The Big Meat

So good! I really enjoyed this one, which comes as no surprise. I don’t know if Carlton Mellick can write a bad book, at least in my opinion. The Big Meat functions like kind of a mashup between Godzilla and The Descent, but, ya know, more bizarro. But because it mostly functions within kaiju fictions trope’s borders, the story itself is not quite as weird as some of the author’s other recent books (see: Exercise Bike and Spider Bunny.) But Mellick is one of those authors who are only comparable to themselves, and saying it’s “not quite as weird” as his other books still makes it weirder than 99% of the stuff out there. Even so, I found this story to be quite resonant, effortlessly unfolding in surprising but logical (well, with a logic that is inherent to itself) ways as it pays off all the threads it sets up in the beginning. Couple that with some vivid imagery and a relatable protagonist, and I suspect this is a story that’ll stay with me for quite some time.

Bigger than Godzilla flies like MothraA metamorph like something from KafkaNow laying waste and named the ReaperPublic opinion this lizard's no keeperWas hidden for years like Jimmy HoffaGargantuan lizard so lunch is priority planComing soon cause has wings like RodanUntil the horn sounded the note of mortAs monster was KO'd in the land of PortDecomposing big meat hard to find a fanMeri is the tough head of the gut crewShe and her team remove intestinal gooWorms and junkies inhabit the lizard gutsDangerous duty and lethal personnel cutsAnd they find a blue drug amidst the pooThere comes a Matrix choice of blue or redMeri opts for her harsh reality over the medsAfter all to get to heaven you have to be deadAnd she's still on fleek and rockin her dreadsTurns out cartoon raccoons are very well read

The Big Meat was another great story by author Mellick, although not as Bizarro as some of his other work. This could almost pass as a mainstream novel, which is not bad. It just shows Mellick slowly making a turn into a more mature author and person. I was, however, surprised at the four or five typos in the book. If Eraserhead Press simply read through the text carefully before publishing the book, they could have easily spotted the errors. As for the story, I really enjoyed the premise along with Mellick's delivery how the story between past and present came together. Although the ending felt a bit thrown-away and flippant, I still strongly recommend this book, although I enjoyed his book, The Terrible Thing That Happens, more.

Really captures the smell of current day Portland.If you like kaiju, post-war recovery, and weird, this is a good combo. I won't go into the plot but it is better than I expected. I reached out to the author asking for more!My title is referring to how they have to use full body hazmat suits, but I get you need an attention grabbing cover. This isn't even as "sexy" as his other books.

Another good book from Mellick. He has really been impressing me lately. This book is a take on the big monster tales. Think Godzilla, Rodan, etc. This is a different take though. What happens after the monster is killed? What happens when a giant corpse is rotting and is emitting toxic fumes? Almost as bad as the creature being alive and terrorizing town. This book takes a glimpse at that scenario and with the struggles with addiction. Those 2 together makes for one wild ride.

I have yet to find a book by Carlton Mellick III that i did not like, he has my sense of humor. I believe he is a writer you either love or hate.

Carlton Mellick never disappoints. I loved it.

I loved it!! The book felt short and left me wanting more, but I take it as a good thing.It's a fun concept that played out unexpectedly.

Ich liebe Mellicks Bücher und besonders auf "The Big Meat" habe ich mich als Fan von Godzilla und Co. gefreut. Aber die Novelle wirkt wie eine gestreckte Kurzgeschichte. Zwar ist die Idee um Menschen, die ein riesiges, totes Monster von innen heraus abbauen ganz witzig, die wirklich spannenden Ideen kommen leider erst zum Schluss und wirken unausgegoren, während alles vorher gestreckt wirkt. Das macht das Buch nicht schlecht, aber ich hatte andere Erwartungen daran. Eine andere Handlung vor Augen. Dennoch habe ich es innerhalb kurzer Zeit durchgelesen und freue mich auf die nächsten Bücher von Mellick.

Plutot une longue nouvelle qu'un roman. Une bonne mise en ambiance, des personnages simples mais servant bien le propos. Juste ce qu'il faut pour explorer une hypothèse de départ. la fin est cependant trop attendue, un peu à la manière de ces films noirs des années septantes où la fin ne pouvait etre que fatale.

Really interesting, the whole wasteland story was intriguing, nice ending, as always, a masterpiece. Would recommend to anybody, altough it might not be everyone's style.