cover image The Megarothke

The Megarothke

Robert Ashcroft. Cinestate, $16 trade paper (300p) ISBN 978-1-946487-06-3

Ashcroft takes posthumanism to a sinister place in an intense debut set in an ominous and suspenseful postapocalyptic hellscape. In 2044, orbital weapons rained down planetary devastation during the Hollow War. Seven years later, only 50,000 people are left in Los Angeles. Theo Adams, a guilt-ridden and despondent former LAPD cop, fights the Scourge—patchwork creatures that are part AI and part monster—led by the mastermind called the Recluse. The Recluse also created the Megarothke, a multidimensional god whose followers, the cult of the Trans-Sentients, are on a mission to punish humankind for its violence and self-indulgence. Theo failed to stop the Trans-Sentients when they began modifying human DNA with nanotechnology, creating the progenitors of the Scourge; he blames himself and is determined to make amends. When the Recluse demands 100 humans per month as sacrifices, Theo and a ragtag band of soldiers descend into tunnels under L.A. to confront the Megarothke and his fiends. Ashcroft’s novel builds a strong sense of dread into a gritty condemnation of playing god, and it’s perfect for fans of the creepy and philosophical. (Feb.)