Steve Stred's Blog, page 4

Book Review: Requiem by John Palisano

Title: Requiem

Author: John Palisano

Release date: May 13th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a digital ARC of this one!*

Space horror. Science fiction themes merged with terrifying elements. When done well, it’s a subgenre that easily whisks away the reader and keeps them hooked no matter one. And one big key to that is the total isolation aspect. On solid ground, here on earth, if something horrible happens, a character can run away or get in a car and drive as far away as possible.

But in space…

Well, you’re stuck. Sure, maybe you have an escape pod, but then what? Or maybe there’s a rescue ship coming? Well, that ship isn’t just around the block and you’ve certainly not used Uber to call it.

It’s that claustrophobic aspect of going where so few humans have gone before that always draws me in and makes for an unsettling read.

Now, with Palisano at the helm, I knew I’d be getting a lush, but ultimately unnerving experience. If you’ve not read any of John’s work before, you absolutely need to get on that. I suggest you start with his novella ‘Glass House’ which is haunting and heartbreaking, or dive into his dust-filled western ‘Dust of the Dead.’ Really, you can’t go wrong with John’s work, which made this one so enticing to me because – and as I just said – it’s in space.

What I liked: Set in the future, Ava is a space ship captain who has recently returned to earth, dealing with with PTSD from her last mission. She’s been assured she’ll not return to space for some time, but that’s thrown out the window when a huge corporation contacts her – and a group of scientists and a musician – for an important job. A moon-sized cemetery known as Eden has experienced some significant malfunctions and they need to head up, repair it and make sure it never happens again.

From here, John gives us a haunting look at isolation, madness, connecting with the dead and loss. It’s billed as a gothic story, but that is buried beneath the sheen of the sci-fi/horror surface. It’s only revealed as the story goes along and we see the true reality of what’s happening on Eden and how those who are managing to survive deal with it.

The story ebbs and flows, we get some jolting, intense moments bookended by some slow, visceral revelations and it’s within that scope that the mastery of what Palisano has done truly can be appreciated. It’s subtle, at times tough to put your finger on, but its there, pulsing throughout the whispered textures of each chapter.

The ending wraps things up ‘nicely’ and once you get there, you’ll know what I mean, and I appreciated the tongue-in-cheek-ness of the ‘epilogue’ portion.

What I didn’t like: The story is solid, the writing is solid and the characters are great, but – as with many sci-fi/horror novels – if you go in thinking that this won’t have a lot of familiar plot points and story aspects, you’ll be sorely frustrated. John doesn’t reinvent the plot here, but I also don’t believe that was ever his intention.

Why you should buy this: Palisano is one of the nicest guys in the horror world but also one of the most criminally under read writers out there. ‘Requiem’ just might be the book that finally tips those scales and gets his books all over IG and Tik Tok – at least I hope so – because what he’s done here is a powerful, philosophical look at death, what happens after and how the human race continues to push forward with technological elements without considering the long-term ramifications.

This was really well done.

Book Review: Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

Title: Moon of the Turning Leaves (Moon #2)

Author: Waubgeshig Rice

Release date: October 10th, 2023

After reading and loving ‘Moon of the Crusted Snow,’ I knew I’d need to read the second book in Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon series. I’m going to do my best to be spoiler free for book one, but be warned that going forward, there may be some inadvertent slips.

The two books in this series can essentially be split into PRE/DURING and POST event, though there’s a solid argument to be made that Book One is more DURING than PRE. I’m saying PRE because we get some scenes prior to all the lights going out, whereas often is the case in dystopian/apocalyptic narratives, the ‘big event’ occurs essentially right at the start of the book.

If you’ve read book one, you’ll know it follows Evan Whitesky and his family and community as they navigate a life where they’re suddenly cut off from the outside world. The powers out, cell phones are dead and the trucks that normally deliver supplies are not coming.

There’s some fascinating inter-personal dynamics on display in that one and ultimately the book fills with an ending that suggest there’s hope for the future.

If Rice had ended it there and not returned, nobody would’ve blamed him and it would’ve stood on its own wonderfully.

With Book Two, Rice decided to return to that world, twelve years later and in doing so, managed to deliver a solid one-two of modern classics that in essence gave us an Indigenous version of McCarthy’s ‘The Road.’

What I liked: Twelve years after the lights have gone out, the Anishinaabe people have forged a life for themselves north of their former community. But, now, after a decade, food sources are starting to dwindle and the decision is made for a group to walk south and see if they can find somewhere to resettle. They ancestors have spoke of an island, but they’re leery to investigate, worried about how things are in the new world they’ve not been a part of for many years.

What Rice has done here is truly fascinating. We get Evan, his daughter, and others, who work their way back down to where towns used to be, worried about hostiles. This is their land, where they were from, but its been reclaimed by the earth, and in areas by hostile inhabitants. Sure, throughout, we see some of the familiar plot points of new characters arriving and should they trust them, but its done through a fascinating lens of racial undertones and sociopolitical aspects. Even a decade after the modern world has ended, the white people they encounter still operate with an air of ownership to everything – to the land, to the Indigenous people and to anything anyone else possesses. It’s that classic evilness of greed, power and status that we often encounter with older, white males with money. And we currently see that happening – unfortunately – with the return of the President in the US.

As the story progresses, Waub does a great job of showing how the members connect with where they are and the descriptions of those areas and those moments are the most powerful parts, up until the perhaps one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever read, which is the culmination of Evan and his daughters story. I won’t go far into it, spoilers and such, but what Rice put on page there is something so remarkable, that even writing about it now is making me emotional.

The epilogue does open the door for a third entry, though again, if Rice leaves it here, he’ll have ended this series on a high point and offering those still living in the new world the hope of a brighter future.

