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Lost Level #1
The Lost Level
When modern-day occultist Aaron Pace discovers the secrets of inter-dimensional travel via a mystical pathway called The Labyrinth, he wastes no time in exploring a multitude of strange new worlds and alternate realities. But then, Aaron finds himself trapped in the most bizarre dimension of all � a place where dinosaurs coexist with giant robots, where cowboys fight reptilian lizard people, and where even the grass can kill you. This is a world populated by the missing and the disappeared, a world where myth is reality and where the extinct is reborn. Now, side-by-side with his new companions Kasheena and Bloop, Aaron must learn to navigate its dangers and survive long enough to escape... THE LOST LEVEL.
Apex is proud to present the first book in Grand Master Award winner Brian Keene's long-awaited new series, a loving ode to lost world classics like Burroughs's PELLUCIDAR, Howard's ALMURIC, and Lansdale's THE DRIVE-IN, but with a thoroughly modern twist that only Brian Keene could conceive.
Apex is proud to present the first book in Grand Master Award winner Brian Keene's long-awaited new series, a loving ode to lost world classics like Burroughs's PELLUCIDAR, Howard's ALMURIC, and Lansdale's THE DRIVE-IN, but with a thoroughly modern twist that only Brian Keene could conceive.
171 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2014
25 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
Brian Keene
383books2,934followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
June 27, 2024
When occultist Aaron Pace begins experimenting with travel between dimensions, he finds himself trapped in The Lost Level, a realm purported to be inescapable. Will Pace buck the odds and find his way back home?
I've never read Brian Keene before and this is far from his normal fare, a planetary romance of sorts rather than his usual horror tales. While it wasn't my favorite book of this type, it was quite enjoyable.
As I mentioned above, The Lost Level is Brian Keene's homage to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Land of the Lost, and similar works. While it obeys the conventions of the Sword and Planet/Planetary Romance genre, complete with buxom warrior women and many-legged creatures, Keene puts his own twists on it.
Rather than being a dynamo like John Carter, Aaron Pace is an occultist but still fairly capable. While traveling The Labyrinth, a dimension connecting many others via portals, Pace stumbles into the Lost Level, an inter-dimensional Sargasso where the flotsam of the multiverse collects. Soon after arriving, he meets Bloop, a creature resembling The Beast of the X-Men, and Kasheena, a nearly naked warrior woman. Together, the trio try to find Kasheena's settlement in the hopes of getting Pace back to earth.
Keene does a good job aping the style of the genre without sacrificing his own voice. His descriptions of the denizens of the Lost Level were vivid without being too flowery and he managed to convey a feeling of jeopardy throughout, unlike a lot of similar books.
The Lost Level setting itself was pretty cool. I love the idea of an inescapable garbage dimension populated by all matter of things, from cowboys to dinosaurs to the Nazi Bell. Since I was a Keene virgin prior to this book, some of the references were lost on me but I did notice references to the Rising and the Clickers sequels.
The Lost Level was a lot of fun but I wished it was about twice as long. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Keene's Labyrinth mythos has me intrigued and I'll be sampling more of his works in the future.
I've never read Brian Keene before and this is far from his normal fare, a planetary romance of sorts rather than his usual horror tales. While it wasn't my favorite book of this type, it was quite enjoyable.
As I mentioned above, The Lost Level is Brian Keene's homage to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Land of the Lost, and similar works. While it obeys the conventions of the Sword and Planet/Planetary Romance genre, complete with buxom warrior women and many-legged creatures, Keene puts his own twists on it.
Rather than being a dynamo like John Carter, Aaron Pace is an occultist but still fairly capable. While traveling The Labyrinth, a dimension connecting many others via portals, Pace stumbles into the Lost Level, an inter-dimensional Sargasso where the flotsam of the multiverse collects. Soon after arriving, he meets Bloop, a creature resembling The Beast of the X-Men, and Kasheena, a nearly naked warrior woman. Together, the trio try to find Kasheena's settlement in the hopes of getting Pace back to earth.
Keene does a good job aping the style of the genre without sacrificing his own voice. His descriptions of the denizens of the Lost Level were vivid without being too flowery and he managed to convey a feeling of jeopardy throughout, unlike a lot of similar books.
The Lost Level setting itself was pretty cool. I love the idea of an inescapable garbage dimension populated by all matter of things, from cowboys to dinosaurs to the Nazi Bell. Since I was a Keene virgin prior to this book, some of the references were lost on me but I did notice references to the Rising and the Clickers sequels.
The Lost Level was a lot of fun but I wished it was about twice as long. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Keene's Labyrinth mythos has me intrigued and I'll be sampling more of his works in the future.
May 27, 2015
This is the way it could have been done and perhaps should have been done. Brian Keene has taken the genre of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar books or Otis Adelbert Kline Mars and Venus books, and even perhaps the Dray Prescott books of Allan Burt Akers actually written by Kenneth Bulmer and given them new life.
Pure escapist reading with no holds barred non stop action and adventure. An interesting side lite of the book is Keene ties the novel into his complete universe of novels which do not have to have been read for this one.
Fun stuff... lets see if the series (the next two are already planned) continue as long as the Ackers books which was a sequence of fifty-two books.
Pure escapist reading with no holds barred non stop action and adventure. An interesting side lite of the book is Keene ties the novel into his complete universe of novels which do not have to have been read for this one.
Fun stuff... lets see if the series (the next two are already planned) continue as long as the Ackers books which was a sequence of fifty-two books.
May 28, 2015
As a massive fan of Brian Keene, I go into any new book of his with certain expectations. It does not matter whether said new release is his typical horror fare, or whether it represents Keene stretching his wings and trying something different. In fact, I tend to enjoy it when authors take chance and try something else, even if my enjoyment of such releases tends to vary.
So it was with The Lost Level, Keene's pastiche to numerous authors and their significant works, including Edgar Rice Burroughs and Joe R Lansdale, as well as a TV series I have fond memories of from my very early youth, Land of the Lost.
The plot is simple: Occultist Aaron Pace pays the price for being nonchalant with his travels between dimensions and winds up in a dimension from where there is no escape, the titular Lost Level. It happens to be a place where the refuse from all kinds of inter-dimensional rifts wash up, so it isn't long before Aaron - who is recounting his tale in a notebook he has come across many years after the events he is describing - runs afoul of all manner of weird and wonderful beasts. When he recuses a native woman and a blackish-blue, bipedal, cat-like-monkey creature from a group of upright lizard men, the rest of the book concerns itself with Aaron and his new companions making their way back to the woman's tribe and all that the things they encounter along the way.
It's a simple, straight-up pulp read, which is enhanced by a strong familiarity with Keene's Labyrinth mythos, since everything from Clickers, to zombies caused by Hamelin's Revenge, to a supporting character from a short story he wrote called Lost Canyon of the Damned included in An Occurrence in Crazy Bear Valley make an appearance.
Other than this, what you see, is what you get. Keene's prose is always smooth and unassuming, easy on the eyes and the literary palate. And yet it still took me a over a week to read this 170 page novella. I puzzled over why I was prioritising everything else that I was reading, but I could come up with nothing more enlightening than The Lost Level never really grabbed me. It's a solid read, and I'll likely return for the sequels it sets up, but I won't be chafing at the bit for it in the way I am regarding several of Keene's other upcoming projects.
Recommended to those looking for a decent adventure yarn.
3 Possible Answers to the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle for The Lost Level.
So it was with The Lost Level, Keene's pastiche to numerous authors and their significant works, including Edgar Rice Burroughs and Joe R Lansdale, as well as a TV series I have fond memories of from my very early youth, Land of the Lost.
The plot is simple: Occultist Aaron Pace pays the price for being nonchalant with his travels between dimensions and winds up in a dimension from where there is no escape, the titular Lost Level. It happens to be a place where the refuse from all kinds of inter-dimensional rifts wash up, so it isn't long before Aaron - who is recounting his tale in a notebook he has come across many years after the events he is describing - runs afoul of all manner of weird and wonderful beasts. When he recuses a native woman and a blackish-blue, bipedal, cat-like-monkey creature from a group of upright lizard men, the rest of the book concerns itself with Aaron and his new companions making their way back to the woman's tribe and all that the things they encounter along the way.
It's a simple, straight-up pulp read, which is enhanced by a strong familiarity with Keene's Labyrinth mythos, since everything from Clickers, to zombies caused by Hamelin's Revenge, to a supporting character from a short story he wrote called Lost Canyon of the Damned included in An Occurrence in Crazy Bear Valley make an appearance.
