#ben farthing

Ben Farthing: Submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the tale of the circus tent that i found in the woods behind my house Barker: hell of a title there, man Farthing: you think? Farthing: is it too much? Barker: naw naw it's good

Farthing: so there's this mysterious circus tent that just appears Koontz: oo! i love a circus King: no dean King: i'm pretty sure this isn't going to be like that kind of circus Koontz: how do you know? King: just a hunch

King: just in general, dean King: i don't think if anyone tells a story about a circus King: at this campfire King: it's ever going to be about a good experience Koontz: circuses have clowns King: yes dean Koontz: clowns are funny King: ok dean Poe: let him have his fun steve

Koontz: gosh i dunno i think circuses are fun Koontz: i went to a circus once Koontz: i saw trained dogs Koontz: there was probably other stuff too but that was the important part

Farthing: so a father and son in the woods discover this bizarre circus tent Farthing: that eats them and then they can't leave Thomas Ligotti: are there clowns Farthing: yes Ligotti: are the clowns manifestations of the protagonist's inner guilt Farthing: you better believe it!

I Found Christmas Lights Slithering Up My Street by Ben Farthing

It's easy to shrug off the impossible when you're eleven.

I judged Ben Farthing's I Found Christmas Lights Slithering Up My Street by its cover... unfortunately, what's lurking inside doesn't quite live up to that cover. Farthing weaponizes the Christmas spirit by transforming Christmas Lights and Carolers into the pervasive, alien invasion that is grief and its unrelenting grip.

It's a concept that kept bringing up memories of the Goosebumps books we all read so many years ago (or, for a lot of you, yesterday); an accessible piece of grief horror that's creatively creepy yet doesn't cross any lines. But, sadly, it also has very little to nothing new to say about grief, and while its threat seems formidable in the moment, the stakes aren’t dire enough in the end to elevate it above its unlikable characters and other structural and pacing issues. However, it is short, so if you're dying for some holiday horror and find yourself longing for the days of after school hours giving yourself Goosebumps, have at it.

4/10

  Hey there readers, How’s your October going? Any fun reads or fall activities lately? I’ve mainly been juggling grad school with other things but had a Friday the 13th movie watchathon with some friends and some more book signings (more on that in another post). So much fun! Anywho, I finished another read! This time I read I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing. Okay, so…

Hello Horror Lovers, and welcome to another month of great library picks! Each month my library system lets me pick out 3 titles for them to purchase. It’s a wonderful way to support my fellow authors and read their works for free while getting the word out to all you bibliophiles out there. This month I stuck with my favorite genre, horror. Man, I can’t wait to give these a read! If you’re…