A review by clarks_dad
The Healthy Dead by Steven Erikson

5.0

Okay, so he's definitely channeling Pratchett...

These one-off tales are really something I'm beginning to look forward to in the overall drama that is the Malazan Book of the Fallen. For those interested in my reading order, I'm attempting to backtrack a bit to follow this outline:



In this novella, Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and their manservant Emancipor Reese stumble upon a fascist state obsessed with healthy living. Yes, you read that right. This novella is hilarious and explores the various means of social control human beings have subjected each other to in microcosm. As usual we have the unexpected confluence of separate events that all reach climax at the same time (that's what she said). While it may seem a well-worn formula for Erikson's shorter prose at this point, I don't mind it in the slightest. In fact, I'm starting to anticipate the twists and unexpected turns and he has me on the lookout for conflicting events. I still manage to feel surprised by the resolution, even if I do have some hints as to what's going on along the way.

For the life of me, I can't understand why this series isn't a bigger thing than it is.