Other than this, what you see, is what you get. Keene's prose is always smooth and unassuming, easy on the eyes and the literary palate. And yet it still took me a over a week to read this 170 page novella. I puzzled over why I was prioritising everything else that I was reading, but I could come up with nothing more enlightening than The Lost Level never really grabbed me. It's a solid read, and I'll likely return for the sequels it sets up, but I won't be chafing at the bit for it in the way I am regarding several of Keene's other upcoming projects.
Recommended to those looking for a decent adventure yarn.
3 Possible Answers to the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle for The Lost Level.
December 22, 2014
is the first book in a series that is both equal parts intriguing and mysterious. draws a lot of inspiration from televisions shows like J.J. Abrams masterpiece "LOST" and classics like Land of the Lost. However at the same time The Lost Level marches to it's own tune, giving the readers a fresh read that has me hungry for more. Never before have I been so interested by a series like this, not even when watching Lost back when it was on television. I found myself thinking about these characters when I wasn't reading this book.
The Lost Level is essentially about a man Aaron Pace who is studying the dark arts and who is fascinated by occult mysticism. While experimenting with opening portals to other realities and worlds, Aaron becomes stranded in one called The Lost Level. Thus begins the young sorcerer's journey to find his way back home, while making both friends and enemies along the way. Some of the adversaries Aaron faces are very cool, some of them are from fun conspiracies like the infamous alien Greys. Needless to say fans of television shows like The X-Files will not be disappointed.
One of the most fun characters is Aaron's companion "Bloop" who is a furry were-tiger type of creature. If you enjoyed the hilarious antic's of "Groot" from Guardians of the Galaxy then you will enjoy Bloop's presence very much. Honestly there is very little reason not to check out "The Lost Level". It seriously has something for everyone. The plot excels at a very fast pace and all of the main protagonists are likable and complex.
Honestly The Lost Level is my new favorite Brian Keene series. I will recommend it to all of my friends that like good books.
I give the Lost Level a perfect score of five out of five stars! If you are looking for a fun book that has a promising beginning to what will ultimately be a kick ass series then give The Lost Level a chance. With that said this will most likely be my last book review for 2014. I am looking forward to reading more Brian Keene books in 2015! Special thanks to ŷ members Mehmet, Lisa, and Kaisersoze for reading these books with me.
The Lost Level is essentially about a man Aaron Pace who is studying the dark arts and who is fascinated by occult mysticism. While experimenting with opening portals to other realities and worlds, Aaron becomes stranded in one called The Lost Level. Thus begins the young sorcerer's journey to find his way back home, while making both friends and enemies along the way. Some of the adversaries Aaron faces are very cool, some of them are from fun conspiracies like the infamous alien Greys. Needless to say fans of television shows like The X-Files will not be disappointed.
One of the most fun characters is Aaron's companion "Bloop" who is a furry were-tiger type of creature. If you enjoyed the hilarious antic's of "Groot" from Guardians of the Galaxy then you will enjoy Bloop's presence very much. Honestly there is very little reason not to check out "The Lost Level". It seriously has something for everyone. The plot excels at a very fast pace and all of the main protagonists are likable and complex.
Honestly The Lost Level is my new favorite Brian Keene series. I will recommend it to all of my friends that like good books.
I give the Lost Level a perfect score of five out of five stars! If you are looking for a fun book that has a promising beginning to what will ultimately be a kick ass series then give The Lost Level a chance. With that said this will most likely be my last book review for 2014. I am looking forward to reading more Brian Keene books in 2015! Special thanks to ŷ members Mehmet, Lisa, and Kaisersoze for reading these books with me.
Want to read
July 19, 2016This hardcover book is copy 14 of 168 signed and numbered copies signed by Brian Keene
December 30, 2014
4.5 of 5 Stars (rounded up to 5) Review copy
One look at the cover art from Kirsi Salonen and you have a pretty good idea where Brian Keene's, The Lost Level, is going to take you. This homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sid and Marty Kroft, Joe R. Lansdale, H. G. Wells, and others takes you to places that can only be reached through the imagination.
The story is told by Aaron Pace, written by hand in a spiral-bound notebook found in a student's backpack inside of an abandoned school bus. The school bus and Aaron are on, or is it in, the lost level, a place from which there is no way home. He got there through the Labyrinth. "The Labyrinth is perhaps best described as a dimensional shortcut through space and time. It touches and connects everything. Most of humanity remains ignorant of it's presence, but it is explored and utilized by madmen, magi, occultists, and a few in the highest levels of world government."
Aaron's goal in writing this all down is so he can attempt to explain how he got to The Lost Level and what happened after. Especially the story of his friends Kasheena and Bloop. I can't go into great detail about what happens in the book without getting into big-time spoiler mode. Let's just say the story borrows from other Keene novels (with entertaining results), there's a bit of the TV series Lost thrown in, and a definite Twilight Zone vibe as well. There are monsters everywhere and with a sun that never sets, time itself is irrelevant.
My only complaint is that The Lost Level ended too soon. The good news is that Keene has merely scratched the surface in what could be his opus piece. I eagerly await Return to the Lost Level and the prequel to book one, Hole in the World.
Published by Apex Publications, the actual release date for The Lost Level isn't until January 19th, 2015. But, if you pre-order the paperback through the publisher's website, you get the (DRM free) e-book immediately.
Recommended? You betcha!
One look at the cover art from Kirsi Salonen and you have a pretty good idea where Brian Keene's, The Lost Level, is going to take you. This homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sid and Marty Kroft, Joe R. Lansdale, H. G. Wells, and others takes you to places that can only be reached through the imagination.
The story is told by Aaron Pace, written by hand in a spiral-bound notebook found in a student's backpack inside of an abandoned school bus. The school bus and Aaron are on, or is it in, the lost level, a place from which there is no way home. He got there through the Labyrinth. "The Labyrinth is perhaps best described as a dimensional shortcut through space and time. It touches and connects everything. Most of humanity remains ignorant of it's presence, but it is explored and utilized by madmen, magi, occultists, and a few in the highest levels of world government."
Aaron's goal in writing this all down is so he can attempt to explain how he got to The Lost Level and what happened after. Especially the story of his friends Kasheena and Bloop. I can't go into great detail about what happens in the book without getting into big-time spoiler mode. Let's just say the story borrows from other Keene novels (with entertaining results), there's a bit of the TV series Lost thrown in, and a definite Twilight Zone vibe as well. There are monsters everywhere and with a sun that never sets, time itself is irrelevant.
My only complaint is that The Lost Level ended too soon. The good news is that Keene has merely scratched the surface in what could be his opus piece. I eagerly await Return to the Lost Level and the prequel to book one, Hole in the World.
Published by Apex Publications, the actual release date for The Lost Level isn't until January 19th, 2015. But, if you pre-order the paperback through the publisher's website, you get the (DRM free) e-book immediately.
Recommended? You betcha!
June 22, 2019
Adventure, horror, and science fiction in a lost land devoid of time and unique in it's flora and fauna.
The Lost Level reads like an ode to the iconic comic hero Sheena and men's adventure mags, Brian Keene's pulp-tastic tale set in a unique place-setting is a nerd's delight - I mean, how could it not be? There's a freaking T-Rex battling a giant killer robot in an high octane earth-shattering epic battle scene. Add a touch of Alien (greys), a dash of X-Men (think Beast), and a harrowing hint of the occult and The Lost Level quickly becomes something special.
The story follows occult enthusiast Aaron Pace as he attempts, and then succeeds in opening a doorway to other dimensions. Able to step back in time, to the future, to alternate realities and back to present day Earth, Aaron eventually walks through a one way door leading him straight into the fabled lost level. It's here author Brian Keene delves into his bag of tricks to cleverly craft a tale loaded with adventure, intrigue, danger, and a hint of romance.
The Lost Level is fun, pure, unadulterated escapism for adults. I highly recommend picking up a copy and getting lost in the madness that awaits.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars.
The Lost Level reads like an ode to the iconic comic hero Sheena and men's adventure mags, Brian Keene's pulp-tastic tale set in a unique place-setting is a nerd's delight - I mean, how could it not be? There's a freaking T-Rex battling a giant killer robot in an high octane earth-shattering epic battle scene. Add a touch of Alien (greys), a dash of X-Men (think Beast), and a harrowing hint of the occult and The Lost Level quickly becomes something special.
The story follows occult enthusiast Aaron Pace as he attempts, and then succeeds in opening a doorway to other dimensions. Able to step back in time, to the future, to alternate realities and back to present day Earth, Aaron eventually walks through a one way door leading him straight into the fabled lost level. It's here author Brian Keene delves into his bag of tricks to cleverly craft a tale loaded with adventure, intrigue, danger, and a hint of romance.
