Vampires of Avonmouth

by Tim Kindberg

Plagued by his inner demon, a detective leaves behind his beloved daughter. In exile, he finds himself rebelling against a dystopian world of mental enslavement, where technology connects directly to the brain.

Everything changes when a ship arrives from his former home in West Africa, carrying a vampire who hungers not for blood but mental energy. He falls in love with the woman she hunts – despite himself. For the monstrous secret inside him wants to get out. How can they possibly survive?

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Ghana, Vampires, Gothic, Dystopia

332 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2020

About the author

Nottingham -> Cambridge -> San Francisco -> London -> Palo Alto -> Bristol -> Copenhagen -> Bristol -> Guangzhou -> Bristol.

Operating at the intersection of the strange and the mysterious.

Reviews

[Ross Jeffery]

Vampires of Avonmouth is a beautifully rendered vision of the future (2087). It’s a techno-dystopian sci-fi but has some grounding in horror (possession of some sort and Vampiric in thematic devices - spliced with a distinct vision of the future).

Kindberg splices elements of science fiction into this offering with great aplomb and these reminded me of some of the work from Asimov and Dick in their visionary reach and crazy.

I didn’t particularly gel with the language of this offering I found it quite cold and clinical (intellectual) for my liking (but that probably speaks more about me that it does Kindberg’s craft, because the guy can write - this book was just a little out of my wheelhouse.

If you’re after something that different from the norm and visionary in scope I’d recommend checking this out.

It wasn’t for me - but I’m sure it’ll find an audience. (DNF)

http://vampiresofavonmouth.com

[Michael Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the vampire genre had been pretty much done to death, perhaps even a stake firmly driven through its heart. However, Kindberg avoids the Transylvanian clichés and finds a distinctive new angle with African vampires and has plenty to say in his journey beyond the analogue and digital into a convincingly constructed dystopian future world. With a heady mix of legend, witchcraft, AI, and a population sedated by consumerism, there is a quest underlying the action and we are left guessing to the conclusion, who really is the hunter and who the prey, who can be trusted and who will survive. This can be read as just a good story, but Kindberg weaves into the action questions about the nature of consciousness, free will, love and plenty more. There are even nods to the Turing test, and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness; never a bad thing. I would possibly have preferred the seriousness leavened with a bit more humour, but in the film of this intensely visual book, there will be a wonderful sight gag to play with as a robot has to continuously regenerate in different humanoid forms for reasons you will discover when you read this book. The most enjoyable vampire book I have read since Barnham’s, “Among the Living”.

[Mr Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires of Avonmouth is actually the first book I have finished in a very long time. The author evokes a dark, dystopian future whose psychological challenges drive the key protagonists ever deeper into a form of seemingly insurmountable trauma whilst they are driven on by the overwhelming desire to achieve ultimate liberation of mind. The skillfully painted scenes are superbly atmospheric. I felt an empathetic connection with the struggles of the characters as the narrative itself simultaneously entices the reader to wrestle with the conceptual ideas of mind & meaning. Creatively juxtaposed Ghanaian symbolism & the interplay of "altered" minds artificial, controlled, invaded, liberated all serve to highlight how precarious the journey to understanding ourselves has already been and how it will inevitably only continue to become more and more convoluted. An essential & unavoidably human story. Thought provoking and highly recommended.

[A.A. Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tense dystopian thriller, well-written and so brilliantly described that it is completely believable. ID cop David lives in Avonmouth, a hot polluted city in 2087 England. He has been forced to flee the free zone of Westaf to protect his daughter from a psychic vampire implanted in his brain. Afraid the vampire will grow in strength if he falls in love, he avoids friendships and visits prostitutes in a seedy hotel.

There, he meets Pempamsie, a woman eager to banish her own vampire - and flee from a far more dangerous foe, who is already crossing swords with David.

The thrilling adventure that follows offers David and Pempamsie hope of a better future, while also plunging their lives into danger.

[Max Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Afro futurist gothic noir finds interesting ways of re telling elements of classic vampire fiction. Set in a strange near future, made almost unrecognisable by advancements in communication technology, yet eerily familiar, so as to act as a cautionary tail in a way reminiscent of the the best episodes of Black Mirror.
The world building is consistent, thou not overbearing, logically extrapolating a future based on the way we interact with technology now and taking it to its bleak and dehumanizing conclusion.

The narrative follows someone isolated in this world who must shed his daemons to find connection.

[Nicola Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This complex, intelligent, intriguing novel makes the reader work gratifyingly hard to keep hold of the enticing, overlapping threads which explore, from intersecting angles, what it is that makes us human. Futuristic and ancient ideas are set against a backdrop of familiarity which is almost out of reach, and at the same time, very near. The characters are infused with a sense of longing to return to a simpler time which stays with the reader long after the book is read.

[Penni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling vision of our realities in the present day, through the lens of the future, you realize just how much our minds are inhabited by psychic vampires manifesting as corporations. I loved the use the adinkra symbols to convey messages.

[Runalong]

DNF - Unfortunately the style and world here didn’t grab me as much as I was hoping for - not my cup of tea