Black Redneck vs. Space Zombie

Black Redneck vs. Space Zombie by Steven Roy

"The Devourer and her Space-Zombie minions have destroyed untold planets. Those worlds didn't have a Black Redneck."

I know what you're thinking...what kind of a name is Black Redneck vs. Space Zombie?  I know this because it was my first thought when Roy sent me the book to review! Well, you know what they say, don't judge a book by its cover and all that crap. I'm glad I didn't, because this book was surprisingly well penned. I laughed, I cried (well almost...it takes a lot to get me to actually shed those tears). I promise, you wont be disappointed by Roy's inspired narrative and the world he has created.

I must say, I've never read anything quite like this.  The characters Roy created were endearing and imaginative.  The story takes us on a journey through space and time and centers around Jefferson Balladeer, the Black Redneck. When Big Beau Balladeer dies in a car crash after leaving the local watering hole, his brother Jefferson returns to the town he fled from to escape his childhood home with a chip on his shoulder; Picayune, Mississippi. Now a successful author, Jefferson is forced to come face to face with his past. Along the way he unwillingly mends broken friendships, fights off space aliens and finds peace of mind.

I kept waiting to hear the reasoning behind the nickname the Black redneck, and when I finally did, I got it.  It was actually one of the more sentimental parts of the book.

I'll admit, I may be a little demented...and I'm a chick, so you can imagine when our hero gets punched in the nuts by a six year old girl I laughed my ass off. Don't ask me why, but there are certain things that I just find funny as a rule; on a side note, farts are also on that list of mine. I literally cry laughing when someone farts or poops themselves in a book.  Hey, I did admit to being demented...don't judge! Sadly, no poop in this book. Unless you count horse manure.

Not reading much in the way of aliens usually, I was skeptical if I would enjoy the sci-fi aspect of Black Redneck.  But Roy's descriptions of the aliens and the level of creativity was ingenious. Particularly of note is his interpretation of aliens taking shots. "A large bottle sat between them. Inside the bottle a large, milky white, slug-like creature swam in a purplish liquid. Insect face grabbed the bottle and shook it. The slug-like creature in the bottle thrashed around and slammed itself against the glass as it excreted a purplish inky substance." I loved the imagery.

Now, the "zombies" don't really show up until about 60% through the book and they aren't really zombies in the traditional sense. They were more akin to pod people. These creatures may have been once human but the Devourer and her gelatinous goo (throwback to my EQ days there...here's to hoping there's another dork in the crowd that gets it as the rest of you say 'what the hell is EQ?') consumes her prey using her Venus fly-trap tentacles.  Once ingested, these people are basically her bitches and go out and hunt for her, dragging back more victims to feed on and turn.

There were a slew of characters in Black Redneck vs. Space Zombie, and I have some favorites. First there's the horse, Gray Man. Having had a horse growing up, I fully understand the levels of defiance those animals can display. Gray man was no disappointment. Angry at Jefferson for leaving him behind and never visiting, this horse taunts and teases him to get revenge. Next we have Mary, the six year old girl abandoned by her jailed mother and left to fend for herself by her lowlife uncle Glen. I think it's quite obvious why I liked this character...she delivered the nut punch along with snarky humor. Last is Daisy, the little sister of Jefferson's childhood bestie. I enjoyed Daisy because she was one sassy chick.

There's no denying it folks, Steven Roy is a talented writer. At 300 pages, I was delighted with the amount of detail put into character development. Roy really captures the essence of each character. Black Redneck is a unique book, and you'd be hard pressed to find anything else quite like it on the shelves.  Expect some mild language and nonstop action.

If you would like to pick up a copy on Amazon, click on the above book jacket.  And if you have read it, post a comment below.  Click here to read on Goodreads.