Fiction Review

Explozion
by Ross Wells
ISBN-10: 059525411X
Review by Heather Froeschl

Some film directors leave you wondering what they were thinking, and some make you desperately want to know what inspires them. In Ross Wells' novel, "eXploZion!" the reader is immersed into one young film director's thoughts. What is revealed is downright weird.

Gabriel Black has a mild obsession with film. (Maybe not so mild.) He meets an addictive young woman, and together they work on sorting out who he is and what he will become. Along the way we read of Gabe's sordid past with various females, a couple of good friends, and the ultimate goal of producing films. His influences ranged from Mary Shelley to late night horror flicks on television. He collected dreams in the form of motion pictures. After a couple of student films, he became a film instructor for a private school, but that wasn't quite enough. His talent called him to move on to greater things. His relationship with the young woman, Isis, led him to a chance at a financed project and a permanent job. Strange things happen though, and like a scene out of a classic horror film, the unexpected occurs.

A cross between the Johnny Depp movie "Ed Wood," and a college course in film, "eXploZion!" is quite unique. Movie buffs will love it. As a story in itself, the plot was a bit out there, not exactly smooth, but something completely different. The tirades into books and films were a bit distracting to me, but then I'm not the obsessive fan that Gabriel Black seems to be. It certainly helped to bring his character across. It made me wonder though, if this book wasn't really just an excuse for the author to talk about his own passion. I don't know.

All in all, it is very different sort of book.