Book Review – Doom Magnetic by William Pauly III

Cast your mind back to childhood – if you were a child of the 80s, even better. You’ll understand where I’m coming from. Remember the toys? I’m thinking specifically of play sets and the like. Remember excitedly tearing into some box full of garishly coloured plastic? Remember the action men frozen in dramatic poses, absurd weaponry, forts and vehicles? How exciting was it? It was a box of pre-packaged imagination that allowed you to delve into ridiculous fantasy. As I stare at William Pauly III’s ‘Doom Magnetic’, this is the feeling I have.

Consider the artwork. It’s a richly coloured collage of mysterious joy. It draws you in – just like the boxes that housed the toys of my youth. I’m automatically struck with a feeling of nostalgia and can’t help but indulge. And when I read what lies within, I do so with that same childlike glee. The action is a kaleidoscope of over the top joy. I can visualise Pauly’s hands physically clutching each character and controlling the action – just as I used to with my toy sets.

Doom Magnetic is, in essence, a steam punk, sci-fi western. It’s set in a future that feels like the past, with modern day accoutrements that possess futuristic capabilities (vans are capable of interplanetary travel for instance). The characters lurch about with grizzled western snarls and magical abilities. The ‘Doom Magnetic’ the title refers to is a physical tear in space performed by the cue ball-eyed, Qoser , who is one nasty individual. His mission is to recover a purple television, purportedly stolen by a dead man. He will wreak excessively bloody havoc in the process and make our inner 8 year old jump for joy.

The sense of absolute, completely unpretentious, insanity that fills each page is what really makes Doom Magnetic shine. The story itself is a vessel for the madness. This isn’t a cloying madness that paints the book with a ‘weird for its own sake’ façade. This is unadulterated joy. This is William Pauly handing each of us our favourite childhood toy and giving us permission to indulge. It’s pure FUN.

This is a book worthy of support. I am officially a fan of William Pauly III and find myself waiting like an impatient child for his next work to hit.

I am obliged to tell you that this book can be downloaded freely here.

However,

If you feel like supporting a great author, consider buying a copy here.

William Pauly III lives here.

Advertisement