JADE is the latest episode in Gene O’Neill’s chronicles of the post-apocalyptic West Coast he calls Cal Wild, as depicted in THE BURDEN OF INDIGO and more recently in DOC GOOD’S TRAVELING SHOW. Like many of the earlier entries, it is a thoroughly gratifying story with a surprising amount of empathy and inventiveness for such a slim volume.
Jade lives with her adopted aunt and uncle in the San D Ruins of southern Cal Wild. Although burdened with a hunchback — a “quasimodo,” in the slang of the novella’s period — the feature that most people notice about Jade are her wide, round, beautifully green eyes. But she is known locally for her “special ability,” a talent for communicating with and influencing the behavior of almost all sorts of animals; she is often hired by farmers and herders to correct problems with unruly strays.
One day, Jade is hired by her friend Kaz, the beekeepers’ son, to lure a swarm of away from a nearby vineyard. As a reward, the vintners prepare a lovely outdoor dinner for the two. Before long, their friendship blossoms into love and they quickly make plans to marry.
But their happiness is offset by the sudden and disturbing presence of the Aryan Colonists to the San D Ruins. As their name indicates, this cult is bent on eliminating all physical and mental defectives in an effort to return the wasteland to a more pure state. Soon Jade, Kaz and their families are threatened with mob violence and lynching.
O’Neill unfolds this simple but intriguing story in prose that is economical, yet unexpectedly poetic. Without heavy-handedness, the author demonstrates how our bigotry and prejudices survive the worst kinds of cataclysm. Still, such bleak times also allow for love — and even, on occasion, miraculous transformation.
Bad Moon Books again has designed and packaged this work into something special. The evocative cover, section-heading art and interior illustrations are by Steven Gilberts, a frequent O’Neill collaborator. Also, there is an appreciative introduction by fellow genre author Michael McBride.
JADE, like its predecessors in the Cal Wild saga — and indeed, like most of O’Neill’s work — is one of those books that takes only a short time to read, but then tempts you back for repeated readings long after you’ve placed it on your shelf. —Alan Cranis
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• DOC GOOD’S TRAVELING SHOW by Gene O’Neill
• SHADOW OF THE DARK ANGEL by Gene O’Neill
• TASTE OF TENDERLOIN by Gene O’Neill
Related posts:
- Doc Good’s Traveling Show
- Shadow of the Dark Angel
- Model Life: The Journey of a Pint-Size Fashion Warrior
- Dragon in Chains
- Taste of Tenderloin
