I’m not quite sure what I expected from this book, but it definitely wasn’t this. (In the best way).

It was so good. I’m not a writer and have really never had the desire to try, but I love reading about writing. Obviously I’m a huge reader, and I think getting insight into the writing process helps me appreciate books even more. Plus I love getting a peek into other people’s lives and brains (and writer’s lives and brains are especially interesting to me). Malerman is a much different person than I had assumed he was, and it was a delight to get to know him in these pages.

In this book there are so many little gems of insight into not just writing, but art, creativity, and life. It’s inspiring. So no worries if you’re not a writer, this book is still worth your time.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an early copy. I am a huge fan of Josh Malerman and when I saw this book I knew I had to request it. It was delightful to get inside his head and learn of his process as a story teller. He seems like a kind person which is something that shines throughout. Recommend this even if you’ve never read anything by him!

I have never watched Evil Dead. I've seen Army of Darkness but never Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 or any of the others. And now I want to see Evil Dead. Why? Because I just read a non-fiction book called Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within. Its by Josh Malerman. Its a book about, yes, a time when he watched Evil Dead, but its also about something else: its about writing.

I don't read too many non-fiction books. When I do read a non-fiction book, it tends to be about writing. I've read Becoming Superman by J. Michael Straczynski, which was about his life but also about writing. I read Why I Love Horror (and responded to it) and its about horror but also about writing. I also read Stephen King's book about writing. I love to write. I love to read. So I do tend to like to read about writing.

Watching Evil Dead is a book about Josh Malerman's life and his writing. Its about his ideas about writing. What do writers deserve? The book asks big questions and it has Malerman's answers. It talks about Evil Dead too, which is a movie I've never seen. It sounds brilliant though. I want to see it now.

I think the most important thing to know about this book, the thing that really sticks with me, is that has an energy. It has an intense energy and rhythm to it. There are parts of it that feel poetry or a song. This isn't a long book and its grabs hold of you and leads up to the night about Evil Dead and then takes you into that night. You feel like you're in the room.

Though you do wonder how much is actual conversation or just a conversation that the writer is having with himself. Nonfiction can be bent too. Nonfiction is based on true events but also as much as the writer remembers and can get on the page. So what happened? Is it all true? Have names been changed to protect the innocent? Nonfiction is a pretty interesting thing. I love getting to look into this type of book once and awhile.

Watching Evil Dead is a really good book. You don't have to have seen Evil Dead to read this book. I never watched it. Of course I do know who Sam Raimi is and I know who Bruce Campbell is. I don't know if you actually need to know that either. I think you can go into this book without knowing anyone. This is a story about a movie but its also about life and its also writing. Its about writing more than anything else really.

And Josh Malerman is a heck of writer. Watching Evil Dead is a heck of a book. I loved it.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book. Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within comes out September 16th, 2025.

I wasn’t prepared for the type of book this was. I just saw the author, Josh Malerman, and immediately wanted to read it based on how much I’ve enjoyed his other books. I expected horror, suspense, maybe something cinematic and eerie. What I got instead was something far more personal, reflective, and honestly beautiful.

Watching Evil Dead isn’t a novel. It’s Malerman’s first nonfiction book, and it centers around one night: watching The Evil Dead with his fiancée and friends, shortly before Bird Box changed his life. But it’s not really about the movie. It’s about art. About the moment before everything happens. About the courage it takes to create, to love, and to believe in your own potential, especially when you're still just dreaming.

The book reads like a love letter to horror movies, to storytelling, to the messy and thrilling process of making art, and most of all, to his partner, Allison. It's filled with raw honesty about impostor syndrome and creative doubt, but also carries a radiant, infectious joy. Malerman's voice feels like he's right there with you, reminding you that your weird, unfinished ideas are worth pursuing.

I went in expecting horror. What I found was something just as powerful: encouragement. Permission to be excited about your own art. A warm, funny, inspiring conversation with someone who’s made the leap and wants to help you do it too.

