The ancient Abersaurus has risen from the sea in a fury! Can anyone save Britain? Not this group of thickos!
Over the course of taking a look at the novels, short stories, and novellas written by individuals in our community, none get as uniquely amusing as Kaiju Time Slip, by Charles E. P. Murphy. Set in a dystopian Earth, the novella takes the “days of future past” trope, and completely flips it on its head. Gone are serious, terrifying alien names like “The Greys”, “The Reptillians”, or “The Xillians”… say hello to THE ALIEN BASTARDS!
Set in a post-apocalyptic (sort of) London in the aftermath of a horrific alien invasion, humanity has decided that their only hope is Earth’s defender, Abersaurus, monster from the deep. The only problem, however, is that said savior kaiju was killed, creature feature style, by Earth’s military forces, several years before the invasion began. Thus, as a last ditch effort, four scientists are sent to prevent the murder of the gargantuan goliath, by any means necessary. From interrupting bureaucratic meetings full of dim-witted politicians, to directly infusing cocaine into an alien, there is nothing off limits in this kaiju black comedy. Will they succeed? Will the aliens catch up and travel back even further in time? Guess you’ll have to read Kaiju Time Slip to find out!
Some of the highlights for me, personally, were the stylized writing by author Charles E. P. Murphy, that feel cynical, yet amusing at the same time. The lengthy, detailed rampages of Abersaurus are filled with all of the regular kaiju stuff you’d expect — buildings crumbling, military shooting tanks, you name it. But beyond that, the descriptions are truly hilarious, etching every minute detail of what is going on in the populace fleeing the scene. But don’t worry, you are frequently reminded that it is entirely futile, as they, the common British folk, are just ants to be squished.
I think the funniest joke in this entire book is probably the reference to Doctor Who fans questioning why the titular protagonist is not currently saving them from this alien invasion, because honestly, I think a lot of particular folks in fandom would probably go that far in their wish for a savior that would never come. Or maybe he will, and I’m just a non-believer.
Another personal love gathered from this book is the POV sections from Abersaurus herself. I always love when kaiju fiction writers place us into the mind of the creature, and here, it’s done effortlessly, giving us a perfect, engaging first-person perspective of what a giant reptilian beast would be thinking in its fight against puny, “hairless beings”, disgusting eldritch squid entities, and the world around her.
If you’re into kaiju books at all, you should probably check this out. However, if you like black comedy, dark humor, and the comedic punch and wit of an adult-oriented primetime television show, this book is absolutely for you. Just be warned, if you don’t like crude language, graphic sexual humor, and very blunt political jokes about politicians, don’t pick this book up… or do, because it’s funny and we want you to laugh. Please. Just laugh.
Overall, Kaiju Time Slip is a quick breeze (121 pages!), and will make you laugh out loud, maybe pee a little bit, but please don’t tell the folks at Kaiju United about it.
About Charles E. P. Murphy
Charles E.P. Murphy started writing one day and nobody made him
stop. He has written short stories and novellas for himself as well as
independent companies like Sea Lion Press, NeoText, and Ghost Orchid.
As a child on holiday in New York, he saw Godzilla 1985 on the TV
and was blown away; the special effects in his head remain excellent. Other
formative kaiju films were Terror of Mechagodzilla, Gorgo, and the 90s
Gamera trilogy, especially the Manga Video dub with the techno music.
Follow his Amazon page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-E-PMurphy/e/B015UTGDJW/ or
https://www.amazon.com/Charles-E-PMurphy/e/B015UTGDJW/ to be alerted when the next book’s out
Find him online at https://twitter.com/cepmurphy
