Genesis (Part One) by Matt K. Turner

What in the hell is going on with Adam Markusson? While “regular” isn’t the word I would use for this extremely successful, wealthy, apparently good-looking and intelligent (the list wraps around the corner) young man, it’s supposed to be a given that he would at least check the “human” box, right? No?

Matt K. Turner, screenwriter of the film Family Weekend, tosses us headfirst into an intense, four-part novella that poses the question, “How much do you know yourself?” From Adam realizing he’s being followed by a goon of a biotech company called Helixe Corp. to cracking solid mahogany tables in half with his fists, it’s safe to say, “Not well enough.” Adam Markusson wakes up on what can only be described as a day from Hell and must race against his headaches to find answers about why his world has been turned upside down.

Genesis (Part One) contains all the right amounts of funny with simplistic dialogue and moments of suspense that will have you gripping the edge of your seat. Sounds good, right? It definitely is. My one gripe: this four parts business. Cut it out, Turner. Just cut it out.

I like to read my stories all in one go. I hate waiting. Blame technology. Blame a high supply and demand. Blame Americanism. Whatever. Waiting is horrible. #FirstWorldProblems (yes, I know this isn’t Twitter, and I just used a hashtag…kill me). It’s bad enough I have to wait for Orphan Black and Once Upon a Time every week. Lost Girl, Bitten, Dracula, and many more still haven’t released or even confirmed their new seasons yet. Plus, don’t even get me started on the shows that had season finales recently. I don’t need this extra stress. Literature is the one thing I haven’t had to wait for since Rowling released the last Potter book, and now you want to do this to me?

On a lighter note, the length of this book is convenient because it’s a quick read. However, I’m still going to complain because that’s what I do. For the past few months, I’ve been reading Stephen King’s Under the Dome, and trust me, this was a nice change of pace. When I got down to business, I finished those 40-ish pages in one day. The story immediately grabs your attention, but the format leaves a bit to be desired. I kept expecting more, yet felt like too much was crammed into a short amount of space. Its quick pace could be its downfall.

I’m betting King is impacting my opinion here because I’ve completely smothered myself with Dome, but this story was too fast for me. King’s very long-winded in terms of his literary style, sometimes unnecessarily so, but it’s his thing. It’s what makes it a King novel (by the way, I haven’t read any of his short stories, so I’m strictly talking about his novels here). It’s as if he prefers to drive for 8 hours as opposed to fly for an hour. This form lends his stories to be more detailed with extensive character development for even the most minor of characters. Sorry for the rant but, like I said, I’ve been reading this book for months, so I’m looking to tie it in somewhere (maybe I should just join a book club). I’m not saying Turner should pop out 1000 pages because that’s insane. Nobody has time for that, NOBODY. I’m thankful he didn’t, in fact, but I do think there were times when it seemed the story was moving too quickly. With an 8-hour drive, yeah, you’re on your butt for hours driving and that sucks, but look at the scenery! Look at the fact that you’re driving on an endless stretch of road with so many possibilities about where your life could go and blasting your music loudly with the windows down, singing like no one’s watching, or listening to that uninterrupted silence where you can think about everything under the blue sky that you never even got to consider before.

Of course, this is all perception. Maybe Turner didn’t want to write a long book. Writing and reading is hard and time-consuming. People have jobs and bills and kids and class and Tumblr. At this point, fiction, reading and writing even if it’s your livelihood, is a passion project. I understand why he would release a novella in parts. As a reader in 2014, short stories are conducive to our lifestyles. I don’t have to pick up a book and read, it’s a choice. As Tyrion says (I just started watching Game of Thrones a little over the week ago), “A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone.” There’s always been a market for short stories and novellas, but I’ve never been a consumer in that area. I’ve always preferred the drive, so I’m biased.

Overall, it’s a great story. I laughed out loud many times, and it was as though I was watching a film instead of reading. That’s another reason I think this book is geared towards people who don’t read much because they don’t have the time or they don’t like to. It’s good because anyone can read this. There’s no reason not to, except maybe that one part that’s a little R-rated, but who cares?

I am impatiently waiting for “Part II”. On Turner’s website, it says that it’ll be released sometime in March. Hm, what month are we in, kids? Although Turner might be a little busy because it looks like Genesis is getting movie buzz. I would see the hell out of that in theaters. I would spend my mother’s hard earned $10 to see that. Hell, I’d spend her hard earned $12 and see it in IMAX. It’d be a fantastic movie. It’ll be refreshing to see something in theaters that’s original, and  isn’t a remake or just plain stupid. Okay, Turner, if you tell me you’re off writing a script for Genesis the movie, then I’ll give you a pass on not having “Part II” up, but if not—I’ll find you, man. Just kidding. I don’t leave my house.

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