If you’re a writer, a painter, a filmmaker, or even just someone sitting with a creative itch you haven’t scratched, Watching Evil Dead is fuel. Short, clever, unexpectedly moving, and deeply human. I closed the final page feeling grateful and seen.

Josh Malerman surprised me with this one, and I’m so glad he did.

This is a very different kind of book. I believe, as good as it is, it has a limited audience, and at the same time, that it should not, because there is a message buried somewhere deep between the first remake of The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 that could and should resonate with almost anyone. Not just artists, though that is the slant and the niche - the genre? A book for creatives? The message is the same for anoyone who ever wanted to do, did, or will do *anything* that is important - and not to the world, important in that it's what they needed and wanted to do. Manifestation? Maybe.

It's also a cool look into the beginning of what has become a remarkable writing career, and hits very near my own beliefs on creativity, fame, and accomplishment. I recommend this to anyone involved in something that they feel is part of their core... to Evil Dead fans... to fans of the author... to those at various stages of relationships...

It's just a good book. Also, as fulfilled as I feel completing a novel, or a story, kudos to someone willing to call that radiant out loud...

I’ve read several books about the writing life, and this one has me scratching my head. I understand his thoughts about being an artist, imposter syndrome, and what it means to create—I just found myself getting lost in his rambling thoughts. I think I was expecting more meat about crafting a writing life, but it’s still a good treatise on how anyone and everyone is an artist.

Josh Malerman’s passion for storytelling—and for the messy, beautiful process of creating—comes through clearly in this reflective, experimental piece. Framed around a night spent watching Evil Dead 1 and 2 with his girlfriend and two friends, the book is less about the films themselves and more about the thoughts they spark: self-worth, artistic drive, and what it means to “deserve” success as a writer.

There are some genuinely insightful reflections on the writing life scattered throughout, which I think many writers will appreciate. That said, I had mixed feelings overall. The format is more like a stream-of-consciousness journal entry than a narrative, and while I didn’t dislike it, it didn’t fully grab me either. At times I even wondered if they were watching the movies at all, given how much talking was going on.

Still, I’d recommend it to writers—especially those who enjoy creative tangents and self-aware discussions about the artistic process. Just go in knowing it's more about Malerman's inner world than the Evil Dead itself.

Another Advance Reading Copy, this one reuniting two of my horror passions: all things Evil Dead and author Josh Malerman! Two mega universes collide, opening a portal of sorts (couldn’t help that wink to the Evil Dead verse!).

When Josh Malerman announced that his next book release was going to be his first non-fiction book, I was completely caught off guard. But when he added that it would be an account of the night that he watched The Evil Dead with his then new girlfriend (now fiancée) Allison who had never seen it before, I was beyond excited. What a cool concept and what a treat to read Malerman’s re-telling of that incredible experience in his unique style.

There’s just something so special about The Evil Dead. I can still vividly remember the first time I saw the original movie, as well as the time we rented the VHS trilogy of Evil Dead movies in high school and had ourselves quite the soirée! Those memories are forever etched in my horror pantheon!

“Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within”, now there’s a non-fiction title! In true Malerman fashion, I was pleasantly surprised that there’s so much more than just the sharing of that movie watching experience. If you’ve had the privilege of attending a Malerman book event or hearing him as a guest on a podcast, then you know he is always eager to share, can easily go off on amazing tangents, and is quite the visionary. He demonstrates that superbly well in Watching Evil Dead, in which he writes about so much more than just watching that cult classic horror movie. Malerman offers insights into writing books, being in a small touring band, creativity, the craft of art, life in general, and even the perils of love! If anything, Watching Evil Dead is more about very deep thoughts and existential conversations during a movie-watching marathon than it is about the movie itself.

Although not presented as being a writer’s memoir or even a “how to” write book, it does contain a great deal of nuggets on Malerman’s unique creative process as well as his struggles, interrogations, and even self-doubts. In many ways, this book is haunted and even possessed with Malerman’s artistic angst. But it also contains things to possibly look forward to as Malerman sprinkles in the writing of several of his yet-to-be-published books. We can only hope we will one day get to read those titles!