The Lost Level is fun, pure, unadulterated escapism for adults. I highly recommend picking up a copy and getting lost in the madness that awaits.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars.
January 22, 2015
Brian Keene’s The Lost Level is the first book of a projected series. If you are familiar with the works of Keene then you know him mainly as a writer of visceral horror. His zombie filled Rising trilogy is probably the best known of his books. Yet he will occasionally venture out in to other territories. The Lost Level is one of those other territories. While having its moments of horror it is steeped in an earlier tradition, that of the fantasy/science pulp fiction of the past. Think Edgar Rice Burroughs or Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. Even Sid & Marty Kroft’s TV show Land of the Lost is mentioned by the author as an influence. I will venture out on a limb and suggest that another influence is perhaps Phillip Jose Farmer’s sci-fi epics like The Riverworld Trilogy where an alternate reality is created bringing in various other cultures and people from many places and time yet suggesting that there may be a secret controller of the dimensions. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Aaron Pace is a young but resourceful man who has an interest in the occult. Through his mystical research he discovers something called the Labyrinth, “a dimensional shortcut through time and space. It touches and connects everything�. He explores the various worlds through the Labyrinth with enthusiasm and recklessness. That is until he accidentally enters the Lost Level, “a dimensional reality that existed apart from all the others�. Anything in all of time and space can end up there and there is no escape.
The veteran Keene fan will pick up a theme instantly. The Labryinth Mythos is an integral part of all of Keene’s fiction. Here we learn of the Lost Level but the author is also giving us more subtle hints regarding the mythos� multiple realities in this series. But if you have never read anything else by Keene this will not ruin this exciting adventure tale for you. The author sets up what he needs to for his story and makes sure it is a thrilling ride.
Aaron Pace is the perfect hero for this tale which does owes the most to Edgar Rice Burroughs. He is daring and capable with just the right amount of naivety and wonder to make him believable, likeable and easy to identify with. The story is told through his perspective as he writes his adventure in an old school notebook he finds on an abandoned bus. Most of his rivals and allies may sound familiar to readers of this type of epic. He borrows from many times, legends, and science fiction warhorses. There is even at least one reference to another Keene novel and I expect there were more that I was not aware of. Stories like this bring out the inner teen in me that thrives on lost worlds, time travel stories, and adventure tales where I can pretend to be the young, muscular hero that manages to slay the monster and win the heart of a buxom, bronze, and half–naked tribe-woman. The nice thing about Keene’s tale though is that it may be derivative but it doesn’t feel like it. There is enough flair and originality to make even the most frequently used creatures in the book fresh and exciting. And the last thing Keene will ever be accused of is not being exciting.
So who is this book for? It is for anyone who enjoy adventure tales, sci-fi and fantasy. It is for those who remember the early “Weird Tales� type pulp fiction and wants to relive it. It is definitely for the Keene fan. And, despite some rather grown up scenes that tells us it is not YA, it is for the mature teenager who is ready to bridge the gap from young adult to mature audience. The Lost Level is a good start to a series that promises to send your mind to lost levels of its own.
Aaron Pace is a young but resourceful man who has an interest in the occult. Through his mystical research he discovers something called the Labyrinth, “a dimensional shortcut through time and space. It touches and connects everything�. He explores the various worlds through the Labyrinth with enthusiasm and recklessness. That is until he accidentally enters the Lost Level, “a dimensional reality that existed apart from all the others�. Anything in all of time and space can end up there and there is no escape.
The veteran Keene fan will pick up a theme instantly. The Labryinth Mythos is an integral part of all of Keene’s fiction. Here we learn of the Lost Level but the author is also giving us more subtle hints regarding the mythos� multiple realities in this series. But if you have never read anything else by Keene this will not ruin this exciting adventure tale for you. The author sets up what he needs to for his story and makes sure it is a thrilling ride.
Aaron Pace is the perfect hero for this tale which does owes the most to Edgar Rice Burroughs. He is daring and capable with just the right amount of naivety and wonder to make him believable, likeable and easy to identify with. The story is told through his perspective as he writes his adventure in an old school notebook he finds on an abandoned bus. Most of his rivals and allies may sound familiar to readers of this type of epic. He borrows from many times, legends, and science fiction warhorses. There is even at least one reference to another Keene novel and I expect there were more that I was not aware of. Stories like this bring out the inner teen in me that thrives on lost worlds, time travel stories, and adventure tales where I can pretend to be the young, muscular hero that manages to slay the monster and win the heart of a buxom, bronze, and half–naked tribe-woman. The nice thing about Keene’s tale though is that it may be derivative but it doesn’t feel like it. There is enough flair and originality to make even the most frequently used creatures in the book fresh and exciting. And the last thing Keene will ever be accused of is not being exciting.
So who is this book for? It is for anyone who enjoy adventure tales, sci-fi and fantasy. It is for those who remember the early “Weird Tales� type pulp fiction and wants to relive it. It is definitely for the Keene fan. And, despite some rather grown up scenes that tells us it is not YA, it is for the mature teenager who is ready to bridge the gap from young adult to mature audience. The Lost Level is a good start to a series that promises to send your mind to lost levels of its own.
February 23, 2015
Largely influenced by those lost world classics in print and film, this wonderfully entertaining novel follows occult adventurer, Aaron Pace, as he suddenly finds himself in the strange, bizarre, and deadly world known as The Lost Level. Fans of Keene's previous work, the Labyrinth mythos plays a part in this first of a planned trilogy, but there are also inventive gems from our own world, which makes this novel so much fun to read.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
February 19, 2015
The nitty-gritty: An outrageous, pulpy, bloody, dimension-hopping story that by turns made me laugh and cringe, and had me running to Google more than once.
I turned my attention back to the cliff. The slope had been hidden by thick vegetation, but now that I stood on its edge, I could see a deep, narrow valley below us. But the gorge wasn’t what caught my attention. What did were the two opponents who were fighting on the valley floor. I had seen many bizarre things since coming to the Lost Level, but it was at that moment that the full otherworldly strangeness of my situation hit me full fold. Below us, engaged in a fierce battle, were a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a giant robot.
So. Much. Fun! I had a blast reading The Lost Level, which as the author states in his Acknowledgements is an homage to the stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard (among others). Keene takes every crazy idea and pulp fiction trope he can think of and crams it into less than 200 pages, and the result is a very crowded but completely entertaining story. Keene’s idea of a dimension in space called the Lost Level, where all the “lost� things of the universe wind up, gives him free rein to do just about anything, and he takes full advantage of that idea.
Aaron Pace is the narrator of the story, a man who fancies himself a practitioner of the occult and has figured out a ritual that opens doorways into other dimensions. One day, peeking through one such doorway, he spies a lush and tropical vista that beckons him to cross over. But once there, he looks back, only to find that the doorway has vanished. Aaron is now trapped in the Lost Level, the one world where no traveler can ever leave.
As he wanders through the fascinating but increasingly dangerous land, he manages to rescue a beautiful woman named Kasheena and her Wookie-like companion Bloop from a deadly race of snake people. Together they set out towards Kasheena’s home, where the wiseman of her village might be able to help Aaron get home again. But they will have to face many obstacles before they reach their destination. . .
The Lost Level, for all its non-stop action and fight scenes, gets off to a slow start, mostly because our narrator Aaron is alone almost up to the 25% mark. He’s writing down his story in a journal he finds on an abandoned school bus, as he introduces us to how he came to be here and what wonders he’s seen so far. The fact that there isn’t any dialog to move the story forward worried me a bit, but once he runs into Kasheena and Bloop things really get going, and the story moves at high velocity all the way to the end.
Like I said before, Keene adds everything but the kitchen sink to his story, including dinosaurs, killer grass, aliens, robots, giant killer slugs, and tiny birds that can clean the flesh off a body in seconds flat. He uses the mystique of the Bermuda Triangle to explain some of the odd things that pop up in the Lost Level, and I was curious enough a couple of times to actually hit up Google to see if octophants and Xerum 525 (red mercury) were actual things. (They are!)
If you’re going to read this book—and you really should!—you will need to put your feminist side in a box and lock it up tight, because in order to enjoy this story you have to remember that Keene is playing with tropes, especially when it comes to the female role in the pulp stories of the �20s and �30s. Take the lovely Kasheena, for example. Seeing her for the first time causes Aaron to become “awestruck� by her beauty. And it’s not only her “luxuriant chestnut and auburn colored hair� and “bronzed skin� that cause this reaction. Kasheena, you see, is completely naked when Aaron meets her, and remains so for the rest of the book, except for a tiny loincloth! If I hadn’t been laughing so hard at the notion of a gorgeous naked female running around fighting robots and dinosaurs, I would have been horrified. Luckily, I recognized what Keene was trying to accomplish, and I enjoyed Kasheena despite her unfortunate nudity.
