Savages

Like many of Greg F. Gifune's books, Savages originally began publication life with a small publisher, Sinister Grin Press, in 2016. Beginning in 2022, Savages was reprinted in both physical and digital editions by Cemetery Dance Publications. 

There's something to be said about islands in horror fiction. Richard Laymon played with the idea in his 1995 slasher bloodbath Island. Brian Keene did it twice – once in 2009 with Castaways and again in 2023 with the aptly titled Island of the Dead. The idea certainly isn't a new one, not even for those guys. H.G. Wells created the ultimate island literary luau with his terrifying classic The Island of Dr. Moreau. So, it was just a matter of time before a horror mastermind like Greg F. Gifune (Judas Goat, Oasis of the Damned) took his shot at this little subgenre of horror.

A man named Dallas awakens on a sandy beach. With blurred memories, he recalls that he and his wife Quinn, along with several friends, chartered a yacht to take them out into the Pacific ocean. The captain unfortunately ran aground on some reefs and the ship sunk. Eight people were able to get away on a raft and they drifted at sea, in and out of consciousness, for three days and nights. They saw no signs of land, no planes, and no rescue ships. Dallas, thinking he had died, is astounded that he has somehow washed ashore on a beach....somewhere.

Dallas is able to reunite with his wife and a few of their surviving friends. One of their pals is a guy named Gino, one of those survivor-type prepper dudes that shops at REI every weekend. He explores their tiny island initially and determines it's a few square miles with nothing but thick jungles and a small lagoon. He also positively believes this island isn't on any major maps and that help will never arrive. Mr. Positive. 

The book begins with the typical survivor stuff – gathering supplies, finding water, creating little factions. As if things couldn't possibly become worse, the group stumbles on a severed arm that may have been attached to one of their friends from the boat. Also, it appears from a blood trail in the trampled foliage that a body was dragged. Soon the group discover an old Japanese military base. Gifune's description of this dilapidated base with three or four crumbling buildings is just so atmospheric. He sets the tone and mood by describing the jungle seemingly eating up these abandoned buildings. Inside, the survivors find hospital beds and medical supplies along with some really bizarre evidence that something supernatural occurred here. Then the killings begin. And the slaughter. And deadly things that live in an underground tunnel system on the island. 

Savages is like a popcorn horror flick with disposable characters being mauled by a supernatural killer. The author's smooth prose and propulsive action sequences drive the narrative into a frenzied kill-or-be-killed story saturated in blood and guts. Gifune may be one of my favorite horror storytellers in terms of combining quick character development, a suffocating atmosphere (usually with weather-related phenomenon) and a supercharged panic that seemingly lives and breathes in the character's behavior and dialogue. The exotic locale, brutal killings, and macabre infrastructure of this horrifying research facility elevate the book into an extremely entertaining read. Like Gifune's Oasis of the Damned, Savages is survival horror at its finest. Highest recommendation. Get it HERE.

Oasis of the Damned

Massachusetts author Greg F. Gifune (b. 1963) has earned many accolades, highlighted by winning Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and International Horror Guild awards. I've enjoyed reading his novels like Midnight Solitaire, Children of Chaos, and Apartment Seven. It has been a long time since I've picked up one of his books so I decided to read a military-styled horror novella called Oasis of the Damned. It was originally published in 2014 by the now defunct DarkFuse and now exists as the first half of a twofer titled Oasis of the Damned & Heretics: A Novella Double-Shot. 

The novella begins with a woman named Richter awakening from a helicopter crash. Readers learn she is a U.S. Army Transport Helicopter Pilot that has been downed somewhere in the middle of a vast scorching desert. Miraculously, a man named Owens arrives quickly on the scene and helps her gather some belongings for a long walk to a really odd place. 

Owens leads Richter to an old WWII camp that consists of one small square building and a larger tower-styled building. As Richter gets closer she sees sandbags stacked up near the entrance of the tower. Owens is fairly discreet and doesn't provide many details other than the place exists in the middle of nowhere, the chances of rescue are non-existent, and the only thing keeping him alive are the leftover rations from decades ago and the oasis of fresh water inside the camp. 

After a quick introduction Owens begins preparing for some sort of invasion. But what could possibly be happening in this doomed and desolate place? As night falls Richter learns that zombie-like creatures with razor sharp talons and teeth descend onto the camp in an effort to kill Owens. Through the battle, which includes both of them fighting hordes of monsters with guns, grenades, and swords, Richter discovers that Owens is the last survivor of a large crew of refinery engineers. Every night these creatures emerge and a battle of willpower and determination ensues. The key to success is decapitating the creatures and then burning the bodies. However, the creatures can also appear in other forms including hyenas and the bodies of the people they have killed. Needless to say these are some truly terrifying creatures.

Gifune's novella is like a cross between any first-person creature-shooter game and a deranged episode of Lost. This desolate military camp isn't all that it seems to be. When Richter decides to leave the facility the end result is something out of an old Twilight Zone episode – all roads out of town just lead back to town. To spruce up the one-dimensional “1-2-3-Kill!” action, there is a terrific backstory as Richter recalls the tragedy that befell her younger brother in their childhood home. These flashback sequences explain Richter's fighting spirit and her battles in Iraq during two years of active duty. 

Oasis of the Damned was a quick enjoyable read at roughly 90 pages, give or take a large font or two. Gifune's style has always been “hit 'em hard” while still embracing a smooth calculated delivery to spook his reader. I've never read a bad book by this author and Oasis of the Damned is another testimony to his storytelling talent. Recommended. 

Get a copy of the book HERE