This week, I have another treat, yet another author that has impressed me with his fresh writing voice. And he just released a new book entitled Everyman. Justin Robinson had deigned to grace us with his presence. Before we get started though, here’s the blurb from the back cover of his latest release through Books of the Dead Press:
David Tirado is a massive, hideous colony organism, a gestalt entity. The sum of Covey’s discarded parts. A roiling, chaotic patchwork of vast and varied personalities, memories, and physical forms that used to be a man − many men − David Tirado is a monster.
Sophie Tirado’s identity has been eroded by the tides of a long relationship, and now the man she gave herself up for has been stolen away and replaced by a mimic. Caught between the Doppelganger and the Gestalt Entity, she will try to save her husband, but there might be nothing left of him.
Virtue has a veil, vice a mask, and evil a thousand faces.
an Covey is a doppelganger. A mimic. A shapeshifter. He can replace anyone he wants by becoming a perfect copy; taking the victim’s face, his home, his family. His life. No longer a man, but a hungry void, Ian Covey is a monster.
Here are what a few authors are saying about this new release:
“Move over Stephen King. Justin Robinson is an author to watch.” ~ Gail Picado, author of Murder at Sea
“Justin Robinson has done it again. By taking one of the most flesh-crawling fiends one can imagine and turning him into a protagonist, we’re given a unique spin on body horror that fans of classic Cronenberg would kill to dig their painfully mutating claws into.”
~ Scott Closter, creator of SPi and Space Doubles
“Horror novelist Justin Robinson doesn’t simply slip into the genre with his new novel Everyman, he creates a disturbing, yet satisfying impact that will ripple shock waves for some time. Riddled with subplots, treachery, and betrayals, Robinson’s novel rings with an air of suspense, surprises, and unexpected twists. Wonderfully spooky and spellbinding, the pieces of the intricate puzzle come together with a zing that is sure to startle readers.”
~ J.T. Seate, award-winning author of Secret Desires
And now, on to the interview with Author Justin Robinson:
WK: Justin, thanks for visiting us this evening. I’m looking forward to hearing a few insights into your life and about the new book.
JR: No prob! Glad to be here.
WK: Now, you just released Everyman, but it isn’t your first novel. You have a few out there, played the field a few times per say. So which would you say is your favorite?
JR: Whichever one I’m going to write next, because I haven’t seen the flaws in it yet.
WK: LOL. I can certainly understand that feeling. There were countless times that I about slapped myself after realizing something I wrote or left out on the fifth re-read. Do you think any of your books are better or worse than others?
JR: I’m my own harshest critic. Once something is finished, I only see the flaws. So whatever I’m working on now is better, and whatever came before is terrible.
WK: Way to hang in the moment. For me, the anticipation of what’s to come is in itself surreal and mystifying . . . almost glorious to contemplate. Speaking of emotional heights, what about celebration? I’m sure you did a bit of it after finishing Everyman and getting picked up by the up-and-coming press, Books of the Dead. Do you have a tradition or activity you do when you finish writing a novel?
JR: Not really, but I should come up with one.
WK: You really should. Come to think of it, aside from having a few beers out with friends, I probably should too. But friends are pretty important, like the characters in books. They are often friends. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a difficult time with one of the simplest things about characters, names. How do you choose character names, and are they really all that important in your writing?
JR: They’re important in that they get identified with the character. I don’t usually have long, elaborate reasons for anything. I’ll think, “She seems like a Sophie.” And before long, she’s Sophie and there’s not a thing I can do about it.
WK: They really do come to life and become our friends, don’t they? Or enemies if you consider characters like Malfoy and Snape from Rowling’s Harry Potter series. You get to know them for better or worse. It’s hard to change a name after the fact. Considering what happened with Rowling’s series, who knows . . . the same could happen to Everyman. If it did, who would you like to star in the movie?
JR: David Cronenberg would have to direct it. Michael Pena might make a good David Tirado. I liked him in End ofWatch. Dane DeHaan from Chronicle could play Ian. He was good in Chronicle, and this is a similar role. Sophie’s tough since most actresses are too pretty to be her. She occupies that nebulous place in modern femininity that is entirely unrepresented in films. She’s not skinny, so she’s not the movie norm, and she’s not fat enough to be wacky. She’s just a little overweight and out of shape. Maybe if Alia Shawkat were a little older and wanted to gain some pounds for a dramatic role, she could work.