The author has great fun with over-the-top violence, and he managed to gross me out more than once. Unfortunately, Aaron’s voice is rather dry and matter-of-fact, and so all the hacking off of heads and stabbing through eyeballs with swords felt a bit dry and unemotional. But Keene certainly knows how to keep a story moving, and our intrepid explorers are faced with one impossible situation after another, with barely time off for Aaron and Kasheena to stop and have sex (which they do a lot).
I can’t leave out one of my favorite characters, Bloop, who is a hairy, dog-like creature that walks upright and can only mutter the word “Bloop!� He reminded me of Chewbacca, since he turned out to be a loyal friend to Aaron and Kasheena, as well as a vicious killer when he needed to be.
A mysterious underground world is alluded to, but never explained, and I hope the author decides to write about it in a sequel. I also thought the story ended very abruptly, but luckily, Brian Keene explains in his Afterword that he is planning a multi-volume series, which makes me very happy. The Lost Level may not be great literature, but it was everything I expected and more, and I can’t wait to go back.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy!
This review originally appeared on
I turned my attention back to the cliff. The slope had been hidden by thick vegetation, but now that I stood on its edge, I could see a deep, narrow valley below us. But the gorge wasn’t what caught my attention. What did were the two opponents who were fighting on the valley floor. I had seen many bizarre things since coming to the Lost Level, but it was at that moment that the full otherworldly strangeness of my situation hit me full fold. Below us, engaged in a fierce battle, were a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a giant robot.
So. Much. Fun! I had a blast reading The Lost Level, which as the author states in his Acknowledgements is an homage to the stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard (among others). Keene takes every crazy idea and pulp fiction trope he can think of and crams it into less than 200 pages, and the result is a very crowded but completely entertaining story. Keene’s idea of a dimension in space called the Lost Level, where all the “lost� things of the universe wind up, gives him free rein to do just about anything, and he takes full advantage of that idea.
Aaron Pace is the narrator of the story, a man who fancies himself a practitioner of the occult and has figured out a ritual that opens doorways into other dimensions. One day, peeking through one such doorway, he spies a lush and tropical vista that beckons him to cross over. But once there, he looks back, only to find that the doorway has vanished. Aaron is now trapped in the Lost Level, the one world where no traveler can ever leave.
As he wanders through the fascinating but increasingly dangerous land, he manages to rescue a beautiful woman named Kasheena and her Wookie-like companion Bloop from a deadly race of snake people. Together they set out towards Kasheena’s home, where the wiseman of her village might be able to help Aaron get home again. But they will have to face many obstacles before they reach their destination. . .
The Lost Level, for all its non-stop action and fight scenes, gets off to a slow start, mostly because our narrator Aaron is alone almost up to the 25% mark. He’s writing down his story in a journal he finds on an abandoned school bus, as he introduces us to how he came to be here and what wonders he’s seen so far. The fact that there isn’t any dialog to move the story forward worried me a bit, but once he runs into Kasheena and Bloop things really get going, and the story moves at high velocity all the way to the end.
Like I said before, Keene adds everything but the kitchen sink to his story, including dinosaurs, killer grass, aliens, robots, giant killer slugs, and tiny birds that can clean the flesh off a body in seconds flat. He uses the mystique of the Bermuda Triangle to explain some of the odd things that pop up in the Lost Level, and I was curious enough a couple of times to actually hit up Google to see if octophants and Xerum 525 (red mercury) were actual things. (They are!)
If you’re going to read this book—and you really should!—you will need to put your feminist side in a box and lock it up tight, because in order to enjoy this story you have to remember that Keene is playing with tropes, especially when it comes to the female role in the pulp stories of the �20s and �30s. Take the lovely Kasheena, for example. Seeing her for the first time causes Aaron to become “awestruck� by her beauty. And it’s not only her “luxuriant chestnut and auburn colored hair� and “bronzed skin� that cause this reaction. Kasheena, you see, is completely naked when Aaron meets her, and remains so for the rest of the book, except for a tiny loincloth! If I hadn’t been laughing so hard at the notion of a gorgeous naked female running around fighting robots and dinosaurs, I would have been horrified. Luckily, I recognized what Keene was trying to accomplish, and I enjoyed Kasheena despite her unfortunate nudity.
The author has great fun with over-the-top violence, and he managed to gross me out more than once. Unfortunately, Aaron’s voice is rather dry and matter-of-fact, and so all the hacking off of heads and stabbing through eyeballs with swords felt a bit dry and unemotional. But Keene certainly knows how to keep a story moving, and our intrepid explorers are faced with one impossible situation after another, with barely time off for Aaron and Kasheena to stop and have sex (which they do a lot).
I can’t leave out one of my favorite characters, Bloop, who is a hairy, dog-like creature that walks upright and can only mutter the word “Bloop!� He reminded me of Chewbacca, since he turned out to be a loyal friend to Aaron and Kasheena, as well as a vicious killer when he needed to be.
A mysterious underground world is alluded to, but never explained, and I hope the author decides to write about it in a sequel. I also thought the story ended very abruptly, but luckily, Brian Keene explains in his Afterword that he is planning a multi-volume series, which makes me very happy. The Lost Level may not be great literature, but it was everything I expected and more, and I can’t wait to go back.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy!
This review originally appeared on
March 2, 2015
I have always associated Brian Keene with horror and was pleasantly surprised when I won a copy of his latest ebook in return for an honest review. The Lost Level is a mixture of science fiction and fantasy if you think of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World mixed with HG Wells The Time Machine add a modern makeover then the result is a fast paced fun read with superb imagery.
In the opening chapter we meet Aaron Pace who is busy writing his memoirs by hand on a spiral-bound, college-ruled notebook inside an abandoned school bus. What a marvellously inventive way to start a story and soon Aaron takes us on a journey to a parallel dimension "The Lost Level" where we meet his future travelling companions Bloop and the lovely Kasheena as they try to fight their through a land frought with danger...in an attempt to reach Kasheena's home just beyond The Temple of the Slug. "I was in the fabled Lost Level. I'd read about - that dimension from which there is no exit, where cosmic castaways wash up and are abandoned".
When Aaron first encounters his new travelling companions he has to rescue them from The Anunnaki. "Some of my people suspect the Anunnaki live deep below the ground. Some say they capture us for breeding. Others say it is for slave labor or food." As they journey through hostile land Keene introduces the reader to some horrific and yet highly entertaining and inventive enemies.The tikka-bird is very small but dangerous no bigger than a thumb most of it as teeth and best described as a flying piranha. "Their bite is poisonous, and can paralyze their prey within a few heartbeats. When they attack, others like them are drawn by the scent of blood. Such a flock can devour you within minutes, stripping the flesh from your bones"
One of my favourite encounters that befalls our group of heroes is with the octophant best described as an upgraded elephant and Keene's descriptive prose is truly breathtaking...."At the bottom of the hill, lying amidst a circle of crushed grass, was a female creature the size of an elephant. Indeed, at first glance I thought it was an elephant, as she bore the same hide, colorings, ears, tail, and bulk of the elephants back home. But she differed in one shockingly distinct way from anything familiar on Earth. Instead of one singular trunk, the beast had a cluster of eight hairy trunk-like tentacles surrounding its mouth. They weren't lined with suckers, the way an octopus or squid's tentacles were. Instead, they simply seemed to be additional trunks, each one capable of performing individual tasks. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what I was looking at - the fabled octophant of occult legend, a creature conisgned ot the same catalogue as unicorns, griffins, dragons, and other mythical beasts. Yet here it was, a fairy tale made flesh."
Due to the nature of the story and its setting the author has taken the oppotunity to allow his imagination some indulgence which is sheer delight for the reader as towards the end our intrepid trio happen upon a.....flying saucer! but not any old flying saucer this particular one bears the insignia of the German Reich namely the Swastika. This flying saucer holds a nasty surprise as within it contains the mummified bodies of four Nazi pilots and a tube like scientific flash containing a dangerous and deadly radioactive agent! "Holding my breath, I turned tail and ran, nearly knocking Kasheena over as I plunged outside. My heart pounded, and my vision blurred as I stumbled toward the Nazi insignia on the exterior hull. I slammed my palm against it, and the hatch whispered shut behind us, sealing the craft once again. Only then did I exhale..."
