Kaiju Canyon

by S.T. Cartledge

When a hunting expedition goes missing during a freak earthquake in the Australian Outback, the Alice Springs Police Department sends out a search team to find the missing hunters. Instead, the rescue party discovers a newly-formed canyon in the heart of the Outback.

Nothing could have prepared them for the horror that awaits them as they find themselves besieged by gigantic flying monsters and mutant lizards.

Kaiju Canyon is an action packed journey into primordial terror, where every step you take may be your last.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2016

Reviews

[William III · Rating 4 out of 5]

S.T. Cartledge returns to offbeat fiction with a fast-paced tale of a rescue party gone horribly wrong...like truly, horribly wrong...like the worst things that could possibly happen HAPPEN kind of wrong. While the first half of the book has you hoping the missing persons are found completely intact, the last half has you throwing all that out and hoping at least SOMEBODY makes it out alive! The story flows at breakneck pace and will leave you wanting more. Which brings me to my only complaint: the story should have been a full novel, rather than a short novella. Still, the story entertains as is, and I look forward to reading more from this young author.

[Ian Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

An amusingly schlocky over-the-top action/horror novella about giant monsters in the outback from my fellow Perth resident Shane Cartledge, Kaiju Canyon also fits like a glove into the Severed Press lineup. One look at their webpage shows their propensity for cheesy monster books of every stripe - kaiju, sea monsters, zombies, fighting mechs and so on.

There are some fun ideas here, but as a young author Shane will need a lot more experience under his belt to pull them off. It needs a great deal of work on the dialogue, characterisation and pacing. It could benefit from better descriptions of the rugged yet beautiful landscape, the monsters and the characters as the potentially impressive imagery is not adequately conveyed.

Personally I disliked the completely humourless tone. I would not have wished for a Sharknado-style carpet-bombing of humour but a happy medium would have been nice. The characters all being deadly serious at all times grates.

Nonetheless it ripped along and I finished it in an evening.

[Ryan Rossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drawn to this book because I love the idea of an Australia centric kaiju story, and because I bought it straight for the author himself. Despite its short size, I hoped for an interesting take on giant monsters.

What I read was closer to a novelization of the Sharknado movies, but without the fun and camp. Cartledge wrote Kaiju Canyon very very straight, even when it forced its monsters names on you it tried to take itself seriously. It was schlocky, stiff and none of the characters really clicked or had any strong motivations, which I guess can be forgiven for its size. The ultimate battle was not detailed and very anticlimactic in the end.

It was too short to hate, and very amaturely written (closer to fan-fic and free internet erotica than something I expected to be published). I don't regret buying it, and I am still pretty keen to read his other book I bought from him.

[Rodney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What​ ​I​ ​know​ ​of​ ​Shane​ ​Cartledge’s​ ​writing​ ​generally​ ​lies​ ​within​ ​surreal​ ​and​ ​dreamy​ ​bizarro​ ​ala Day​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Milkman​ ​and​ ​House​ ​Hunter.​ ​His​ ​story​ ​“​Wizard​ ​and​ ​Robot​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Land​ ​of​ ​Sand​ ​and Bones”​​ ​from​ ​The​ ​Four​ ​Gentlemen​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Apocalypse​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​memorable​ ​I​ ​have​ ​read. Kaiju​ ​Canyon​ ​throws​ ​a​ ​curve​ ​with​ ​the​ ​author​ ​writing​ ​more​ ​traditional​ ​book​ ​of​ ​terror,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​lost group​ ​of​ ​campers​ ​and​ ​giant​ ​prehistoric​ ​creatures​ ​awakening​ ​from​ ​within​ ​the​ ​earth.​ ​Biomega​ ​and Thornelius​ ​Rex​ ​are​ ​formidable​ and​ ​frightening​ ​monsters,​ ​each​ ​with​ ​an​ ​army​ ​of​ ​their​ ​own​ ​as​ ​they clash​ ​against​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​menacing​ ​the​ ​characters​ ​in​ ​the​ ​story.​ ​The​ ​scenes​ ​are​ ​descriptive​ ​and paint​ ​a​ ​graphic​ ​picture​ ​of​ ​the​ ​impending​ ​chaos.
While​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​shorter​ ​piece,​ ​the​ ​ending​ ​did​ ​wrap​ ​things​ ​up​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​too​ ​quickly​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​That considered,​ ​I​ ​enjoyed​ ​seeing​ ​another​ ​side​ ​of​ ​Cartledge,​ ​and​ ​look​ ​for​ ​what​ ​he​ ​pulls​ ​out​ ​of​ ​his​ ​head next.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one starts out with a solid punch, and keeps slamming fists until the finish. It reminds me of some of the grittier old giant monster films that didn't get overly science fiction, silly, or weird. Concentrates well on action, big monsters eating people, and everything else it should. Solid all around.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Bad

Okay. This book started off with promises. Some were fulfilled and the others were not. Too many unanswered questions and maybe a cliffhanger. There was no funny parts at all. Just dark and depressing. Read at your own risk. Hopefully there will be more character development in next book.