“Fear Me” (2001)
Author: Tim Curran
Reviewer: Gabino Iglesias
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Tim Curran is not new to the horror game. “Skin Medicine,” “Hive,” “Dead Sea” and “Skull Moon” are all great novels that have helped Curran carve a niche in the genre as a sharp writer with a penchant for gore and a special southern noir touch. In “Fear Me,” Curran’s upcoming release with Delirium Books, the author is in fine shape with a story with enough violence, tension, gore and slithering, evil things to satisfy any reader.

“Fear Me” pulls no punches and plunges the reader straight into the brutal atmosphere of a maximum security prison where dehumanized inmates are ready to take a life at the drop of a hat and racial and gang tensions force everyone to live in constant worry. Romero is a hardened convict who receives a new cellmate by the name of Danny Palmquist. The new guy is a skinny little boy who Romero knows will not last in the raw and vicious world that is Shaddock Prison. Unbeknownst to Romero, the skinny blonde guy has a dark secret that will help him stay alive for longer than anyone expected while simultaneously turning nights at Shaddock into a time of fear and brutal deaths from which there is no place to hide.

Despite Romero’s hard exterior, years of keeping to himself have made the sense of solitude almost unbearable. Palmquist apparent defenselessness triggers something in Romero and he starts to intercede in defense of the new guy that now occupies the top bunk on his cell. Romero’s actions ruffle all the wrong feathers and he soon learns that powerful forces inside the prison are gunning for Palmquist in relation to something that went down during his previous stint in another joint. While the scrawny kid seems to require all the help he can get from Romero, he’s tell him otherwise: anyone who dares mess with him will have to face his brother’s wrath. Used to the blunt realities of life in prison, Romero laughs at the idea. Soon Romero, along with the rest of the prison, will learn that whoever messes with the new guy during the day will face a horrible, gut-splattering death at night.

Curran manages to create an ambiance or fear after the first folks that attack Palmquist are killed in their cells by something that can’t be stopped by doors or bars. The gore factor kicks into high gear as the tension increases and we learn that the brother Palmquist told Romero about is nothing like anyone could have imagined. When even the guards are scared senseless by whatever slithers around in the dark and exacts bloody revenge, the story is already headed towards its inevitable conclusion.

In “Fear Me” Curran demonstrate a great understanding of the inner workings of a maximum security prison and manages to describe the inhabitants and their practices without falling into boring, overused clichés. The writing is at times reminiscent of Edward Bunker’s “The Animal Factory,” but the story is far removed from anything in that book. With blood covering walls, screams and wet sounds in the night and a head floating on a dirty toilet, this book has all the elements to entertain horror fans. As a bonus, Curran manages to make humanity shine through despite the ugly, scary world he describes. Just for that, you should give “Fear Me” a read.