This is a story that pulses and vibes from page to page with breathtaking action, descriptive prose, and unexpected and frequent frightening encounters. It is a story that took me out of my comfort zone and kept me thrilled and entertained to the very end.....and even then I hoped for more. But I close this review safe in the knowledge that Mr Keene will once again be revisiting The Lost Level to continue the memoirs of Aaron Pace and I for one will be eager to support this hero as he struggles to adopt to his new life in this strange and dangerous land.
In the opening chapter we meet Aaron Pace who is busy writing his memoirs by hand on a spiral-bound, college-ruled notebook inside an abandoned school bus. What a marvellously inventive way to start a story and soon Aaron takes us on a journey to a parallel dimension "The Lost Level" where we meet his future travelling companions Bloop and the lovely Kasheena as they try to fight their through a land frought with danger...in an attempt to reach Kasheena's home just beyond The Temple of the Slug. "I was in the fabled Lost Level. I'd read about - that dimension from which there is no exit, where cosmic castaways wash up and are abandoned".
When Aaron first encounters his new travelling companions he has to rescue them from The Anunnaki. "Some of my people suspect the Anunnaki live deep below the ground. Some say they capture us for breeding. Others say it is for slave labor or food." As they journey through hostile land Keene introduces the reader to some horrific and yet highly entertaining and inventive enemies.The tikka-bird is very small but dangerous no bigger than a thumb most of it as teeth and best described as a flying piranha. "Their bite is poisonous, and can paralyze their prey within a few heartbeats. When they attack, others like them are drawn by the scent of blood. Such a flock can devour you within minutes, stripping the flesh from your bones"
One of my favourite encounters that befalls our group of heroes is with the octophant best described as an upgraded elephant and Keene's descriptive prose is truly breathtaking...."At the bottom of the hill, lying amidst a circle of crushed grass, was a female creature the size of an elephant. Indeed, at first glance I thought it was an elephant, as she bore the same hide, colorings, ears, tail, and bulk of the elephants back home. But she differed in one shockingly distinct way from anything familiar on Earth. Instead of one singular trunk, the beast had a cluster of eight hairy trunk-like tentacles surrounding its mouth. They weren't lined with suckers, the way an octopus or squid's tentacles were. Instead, they simply seemed to be additional trunks, each one capable of performing individual tasks. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what I was looking at - the fabled octophant of occult legend, a creature conisgned ot the same catalogue as unicorns, griffins, dragons, and other mythical beasts. Yet here it was, a fairy tale made flesh."
Due to the nature of the story and its setting the author has taken the oppotunity to allow his imagination some indulgence which is sheer delight for the reader as towards the end our intrepid trio happen upon a.....flying saucer! but not any old flying saucer this particular one bears the insignia of the German Reich namely the Swastika. This flying saucer holds a nasty surprise as within it contains the mummified bodies of four Nazi pilots and a tube like scientific flash containing a dangerous and deadly radioactive agent! "Holding my breath, I turned tail and ran, nearly knocking Kasheena over as I plunged outside. My heart pounded, and my vision blurred as I stumbled toward the Nazi insignia on the exterior hull. I slammed my palm against it, and the hatch whispered shut behind us, sealing the craft once again. Only then did I exhale..."
This is a story that pulses and vibes from page to page with breathtaking action, descriptive prose, and unexpected and frequent frightening encounters. It is a story that took me out of my comfort zone and kept me thrilled and entertained to the very end.....and even then I hoped for more. But I close this review safe in the knowledge that Mr Keene will once again be revisiting The Lost Level to continue the memoirs of Aaron Pace and I for one will be eager to support this hero as he struggles to adopt to his new life in this strange and dangerous land.
July 31, 2016
THE LOST LEVEL, by Brian Keene is the first in a projected series of this "universe". We begin with the basics; a modern day occultist, Aaron Pace, has studied and found a way to initiate inter-dimensional travel using ritualistic techniques. Opening a door through what he calls the "Labyrinth", he is able to access different times, and "levels" of worlds other than our own.
All is well in Aaron's exploration until one fateful day that he steps through the "door" his magic conjures and realizes his mistake...
". . . The door hadn't just closed . . . This was something far worse . . .The door through the Labyrinth had vanished."
This is the beginning of his journey into the inescapable realm known as the "Lost Level". I loved the references to several "unexplained" phenomenon on Earth, including references to the Bermuda Triangle, UFO's, and some of Keene's own creations (ex. Clickers). The writing and pacing were smooth and steady throughout. I found this read fairly compelling until the last half or so. Part of it was due to the foreshadowing, where Aaron would comment on "worse things that he was to encounter"; but otherwise I think it was mainly due to the lack of explanations all throughout. The action was constant, but nothing was ever "resolved", or the reasonings even hinted at. I believe this was partially because the book is one of a series, but even as such, I would have liked some answers or educational guesses as to the nature of the level.
That being said, I will probably read the next book, and hope that I don't encounter the same issues.
All is well in Aaron's exploration until one fateful day that he steps through the "door" his magic conjures and realizes his mistake...
". . . The door hadn't just closed . . . This was something far worse . . .The door through the Labyrinth had vanished."
This is the beginning of his journey into the inescapable realm known as the "Lost Level". I loved the references to several "unexplained" phenomenon on Earth, including references to the Bermuda Triangle, UFO's, and some of Keene's own creations (ex. Clickers). The writing and pacing were smooth and steady throughout. I found this read fairly compelling until the last half or so. Part of it was due to the foreshadowing, where Aaron would comment on "worse things that he was to encounter"; but otherwise I think it was mainly due to the lack of explanations all throughout. The action was constant, but nothing was ever "resolved", or the reasonings even hinted at. I believe this was partially because the book is one of a series, but even as such, I would have liked some answers or educational guesses as to the nature of the level.
That being said, I will probably read the next book, and hope that I don't encounter the same issues.
March 21, 2018
Тук Брайън Кийн отдава почит на класическите пълп приключения на Бъроуз и компания, като умело ги навързва със собствените си митове.
„Загубенот� ниво� е част от мултивселената, където може да попадне всичко от безбройните и измерения. Това става и с Арон � посредствен любител на окултното, който прави грешката да отвори портал през Лабиринта точно към тази вселенска боклукчийска кофа. От там насетне няма и миг покой � гигантски роботи, динозаври, кръвожадна растителност, нацистки летящи чинии, риптили-телепати, зомбита и извънземни са само малка част от сбирщината проблеми, които му отваря Изгубеното ниво в тези няма и двеста странички. По пътя успява да срещне и верни приятели като Блоб - разумен индивид, който прилича на Звяра от Х-мен и красивата, естествено полугола, Кашийна.
Някой от феновете на Кийн може и да се разочароват, книгата е доста извън обичайното поприще на автора. На мен това ми харесва � писна ми да слагаме модерните тесни жанрови пранги, които само ограничават творчеството. Плюс са и обичайните десетки препратки към други книги на Кийн, като Clickers, Deada Sea и Lost Canyon of the Damned. Не можем да минем и без споменаване на някой от Тринадесетте, естествено, все пак нашето момче владее до някаква степен окултното.
Бързо и леко, изпълнено с приключения четиво, което те държи под приемливо напрежение, без да изморява. Одобрявам.
„Загубенот� ниво� е част от мултивселената, където може да попадне всичко от безбройните и измерения. Това става и с Арон � посредствен любител на окултното, който прави грешката да отвори портал през Лабиринта точно към тази вселенска боклукчийска кофа. От там насетне няма и миг покой � гигантски роботи, динозаври, кръвожадна растителност, нацистки летящи чинии, риптили-телепати, зомбита и извънземни са само малка част от сбирщината проблеми, които му отваря Изгубеното ниво в тези няма и двеста странички. По пътя успява да срещне и верни приятели като Блоб - разумен индивид, който прилича на Звяра от Х-мен и красивата, естествено полугола, Кашийна.
Някой от феновете на Кийн може и да се разочароват, книгата е доста извън обичайното поприще на автора. На мен това ми харесва � писна ми да слагаме модерните тесни жанрови пранги, които само ограничават творчеството. Плюс са и обичайните десетки препратки към други книги на Кийн, като Clickers, Deada Sea и Lost Canyon of the Damned. Не можем да минем и без споменаване на някой от Тринадесетте, естествено, все пак нашето момче владее до някаква степен окултното.
Бързо и леко, изпълнено с приключения четиво, което те държи под приемливо напрежение, без да изморява. Одобрявам.
January 21, 2015
Brian Keene's brand of horror is the kind that will rip your heart out and feed it to you. But he's got a knack for delving outside strictly horrific fiction, especially the zombies that made him famous, for more rollicking fare. His collaboration with Nick Mamatas on The Damned Highway would be a good example of that. So I was curious how he'd pull of some pulpy fantasy adventure.
