Punktown by Jeffrey Thomas
Incomparable Stories Of A Fantastic, Futuristic Metropolis And It's Denizens
Like Ray Bradbury, Jeffrey Thomas writes dark science fiction at the
border of horror, and like Bradburys collection, The Martian Chronicles,
Thomass Punktown uses a shared setting to tell very different stories of
very different characters, both human and alien. The Martian Chronicles
follows the rise and fall of the human colonization of Mars, while
Punktowns nine stories (seven previously unpublished) follow a more
subtle arc, examining the course of human development, from destructive
youth through the dangers of parenthood and career to late adulthood,
when losses and the weight of memories bring their own horrors. As The
Martian Chronicles uses the future to consider mid-American, midcentury
concerns, Punktown uses the future to reflect a fin-de-siècle present
shaped by brutally rapid change, by rampant abuse, by the dehumanizing
acts of governments and corporations, and by serial-killer epidemics and
schoolroom massacres. But in the end, Punktown little resembles The
Martian Chronicles. And, though it is not in the same league as Bradburys
classic, Punktown demonstrates that Thomas is a rising talent of

considerable power and imagination. In The Reflections of Ghosts, an
artist clones himself to make art for sadistic patrons, until he finds himself
trapped in the ultimate self-absorption. The shadows of Poe and
Lovecraft lie subtly over The Palace of Nothingness, a mysterious,
abandoned factory that may not be empty after all. And a chip-implanted
detective who can forget nothing must examine mass-murder scenes in
The Library of Sorrows. --Cynthia Ward
Personal Review: Punktown by Jeffrey Thomas
All I can say to this new author is...WOW! What a great compilation of
stories. Interesting, well written, imaginative, and absorbing; you won't
want to leave Punktown once you submerge yourself into its seedy
depths.On the planet of Oasis, an Earth established colony is formed
called Paxton, but is known to everyone on Oasis as Punktown. In this
colony, people from many different worlds and cultures live crowded into
the apartments and streets, the colony overflowing with teeming life forms
from the native Choom to the strange L'leweds and Antses and Waiais and
of course the Humans.Although each chapter is a separate story, they all
blend into each other as a single fully developed tale of the colony itself,
and the lives that carry out their existence there. When I read the first two
chapters, I found myself being a little disappointed that they seemed to end
rather "unfinished", like there should have been more wrap up to that
particular tale. But as you read along, this feeling will fade because you
realize that the overall concept of the book is that "life goes on", and you
begin to feel the continuum of Punktown itself; as an entity comprised of
individuals and not the individuals themselves.My favorite chapter has to
be the first one, "The Reflections of Ghosts", about an artist who clones
himself to make artwork out of his creations, twisting the helix here and
there to cause mutations according to whatever specs his customers wish.
He calls them "Starfish" because of their complete lack of intelligence, but
his narcissistic captivation with his "art" will be his downfall. Wait till you
read about his "wall piece". Yuck.Next, in "The Flaying Season", we follow
a human woman named Kohl who lives in the Antse part of the
neighborhood, and cannot seem to let go of her past even though it has
already been erased."Wakizashi" is a very strange tale, introducing us to
the L'lewed, one of the strangest residents Jeffrey Thomas dreamed up for
Punktown. This chapter gives us a reason to ponder just how far does
Tolerance extend when you are dealing with such diverse
cultures?"Precious Metal" is a new look at "Man vs Machine", a rather
interesting tale that would be at home in Asimov's "I Robot". (Yes, it's that
good!) Mob bosses and a robot jazz band and beautiful women make this
tale a tasty and satisfying addition to this collection. "Heart For Heart's
Sake" is a beautiful tale of love conquering both evil, and artistic desires.
Teal has created the perfect piece of art, his best work ever, and his
girlfriend Nimbus does the performance art within his creation. But what
price could possibly be worth such a treasure?"Face" is a different kind of
love story; the unconditional love of a parent for their child. This chapter is
not about the conquering power of love, but the gut-wrenching pain that
familial love can cause, and just how far one will go to never let go of their

love. Or avenge it."The Palace of Nothingness" is a short, futuristic
Haunted House story."Immolation" is an interesting and sad tale of a
"Culture"; which is a clone specifically created for work. Would these
"Cultures" have feelings? Love? Anger? Would there be room in their
"brain-drip educated" minds to feel friendship, affection, or perhaps even
seek vengeance? The last chapter in the book, "The Library Of Sorrows",
is about a cop named MacDiaz who has a photographic memory chip
installed in his brain. This proves to be great for solving crimes and
tracking killers, but just how many grisly scenes can he handle having total
image recall of? At what point does one grow weary of the carnage?This
is the first book I have read of Jeffrey Thomas's, and I must say it is
absolutely wonderful. I loved the world he created, and the different aliens.
His descriptions of the strange beings bring them out into flesh without
teetering over into boring repetitiveness or patronizing "you should know
what I'm thinking" prose. The characters are well though out, believable,
and likeable; and the scenes they wander through flow like mind candy
past the eye. Punktown is a fast read, which is good, because you will
want to stay up reading this one. Enjoy!
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