Author Josh Malerman exploded onto the mainstream market when his 2014 novel ‘Bird Box’ was adapted by Netflix and became an international sensation. Malerman’s newest work, ‘Goblin’, is a collection of six novellas that takes the reader to a town shrouded in dark lore, a town with citizens that are bloated with sinister secrets. Does the author create a new celebrated horror land such as Castle Rock? Or does the novel have readers begging to flee the Goblin city limits, much like some of its residents?
Though ‘Goblin’ is a collection of six tales, a seventh tale is introduced in the prologue and wrapped up in a frenetic epilogue. A driver forced to take a late-night delivery, has a package that holds the breathing history of ‘Goblin’ inside a wooden crate. ‘A Man in Slices’ delves into the slow decent of an outcast that yearns for to be loved. ‘Kamp’ is a tale that shows how personal fear can obliterate a brilliant soul. ‘Happy Birthday, Hunter” follows one of Goblin’s elite chasing the ultimate prey. ‘Presto’ has the reader disappear into the world of elite magic. Roman The Emperor pays the ultimate price to become the world’s best magician. ‘A Mix-Up in the Zoo’ is a metaphoric tale, delving into the very human emotion of breaking free from mental cages. A little girl solves a great man-made puzzle but must face the consequences of her conquest in ‘The Hedges.’
Fans of anthology work will gobble up this fright feast. Malerman presents six very well-crafted tales of modern macabre. While some readers will yearn for a more direct ending to each story, the author brilliantly leaves each tale open for reader adaption or follow up works. The town of ‘Goblin’ is the best character in the novel, with Malerman dropping delicious details about the creepy small city in each diabolical chronical. ‘Goblin’ is a work that perfectly personifies the horror of human emotions and desires. Each character in the terrifying tales lust for love, security, fame, peace, and intelligence in a town that mystically keeps them strangled from spiritual achievement. ‘Goblin’ is a roller coaster read that pours over the depravity of very human horrors like the never-ending rain that blankets the town. Once the reader navigates through the alleys, woods, and shops that encompass ‘Goblin,’ they will want to set up shop and ask for more.
Scream Score: 9.2/10
