By Tim Sullivan
Avon Books
I recently revisited this excellent novel, so I thought I would post a short review.
The Parasite War is a 1989 novel written by novelist / filmmaker Tim Sullivan. If you've been a regular reader of this blog, you may already know that I am a big fan of Sullivan's microbudget cinema, as well as his written fiction. I did a write up of his film, Vampire Femmes, and included his excellent Eyes Of The Werewolf, on a list of some of my favorite werewolf films. I also covered the amazing Ron Ford film, Dead Time Tales a.k.a. Things 3: Old Things a.k.a. Deadly Tales, which Mr. Sullivan had an acting role in.
This pulpy, sci-fi / horror / action tale follows a group of societal outcasts, led by ex Vietnam combat veteran, Alex Ward, who battle a parasitic alien species called colloids. The colloids invaded the Earth three years ago, infecting the human population, taking control of their minds, and ultimately devouring them from the inside out. Now, Alex and the rest of the survivors must find a way to purge their planet of the gelatinous intruders from a far off planet.
The Parasite War is a book brimming with atmosphere. With images of dank sewers, dark tunnels / alleyways, burned-out buildings, and desolate highways, Sullivan vividly captures the apocalyptic feel of planet Earth, after the alien invasion. He fills this world with interesting characters, such as the mentally scarred combat vet, Alex Ward, the religiously fanatical, Samuel, and the schizophrenic doctor, Claire, to name only a few. It is filled with many existentialist themes, such as humankind, and it's effects / responsibility to the planet it inhabits, and the individual's place in the scheme of things. There are several interesting plot twists throughout, especially one that involves the two main characters, Alex and Jo, and their sexual intimacy. I highly recommend The Parasite War. That's just my opinion. Your's may differ.
