The Kolchak Cases: The Underbelly Case Files Book 4 by Steve B. Campbell and What's Kraken: Claimed by Perseus (Delivered to the Demigod Book 2) by A.G. Thorne

The Kolchak Cases: The Underbelly Case Files Book 4 by Steve B. Campbell and What's Kraken: Claimed by Perseus (Delivered to the Demigod Book 2) by A.G. Thorne

The Kolchak Cases The Underbelly Case Files Book 4 by Steve B. Campbell 

Steve B. Campbell's Kolchak Cases: The Underbelly Case Files Book 4 could be considered published fanfiction. It's inspired by and loosely based on Carl Kolchak, the protagonist of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, the short lived TV series that ran in 1974, starred Darren McGavin, and obtained a cult following that still exists to this day. 

The Night Stalker was a huge inspiration for many horror writers, filmmakers, and show runners most notably Chris Carter who acknowledged that inspiration by hiring McGavin to play a key pivotal role in Carter's series The X Files’ ongoing mythology arc. The Underbelly Case Files is very well done published fanfiction that captures the spirit of the IP while doing some new interesting things with Kolchak for a modern audience. 

This anthology takes Kolchak through the spooky streets of LA as he protects a status conscious and jaded population from ghosts, aliens, magic users, shape shifters and other supernatural creatures. It's a fascinating look at strange unusual situations told in a very gritty, almost realistic manner as though it were just any old human scandal.

For example in the story, “Monster or Machine” Kolchak works on a case involving L.A. 's sewage system. His investigation leads to questions about pollution, waste mismanagement, and bureaucratic lapses in judgement.

 It also leads to another issue: a creature who has been fed by the overabundance, negligence, and ignorance of humans who take from the environment without giving anything back.

Many of the mysteries are metaphors for the reality surrounding many of L.A’s citizens. A strange creature serves as commentary for the natural world around them. Human frailties, vulnerabilities, and failings are magnified by this supernatural presence acting as a mirror to humanity's own behavior. 

In “Is That Really You?,” people going out for nights on the town run into their doubles, creepy apparitions that look, sound, and act exactly like the person observing them. This encounter between human and doppelganger is reminiscent of the transitory disposable nature of the dating nightlife especially in L.A. 

People hide their true selves, play the roles of carefree social butterflies to build some sort of connection, settle for meaningless quick passion, and hide vulnerability, safety, or empathy to facilitate that passion. This story offers the possibility of another self that lives solely for violent sexual pleasures and destroys the original self to survive. It suggests what could happen in a society that lived only for immediate personal gratification and leaves out the reason, wisdom, and understanding to safely navigate it.

Kolchak encounters not only supernatural creatures but humans whose involvement with the paranormal has disastrous consequences. The stories “Dark Fairies,” “Tunnels,” “Swamp Thing in L.A.” and “If I Only Knew,” depicts the reporter encountering humans whose greed, anger, lust, competitive nature and rage drove them to make dark magical paths that altered their lives and the state of the world. Moments of weakness were magically exploited and created further chaos and ruin.

Kolchak himself is an interesting character that travels through these peculiar situations to discover the truth. He is quick with a wry sarcastic comment and a last word. When he is forced to leave LA, he says his farewells with a lump in his heart and all of the warm nostalgia that he could muster: “So I must say it so long L.A. Hope you don't fall into the ocean someday….No goodbyes. No tickets to a show first. Just later, Karl, don't let the city hit your ass on the way out past the state line.”

Kolchak exposes his depth and vulnerability in all of the stories but notably in the story, “Leaving L.A.” He learns some unique truths about a couple of old friends. This search makes him the target of several powerful individuals and leaves him with tremendous loss and mental anguish.

This story reveals Kolchak's drive to expose the truth. However, sometimes the cost of his search is tremendously high and he pays with his profession, home, security, and lives

What's Kraken: Claimed by Perseus (Delivered to the Demigod Book 2) by A.G. Thorne

A.G. Thorne’s What's Kraken: Claimed by Perseus is a fun and humorous Romantasy Comedy about the love between a Greek demigod and human woman.

Leah Ferguson, marketing specialist, recently broke up with her boyfriend after he accepted a new job elsewhere. She isn't single for long as she catches the eye of Percy. He's a nice guy even if his large family is incredibly intrusive and acts like they've been around forever. That's because they have.

 They are the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Percy is actually Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, slayer of Medusa and hero of Clash of the Titans. He and Leah can't deny their attraction and there is a good chance she might soon become one of the family.

This book doesn't take itself too seriously as it has fun with the concept of the Greek pantheon in modern day. It finds a lot of humor in the bizarre concept as well as the ordinary human experience found in most romantic comedies.

Perseus’ family acts like any typical modern human family. They can get very loud. They have their disagreements but are very loyal towards one another. After all of these centuries, the gods and goddesses have moved on from those personality disputes and accept one another as family, a noisy family always in each other's faces but a loyal loving family nonetheless.

The intrusiveness is particularly revealed as the pantheon investigates Leah’s fitness for Perseus. Two of his half-sisters, who are revealed to be Muses, are at first wary of the mortal woman but then accept her as part of their sisterhood to the point of arranging Girl's Nights Out with their mortal friend.

Thorne modernizes the Greek pantheon by minimizing their conflicts into simple family squabbles and teasing. They no longer have those volatile death matches. Movie nights, family dinners, and other get-togethers are exercises in arrangements and facilitating egos, refereeing teasing matches, and trying to get some alone time.

This change makes the characters more likable and human. Hera has learned to accept Zeus’ affairs and has had a few of her own. Zeus is now a typical father figure who dispenses paternal wisdom and dad jokes that are literally thousands of years old.

Perseus' own story gets some interesting reinterpretations. Perseus and Medusa’s one time hatred has been downgraded to a fire forged friendship and a brother-sister dynamic. It's an interesting relationship to see these adversaries act in a civil and acceptable manner towards each other.

Pop culture interpretations are delightfully skewered. Perseus and others mock their portrayals in various adaptations. He considers Clash of the Titans, a decent adventure with quite a few liberties such as Perseus never had Pegasus (That was Bellerophon). The mechanical owl Bubo didn't exist but Perseus thinks he's adorable. He also describes Percy Jackson as a good kid with a big mouth.

Once Leah adjusts to this reinterpretation of these mythological once larger than life figures as being not so large but human, she fits right in. She and Perseus keep their relationship sharp with witty one liners and barbs. When Leah recognizes that her human father and Zeus have a similar sense of humor, she realizes that some things are universal whether a loving family is human or mythological. They will always find some way to embarrass but support their members.

What's Kraken never takes itself too seriously. Instead it plays with and almost satirizes the Romantasy subgenre and the Greek pantheon. It doesn't aim for anything beyond laughter and wholesomeness and it delivers.