[BOOK REVIEW] SHOCKADELICA BY JON O'BERGH

5/9/2021

It’s a murder-mystery more than a horror novel. The gore is beside the point. But the book is aimed squarely at the alt-lifestyle set of the horror audience and should connect there, or with people who are not extremely well-read in-genre and don’t get the tropism and inside joke level that is built-in to things like this.

TIME guitarist Jesse Johnson in 1986 released an album entitled Shockadelica, which title Prince liked, and as there was no title song on the album, wrote one and offered it to the guitarist. Jones declined and Prince then released the track before Jones could get his album out.

Ween later covered the track and made it considerably more sexually explicit, which is actually in keeping with the meaning of the song’s title to Jesse Jones, who used it to describe his feelings of desire.

The main characters of Jon O’Bergh’s novel appropriated the title for a horror podcast. One can’t copyright a title, but sometimes it’s not really appropriate to use one that is identified with a certain time or deed. Certain expectations get set up.

I get it, though. “Shockadelica” is more suitable for address to say, early Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Bloodrock’s DOA, stuff that was informed by psychedelic music but had deeper and darker intent.

Still, it’s offputting. It takes a while to assimilate the new meaning, if indeed one ever does.

The two podcasters run into some serious weirdness in the building they live in, and the result of their investigations into that weirdness are the events of the book.
It’s what I’d call a ‘summer read’. There’s not a tremendous depth to it, it is not weighed down by the author’s philosophy, it’s just a sequence of events, with some fun characters.

One of the main characters is the “Bone Man’, whose name is a re-spelling of Alice Cooper’s offstage name, and O’bergh recorded an album of songs ostensibly by this character, which is available at, say, Soundcloud if you’ve a mind to look it up.

They’re not terrible songs, and O’Bergh is an able musician. He’s also an able writer… though in truth it took me a while to cozy up to his terse sentences. The style is a little choppy – not clunky exactly but it took a few pages for me to assimilate.

The book is not especially original, but the characters are well-drawn, not caricatures. The tropes the author invokes have their own resonance and inform the narrative – with the rock-world backgrounding there’s an especial poignance to the images of goat-headed Satanists and the metal musician with serial-killer tattoos.

It’s a quick read. I read the ebook, which didn’t have page numbers, but I’d say it was somewhere around 50,000 words. The action moves along rather well, and the series of events isn’t out of line for the setup.

The protagonists are likable enough. I do confess that I expected Alan and Velma and Daphne to come in at some point, and Shaggy and Scooby. It didn’t turn out that way but the comparison is unavoidable for me.

I like Scooby Doo, Where Are You? So that wasn’t an issue, and overall I’d give the thing 3 ½ stars. There’s a lot to like. But I did find this to be very nu-horror in that it is slight and depends on in-vogue tropes and feels inspired by 80s fictions – the closest comp to the style would be two-headed Canadian novelist(s) Michael Slade. The apartment building is very Ira Levin with maybe a side of Seinfeld for comic relief and updating.

The actual horror isn’t super-horrible. It’s a murder-mystery more than a horror novel. The gore is beside the point. But the book is aimed squarely at the alt-lifestyle set of the horror audience and should connect there, or with people who are not extremely well-read in-genre and don’t get the tropism and inside joke level that is built-in to things like this.

It’s an accomplishment, I think, to take such banal elements and concoct a readable tale. That speaks well of the author’s ability, and I’ll look out for the next burnt offering.

The book is tasty and the impression overall is amiable. I just found the recipe a little underdone.

Shockadelica
by Jon O'BergH

Weaving together supernatural legends from Ireland, Nigeria, and China, "Shockadelica" follows two friends who must confront their own fears while fighting an evil, existential threat. It's a wild ride that explores prejudice, conspiracy theories, and things that aren't what they appear to be.

Two horror podcasters—drag artist Kendall Akande and best friend Jenna Chen—share a passion for art, fashion, and horror. When they learn their Victorian-era apartment building might be haunted, they see an opportunity for an entertaining podcast episode. But as they investigate further with the help of their quirky neighbors, they uncover something far more sinister. Their quest brings them face to face with a house of curiosities, a witch, and an intimidating musician named the Bone Man with tattoos of serial killers on his arms. Then a stranger appears who promises protection if Kendall sacrifices something of value. While Kendall struggles to understand his recurring nightmare and the demands of the stranger, Jenna struggles to cope with her grandmother's dementia. As the ghosts of the past become entwined with the growing terror, Kendall and Jenna must use their creativity to confront the evil force that threatens them all.

An album of horror-themed songs by the Bone Man complements the novel and is available at most streaming sites and online retailers.

MEET Duane Pesice

I've been reviewing things in a more-or-less desultory fashion for most of my life. I got into doing it because I read faster than anyone, so people were always asking what I thought of this and that. Combine that with a burgeoning love of journalism and there you go.

My primary interest is speculative fiction, but that often leaks into weird/horror, and I dearly love the cosmic and mythopoetic, as long as they don't involve castles or dragons. I'm not so much for earthly/undead monsters -- vamps and wolves and zombies (I do like zombis though) and such, and I eschew most religious horror. The Lovecraftian bestiary is fun. Not so much his stories, which are iffy for me, but his critters, his mythopoeia, his universe. Initially they reminded me of Ditko's Dr Strange. That is in fact why I picked up the Ballantine pb edition of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath at the library when it was first published. I was in second grade then.

My favorite horrors are either modern-day or pre-King, pre-Exorcist/Omen. I find splatter messy, though I like wild animal stories. I like original. I like jazzy. Think Tom Tryon, early GRRM, Barker, Barron. The late Joe Pulver was a particular favorite of mine.

You'll find I don't blow much smoke. I am a fair but honest reviewer.

Bio:

Duane is the author of a small but vocal army of weird fictions, an editor and publisher of same, a cat-daddy, guitar-player, herbal enthusiast, disabled-American, and a journalist. He is currently the owner of the micro-press Oxygen Man Books (http://oxygenmanbooks.com) and formerly the editor of the Planet X Publications series of weird fiction anthologies.

He can be found on Facebook and Twitter and sometimes even replies to posts or messages. His things can be found at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Duane-Pesice/e/B00X707580)

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