Book Review: This Burdened Clay by Thomas Norford
This Burdened Clay is an extraordinary novel that sneaks up on you starting with a subtle whisper of unease before tightening its grip into a full-blown nightmare. Thomas Norford masterfully crafts a story where the horror simmers just beneath the surface, gradually escalating until you find yourself entirely immersed in a world of dread and desperation. It's the kind of book that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading.
Thomas’s other books The Starved God and Anomic Bombs (both reviewed on EPIC Indie) showcased his skill with words but this one takes it up a notch and really shows off just how talented an author he is.
At the heart of it all is Fran Gera, a deeply relatable and compelling protagonist. A social worker with a big heart and even bigger problems, Fran’s struggle to protect her vulnerable charges, cousins Blake and Caleb, is handled with an authenticity that makes her impossible not to root for. At the start of the novel when things seem normal with subtle unease creeping in we get to experience her life and job as a social worker. (If that’s how it really works than the system really needs a shake up.)
Then after the world goes to hell her journey through crumbling cities and desolate wastelands is haunting and engrossing, and her slow descent into instability feels frighteningly real. The post-apocalyptic backdrop is vividly realised, calling to mind the grim survivalism of The Walking Dead, yet it brings its own unique flavour with eerie remnants of normal life twisted into something far more sinister.
Norford’s writing is a standout. His style is fluid, nuanced, and deftly shifts between heart-wrenching tenderness and sharp, gut-punching horror. There’s a real humour threaded through the darkness too with characters like Milan, Ben, and Matt bring moments of lightness that feel genuine rather than forced. Ben, in particular, had me chuckling a few times, offering much-needed relief amid the tension.
The blend of genres here horror, sci-fi, family drama is handled with incredible skill. Norford’s imagination shines through, from the body horror and cult terrors to the nightmarish creatures that stalk the broken world. The story carries a Kafkaesque edge, especially in the strange, abrupt turns the plot sometimes takes, leaving you feeling as trapped and bewildered as Fran herself.
The only criticism is that the book may jar some readers around ten chapters in, as there is a fairly significant shift in both plot and tone. While I found it an intriguing pivot that expanded the story’s scope, it could unsettle those expecting a more consistent atmosphere throughout.
That said, it’s a minor quibble in what is otherwise one of the best sci-fi/horror novels I’ve read in recent years. This Burdened Clay is a remarkable achievement unsettling, imaginative, heart-breaking, and thrilling. Highly recommended for anyone who loves sci-fi and horror with brains, heart, and bite.
