Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Title: Come Knocking
Author: Mike Bockoven
Format: eBook
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Themes: Human monsters, mob mentality, mental illness
Trigger Warnings: gore, violence, active shooters, acts of terrorism, profanity, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, prejudice, racism

Here we have another mockumentary style read from the author of the fantastic “Fantasticland”. I absolutely love “Fantasticland” so I jumped into this one with both feet. Like “Fantasticland”, this story is told through interviews, emails, and phone conversations that all relate the events of an attack on an interactive play being shown in Los Angeles, CA. This is a sobering book that isn’t for everyone but, I thought it was fun.

Come Knocking is the name of the show that was terrorized within the story. I find myself wondering if the concept of the interactive play with themes pulled from Dante’s Inferno and Paradise Lost and other classic literature with a death and afterlife theme came entirely from the author’s imagination or if it was inspired by some sort of real production. Either way, it was a very effective and interesting idea. The world the author built and terrorized was vivid in my mind. His use of imagery was cinematic in nature and I could see it in my mind’s eye, almost like watching a movie. Each character leapt off the page with his or her separate dialect and personality. Mr. Bockoven excels in this style or writing.

As enjoyable and imaginative as this was, it didn’t quite compare to “Fantasticland”. While the concept of “Come Knocking” was a great horror story, the execution lacked some of the basic horror that its predecessor showed. I also felt like “Come Knocking” took a lot longer than it needed to to get to the action. There was a lot of build up. I still loved it but this is why I docked a star.

All in all, this was a fun yet disturbing read. If you are a fan of found footage horror and/or enjoyed “Fantasticland”, this is the book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and SkyhorsePublishing for this free copy of "Come Knocking."

This remarkable book told in interview transcripts tells the harrowing account of the interactive theatrical performance of "Come Knocking" where 56 people died on one night.

As an audience member, there were only three rules: stay quiet, keep your mask on, and don't touch the performers.

"Come Knocking" was designed to be a spectacle where every audience member has a different experience. Granted it was gory and horrific but some people claimed to have very beautiful spiritual discoveries.

So what led to the night of violence? Why did the people from the "Who's There," a website for those who wanted to break the show, decide to put plans into action?

Although it's not always easy to read and yes, it's very violent, I didn't want to skip any of this memorable book.

An interactive theatre experience goes horribly wrong in the newest book by the author of Fantasticland..

Come Knocking is the hottest ticket in the theater world. After unprecedented success in New York, the production moves to Los Angeles . Then, in one night, over fifty people die and hundreds are injured, begging the question “what happened”.

Told with interviews from staff, survivors, performers and witnesses the author attempts to piece together the truth of that fateful night.

Highly recommended.

Some time ago, I've listened to Bockoven's FantasticLand on audio. It proved to be fantastic indeed and, unlike so many books, had left a visceral imprint on my memory.
So yes, I was very interested to read another one of the author's novel, his latest. I didn't even read the plot summary before hitting request on Netgalley.
Had I done so, I would've found that Bockoven stuck to the same format pretty closely. Come Knocking is told from the same perspective of a journalist named Alex who complies interviews to present an account of a "real life" tragedy.
This was a technique pretty much pioneered (as far as I know) in World War Z. And Bockoven, to his credit, does it very, very well. But it does lose the freshness and originality the second time around -as such things are wont to do.

Come Knocking is a revolutionary, multi-level, original theatre production - that like most unique things these days manages to attract the wrong kind of attention from the internet trolls and various keyboard warriors, who eventually decide to bring their outrage into the real world. It results in a terrible tragedy and dozens of people dead and injured. This book is a witness account of what went down.
Reader beware - it's horrific. Bockoven's brand of horrific is more effective than most, because his monsters are all people. Seemingly regular people who can be inspired or incited to do terrible things in the name of some (perceived or factual) injustice.
The author does what he does very, very well. Each interview account has a unique voice and perspective. it's all very compelling.
The main difference between this and FantasticLand is that FantasticLand came across more plot-driven, with each account revealing the story. This was more of a play-by-play delayering of the already-known plot.
Nevertheless, it made for a very engaging and terrifying read. The social commentary here is spot on too - the internet brings out and amplifies vileness and ugliness like nothing else. Digital screens, much like the masks in the show in the book, allow for a dehumanizing anonymity, creating an "anything goes" world. And oh how scary it is.
Read this book.
Recommended.
Thanks Netgalley.

