Eat the Night

Before you read Eat the Night by Tim Waggoner, you’ll want to do something.

First, make sure no one is there to bother you. Then, get some Death Metal playing. (Trust me, it will get you in the right mood.) Now, down a shot or two of your hardest and cheapest alcohol.

Then read.

Eat the Night is that hardcore metal horror novel you need right now. Completely bizarre characters. Death, destruction, and talking decapitated heads. Oily black beasties that just might suck out your soul. And it’s all against the background of a genuinely chilling story about a cult leader who just isn’t ready to let past slights die. Heck, there’s even a little moon-eyed crush for the romantics among you. (Don’t worry about that one…this is a horror novel, after all.)

The book is fast, furious, and graphically violent.

When you finish the book – which will be quickly simply because you won’t want to stop until the end – have another drink and let your heart settle.

5 Stars and not for the faint of heart.

Eat the Night was, without a doubt, one of the weirder stories I've read this year. Not weird in the WTF perverse kind of sense, but more in a surreal, unsettling, disjointed sort of way. Tim Waggoner tells what seem to be three stories here, which only become even weirder once their intersection becomes clear.

The opening chapter sets a dark tone, with a suicidal rock 'n roll cult taking a break from their wanton orgy to cheer on their leader, peel off their faces, and prepare to sacrifice one of their own - all while clack-clack-clacking things approach from the trees.

From there we skip to a tormented young woman, waking from a dream . . . or is it a memory? What should be the most normal part of the novel slowly suffocates under hints of dark thoughts, a dark past, and the odd mystery of the basement door hidden behind a thin layer of wallpaper.

Next, we switch to a mysterious Maintenance crew, who are part X-Files, part Ghostbusters, and part Men-in-Black, but considerably darker (and weirder). They're responsible for monitoring the monsters of the world, both human and otherwise, all in a vain attempt to prevent the approach of entropy.

I love that the suburban elements of the tale are the darkest, most violent, goriest aspects of the tale, with some truly chilling scenes and settings. The early revelation of Joan's dark past is appropriately shocking, even within such a dark tale, and the later exposure of that event's significance really brings the story full circle. Similarly, I thought it was brilliant that something as weird as the Maintenance crew came to be the only sane thing in the novel, with Kevin (and his unfortunate partners) the only thing standing between the reader and the darkness.

In the end, Eat the Night smartly played against my expectations at just about every turn, keeping me unsettled and intrigued throughout. If you're a fan of weird horror, it is well worth the read.

Slowing Entropy Word by Word.

What a great book. The first chapter was enough to suck me in completely. It is vibrating, pulsating and feeled like Heavy Metal.
There are many ideas and new concepts in this book. E.g. I really liked "Maintenance" as name for a secret agency that deals with occult and magical occurences, helping to "slow entropy".
As one can see, working for this agency means, that your enemy are not only extradimensional monsters but also your co-workers, especially those higher up.
I think there are more stories possible with this group. I would really like to read them.
The story masterly mix up some flashbacks with the main storyline, most of them preparing or clarifying some surprises. Also, the end brought a grin to my face.
It was an entertaining read that I recommend everyone who likes a hardcore Heavy Metal story.

5/5 stars

Own several Tim Waggoner works, have not read many. Aim to rectify this situation soon, as I just finished Eat the Night and thoroughly enjoyed it. A nice existential horror novel. The ending was ambiguous but I liked it fine.

Flavor to the Feast

Wow! It's been a long time since a story/book creeped me out as much as EAT THE NIGHT did. It preyed on all my barely remembered childhood fears, added some adult ones I've picked up along the way, and had me checking door locks and making sure the windows were closed (seriously). I usually don't read books with an occult theme and this book made me remember why.

Joan and Jon Lantz just moved into their first new home (new to them anyway). After the horrific events in her past, Joan craved having the stability she felt this new home would bring. Little did she know that her and Jon have just entered a whole new realm of terror.

This story scared the bejeebers out of me so be warned. It is not for the faint of heart, by any means. Blood, guts, and some serious kink went into the writing of this little gem.

I received this novella from Dark Fuse through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Review: EAT THE NIGHT by Tim Waggoner

Wow! I loved this novella! By the second chapter, I was on a rollercoaster, surrounded and suffused by metaphysics, philosophy, astrophysics, entropy, life-after-death, thought-creation, and a universe that rocks with Lovecraftian resonance. The story line is deep, the characters fully rounded, the plot snapping and unforgettable. I could read this over and over again.