REVIEW: Scott Christian Carr’s HIRAM GRANGE AND THE TWELVE LITTLE HITLERS by Nancy O. Greene

Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers

by Scott Christian Carr

Shroud Publishing

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Scott Christian Carr’s Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers is a kinetic tour de force of drug-addled adventure. The title character, Hiram, is an absinthe-soaked anti-hero clawing his way through the fabric of a world that doesn’t want him but desperately needs him. On the hunt for twelve clones of one of the world’s worst historical figures, he hardly knows what he’s going to do from one minute to the next. But he is guided forward by an insatiable drive to complete missions given to him by a secret group called OIRA. What he doesn’t know is that Le Fee Verte (The Green Demon) is hot on his trail, watching him with a bulbous eye, waiting for the perfect moment to bring down the man that could save all of existence.

 The writing and the story are quite good. There’s a visual quality here that reminds me of some of the best types of animation, particularly “Aeon Flux,” as well as a touch of the kind of live-action animation found in Sin City.

 There’s a lot about Hiram to like and to dislike. He is a character of flaws and hope, lost and simultaneously sure of what he has to do. He’s surrounded by disastrous events of the 20^th and 21^st century that take their toll. But his actions don’t always make sense and usually stem from a damaged reasoning, and before the final confrontation he learns that what he believes may not be the ultimate truth.

I can’t say enough about the writing style in this book. It’s descriptive and poetic, hard-hitting and emotional. The take on the demon is done well. It’s repulsive and sadistically immature. The world is painted in wild, but controlled strokes. It never lets up. Still, as drugged as Hiram and the story become, it’s never difficult to understand if you follow the story closely. While it may be hard for some to visualize, if necessary it only really requires a subtle stretching of the imagination and stepping outside of the box of the typical anti-hero story.

 It does contain some classic tropes, though. Unrequited love (in this case it is the bizarre, dangerous, and off-putting stalker obsession mistaken for love—featuring a figure many will recognize), true love (or so it would seem), and an Ultimate Mission. There are deadly things in the world—both scientific and supernatural—and Hiram is charged with finding and dealing with them, whether he wants to or not.

 Overall this is a riveting book, and I have a feeling that the Hiram Grange series is sure to become a cult classic.

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