Aaron Pace finds himself trapped in a distinctly alien land after getting a little too complacent with his self-taught dabbling in the occult. Oh, sure. Opening portals into alternative dimensions is fun and games at first, but all it takes is one brain fart and suddenly you wind up in the one universe that doesn't have an exit. And it's not like he wasn't warned. The books he read referred to it as The Lost Level, and anyone unfortunate enough to cross that threshold has never returned. So Aaron's only hope of seeing home again is to be the first jabrone to find a way back.
A little bit Edgar Rice Burroughs, a little bit David Gerrold, Jules Verne, a little bit Lovecraft, yeah-yeah-yeah. There's a heaping bowlful of winks and nods to what's come before, but this book is all Keene. Throw a blue-collar stiff with an unsettling acumen in the occult and fling him into a cosmic meatgrinder, and you've pretty much got a Brian Keene cult classic in the making.
Now, while the book never felt it reinvented the wheel, it remained true to the genre, and lured it off the beaten path just enough that Keene's indelible voice rings through, kinda like a Springsteen song echoes through the halls of a sanitarium.
It's pretty simple, really. If you're already a fan of Keene's work, there's no question as to whether or not you should read this. If you've yet to sample the man's writing, either because he hasn't been on your literary radar or you've been squeamish about reading all that horror fiction, then you've got a great gateway drug here in the form of The Lost Level.
Aaron Pace finds himself trapped in a distinctly alien land after getting a little too complacent with his self-taught dabbling in the occult. Oh, sure. Opening portals into alternative dimensions is fun and games at first, but all it takes is one brain fart and suddenly you wind up in the one universe that doesn't have an exit. And it's not like he wasn't warned. The books he read referred to it as The Lost Level, and anyone unfortunate enough to cross that threshold has never returned. So Aaron's only hope of seeing home again is to be the first jabrone to find a way back.
A little bit Edgar Rice Burroughs, a little bit David Gerrold, Jules Verne, a little bit Lovecraft, yeah-yeah-yeah. There's a heaping bowlful of winks and nods to what's come before, but this book is all Keene. Throw a blue-collar stiff with an unsettling acumen in the occult and fling him into a cosmic meatgrinder, and you've pretty much got a Brian Keene cult classic in the making.
Now, while the book never felt it reinvented the wheel, it remained true to the genre, and lured it off the beaten path just enough that Keene's indelible voice rings through, kinda like a Springsteen song echoes through the halls of a sanitarium.
It's pretty simple, really. If you're already a fan of Keene's work, there's no question as to whether or not you should read this. If you've yet to sample the man's writing, either because he hasn't been on your literary radar or you've been squeamish about reading all that horror fiction, then you've got a great gateway drug here in the form of The Lost Level.
May 20, 2022
It is hard to argue with the freewheeling energy and gonzo concept, and Keene is borrowing ideas from sources as diverse as Pellucidar and Land of the Lost. Like those sources, and unlike the similar-idea , this is not a deep dive into character or theme but a confection that puts its protagonists into danger as often as reasonably possible. Danger that sometimes involves Nazi spaceships from another dimension.
One thing that Keene tackled that Burroughs himself didn't was the framing device that provides Aaron Pace's narration. In this case Pace is writing in a found notebook for his own edification and to an unknown audience, and this provides foreshadowing of events yet to come and a chance for him to reflect semi-privately over regrettable events.
Prediction for the sequel: Aaron Pace is forced into arena combat. These stories always do that.
One thing that Keene tackled that Burroughs himself didn't was the framing device that provides Aaron Pace's narration. In this case Pace is writing in a found notebook for his own edification and to an unknown audience, and this provides foreshadowing of events yet to come and a chance for him to reflect semi-privately over regrettable events.
Prediction for the sequel: Aaron Pace is forced into arena combat. These stories always do that.
March 23, 2020
Well I shouldn't have � but I did � and it was good.
I can think of at least 6 reasons why I shouldn't have liked this book: pulpy, juvenile, too simplistic, and so on, but I DID like it. It has lots of actiony goodness and dinosaurs and boobs and lizard peoples and UFOs and even giant slugs! In fact, it's the Swiss Army Knife of adventure books.
Half way through, I found myself reminded me of Sid and Marty Kroftt's “Land of the Lost� TV series. Most of you won't remember that but I think there are some Youtube episodes still lying around somewhere...all lonely and neglected. Land of the Lost had the talking ape-like folks called the Pakuni and the evil lizard people known as the Sleestak and of course � DINOSAURS! Yippee! (Yes it was a kids series - and I was kid once.) Brian Keene's story had tributes to these characters also and so much more. I also noted that the writing style reminded me strongly of Edgar Rice Burroughs too, only minus the sexism so common in his era. Blow me down if Keene didn't say almost the same thing in his Afterword. Hey! I'm not as imperceptive and thick-headed as my wife says I am.
Keene pushed my Happy Buttons and forced me to like his story despite all the suppression of belief I had to do. It's just a readable flight of fantasy. I understand this is quite a departure from his usual style, so I expect some detractors but for me � great. Bring on the next one.
I can think of at least 6 reasons why I shouldn't have liked this book: pulpy, juvenile, too simplistic, and so on, but I DID like it. It has lots of actiony goodness and dinosaurs and boobs and lizard peoples and UFOs and even giant slugs! In fact, it's the Swiss Army Knife of adventure books.
Half way through, I found myself reminded me of Sid and Marty Kroftt's “Land of the Lost� TV series. Most of you won't remember that but I think there are some Youtube episodes still lying around somewhere...all lonely and neglected. Land of the Lost had the talking ape-like folks called the Pakuni and the evil lizard people known as the Sleestak and of course � DINOSAURS! Yippee! (Yes it was a kids series - and I was kid once.) Brian Keene's story had tributes to these characters also and so much more. I also noted that the writing style reminded me strongly of Edgar Rice Burroughs too, only minus the sexism so common in his era. Blow me down if Keene didn't say almost the same thing in his Afterword. Hey! I'm not as imperceptive and thick-headed as my wife says I am.
Keene pushed my Happy Buttons and forced me to like his story despite all the suppression of belief I had to do. It's just a readable flight of fantasy. I understand this is quite a departure from his usual style, so I expect some detractors but for me � great. Bring on the next one.
January 16, 2021
A man named Aaron seeks other worlds when he gets traps into a world full of unique threats. This book was unique in its on way. It kind of brought known threats and unique threats into one story.
December 31, 2014
I'll admit this first before delving into this review. The Lost Level is the first of the lost in time/space or lost world pulp type novels I have ever read. I always enjoyed watching those types of TV shows but never entered the world otherwise.
There was something different about The Lost Level for me. I can't explain it but I'll say I'm now a fan of the genre at least as far as Keene's telling goes.
The Lost Level follows Aaron Pace and his adventures in the level from the title, a dimension that is inescapable and quiet dangerous. If you've ever seen Land of the Lost or its like then you understand. If not, think of the possibility of a different plane of existence where all the lost things end up, be it people, change in couch cushions, or socks in the dryer. Here is where Aaron has landed through experimentation in level hopping. Aaron meets Kasheena and Bloop, two residents of the Lost Level, and their attempts at surviving the trip back to the relative safety of Kasheena's village is what fills the pages.
To say that I simply loved the story is an understatement. I was immediately drawn in to the diary-esque style of story telling that Keene uses, allowing Aaron to relay his misadventures as he writes down all he can in a found notebook. Aaron is a very likable guy, honest and emotional all while being courageous and strong. Kasheena is, at first, the typical object of sexual desire, but Keene did not write her as the wilting flower. This woman is bad ass and can hold her own, saving Aaron and Bloop more than once. And Bloop, the furry cohort a-la Chaka from Land of the Lost, is a nice addition to the trio with his awesome prehensile tail that can wield a sword as well as any Conan or Red Sonja type.
The story is fast paced and the adventure never slows not even at the end. Set as the start to a series, The Lost Level should be appealing to anyone who enjoys action packed, lost in time tales but also to anyone that likes a well-told story. I've even suggested it to my husband (the anti-reader) and I rarely do this. He usually just looks at me and laughs.
There was something different about The Lost Level for me. I can't explain it but I'll say I'm now a fan of the genre at least as far as Keene's telling goes.
The Lost Level follows Aaron Pace and his adventures in the level from the title, a dimension that is inescapable and quiet dangerous. If you've ever seen Land of the Lost or its like then you understand. If not, think of the possibility of a different plane of existence where all the lost things end up, be it people, change in couch cushions, or socks in the dryer. Here is where Aaron has landed through experimentation in level hopping. Aaron meets Kasheena and Bloop, two residents of the Lost Level, and their attempts at surviving the trip back to the relative safety of Kasheena's village is what fills the pages.
