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In The Garden of Rusting Gods: A Collection
In the Garden of Rusting Gods delivers sixteen tales from the imagination of multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Patrick Freivald. From time travel and broken monsters to glimpses into the minds of honeybees and ordinary people dealing with unbearable loss, Freivald burrows into the weird, dark places that lurk beneath the everyday to unearth twisted stories of our world and worlds that could be.Freivald’s range is on full display with In the Garden of Rusting Gods. Here lies science, horror, humor, and the weird. Action, panic, and dread. Loaded with energy, you’ll be tapping to the beat from page one. –Josh Malerman, New York Times Best Selling author of Bird Box and Unbury CarolSmart, funny, intriguing, horrifying; Freivald shows us the wide range of his talents. –Kaaron Warren, Aurealis Award winning Author of The Grief HoleA haunting collection of beautifully desperate characters creatively mingled in the agony of their realities. –Kelli Owen, author of Teeth and Wilted Lilies.
217 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2019
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13 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Freivald
40 books74 followersPlease visit me on my website, http://patrick.freivald.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 16, 2020
Absolutely Outstanding
Every story in this book unwinds at the perfect pace, only to pull it taut and reeling you in before you know what has happened. The mix of sub genres are perfectly balanced and melded. Sometimes chilling, occassionally disconcerting but always utterly enjoyable.
Every story in this book unwinds at the perfect pace, only to pull it taut and reeling you in before you know what has happened. The mix of sub genres are perfectly balanced and melded. Sometimes chilling, occassionally disconcerting but always utterly enjoyable.
May 6, 2020
It is hard for me sometimes to write at length about short story collections. Plotting and structure are so much of what interests me in storytelling. In a collection like this one, it is much more about the atmosphere and tone, not to say plot and structure don't matter in short stories because they do. Just style and tone are so much more important in short fiction.
Freivald was a writer that I noticed just because he had an intense personality online, and a few people I respect swore by his work. That was all I really knew. I understood he had a science background, which I thought was cool, so I debated on starting with a novel or collection and came down to the idea of reading a collection. I do think that is a better way to get a feel for a writer as a whole.
There is a grim invention that dances just below the surface of all these stories. Some writers start with characters, some ideas. Freivald is a talented writer with only this collection to judge from his style feels idea based, that they are constructed neatly around a germ of a concept. Freivald is an idea machine and one story after another has intriguing elements that do one of my favorite things in horror fiction - cringe.
The opening title story provides a high concept setting that very subtly created a world that reminded me of a cyberpunk anime combo kinda thing. In a short number of pages, we are given some great world-building that never settles for info-dumps. Through-out the book but especially in this opening story the reader is trusted to use their own minds. Over-writing is a crutch many writers raised on Stephen King rely on, not Patrick Freivald. I suspect many reviews of this book will point-out that this opening story could hold the weight of an entire novel and that is very, very true.
I love when collections show writers using different muscles and voices. in the second half the book had a few shorter more experimental pieces including one of my favorites "Trigger Warning." I loved it when Freivald used the noir style in the offbeat and darkly funny piece "The Extermination Business." Other stand-outs included the disturbing Twelve Kilos and the bizarro sci-fi story Foam Ride.
The best thing I can say about this book is it sold me on Patrick Freivald and has pretty much locked in at some point I will read his novels. The only negative for me was the cover sorta didn't work for me but that doesn't really matter. Each story came with a header illustration, so overall it is a neatly put together book and the editing is top-notch for a small press. Mostly horror with neat twists on old favorites like zombies and werewolves but enough Science Fiction ideas to bring a fresh feeling to the whole package. Thumbs up.
Freivald was a writer that I noticed just because he had an intense personality online, and a few people I respect swore by his work. That was all I really knew. I understood he had a science background, which I thought was cool, so I debated on starting with a novel or collection and came down to the idea of reading a collection. I do think that is a better way to get a feel for a writer as a whole.
There is a grim invention that dances just below the surface of all these stories. Some writers start with characters, some ideas. Freivald is a talented writer with only this collection to judge from his style feels idea based, that they are constructed neatly around a germ of a concept. Freivald is an idea machine and one story after another has intriguing elements that do one of my favorite things in horror fiction - cringe.
The opening title story provides a high concept setting that very subtly created a world that reminded me of a cyberpunk anime combo kinda thing. In a short number of pages, we are given some great world-building that never settles for info-dumps. Through-out the book but especially in this opening story the reader is trusted to use their own minds. Over-writing is a crutch many writers raised on Stephen King rely on, not Patrick Freivald. I suspect many reviews of this book will point-out that this opening story could hold the weight of an entire novel and that is very, very true.
I love when collections show writers using different muscles and voices. in the second half the book had a few shorter more experimental pieces including one of my favorites "Trigger Warning." I loved it when Freivald used the noir style in the offbeat and darkly funny piece "The Extermination Business." Other stand-outs included the disturbing Twelve Kilos and the bizarro sci-fi story Foam Ride.
The best thing I can say about this book is it sold me on Patrick Freivald and has pretty much locked in at some point I will read his novels. The only negative for me was the cover sorta didn't work for me but that doesn't really matter. Each story came with a header illustration, so overall it is a neatly put together book and the editing is top-notch for a small press. Mostly horror with neat twists on old favorites like zombies and werewolves but enough Science Fiction ideas to bring a fresh feeling to the whole package. Thumbs up.
September 26, 2019
Wow, where to start....I guess where I always do, eh?
The Good -
All of it. The entire book is incredible. I joked with the author that it was so good that it had made me reconsider my future as a writer and perhaps he didn't realize it, but I was only half joking. These stories are written with a skill that aspiring writers can only dream about. There wasn't a single one that didn't pull me in and make me wonder what's next. There was at least one that left me hoping that it'd be expanded out because I wanted to know more.
The Bad -
Heck if I know! Honestly, I usually don't struggle to find something in a book that just didn't sit right with me, but I couldn't find anything for this book. In fact, when I finished it, I kept hoping that the author will release another book of stories.
The Summary -
Sometimes you don't want to curl up with a good book. Sometimes all you want is a couple of stories to tide you over until morning. If that's the case, I can't recommend this book enough. The stories are just the right length to read before bed, while waiting in the car, or any of those times where you don't want to be pulled into a full book.
The Good -
All of it. The entire book is incredible. I joked with the author that it was so good that it had made me reconsider my future as a writer and perhaps he didn't realize it, but I was only half joking. These stories are written with a skill that aspiring writers can only dream about. There wasn't a single one that didn't pull me in and make me wonder what's next. There was at least one that left me hoping that it'd be expanded out because I wanted to know more.
The Bad -
Heck if I know! Honestly, I usually don't struggle to find something in a book that just didn't sit right with me, but I couldn't find anything for this book. In fact, when I finished it, I kept hoping that the author will release another book of stories.
The Summary -
Sometimes you don't want to curl up with a good book. Sometimes all you want is a couple of stories to tide you over until morning. If that's the case, I can't recommend this book enough. The stories are just the right length to read before bed, while waiting in the car, or any of those times where you don't want to be pulled into a full book.
November 15, 2023
If you’ve followed any of my reviews over the last few years, you’ll have seen that I’ve mentioned I’ve been burned out on reading collections and anthologies for some time. Well, that was the case. Things have started to slowly take a turn towards me getting back into them. Typically, I have 4-6 books on the go at one time. I bounce around from them, until one steals my attention wholly and I can’t put it down, before returning to the others. I also like to have a collection/anthology mixed in there, to break up the space between each book. So, what I mean is, I’ll read one book for say, thirty minutes, then a short story in a collection/anthology, then jump to another book for thirty minutes and repeat. I paused that for some time, but have now began to return to that practice and it’s been great returning to that again.
I’ll also make an admission here and this might be slightly embarrassing, but also a complete reflection on the fact that I can’t kick some of my super small town upbringing.
My admission – if you’re an author who has been nominated/won a Bram Stoker or a Shirley Jackson Award, I kind of consider you writing royalty. (Long breath out… fix my imaginary tie… adjust my imaginary glasses… let the flush of embarrassment slowly fade… and continue). It’s true. It blows my mind when I interact with anyone who has those accolades (amongst many others – looking at you Huge and Nebula etc etc) and I’ll make a note to check out their work when I can.
Case in point, is the author of today’s book – Patrick Freivald. I’ve had this collection on my Kindle for a few years now, taken hard by the cover when it was revealed, but up until reading this collection, I hadn’t read any of Patrick’s work, but knowing he’s a multiple Stoker nominee, I figured I’d be perfectly assaulted with each story. In fact, up until reading this, I knew Patrick more from his work moderating the HWA Facebook page than anything else! So, this was a refreshing change!
What I liked: If I throw these titles out, where does your brain immediately go? Alien. Predator. Event Horizon. Splice. Terminator. My brain processes this as horror/sci-fi and both in movies and in fiction, this mashing of the two genres are some of my very favorite things I’ve ever watched or read. Reading this collection felt like I was reading Ridley Scott’s unreleased movie ideas. Freivald, time and time again, created these dark, intricate, horrific slabs of sci-fi infused stories that had me completely captivated and enthralled. Where I started this collection as a break between switching books, it quickly took over and I had to read it without setting down.
While each story was really well done – looking at the back-to-back punch up of ‘Twelve Kilos’ and ‘Foam Ride’ as an example, there were some stories that stood out as my favorites above the others.
‘Trophy Hunt’ involved werewolves trying to survive while being hunted. It was a fast-paced, solid story that flipped the script and really filled this lycanthrope loving readers heart with joy.
‘The Extermination Business’ read like an old time detective story, where a hired gun seeks out wererats and has to navigate his personal feelings with the job he’s been hired to do. Felt like this would be a great movie done in the same format as ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’
‘Forward Base Fourteen’ was a claustrophobic story of the last remaining survivors trying to make contact with another base, but when things go south, decisions need to be made. The atmosphere in this one was pristine.
‘In the Garden of Rusting Gods’ was a behemoth of a story. Maybe twenty pages long, this encapsulated an entire novels worth of narrative within. In the future, humans have gone underground as Lovecraftian-AI-Robotic alien beings arrive and invade. It was so cinematic in scope and the way Freivald told this one might make some of you hyperventilate.
Saying all of that, my favorite story hands down was, ‘A Taste for Life.’ This might’ve been the shortest story in the entire collection, but this one was a juggernaut and within only a few pages showed one scientist descend into madness while also showing progression in the subject being studied. Also set in the future and underground (but unrelated to the title story), zombies have taken over and those who have survived are now trying to find a way to cure them, or at least dampen the desire to kill all of the living. This one was just outstanding.
Throughout, Freivald goes from strength to strength and even the last story, ‘Taps’ takes us out on a high note. Each story also is accompanied by really great artwork, which is always a bonus.
What I didn’t like: As with every collection, each story will connect differently with each reader, but this one is so very solid.
Why you should buy this: From start to finish, this might very well be one of the best written collections you’ll ever read. Each story jumps in, pulls the reader along and then finish with a bang, a flourish of storytelling magic. I was drawn in slowly with the title story, but by the middle of ‘Forward Base Fourteen,’ I knew I was reading something special and soon thereafter abandoned all pretense that I wouldn’t be devouring this collection in a few sittings.
Amazing batch of stories.
I’ll also make an admission here and this might be slightly embarrassing, but also a complete reflection on the fact that I can’t kick some of my super small town upbringing.
My admission – if you’re an author who has been nominated/won a Bram Stoker or a Shirley Jackson Award, I kind of consider you writing royalty. (Long breath out… fix my imaginary tie… adjust my imaginary glasses… let the flush of embarrassment slowly fade… and continue). It’s true. It blows my mind when I interact with anyone who has those accolades (amongst many others – looking at you Huge and Nebula etc etc) and I’ll make a note to check out their work when I can.
Case in point, is the author of today’s book – Patrick Freivald. I’ve had this collection on my Kindle for a few years now, taken hard by the cover when it was revealed, but up until reading this collection, I hadn’t read any of Patrick’s work, but knowing he’s a multiple Stoker nominee, I figured I’d be perfectly assaulted with each story. In fact, up until reading this, I knew Patrick more from his work moderating the HWA Facebook page than anything else! So, this was a refreshing change!
What I liked: If I throw these titles out, where does your brain immediately go? Alien. Predator. Event Horizon. Splice. Terminator. My brain processes this as horror/sci-fi and both in movies and in fiction, this mashing of the two genres are some of my very favorite things I’ve ever watched or read. Reading this collection felt like I was reading Ridley Scott’s unreleased movie ideas. Freivald, time and time again, created these dark, intricate, horrific slabs of sci-fi infused stories that had me completely captivated and enthralled. Where I started this collection as a break between switching books, it quickly took over and I had to read it without setting down.
While each story was really well done – looking at the back-to-back punch up of ‘Twelve Kilos’ and ‘Foam Ride’ as an example, there were some stories that stood out as my favorites above the others.
‘Trophy Hunt’ involved werewolves trying to survive while being hunted. It was a fast-paced, solid story that flipped the script and really filled this lycanthrope loving readers heart with joy.
‘The Extermination Business’ read like an old time detective story, where a hired gun seeks out wererats and has to navigate his personal feelings with the job he’s been hired to do. Felt like this would be a great movie done in the same format as ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’
‘Forward Base Fourteen’ was a claustrophobic story of the last remaining survivors trying to make contact with another base, but when things go south, decisions need to be made. The atmosphere in this one was pristine.
‘In the Garden of Rusting Gods’ was a behemoth of a story. Maybe twenty pages long, this encapsulated an entire novels worth of narrative within. In the future, humans have gone underground as Lovecraftian-AI-Robotic alien beings arrive and invade. It was so cinematic in scope and the way Freivald told this one might make some of you hyperventilate.
Saying all of that, my favorite story hands down was, ‘A Taste for Life.’ This might’ve been the shortest story in the entire collection, but this one was a juggernaut and within only a few pages showed one scientist descend into madness while also showing progression in the subject being studied. Also set in the future and underground (but unrelated to the title story), zombies have taken over and those who have survived are now trying to find a way to cure them, or at least dampen the desire to kill all of the living. This one was just outstanding.
Throughout, Freivald goes from strength to strength and even the last story, ‘Taps’ takes us out on a high note. Each story also is accompanied by really great artwork, which is always a bonus.
What I didn’t like: As with every collection, each story will connect differently with each reader, but this one is so very solid.
Why you should buy this: From start to finish, this might very well be one of the best written collections you’ll ever read. Each story jumps in, pulls the reader along and then finish with a bang, a flourish of storytelling magic. I was drawn in slowly with the title story, but by the middle of ‘Forward Base Fourteen,’ I knew I was reading something special and soon thereafter abandoned all pretense that I wouldn’t be devouring this collection in a few sittings.
Amazing batch of stories.
October 10, 2019
Here's part of my review that'll be on High Fever Books...
The job of the writer is to take an idea and make it their own. They might go macro and show you the world dealing with the apocalypse, or they might go micro and zero in on a single family welcoming their new child. These are not new concepts, but in the right writer’s hands they can become something you’ve never seen before. In the Garden of Rusting Gods, Patrick Freivald’s collection of short stories is the perfect example of blowing up the tried and true to reveal a whole new experience. These 16 powerful stories will take you on an exploration of the human condition and show you the terror that the world can inflict on us all.
The ideas and concepts on display here are nothing new. You’ll find a zombie story or two, a couple of werewolf tales, haunted objects, and a few takes on the end of the world. But, you barely have to scrape away the surface to see that Freivald has created something truly unique. That zombie story is actually a look at the psyche of a soldier stranded at their post without orders. The werewolf story? How about a story about being hunted because you are different, while also looking at what happens when you are raised to hate something you’ve never seen before. It doesn’t take much to see that Freivald is using these horror tropes as a springboard for something much deeper and original.
The job of the writer is to take an idea and make it their own. They might go macro and show you the world dealing with the apocalypse, or they might go micro and zero in on a single family welcoming their new child. These are not new concepts, but in the right writer’s hands they can become something you’ve never seen before. In the Garden of Rusting Gods, Patrick Freivald’s collection of short stories is the perfect example of blowing up the tried and true to reveal a whole new experience. These 16 powerful stories will take you on an exploration of the human condition and show you the terror that the world can inflict on us all.
The ideas and concepts on display here are nothing new. You’ll find a zombie story or two, a couple of werewolf tales, haunted objects, and a few takes on the end of the world. But, you barely have to scrape away the surface to see that Freivald has created something truly unique. That zombie story is actually a look at the psyche of a soldier stranded at their post without orders. The werewolf story? How about a story about being hunted because you are different, while also looking at what happens when you are raised to hate something you’ve never seen before. It doesn’t take much to see that Freivald is using these horror tropes as a springboard for something much deeper and original.
November 11, 2019
A fun breeze of a read
As a frequent reader of all things Freivaldian, I anticipated a quirky, quick trip of eerie satisfaction of this book, by this author. I came away almost exactly as I expected. At least four of the stories in here are above and beyond, small, chill treasures. A couple that, for me, seemed "meh". The rest were a quirky jaunt through a spooky bog. All in all, I'll say it's definitely a trip to the abandoned fun house that is worth the price of admission.
As a frequent reader of all things Freivaldian, I anticipated a quirky, quick trip of eerie satisfaction of this book, by this author. I came away almost exactly as I expected. At least four of the stories in here are above and beyond, small, chill treasures. A couple that, for me, seemed "meh". The rest were a quirky jaunt through a spooky bog. All in all, I'll say it's definitely a trip to the abandoned fun house that is worth the price of admission.
November 9, 2019
I really enjoyed the short stories in this book but especially the first and last ones.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews