Title: Ereshkigal’s Vengeance: Race for a Cure Against a Pandemic
Author: Carl T. Seaborn
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1663236682
Pages: 118
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

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Ralph and Sarah are a happily married couple that has decided that they are ready to have a baby, but their plans to start a family are soon put on hold. When they fail to conceive, they seek help from a doctor, but when they learn that Sarah is infertile, it is quickly discovered that Sarah isn’t the only one. Her infertility is a result of a greater pandemic that finds multiple women suffering from the same problem. It’s soon discovered that a more ominous threat is at work which leads to a shocking turn of events that hits close to home.

The story begins with a modern almost ideal setup of Ralph’s reality which weaves a standard suburban life through images of a festival, a typical single-family house, and bustling traffic. The descriptions set up a bookend to the storytelling by starting with an idealistic setting and ending with a hopeful conclusion. The beginning takes a subtle shift in tone with phrasing such as “last” rays of sunshine before transitioning into the pandemic. This tonal change is subtle, using Ralph and Sarah as a way to carefully move into the pandemic. Their happy lives begin with this plan for their future which comes abruptly crashing down and within a moment when the entire world changes which are similar to the sudden change in our own reality over the last couple of years. Framing the story around the pandemic gives the situation a direct source of the cause which allows giving a solution and understanding to a stressful time dealing with a pandemic and fertility struggles. The plot focuses primarily on the pandemic with the perspective splitting between this struggling couple and the perpetrator.

The cause of the pandemic differs in the story from our recent reality but still captures the genuine and heightened distress and frustration that people experience during such a time. Ralph and Sarah are a relatable couple that is crafted with a realness to them that is seen through Sarah’s fertility struggles and depression. Seaborn uses specific phrases to provide visuals to the characters such as their neighbor with her puckered face and piercing eyes. Each character has a specific role to play within the pandemic, even secondary ones such as their neighbor who provides an interesting voice with her brisk speech (or warning) to Ralph about her opinion of people – which is how they are jealous of those that are happy and that happiness is preyed upon. This moment casts an eerie reflection throughout the story which lurks underneath as a larger conspiracy grows and becomes a worldwide problem.

Underneath the overall story about the pandemic is a sinister plot against humanity that hits close to home for the lovely couple. The story is structured to where it has a clear villain that has an evil plan to rid the world of humanity in order to return nature back to nature. Despite having a fictional premise, the story has a realness to it that is seen in real themes such as the pandemic and infertility struggles. References are also made to various threats such as terrorism, overpopulation, and pollution. These real situations and threats ground this fictional story into an all-too-familiar reality while realistic little touches such as broadcasts focusing on biological weapons and viruses are woven into the background to help gear the story in a science fiction direction.

A reflection of life during a pandemic, Ereshkigal’s Vengeance: Race for a Cure Against a Pandemic delivers a grounded story about humanity through the struggles of a relatable couple and the diabolic plan to destroy mankind.