“Nekropolis” carries the subtitle “A Matt Richter Novel,” so we know Tim Waggoner is planning to create a series involving the titular world and its zombie detective Richter. This is good to know, because the novel is packed with two books worth of characters, details of the fantasy world it creates, and back story as to Richter’s origin. This would be overkill if Waggoner was trying to resolve everything in one volume, but knowing it was the beginning of a series forgave this occasional feeling of information overload and I enjoyed the ride.
Nekropolis is a realm where all of Earth’s undead have fled to escape the humans hunting them down. Waggoner takes full advantage of the freedom this concept provides by offering up a world of vampires, zombies, creatures of his own device, sections of the world with their own rules, and so forth, as complex as the world building of an epic fantasy series.
The good new is these details aren’t just told, but are shown while we are catapulted from page one into a mystery to be solved by Matt Richter and his client Devona. Devona is half-vampire and their relationship develops in a way that also makes it clear they will be teamed up in future installments.
Devona’s father is the leader of a powerful group of vampires controlling much of the enterprise in Nekropolis. She is in charge of his vast collection of priceless and magic artifacts. She hires Matt to help her recover one that is stolen and this takes them on a non-stop adventure through many different sections of the realm where they encounter many fascinating adversaries, including ghouls who feed in seedy clubs, vampire cyborgs and a mysterious creature with insect spies dispatched all over Nekropolis. The end is not predictable and nothing is as it originally seems.
Aside from the occasional information overload described above, there are lots of chases and fisticuffs along the way, as well as genuine horror. This is the start of an excellent series that is an effective hybrid of urban fantasy, detective noir and horror.
– George Wilhite
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