With Watching Evil Dead, Josh Malerman yet again shows us his writing chops, his ability to repeatedly catch the reader off guard. It’s what I discovered about him when I first read Bird Box, and it’s what I have re-discovered with each of his subsequent books. He is such a consummate entertainer and has a real knack for storytelling, now also as a nonfiction writer. I am seriously starting to think there’s no genre he can’t tackle and excel at. There’s always such an approachability and relatability to Malerman’s writing, and this is once again in full display in this book. You do not have to be a fan of The Evil Dead, nor of horror movies, to really enjoy this work of non-fiction.

I highly recommend “Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within” and give it a solid 5/5 rating, for its entertainment, its insight, its generosity, and its daring to reveal and unpack some deeply personal stuff. Thank you Josh, and bravo once again, you creative and radiant artist!

Shortly after I started reading this, I was hooked. It's a love letter to art, to the writers soul mate, to experiencing life and all its riches. Reminds me of Chuck Wendig's penmonkey books, only this has a clear Malerman flavor. Very Kerouacian. Malerman is horror's Neal Cassady and writes with manic, contagious enthusiasm (the only writers for me are the mad ones—mad to talk, mad to write, desirous of everything at the same time.) This book has been a fantastic, fireside chat with a gifted human being, and we all owe thanks to Josh for writing it.

Watching Evil Dead by Josh Malerman is a trippy, eerie, and surprisingly introspective dive into obsession, horror fandom, and the blurry lines between fiction and reality.

Malerman takes something as simple as watching The Evil Dead—a cult horror classic—and spins it into this layered, almost fever-dream experience. It’s not really about the movie itself, but more about the people watching it, their memories, fears, and how horror kind of reflects back parts of ourselves we try to ignore.

The writing is weird in that very “Malerman” way—unsettling but poetic, almost hypnotic at times. You start questioning what’s real and what’s in the characters' heads, and by the end, you might be questioning yourself a little too.

Definitely not your typical horror book. It’s a little meta, a little strange, but super engaging if you’re into stories that mess with your head. Also, probably best enjoyed if you’ve seen The Evil Dead or love that gritty 80s horror vibe.

Would recommend to horror fans, especially those who like a cerebral twist to their scares

WATCHING THE EVIL DEAD is a compelling and deeply affecting work by Josh Malerman. Blending memoir and personal meditation, and framed around a viewing of Sam Raimi’s horror classic THE EVIL DEAD with his fiancée and friends, Malerman transforms a simple movie night into a layered exploration of art, love, and identity.

Rather than offering a straightforward analysis of the film, he invites readers into an intimate, free-flowing reflection - part memoir, part philosophical conversation. As the film’s protagonist, Ash, battles demonic forces onscreen, Malerman turns inward, confronting his own insecurities, creative drive, and the complex ways love and fear intersect.

His writing is fluid and deeply personal, with a voice that feels more like a close friend sharing a late-night conversation than an author keeping his distance. Whether you're a writer, a horror fan, or simply someone navigating the complexities of being human, WATCHING THE EVIL DEAD offers something rare: a powerful reminder of why we create - and how, through creating and connecting, we find meaning, solace, and a way to make sense of the world - and ourselves - one frame, word, or moment at a time.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within is a non-fiction read by Josh Malerman told as an almost conversation between friends. This book reveals Josh's vulnerability and process through his writing and the start of his career. This is the perfect book for writers and readers alike and offers much inspiration, guidance, and commiserations for anyone struggling to get a break as a writer/author.
I love Josh's books, and this was a great insight into the man himself.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Watching Evil Dead. I am a big fan of Josh Mallerman since BirdBox. All subsequent books are always on my to read lists.
This is a piece of his life providing insight into his work and journey.
Very good and informative
4 stars

This was an insightful autobiography/philosophy book from Josh Malerman author of Bird Box and Incidents Around the House. I’ve enjoyed the books of his that I’ve dared to read. I’m a wimp with horror so I’ve only read the ones I mentioned and I was terrified each time. It’s fascinating to see how an author found his stride through all of his doubts and became the legend he is today.

