It is quite the feat to have a story that begins in one place and ends up in a completely different one; but these themes mesh together so well.
For Tom Carlisle’s Marginal, you have a story which feels centres on cults and how they manipulate and enslave people’s minds and actions, but gradually the author peels back the surface to something supremely wild.
Rob, a former cult member who managed to ‘escape’ is told that his brother (also a cult member), has been found dead at their remote convent and he makes the decision, with a podcaster (Lucy) in tow, to go and recover his brother’s body.
For Rob, the emotional scars left on him by the convent and its charismatic leader Bjorn start to tear as soon as he arrives back there. The manipulation and mind games going on will infuriate you, but also compel you to keep reading.
What does Bjorn have to hide? And, what did really happen to Rob’s brother?
We also see things through fresh eyes with Lucy, who is desperate to get an exclusive look at the convent, but ultimately she gets way more than she envisioned and wanted.
Marginal is as much a tale about cults and control as it is outright science fiction, and I will try not to spoil the surprise, but you won’t guess where this story is going…
This was my first read of Carlisle’s work and his writing is assured, his characters are compelling and he creates a narrative that always has cogs moving which made this a brisk but enjoyable read.
Marginal by Tom Carlisle is now available in various formats from Titan Books.
Bloody Flicks 