FOE: Iain Reid
Reviewed By Steve Stred
“Our roads aren’t worn out from overuse but from neglect.”
At some point Iain Reid came into my periphery of authors I needed to check out and his two fiction releases, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” and “FOE” became books I was always told I needed to read. As more people saw my likes, books that interested me etc, these two would always pop up inevitably in conversation.
For one reason or another, both just stayed on my “need to purchase list” and I never got around to it.
Then about a month ago, I was looking at the book section for my son at a local Dollarama, and lo and behold, there sat a brand new hardcover copy of FOE. I didn’t even hesitate. I snagged it, and boy am I glad I did. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy of FOE for my father in law and ordered both a physical copy of “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” as well as snagged the kindle copy so I could start reading it ASAP. I’ll be starting that tonight.
FOE is a unique read in that nothing happens but so much happens. It unravels at a snail’s pace but the entire time the story gallops along.
There are three main characters and a house. Junior, Henrietta and Terrance.
That’s the overview of the story.
One day Terrance arrives at their farmhouse, way out in the middle of nowhere. He tells Junior he’s been randomly selected to be one of the first people to live on the Installation, Earth’s first attempt to colonize space. When he’s leaving isn’t fully known, but they need to prepare and Terrance will visit them a few times before he goes.
Throughout Reid keeps the creepiness factor at an all-time high. Dread and foreboding perspire off of each page and at one point I had this thought; “I know exactly what is going to happen and I have no idea what’s going to happen.”
There is a surreal dual ending that both played out lavishly and expectedly but completely surprised me and left me with so many questions.
This book has catapulted its way onto my all-time favourite books list and I’ve had a number of people say “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is even better.
Can’t wait and the bonus here is that I’ve found another amazing Canadian writer blazing a trail in dark fiction.
FOE
You think you know everything about your life.
Long-married couple Junior and Henrietta live a quiet, solitary life on their farm, where they work at the local feed mill and raise chickens. Their lives are simple, straightforward, uncomplicated.
Until everything you think you know collapses.
Until the day a stranger arrives at their door with alarming news: Junior has been chosen to take an extraordinary journey, a journey across both time and distance, while Hen remains at home. Junior will be gone for years. But Hen won’t be left alone.
Who can you trust if you can’t even trust yourself?
As the time for his departure draws nearer, Junior finds himself questioning everything about his life – even whether it’s really his life at all.
You can buy FOE from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Steve Stred
Steve Stred writes dark, bleak horror fiction.
Steve is the author of the novels Invisible & The Stranger, the novellas The Girl Who Hid in the Trees, Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick, and the dark poetry collection Dim the Sun.
On September 1st, 2019 his second collection of dark poetry and drabbles called The Night Crawls In will arrive. This release was specifically created to help fund the 1st Annual LOHF Writers Grant.
Steve is also a voracious reader, reviewing everything he reads and submitting the majority of his reviews to be featured on Kendall Reviews.
Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog OJ.
You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred
You can visit Steve’s Official website here
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