Book Review: PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD

 

The latest volume in Frank Dello Stritto's series of books combining classic horror film characters with historical fiction is PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, from Cult Movie Press. 

Like the other three books in the series (A WEREWOLF REMEMBERS, CARL DENHAM'S GIANT MONSTERS, and THE PASSION OF THE MUMMY), this novel presents a world where all the characters of classic horror and science fiction films actually existed, and the events in those features actually happened. I'm a huge fan of this series--I personally call it the "Strittoverse"--and I'm constantly impressed and amazed with the creativity and ingenuity that the author displays in putting everything together. Characters from the most famous movies of all time smoothly interact with supporting players from the cheapest of poverty row thrillers--and instead of seeming forced and arbitrary, the idea works out so well you wonder why Dello Stritto isn't writing screenplays (his storytelling talents are sorely needed in today's cinema). 

PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD is set in 1983, and the main character is a young man named Brent Marassas. Marassas' father is seriously ill, and the man sends his son on a quest to investigate the lives and activities of 13 mysterious European scientists who immigrated to America after World War One. The older Marassas is convinced that one of the 13 is his father.....but the son finds that the strange baker's dozen were all involved with experiments in hypnotism, mind control, black magic, voodoo, and zombies. 

The young Marassas journeys from New York, to New Orleans, to the Caribbean, to even....Idaho (!), all to try and determine his family's history, and to determine what this group of scientists were exactly up to. It's a fast moving and complex tale, touching upon the numerous legends of the living dead and world & religious history. 

As in the rest of the books that make up the "Strittoverse", there's plenty of surprises along the way, along with a number of familiar movie characters, and some that will have you going over to IMDB. PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD has the same clean, impressive design as the other books in the series, and it is heavily illustrated with pictures of the "people" that Marassas either encounters or investigates. 

It must be pointed out that the author focuses on the stories of the living dead and zombies mainly produced before the 1968 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. If your idea of zombies revolves around Romero, Fulci, and THE WALKING DEAD, this book probably isn't for you (but you should read it anyway). 

When the author announced he was writing this book, I wondered how much of a story he could tell, since I assumed that there were very few movies and TV shows dealing with zombies before George Romero totally changed the way the living dead were looked upon. But PATRON SAINTS happens to be the longest book in the series, at over 540 pages (you certainly get your money's worth). Dello Stritto makes all sorts of connections and associations I never would have dreamed of, and most of all he makes them work within the overall story he is telling. 

As someone who is a film and history buff, PATRON SAINTS OF THE LIVING DEAD is right up my alley. It's an engaging and enjoyable read, and it gives anyone diving into it plenty to think about. Film/history geeks will love it. I can only imagine which trail the "Strittoverse" will go down next.