Review of Brandy De Cusack’s “Incurable”

Incurable is a short story that takes place in the somewhat near future and tells the tale of Jesse, a young woman living in London who abruptly announces in the first sentence that she has murdered her husband. Sure, he was hungry and looking to eat her, but it was still homicide, nonetheless. Craig, her deceased spouse, does not go down easily, either. The author provides us with a fairly graphic depiction of what Jesse is forced to do to put Craig to rest, and what she is forced to do with his body after he finally stops twitching. From there, this tale only gets bloodier, more gruesome, and more fun…at least if you are in to things like that.
Incurable, as I’ve mentioned, is set in the near future, which gives it an almost surreal vibe with hints of new technologies and a world in turmoil (much like our own, but distinctly different). The main character sits in her house watching 3D virtual reality television shows that depict the world falling apart and she is immersed in the images-they surround her and permeate her, in more ways than one. She is, after all, transforming into something else, due to her very physical battle with Craig. And what a transformation it is. This story does fall into the category of an undead tale, though what Jesse is becoming is not quite a zombie, instead more of a mutation that is quite fascinating. She does hunger for fresh meat, but remains cognizant of who she is what she is doing. In many ways, the author has created a new monster far more sinister and powerful than any zombie could ever be.
The story moves at a rapid clip-again, this is a short story, so there is very little filler here, and we get to watch as Jesse understands not only what she is becoming, but what she must do to survive…and that is where things get even more bloodier, and more gruesome. This was a compelling little romp that could easily be expanded into something much larger than a short story, but at its length had an impact that felt like a swift punch to the gut as I read it. A good zombie/infected tale definitely worth checking out.

Incurable can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Incurable-ebook/dp/B0064OGOY2/ref=sr_1_13?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325723993&sr=1-13