To say that I simply loved the story is an understatement. I was immediately drawn in to the diary-esque style of story telling that Keene uses, allowing Aaron to relay his misadventures as he writes down all he can in a found notebook. Aaron is a very likable guy, honest and emotional all while being courageous and strong. Kasheena is, at first, the typical object of sexual desire, but Keene did not write her as the wilting flower. This woman is bad ass and can hold her own, saving Aaron and Bloop more than once. And Bloop, the furry cohort a-la Chaka from Land of the Lost, is a nice addition to the trio with his awesome prehensile tail that can wield a sword as well as any Conan or Red Sonja type.
The story is fast paced and the adventure never slows not even at the end. Set as the start to a series, The Lost Level should be appealing to anyone who enjoys action packed, lost in time tales but also to anyone that likes a well-told story. I've even suggested it to my husband (the anti-reader) and I rarely do this. He usually just looks at me and laughs.
February 11, 2015
Here's a book you can totally judge by its cover. It features a man with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other who is watching a dinosaur fight a giant robot. If that sounds like a silly waste of time to you, then by all means give this one a pass. If, on the other hand, like me, your first reaction is "Hey, cool! All we need now is a flying saucer and some Nazis!" then this is the one you've been looking for, especially if you've ever wondered whatever happened to your lost sox. It isn't a horror novel, though there is a cameo Clicker, and the places where he does try to tie it in with his other works struck me as the weakest sections. He lists Pellucidar and Howard's Almuric (among several others) as inspirations, and I thought Farmer's Riverworld was probably an influence, too. It's a grand old-fashioned lost world story, and I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
September 19, 2019
FUN FUN FUN. That’s what you’re getting with this little ditty. As others, including Brian Keene himself have mentioned, the lost level (and other books in the series) are really a pastiche of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Land of the Lost type of stories. I had a real good time with this, and it reminded me a little of reading an old massive copy of Burrough’s collected works that I would pull down from my folks� bookshelf. Takes me back. Looking forward to the next book in the series where i find out more about the battle with the annunaki
March 7, 2015
Let’s be honest here, this novel is not for everyone. Hell, the forward makes it clear that Keene wrote this for not a damn person but himself. The characterization is as flat as you can be. Aaron’s defining characteristic seems to be “being awesome�, combining encyclopedic knowledge of all things with brawny kick-assedness, his eventual lady of note adds “hot� to this broad list of qualities while subtracting the knowledge of all worlds, his Wookie is, well, a Wookie and the big bad evil can’t even speak, so don’t expect and depth of villainy beyond not liking people for some reason. There is no real emotional core to grab onto or sense of real import to the proceedings at any point, either.
Worse, the first chunk of the book is bogged down by an infodump on par with a diet of nothing but red meat. Keene regularly stops the narrative dead to have his protagonist explain the ins and outs of his Labrynth Mythos, even though much of the information has very little bearing on the actual events that we experience through the lens of dear Aaron. Maybe this comes into play further down the line (more stories of the Lost Level are in the works), but it completely killed the momentum every time and I found myself skimming whenever exposition time came around.
That said, I ended up having a pretty fun time reading it. The goddam giant robot versus dinosaur fight kicked bahookey and that shit with the Temple of the Slug was bananas. Keene made it incredibly clear that anything whatsoever could potentially happen in this world and that he has no problem going batshit on the reader’s ass, which kept me on my toes. Also, his trademark no nonsense writing style flowed as smooth as always and I had a hoot of a time picking out all the shout-outs to other series he peppered within the tale.
The Lost Level isn’t high art, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be a fun time killer and it succeeds as such, especially if you skip past those damnable infodumpy bits. If anything, I wish this had that firey, fist down the throat sense of Brian Keene-ness (sorry, but I can’t think of a better way to put it than that) that his better works contain.
Worse, the first chunk of the book is bogged down by an infodump on par with a diet of nothing but red meat. Keene regularly stops the narrative dead to have his protagonist explain the ins and outs of his Labrynth Mythos, even though much of the information has very little bearing on the actual events that we experience through the lens of dear Aaron. Maybe this comes into play further down the line (more stories of the Lost Level are in the works), but it completely killed the momentum every time and I found myself skimming whenever exposition time came around.
That said, I ended up having a pretty fun time reading it. The goddam giant robot versus dinosaur fight kicked bahookey and that shit with the Temple of the Slug was bananas. Keene made it incredibly clear that anything whatsoever could potentially happen in this world and that he has no problem going batshit on the reader’s ass, which kept me on my toes. Also, his trademark no nonsense writing style flowed as smooth as always and I had a hoot of a time picking out all the shout-outs to other series he peppered within the tale.
The Lost Level isn’t high art, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be a fun time killer and it succeeds as such, especially if you skip past those damnable infodumpy bits. If anything, I wish this had that firey, fist down the throat sense of Brian Keene-ness (sorry, but I can’t think of a better way to put it than that) that his better works contain.
January 16, 2015
Brian Keene's The Lost Level is a loving tribute to the "lost world" pulp stories of yesteryear.
The story is told by Aaron Pace, a student of the occult, who, while exploring The Labyrinth, becomes trapped in the fabled "Lost Level." While trying to adjust to his predicament, Aaron makes some friends, Kasheena and Bloop, and encounters many strange and dangerous creatures.
The story is fast paced and exciting, written in Keene's typically clean style. The characters are interesting (I love Bloop, who is sort of a cross between Beast and Nightcrawler, from the X-Men.), and the world Keene will be recognizable to fans of "lost world stories," but with a fresh spin.
The story stands on it's own. You don't have to be familiar with Keene's other books, but it does tie in to his other work, with plenty of easter eggs for those who are Keene fans. (For those who don't know, Keene has created something commonly referred to as the "Labyrinth Mythos," which encompasses all of his fiction. Again, you don't have to read everything he has written, but for those who do, there is a thread that runs through all of it.)
With dinosaurs and robots and lizard-men and many other strange creatures, The Lost Level is a rollicking adventure;a throwback to a time when pulp stories were written for pure entertainment, albeit with Keene's signature touch. If you like great adventure stories, or just great writing, I can't recommend this enough.
The story is told by Aaron Pace, a student of the occult, who, while exploring The Labyrinth, becomes trapped in the fabled "Lost Level." While trying to adjust to his predicament, Aaron makes some friends, Kasheena and Bloop, and encounters many strange and dangerous creatures.
The story is fast paced and exciting, written in Keene's typically clean style. The characters are interesting (I love Bloop, who is sort of a cross between Beast and Nightcrawler, from the X-Men.), and the world Keene will be recognizable to fans of "lost world stories," but with a fresh spin.
The story stands on it's own. You don't have to be familiar with Keene's other books, but it does tie in to his other work, with plenty of easter eggs for those who are Keene fans. (For those who don't know, Keene has created something commonly referred to as the "Labyrinth Mythos," which encompasses all of his fiction. Again, you don't have to read everything he has written, but for those who do, there is a thread that runs through all of it.)
With dinosaurs and robots and lizard-men and many other strange creatures, The Lost Level is a rollicking adventure;a throwback to a time when pulp stories were written for pure entertainment, albeit with Keene's signature touch. If you like great adventure stories, or just great writing, I can't recommend this enough.
September 28, 2015
I tore through this book in a weekend. It is that much fun!
Taking pages from various "lost world" stories, Keene rolls out his own take on the genre. With influences ranging from The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle, the Pellucidar series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and up through the television series Land of the Lost and Lost, this story romps through dinosaurs, lizard men, killer robots, deadly vegetation and other dangers.
While the tropes are there (in a good way,) Keene also weaves in his own touches. There are some nice modern knuckle-down-and-do-it survivalist methodologies, which are often glossed over in such fiction. It adds veracity to the hero, Aaron Price. Keene's fiction is all connected and in this case, literally - there is a Labyrinth between worlds in time-space. Unfortunately, if travelers in the Labyrinth are not careful, they can wash up into the Lost Level - from which there is no return. Also making an appearance are the sinister Global Corporation, a shadowy conglomerate also present in some of Keene's other fiction.
The Lost Level is both homage and pastiche and makes no bones about it, wearing its influences proudly on its sleeve. It is pure Saturday matinee material in the best way. If you enjoy the lost world genre, you need this book!
Taking pages from various "lost world" stories, Keene rolls out his own take on the genre. With influences ranging from The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle, the Pellucidar series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and up through the television series Land of the Lost and Lost, this story romps through dinosaurs, lizard men, killer robots, deadly vegetation and other dangers.
