All the Darkness in the World

by Andy Deane

High school is hard for many but Jace has more than his fair share of troubles. It's bad enough that his parents' fights have become explosive and he's the target of a bully at school but all that pales when he happens on the scene of a brutal back alley crime. Though he survives this terrifying encounter he's left wondering and unsure about exactly what happened. Years go by and Jace has built a simple life for himself. Finally free of his family he's beginning to really live when a dark shadow returns to torment him. He didn't back down from his father or the bully so he's not going to back down now but it will take every ounce of his irreverent attitude and a healthy dose of luck to survive this time. He's about to learn that vampires do exist and there's nothing romantic about them.

Genres: Horror, Vampires

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

ANDY DEANE

Andy Deane is a modern renaissance man, having found success as a musician, a horror author, and most recently as a photographer. He has recently given stand-up comedy a shot, and enjoys making people laugh uncomfortably. He was raised on a steady diet of horror films from the time he figured out what a drive-in theater was, and despite his constant ear to ear grin he never lost his love for art that dares to peer in to darker places.

Music was Andy’s first love, and his career began early in high school with the formation of his first metal band. Shortly after graduating he completed 5 years of operatic vocal training. He cofounded Bella Morte in 1996 and has since released 7 albums and 2 EPs with the band. They have been touring the world performing for legions of devoted fans the entire time, and show no signs of slowing down. In 2013 Metropolis Records released “The Best Of Bella Morte (1996-2012)” celebrating the first 17 years of their dark, diverse catalogue of sounds. A new Bella Morte album will hit shelves in 2014. Andy’s prolific musical career doesn’t stop with there. He has also released a synth-pop album under the moniker The Rain Within, and a post-punk album as Brighter Fires. Both projects have sophomore albums slated for release in 2014.

Andy recently wrapped up work on the soundtrack for the upcoming remake of the classic B-Movie film Plan 9 From Outer Space for Darkstone Entertainment. Andy’s outlet for his other soundtrack/ambient work is Small Precious Lights, a project he launched in early 2014.

Andy scored his first publishing deal without the help of an agent after several long, frustrating hours perusing the “how to get an agent” books at his local bookstore. His stories have a unique southern voice with a blood-red splash of dark humor thrown in the mix. Much of his first novel (The Sticks, Delirium Books, 2009) was written while passing long miles between gigs on the road with Bella Morte. Since finishing The Sticks, Andy has completed a novella (The Third House, Thunderstorm Books, 2010), a novel (All The Darkness In The World, Thunderstorm Books, 2011), and a second novella (No Turning Back, DarkFuse, 2012).

Photography is another art that Andy has grown passionate about, and touring the world has provided plenty of locations to snap haunting images. His work manages to be nostalgic, tortured, and beautiful at the same time. His first run of prints sold out in under a month, and he has found continued success online and at conventions.

Andy was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and figures he’ll be buried there someday.

Find Andy at - www.BellaMorte.com

Reviews

[Shane Douglas Douglas]

Back at the end of 2015 when all of us were making our favorite reads and best of lists, I noticed that a lot of books were recurring across literally dozens of lists. But there was one
book that I only found on one list, don't ask me which one because I don't remember. Now that I've read that book, I'm actually kind of surprised that ALL THE DARKNESS IN THE WORLD (henceforth ATDITW) wasn't one of those recurring titles. If I had read it in 2015 it most certainly would have been on my list, and there's a damn good possibility it will go on this year's list of favorites.

When I first saw this book mentioned--on that fabled list I can't remember--my first response was, "Who the fuck is Andy Deane?" But after I read the synopsis of the book I was immediately intrigued. I love a good, well told vampire story and this sounded like the real deal to me. And the sample on Amazon did nothing to disabuse me of that opinion. So I went begging at Raw Dog Screaming Press's kitchen door and they were kind enough to provide me with some review copies of a few of their books, one of those being ATDITW.

At it's heart, ATDITW is a vampire story, brutal, bloody, and terrifying. But there's a lot more to it than that. It's an outstanding coming of age story, laced with some minor romance, a hefty helping of Southern charm, hilarious, often giddy humor at times, a story about the struggles and triumphs of Jace, a teenage boy that we follow as he grows into manhood against all odds. The thing that really captured me about this book, that kept me from putting it down is Deane's incredible prowess as a storyteller. The voice of Jace is captivating, entertaining, and delightfully irreverent, evoking memories of Laymon's NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER in mood and tone while at the same time being it's own thing:

"If you’d known my parents you’d probably be surprised to find out I’m not a serial killer. I’m not claiming I turned out to be the second coming or anything, but I do okay by the folks I care about, and try to treat strangers with as much respect as they deserve."

Andy Deane knows his way around a story, and he approaches it as an art form, telling his story without tedium or drudgery, giving us a tour of a world both terrifying and wonderful in it's evocation. You can tell that he was fully invested in the writing of the tale and, because of that, his reader is too. And the main reason for that is his ridiculously lovable, affable smartass of a protagonist and narrator, Jace:

"My day was going much better than expected. I’d had the fortune of not seeing Ted Pines in History. Apparently he called in sick, hopefully with cancer."

And talking about Jace brings me to another point. I seem to be at odds with several other reviewers when it comes to character development. I think, for the purpose of this story, Deane did a masterful job of building his protagonist, fleshing him out and making me not just care, but dig the hell out of him, while the rest of the characters were, for the most part, pretty flat. But I don't think that does a thing to detract from the story and is, I suspect, quite intentional. The other characters are fodder in Jace's story, designed like everything else, to drive the narrative forward. Taking the time to develop entire backstories for all of them would have resulted in a massively bloated volume in which the story would probably have been all but lost. It was sufficient for me that if Jace cared about another character, I did also, and if he hated them, the same thing.

Reading ATDITW, it felt like I was sitting there listening to Andy Deane tell the story. His voice is natural and engaging and the story is never slow or boring. Once it gets going, on page one, it never lets up, racing toward a very satisfying and viciously brutal climax at a break neck pace. I dug the hell out of this story and I hope to see more of Deane's work in the future. If you like a read that is violent, gory, and ridiculously fun, you'll love ALL THE DARKNESS IN THE WORLD.

[Ms. Nikki]

SPOILERS+++++++++++++++++


This is more of a coming-of-age story than anything else. There is some very solid writing that was bogged down with too much information. We got a repetitive blow by blow view of the ins and outs of Jace, the main character, who is a long-haired, metal band listening, outcast. His dad is a violent drunk and his mom keeps taking the beatings, not caring about the son. We, the reader, read about such episodes multiple times with little variation to the point where I was thinking "blah, blah, blah." There was too much Jace and not enough darkness; these vampiric creatures who easily get beat down by a 16 yr old and talked a lot of smack while standing in the shade so they don't get sizzled. Being totally honest here; this book lacked emotion, grit, substance, and failed to make a connection. It just rambled on. I don't know what I was supposed to "get" out of this read. The author has potential, but this read is NOT FOR ME.

[Alexandra Christian]

I’m writing this review today as a former lover of all things vampiric. As a kid, I was a whore for anything that had to do with vampires. Books, movies—I drew pictures. The biggest fight that I ever had with my mother was over going to see The Lost Boys at the tender age of 12. But lately I’ve been disheartened with the whole vampire genre. And though I’m notorious for blaming Twilight, of course it didn’t start there. Twilight was just an inevitable end that was started by Anne Rice, “Forever Knight,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Angel.” Of course pop culture has never had trouble making vampires sympathetic characters. They’re sexy and tortured, what’s not to love? But lately we’ve taken it to the next level. The kinder, gentler vamp has wormed his way into the mainstream and frankly… it pisses me off. Who the hell decided that vampires didn’t actually need to drink blood? Or that they weren’t ruthless hunters with a knack for seduction? Or that they didn’t really have fangs? Or—the worst of all insults—sparkled in the sun? We have essentially cut their balls off.
Enter Andy Deane.
Some of you may know Andy as the frontman of the Goth band, Bella Morte. That’s how I knew him until last summer. We were supposed to attend a Sci-Fi Con together and I of course read his bio on the website. Come to find out, he had started writing some horror fiction and immediately I was excited. I read his first book, The Sticks and loved it. I thought that the first chapter was truly one of the best first chapters I’d ever read. So naturally, when I heard that his next novel, All the Darkness in the World, was coming out AND it was a vampire novel—I was completely psyched! I forced myself to wait and buy a hard copy for myself directly from, for lack of a better term, the horse’s mouth. I bought my copy from Andy and even scored an autograph. My inner Goth chick was all gooey inside. Then my outer critic tapped me on the shoulder and said, “What if it sucks? After all, it’s a vampire novel.” And after reading the book, I can tell my outer critic to shut the fuck up. I won’t keep you in suspense—I loved it. All the Darkness in the World has renewed my faith in the vampire genre. Finally, a slew of badass vamps to wreak havoc for a good 200 pages. No sparkling. No brooding. No remorse of any kind. And it’s fabulous!
All the Darkness in the World is told from the first person point of view of our hero, Jace. By the way, a horror novel told in first person POV is unusual and hard as hell to write. The story begins when Jace is a frustrated teenager just praying for the day he can get out of his abusive parents’ house. On a fateful night Jace witnesses two vampires attacking a lone female and he steps in to assist. Confirming his role as the heroic shit-kicker, Jace lays waste to one of the creatures and ignites the rage of head-vampire, Vaughn. Vaughn swears revenge on the skinny kid and thus the story gets rolling.
Let me begin by saying that Deane is a master of characterization. It’s really important in any sort of horror story to make the reader feel a connection to the hero. Otherwise, you really won’t give a shit if the zombies are eating his or her brains. From the first chapter, I had a really good idea of who Jace was and where he was coming from. A lot of time was spent examining Jace’s relationship with his parents and at first I found it a little tiresome. Then I realized—Jace’s folks are the real monsters of the story. And if he can deal with them, a few vampires shouldn’t be much of a problem. All that backstory makes it believable that when the shit hits the fan, Jace will be able to deliver and survive. My only criticism of Deane’s storytelling would be that none of his other characters are as developed as Jace. I found myself wanting to know more about Vaughn. Why was he so bent on avenging the mindless drone that Jace took care of? He goes to great lengths to destroy the world of a punk kid. Why? I wanted a bit more motivation on that front.
I’ve been an avid reader since age five and one thing I’ve learned in the last thirty years is that some books are for boys and some are for girls. Don’t laugh—it’s true. Women tend to like books with deep characters and intricate plots that deal mostly with those characters. Boys say to Hell with that emotional shit—get to the hack and slash. For example, Lord of the Rings is a boy book. Wuthering Heights is a girl book. I won’t elaborate—go read them yourself. All the Darkness in the World is definitely a boy book. There’s a lot of action and violence. The last fourth of the book is so bloody that for a moment I thought I might need a sterile towel to mop it up. Luckily, I love the violence. After all, I’ve always been a weird girl. My personal favorite scene is near the end of the book when one of the drone vampires finds himself separated from the rest of the gang and is unluckily on the receiving end of Jace’s rage. The way in which our hero disposes of the bloodsucker is both creative and sadistic. So much so that I have made a point never to get on Deane’s bad side. That being said, I was kind of missing a final mano a mano deathmatch at the end between Jace and Vaughn. It’s there, but it wasn’t the epic fight to the death I was hoping for.
It goes without saying that this horror aficionado loved All the Darkness in the World. I think Voltaire (Goth musician and artist, not the witty writer/historian/philosopher from the 1700s) summed it up best in his forward to the book when he wrote that reading Andy’s books are like listening to Andy tell a story. It’s true. His voice shines through in the narration and it’s endearing. It makes you interested in what he has to say and therefore, you keep reading. And that, of course, is the mark of a true horror writer. To completely scare the shit out of you so that you want to put the book in the freezer, but at the same time make you so curious as to what happens next that you keep reading. Andy is a true horror writer. I can only hope that my own horror fiction can someday float around in the same echelon.

[Seth]

Just finished it, great take on vamps. Loved the down to earth voice of the protagonist! A smidge heavy on the smilie at parts but luckily they were all pretty hilarious. Andy's got a fresh voice in horror, and I'm looking forward to his next work, whatever monster he tackles next!

[Strega]

Really good creepy story!! This is the first Andy Deane book I've read, and it will not be the last. The characters were well defined and acted 'normally' for themselves. You knew who and what the 'bad guy' was, but the outcome wasn't set in stone from the beginning. Good read!!

[Christine]

I had this book on my shelf for years before actually reading it. I’ve read Deane’s books before so I knew what to expect from him in terms of style. This is absolutely a coming of age story with strong horror influences. There were some repetitive words and phrases used through out the story but the over-the-top similes made for some laugh out loud moments. The buildup before the climax was intriguing and made me want to know how things were going to play out (so much so I stayed up past my bedtime just to finish the book). I was caught off guard by a few sprinkles of heartfelt moments that legit made me tear up, which were quickly followed by gratuitous violence or humor. Over all, it was an entertaining read great for taking your mind off your own darkness.

[Joshua]

Very well-written, gritty, pager-turner of a tale, meeting somewhere between Outcast Coming of Age and Mean As Hell Vampires in terms of theme. I found the overuse of simile to be a bit heavy-handed and jarring, but that's really the only complaint. The characters were particularly well-written and earnest in their realism. Not the most original tale ever conceived, but fiercely engaging and a hell of a lot of fun.

[Jeff]

Fun read

Have you ever wondered what the show Shameless would be like with vampires? Kind of like this. Overall a solid entry in vampire fiction, but I admit the myriad of analogies that appear throughout the book made me cringe.

[Mina MacGabhann]

This was a fun, quick read.
Absolutely a coming of age story, and Andy captures the teenaged boy narrative well.
I had to smile when Bella Morte was mentioned. (Andy's band)

Really enjoyed this book!

[Jennifer]

Fantastically dark! Dean's unique voice makes this tale compelling. 100% would recommend!

[Ray Thompson]

I really wish I could give there was an allowance for 1/2 stars in the reviews, as I would give it 4.5 stars in reality. It was a good book and it was pretty darned fun. I wish he had taken more time for character development as it was sometimes hard to feel anything for the characters outside of Jace (the main character) and the old man. The other thing that stood out was the overuse of similes throughout. While some of them (hell, most of them!) were quite entertaining with their visualization, I think they would have made more impact to the story with less frequency.

All in all, though, this is a good story and definitely one to read if you like your monster stories to be fun, a little violent, and a lot raunchy. good book!

[Desirée]

excellent vampire novel.

[Strega]

Totally excellent creepy - I could almost see all the action and characters in my mind's eye. Really well written and very highly recommended