Review: Dement
Lyle Perez-Tinics Dement is a rollercoaster ride through one man’s loss of sanity. The main character, Mark Bliss, is an employee of a pawn shop who seems to be in a morbid, violent version of ‘Groundhog Day’.
What appears on the outside to be a normal business day for Bliss is in actuality a trip through his psyche and journey through Hell. His lack of connection to the real world and the constant reminder of a transaction he may or may not have actually conducted, Bliss is forced to relive a zombie apocalypse of differing versions and end results each time. Losing one’s mind is never easy and Perez-Tinics writing puts the reader center stage as Bliss experiences all this. Each version he lives has a different outcome yet the same character always appears. The senior citizen, Maggie, whom he screwed over on a pawn transaction, is the constant in each of his experiences with the zombie horde. Each of his breaks with reality becomes more and more involved. Are they dreams or nightmares? Fantasy or some twisted reality? In some, Bliss is a hero and decimates the demented to save himself. In other versions, he goes down fighting to the last breath using chainsaws, hammers, machetes and a Glock. In all versions, he is tormented by the image either of a ghost or zombified version of Maggie is ever present, haunting him with her presence.
In all of them, he wakes up from a dream or induced unconsciousness and tries to come to terms with what he just went through. Or did he? What starts out as drama type novel moves quickly into a Twilight Zone nightmare as the line between sanity and insanity is blurred.
Bliss has obvious issues with reality as he travels through the landscape that is his mind. Perez-Tinics writing is fresh and vivid with plenty of action, thrills and suspense. He tells his story with a loud voice that shows what he wants and leaves the reader wanting more. The depth of storyline and character are remarkable and detailed within just a few sentences. The plot twist with each version that his character Mark Bliss goes through is in itself a wonder to experience. Having read and reviewed the novella of this story when it was within an anthology, it’s a nice treat to read the full version and get immersed into the larger, overall storyline.
Lyle Perez-Tinics work is above average and is literally in a class all by itself. I look forward to reading more of his works and getting some insight into the author who can write this convoluted tale that takes the character and the reader on an emotional ride of hope and despair. The ending, though disappointing to come to the end of such an incredible story, was one that wasn’t telegraphed far in advance, came as a mild surprise.
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