Ralph and the Purple Fly

by Christopher Brunt

Professor Conrad Constant has achieved everything there is to achieve in his area of scientific study. Now, having discovered a unique chemical formula that allows him to redefine some of nature's most sacred laws, his attention is drawn to more than mere acclaim. But before he can unveil his sinister work, Conrad soon realises there is no way of controlling what he does not understand and he is pursued across the city by the results of his bizarre experiments.

This story examines a character's obsession with attainment and the consequences of success. An unusual tale of an obese purple fly, a headless dog named Ralph and the city's one remaining can of fly spray

Genres: Science Fiction

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2014

About the author

Christopher was born in England in 1988, he now lives and works in York, North Yorkshire. He originally came to York to study a degree in English Literature and then an MA in Creative Writing and has since become a permanent resident.

Christopher began writing Ralph and the Purple Fly in 2011 and it remained as a short story until Christmas 2013 when he decided to extend and publish it as a short novel.

He is currently writing a two-part series entitled The Lost Family, the first of which is intended for release next year (2015). A synopsis of part one in this series, No Room for Potatoes, can be found on the PROJECTS page.

Reviews

[Igor Ljubuncic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short read. And a disturbing one.

Ralph and the Purple Fly is a very weird book. The protagonist is an eccentric professor named Conrad, who slowly starts losing his mind. He reminded me of Alan Turing blended with John Nash, and the symptoms he undergoes kind of match the story of A Beautiful Mind. Except Christopher tells the tale in a much more harrowing way.

The worst part is, you do not really know if what Conrard feels is real or a figment of his imagination. The narration style shifts between omni-potent third person, Conrad's view and a story teller's post-fact retelling, making it all the more confusing. There's a very strong element of psychology and clinial psychiatry involved with some deep pondering on life and ambition. You read expecting horror, and then horror comes in a sudden twist, and you don't really know how to react. The ending is particularly powerful, which is a good thing, because the start is a little slow and drawn.

Overall, this is an adults-only book, and it left me unsettled. If this was the goal, then mission accomplished. It raised a bunch of questions regarding Conrad, and there's no definite answer, so if you're looking for closure, you won't get it here. But that's part of the story's charm. If you like books and tales that provoke thought and leave you unhinged, this is a good one.

No limericks, because I don't want to spoil the tale.

Igor

[Samantha Lyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Conrad Constant’s life is, fittingly, one of constant, unfaltering routine. He has no personal life. He has forsaken friends, romantic prospects and most material comforts in order to devote every spare second to pursuing ‘higher’ aims. As a highly successful and respected biologist, his every minute is accounted for and he feels no regret for this devotion, as it is the only way to stay at the top and to be a valued contributor to his field.

If you are an academic, or are well aware of the inherent slyness, underhandedness and craftiness of this world, you will certainly enjoy this book. The wittiness and the combative dialogue at the beginning was perhaps my favourite part of the novella. The scientific arena is filled with interesting people who, though often determined, dedicated and ambitious, can, by necessity, be devious and defensive, knowing that a certain amount of one-upmanship is occasionally required in order to guarantee funding, respect and valued positions. Brunt captures this perfectly.

Constant knows that his peers expect amazing things from him; they don’t necessarily know what these amazing things will be, but they are sitting from a comfortable distance in eager anticipation. Constant’s desire to remain at the top of his field and to persistently push boundaries with top-secret projects sends the book down a very interesting path. We aren’t sure if Constant is spiralling into madness, whether to trust his perceptions or what will happen next. You expect one thing, and then something entirely different happens. Of course, you should probably expect the unexpected if the narrator is brilliant, insane and not entirely reliable. This strangeness creates an ever-increasing degree of suspense and keeps you turning the pages.

This dystopian novella is slightly gothic in feel and has a distinct, slightly old-fashioned prose which I found fitting and strangely comforting. There are elements of horror, comedy and science fiction, meaning that I have a hard time directly comparing it with another book. It is certainly not a light read, but is definitely an interesting one. You will likely be left with a number of questions following the end of the story, meaning that it will stay with you for some time. I’d highly recommend this book if you are looking for something out of the ordinary.

[C.A. A. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say this is a disturbing and weird tale is putting it mildly. I was not sure who was twisted and warped – the narrator or Professor Conrad Constant. Frankenstein, Doctor Jekyll, The Invisible Man were all characters that did diabolical things in their scientific laboratories, but this Conrad Constant gives the likes of such Gothic horror champs a good run for their money. It was confusing in parts, but that’s what kept me turning the pages.

[Scott Whitmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow-burning but fascinating little novel blending elements of comedy, horror and science fiction, Ralph and the Purple Fly by Christopher Brunt (@CJBWriter) still has me asking questions hours after turning the final page. This review is based on a copy provided by the author for that purpose.