What I didn’t like: I found this book perfect, but, as I usually do in this section, I try to point out what some other readers may not connect with, if I myself didn’t experience any of that. So, for this one, don’t come into this expecting a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller. This one takes its time having our characters move from point A to point B and the book is all the better because of that.

Why you should buy this: ‘Moon of the Turning Leaves’ is one of those rare sequels that does exactly what you want with a sequel – makes book one that much better. It manages to take what was started in ‘Moon of the Crusted Snow’ and elevate the events in there so that when combined with the struggles within the second book, makes the reader connect that much more with the characters and what they’re going through. I loved book one and after finishing book two, love them both so much when combined as a whole and when taken as singular reads.

These are must reads, especially if you’re Canadian, but beyond that, these are the rare books that connect you with a group of people you want to root for so badly and make you stay for the entirety of their journey.

Amazing.

Book Review: Winter’s Wood by Adrian J. Walker

Title: Winter’s Wood

Author: Adrian J. Walker

Release date: 2016

I believe it was through Tony Jones and Adrian aka The Grim Reader who introduced me to Adrian J. Walker’s books. First, I read ‘The End of the World Running Club,’ which was fantastic. Then I devoured his absolutely phenomenal ‘The Human Son.’ Both of those books should be must-read by all genre fiction fans and Adrian’s easy prose – read accessible, soothing and riveting – make for memorable books. Recently, I was wondering what his next release was going to be, but also what other books of his I should jump into. I popped onto his website and discovered it had been updated and that he’d changed course with his books. At the time of writing this, his site stated he was un-agented and wasn’t sure how to market himself, so he’d switched to a pay what you can model, while also querying some books. From the outside, it looked similar to the Adam Nevill approach, the only difference being that Adrian had a bunch of his books for free with a tip option.

I grabbed two, this one, and ‘The Other Lives’ but decided to read ‘Winter’s Wood’ first. I also made sure to give him a tip, as a thanks for his generosity and to ‘pay’ for the books.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this one. Described as Middle-Grade aged fantasy, I knew it would be whimsical, but I wasn’t sure how dark it would get. This one turned out to be more silly than scary, but it worked perfectly for the discovery within the story.

What I liked: The story follows a young girl who lives in the woods with her father and her dog. Her mother died when she was born, but they do their best to be happy. Her father cuts wood for the villagers and she attends school.

Preferring to be in the woods or lost within her thoughts, the girl, Lucy, shuns making friends at school, but when she sticks up for a boy in her class who claims he’s seen the witch that lives in the woods, things take a turn.

On the following day, Lucy sees a strange figure in the woods while collecting kindling and soon after, she’s swapped bodies with her dog. From that point on, Walker takes us on a really fun, and tense, journey, where Lucy learns the truth about the woods, her life and who she is.

It made for a perfect MG read, one that seems suited for an adaptation and one that would have my son captivated.

What I didn’t like: As a 43-year-old reader, I’m a bit jaded when reading a book like this, so what I found a bit ‘off’ – the ‘lie’ that had been told to the girl – is something I’ve seen a million times at this point in my reading life. For a new reader though, it would be a unique story twist, so in that sense, it works very well when taken in that context.

Why you should buy it: If you’ve got a new/early reader in your home, this is a perfect novella to read to them or read with them. I’ll be re-reading this soon with my own son, as I’m certain he’ll really enjoy it. The characters are well done, the setting perfect and theirs a great mix of silly and serious to work for all level of reader.

The book is currently free on Adrian’s website – though I highly recommend you leave him a tip if you can! – and is one I think all ages would enjoy!

You can grab it here;

https://www.adrianjwalker.com/books/detail/winters-wood

Book Review: Reap, Sow by S.H. Cooper

Title: Reap, Sow

Author: S.H. Cooper

Release date: March 24, 2025

*Huge thanks to S.H. for sending me a digital ARC of this!*

There are few authors out there that I know that are as versatile and shape-shifting as Cooper is. Between M/G-Y/A, fantasy, gothic, historical/period, folk horror and straight up horror, Cooper outwrites 99% of every single author out there that focuses squarely on any of those genres singularly. It’s one of the reasons why I always look forward to more of her work, but also why I get so friggin’ annoyed when I don’t see her work shouted from the rooftops of every single Bookstagrammer and Book Tokker.

When Cooper announced this one, I was immediately struck by A.A. Medina’s cover and knew that Cooper had something vicious in store for us. I dove in, expecting to get smacked in the face, but I didn’t expect to not be able to put this one down. Read over a single, frantic session, I had to know what the secret was, what the big reveal would be, and when it came, I was so happy for how well Cooper had pulled it all together.

What I liked: The story follows a young woman, seemingly struck with a brief amnesiac spell, trying to figure out who she is, why she knows some things but not others and why bits and pieces are slowly coming back to her.

Known by her nickname of ‘Lucky,’ family members start to arrive, questioning her and we see that something’s off with each one. Cooper keeps the aspects of this ‘offness’ close to her chest with each interaction, slowly revealing the reality of what it is, but still not allowing Lucky to have that lightbulb moment of what actually occurred.

Not until we get to the very – bitter – end.

When the cards are shown and the truth comes out, Cooper does a wonderful job of making sure every single detail is blood covered and to a degree, this turned out to be a bit of a semi-retelling of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’ The ending is powerful, gut wrenching and will ultimately make you rethink how you perceived Lucky throughout.

What I didn’t like: Nothing, lol. This one was perfect from start to finish. Cooper really outdid herself here with this one.