WK: That’s an interesting point. I hadn’t really thought about the in-between weight groups for women in the film industry, but I guess you’re right. I believe Alia Shawkat played in State of Grace. Is that one of your favorite shows? If not, what shows grab your attention?
WK: It’s definitely hard to go wrong with Stephen King, that’s for sure. The book was pretty good, but it’s hard to beat his classics. How about cartoons? Do you ever watch those?
JR: I do.
WK: Have a favorite?
JR: Archer. I’ve been told more than once that I remind people of Archer, and I really don’t know how to take that.
WK: I’ve heard it’s good. Only caught a snippet of one episode the other day, but it looked pretty entertaining. I’ll have to see more sometime. Maybe it’s the suit. So how about it? Do you have clothes, a game, or anything you can’t do without? It could be the suit. Nudge. Nudge.
JR: Probably not the suit. Iced tea is my thing. I don’t know if it’s possible to OD on the stuff, but I guarantee I’ll be the first human to find out.
WK: LOL. Well tell me how that goes. Just write a message on a foggy window or something. My character Alex is always deciphering stuff like that. To get back to books, which do you prefer as a reader, e-book or the real thing?
JR: Paperback. It’s not even close.
WK: One thing I noticed while reading Everyman is that you certainly have a distinct style. It’s fresh and easy to get into the rhythm while reading. How would you describe your writing style?
JR: A drunk guy telling you the world’s longest story.
WK: Haha! That’s great. Seriously . . .? Okay, okay, don’t look at me that way. I get it . . . you’re serious. Care to share . . .? Just kidding. That’s great characterization there – brings to mind Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.” Now, I’ll bet that thing really needed an editor when Coleridge first finished. How about you? Do you edit your own work, do it as you go, or wait until the first draft’s completed?
JR: There’s a little self-editing along the way, just so it doesn’t sound like I was writing with a massive head wound. Once I finish the rough draft, I go through it immediately to clean things up. In the old days, my first drafts were total messes, with objects and characters that sprang into being in the second half, blithely referring to earlier events like they were there. These days, my first drafts are a lot cleaner. Then they go out to alpha readers. I do a rewrite, send to beta readers, rewrite. I usually submit the 4th draft.
WK: Sounds a bit like me. In the end, it always seems like I spend more time editing than writing in the first place. On to a happier subject: reviews. What was the best review any of your books have gotten?
JR: I generally avoid my reviews, since I can’t even take compliments well. However, I did see one that I treasure. It was short enough, so my brain drank it up. Anyway, it was for my conspiracy noir comedy Mr Blank. “I didn’t like how this book was paced.” 4 stars. I loved the incongruity of high rating with negative comment. It made me smile.
WK: I’ve had a few that way too – one I can recall off the top of my head. I don’t remember which book it was from, but the review itself was glowing. Then I looked at the stars, and it was given 3. I was speechless; didn’t have a clue what to say . . . or think. I loved that they enjoyed the book, so I guess that was enough for me. Just threw me for a loop. It was kind of like the confusion I’ve felt by some of the rejection letters we authors wind up getting. They praise and say, “You’re Gods gift to the world,” but finish with, “Thanks, but no thanks.” So what do you do with your rejection letters . . . save ’em or throw ’em out?
JR: I’ll save ones if I think there’s pertinent information or if I want to save an editor’s contact information. Like if it’s a thoughtful kind of rejection and a “show me what you have in the future” kind of situation. Otherwise I throw them out.
WK: Those are always a bit more uplifting . . . the ones that say, “We like your writing, but this idea just isn’t what we’re looking for. Send us something else in the future.” Well, we’re about out of time. I want to thank you for joining us this evening, Justin. I do have one last question though before you stumble home. What does the future hold for you and your writing?
JR: You’ll have to find the old gypsy woman down by the river and ask her.
WK: LOL, I guess I will. Say “Hi” to her on your way home for me, but watch the . . . oh, steps . . . He’s alright folks. Thanks for coming, Justin, and for writing this exciting new novel.
For interested readers, to see my review and get your copy of Everyman, stop by Amazon today. It’s well worth the low price. I hope you enjoyed our little chat with Justin Robinson. If you enjoy Everyman, try one of his other novels for an added thrill. Thanks for being with us tonight. Good reading!
