Gene O'Neill

REVIEWED: The Burden of Indigo
WRITTEN BY: Gene O'Neill
PUBLISHED: March, 2002

This is a strangely beautiful story set in a dystopian society of an outcast's journey of hope and morality. I say " strangely beautiful," because the protagonist is a convicted pedophile, yet the reader is drawn into empathizing and rooting for someone who, under most any other circumstances, would be found appalling and despicable. In this not-too-distant-future, criminals have their skin dyed according to the severity of their crimes and sent to live in the wilds, outside of society's protection. The book follows Gaetan (now known only as an Indigo Man) in his older years as he discovers that the dye on his skin may finally be beginning to fade, and he contemplates the life he once had and what a new future may bring. Powerful, poignant, and demonstrative, this book is a captivating exploration of a multi-layered world and mindset.

Five out of Five stars… (meer)

REVIEWED: Rusting Chickens
WRITTEN BY: Gene O'Neill
PUBLISHED: 2011

I read this Gene O'Neill novella right after reading his novel, "The Burden of Indigo," and, had I not known better, would not have known they were written by the same author. That's a good thing. I've read O'Neill's shorter stories as well, and he has a talent for writing in compelling voices that are each unique to the tale being told. In this, a wounded war veteran returns home and questions his sanity as he tries to find his place in civilian life. Tragic, yet also touching, "Rusting Chickens" creates a believable and rounded protagonist centered in a grim mystery.

Four and a Half out of Five stars… (meer)