Epeolatry Book Review: The Eris Ridge Trail by Larry Hinkel

I love this book’s concept – finding oneself completely unaware. One minute you’re driving down a new shortcut only to realize the world you know isn’t entirely the same. Unusual differences creep in and stack up. Four-legged beings, not your average animal but a monster with a face filled with teeth, take chase. And the radio in your car starts talking to you, telling you to get the heck out of Dodge. But you can’t, you’re trapped. I get goose bumps thinking about this happening to me. As if I’ve entered the realm of Stranger Things with Millie Bobby Brown, (for those of you who know, “The Upside Down” – I can’t wait for the final season!)  And maybe I’m over-romanticizing the chilling, supernatural landscape I’d need to navigate safely – watching it unfold is certainly nothing like full-blown immersion. But might I enjoy the ride? If I can survive it. 

Four main characters – Shelly, Erick (his dog Koko), Craig, and Wayne (and his dog Sammie) – are going through the same ordeal separately, lost in the “Far Beyond” until they stumble upon one another. Readers will need a degree of suspended disbelief for Hinkle’s work, because there’s no given reason for why or how people enter the cosmic supernatural landscape. And other tidbits of resurrection and youthfulness aren’t fully understood or known. This reader is curious if, let’s say, a radioactive rip occurred in the atmosphere around The Eris Ridge Trail, creating the cosmic supernatural world, which lures certain individuals within its clutches. Or maybe a dark mistress, specializing in the dead and illusion, is behind it all, who created an alternate universe. 

The prose in Hinkle’s fiction dealt more with telling than showing, leaving much non-feeling on the table. One remedy for this: action beats. More action beats within the dialogue provide a profound sense of the character’s inner world, conflict, and understanding of their struggle, giving me a better vision to hold onto, relate to, and see their perspective, and increase my feelings and emotions. I struggled to connect emotionally to the tale and characters as it’s written. The minor conflict among the characters felt superficial and confusing to read. One of the characters’ victim personae turned me off, and I disliked him throughout the manuscript. He seemed like the antagonist, but not enough to completely derail escaping The Eris Ridge Trail.   

The characters team up to try to get out of the “Far Beyond”, as you’d think they might. They come across more creatures, more landscapes, and foreign territories. The ending left a lot open for interpretation and wasn’t satisfying. I wonder if there’s a deeper meaning to the “Far Beyond” that I’m missing. And unfortunately, I’m not invested enough in Hinkle’s work to allow my imagination to run wild or have the freedom to immerse myself as I’d hoped. 

I’ve re-read this story a few times and struggled to enjoy it.  In theory, I want to recommend this piece to readers. But in practice and application, it didn’t work for me. I wish the outcome were different, because I know authors work hard and tirelessly at their art. However, looking over many other reviews of Hinkle’s book, quite a few folks enjoyed his prose, which means you might too.    

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.