Simeon Paperback – Import, 1 February 2020

Simeon by Nick Carlson (2020)Simeon follows Diana, a defector who ultimately kills her platoon and joins the communists in a pre-World War II era Russia.She is sent to a research facility in the Siberian tundra. When she discovers the purpose of the research facility is to develop a human-ape hybrid, things get intense. The scene is executed perfectly, from Carlson’s vivid imagery of the research facility and the enclosure the monster is kept in to the chilling description of the abomination itself.As time passes, a mysterious illness befalls the community within the facility. Grotesque, disgusting and extremely unsettling images of puss riddled blackhead and herpetic sores are described in such vivid detail that you feel like you’re looking at the people afflicted with this horrible disease.In addition to the physical symptoms, those who are sick also go mad. It’s a mad dash from Diana to figure out what is causing it and how to stop it - all the while a psychotic cult is threatening to set the beast free... The stakes couldn’t be higher.Seriously, this book has it all!This story made my heart race, my mind reel and my body cringe. A perfect blend of horror, science fiction and mystery!I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of sci-fi, horror or excellent literature.It is insane to imagine this is Nick’s first novel and I absolutely cannot wait to see what else he has in store

Well done for a first novel. Fun read, well-paced, and very atmospheric; I was drawn into the setting almost immediately.

Back in 2020 I had bought this book but had only gotten halfway through it, although I had very much enjoyed it up to that point. This year I decided to finally finish the story, and I'm glad I did!Without going too into detail, this story has its moments of uncertainty, where you're fearing for the characters and what may have happened to them in the past, and what lies in store for them in the future. The world building, characters, and how they all mesh and interact with each other work amazingly, and this book does extremely well in living up to its name as a sci-fi horror.The story kept me captivated the whole way through, and the ending was just beautiful. In a way, it's all very bittersweet.I hope to see more by Nick Carlson in the future, thank you for giving me such an amazing experience!