[3.5]
Just like any of Pauley's books, the Astronaut Dream Book is wild as fuck. I really love the psychedelia in this book, the atmosphere and weird but ethereal images,, ough it's just so beautiful in a way. This book is pretty different from the first two, but it still has that Eight Block Tower feel and that fucking whirlwind of an ending sent me reeling. Again (positively). But there was just something about this book that I can't put my finger on, and I got bored at times. I love the descriptions though, and I still enjoyed reading this :D

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator was fantastic as always and I love the they had Connor Brannigan as a constant through the series! This story was probably my least favorite out of The Bedlam Bible series, but I still enjoyed it immensely! You can’t really go wrong with any of these books if you’re a horror fan! It was definitely original and graphic at parts, with descriptions so intense you feel like you’re right there in his crazy astronaut dream. I am definitely a fan of this author and will continue to read whatever else he puts out!

The Bedlam Bible really starts to come together nicely in this insane work. Eight Block is still just as terrifying as in the first volume., ‘The Tower’. What seem like disconnected short stories start to congeal into an awesome work of gory, bizarre literature. Though, each story could stand alone on its own like a modernist Lovecraft nightmare. Title seems strangely appropriate. As I mentioned in my review of the first volume of the series; this a wicked fever-dream. Looking forward to reading more!

I have read the first two books in this series and I loved them both. They are delightfully weird and completely engaging. So when I saw the audiobook available for review on NetGalley, I knew it was time to revisit Eighth Block Tower. And while I do own the kindle version, my kindle suffered an accident yesterday and no longer works. Seeing this book on NetGalley almost felt like a sign from the cosmos reminding me that even though I did most of my reading on that kindle, it’s going to be okay. So I’m sitting here in my office listening to the audiobook and following along on the kindle app on my phone.

I’ll start with a note about the narrator. I found Connor Brannigan’s narration to be quite enjoyable. His voice is deep and smooth and just really pleasant. I could listen to him speak far longer than the two-ish hour run time of this book. Fortunately for me, he narrates several of Pauley’s books that are already on my tbr.

If you’ve read the first two Bedlam Bible books, you are familiar with the strange things that go on in the Eighth Block Tower. Each book is a bunch of stories that are not one cohesive story, but they are intertwined. Everything that goes on in that tower is interconnected. This book is much the same. In the beginning, we learn of the prison deep within Eighth Block Tower that has only one prisoner. The stories that follow are his dreams about astronauts. The chapter called Apokalypsis. Wow. It’s a letter of warning to anyone who may find themself at the Church of Death and Nothingness detailing the astronaut’s journey leading up to the point where he is writing that letter and waiting for death. I found the letter to be quite moving.

But are these stories really dreams? Part 2 will have you wondering as the over arcing story comes full circle. The boy who encountered the prisoner in the beginning is back and his mother is ready to confront the “dog man” who bit her son. But in the words of the astronaut in his letter or warning, their journey didn’t stop there. Instead, things got weird. What the hell is going on in that tower? All I know is that I want more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. If you’re into the weird and absurd, you’ll love William Pauley III‘s doom fiction. He’s a fantastic writer with the ability to write stories that are sometimes absurd, horrifying, and touching.

You can read The Astronaut Dream Book as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Or just buy the book. The eBook is only a couple bucks and the print version would look great on your shelf. Do yourself a favor and grab the audio companion while you’re at it.