Review: “Gunpowder” by Joe Hill
Ok, so here we go.
As mentioned by Kilian in one of his June 15th posts, we all have our little penchants for various authors and types of work. I too am a fan of the works of Powers and Blaylock (and am in the same lucky club as Killian having also worked with the two of them) but I am not here to talk about them today. I am sure that all of you have noticed I have become intrigued with the work of Joe Hill. This is my ninth article on the site and the third that deals with Hill’s work. I think that my interest is born from my respect for Hill’s father, Stephen King, which was the real reason why I purchased a copy of “Heart Shaped Box.” While I was impressed with “Heart Shaped Box” I have been astounded by “Locke and Key”. I feel fortunate that I have found Hill early in his career because now I get the chance to see his work change and grow, a joy I missed with his father since I was born in the eighties.
Anyway, on to the excitement that is “Gunpowder.” The novella is about a group of young boys with incredible powers. The boys are capable of telekinesis and psyfoming which, in essence, is the ability to make something out of thin air. The boys have been left on a planet designated R2 which they are to terra form using their incredible abilities and turn into a habitable planet for the people of the universe. Looking over the group is Elaine, whom the boys refer to as mother, a benevolent entity more concerned with their well being than with the work to be done to R2.
The main focus of this novella is Charley, the only boy who is incapable of psyforming. His only ability is to move rocks with his mind which he uses to create a wall around the home base. Charley is a kind boy, strong in spirit and intelligence. It is through Elaine that the reader gets a feel for Charley’s superiority to the other boys.
Do to the length of the novella, just over 22,000 words, it is difficult for me to say much more without spoiling it. I will say, however, that the novella is tight all around. There are no wasted words…a big pro in the world of literature. The story reads easily and smoothly. It is a testament to Hill’s writing that, in such a short story, he can make his reader care about all of the characters.
The novella is not the easiest thing for American reader to find. It is a peculiar belief in America that any fantasy or science fiction story must be a minimum of 80,000 words to be publishable. The claim being that there is no market for anything shorter than that. Hence “Gunpowder” being published in the merry old U.K. by P.S. Publishing, the same company that gave Hill his first big book with the original release of 20th Century Ghosts in 2005.
If you can hunt it down I strongly suggest that you buy a copy of this compelling story. I imagine that at some point in the future we will be seeing “Gunpowder” up on the big screen though. It seems just a matter of time before some Hollywood exec finds this and decides to make it…probably with some unfortunate new name like “Space boys from the Planet R2” or something like that.
I have to say that the worst part about reading work from Joe Hill is having to wait for the next Joe Hill story but I am excited for “Horns” to hit the shelves.
Stoker
