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Drencrom
Driven from home at eighteen, Coda has indulged a rambling, hippie-soul existence.
Now in sunny California, those freewheeling days are long since behind her, with no promises of a better life ahead. But her fortunes begin to change when she drops a new kind of drug bought off the dark web, her consciousness shattered as something sinister takes root from within, threatening to claw into our world.
Entangled in the lives of her neighboring tenants, Coda struggles to maintain her sanity while her mind expands into the greater beyond, thrust into a dread-spiral of madness as she plunges into the insatiable grip of DRENCROM .
Now in sunny California, those freewheeling days are long since behind her, with no promises of a better life ahead. But her fortunes begin to change when she drops a new kind of drug bought off the dark web, her consciousness shattered as something sinister takes root from within, threatening to claw into our world.
Entangled in the lives of her neighboring tenants, Coda struggles to maintain her sanity while her mind expands into the greater beyond, thrust into a dread-spiral of madness as she plunges into the insatiable grip of DRENCROM .
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2023
2 people are currently reading
993 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 15, 2023
Review to come!
May 7, 2023
DRENCRoM, by Hamelin Bird, is deviled eggs and mint tea.
The cursor blinks repeatedly and you watch it disappear and reappear until your eyes hurt. The chatroom is silent. Humiliating. You get up, move to the kitchen and dump the remains of the mint tea in the sink.
In search of real food, your eyes land on the plastic baggy of deviled eggs stolen from the gas station. They’ve been sitting on that counter for days.
The smell that emits when you peel it open is immediate and pungent like a belch. You pop one back, the sodium benzoate slime that keeps it fresh coats your mouth and maybe that counts for cleaning your teeth today.
It needs salt.
Beside the bathtub you find your Morton salt, crank back your head and let the salt spill onto the chewed-up egg and Mayo and mustard that carpets your tongue.
Like clockwork, the sound of a NEW MESSAGE dings from your computer. You’re a glutton for that noise, and race back to the keyboard.
The eggy mash starts to melt, disintegrating in your mouth.
You grab the baggy of eggs and salt and stuff them in your pockets like it’s your wallet and keys.
It’s been raining for days, the world a constant purple haze. The water soaks your jacket, hair. Slips down your cheeks. And you’re still gumming the eggs as you drive, the shadow in the mirror taunting you the whole way there.
A bulb switches on in the designated alley, lighting up a vial on the step. There’s a waterlogged note beside it. You snatch up both. Whatever it said— instructions or payment or a warning— has all but washed away.
Back in the car and slugging it down, the liquid a thick paint. You wash it down with more salt, egg, and you’re chewing and driving and suddenly a figure, no time to stop, swerving and darkness and then the sound of something large hitting your car. The egg squelches in your mouth like an exclamation point, then dribbles down your chin.
Upon inspection, there’s no one you’ve hit. The rain continues to hammer down and you notice a black goo, vaguely familiar, trailing down the road under your car and spooling into the gutter with the remnants of your spit-up eggs.DRENCRoM, by @hamelinbird, is deviled eggs and mint tea.
The cursor blinks repeatedly and you watch it disappear and reappear until your eyes hurt. The chatroom is silent. Humiliating. You get up, move to the kitchen and dump the remains of the mint tea in the sink.
In search of real food, your eyes land on the plastic baggy of deviled eggs stolen from the gas station. They’ve been sitting on that counter for days.
The smell that emits when you peel it open is immediate and pungent like a belch. You pop one back, the sodium benzoate slime that keeps it fresh coats your mouth and maybe that counts for cleaning your teeth today.
It needs salt.
Beside the bathtub you find your Morton salt, crank back your head and let the salt spill onto the chewed-up egg and Mayo and mustard that carpets your tongue.
Like clockwork, the sound of a NEW MESSAGE dings from your computer. You’re a glutton for that noise, and race back to the keyboard.
The eggy mash starts to melt, disintegrating in your mouth.
You grab the baggy of eggs and salt and stuff them in your pockets like it’s your wallet and keys.
It’s been raining for days, the world a constant purple haze. The water soaks your jacket, hair. Slips down your cheeks. And you’re still gumming the eggs as you drive, the shadow in the mirror taunting you the whole way there.
A bulb switches on in the designated alley, lighting up a vial on the step. There’s a waterlogged note beside it. You snatch up both. Whatever it said— instructions or payment or a warning— has all but washed away.
Back in the car and slugging it down, the liquid a thick paint. You wash it down with more salt, egg, and you’re chewing and driving and suddenly a figure, no time to stop, swerving and darkness and then the sound of something large hitting your car. The egg squelches in your mouth like an exclamation point, then dribbles down your chin.
Upon inspection, there’s no one you’ve hit. The rain continues to hammer down and you notice a black goo, vaguely familiar, trailing down the road under your car and spooling into the gutter with the remnants of your spit-up eggs.
July 12, 2024
I’m just glad this was a short read…
May 8, 2023
Coda is after a potent drug that’s said to be a myth and only known to few. After searching the dark web forums she meets up with a stranger at a random address, and finally attains it - Drencrom. What ensues is a bad romance between mind and body as Coda tries to maintain her sanity and fight against a sinister force that’s brewing inside of her…
I want to start off by saying that Hamelin Bird is an extremely talented and imaginative writer that readers should keep on their radar. I felt like I went on a journey around the world in just 144 pages! Bird manages to create a bizarre kaleidoscope that mixes humor and horror against a backdrop of a warped reality. Drencrom seemed to escape the confines of its pages to reach out and invade my imagination. It’s hard not to be sucked in by a world of neon colors and doppelgängers amongst other things. And if you’re like me and enjoy films like Brain Damage (1988) and Bad Milo (2013), you’ll enjoy the psychedelic/creature feature aspect in this!
I don’t want to give too much away as I feel everyone should experience Drencrom for themselves. It’s such a deeply fascinating novella with a great cast of interesting characters. But the most intriguing part for me was the way the drug is created! The author mixes the conspiracy theory of adrenochrome with his own take on it and it’s WILD! Add in some Mozart music in the background of a violent scene and you’ll be sure to feel unsettled yet strangely captivated.
If you’re looking for a burst of adrenaline full of mind-bending horror and adequate amounts of weird energy, be sure to grab a copy of this addicting novella!
Content Warning: Self-Mutilation.
I want to start off by saying that Hamelin Bird is an extremely talented and imaginative writer that readers should keep on their radar. I felt like I went on a journey around the world in just 144 pages! Bird manages to create a bizarre kaleidoscope that mixes humor and horror against a backdrop of a warped reality. Drencrom seemed to escape the confines of its pages to reach out and invade my imagination. It’s hard not to be sucked in by a world of neon colors and doppelgängers amongst other things. And if you’re like me and enjoy films like Brain Damage (1988) and Bad Milo (2013), you’ll enjoy the psychedelic/creature feature aspect in this!
I don’t want to give too much away as I feel everyone should experience Drencrom for themselves. It’s such a deeply fascinating novella with a great cast of interesting characters. But the most intriguing part for me was the way the drug is created! The author mixes the conspiracy theory of adrenochrome with his own take on it and it’s WILD! Add in some Mozart music in the background of a violent scene and you’ll be sure to feel unsettled yet strangely captivated.
If you’re looking for a burst of adrenaline full of mind-bending horror and adequate amounts of weird energy, be sure to grab a copy of this addicting novella!
Content Warning: Self-Mutilation.
October 24, 2023
Brief synopsis: Coda finds out about a new, mysterious drug and resorts to inquiring on the dark web to find it. We the readers accompany Coda on her weird fever dream into madness.
Wow, what a trip. Drencrom is a multi-layered, surrealist, Lynchian journey that you'll never come back from. It's a particularly difficult book to review because every reader is going to have a vastly different experience. That is true of most books, but this is one of those where your individual experience will heavily influence your interpretation of the story.
This was my first time reading one of Hamelin Bird's books, and I'm impressed by his writing style. Bird is able to create a claustrophobic, almost grimy feeling of dread that lingers underneath Coda's foray into her psychedelic wonderland, and the body horror and dreamlike imagery unlocked some new fears I didn't know I had.
At least, that's how I felt while reading it.
Who knows how you'll feel?
(Thank you to Hamelin Bird for gifting me a copy of your book!)
Wow, what a trip. Drencrom is a multi-layered, surrealist, Lynchian journey that you'll never come back from. It's a particularly difficult book to review because every reader is going to have a vastly different experience. That is true of most books, but this is one of those where your individual experience will heavily influence your interpretation of the story.
This was my first time reading one of Hamelin Bird's books, and I'm impressed by his writing style. Bird is able to create a claustrophobic, almost grimy feeling of dread that lingers underneath Coda's foray into her psychedelic wonderland, and the body horror and dreamlike imagery unlocked some new fears I didn't know I had.
At least, that's how I felt while reading it.
Who knows how you'll feel?
(Thank you to Hamelin Bird for gifting me a copy of your book!)
May 21, 2023
Drencrom is a fever dream that is soaked in hellish hallucinations. An acid trip into the darker depths of the human mind, a trek across the dark woods of error akin to Dante. This is a Lynchian odyssey that expands, contracts and dissipates into the ether and into the void. It is also a cautionary tale in which no sense makes sense and you can become your own worst enemy (figuratively and literally).
In this psychotropic yarn, the main character we follow is Coda, a young woman who has been down on her luck since being kicked out by her parents and living on her own. Her bohemian ways have led her down a path of self-abuse that will give way to self-awareness when she encounters a new drug called Drencrom (a name borrowed with love from A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, which is also a slang term for adrenochrome). She begins buying the drug from a mysterious dealer named Alex who gathers it up from a horrifying and unlikely source. As Coda begins using the drug and coasting into the night on its effects, she soon learns that there is a darker facet to this substance...one that may well bring about horrible ramifications.
This book has quite a unique design to it thanks to A.A. Medina (Fabled Beast Designs). The main narrative is broken up by sections of interludes on solid black pages with white text. These passages are Coda's reflections on the events as well as a small bit of backstory. These give the reader a moment to rest before plunging back into the maelstrom of mescaline madness. The entire story is well-written and Hamelin Bird puts a fair amount of effort in delivering a story told with poetic gravitas and cosmic horror dread.
I'm giving this one ☠️ x5!
In this psychotropic yarn, the main character we follow is Coda, a young woman who has been down on her luck since being kicked out by her parents and living on her own. Her bohemian ways have led her down a path of self-abuse that will give way to self-awareness when she encounters a new drug called Drencrom (a name borrowed with love from A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, which is also a slang term for adrenochrome). She begins buying the drug from a mysterious dealer named Alex who gathers it up from a horrifying and unlikely source. As Coda begins using the drug and coasting into the night on its effects, she soon learns that there is a darker facet to this substance...one that may well bring about horrible ramifications.
This book has quite a unique design to it thanks to A.A. Medina (Fabled Beast Designs). The main narrative is broken up by sections of interludes on solid black pages with white text. These passages are Coda's reflections on the events as well as a small bit of backstory. These give the reader a moment to rest before plunging back into the maelstrom of mescaline madness. The entire story is well-written and Hamelin Bird puts a fair amount of effort in delivering a story told with poetic gravitas and cosmic horror dread.
I'm giving this one ☠️ x5!
June 12, 2023
Hamelin Bird's writing is intoxicating, initially the nod to A Clockwork Orange had me intrigued, the fact that this is under 150 pages is absolutley mind blowing I feel like there is some sort of witchcraft going on where once you read the first sentence you're sucked into the abyss and can't get out untill Hamelin has finished with you 😂it felt like a lot longer book in the best way possible, I started reading this and was like ooo spooky this is good and then out of no where it just tailspinned into madness, I'd describe this book as a concoction of scifi, suspense, cosmic horror and humour, you are in Coda's mind and watching the madness unfold with no control, its a trippy fever dream of a book that amongst the chaos has a sombre message about addiction and what people are willing to do to escape their reality, I highly recommend this, especially fans of horror, cosmic horror, weird stuff, body horror, you know all the good shtuff!
June 8, 2023
DRENCROM is a tightly written thrill ride that hits the gas on page one and never once lets up. Highly entertaining, with visuals that run the gamut of gruesome, psychedelic, and achingly human. Hamelin Bird is a heckuva wordsmith.
May 9, 2023
Coda is searching for the ultimate escape through the mythical and highly-potent drug called Drencrom. With the cross of her fingers, Coda drops everything to meet the online persona “Droogmanalex,” claiming to have what she needs.
Drencrom is the definition of “gas pedal” horror. Bird manages to establish characters with depth, throwing them into the psychedelic world of adrenaline that progressively gets more twisted and bizarre. Yet, Drencrom is no exception – Hamelin Bird’s body of work is impressively unique, genre-bending, highly quotable and most importantly funny. It’s hard not to love the combination of humor with horror.
I strongly recommend Drencrom if you want to read an expressive motley of warped realities and nauseating horror.
Thank you to Hamelin for the review copy!
Drencrom is the definition of “gas pedal” horror. Bird manages to establish characters with depth, throwing them into the psychedelic world of adrenaline that progressively gets more twisted and bizarre. Yet, Drencrom is no exception – Hamelin Bird’s body of work is impressively unique, genre-bending, highly quotable and most importantly funny. It’s hard not to love the combination of humor with horror.
I strongly recommend Drencrom if you want to read an expressive motley of warped realities and nauseating horror.
Thank you to Hamelin for the review copy!
December 26, 2023
Full review coming to Cemetery Dance! I liked this one though it had some 💩 scenes that were a bit too graphic for me and it did happen more than once and it took me out of the story a bit
If you’re not sensitive to that stuff, I didn’t realize I am 😄, and you like David Lynch and A Clockwork Orange you’ll probably dig this one!
If you’re not sensitive to that stuff, I didn’t realize I am 😄, and you like David Lynch and A Clockwork Orange you’ll probably dig this one!
May 10, 2023
I'm foregoing a synopsis bc I went in blind and YOU SHOULD TOO! >:)
Fever dream is often used to describe books and while the term has oversaturated reviews and synopses, Drencrom is truly that. Full tilt from start to finish, Bird shoves you into Coda's adrenaline induced high, delivering body horror and imagery that edges on extreme. The characters present in technicolor, getting to know them is effortless, swiftly embedding themselves inside the reader’s brain. It’s easy to think the insanity of this story is what makes it so devourable but, the characters in the periphery had me equally as enamored as Coda’s tumultuous stream of consciousness. For Drencrom to be so short, every aspect is well developed, the story delivered with a humorous flair that I can only describe as liberated. Boundless creativity oozes from the pages, you can tell Bird had fun while writing this.
Could I tell you exactly what happened? No. Can I tell you I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in one sitting even when I was supposed to be asleep? Yes. Highly recommend this wacky, weird rollercoaster of a novella!
Fever dream is often used to describe books and while the term has oversaturated reviews and synopses, Drencrom is truly that. Full tilt from start to finish, Bird shoves you into Coda's adrenaline induced high, delivering body horror and imagery that edges on extreme. The characters present in technicolor, getting to know them is effortless, swiftly embedding themselves inside the reader’s brain. It’s easy to think the insanity of this story is what makes it so devourable but, the characters in the periphery had me equally as enamored as Coda’s tumultuous stream of consciousness. For Drencrom to be so short, every aspect is well developed, the story delivered with a humorous flair that I can only describe as liberated. Boundless creativity oozes from the pages, you can tell Bird had fun while writing this.
Could I tell you exactly what happened? No. Can I tell you I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in one sitting even when I was supposed to be asleep? Yes. Highly recommend this wacky, weird rollercoaster of a novella!
May 16, 2023
Drencrom by Hamelin Bird is a story of drugs (duh), loneliness and addiction: it follows a reckless young woman called Coda, who is after a mysterious and elusive drug who's rumored to guarantee the best trip ever. She finds Drencrom in a dark web forum and right after taking the first dose, Coda struggles to maintain her sanity while her mind expands into the greater beyond in a spiral of hallucinations and madness.
The less you know about the plot, the better: let this mind-blowing novella take you into a psychedelic world made of bizarre situations, illegal substances, desperate characters and... lots of fun. In just 144 pages the author was able to create not only very memorable characters, but also a unique reading experience that is half introspection half adrenaline and tension. There's horror, but there's also lots of humor in this story, which is a fantastic combination in my opinion and that I've always enjoyed in all the author's books. The prose is so beautiful, even when describing the most horrifying things, and being a fan of Bird since years now, I'm happy to see his voice becoming more original and strong. If you're looking for a short wild read, and you're okay with some body horror, then Drencrom is for you. Super recommended!
5 stars.
* I'd like to thank Hamelin Bird for providing a copy of his book in exchange for my honest review.
The less you know about the plot, the better: let this mind-blowing novella take you into a psychedelic world made of bizarre situations, illegal substances, desperate characters and... lots of fun. In just 144 pages the author was able to create not only very memorable characters, but also a unique reading experience that is half introspection half adrenaline and tension. There's horror, but there's also lots of humor in this story, which is a fantastic combination in my opinion and that I've always enjoyed in all the author's books. The prose is so beautiful, even when describing the most horrifying things, and being a fan of Bird since years now, I'm happy to see his voice becoming more original and strong. If you're looking for a short wild read, and you're okay with some body horror, then Drencrom is for you. Super recommended!
5 stars.
* I'd like to thank Hamelin Bird for providing a copy of his book in exchange for my honest review.
May 21, 2023
Ok. So here are my thoughts. That was a wild, chaotic ride. It’s a quick read. I loved everything about it. From the cover and interior design work to the story itself. Reading it along side a friend was so fun. This was my introduction to Hamelin Bird’s work and what a great first impression. It could have easily gone the way of too introspective hippy dippy nonsense but it was perfectly balanced between a character driven narrative and transgressive storytelling.
Coda is both relatable and also that one friend everyone has - you know the one. The one searching for the next thing that will make them feel…anything. The plot clips along at a steady quick pace and as the end draws near it quickly spirals into that realm that makes you question what is reality and what is drug induced hallucinations. Thrown in is some body horror and a shit-gremlin 🤮💩😅. This is one I can highly recommend and truly encourage to take an afternoon and finish it in one sitting!
Coda is both relatable and also that one friend everyone has - you know the one. The one searching for the next thing that will make them feel…anything. The plot clips along at a steady quick pace and as the end draws near it quickly spirals into that realm that makes you question what is reality and what is drug induced hallucinations. Thrown in is some body horror and a shit-gremlin 🤮💩😅. This is one I can highly recommend and truly encourage to take an afternoon and finish it in one sitting!
May 8, 2023
Coda is living on her own after being unhoused by her parents.
Always on the move, always looking for an escape, Coda finds herself on the dark web in search of 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙢- a drug that can take her 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.
<𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙭 promises her the very best that the dark web has to offer. Just supply your own
𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙗𝙖𝙧. Or in Coda's case, a warm bath filled with Morton salt.
A short drive & $60 later, Coda is well on her way to the best high of her life. Or so she thinks...
This book was <𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩> in the very best way.
Think if Alex DeLarge and the rest of the droogs fall down the rabbit hole, go through the looking glass and meet ultra violence head on.
That's 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙢.
It's got suspense, sci-fi, horror, and as always with Bird's books, humor.
Highly recommend!
Huge thanks to Hamelin for letting me beta read! I was so happy to have a physical copy for my shelf.
January 7, 2024
Two things : shit-gremlins 💩and boiled eggs 🥚.
😏
I hardly ever, EVER see my name in books so I was all 😮😏🥰 when finding a character in this #horrornovella named Chandra. Thanks @hamelinbird for thinking of me and having her take no shit. “NOT ON MY WATCH!” 😆🖤
This is a fever dream of a read that went sideways very quickly and the more I sit on it, the more I start to really like it. Full review will come in Scream Horror Magazine. So until then kiddos, watch what you buy on the dark web and remember, drugs are bad, m’kay.
😏
I hardly ever, EVER see my name in books so I was all 😮😏🥰 when finding a character in this #horrornovella named Chandra. Thanks @hamelinbird for thinking of me and having her take no shit. “NOT ON MY WATCH!” 😆🖤
This is a fever dream of a read that went sideways very quickly and the more I sit on it, the more I start to really like it. Full review will come in Scream Horror Magazine. So until then kiddos, watch what you buy on the dark web and remember, drugs are bad, m’kay.
April 28, 2024
A woman finds herself in a dark web chat room searching for a new drug that just came out- what could go wrong? This book follows her spiral into madness on said drug and what happens after. It is very plot heavy which is where my problem with it came into play. I am such a character driven reader and I feel as though the short page length didn’t allow time for this to happen. I would have loved more exploration into the dark web aspect and the dark side of humanity instead of some of the “silly” splatterpunk aspects that took play.
With that being said I do still think this was really well written and I think a majority of splatterpunk/extreme horror fans would enjoy this one. I have just become extremely picky with my taste lol
With that being said I do still think this was really well written and I think a majority of splatterpunk/extreme horror fans would enjoy this one. I have just become extremely picky with my taste lol
May 6, 2024
The good:
Great premise, and very well written.
The bad:
Feels like someone watched (not read) "a clockwork orange", watched "fear and loathing," scanned some bullshit Kerouac, and puked it all up in this mess of a book. I guess shat-out would be more appropriate since there are multiple chapters following the aftermath of a terrible diarrhea.
A droog-man Alex listening to Mozart. A spot called Korova. Violence for the sake of violence. Ok, we get it! I can't roll my eyes any harder!
The main character is a rich girl with 0 personality. She just wants to be so cool and misunderstood, just like Zelda Fitzgerald. So she does enough shit to get kicked out of her parent's house and proceeds to play-pretend poor and alternative.
Most of the story is about her, the scumbags she hangs out with, and the elders she financially abuses. If you're interested in dudes that live in a car getting shot over 600 bucks, and someone shitting themselves in the forest (the shit goblin adventures follow with it climbing up other's asses)... then go ahead and read this.
I also find the little things annoying... example is someone listening to NIN, and the next named character is a guy named Trent. Ugh. Stop.
Great premise, and very well written.
The bad:
Feels like someone watched (not read) "a clockwork orange", watched "fear and loathing," scanned some bullshit Kerouac, and puked it all up in this mess of a book. I guess shat-out would be more appropriate since there are multiple chapters following the aftermath of a terrible diarrhea.
A droog-man Alex listening to Mozart. A spot called Korova. Violence for the sake of violence. Ok, we get it! I can't roll my eyes any harder!
The main character is a rich girl with 0 personality. She just wants to be so cool and misunderstood, just like Zelda Fitzgerald. So she does enough shit to get kicked out of her parent's house and proceeds to play-pretend poor and alternative.
Most of the story is about her, the scumbags she hangs out with, and the elders she financially abuses. If you're interested in dudes that live in a car getting shot over 600 bucks, and someone shitting themselves in the forest (the shit goblin adventures follow with it climbing up other's asses)... then go ahead and read this.
I also find the little things annoying... example is someone listening to NIN, and the next named character is a guy named Trent. Ugh. Stop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2023
“What can I say? Some days you walk around in a coma, and never know it.”
🩸 Drencrom by Hamelin Bird is a full throttle mindfuck of a novella. The story follows our rambling, reckless protagonist Coda as she hunts down an elusive drug rumored to take you on the trip of a lifetime. What ensues is a bender unlike any other, blurring the lines of reality as we explore this new world through Coda’s fractured psyche.
Bird’s ‘Wayward Suns’ was one of my favorite reads last year, and now, a few short stories and a novella later, I can safely say his prose is unmatched. These pages are full of vivid imagery, passages that leave you both marveling at their lyricism and cringing in discomfort. For such a short story, he manages to develop a level of depth for all of his characters that has you sympathizing with them along their misguided journeys and holding your breath as their fates hang in the balance.
This was a wild ride, man. Buckle up and prepare yourself for a drug-fueled tailspin into the abyss, something like Fear & Loathing meets Ghost Eaters.
And if you think you have any idea what’s coming next, trust me, you DON’T.
🩸 Drencrom by Hamelin Bird is a full throttle mindfuck of a novella. The story follows our rambling, reckless protagonist Coda as she hunts down an elusive drug rumored to take you on the trip of a lifetime. What ensues is a bender unlike any other, blurring the lines of reality as we explore this new world through Coda’s fractured psyche.
Bird’s ‘Wayward Suns’ was one of my favorite reads last year, and now, a few short stories and a novella later, I can safely say his prose is unmatched. These pages are full of vivid imagery, passages that leave you both marveling at their lyricism and cringing in discomfort. For such a short story, he manages to develop a level of depth for all of his characters that has you sympathizing with them along their misguided journeys and holding your breath as their fates hang in the balance.
This was a wild ride, man. Buckle up and prepare yourself for a drug-fueled tailspin into the abyss, something like Fear & Loathing meets Ghost Eaters.
And if you think you have any idea what’s coming next, trust me, you DON’T.
April 17, 2024
...no tengo idea de qué fue lo que leí. Pero me dio ansiedad.
May 10, 2023
Oh Hamelin..what to say about this little novella. It starts out like your standard, sort of spooky drug filled story but goes the wildest direction and I LOVED IT. The sheer joy I got out of the ridiculous, grossness from this was amazing.
This is about a girl who is a bit lost in the world and wants to try this hard to get drug called DRENCRoM. It's a wild psychedelic type and really makes you trip. So the reader follows along with her pursuit to get some and her adventures afterwards.
I was buddy reading this with @readswithdogs and she mentioned a certain thing from the story, which I hadn't gotten to yet at that point..but it was so out of left field I didn't understand what she meant until things were revealed. Omg..it's so funny. I cackled and was so excited that Hamelin went the route he did with the story.
There were a couple moments that happened I was surprised about and the body horror was top notch. One scene was done really well and I felt the anxiety while reading it--I was deep into the moment and it was unsettling...so good.
Overall, this is the type of novella I really enjoy. Something that takes a storyline that I've read quite a few times and flip it into a thing that keeps me on my toes while saying, "wtf?!." I wouldn't say this is horrifying in a "scary" sense but moreso with the weird and splattery moment.
I recommend this to readers who enjoy some cosmic, trippy stuff..a little bit of humor in your horror and an ending that makes you think.
Hamelin knocked it out of the ballpark with this one and successfully made me trip on some DRENCRoM. Definitely worth the read especially if you want to give his work a try.
*CW galore
This is about a girl who is a bit lost in the world and wants to try this hard to get drug called DRENCRoM. It's a wild psychedelic type and really makes you trip. So the reader follows along with her pursuit to get some and her adventures afterwards.
I was buddy reading this with @readswithdogs and she mentioned a certain thing from the story, which I hadn't gotten to yet at that point..but it was so out of left field I didn't understand what she meant until things were revealed. Omg..it's so funny. I cackled and was so excited that Hamelin went the route he did with the story.
There were a couple moments that happened I was surprised about and the body horror was top notch. One scene was done really well and I felt the anxiety while reading it--I was deep into the moment and it was unsettling...so good.
Overall, this is the type of novella I really enjoy. Something that takes a storyline that I've read quite a few times and flip it into a thing that keeps me on my toes while saying, "wtf?!." I wouldn't say this is horrifying in a "scary" sense but moreso with the weird and splattery moment.
I recommend this to readers who enjoy some cosmic, trippy stuff..a little bit of humor in your horror and an ending that makes you think.
Hamelin knocked it out of the ballpark with this one and successfully made me trip on some DRENCRoM. Definitely worth the read especially if you want to give his work a try.
*CW galore
November 3, 2023
“What can I say? Some days you walk around in a coma, and never know it. Sometimes you're so busy waiting on a thing, you can't feel it sneaking up from behind. In those days, I was too busy to feel a lot of things.”
DRENCRoM reads like a dream. A dark, disturbing, esoteric dream. It is a jarring, jaw-dropping, reality-exploding novella that transcends the genre itself. And it is truly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Hamelin Bird is a masterclass writer, who excels in balancing plot, character, and gorgeous poetic prose throughout all of his work. DRENCRoM is no exception and may be the best work of his I’ve read yet.
And here’s the thing about it, despite its free-wheeling dalliance with the complete bizarre, it feels so real. It is raw and alluring, grabbing you by its meaty paws and taking you for the wildest ride of your life in only 130-some pages.
Plus, he writes dialogue like nobody’s business. It’s not one-dimensional, not cookie-cutter, it has its own unique flair, with descriptions so rich you can taste them, feel, them, see them. Characters effortlessly spring off the page, sticking within one’s mind like glue.
Yes, Hamelin is a great writer. Yes, he is an excellent wordsmith. And yes, he always hits all the marks, but one thing I learned from reading DRENCRoM is…Hamelin Bird is an artist.
DRENCRoM reads like a dream. A dark, disturbing, esoteric dream. It is a jarring, jaw-dropping, reality-exploding novella that transcends the genre itself. And it is truly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Hamelin Bird is a masterclass writer, who excels in balancing plot, character, and gorgeous poetic prose throughout all of his work. DRENCRoM is no exception and may be the best work of his I’ve read yet.
And here’s the thing about it, despite its free-wheeling dalliance with the complete bizarre, it feels so real. It is raw and alluring, grabbing you by its meaty paws and taking you for the wildest ride of your life in only 130-some pages.
Plus, he writes dialogue like nobody’s business. It’s not one-dimensional, not cookie-cutter, it has its own unique flair, with descriptions so rich you can taste them, feel, them, see them. Characters effortlessly spring off the page, sticking within one’s mind like glue.
Yes, Hamelin is a great writer. Yes, he is an excellent wordsmith. And yes, he always hits all the marks, but one thing I learned from reading DRENCRoM is…Hamelin Bird is an artist.
May 28, 2023
The book opens with a dark web conversation. Coda is trying to track down some Drencrom, street name for Adrenachrome, a new drug she has been researching and has GOT TO TRY.
Drencrom is a horror novella about addiction and obsession. About the bad choices that people on the frayed edges of society make to try and escape the dead ends they face every day. The characters reminded me of those in The Cipher by Kathe Koja, aimless, hopeless and angry, looking for something anything to change their lives no matter how dangerous.
And Drencrom is dangerous and addictive and releases “parts of” the user that cause horror and death. (And, dear christ, these parts were really REALLY scary!)
Gory and terrifying, Drencrom is a fast visit to a very dark place. I COMPLETELY enjoyed it.
Drencrom is a horror novella about addiction and obsession. About the bad choices that people on the frayed edges of society make to try and escape the dead ends they face every day. The characters reminded me of those in The Cipher by Kathe Koja, aimless, hopeless and angry, looking for something anything to change their lives no matter how dangerous.
And Drencrom is dangerous and addictive and releases “parts of” the user that cause horror and death. (And, dear christ, these parts were really REALLY scary!)
Gory and terrifying, Drencrom is a fast visit to a very dark place. I COMPLETELY enjoyed it.
May 10, 2023
Coda is on the hunt for the supposed mythical drug known as Drencrom. Coda hits the jackpot after searching the dark web where she meets "Droogmanalex", someone claiming to have exactly what she wants.
Hamelin Bird has a unique style of writing, if you haven't read any of his work this is a great time to start. His character building is full of depth for such short books.
Drencrom has taken Hamelin's writing to the next level. It's full of horror, humour, psychedelic highs, and egg eating lows.
Content warning, body mutilation.
I highly recommend this novella.
Hamelin Bird has a unique style of writing, if you haven't read any of his work this is a great time to start. His character building is full of depth for such short books.
Drencrom has taken Hamelin's writing to the next level. It's full of horror, humour, psychedelic highs, and egg eating lows.
Content warning, body mutilation.
I highly recommend this novella.
July 30, 2023
"Some things are worse than death."
Coda is looking for the ultimate high. She searches the dark web for a new kind of drug called Drencrom. What follows is a crazy trip as she fights something sinister.
Wow! This novella was so much fun as I was taken for a trip down psychedelic lane. It was such a fever dream and I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed all of the characters and the dark humour. For such a bizarre story, there were still important themes included like addiction and exploring the human mind.
I don't know what else to say except that you should experience this one for yourself. Drencrom was dark, weird, funny, and absolutely wild!
Thanks so much to the author for sending me a copy!
Coda is looking for the ultimate high. She searches the dark web for a new kind of drug called Drencrom. What follows is a crazy trip as she fights something sinister.
Wow! This novella was so much fun as I was taken for a trip down psychedelic lane. It was such a fever dream and I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed all of the characters and the dark humour. For such a bizarre story, there were still important themes included like addiction and exploring the human mind.
I don't know what else to say except that you should experience this one for yourself. Drencrom was dark, weird, funny, and absolutely wild!
Thanks so much to the author for sending me a copy!
November 4, 2023
DRENCRoM is a psychedelic trip into madness and mayhem. I love Bird's writing style...rich, colourful, and full of layers and undertones. Coda goes looking for something to alter her world and finds so much more. Take the trip with her.
July 27, 2024
Such a FUN read! I loved this one!
October 5, 2024
This book is a psychedelic journey through a world similar to Pulp Fiction. Drencrom explores the lengths we go to silence the voices in our heads, and adds a touch of comedy.
April 17, 2024
What a weird trippy little book, this writer has a very unique gritty surreal style, a book where you just sit back and enjoy the trip.
July 26, 2023
Drencrom was my first taste of Hamelin Bird and it was a trip!
Our main character, Coda, is chasing the ultimate high. When she finds someone on the dark web selling the mysterious Drencrom she gets a little more than she anticipated.
Don’t do drugs kids. There was times when I was reading this novella that I felt I was the one doing drugs. This book was a total fever dream and I could not put it down.
I loved every minute I spent reading this original tale. This one was weird, gruesome, and mysterious with the perfect amount of humour sprinkled throughout.
Our main character, Coda, is chasing the ultimate high. When she finds someone on the dark web selling the mysterious Drencrom she gets a little more than she anticipated.
Don’t do drugs kids. There was times when I was reading this novella that I felt I was the one doing drugs. This book was a total fever dream and I could not put it down.
I loved every minute I spent reading this original tale. This one was weird, gruesome, and mysterious with the perfect amount of humour sprinkled throughout.
September 13, 2023
I gotta say, the talent of being a great author runs in your veins!!
I loved this book
It was the 5 star read I needed after a few meh’s seemingly back to back to back
This was only a touch over 100 pages but it was a total thrill ride
I really enjoyed the easy transition from Coda to Alex in the beginning and I felt like the portrayal of falling into the hell that is addiction was written so well
I loved the afterword too
We do all interpret books differently and that is what makes being a part of a little bookish community so fun
Thank you again for sending me a copy!!
I loved this book
It was the 5 star read I needed after a few meh’s seemingly back to back to back
This was only a touch over 100 pages but it was a total thrill ride
I really enjoyed the easy transition from Coda to Alex in the beginning and I felt like the portrayal of falling into the hell that is addiction was written so well
I loved the afterword too
We do all interpret books differently and that is what makes being a part of a little bookish community so fun
Thank you again for sending me a copy!!
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