#BlogTour Recursion by David J Harrison

It's my turn on the BlogTour Recursion by David J Harrison.

'The persistent drumbeat of pervading horror infiltrates the Lake District in David J Harrison’s thoughtful thriller full of mystery and intrigue.'

About the Author

David J Harrison only realised that Lord of the Rings had been read out to him as a sleeping child when as a teenager he sought an explanation for its familiarity. On a more conscious level, he was brought up on a diet of classic science fiction and fantasy, most notably the stories of Robert E Howard, Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp.

Little wonder that he chose psychology as his degree subject. He works in biotechnology, specialising in medical devices and is excited to have contributed towards several important new medicines. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and children who he stops reading to when they fall asleep. David says, “My inspiration was to explore memory, personality, and the effects of time on the human mind. I was influenced by the works of the psychologist Carl Jung whilst painting a picture of a return to the Lake District, the place of my fondly remembered childhood. The dark lens of adulthood changes things and irretrievably subverts the happiest of memories, and I use the emotional tensions of everyday life to fuel my writing.”

If you love works by Haruki Murakami and Steven King, you’ll love Recursion by David J Harrison.

Follow @Harrison55 on Twitter, Visit davidjharrisonauthor.com

About the book

Everything that is going to happen already has. - During a disruption in the timeline of a sleepy Lake District village the erratic and strung-out artist Haruki Kensagi cannot help but feel that he’s been here before, either in his past, or in his future. Haruki, struggling with both his painting and his mental health, disappears. His long-suffering wife Jane Kensagi, herself a brilliant musician, interrupts her career to look for him unaware that a malignant and ageless entity awaits them both under the dark fells of the Lake District.

The estranged couple become caught up in a dangerously recursive series of events surrounding a dormant cosmic force. They encounter a cabal of enigmatic characters who may hinder or help in equal measure. And over all this madness, the monstrous but charismatic Captain presides; part faith-healer, part cult-leader, all saviour. Haruki and Jane are taken to the limits of sanity and beyond in their attempt to escape from the evil that has been unleashed.

Review

The story of Haruki Kensagi wanders in time in a way that makes it harder to discern what past, present and future are, where they are and by whom they are being experienced at any given time. Haruki feels as if déjà vu has become a constant voice in his inner ear. 

It begins with the following of orders without question, regardless of possible consequence. Gut instinct is eradicated by higher powers of persuasion and evil intent, and perhaps it ends in exactly the same way?

What's at the core of the horror and the premise - the conundrum of whether the alien presence is evil or does the external presence just exaggerate the evil in mankind? Is the concept of an alien being inserting itself and seeping into the very fabric of people merely a projection of base nature. Is it easier to live with the idea of other than confront the reality of our actions. The megalomania and ego that drives cult structure and behaviour. Or is it all of the above and something evil this way comes?

It's an interesting combination of horror, speculative and sci-fi fiction, perhaps more so because the author navigates all of the different genre elements without any of them overshadowing the other ones.

Buy Recursion at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎The Book Guild Ltd; pub date 28 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.