A Dickensian detail to character, a King-esque approach to taut, suspense-laced storytelling, dark Poe-inspired observations on man’s inner workings: these are but a few influences in Suresh De Silva’s ‘The Eternal Dark: Requiem’. Though, amidst the stylistic strengths derived from, and even a few homages to, his favorite authors, De Silva’s own style shines through in his storytelling.
The premise alone sparks intrigue; six strangers reside together in an all-expenses paid-stay in a manor, with no contact to the outside world, in the promise of a handsome monetary reward. To start with, De Silva is incredibly talented at writing memorable characters. He fleshes them out flamboyantly with all their eccentricities, strengths, vulnerabilities and vividly described physical attributes. Whether it’s a video game-obsessed teenager, an African slave, a vain social media influencer or a mystic old woman rumored to be a witch: De Silva’s prose gives a wonderful, unique life to each and every one of them.
Plot-wise, ‘The Eternal Dark: Requiem’ leaves many an avid reader a page-turner. Weaving together Sri Lankan history, Lovecraftian horror, and an evident love for flora and fauna, De Silva makes Requiem Manor a mysterious presence that bears clandestine secrets our heroes are yet to discover. It’s a story that harks back to gothic traditions and a fascination with man’s fear of the unknown. There were times when I read through the novel and I felt as if I were reading parts of an August Derleth story.
Yet, there is also a unique, Sri Lankan attitude that pervades De Silva’s novel. Whether it’s complex family dynamics, allusions to our island’s history, or even usage of Sinhalese slang, he brings in just about enough cultural references to his homeland that there is believable friction to any Sri Lankan reader and attests to a foreign reader that he is more than an imitation of his influences.
De Silva walks a fine tightrope between an esoteric literary style and a horror-pulp magazine niche in his writing that will appeal to an eclectic range of readers. There are references to hard rock and metal culture, sci-fi movies, superheroes, Stephen King novels, and Sri Lankan jokes that ease the tension and intensity of the novel. Where the novel would be a certain win for horror fans, it would also appeal to the curious mind who wishes to go beyond the orthodox literary genres.
Overall, ‘The Eternal Dark: Requiem’ is a work of stellar, dark-fantasy-inspired storytelling that makes use of Sri Lankan heritage. It has the marks of a well-written work of horror fiction, where it focuses and ponders on the darker, intense sides of mankind in juxtaposition to the various, mysterious, monstrous forces within its setting. With his unique prose that brings a tight momentum to the plot, Suresh De Silva has penned an exemplary work that sheds light on the darker, twisted elements of Sri Lankan culture and should serve to inspire many other writers who wish to bring unique elements of storytelling to our land.
-Shailendra Ahangama
Leave a Reply