As someone who had the opportunity to attend the production that clearly inspired Come Knocking, I can say that the way it explains its universe comes close to the way the actual production unfolded. Will every fan of the original “Come Knocking” like this? Probably not, but I think this was as interesting story to set in this type of setting.

The ending could have been better but I liked the other 95% of it. I wasn’t a fan of the “Big Bad” reveal or even his motive revealed directly afterward. The motives and characterization being revealing the villains as angry Gay men is a bit reductive for 2025 and it left a bad feeling at the ending though I do not let that discredit the rest of this book, which I found quite captivating.

This is essentially a long form investigation given a book form, and focuses in on a fictional Sleep No More immersive theater type experience turned massacre, through interviews with survivors and excerpts from fictional online social media explaining what went down. Neat read.

I was impressed by the vivid setting and attention to detail in “Come Knocking.” Bockoven has crafted a realistic and convincing theatrical production to tie together each interviewee’s narrative. I liked the unique structure and genuinely unsettling concept. I did find the interviews a bit repetitive towards the end, and some plot threads were over-the-top. Overall, I found the book compelling and would recommend it to fans of immersive theater or modern horror.

As a huge fan of Bockoven's book Fantasticland, I was thrilled that he wrote another book in that same interview style, and was very excited to read Come Knocking. I particularly enjoyed the nod to Fantasticland, in that the author of that story is the same author in this.

Come Knocking tells the story of a night gone terribly wrong during a popular interactive theater show. Bockoven does a great job of setting the scene through various interviews, and somehow manages to keep a whole cast of characters' voices unique. Furthermore, he does a very good job of explaining the different sets on the different floors of Come Knocking, and makes it easy for the reader to picture this unique performance.

Most interestingly, though, is what this book ultimately has to say about the internet, internet usage and communities, and fear/paranoia. It's an interesting read with the current landscape, and how people are overly comfortable interacting with each other at this point (for instance, I did want to punch a certain character who repeatedly iterates that they "did nothing wrong" despite all evidence to the contrary). This book is very entertaining, and a very quick read, but if you think about what it's saying below the surface, it becomes even more interesting.

Definitely a fan of Bockoven's work, and really enjoy this writing style in particular.

Mike Bockoven does it again. Come Knocking is set in the same reality as Fantasticland and told through the same interview style. I'm such a fan of how much different voice ended up in this novel. It was every bit as gripping and chilling as I hoped! Horror that is based around nothing more than humanity always hits the hardest, and this one made it out of the park. If you liked Fantasticland, if you like theater and/or weird art, if you like true crime--read this.

‘In Come Knocking, the enthralling and terrifying exploration of human nature under extreme conditions poses unsettling questions about the grotesque underbelly of immersive experiences and the true nature of reality.’

Thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for the opportunity!

Recommend if you enjoyed FantasticLand!

Another creepy, all-hell-breaking-out found-document style book from the author of Fantasticland. This book explores some wonderfully nuanced themes about the power and danger (and allure) of art and the terrible freedom anonymity grants people to endanger others. An apropos work of horror for these horrifying times in which we live.

I enjoyed FantasticLand so when I saw this was being published I knew I had to read it. I have really enjoyed the interview style of Bockoven's novels and this one is no different. This book was intense and reflective. Some scenes were brutal but that was to be expected given the authors previous work.

This book was a really fun read.