Why you should buy this: Cooper should be a ‘must-buy’ and a ‘must-read’ author, so if you’re already a fan, you’re going to be very, very happy with this one. If you’ve not read any of her work before, this is a great jumping in point, but be aware – she’s got a sizable back catalog, so you’re wallet will be taking a hit!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222778657-reap-sow

Book Review: Blood For Blood by Edward Vaughn

Title: Blood For Blood

Author: Edward Vaughn

Release date: August 2nd, 2024

I’m always a sucker for books where one person has to go up against seemingly insurmountable odds. Such is the case for those books where it has a secondary titling of ‘A Demon Hunter Book,’ like this one. It gives a ring of Hellboy, of the earth having been overrun and a figure rising up to try and save humanity. To a degree, Alan Baxter’s Eli Carver series does just that, though it is firmly rooted in the supernatural world.

I’ve been wanting to check out Edward’s work for a while now, and when I saw Matthew Vaughn post about this one on IG and Tik Tok, I knew this was the one for me to dive in and discover just what horrors Edward had created.

What I liked: The book follows Mason Ward, a hunter. One in a long line of family born hunters, he is hired to track down and capture or kill the creatures that now roam the world. Vampires, witches, werewolves, you name it, and yes, demons. In this particular time, Ward is at an exorcism of a young girl, when the demon turns its sights on him and tells him that his sister is burning in Hell.

This is the prompt needed to have Ward search for his sister, firstly to find out if she is dead and when he learns the truth, he needs to get to the bottom of it.

There’s plenty of action in this one, as well as some very solid family dynamics at play, especially between Mason and his younger brother Christian. Vaughn does a great job of displaying the years of annoyance between them subtly and efficiently.

The ending is an engaging converging of the subplots laid out leading up to it and sets things up that there may be more Ward stories in the future. I’m not sure if there are other stories related to Ward already, but he’s a very intriguing character.

What I didn’t like: The biggest thing for me with this one was it was far too slim, too rushed. This novella had the potential to be a modern classic if it was four times longer. It would’ve allowed Mason to be more fully formed, the family story of them hunting, how they became hunters etc. etc. could’ve been included and would’ve created some truly memorable lore, and each of the interactions that Mason had would’ve felt fuller, more complete and satisfying to the reader.

There’s a lot here, but all of it felt glossed over and waiting to be plumped up and made all the juicier for the reader to sink their teeth into.

Why you should buy this: What Vaughn has done here, is introduce the world to a very interesting world, character and family. The ending, as mentioned, let’s us get our hopes up that there will be more and I sure hope we see more Ward in the future.

If you’re looking for a very fast-paced, action-packed novella that will have you racing through to learn the truth, look no further!

Book Review: Splice: The Novelization by Claire Donner

Title: Splice: The Novelization

Author: Claire Donner

Release date: August 20th, 2024

I’ll be the first to admit that over the last few years, I’ve not read many novelizations. Actually, that might better be stated as I’ve not read any. I can’t think of a single one, nor do I see any on my Goodreads page. I’ve read a lot of books that became movies, but movies that became books? Zero. And I’m not counting books like ‘William’ by Mason Coile or ‘All the Fiends of Hell’ by Adam Neville etc. Those books that started life as a screenplay only to become a novel in their own right after not being filmed for whatever reason.

When Encyclopocalypse Publications announced this one I was equal parts excited and intrigued. ‘Splice’ has long been one of my personal favorite movies. Released in 2009, I went in blind, and was completely blown away by the strange story that unfolded. And I’m not ashamed to admit that the movie has stuck deep in my subconscious and influenced a number of my own books. ‘Mastodon,’ ‘Jane: The 816 Chronicles,’ and ‘The Stranger’ all have come from various aspects of ‘Splice’ that resonated with me and pushed my mind in one direction or another.

With the news of this one arriving, I was excited to see the nuances that film can’t demonstrate play out, but I was also intrigued to see how the visuals my mind had stored translated onto the page.

After I bought the book, I tossed around the idea of re-watching the movie before reading it, but ultimately I decided to wait, wanting the book to hold up on its own merits and now have me comparing it unfairly as I read.

If you’ve not seen the movie before, beware as there may be some spoiler-ish stuff ahead!

What I liked: The story follows geneticists Elsa and Clive, who are also a couple. They’re trying to synthesize a protein that would allow them to unlock the secrets of pharmaceuticals. If they’re successful, the company they work for would be able to create a whole lot of products that would aid the wider world.

As they progress, setbacks mount and with the pressure of a huge presentation looming, nerves get frayed and failures arise. It’s within that framework that they create a new species – a mix of science and genes – that rapidly grows into a humanoid creature.

Donner does a wonderful job of keeping the story engaging, even through the beginning ‘science’ based scenes. These could’ve easily dragged or stalled any forward momentum the story had, but Claire deftly gives us the building blocks of Clive and Elsa’s characters, their relationship and a few secondary characters too.

Once the new creature arrives, Donner kicks things into overdrive and as this creature grows – and given the moniker ‘Dren’ – we see the subtleties of Clive and Elsa’s worlds collide and those things unsaid come bubbling to the surface.

It made for some harsh moments, some introspective questions for the reader and ultimately sets the book up for the last quarter when the shit hits the fan. Donner does this perfectly, fleshing out the surface-level aspects of the script and giving it wonderful depth and masterfully brings the images on the screen into vivid HD level descriptions.

The ending remains as powerful, poignant and repulsive as ever and if you read through the closing moments – or watch/re-watch it – and don’t squirm, kudos to you.

What I didn’t like: The only jarring thing I found from reading this was that the Clive and Elsa characters mood shifts between how they start to how they finish felt very abrupt, very quick and not teased out and then occurring. It could be a case of sticking closer to the screenplay in those areas than others, but I just found it to occur very, very rapidly.