While the tropes are there (in a good way,) Keene also weaves in his own touches. There are some nice modern knuckle-down-and-do-it survivalist methodologies, which are often glossed over in such fiction. It adds veracity to the hero, Aaron Price. Keene's fiction is all connected and in this case, literally - there is a Labyrinth between worlds in time-space. Unfortunately, if travelers in the Labyrinth are not careful, they can wash up into the Lost Level - from which there is no return. Also making an appearance are the sinister Global Corporation, a shadowy conglomerate also present in some of Keene's other fiction.
The Lost Level is both homage and pastiche and makes no bones about it, wearing its influences proudly on its sleeve. It is pure Saturday matinee material in the best way. If you enjoy the lost world genre, you need this book!
February 1, 2015
The only problem with a 5 star review on a really good book is when you come across a book that you think everyone else should read ( not just the people who read the genre but everyone ) because it's that damn good there's no extra stars.
The Lost Level takes you on a trip to your child hood memories of what a true adventure would be. Toward the end you become sad because you know it's coming to and end. Here's hoping Brian Keene drops everything else he's doing and gets us all Lost in our Adventure again soon!
The Lost Level takes you on a trip to your child hood memories of what a true adventure would be. Toward the end you become sad because you know it's coming to and end. Here's hoping Brian Keene drops everything else he's doing and gets us all Lost in our Adventure again soon!
July 12, 2015
The Lost Level has the potential to be what I wanted the Dark Tower series to be. Sure, there's no gunslinger, but it brings fullblooded pulp whereas Dark Tower was sort of philosophical and wishy washy. Sorry for the hyperbole. Keene will prove me wrong or right with future sequels, but I have a feeling he'll prove me right.
February 22, 2016
I really liked this book, despite there being a valley of lost socks in it, which is Bruce Coville/R.L. Stine territory and beneath Keene's talents. The character who died at the end... I almost would have preferred it be the love interest instead of the one that we did lose.
February 12, 2023
So Brian Keene went from horror to sword and sorcery, a homage to classics but still connected to the world/mythos he created which was awesome.
I really have enjoyed his work as a horror writer and I was enjoying the lost level until he started pandering to some fringe ideology and being cringe...
You got this guy who is as all other pulp fiction heroes, perfect, intelligent yet lived afar from society. Couldn't connect. Yet he arrives in another world and immediate gets a perfect girl (the perfect match). This has been ad nauseum in pulp.
So what is lost level? Well, lost level is one connecting path between all dimensions Brian Keene talked throughout his books. From zombies infested world, to crazy people world, to darkness everywhere, to worlds that are destroyed by diluvium etc. Everything is connected to the Labyrinth. The Lost level, well it's just that. A place where everything meet. You got dinosaurs, robots from the future, lizardman, humans and Nazis (yeah Nazis are not humans).
It's interesting and the way Pace tells the tale is cool yet at times takes a bit edge of the story since it's being told in the future you already know that he is alive and survive. Not how or what he gone through but he is saved.
So what are my complains besides the way the story is told... it's the pandering. You've got this guy telling Kasheena (the beautiful girl he saved & made love) , well not telling but explaining that nazis were worse than lizards being that are trying to hunt them & eat them (or something of the sorts). You've got this idiot trying to explain a savage girl about his world where women had no rights, then they got, but men sexualize them (he meant in stories,movies) BUT HIM THE FIRST THING HE NOTICE HER, BESIDES BEING BOUND WAS BEING NAKED AND HAVING VOLUPTOUS BREASTS AND BEING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL HE EVER SEEN... WTF man? What was the first thing that he saw in her? Talk about being cringe... Stop pandering. Just tell the damn story that was really interestings...
Enfin... In the end it was cool tale.. a bit sad by the end because of one character but overall good. IT made me wanna read the next two novels that exist.
I really have enjoyed his work as a horror writer and I was enjoying the lost level until he started pandering to some fringe ideology and being cringe...
You got this guy who is as all other pulp fiction heroes, perfect, intelligent yet lived afar from society. Couldn't connect. Yet he arrives in another world and immediate gets a perfect girl (the perfect match). This has been ad nauseum in pulp.
So what is lost level? Well, lost level is one connecting path between all dimensions Brian Keene talked throughout his books. From zombies infested world, to crazy people world, to darkness everywhere, to worlds that are destroyed by diluvium etc. Everything is connected to the Labyrinth. The Lost level, well it's just that. A place where everything meet. You got dinosaurs, robots from the future, lizardman, humans and Nazis (yeah Nazis are not humans).
It's interesting and the way Pace tells the tale is cool yet at times takes a bit edge of the story since it's being told in the future you already know that he is alive and survive. Not how or what he gone through but he is saved.
So what are my complains besides the way the story is told... it's the pandering. You've got this guy telling Kasheena (the beautiful girl he saved & made love) , well not telling but explaining that nazis were worse than lizards being that are trying to hunt them & eat them (or something of the sorts). You've got this idiot trying to explain a savage girl about his world where women had no rights, then they got, but men sexualize them (he meant in stories,movies) BUT HIM THE FIRST THING HE NOTICE HER, BESIDES BEING BOUND WAS BEING NAKED AND HAVING VOLUPTOUS BREASTS AND BEING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL HE EVER SEEN... WTF man? What was the first thing that he saw in her? Talk about being cringe... Stop pandering. Just tell the damn story that was really interestings...
Enfin... In the end it was cool tale.. a bit sad by the end because of one character but overall good. IT made me wanna read the next two novels that exist.
March 13, 2018
If this place exists, then I'm going in armed to the teeth. Although will that even be enough?
Cat- things, piranha birds, carnivore grass lands, and so much other things under a sky that doesn't show its stars.
Heck there is even a valley blanketed with missing socks and explains, maybe that is where all our socks go when you can find em in the dryer.
Im returning to Lost Level now... see you when I get back.
Cat- things, piranha birds, carnivore grass lands, and so much other things under a sky that doesn't show its stars.
Heck there is even a valley blanketed with missing socks and explains, maybe that is where all our socks go when you can find em in the dryer.
Im returning to Lost Level now... see you when I get back.
November 29, 2021
Pure pulp fun and action in the "Jon Carter" tradition, with tons of other influences tossed in and worn proudly. This is a fun, breezy read, filled with one insane encounter after another. Yes, there is a "beautiful native princess," and yes, her anatomy gets almost as many words devoted to it as does anything else about her (or it starts to feel like it does). However, this book rises above most (other) pulp tropes by embracing them and making them fun. I find myself very much wanting to see what happens next, and very much interested in checking out other books by this author.
February 4, 2015
The Lost Level
, by Brian Keene, tells the story of Aaron Pace, a kid from Minnesota who finds himself stranded on The Lost Level, an inter-dimensional planet where objects and beings from all the other meta- and physical Levels in the multiverse sometimes end up - the flotsam and jetsam of the worlds, so to speak. Aaron has a good range of skills, from being an avid reader to having a special interest in the occult to being a champion fencer and hunter (with guns), to having played varsity football and wrestling in school - clearly, someone who should be able to survive in adverse circumstances. And The Lost Level is full of nothing but adverse circumstances, it seems! Luckily, Aaron meets Kasheena, a beautiful warrior princess native to The Lost Level, and Bloop, a kind of cat-creature who is also a warrior, when he frees them from a war party of the Anunnaka, a telepathic reptilian race that has captured them. From then on, Aaron travels with Kasheena and Bloop to reach the village of Kasheena's tribe, where a wise man, Shameal, might be able to help Aaron figure out how to get back home....
The Lost Level
is the first in a projected series of books about Aaron and his adventures in this strange place, and it is certainly a fast-paced tale of adventure, along the lines of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard and, more recently, Joe R. Lansdale (all of whom Keene cites in his acknowledgements). I read it in two evenings, and probably could have finished it in one session if I hadn't had to go to sleep. Although it is quite a fast read, I wasn't terribly satisfied with it, both because our main character, Aaron, is just so perfectly well-equipped to handle anything that comes along and because The Lost Level itself is just too amorphous - literally anything the author dreams up can happen there, and so of course does. To me, creating a world where there are no natural or imposed limits or laws is just lazy on the part of the author; s/he doesn't have to consider the ramifications of anything that happens because all possibilities are limitless. However, I am not the target audience for this type of book, not being terribly interested in lost-world adventure stories (other than Lansdale's
The Drive-In
, which I adore because it's so funny); someone who is happy with that genre will probably enjoy this book because it is well-written and fast paced. So a mild recommendation from me.
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