of his past, all while the entity preying on the community systematically breaks down his spirit.  

The premise seems like the typical setup of your average horror book, right? Wrong. At its core, this is a beautifully written story about the struggle of choosing between doing the right thing with potentially nothing to gain versus being consumed and giving in to a world shaped by corruption and power. It’s a struggle that we all face: Do we stand up in the face of adversity? Do we stay true to our hearts and give with all we have to others? Or do we surrender to the machine and take the easy path? A path that keeps us perhaps feeling hollow but safe as we work for those who think only for themselves and their own selfish needs. There is no easy right or wrong in either scenario.

Ben embodies this struggle to a T. His past as a reporter had him chasing down corruption and exposing it, but ultimately, it came at a huge personal cost — a cost he ended up being unable to bear. Still, when things hit the fan, he is determined to do the right thing.

Though the page count is modest, this novella is a thought-provoking read which is jam-packed with heavy themes, emotional weight and thoughtfully crafted characters. The ending lands exactly where it needs to, punctuating the story’s moral core in a powerful way that lingers for hours afterwards.

I’ll finish by saying that Joseph is an incredible writer who deserves a huge amount of attention for the work he has put out so far. His prose rivals that of many traditionally published authors; his stories are masterfully constructed, emotionally resonant and thoughtful. He has a way of drawing readers into his stories and then manipulating their feelings in ways that make them sit back on the couch and think “wow”.

Hostile Architecture is an incredible novella that is easily one of my top reads of the year so far, and it’s going to take something extraordinary to knock it from that pedestal. Grab this book now folks, you won’t regret it.

I give this novella five creepy supernatural beings out of five.

Ian Gielen is a writer of all things spooky and a horror fanatic. Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication on display in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space. He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats; his furry companions are always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas. With the sheer number of furry and human companions in his life, it’s a wonder he isn’t a little crazier than he already is.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.