Why you should buy this: This is a must buy/must read if you’re a huge fan of the film. The movie takes you to some very uncomfortable places and the book easily goes there and then steps over the line with the descriptions of things we don’t see on film.

Donner’s writing is pristine, the characters sparkle and Dren comes to life on the page lovingly and terrifyingly.

All in all, if you’re a fan of thoroughly engaging Sci-Fi/Horror done perfectly, ‘Splice: The Novelization’ should absolutely be a book you read, sooner than later.

https://www.amazon.com/Splice-Novelization-Encyclopocalypse-Movie-Tie-ebook/dp/B0CT6Z984B/

Book Review: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Title: Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulsen

Release date: January 1st, 1987

When I wrote my novel ‘Mastodon,’ I reached out to a number of authors I greatly admired to see about collecting some blurbs. One of those authors was the fantastic Shaun Hamill, author of ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ and ‘The Dissonance,’ and in his amazing blurb, he compared the book to Paulsen’s ‘Hatchet.’ At the time, he asked me if it influenced the novel – which it didn’t, or at least not out rightly – and a few others did as well, because I was 100% certain I’d never read the book.

It dawned on me after I was about 25% in that I’d most certainly read this, maybe back around 1990 or so, and I’d watched the film adaptation – ‘A Cry in the Wild.’

Saying all of that, it’d been so long since I’d read it, the only part I remembered was a scene where Brian, our main character, gets sprayed in the face by a skunk.

I was driven to read this (or re-read rather) for two reasons. The first was that I’m working on a novel based around some wilderness survival elements and I wanted to read some examples where authors do a lot with nothing. If you’ve ever spent time in the great outdoors, you’ll understand an hour can feel like three days. So, I wanted to work on my ability to keep a reader engaged while the story isn’t doing anything other than being.

And the second reason, was that it kept coming back to me that Shaun had compared my book to this one and I felt like I owed Shaun to read it!

What I liked: The novel follows thirteen-year-old Brian, trying to navigate his new way of life. His mother and father have divorced, so he’s going to fly to the far north in Canada to visit his dad. His mother gifts him a hatchet just before he hops in the small plane for the flight. It’s a simple, solid set up and one that gives us readers the bare bones of the ‘why’ for Brian’s flight.

Paulsen masterfully does what I was hoping to examine. He gives us a lot with a little and when the plane crashes and Brian must survive the wilds on his own, that’s where Paulsen’s gift is highlighted. Brian finds the will to carry on, to find food, make fire and forge a place for himself among the trees and the animals that come to investigate his presence.

The story itself is miniature, when compared to the transformation Brian goes through, and Gary’s use of nature within this is pristine. The ending was obvious from the beginning, but the journey to get from the beginning to the ending was spot on.

What I didn’t like: I’m not sure if it was because of the time period this was released, or editorial decisions, or what, but for the most part, the story felt very ‘easy.’ Easy in the sense that Brian just kind of had things happen and was able to keep going. It is very, very hard to survive for a week, let alone almost two months without any basic wilderness training, and Brian seemed to do so as though he’d been living off the grid every other weekend.

Why you should buy this: Beyond that one small annoyance, the story is wonderful, empowering and it was great to see Brian’s connection to nature occur and how it affected him for years to come.

If you’re looking for a book that shows how an entire system works together while also works apart, this is perfect. And if you’re looking for a coming-of-age novel that you could read to your kids and cheer when Brian accomplishment’s what he has to, in order to survive, look no further.

4/5

Book Review: The Earth Bleeds At Night Anthology. Edited by Holly Cornetto

Title: The Earth Bleeds At Night

Edited by Holly Cornetto

Release date: January 3rd, 2025

*Thank you to Michelle and Eerie River for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

When this anthology was announced, I was super excited for it to arrive in the world. Knowing Holly’s love of folk horror and folk lore, I knew this would be curated with a fantastic batch of stories that would make the reader uneasy.

One thing I find with anthologies – especially with themed ones – is that the flow of story-to-story has to make sense, has to feel like they’ve each been placed like precious puzzle pieces just perfectly to aid in how I respond to it, and I was delighted to find that it did just that.

But what of the individual stories themselves?

Let’s find out!

What I liked: As a massive fan of creepy trees, odd horns and things standing in the corner when the lights are flicked on, ‘The Earth Bleeds At Night’ is stuffed to the brim with all of that, while also adding in a dose of other elements.

Highlights for me were;

‘You’ll Catch Your Death’ by Dexter McLeod. A slab of Clive Barker inspired madness, this story follows a couple who – don’t they always? – makes the mistake of choosing the wrong B ‘n’ B. While there, they learn of the dreaded entity known as The Lord of Meat and – rightly – chaos ensues. McLeod wrote this one with a perfect mix of gore and mental instability, making me question why I loved it so much, when so many horrible things happen in a tight page count.

‘Water Drops on Stone Hearts’ by Christopher O’Halloran. Jesus Christ on the cross. This story reworks how your heart beats and then some. Simple synopsis – shitty mom learns of her daughters death and goes to her funeral. Complex synopsis – death weaves its way through time and space to connect two who lost that connection. There’s a lot of deep metaphorical elements in this one and it forces you to re-read the ending a few times, coming to grips with the hellish beauty of a story you just consumed. Well done.

‘A Mousy Little Thing’ by Christi Nogle. This one was easily the most unnerving story – even more than O’Halloran’s – in that from the first sentence of the story, you know something’s off, just not right. It follows a girl with an extraordinary gift, but one that comes with a cost and horrifying ripples. I’ll be avoiding every mud puddle I ever see again in my life.

