Red Harvest

Title: Red Harvest

Author: Joe Schreiber

Published in: 2010

Date read: 4th June 2013

Score: 4/5

Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Red Harvest" by Joe Schreiber, published in 2010, is a standalone horror novel set in the "Star Wars Legends" universe. It's a prequel to Schreiber's earlier Star Wars horror novel, "Death Troopers," and explores the terrifying origin of a zombie-like plague within the galaxy far, far away.

The story takes place during the Old Republic era, at a remote Sith Academy on the planet Odacer-Faustin. Darth Scabrous, a deranged and ambitious Sith Lord, is obsessed with achieving immortality. He's conducting horrific experiments on his unsuspecting Sith students and apprentices, attempting to unlock the secret to eternal life through forbidden Sith alchemy and dark side rituals.

As part of his grand, twisted plan, Scabrous orchestrates the kidnapping of Hestizo Trace, a young Jedi Padawan from the Agricultural Corps, known for her unique Force talent with plants. She is brought to the academy along with a rare, sentient Murakami orchid, which is the final, crucial ingredient Scabrous believes he needs for his immortality formula.

However, Scabrous's experiments go catastrophically wrong. Instead of granting immortality, his concoction unleashes a highly contagious and grotesque virus. This virus transforms the Sith students and the academy's inhabitants into ravenous, rotting, and incredibly violent zombie-like creatures. The infection spreads rapidly, turning the once-disciplined Sith Academy into a charnel house.

The novel then becomes a desperate fight for survival. Hestizo Trace, along with a cynical bounty hunter named Tulkh and a few uninfected Sith students, must navigate the zombie-infested academy. They face not only the relentless hordes of the undead (including terrifyingly transformed alien species) but also the still-living, utterly ruthless Darth Scabrous, who, though infected himself, aims to complete his ritual before he fully succumbs, hoping to retain his mind and power as an immortal monster.

"Red Harvest" is a gory, intense, and action-packed horror story that injects a visceral, survival-horror element into the Star Wars universe, focusing on the sheer terror of a biological outbreak rather than traditional lightsaber duels or Force powers. It's a dark and brutal tale of desperation as unlikely allies try to escape a plague that threatens to consume everything.

Comments:
I remember reading this and I was gobsmacked to read a horror/sci-fi set in the Star Wars universe. I could not put this down and kept thinking of the reflections in our modern world when scientists are looking for new weapons to always stay one step ahead of the enemy. Very enjoyable.

Books that we've read by Joe Schreiber (1):
Red Harvest (2010)