I just finished reading What the Hell Did I Just Read? the third entry in the John Dies at the End series. You can read my review of it over on Goodreads.com here. (Just on a side note for those of you who are avid readers, I suggest you check out Goodreads.)
This series could very well have been a very straight forward cosmic horror set of books. As a fan of cosmic horror, I have no issues with that. Instead, David Wong manages to take cosmic horror and by using the lens of his characters and narrators create something that stands alone. It is not a standard HP Lovecraft pastiche with the usual imagery that we have come to expect from such fare.
David Wong and John Cheese are by no means your usual “heroes” or even protagonists for this type of tale. Far from scientists or explorers, the less than dynamic duo are slackers with a penchant for narcotics. This is how they are introduced to Soy Sauce, which is where the adventure begins.
Despite the humor found throughout these books, making me laugh out loud at times, the horror is still very much present. These books walk a fine line between the ludicrous and disturbing.
The John Dies at the End series is definitely not a book series that I would recommend for everyone, but if you want to see how things can be done differently.
Click on the covers below to pick up the John Dies at the End series.
Book 1
Book 2
Of course, HP Lovecraft is the most well-known in the cosmic horror genre. You can click on the tome below for a the complete works of this master.
Just a quick update about the things that I’m working on. I am currently going through a short story collection set in the Winston & Baum universe. I have the drafts back with notes from my initial readers, but that takes time.
I am also currently working on a screenplay with a filmmaker, but I can’t say a whole lot about that right now. When I can, I assure you I will. I’m super-psyched about it.
I still have a whole lot of stories to tell and am trying to capture them on paper as quickly as I can. Stay tuned for more updates, and tell me what stories did unique things in the comments.
Thanks, and I’ll visit with you all soon.
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