Come Knocking
#ComeKnocking, like @mikebockoven’s #FantasticLand is told as a collection of first-person narratives and supporting documents edited by his fictional author, Adam Jakes. Like his earlier novel, Come Knocking draws the reader in by appealing to that nature within us that makes us marvel at tragedy while challenging us to empathize with instigators and victims alike. It’s hard not to compare Come Knocking with FantasticLand due to its structure and the light he shines on the human nature that’s revealed during a tragic event - in this case a deliberate attack on an immersive, interactive theatrical performance, but like our favorite horror film franchises, sticking to the formula works, and I’m eager to see what Bockoven has for us next. Thanks to #NetGalley and @SkyHorsePublishing for the review copy.

An experimental play in LA becomes a confusing fight for survival as disorienting as stumbling through a dark room full of people who mean to do you harm. This tale is told from the perspective of crew members, performers, survivors, and witnesses

I was granted an ARC ebook of this through NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read it. This was my first time reading an arc copy of a book and I didn't realize certain things like there would be spelling/editing errors but I was able to piece out what was meant in those moments and won't hold that against my feelings and thoughts on the book.

I agree with most people that I wish Mike had gone balls to the wall but I also think the reason he didn't is because of the direct feedback from Fantasticland where the people who didn't like that all the employees lost their minds too quickly from the lack of phones. Not saying I agreed with that complaint but that's my theory. Mr Brockoven please don't listen to those reviews, your stories get better the more "balls to the wall" they get.

As far as the plot goes I loved it. I don't think I loved the situation as much as Fantasticland (sorry to keep bringing up this other book but when you have the same "in universe" writer cover both disasters and have comparisons happen in your own book I'm going to go there too). But I did appreciate the slow build up to the events and how differently both sides saw and justified their own crusades. I think if you appreciate this kind of format of story telling then this book is worth the quick night or two it takes to get through it.

DNF at 16%. The synopsis sounded really compelling, but the story (told in interviews) failed to pull me in. I found the storyline to this point very stagnant.

“The masks appear to be off. Please plan accordingly.”
🧡🧡🧡🧡

Come Knocking is a metafiction meditation about an interactive play that, from my reading perception, draws inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, Eyes Wide Shut, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Phantom of the Opera, and like a haunted rendering of Cirque du Soleil.

The book is written as Reddit posts about the play and interviews from survivors of the March 14th massacre of Come Knocking conducted by the journalist writing the novel. These chapters explicitly detail the horrors of that night from the perspectives of the audience, the stagehands, the performers, the bartenders, security, the EMTs, and those who participated in the overall unraveling of the show, members from a forum called Who’s There?

Come Knocking disturbed me greatly because, of course, the humans are the monsters, and it’s truly about how the internet can push angry people into becoming weapons of chaos that cause catastrophic harm to others who are simply trying to enjoy an event. I loved how Bockoven portrayed this with the literal hijack of the play’s control room, giving Who’s There? the ability to fuck up stages, engage flameflowers, and release performers from their safety nets. Scary shit. It’s all too real in the world we live in. When the control is put into the wrong hands, it’s deadly. We all know this. People aren’t seen as people anymore, just the enemy. We all have eyes and ears; we’ve seen this play out for decades and somehow keep falling for it.

Keep in mind that Reddit can be annoying in and of itself, so some of the chapters made me 🙄, which is the point. Aside from that, there is a powerful narrative here about how people tend to destroy beautiful things. It’s very Fight Club-esque in that way. If you’re into that, read it. If you’re not, this probably isn’t for you.

I love theatre and immersive experiences. Love a theme and dressing up for it. I would 100% be in the audience for this and “get it.” I really enjoyed this one. I am definitely a Mike Bockoven fan!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @skyhorsepub for the ARC!

If you enjoyed Fantasticland, you’ll likely enjoy Come Knocking. I liked both and if epistolary horror is your jam this is an interesting one. Come Knocking is the recounting of an interactive theatre show gone wrong. This is strictly a human horrors book and many of the deaths were very vivid and being shown from different perspectives made an impression.

