An exquisite mix of the horror and psychological thriller genres
A rip-roaring, action-packed adventure story with more than a little otherworldliness thrown in for good measure, The Anomaly features pretty much everything you could want from a summer blockbuster: danger, intrigue, double-dealing, frustrated romance, campfire cooking, horror, puzzles, and archaeology. Appropriately described as an “utterly gripping thriller for fans of Michael Crichton, Indiana Jones and the X Files”, it takes readers on a perilous journey to the Grand Canyon and a quest to discover the location of a long-lost stash of ancient treasures.
Nolan Moore is the host of The Anomaly Files, a YouTube series dedicated to unsolved mysteries, conspiracy theories and all that goes bump in the night. He’s an amateur archaeologist and, for all the schlock that the series involves, he does at least attempt to inject some truth into his investigations, although more often than not, each episode ends with a distinct lack of discovery. His latest project looks like it might change things though, as Nolan is hot on the trail of hunter and explorer G.E. Kincaid, whose 1909 expedition to the Grand Canyon – conducted under the auspices of the Smithsonian – allegedly uncovered a cave system packed with wonders, before being mysteriously erased from the archaeological record.
Nolan and his TV crew – Ken, the producer/director, Molly, the assistant producer, and Pierre, the irritatingly handsome cameraman – along with Feather, a representative of the show’s new sponsor, Gemma, a reporter writing an article about the show, and Dylan, their river guide, set out down the Colorado River and, in a development that astounds them all, actually find the entrance to Kincaid’s cave system. They discover artefacts beyond even their wildest dreams (and definitely far beyond the quality of the material more commonly found on YouTube) and, after getting enough impressive shots for their show, decide that they better leave and report the find to more legitimate archaeological authorities. Unfortunately for them, escaping from the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the caves proves far more difficult than they expected…
The Anomaly represents an exquisite mix of the horror and psychological thriller genres; it’s a taut and atmospheric novel that expertly mixes action-adventure-type thrills with jump-shock-style spills, to say nothing of the fair amount of gore and general grossness that the characters encounter. Nolan Moore is a compelling central character. He knows the reality (and quality) of The Anomaly Files, but he aspires to produce decent investigative journalism and, despite the prevalence of bunkum that he and his team have peddled in previous episodes, he does actually attempt to seek out “real” mysteries. Of course, with Kincaid’s cave he has succeeded that bit too much in terms of tracking down evidence that there is far more going on in this world than conventional science can possibly explain.
As Nolan and his team initially discover the spectacular secrets lurking within the cave and, later, as they attempt to escape from it, there is a palpable sense of danger hanging over the story. The mystery of what Kincaid found and the question of why his expedition was so roundly forgotten draw readers in, while the tension that surrounds the group’s attempts to flee from the cave keeps readers hooked as the story progresses. There is a real feeling of menace to the situation that Nolan and the others find themselves in, and it is clear that there’s no easy way out of it. All this leads to an exciting, intriguing and often distinctly frightening story about a quest for the truth that goes horribly wrong. There’s also a distinctly cinematic quality to The Anomaly, which hopefully indicates that a film version will be coming soon.
Nolan Moore is the host of The Anomaly Files, a YouTube series dedicated to unsolved mysteries, conspiracy theories and all that goes bump in the night. He’s an amateur archaeologist and, for all the schlock that the series involves, he does at least attempt to inject some truth into his investigations, although more often than not, each episode ends with a distinct lack of discovery. His latest project looks like it might change things though, as Nolan is hot on the trail of hunter and explorer G.E. Kincaid, whose 1909 expedition to the Grand Canyon – conducted under the auspices of the Smithsonian – allegedly uncovered a cave system packed with wonders, before being mysteriously erased from the archaeological record.
Nolan and his TV crew – Ken, the producer/director, Molly, the assistant producer, and Pierre, the irritatingly handsome cameraman – along with Feather, a representative of the show’s new sponsor, Gemma, a reporter writing an article about the show, and Dylan, their river guide, set out down the Colorado River and, in a development that astounds them all, actually find the entrance to Kincaid’s cave system. They discover artefacts beyond even their wildest dreams (and definitely far beyond the quality of the material more commonly found on YouTube) and, after getting enough impressive shots for their show, decide that they better leave and report the find to more legitimate archaeological authorities. Unfortunately for them, escaping from the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the caves proves far more difficult than they expected…
The Anomaly represents an exquisite mix of the horror and psychological thriller genres; it’s a taut and atmospheric novel that expertly mixes action-adventure-type thrills with jump-shock-style spills, to say nothing of the fair amount of gore and general grossness that the characters encounter. Nolan Moore is a compelling central character. He knows the reality (and quality) of The Anomaly Files, but he aspires to produce decent investigative journalism and, despite the prevalence of bunkum that he and his team have peddled in previous episodes, he does actually attempt to seek out “real” mysteries. Of course, with Kincaid’s cave he has succeeded that bit too much in terms of tracking down evidence that there is far more going on in this world than conventional science can possibly explain.
As Nolan and his team initially discover the spectacular secrets lurking within the cave and, later, as they attempt to escape from it, there is a palpable sense of danger hanging over the story. The mystery of what Kincaid found and the question of why his expedition was so roundly forgotten draw readers in, while the tension that surrounds the group’s attempts to flee from the cave keeps readers hooked as the story progresses. There is a real feeling of menace to the situation that Nolan and the others find themselves in, and it is clear that there’s no easy way out of it. All this leads to an exciting, intriguing and often distinctly frightening story about a quest for the truth that goes horribly wrong. There’s also a distinctly cinematic quality to The Anomaly, which hopefully indicates that a film version will be coming soon.