The absolute highlight for me though, of all the stories, was C.M. Forest’s deliciously dark ‘It Is the Night!’ Think del Toro’s ‘The Strain’ only mixed with archeological elements. The story follows an investigative reporter who has been writing ‘hit-pieces’ on a noted and reclusive Billionaire. The Billionaire then extends an invitation to her, to interview him, but only with one caveat, it’s taking place on his private jet. We learn the horrible truth, what it all means to the woman, and ultimately, Forest packs in an entire novel’s worth of lore, back story and themes in about 10K words. Outstanding.

Overall, most of the stories hit the beats really effectively and the writing shined in those ones.

What I didn’t like:  I will say, there were a few stories that simply fell flat for me. They started strong and tapered off, or just never hit the right reading currency for me. Anthologies are always a case of readers connecting with different stories, so as always, the ones I loved may be ones you don’t enjoy and vice versa.

Why you should buy this: Eerie River has put on a lot of really solid and wonderful books and ‘The Earth Bleeds At Night’ is another solid anthology of solid stories. This one has something for everyone and each story will take the reader on wild and crazy journey’s.

Overall, a really well done anthology that will most likely cause you to never sleep in the dark again.

4/5

Remembering my friend, Andrew Pyper

Andrew Pyper

March 29th, 1968 – January 3rd, 2025

*

The start of a new year is always filled with excitement and joy for the potential. The ‘what’s to come.’ We make resolutions, celebrate the previous year’s ups and reflect on the down’s and challenge ourselves to do better. To be better.

I had almost two weeks off from work over the Holiday’s, and it was spent with my wife and son, as well as a week with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. It was a mix of quality time and fun things. We went to a bunch of Christmas light events. We went to the Zoo for their Christmas celebration. We rang in the New Year’s by attending the family fireworks event. And we watched movies, played games and made memories.

On Friday, January 3rd, Amanda, Auryn and I went to the Royal Alberta Museum, or the RAM.

We love the RAM, go frequently, and we wanted to catch the new exhibit – artwork based around neurology and emotions. In Alberta, there’s a pass you can get called the ‘Explore Alberta’ pass. I think this is our third year getting one. It covers the admission to a ton of places around the province, with the RAM being one of them.

We spent a solid three hours there, revisited the Angkor exhibit before it closed and moved elsewhere, and then we packed up to head home.

First though, we needed to make a stop at a grocery store.

It was while at the store, that I looked at my phone and saw I had a DM notification from my good friend, Randall. The last line was his phone number, and my heart sank.

I knew.

I swiped my screen, entered my pin, and read his DM. It said ‘Oh man. This is a sad day. I’m thinking about you.’ Then he said I could give him a call and he included his phone number.

And I knew.

*

I’m not sure how or where to go from here. I’m struggling. I really am. And it’s an odd place to be mentally.

I’ve hardly slept. I’ve had a million things running through my mind at all hours of the day. Thinking of his family, his friends, their dog, his books, our times together.

My brain is wired in such a way that I need to write things. I need to express myself through writing. I have an easier time putting down hard truth’s in a word doc than having them rumble around my brain. I’ve stopped and started this a dozen times. One piece of writing advice Andrew gave me early on, was to examine what you’ve written with a critical eye. To never rush it and never launch it out before it’s ready. And outline. He was an ardent outliner.

I’d hoped the return to work would’ve eased some of the pain, stolen my focus, but it hasn’t.

*

The discovery of Andrew Pyper’s ‘The Demonologist’ changed my life.

I bought it, read it and once I was finished, I understood that I could do it. I could write a book. Now, don’t get me wrong, I never believed – nor do I believe now – that I could write half as well as Andrew, or anywhere close to his caliber, but after having toiled away working on my first novel – a novel I re-released just this past October 2024 – which surreally is about a man coming to grips with a terminal illness – reading ‘The Demonologist’ and discovering that Andrew was Canadian created a monumental shift in my own beliefs.

A Canadian did it. This Canadian could too.

*

Since the news broke of Andrew’s passing, my notifications have been non-stop.

There’s been an outpouring of grief, but also a kindness in people asking how I’m holding up. I think Andrew would find it humorous that my most liked and commented on post about him is my post that he’s passed. I also hope his wife and kids see the love being shown towards him.

I feel a heaviness constantly. It’s a mixture of devastation, heartbreak and confusion. And guilt. I feel this guilt that so many people are checking on me, when in my heart, I’m still just a super fan. I hope people are stopping by at their home, that his wife is being showered with hugs. His kids are finding some light.

I used a fitting metaphor on fellow author, Tessa Wegert’s, Instagram post about Andrew. I said that Andrew was a beautiful spider who sent millions of gorgeous threads out into the wider world.

I believe that. Andrew Pyper was literature’s Kevin Bacon.

It’s hard pressed to find somebody who didn’t know him, hadn’t had any kind interaction with him or even received a blurb from him. He was there to help and use his platform to see you succeed.

It was through Andrew that I connected with Tessa. And I have hundreds more authors that I connected with, through him. Even now, I’ve had people message me to say that, while they didn’t know me, they’d seen some of my posts of Andrew’s books and wanted to send their condolences along.

I think it’s because people see this special connection that we had, that we shared. Often, we see readers rave about an author’s book, but seldom do we see it grow into a friendship like Andrew, and I had. To me, he was a celebrity.

If you’ve ever read one of Andrew’s books because of something I posted – thank you.

*

Back in 2016, when I was transitioning from being an athlete to start writing, my writing world was small. All my social media pages were dedicated to sports. I even put a poll on my Facebook athlete page about whether I should just switch it to my author page or delete it and start over. All my followers at that time wanted to keep following me, so I switched it and that was the extent of my author’s world. Not long after, I discovered Books of Horror and connected with a few other authors, but it was seeing people posting book photos and reviews etc. on Instagram and Twitter that I noticed that not enough people were posting about Andrew’s books.