It’s well-written and gives backstory to his life. It’s so much more than just an autobiography, but it also gets philosophical and you see into Malerman’s thought process. I really enjoyed this and I found it interesting. I know some people don’t like to rate non-fiction, but authors depend on star ratings and reviews. I think it’s brave to put your personal backstory out into the world for consumption and I feel this one deserves 5 stars. It’s hard to rate the entertainment value of someone’s life story, but as long as it feels honest, well-written and give the reader things to ponder then it deserves a high rating.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

As always, thanks to Net Galley, and Del Rey, for the opportunity to read this forthcoming non-fiction book from my friend Josh Malerman.

WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN is a very interesting introspective of a phenomenal author who has made it HUGE in the world, yet still isn't sure if he 'deserves' it or not. I'm of course speaking of Josh Malerman.

Let me start with: This book will NOT be for everyone! Please remember that it is non-fiction, and is written like a weird autobiography. If that's not your thing, then I suggest passing on this one.

O.K., still with me? Good. Now that the PSA is out of the way, let me dive into the review.

If you were lucky enough to not only get your hands on, but actually read, Josh's opus GHOUL N’ THE CAPE, then you know that Josh is a bit of a philosopher. So, just add that to his many talents.

He takes this way of thinking and runs wild with it in this book. We start with Josh wanting to share his love of the movie, EVIL DEAD, with his girlfriend Allison. What we end up with is a drug and alcohol filled night with friends discussing the movie, and what an artist deserves. There's a lot of internal monologue going on in Josh's head - to the point that he struggles with imposter syndrome - which for those who don't know is a persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved, or has legitimately achieved as a result of their efforts and skills. This can have crippling affects on a person, and induce severe anxiety.

However, I think most people will agree that a person that has countless books published (as well as being on the NY Times Best-Seller's list), multiple albums (with a song being used as the theme to SHAMELSS), and stories included in countless anthologies would be considered a success, and certainly due to his talent.

Yet, every step of the way, Josh second guesses himself. Which is actually the point to this book. It truly isn't about the movie (half the time the four friends aren't even watching it) - it's about anxiety, friendship, love, art, and self-awareness.

Now that being said, I couldn't put this book down. Could I have done without the chapter on Josh and Allison in the bathroom of the old EVIL DEAD office building? Sure (and that completely turned off one reviewer), but remember, this is an semi-autobiographical novel, and, well, that part was a little pertinent to the story.

If you want a true picture of what talent is, as well as the affect has on talented minds, look no further than WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN.

This book is ostensibly about watching Evil Dead, but it’s so much more than. It’s part autobiography and part philosophical about the creation of words and art themselves. And you, as the reader, will be pulled into these philosophical thoughts as Josh asks direct questions of you. Don’t rush to answer; ponder them for a while.

I’ve met Josh a few times, and I can absolutely attest to the fact that this book is unapologetically Josh. He remembers his past and is kind to those of us who are still battling to make a living. In fact, the first time I met him, he offered me free passes to StokerCon because I couldn’t afford to go. I’ll never forget it.

Allison is also exactly as he described her. When you meet her, you’re instantly taken in by her light. She takes the time to show curiosity about others—regardless of whether you’re ‘cool’ or not (and I definitely wasn’t—being autistic has given me many gifts, but being cool isn’t one of them, lol).

Josh and I grew up in the same general area and are around the same age, which gave me so much context for his stories. Like the one about Noir Leather—I loved going there as a teenager because it felt a bit dangerous and illicit, which instantly attracted me.

In this book, Josh dwells on the question of what an author deserves, along with fretting a bit about his unusual style. Well, I’m here to tell you that his unusual style is exactly what made me a fan. And as far as ‘deserving’ something, I feel that is a word that shouldn’t even exist.

