Going to do something different this week.
2017.
I finally get a Kindle. Up until that point, I’d never heard the terms “extreme horror” and “Splatterpunk”. With so many options, I decided to do a little research. This leads to the discovery of Goodreads, a website I didn’t know existed. So, naturally, number of reviews written: zero.
And so began a journey (which I will not bore you with today) into the subgenre I never knew I was connected to.
Today I want to tell you about four books that helped to pull me into this genre. I decided to post the original reviews I wrote back then, when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but trying to express that I liked the books.
BOX – Matt Shaw
A lot of people in the community get a massive kick out of the shock factor of these books. When somebody says they are new to the genre and are unsure if it is for them, and asks for recommendations, you will usually see a lot of the most extreme, sick stories being mentioned.
Personally, I think that scares away potential fans because they haven’t had time to process this “next step” in their journey.
This story is one of the first three extreme stories I read, and this is my go-to recommendation (along with THE 8TH, also by this author). It gives you a glimpse into this dark world without overwhelming you.
Here’s my original review:
The first story I've read by this author, and I must say it was surprisingly good. I love psychological thrillers and the most pleasant thing about it was that it had substance - there's a depth I did not expect. Looking forward to reading more of his work.
4 Stars
BAD GAMES – Jeff Menapace
This is one where the blurb got me excited. It might not be very extreme (by today’s standards), but at the time of reading it, it pushed me further than I expected.
Here’s my original review:
I’ve been excited to read this novel for a while now and it didn’t disappoint. Bad Games is the first in a trilogy and, having finished the first, I’m looking forward to reading the other two as well.
Jeff Menapace does not hold back in this story. Even though modern society and the amount of violence we are exposed to on a daily basis may numb us to some extent, there was a stage in this book where I had to put it down for a little while to digest the cruelty.
Yes, it will upset sensitive readers—I don’t see myself as one—but the thing I probably enjoyed most was the psychological torture.This author knows how to write well, and I found the pace of the story particularly satisfying. I will recommend this book to any fan of a good thriller, but only if you can stomach the more extreme side.
Having said that, I also want to make it very clear that the author didn’t rely solely on the shock factor—there is an interesting story in there.
5 Stars
Amazon.com: Bad Games - A Dark Psychological Thriller (Bad Games Series Book 1) eBook : Menapace, Jeff: Kindle Store
DEPRAVED – Bryan Smith
This one blew me away. I couldn’t believe how far this author went with this one. It is still one of my top 10 best Splatterpunk stories I’ve ever read.
Here’s my original review:
Yes, this was the sickest book I've ever read, but it was well worth it. Smith did a brilliant job of alternating characters to keep you from becoming bored or immune to the shit they have to go through. The pace is relentless; the violence is unforgiving, and the story is great.
This is a vision of complete Hell on earth, the true stuff of nightmares. I can recommend it to any horror fan who can stomach this much extreme sick, because a lesser author would not have been able to pull this off.
5 Stars
GRAVEROBBERS WANTED: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY – Jeff Strand
If you want to know how stories go in my head, this is probably one of the best examples of how I wish I could write them. I can’t even begin to explain how giddy I was when I read this series.
Here’s my original review:
Just finished all four Andrew Mayhem books...Brilliant!This kind of dark humor is extremely difficult to write well, but Strand is a master. He's got that magical thing most comedians would kill for - timing! I never got the feeling that he was trying too hard. If the story called for three or four serious pages without any jokes, that's exactly what you got.
And - this was the icing on the cake for me, because he didn't hold back to make it more mainstream - the extreme, gory, gross, horrible and sometimes inventive violence that occurred (Respect, Sir!) made some of the jokes even funnier.
If you are easily shocked or prefer your humor clean, I would recommend Terry Pratchett. If you want a balls to the wall thrill ride of blood and guts and amputations, Strand is the man!
5 Stars
Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary) (An Andrew Mayhem Thriller Book 1) - Kindle edition by Strand, Jeff. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
I highly recommend these four stories to anyone in the community.
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