From that point on, I made it a personal mission of mine to shout about Andrew’s phenomenal books to a wider audience. When he followed me back on Twitter, it was a banner day. When he replied to my first DM to him, I took a screenshot and sent it to my wife. My favorite author knew who I was, for that briefest of moments. He’d seen my message, sent his thanks back and I couldn’t believe it. From that point on, every single like, comment, share/retweet, etc. etc. that I ever received from Andrew rocketed me sky high.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again – Andrew didn’t need me posting about his books. He was a lauded, award-winning and International Bestseller long before I ever came along. He never once asked me to post anything. I wanted to share my love of his books with as many people as I could.

And even now, I think I could’ve done more.

In May of 2017, I hosted the first Pyper-May-Nia! A month of celebrating Andrew’s books and fiction. I’ve done it every May since and in 2023, there was a 10th Anniversary celebration of The Demonologist at Little Ghosts in Toronto. A whole bunch of authors and readers came out and we all toasted Andrew, shared laughs, hugs and drinks, and by all accounts it was a wonderful event for all who attended.

It was also my way of telling him in person just how much he meant to me.

Even now, I wonder if I told him enough.

*

Behind the scenes, since the 10th Anniversary Celebration, Andrew and I had been involved in a few projects together.

The first was a non-fiction book titled ‘Provoking Fear – How Andrew Pyper’s Novels Changed the Landscape of Canadian Fiction.’ Andrew was super excited about it and every time I sent him an update, he was beyond thrilled to hear. It was picked up tentatively by an agent and a publisher, but ultimately, they declined, as the sample chapter I sent in with the pitch, market analysis etc. etc. was deemed ‘too positive’ and didn’t discuss anything negative towards the book I’d focused on. I told Andrew that I simply couldn’t do that. He understood.

With Andrew passing, I’ll be permanently shelving the book. In the future, I’ll release the sample chapter I wrote, as I think Andrew would love you all to read it.

The second was Mason Coile graphics. About 75% of the ‘William’ graphics you’ve seen Andrew post were graphics I made for him. Andrew had often DM’d me or emailed me about how I’d made something or posted something, as he wasn’t overly ‘graphic savvy.’ I started making stuff and sending it to him for him to post or not, and if he wanted anything specific, he’d message me and let me know. I’ll probably make some stuff and post it when the last two Mason Coile novels arrive.

A quick side story here, if you’ll allow.

Tik Tok was a place that neither of us could comprehend. He made a few videos over there, posted a few things, but in our conversations about posting content, neither of us could wrap our heads around that world. One time, I’d excitedly messaged him to share that a video I posted of one of his books had hit 4k views, which was astronomically higher than my other videos. He replied, ‘Watch out Kardashians!’ and I burst out laughing. It was a classic Andrew response, but it also had me wondering if him and the family used to sit down each week to catch up with Kim and her crew.

That the video I posted of my son and I, each wearing the ‘Read Andrew Pyper’ shirt is still my most viewed video makes me smile now.

The third project was a Guiness Book of World Records attempt. With Andrew’s blessing, I submitted an application to Guiness for the World Record of having the largest collection of Andrew Pyper books as well as the largest collection of signed Andrew Pyper books. The record attempt was accepted by Guiness, and I’m currently waiting to find out about getting it ratified and certified. Andrew thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I hope it can happen for him.

Lastly, Andrew and I had worked out the details for my own imprint, Black Void Publishing, to release the 30th Anniversary Edition of ‘Kiss Me,’ his debut short story collection. 2016 marks the 30th Anniversary and we’d confirmed the cover art, table of contents, foreword and afterword writers and release date. Andrew was excited for the book to relaunch and return to the small press world where it started.

Fitting, he called it.

I’m honestly not sure where this stands now. I’d love to proceed with it, and hopefully we can have a huge launch celebration, but ultimately this is a ‘wait and see’ project. I’ll continue working on it on my end, and proceed full steam ahead, but at this stage I simply don’t have any concrete answers.

Additionally, the Andrew Pyper Archives website I curate will continue, and will remain focused on showcasing all of Andrew’s phenomenal books.

*

In September 2024, Andrew’s newest/latest novel, and the first under his Mason Coile pseudonym, ‘William’ was released. It was Andrew’s first new physical book since ‘The Residence’ in 2020. Between that period, he’d released the ‘Oracle’ and ‘Oracle 2’ audiobooks, and had been working on various screenplays, but this was his first real book in four years. It was a time of great excitement. The sequel, ‘Exiles’ was announced as coming in 2025, and people were raving about ‘William.’

For me, it meant more books for my Pyper shelves. I had the ARC’s of ‘William,’ paperbacks and hardcovers and the German edition was on its way.

In the meantime, I travelled to Ontario for DreadCon, where I was going to be hosting a panel with Andrew and Craig Davidson (aka Nick Cutter). I’d pitched the panel to Michelle, and was thrilled to learn both Andrew and Craig were receptive to the idea.

The trip was pure magic and a highlight of my career – right alongside the 10th Anniversary celebration.

It was there that I knew in my heart something was going on with Andrew, though he never out rightly told me.

I’ve had many, many people message to ask about his illness and how it was a shock. Andrew chose to keep it to close friends and family, as was his right, but seeing him that day, I knew, and it broke my heart that this person I cared for so much was dealing with something of a significant magnitude.

*

The drive to DreadCon is etched in my mind. Just like the trip to Toronto for the celebration.

Andrew picked me up early, and we bantered back and forth during the 90-minute drive like long time friends. Once there, I had him sign some books I’d brought before we went in.

I had no idea those would be the last ones he’d ever sign for me.

Originally, Andrew was going to drive me to and from DreadCon, but that changed. He arranged for Craig Davidson to give me a ride back after the event, as Andrew had to head out early – his son had his first hockey game of the season that afternoon and Andrew didn’t want to miss it.

Over the past few days, I’ve emailed with Craig a number of times – bless his heart, for if you know Craig, you know he’d rather still have a rotary phone than a cell phone or email – and I’ve learned a few things around the DreadCon weekend. While I won’t share those details here, learning them has filled my heart with so much joy.

Andrew was at DreadCon for a few hours.

We did the panel, which was hilarious and great, and looking back, I’m so thankful that I concluded by thanking Andrew, and thanking them both, for their kindness, support, friendship and their books, that propelled me – and so many others – towards writing. We took some photos, then we went, and they signed books at a table. Then it was time for him to head out.

During the day, Andrew hugged me at least – if not more – a dozen times. Before he left, he gave Craig a big hug, then gave me a huge hug, kissed my cheek and told me how great it had been to see me. I didn’t want the guy to leave. This was my favorite author and my friend, why would I?

I had no idea I’d never see him again.

I had no idea that had been his way of saying goodbye to me in person.

But that’s how this works, isn’t it?

*

A few years back, myself, my wife and son, drove out to Trail, BC to spend some time with my sister, her husband and her two boys. Trail’s a few hours from where we grew up, and we always love visiting.

While there, my sister surprised my wife and I by sharing that she’d bought us each tattoos.

On the day of my appointment, I had my sister message and ask if I had time to get an extra piece done. The main tattoo I got was for my son. The second tattoo was a merged piece between the papercut from the cover of Andrew’s ‘The Killing Circle’ and the tree-circles from the cover of ‘The Wildfire Season.’ When my son was born, I was reading ‘The Wildfire Season’ in the hospital. Andrew was ecstatic when I sent him a photo and the first time I ever met him in person, he excitedly asked to see it.

I’ve looked at that tattoo a lot over the last few days.

A permanent display of my love for the man.

*

On January 3rd, 2025, not long after learning of Andrew’s passing, a package arrived.

It was the German edition of ‘William’ that had been stuck in the Canada Post strike.

It’s a gorgeous book, but it’s also an edition that will forever be tied to that day. And it’ll forever be the first book of Andrew’s on my shelves that will never be signed. I have a few others that I was waiting to send to him after the strike was over and the holiday season had quietened.

And truth be told, I’d secretly hoped that somehow, the next time I sent some books his way, he’d sneak an advanced, advanced ARC of ‘Exiles’ into the package back to me. With the love being shown to ‘William,’ I hope there’s a collective excitement growing even more for ‘Exiles’ and the third Coile book. If you’ve missed that news, Craig Davidson wrote it with Andrew, to make sure it met Andrew’s approval before he left us. I can’t thank Craig enough for that kindness to Andrew, and to all of Andrew’s fans out there.

*

I didn’t want to believe the news.

I broke down, I bawled, was held close by my wife.

It was reading the lovely words in his obituary and seeing his wife’s Instagram post that confirmed everything. I was floating on a strange cloud, hoping like hell that it was a mistake.

If you’re inclined, you can find his Just Giving obituary here;

https://justgiving.com/campaign/andrewpyper

And if you’re able, and can donate, you’d be helping plant some trees in Canada.

*

With Andrew’s passing, the rest of us are left with a massive hole.

He was a literary titan, a Canadian juggernaut and as a man, one of the very best to walk this earth. He was kind, caring, compassionate, handsome, quirky, witty, funny, self-deprecating and smart. He loved his wife, kids and dog so very much.

Andrew was the best.

And this is where we’re left, after the best are gone.

Time marches on.

It’s a fickle thing and soon it’ll be a week, a month, a year since Andrew left us.

I’ll always cherish the relationship I developed with Andrew. It was special, something unexpected that began as a fan sharing his admiration about his favorite author before developing into a friendship.

My thoughts remain with his wife, kids, family and close friends and I hope they know how much Andrew was loved by the community he championed for over thirty years.

Andrew is my favorite author and was a wonderful friend. And I’ll never forget that, or him, and I’m going to continue to shout about his books as long as I possibly can.

For how long will we be heartbroken? That’s the part of grief that can’t be answered. We don’t move on. But we can carry on, even when a part of our heart will forever be missing.

I hoped he knew how much we all loved him; how much I loved him.

I think he did.

Until we meet again, Andrew.

*

I’d like to close this by sharing some of Andrew’s own words.

Over a period of years, I’d been toiling away in my spare time on a memoir of sorts. A merging of my own life, mixed with how Andrew’s novels intertwined within it. I was worried that if I approached Andrew, he’d suggest I change the direction, and that I’d offend him. I was so stressed about it, that I’d even discussed how to approach Andrew with Adam Nevill, who’d featured a book about his own novels in his newsletter. Adam gave me a solid pep talk and didn’t believe Andrew would be offended.

When I told Andrew about the project, which became ‘The Color of Melancholy,’ he was elated and honored. When I asked if it was something he’d consider contributing a foreword for, he heartedly agreed, and to my surprise, had one emailed over within a few days. I read and re-read and re-read what he sent, absolutely stunned at how beautiful it was. Andrew Pyper’s prose has a resonance to it, a warmth and scope. Andrew told me, that while the foreword wasn’t specifically based on my love of his books, it was. It’s about the love each reader has for every book they’ve ever loved from their favorite author.

Here’s what he wrote.

*

Reading, among other things, is an act of companionship.

An odd sort, admittedly, as the interaction is between you and an inanimate object. A book.

A book cannot speak or answer questions, never mind offer advice or pay for drinks or tell us we look stupid in those new shoes we thought looked so cool when we tried them on in the store. It’s a fixed set of words arranged according to the decisions of its author, and thus is not a person in its own right, nor even a representation of one. On the face of it, you’d think a book would make a lousy friend.

And yet readers know that books – some of them, anyway, when read at the right place at the right time – are capable of dispelling loneliness in a way no hand-holding or I’ll-be-right-overing or advice-giving human being ever could. A book of this sort seems to not only entertain or inform or excite us, but actually know us better than we know ourselves, as if they’ve been made specially for us and have been patiently waiting on some bookstore or library shelf for us to find them.

The companionship that reading fiction offers is made even more strange by the fact that we connect with a story instead of a person, something made and not the one who made it. The author isn’t speaking to us. We’re interacting with the story, and through it, speaking with ourselves. Reading is to participate in something that lets us feel less alone while remaining alone.

So how to explain then the way that certain books read us instead of the other way around? This is the mysterious part. A stranger writes a thing and across time, geography, circumstances of identity, even death itself we are pulled into an intimate embrace. I don’t pretend to know how it happens. Whether or not the book is “good” or “popular” or “worthy” has little to do with it. We hear a voice in our heads as we read – not exactly our own voice, but one we recognize deeply and instantly – and we are in the company of a dear friend.

For all the isolation that reading has helped relieve in readers the act of writing remains a solitary exercise. And once we’ve finished writing a book and it’s published? It’s even worse. At this point the author is estranged not only from the book but its reception. We are powerless. The story we’ve made will be misunderstood, perhaps loved, more likely cast aside or ignored. We know from our own experience that some books connect with people in profound ways. But as authors, we have no way of predicting who these people will turn out to be, nor why.

The compensation in this one-way exchange is that we hope the book we make will be that “certain book” for someone out there in the wide world. A stranger to us just as the author is a stranger to them. The whole arrangement is built on the premise that if I imagined these events and characters and places and felt involved with them, someone else is bound to feel involved with them too. Sure, I’m weird. But isn’t there someone in the world who’s weird in the same way?

It’s a bit like the theory that argues that because the universe is infinite, there must be life out there somewhere. We write and read books with the same searching desire with which we put our eye to the telescope aimed up at the sky: show me I’m not alone.

*

Book Review: Last Night of Freedom by Dan Howarth

Title: Last Night of Freedom

Author: Dan Howarth

Release date: October 11th, 2024

If I’d have finished reading this book before the end of December, this book would’ve easily been on my top reads of last year. I did finish this a few days back, but due to the start of the new year slog and some life stuff, I held off on posting this until the 6th, when I was back to regular working hours and getting back into a groove.

When this was announced, I was super excited for it. Dan’s a phenomenal author and honestly, any book that features a cover like this is an automatic ‘must-buy’ for me. Much like everybody else, I have a gigantic TBR – which is ordered – but I make exceptions constantly and move things around, and this was one of those books I launched to the top of the TBR.

The synopsis reminded me a bit of Adam Nevill’s ‘The Ritual.’ A group of friends in a remote location suddenly are mixed up in a strange ritual. But it also kind of gave me hints of Marc E. Fitch’s fantastic ‘Boy in the Box.’

I dove in with anticipation, and honestly, this was one of those books where I wished I had an entire day to just sit, read and enjoy.

What I liked: The book follows a group of University friends – and some longer than that – who head to a remote northern town a stag. The group is excited, celebrating one of their friends upcoming nuptials and after checking in at a B ‘n’ B, head to a local pub.

It’s a quick, well executed set up, but it’s the tipping point as well. This is the last moment we see the group as just a group – and while I don’t see this next bit as a spoiler – if you’re going in completely blind then this mind startle you. But, the tipping point occurs when a wager is made, a bet is lost and the group finds out what they’re punishment is.

Howarth sets the scene perfectly and when the main member of the opposite group, Wallace, delivers the lines that transform the novel into what it is, each reader is going to have a very visceral reaction.

One weekend. One survivor. The other’s won’t make it.

It’s a startling moment, and even if you know it’s coming, it still completely catches you off guard.

From that point on, it’s a survival novel. Each person struggling to comprehend the situation and what it means if they’re the one to survive.

Howarth flips the story on its head multiple times, which was frankly a phenomenal aspect. Many parts of this feel more like a dramatic novel that just happens to take place within a thriller and its heightened because of this. This does perfectly what every extreme novel written to highlight the extreme aspects wishes it could do.

And, as the novel progresses, we get an unravelling. We learn each characters back stories, what makes them tick, what’s brought them to where they are at that point in life and ultimately, what they mean to each other.

The ending is pristine. Just such a sublime way to wrap things up and the epilogue hits all the right notes, subtly suggesting some angles while also closing the door on where you think things are going.

What I didn’t like:  There were two glaring things that irked me, one major and one minor. The major one, for me and my reading tastes, is that I hate POV changes and this one does just that. It jumps between chapters and characters, which is always disorienting for me. Saying that, you may love that way of storytelling. Not this guy, lol.

Second, and this was very very minor, but there’s a moment of significance around the 75% mark where one character describes what’s about to happen by comparing it to a Game of Thrones scene. By adding the GoT reference, I was momentarily taken out of the emotional element of that scene. But again, super minor and most wouldn’t even bat an eye at it. Just my own quirk.

Why you should buy this: Ultimately this felt very akin to Matt Wesolowski’s ‘Six Stories’ mixed with a hint of Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ (first half anyways), and even ‘The Running Man.’ Howarth executed this novel perfectly and it was so utterly compulsive, I had to set my other reads aside to dive into this and not let my mind go anywhere else.

If you’re looking for a thriller that melds the survival elements with the psychological aspects spot-on, this one is definitely for you. Howarth has delivered a must-read novel and one that I’ll be shouting about for years to come.

5/5