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The Cleansing
Chris Tyler's world has collapsed. A final touch from his dying father causes a mysterious change in him. Now he is plagued by visions that are leading him back to his father's lot at a desolate campground. Chris searches for an answer about who his father really was. He discovers that his father had participated in a bloodletting ritual that was performed to cleanse his soul of darkness. What came out of the cleansing was an evil like no other . . . one that has outlived his father and is waiting to take over his flesh and blood.
Chris soon discovers that something his father had done years before his own birth has upset the balance of creation. Teamed up with two other men who had participated in the cleansing ritual, Chris must fight the embodiment of evil, God's wrath and a ravenous parasite in order to save mankind.
Chris soon discovers that something his father had done years before his own birth has upset the balance of creation. Teamed up with two other men who had participated in the cleansing ritual, Chris must fight the embodiment of evil, God's wrath and a ravenous parasite in order to save mankind.
- GenresHorror
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2005
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2013
The Cleansing is a fantastically layered novella concerning man’s quest to find release from the darkness and evil within, to be rid of the things that plague your every waking moment and give you nightmares as soon as you’re asleep. This story tackles the issue in the guise of a leech entering the body through the nostril and performing a cleansing, relieving the host of his burdens, the evil they have seen, the guilt and everything associated with it, in essence a catharsis or purging of the soul. This cleansing takes its toll on the host and Chris is about to face it in a chilling search for the truth.
After seeing his father flatline, Chris has a vivid dream after collapsing, about his Fathers campsite and something terrible beneath his Fathers trailer, he is about to learn his Fathers terrifying secrets and a whole lot more. Chris’s Father and his friends were deeply affected by what they saw in the war, so much so that suicide was contemplated, they desperately needed something to end their suffering, the pain of their existence and they settled on the idea of the bloodletting ritual. The ritual gave them a peace but at a terrible cost, it split their soul in two and years later it comes back to haunt them all.
Really enjoyed this it’s well written, dark and incredibly sinister
After seeing his father flatline, Chris has a vivid dream after collapsing, about his Fathers campsite and something terrible beneath his Fathers trailer, he is about to learn his Fathers terrifying secrets and a whole lot more. Chris’s Father and his friends were deeply affected by what they saw in the war, so much so that suicide was contemplated, they desperately needed something to end their suffering, the pain of their existence and they settled on the idea of the bloodletting ritual. The ritual gave them a peace but at a terrible cost, it split their soul in two and years later it comes back to haunt them all.
Really enjoyed this it’s well written, dark and incredibly sinister
December 14, 2013
Outstanding premise for a horror novella and it is terrifying in places. The first few pages had bland, staccato phrasing and was really off putting, but it picked up steam as it went along. The ending gives the book amost a mytic quality. Still, I felt it was a little sparse for what the subject required.
February 8, 2013
This horror novella opens with a boy losing his father to cancer and being willed a campground site where something brutal is buried. It has a gritty, 80s-like horror vibe that reminded me in parts of Slugs by Shaun Hutson. I wonder if the author is a fan of Hutson's work? There is a lot, perhaps too much, happening in this relatively short novella (1,386 Kindle locations). Some nasty situations and graphic gore. I liked. 3.5 stars, rounded. Recommended.
February 26, 2013
Very original novella by Shane Staley. I did not know what to expect when I began, it was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the storyline, as well as the development of technology characters. . . especially for a short story.
I cleansing ritual is to take place in order to purge the 'victim' of past wrongdoings, that have manifested itself as a worm like parasite. What they go through is unimaginable!
Well told, well imagined. . . Great story. I highly recommend it for those who like their stories a bit unsettling.
I cleansing ritual is to take place in order to purge the 'victim' of past wrongdoings, that have manifested itself as a worm like parasite. What they go through is unimaginable!
Well told, well imagined. . . Great story. I highly recommend it for those who like their stories a bit unsettling.
May 19, 2009
First published in 2005, Shane Ryan Staley’s novella ‘The Cleansing’ was his most accomplished publication to date. Staley had previously seen the publication of six of his short story collections between 2001 and 2005. Staley is also the founder and editor-in-chief for Delirium Books.
The tale sets off on a somewhat sombre and downbeat note as it introduces the novellas principal character, Chris Tyler, as he attempts to comfort his dying father on his death bed. From here on in, the storyline maintains a constant eerie undertone, as Tyler’s life is thrown into a dark and twisted turn of events.
After waking from a vivid nightmare whereby Tyler glimpses the face of his dead father, hidden underneath the private cabin he frequented on numerous occasions during his life, Tyler decides that the dream in an omen, and so goes in search of answers to the death of his father at the location of the desolate campground.
Tyler meets up with some of his fathers old friends, who disclose the horrifying truth as to the real reason behind the death of his father. They relay the events of a ‘cleansing’ ritual that his father and his friends performed many years ago to rid them of the horrors they witnessed during their time fighting at Vietnam. However, there turned out to be severe consequences for each one of them for playing with gods formula, later on in each one of their lives.
Staley’s 138 page novella creeps up on the reader with its mounting horror, as the plotline is carefully laid out. With an underlying uneasy feeling running through the events taking place for Tyler, the novella takes on a truly disturbing route.
Staley delves deep into his dark imagination, bringing back with him a collection of grotesque and haunting ideas that bring the principal ideas behind the tale to life. With an unashamed corruption of religious principals, Staley almost backhandedly redefines the basics of the popular beliefs shared by many, stating that god is both good and evil, as is all of humankind.
The tale soon takes on a new twist that brings with it recollections of Jack Sholder’s 1987 movie ‘The Hidden’. With similar ideas behind the nature of the plot, Staley craftily mixes in his clever take on redefining the principals behind the Christian belief. Staley forgoes getting too immersed within the fundamentals of his ideas, but instead ties the story together extremely well with his thought provoking play on the principals behind Christianity.
As the tale draws closer and closer to its conclusion, a far more apocalyptic reality takes form, transforming the tale even further with the impact of Staley’s controversial idea. For a book of so few pages, Staley has managed to produce a story that reaches out to almost epic proportions. His fast paced approach to the tale, crams in a number of suggestive beginnings for the underlying crux to the tale.
Some moments have somewhat predictable outcomes to a point, but where other authors may merely stop there, Staley continues further, pursuing a deeper meaning to the events.
Characterization remains relatively light and simplistic, which is mostly down to the short length of the novella. However, the few main characters are given their own personalities that are given hints towards a further depth within them. For the short length of the tale, this level of characterization is very successful.
The book also includes a five page introduction by the author Jeffrey Thomas, whose praise for Staley’s ‘The Cleansing’ is well written, insightful and wholly justified. The novella runs for a total of 138 pages and was published by Bloodletting Press. The book also includes a very suiting illustration for the cover artwork done by Mike Bohatch.
The tale sets off on a somewhat sombre and downbeat note as it introduces the novellas principal character, Chris Tyler, as he attempts to comfort his dying father on his death bed. From here on in, the storyline maintains a constant eerie undertone, as Tyler’s life is thrown into a dark and twisted turn of events.
After waking from a vivid nightmare whereby Tyler glimpses the face of his dead father, hidden underneath the private cabin he frequented on numerous occasions during his life, Tyler decides that the dream in an omen, and so goes in search of answers to the death of his father at the location of the desolate campground.
Tyler meets up with some of his fathers old friends, who disclose the horrifying truth as to the real reason behind the death of his father. They relay the events of a ‘cleansing’ ritual that his father and his friends performed many years ago to rid them of the horrors they witnessed during their time fighting at Vietnam. However, there turned out to be severe consequences for each one of them for playing with gods formula, later on in each one of their lives.
Staley’s 138 page novella creeps up on the reader with its mounting horror, as the plotline is carefully laid out. With an underlying uneasy feeling running through the events taking place for Tyler, the novella takes on a truly disturbing route.
Staley delves deep into his dark imagination, bringing back with him a collection of grotesque and haunting ideas that bring the principal ideas behind the tale to life. With an unashamed corruption of religious principals, Staley almost backhandedly redefines the basics of the popular beliefs shared by many, stating that god is both good and evil, as is all of humankind.
The tale soon takes on a new twist that brings with it recollections of Jack Sholder’s 1987 movie ‘The Hidden’. With similar ideas behind the nature of the plot, Staley craftily mixes in his clever take on redefining the principals behind the Christian belief. Staley forgoes getting too immersed within the fundamentals of his ideas, but instead ties the story together extremely well with his thought provoking play on the principals behind Christianity.
As the tale draws closer and closer to its conclusion, a far more apocalyptic reality takes form, transforming the tale even further with the impact of Staley’s controversial idea. For a book of so few pages, Staley has managed to produce a story that reaches out to almost epic proportions. His fast paced approach to the tale, crams in a number of suggestive beginnings for the underlying crux to the tale.
Some moments have somewhat predictable outcomes to a point, but where other authors may merely stop there, Staley continues further, pursuing a deeper meaning to the events.
Characterization remains relatively light and simplistic, which is mostly down to the short length of the novella. However, the few main characters are given their own personalities that are given hints towards a further depth within them. For the short length of the tale, this level of characterization is very successful.
The book also includes a five page introduction by the author Jeffrey Thomas, whose praise for Staley’s ‘The Cleansing’ is well written, insightful and wholly justified. The novella runs for a total of 138 pages and was published by Bloodletting Press. The book also includes a very suiting illustration for the cover artwork done by Mike Bohatch.
July 15, 2016
If you are approached with the possibility to cleanse your soul through a ritualistic bloodletting, it is probably best to step back, put your hand down and consider the choices you made in life to get yourself to this point. Human beings are meant to have a balance of both good and evil; light and darkness. Splitting out the darkness can only lead to, well… The Cleansing by Shane Ryan Staley. A fast paced novella that is well worth the read.
April 3, 2018
A great novella that packs a big punch.
After losing his father, Chris decides to return to a childhood campsite that may hold clues to a secret his father kept. His fathers friends then show him the 'Cleansing' ritual which awakens something horrific.
This was a fast paced, well written read with an ending that was particularly chilling.
After losing his father, Chris decides to return to a childhood campsite that may hold clues to a secret his father kept. His fathers friends then show him the 'Cleansing' ritual which awakens something horrific.
This was a fast paced, well written read with an ending that was particularly chilling.
June 5, 2015
wow i love horror novellas. this is exactly the kind of book i am always looking for. a straightforward story of escalating terror with unholy creatures, violent and appalling, the kind of reading it is best to know as little as possible about what kind of story it is. just jump in and know you will be surprised, entertained, and then run screaming like a tasered raccoon. creepy!
February 19, 2013
He's better known as the man behind DarkFuse and Delirium Books, and also my current editor-in-chief, but he's a damn fine writer too.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews