"John Dies At The End" by David Wong

[nemorathwald]

David Wong writes horror novels. I knew him as the guy who gave us such introspective, insight/humor articles as The Monkeysphere, 7 Reasons The 21st Century Is Making Us Miserable, The God Fuse: 10 Things Christians and Atheists can (and must) Agree On, A World Of Warcraft World, Why Online Gaming Will Change The Future... the list goes on and on. Yeah, the same guy wrote all that stuff. It's from his old website pointlesswasteoftime.com and Cracked.com.

John Dies At The End and its sequel are funny as all get out, because the character of John acts like a 14-year-old denizen of 4-chan in situations that mentally cripple all the other characters. These are concepts which would probably also mentally cripple the reader if it weren't for John mentally crippling them in the opposite direction. JDatE is also funny because David Wong is a gifted narrator, proving that the rule "show, don't tell" doesn't always apply if you can think of a really incredible way to phrase it.

These novels also cause a creeping sensation to linger over the reader's entire skin as they lie in bed contemplating the nature of the reality they think they live in. Part of it might be the images used for illustrations, which are calculated to disturb you, and also have freaky alternate images that flash over them as if he's trying to get all subliminal. I don't consider myself a horror enthusiast at all, and usually avoid the genre. But this book has no relationship to the reputation horror has. You know the reputation I'm talking about. Mere monsters, and their victims suffering from mere violence, or mere gruesome death, or other cakewalks. This story takes it to a whole different level of disturbed. Yeah, there's violence, but a viewpoint character can't focus on that when the doors of their perception are coming off the hinges.

Comments

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

If you've enjoyed "John Dies At The End" and enjoy horror novels, please read "Necroscope," by Brian Lumley. Don't let the cover art fool you - it's fantastic It's one of the best books I've read.

John Dies, etc. isn't really doing it for me. I'm on html page #22. I almost gave up on page 18. Read Necroscope. You won't regret it.

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

I have Mooched it through Bookmooch.com, so it should arrive within a week. Wow, not just the cover art, but the descriptive blurb on the back cover makes it sound awful. In the publishing industry, bad covers happen to good books all too often. Also, Necroscope doesn't give me the impression that it's humorous. I normally really dislike horror, but I'll give this one a try.

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

Hmm... Maybe I erred. I thought you enjoyed JDATE as a horror novel, not as something funny. I read a lot of Stephen King a while back and a handful of horror novels, and Necroscope was something I read over a decade ago and have come back to once or twice. I think you'll appreciate the main character, Harry. There's a neat math scene buried somewhere in the book I really enjoyed.

God, the cover art sucked. I've been embarrassed ever time I'm seen reading it. I leave it face-down when I put it down out in public.

Cover art aside, I really enjoyed it.

In a different vein (no pun intended, really), if you enjoy the horror genre at all, I suggest "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub. It's not average horror, it's a ghost story in its purest sense. Don't take that as criticism, it isn't. Straub is a fantastic author, tale-spinner, and story teller.

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

I'll admit... I was kind of pissed off at the author when John didn't die at the end.