Genre: Paranormal, Horror
Reviewer: Beáta
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About The Book
A Lovecraftian Jumanji – cosmic Horror from the author of Derelict and Death Metal
When an antique device is donated to the Miskatoosa University Library, John Dixon believes it will solve his writer’s block. The machine generates plot developments for a novel—but its suggestions begin to come true, weaving a dark story of its own and piercing the veil between this world and a universe of horror. John and his critique partner Gretchen must destroy the device—but it doesn’t want to die. It wants to finish its story.
The Review
While sorting through a recently deceased author’s things donated to the university library, John Dixon finds a mysterious “story generator.” Struggling with his own writing, he can’t resist the temptation to take it home and try it out.
The result is a very weird horror story that has nothing to do with John’s normal writing style. Even worse, elements of it start to come alive. John’s friend Gretchen has a similar experience She’s a friend of John’s, and they share a mutual attraction. In addition to writing strange things, Gretchen has visions, and her late grandmother’s magic pendant miraculously appears next to her pillow.
While trying to figure out what is going on, John and Gretchen discover that their entire critique group is writing the same story – one that is not their own. A story dictated to them by the story generator, with malicious intent. Stopping it from coming true becomes a race against time.
The indestructible story generator, toying with everybody’s minds, makes for both a worthy adversary and a great mystery, and the light-repulsed monstrous animals are genuinely creepy. John and Gretchen have a good chemistry, and I also appreciate how low-key the romance was, as they were both busy with other things.
I barely read any horror, so I don’t have a lot to compare this to, but I can say that I had a good time reading it, and finished it surprisingly quickly. It is a real page-turner, probably due to the shortness of the chapters. I liked this book very much.
The Reviewer
Beáta Fülöp is an aspiring filmmaker and writer. She identifies as aromantic and asexual, and has an autistic Special Interest in the representation of minorities. One day, she will use this knowledge in her own stories. Until then, she is happy to sit here and give her opinion on other people’s hard work.
