Title: Hunter/Gatherer

Author: Benjamin Percy

Release date: March 5th, 2024

Over the last few years, I’ve read a couple of Percy’s outstanding novellas – ‘North Border’ and ‘Wereworld’ – which were both fantastic. I’m not an avid comic book reader, but do know of his phenomenal output in that world, and as of yet, I’ve not yet read any of his long fiction, though I do own, ‘The Dead Lands,’ ‘Red Moon,’ and ‘The Ninth Metal.’ Why I’ve not read those yet is beyond me, especially considering that my friend, Mason McDonald has threatened to fly to Edmonton and force me to read them over and over again. But also, considering how fantastic the novellas have been that I’ve read, it makes no sense.

When ‘Hunter/Gatherer’ was announced, I hit that Kindle preorder button as fast as I could, and once it loaded on my Kindle, I dove into it two nights ago, struggling to sleep with how over-tired I was due to the head cold I was battling. Without knowing what it was about – I just assumed it was another werewolf story, ha! – I was in for a pleasant surprise. Quick paced, tension packed and carrying a wonderful environmental narrative, this was a novel’s worth of story jammed into a hundred pages of fury.

What I liked: The story kicks off with ultra-rich asshole, Trevor, wining and dining some influencers, along with his soon-to-be ex-wife, as they land on the moon. He’s about to publicly kick off his lunar space tourism business and wants to get some promo and press done ahead of time. Unfortunately, something has been growing on the moon, out of sight, and when it attaches itself to one of the folks and escapes on earth, Trevor does the only thing he can think of – he tracks down the one man who can track down this alien entity.

Enter Axel Crossgate. A man happy to live off the grid and who struggles with the death of his wife, a death that Trevor directly played a role in. Axel begrudgingly agrees to track this ‘thing,’ if only to satiate his own curiosity. Percy does a great job of creating these two characters, Trevor – who could very well be any of the uber-rich d-bags paraded daily in our news feeds, and Axel – the everyman, the guy who works better with his hands and prefers seeing wildlife in person than on a screen. Axel knows his place in the pecking order, both when it comes to Trevor, but also when it pertains to nature. And it’s this understanding that allows him to formulate a way to track the alien entity but to also work with it in a sense.

The extra-terrestrial was a unique ‘terra-former,’ one that caused rapid-cellular regeneration and with that, of course, opens up the super-rich to think of ways to become even richer. Greed is a heavy hand and Percy showcases that angle superbly. Which lead to a well executed ending.

I will add, this also featured some truly gorgeous illustrations from Brent Schoonover, which really highlighted the imagery Percy was painting throughout.

What I didn’t like: While I enjoyed Axel reconnecting with his daughter, it did feel a bit forced within the story and what ended up happening with her character was really predictable.

Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a single sitting, fast-paced novella that packs a wallop, then look no further. We get some nature vs big tech themes, as well as a great ‘alien stowaway’ storyline that is always intriguing.

Percy always creates such amazing characters and the stories he surrounds them will are great. This one is no exception. And now, I need to read one of his novels!

5/5