If you don’t like it when an author waxes poetic or uses big words, you might want to stay away. But you’ll be missing out on something truly fantastic. Josh’s optimism will make you feel like you, too, can accomplish something great. His questions will make you look inward, while his observations on The Evil Dead will resonate with any horror lover.

Highly recommended for writers, lovers of horror, and Josh Malerman fans! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The print equivalent of spending an evening hanging out with Josh.
Amphetamine speed thoughts, insights, rumination, and romance.
A really unique little memoriam to a moment in time and a call to action for creatives all at once.
What do you deserve?

I cannot begin to tell you how much this book meant to me
When I think of the writing process I often think of Stephen King’s book On Writing, and I have to say, that changes now. As a writer myself who is writing my 13th novel and seeking representation this novel just hit home. It was a beautiful way to think of writing and the process and it will sit proudly on my shelf as soon as I have a physical copy, but it will forever be in my heart.
If I could give more stars I would.
Truly, thank you Mr. Malerman for writing this. It hits home in so very many ways. I wish you well in all your endeavors.
💜and please never let anyone negative drag you down as your writing is truly amazing.

This is easily my favorite Malerman book by far. A love letter to Allison, to writing, to art. Wandering pose, for sure, but a lovely book with reflections on love, joy, and again, art.

I am so glad I stepped away for a day or so to collect myself and let the first chapter marinate. It was so much better when my head was on straight.

Give this a read, I'm begging you.

How do I possibly write a review for a book that has changed me, that is changing me as I ask this question? I’m not sure, but I now trust that the process will reveal the answer. One thing that I am sure of: such a personal book as this deserves a personal review.

Josh has written a love letter to the creative process. To the creative life. He has grasped the essence of inspiration, and has held on to it, and, thank the maker, has revealed it to the us through the sharing of a single night of life, and love, and movies. Through the telling of the night that shared Evil Dead with Allison, as well as some moments that led up to it, and few that have happened since, Josh has unearthed embers of passion and creativity within myself. Embers that just might, with the right wind and fuel, catch fire. In his honor, I’m thinking of titling this review: Unbury Doug.

I knew almost immediately that this book was special. Josh’s expressed love for his life, his journey, Allison, and Evil Dead, pours off of the page. He makes it easy, natural, to feel his passion and want to tap in to it. This isn’t a book about craft. There are no writing prompts, but oh my god, there are a thousand living prompts.

Reflecting on this night with Josh made it easy(er) to reflect on my own life as well. To remember how I had spiral bound notebooks of stories that i wrote in middle school, and how one conversation with one friend resulted in me putting them in the closet and never picking them back up. To remember how I created a comic strip, and a friend who could draw better than me started writing and drawing it for the school newspaper. And so I stopped. To remember that I checked out a book from the public library about writing horror, fantasy, and science fiction multiple times over the course of a decade in my late teens and twenties. And never honestly tried to write a damned thing.

And to remember that I have a shelf filled with a dozen books on writing sitting behind me as I write this. The embers never went out. And Josh has uncovered and stirred the coals.

I truly cannot praise this book too much. It feels like having a deep conversation with an old friend, a lover, and perhaps your younger self, all at once. This is a book that I will likely read, and reread. It’s just that good.

One thing that I would suggest. If you haven’t watched Evil Dead in a while, or ever, do yourself a favor and watch it before you read this book. I did, and I think that it really helped me to become absorbed by this book. I heard the recording, the words on the page, and they have remade me. Sometimes becoming the monster is a good thing. I am going to watch it again tonight with fresh eyes. I can’t wait.

This is a book that can easily be consumed in a single sitting. I chose to pace myself, because like sharing Evil Dead with Allison for the first time, I wanted for my first read to be special, to get everything out of it, to allow it to soak and simmer and take root. And I now I want to keep reading (like watching the remake or Evil Dead 2) because I want to keep that feeling alive. But as special as this moment is, I don’t want to stay here. I want to remember this moment and allow it propel me into the next special moment.

Thank you Josh, for bringing a soon to be 55 year old man to tears while inspiring me to try.