Oasis of the Damned

Massachusetts author Greg F. Gifune (b. 1963) has earned many accolades, highlighted by winning Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and International Horror Guild awards. I've enjoyed reading his novels like Midnight Solitaire, Children of Chaos, and Apartment Seven. It has been a long time since I've picked up one of his books so I decided to read a military-styled horror novella called Oasis of the Damned. It was originally published in 2014 by the now defunct DarkFuse and now exists as the first half of a twofer titled Oasis of the Damned & Heretics: A Novella Double-Shot. 

The novella begins with a woman named Richter awakening from a helicopter crash. Readers learn she is a U.S. Army Transport Helicopter Pilot that has been downed somewhere in the middle of a vast scorching desert. Miraculously, a man named Owens arrives quickly on the scene and helps her gather some belongings for a long walk to a really odd place. 

Owens leads Richter to an old WWII camp that consists of one small square building and a larger tower-styled building. As Richter gets closer she sees sandbags stacked up near the entrance of the tower. Owens is fairly discreet and doesn't provide many details other than the place exists in the middle of nowhere, the chances of rescue are non-existent, and the only thing keeping him alive are the leftover rations from decades ago and the oasis of fresh water inside the camp. 

After a quick introduction Owens begins preparing for some sort of invasion. But what could possibly be happening in this doomed and desolate place? As night falls Richter learns that zombie-like creatures with razor sharp talons and teeth descend onto the camp in an effort to kill Owens. Through the battle, which includes both of them fighting hordes of monsters with guns, grenades, and swords, Richter discovers that Owens is the last survivor of a large crew of refinery engineers. Every night these creatures emerge and a battle of willpower and determination ensues. The key to success is decapitating the creatures and then burning the bodies. However, the creatures can also appear in other forms including hyenas and the bodies of the people they have killed. Needless to say these are some truly terrifying creatures.

Gifune's novella is like a cross between any first-person creature-shooter game and a deranged episode of Lost. This desolate military camp isn't all that it seems to be. When Richter decides to leave the facility the end result is something out of an old Twilight Zone episode – all roads out of town just lead back to town. To spruce up the one-dimensional “1-2-3-Kill!” action, there is a terrific backstory as Richter recalls the tragedy that befell her younger brother in their childhood home. These flashback sequences explain Richter's fighting spirit and her battles in Iraq during two years of active duty. 

Oasis of the Damned was a quick enjoyable read at roughly 90 pages, give or take a large font or two. Gifune's style has always been “hit 'em hard” while still embracing a smooth calculated delivery to spook his reader. I've never read a bad book by this author and Oasis of the Damned is another testimony to his storytelling talent. Recommended. 

Get a copy of the book HERE