Come Knocking is written predominantly in different interviews with people associated with the show and a few audience members. I struggled a bit with the sheer amount of voices as most weren’t very distinctive. They all blended together a bit and considering there aren’t any objective vantage points in the book I couldn’t totally mesh with the chaos. I also couldn’t pinpoint the timeline very well and struggled to imagine a show with so many dangerous components would ever be allowed.

It’s a fun read and getting to imagine Come Knocking as a show was pretty cool. Bockoven does a great job at building that tension before destruction which definitely pulls the reader in. If you like off the rails epistolary horror then I’d give Come Knocking a try. The environment Bockoven envisions is one that will sit with you for a bit.

Thank you to SkyHorse Publishing for my gifted ARC!

Come Knocking has an interesting premise. It sounds like a horror movie I’d love to watch. Despite the writing being incredible, I still found myself frequently getting confused trying to follow this six story tale. I kept waiting for clarification that didn’t come until far too late into the book. Which left me feeling … bummed. To say the least. I hyped this one up in my mind and it ended up letting me down in the end. I will definitely try more from the author in the future!

Loved this. Bockoven follows the same formula as Fantasticland in Come Knocking (a reporter compiles interviews with various people involved in a multi-fatality event). Only this time, instead of things going horribly wrong at an amusement park, they go horribly wrong at an interactive theater experience. And oh, boy, do they go wrong.

Bockoven is such a skilled writer. He grabs you by the face and shoves you into the action of the story so skillfully. I was fully engrossed in this book the entire time I was reading it, which is no easy feat.

The one place the writing suffers is that some of Bockoven's characters come off as archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out characters. That's likely a weakness of the format, and I wouldn't change that. Getting this story from multiple perspectives makes it feel very immediate and very real. If you need evidence that Bockoven is fully capable of creating characters with more depth, look no further than the fictional reporter who compiled the story. That man needs a drink.

On a personal note, I found this book particularly chilling because of my job. While I don't work in theater, part of my job is to guide the general public through an experience. All of my coworkers have noticed a pretty dramatic uptick in the last few months of people behaving terribly, and I saw that reflected in the early parts of Come Knocking. Visitors often ask me if I'm afraid of floods, fires, or other natural disasters when I'm at work. The first thing that always comes to my mind is "No. I'm afraid of you."

Overall, an excellent read, though I would use caution if you're someone who may be triggered by the awful things people do to each other. Thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the eARC.

I consider myself lucky being able to read an ARC of Come Knocking, the newest book from Mike Bockoven. I recently read Fantasticland and loved it. I said I needed more in this type of format, then I found out about Come Knocking. Come Knocking is another great book by Bockoven. The style he uses is so different than most books I read normally.

In the book, reporter Adam Jakes is back, this time giving an account on the tragic story of interactive theater play, Come Knocking. It is set up the same way as Fantasticland, which to me is fantastic (I’m sorry, but it was there). There’s interviews, transcribed voicemails, and some Reddit posts all rolled into one haunting package about a night where joy and love for the arts turns into a blaze of murder and mayhem. It is mostly centered around one night, but we do get insight into how we got to the particular night where the main events happen.

It is a bit different than Fantasticland as it really is about this one night where everything just spiraled out of control, instead of this small period of time in the park in the previous book. I think this was a good idea though because it doesn’t feel like a copy/paste type of thing. Similar, but different you know? Honestly I could read a whole slew of books in this style concerning different events.

Overall, I loved this, and only slightly, very slightly, liked it a bit less than Fantasticland. Think the setting was the case here because I LOVE theme parks, and a dark period at a Disney like part just sold me more. It is slight though, because the book is written just as well, if not better as it did draw me in a bit more. That could be also that I read the other book. Now I’m arguing semantics with myself.

Come Knocking is an excellent read for any thriller/horror fans. I can’t wait to see what else Bockoven does after this. Hopefully more following Adam. We will see. All I know is, no matter what book comes knocking at more door next, I can’t wait to read it. I’m not even sorry for that one.