Weston Kincade ~ Author of the Altered Realities series, A Life of Death collection, and Strange Circumstances
I have another treat for you this week. After Bracken MacLeod last week, I thought I’d give you a little time to read Mountain Home. Now, there is another new book you just have to read, On the Lips of Children.
Mark Matthews’ On the Lips of Children pulled me in early on. The border-town issues were familiar, reminding me of my childhood in El Paso. While not an avid runner or tattoo aficionado, the symbolism and meaning connected me with Macon and Erin’s lives. Within the first chapters, Mark’s well-paced plot had me experiencing every footstep with him, riveted. By the time their daughter Lyric’s perspective engulfed me, the story was whirling by, her innocence eating at my heart, each stride drawing me from one word to the next. Who knew an innocent run through the park could be so startling and gruesome? Fans of thrilling chases and horrifying tales where family and innocence hang in the balance will certainly enjoy On the Lips of Children.
This was a hell of an exciting read. And I don’t just say that because I edited the novel. I originally met Mark when a mutual friend and editor, Katy Sozaeva, couldn’t fit him into her schedule early enough. We often work together on some projects and refer clients to each other when author schedules have to be adjusted. He contacted me through WAKE Editing about an edit for his newly written novel. I agreed and was pulled in by the book. I finished the edit and got it back to Mark. Then, a little over a week later, he contacted me saying he’d received a book deal. I knew the book was good, but was still a little surprised. As they say, it happens quickly once you find an interested publisher. Here we are a few months later, and the book has just been released in e-book with a great cover.
Here’s the short summary:
Meet Macon. Tattoo artist. Athlete. Family man.
He’s planning to run a marathon, but the event becomes something terrible.
During a warm-up run, Macon falls prey to a bizarre man and his wife who dwell in an underground drug-smuggling tunnel. They raise their twin children in a way Macon couldn’t imagine: skinning unexpecting victims for food and money.
And Macon, and his family, are next.
Here’s what a few other authors have said about the book, even one from Bracken MacLeod, last week’s interviewee:
“Mark Matthews’ On the Lips of Children is a sprint down a path of high-adrenaline terror that never offers the comfort of monsters you can dismiss by reminding yourself “there’s no such thing as…” The story alternates between harsh reality and an almost dream-like surreality while never losing sight of the real heart of good storytelling. Matthews demonstrates that you don’t have far down to go to reach the underworld, yet the road back up is a lot harder run than anyone is prepared to make.”
~ Bracken MacLeod, author of Mountain Home
“An ordinary running trail becomes the most terrifying place on the planet for Mark Matthews’ troubled, likeable, marathon-running, tattooed, hipster protagonists and their young daughter. But, for the horror-show clan living under that trail — who subsist on flesh and bath salts in a nightmare orgy of blood and crazy — the hipsters are a rare treat indeed. As the family v. family showdown transpires underground and off the beaten path, the vulnerability of running on a trail — alone but for the watchers in the woods — makes the setting unique and well-crafted. Written with verve, surprising compassion, and bite, On the Lips of Children is a seriously demented must read.”
~ Sacha Z. Scoblic, author of Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety
“On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews, is a dark, terrifying page-turner. It’s Stephen King’s Misery on bath salts. In a cave. It scared the crap out of me. The story was original. The characters were fascinating, exposing the reader to worlds foreign to most of us. Matthews has a knack for pacing his story then jolting the reader with a frightening plot twist. I was impressed by how he wrapped up the ending. Read this book.”
~ Michele Miller, author of The Thirteenth Step: Zombie Recovery, an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarterfinalist
“Mark Matthews’ keen ability to bring his own very real personal experiences to life in the guise of fiction, in this instance delightfully horrific fiction, makes even the macabre relatable.”
~ Peter Rosche, author of My Dead Friend Sarah
As you can see, there is a lot of hype about Mark’s new book floating around, and I truly hope more and more readers get a copy because it is well worth it. However, without further comment, here is the tidbit I believe you were waiting for, Mark Matthews himself.
WK: Welcome, Mark. It’s good to have you. I’m glad you could make the run over. A lot has happened since you and I first met, but all of it seems to be so positive.
MM: It is. It’s really been exciting, like my baby’s being born. Hey, cigars all around!
WK: Haha! Thanks, Mark. Glad to hear it. Now, I know this is something you’ve probably been asked time and again. Heck, I asked it before we ever started the edit. Where did the title of your book come from?
MM: “On the Lips of Children” is derived from the quote: “Mother is the name for God on lips of all Children.” This phrase is tattooed on the arm of the main character in the novel and was made famous by the movie The Crow.
WK: And a great quote it is. There were a lot of wonderfule quotes and connections, both symbolic and literal, in your book that really made it outstanding. Frost was one of those I could really relate to. Considering I’m not one for tattoos or a competitive runner, I’m sure it helped. If you could sum up your book in one sentence, what would it be?
MM: A tattoo artist, his human canvass, and their child get kidnapped by a blood-thirsty tweaker family raising their twin children in a San Diego to Tijuana drug tunnel.
WK: So where did the idea come from for this book?
MM: The idea came from a predawn, dark run in San Diego, nearly exactly as described in the novel including the hotel clerk. It was so dark I could barely see the trail, and ran by faith, not by sight. As I ran, bodies of sleeping homeless men were strewn about the trail, some of them shuffling as I passed, some rising, and my imagination grew.
What if these men were part of some insidious network, what if they were after me? I felt the specter of Tijuana not far from me, and eventually did more research into drug cartels and Tijuana kidnappings.
I came up with the idea of a mother who was trapped with her babies in a drug tunnel and would do anything for their survival, even if it meant feeding off the bodies of others. The twins are raised this way, and it changes them forever.
WK: No doubt. A shiver just ran down my spine at the reminder. That really is a heck of a good story. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
MM: Javier Bardem would make the perfect Dante. To play Erin, I see Clare Danes from Homeland, but only after Rooney Mara and Noomi Rapace (the two actresses who played Lisbeth Salander) both beat each other to a pulp up vying for the role. To play Macon I’d like to see Heath Ledger came back to life.
Angelina Jolie will be Lupita and Nick Nolte will play the role of Hank. Iggy pop will be playing the role of Padre, another homeless man. As for the director, David Fincher is already signed up (he just doesn’t know it yet.)
WK: LOL. Great cast. I hope to see it in theaters some day soon. Now, it seems to span a few genres though. Which camp are you in: dark fiction, horror, or speculative fiction?
MM: Dark fiction, suspense, adventure, horror, I can’t find a name for it. When my brain goes to story lines, it often goes to some extreme conflicts. I see fiction as life with the volume turned up, and nothing turns up the volume of life like a little darkness to outline the glow of the human spirit. You need the dark to see the stars, as the character Dante says after snorting some bath-salts.
WK: Too true. Can’t know good without evil. The contrast brings everything into a new light, and a creepy child or two makes everything more interesting.
MM: Of course. When I saw the trailer for the movie Mama, I thought, “Oh no! they already made my book into a movie.” But there’s no supernatural monsters in my book, not in the literal sense, but as one reviewer wrote, this novel will make you rethink Vampires. Plus, there’s a strange connection between the family who gets taken hostage, and the family who has trapped them within the drug tunnel. Both women are dealing with primal wounds and trying to protect what they love, while the men are trying to prove their worth through strength and ferocity.
WK: That’s true. I haven’t had the chance to see that movie, but I can certainly understand the statements your reviewers have made. It gives a whole new definition to vampires, because these aren’t vampires or supernatural in any way. It’s just a creepy, horrifying run. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
MM: Well, I wrote the novel listening to Nine Inch Nails and The White Stripes, so it carries the same tone. As I wrote it, I had the novel Cujo in the back of my mind. Novels only work when you care about the conflicts and goals of the characters, and that is what I have here: a story of family relationships where the characters are vivid and dripping with ink. The external fight of each character on the horrific day matches the rage and yearnings of their internal world.
The exotic nature of the Tijuana to San Diego drug tunnel needed as much care in developing as any character. I have been deep into the bowels of Tijuana to places I wouldn’t go back.
WK: Wow, you actually went there and sought them out. Now, that is dedication. How is this novel like your other novels?
MM: I am intrigued with any physical activity like running that turns up the intensity of your body, mind, and spirit, and how all of our yearnings start to grow with your training. The Jade Rabbit may be the feminine version of this visceral theme, while On the Lips of Children is the masculine version. Themes of pain and pleasure, and the lengths and hardship we will endure for what we love are all in there. Tattoos themselves are amazing in that the pain makes us feel more real.
WK: Perhaps that’s why so many runners also have tattoos.
MM: That certainly fits with Erin. Erin is a character who was a cutter as a teen, who later in life has the same desire to cut after she loses her first child but instead gets a piercing and a tattoo. She falls in love with both the hum of the tattoo needle, and the tattoo artist himself. He eventually fathers her second child, and she teaches him the endorphin rush of marathon running.
WK: That’s one heck of a back story for these characters too. The troubled nature of it all pulls you in, wishing you could help the characters. What type of readers will like this novel?
MM: I hope my mom and dad and the kid next door who lives in his basement with the blacked-out windows. In other words, I think anyone can enjoy and relate to this novel. The graphic gore in the prologue and the extreme situations to come only highlight the power and endurance of the human spirit, as well as the things we’ll all do to survive. Mother is indeed the name for God on the lips of all children, and love for family is at the core of this story. So far, advance reviews have been just as positive from mainstream fiction fans as from dark fiction fans. Mom’s review is forthcoming. Stay tuned.
WK: LOL, the dreaded mother’s review. Will she approve? Who knows. I can certainly understand and am reminded of times when my own mother asked the question, “You wrote this?” After a nod, I’ve been confronted with both positive and negative from my own mother. She’s a pretty good critic. So, one last question before I let you go. And I do plan on it, unlike Dante. What’s one of your favorite paragraphs from the story?
MM: It’s from the prologue:
“Their tongues were dry, her milk was gone, and the last bit of water in the plastic jug had evaporated. She wondered if her monthly bleeding would arrive to help her measure the time. She urinated often at first, but this had stopped, and there was little bowel to pass. Her fingers clamored over the flesh of her children, always feeling their skin, comforting every piece, holding them against her flesh, cradling them together. They may have been better off had their eyes never opened.”
WK: That was certainly a haunting way to start out. It sent shivers down my spine, but even it doesn’t fully prepare you for what is to come. Thanks for coming, Mark. It was great having you. Careful on your run home. We don’t need a reenactment.
For everyone’s benefit, I’ve included Mark Matthew’s bio below.
Author Bio:
Mark Matthews has worked in the behavioral health field for nearly 20 years, including psychiatric hospitals, runaway shelters, and substance abuse treatment centers. His first novel, Stray, is basedon experiences working in a treatment center with an animal shelter right next door within barking distance. He is an avid runner, and his second novel, The Jade Rabbit, is the story of a woman, adopted from China, who is raised in Detroit and runs marathons to deal with lingering trauma. Both novels have received excellent reviews.
He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, a licensed professional counselor, and lives near Detroit with his wife and 2 daughters. “On the Lips of Children” is his first novel with Books of the Dead Press, and he is thrilled to be working alongside such excellent authors. He blogs at; Running, Writing, and Chasing the Dragon. Or follow him on twitter at @matthews_mark
This is another book I’d advise people pick up. On the Lips of Children can be found on Amazon.com, Smashwords, and should soon be out in print. I hope you enjoyed our little visit today and have found another great book to add to your library. Stop back by again next week for another special announcement.
Weston Kincade ~ Author of the Altered Realities series, A Life of Death collection of novels, and Strange Circumstances
As the first official post at the new blog site, I’d like to say “Welcome!” to Bracken MacLeod. Just the other day, I got a chance to read Mountain Home, and what can I say? It was a very thrilling ride. I loved the myth and evolving characters running throughout. The book kept me reading, and I finished it in two nights. Thanks for writing the book.
WK: Now, if you don’t mind I’m going to jump right in here. I always wondered how other authors think about writing and approach a novel. Does your inspiration ever come from people you know?
BM: In a couple of cases it has. Sometimes, sideline characters are amalgams drawn from people I know or have known. In MOUNTAIN HOME, Leonard was kind of a way I had of spending a little more time with a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a very long time who was murdered a few years ago. The character is younger and more personally conflicted, but in his heart, he’s my friend. Neil is an awful lot like my grandfather was: kind and generous; ready to put himself in harm’s way to help others; devoted to his family. Bryce, Lyn, and Joanie, on the other hand, are all completely unique creations.
WK: I can certainly understand that. Drawing from those vivid people you feel passionately about can be quite cathartic at times. What about character names? Do you think they are at all significant?
BM: Character names are very important to me. I tend to be more symbolic about them in short stories, but I think that names have a power that comes from meaning and association. I try to pick names that, even if they have no special significance to the reader, mean something to me. That way, I feel a little closer to them. It helps me fill in the blanks.
WK: If you don’t mind my asking, which character resembles you closest from your books?
BM: I try to keep myself out of my work; I’m not a believable character.
WK: LOL, right. Somehow from the looks of that author picture, I don’t believe you. You look pretty intimidating in it. From the contrast of this interview and that picture, I can tell you’ve got a lot of sides to your personality. Mountain Home was pretty thrilling, but do you have a preferred genre you enjoy writing about most?
BM: I call it “secular horror.” It’s the subgenre that Jack Ketchum has perfected. You can send monsters from Hell, outer space, the bottom of the ocean, and the grave as much as you want, and it’ll never make me tremble as much as the things real people do to each other on a daily basis. It’s like crime writing, plus.
WK: So true. It astounds me what real people will do at times. Speaking of people. Who were your favorite authors?
BM: Albert Camus, Andrew Vachss, Cormac McCarthy, Joyce Carol Oates, Jack Ketchum, Christa Faust. I could go on and on, but I think those are the ones that I keep going back to more than anyone else.
WK: Great selection. What was the first thing you remember reading?
BM: The first book I remember being really moved by was Roald Dahl’s “Danny, Champion of the World.” Growing up with a single mother, it was the single father/son relationship in that book that really moved me.
WK: I’ve had my share of those moments. The books become like old friends. Do you think that is where you got the motivation to write, from a book?
BM: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Hell, I’ve been writing horrorfor as long as I can remember. I got in trouble in grade school (I was maybe ten years old) because we were asked to write a Christmas story, and I turned in a splatterpunk tale involving Santa Claus battling Ridley Scott’s Alien. It was even illustrated. If a kid had written it today instead of in the 70s he’d be expelled and probably sent to counseling. I just got held back at recess and a note sent home to my mother asking her to not let me watch any more scary movies. Fortunately for me, she doesn’t bend to authority any better than I do.
WK: It’s great when adults are just as corrupted as the youngsters, isn’t it? Speaking of corruption, do you have a celebration activity or something you like to do when you finish a novel?
BM: I enjoy a shot of expensive tequila. Hacienda del Cristero blanco is my celebration bottle.
WK: I haven’t had that tequila before, but maybe I should. We’re running out of time here, so I’ve got one last question. While not writing, what do you enjoy doing?
BM: Like almost all writers, I enjoy reading to an almost unmanageable degree. I also love the outdoors and camping. Part of the reason MOUNTAIN HOME is set in Northern Idaho is because I used to go camping up there. It’s so amazingly beautiful in the northern part of that state, I could easily imagine people fighting over a view of it.
WK: You can say that again. Thanks again for coming out, Bracken. It was wonderful talking to you.
So, readers, if you want a thrilling tale about a psychotic break all for a beautiful mountain view, not to mention a few other horrifying stories and characters you can’t live without, pick up Bracken MacLeod’s Mountain Home on e-book, available through Smashwords and Amazon.com. It’s a thrilling ride you won’t regret.
While I didn’t want to make the change, certain incompatibility issues between current technologies and Facebook forced me to move my blog. And so, here I am with a new blog and a new look. I certainly hope you like the design. I’ll be working through a few bugs and trying to get things figured out, but the old blog is still around for anyone who wishes to access old author interviews, announcements, and relevant posts. However, for now on with the new. I have a surprise coming up shortly, a great interview with Bracken MacLeod, whose new book Mountain Home was just published by Books of the Dead Press in e-book earlier this week.
Weston Kincade ~ Author of the Altered Realities series, A Life of Death collection of novels, and Strange Circumstances
David Tirado is a massive, hideous colony organism, a gestalt entity. The sum of Covey’s discarded parts. A roiling, chaotic patchwork of vast and varied personalities, memories, and physical forms that used to be a man − many men − David Tirado is a monster.