Professor Conrad Constant is an eminent biologist, the author of textbooks, and winner of the prestigious Board of Biological Research (BBR) Grant of Excellence an unprecedented three times. Fussy and a bit prickly with others, the long-standing Deputy Head of Department at his University specializes in botany and embryology and, to put it mildly, his life revolves around his work. He has forsaken love, friendship, and most material comforts to further a career those in the know consider most promising.

On his behalf his colleagues had already decided that despite his various achievements the world had not yet seen the very best of Professor Constant. Apparently it was only a matter of time before he uncovered something groundbreaking that would put them all to shame for their inherent laziness.

“If anyone’s going to do it then surely it must be him.” One scientist had said to another; the other standing with his arms folded, fiddling contemplatively with his chin before looking up all of a sudden and nodding in ardent approval.

“Too right. Yes, I suppose he is the sort.”

“I’d put a month’s salary on the thing.”

— Brunt, Christopher. Ralph and the Purple Fly (Kindle Locations 77-83).

Professor Constant harbors quite a secret in the personal laboratory fashioned from a room in his apartment. Created through a series of experiments and tests unthinkable in a public setting, this secret is to be his crowning achievement, the culmination of a life’s work studying and deciphering the nature of life itself. What could possibly go wrong?

That’s probably as much as I can say about Ralph and the Purple Fly without revealing spoilers. At least I think they may be spoilers. Honestly, at this point I’m not completely sure if I know exactly what happened with Constant, Ralph and the purple fly as there is reason to question the ability of both the narrator and professor to relay the facts of the matter.

Please understand I’m not being negative when I express my uncertainty about what happened. The author does a wonderful job telling one story while providing tantalizing hints about something else entirely. Which is true? I don’t know but I’m still having a lot of fun pondering the possibilities — and isn’t that a wonderful feeling as a reader?

I can say the story starts quite deliberately and I suspect some readers may chafe at the pace. Hopefully more will be like me and find their curiosity about Constant and his secret propelling them forward. Also, as you can see from the quote above there is a lot of crackling dialogue that simply demands to be read using a British accent.

This is the first published work from Mr. Brunt and I will be curious to see what else comes from his imagination. For more about the author and his writing, visit his website

[Dave Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brunt’s novella is a satire of both bureaucracy and scientific excess reminiscent of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Fatal Eggs. Mixing absurdities with looming threat, it leaves the reader uncertain whether the narrator is falling into madness or standing alone against terrible danger.

Having reached the pinnacle of plant biology, Professor Conrad Constant has set himself two new goals: to overcome the laws of nature themselves; and to become Head of Department. Determined to succeed at any cost, he finds himself under attack from both a new bizarre form of life and his former colleagues.

Starting with the entirely plausible, if claustrophobic, world of university bickering and then introducing broad references to Constant’s research, Brunt smoothly increases the level of oddity such that when the narrative turns to an argument over the last can of fly spray in the entire city the reader feels the absurdity but not the implausibility.

The rest of the narrative unravels along the same course from unusual to believably impossible. Maintaining Constant as an unreliable narrator throughout, the descriptions provide plenty for the reader to enjoy and analyse without ever providing the certainty needed to separate reality from fevered imagination.

Unfortunately, especially for a story dealing with possible misconception, Brunt’s style of breaking a single character’s speech into short paragraphs interspersed with brief action sometimes left it unclear whether it was a continuation of the same speaker or a new speaker.

Conrad is a bitter, venal, and arrogant man. But he is also shunned, surrounded by equally venal men, and brilliant. While he is not a pleasant man, Brunt’s mixture of distasteful characteristics with circumstances that excuse some of his decisions makes him a compelling protagonist.

The supporting cast is similarly blessed with a good mix of distinctive traits and nuanced behaviour, extending even to the non-human characters. Both Constant’s dog-come-room-mate Ralph and the first, fat, purple fly to assault Constant read like separate stories intersecting this one rather than mere advancers of the plot.

I enjoyed this book, although I will be leaving it on the shelf for a while before re-reading it. I recommend it to readers looking for the confusion of Kafka without the soul-crushing nihilism.

I received a free copy of this novella in exchange for a fair review.

[Ben Warden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and rather mad account of a purple fly, a headless dog and the maddening state of endless ambition.

I found myself completely gripped by the final two chapters, slowing my reading pace hugely in an effort to cling to ever word and not miss a thing.

You will certainly have to be in the mood for something oddly intriguing to enjoy this; and do not mistake it for sci-fi, because that is far from what it is. The style hangs somewhere between a Franz Kafka modernist tale and something written by H G Wells. There really is a traditional element to this rather mad book, which you may want to cling to like a life raft!?! :]

While this is not a genre I would generally read I would highly suggest giving this a go. It a great read.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Professor Conrad and his strange intelligence that leads to experimentation. I enjoyed this book and following the poor Professors predicament in trying to prove others have stole his experiment. I thought this was a well written book and read it straight through. A bit strange in content it never the less is a compelling read.