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Gone Where the Goblins Go
“A mature and nuanced tale of hubris and destruction. This is Matt Betts at his finest.” – Mercedes M. Yardley, Bram Stoker award-winning author
In the near future, Tilly, a former army pilot mourning the loss of her father, has been recruited by a British conglomerate to fly a rescue team into war-torn China in search of their missing conservationist and his team. Joined by an eclectic collection of misfits, Tilly and her makeshift crew must brace themselves for a long slog up the forested and danger-filled Yellow River. Can anything prepare them for the genetically-altered horrors and unscrupulous folks that await them along the way? Blending military sci-fi, light fantasy, and a touch of horror, Gone Where the Goblins Go offers a wonderfully strange blend of Apocalypse Now and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
"A perfectly gritty dystopia. Starring a true-to-life female veteran protagonist, this novel seamlessly intertwines the human condition with inhuman parallels." - Dacia M. Arnold, author of the Diazem Series
“Betts has created a heroine after my own heart in Tilly, a grieving combat helicopter pilot in this gritty, non-conforming horror military mashup. Monsters and badassery combine for a thought-provoking and compelling creature feature. Highly recommend!” - Gaby Triana, author of Moon Child and editor of the Literally Dead ghost anthologies
"Exciting and provocative, Gone Where the Goblins Go adventures into the wilds of a war-torn world. On display—the inhumanity of humanity and the haunting question… who exactly are the real beasts?" - K.P. Kulski author of Fairest Flesh
“A fun, feisty adventure, reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau.” – Darker Fables
“Deftly merges and challenges many sci-fi subgenres, yet the undeniably fresh plot unfolds smoothly. Recommended for fans of biopunk and military sci-fi, though honestly, any devourer of adventure books would love this." – Book Nerdection
In the near future, Tilly, a former army pilot mourning the loss of her father, has been recruited by a British conglomerate to fly a rescue team into war-torn China in search of their missing conservationist and his team. Joined by an eclectic collection of misfits, Tilly and her makeshift crew must brace themselves for a long slog up the forested and danger-filled Yellow River. Can anything prepare them for the genetically-altered horrors and unscrupulous folks that await them along the way? Blending military sci-fi, light fantasy, and a touch of horror, Gone Where the Goblins Go offers a wonderfully strange blend of Apocalypse Now and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
"A perfectly gritty dystopia. Starring a true-to-life female veteran protagonist, this novel seamlessly intertwines the human condition with inhuman parallels." - Dacia M. Arnold, author of the Diazem Series
“Betts has created a heroine after my own heart in Tilly, a grieving combat helicopter pilot in this gritty, non-conforming horror military mashup. Monsters and badassery combine for a thought-provoking and compelling creature feature. Highly recommend!” - Gaby Triana, author of Moon Child and editor of the Literally Dead ghost anthologies
"Exciting and provocative, Gone Where the Goblins Go adventures into the wilds of a war-torn world. On display—the inhumanity of humanity and the haunting question… who exactly are the real beasts?" - K.P. Kulski author of Fairest Flesh
“A fun, feisty adventure, reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau.” – Darker Fables
“Deftly merges and challenges many sci-fi subgenres, yet the undeniably fresh plot unfolds smoothly. Recommended for fans of biopunk and military sci-fi, though honestly, any devourer of adventure books would love this." – Book Nerdection
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2023
1 person is currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Matt Betts
26 books164 followersI've been writing for a number of years and had some good fortune in getting my work in print and online venues. I've also contributed as a staff member to a few magazines. I'm a big fan of pop culture. I love old movies; good ones, bad ones, doesn't matter. Actually, I sometimes prefer the bad ones.
My first book, Odd Men Out, was launched in the summer of 2013 from Dog Star Books. It has some steampunk, some alternate history, some horror and a giant lizard. That's plenty for the first book, right?
My second book, Indelible Ink, is an urban fantasy crime story that's sort of my homage to the late Elmore Leonard by way of the Dresden Files. I had so much fun writing this and I think it shows in the book.
Two of my novels were released in 2018: The adventure/kaiju/scifi book The Shadow Beneath the Waves, and the dark fantasy/comedy Indelible Ink.
My cryptid novels include White Anvil: Sasquatch Onslaught and Skunk Ape Kingdom.
My most recent book is Gone Where the Goblins Go, a mashup of The Wizard of Oz and Apocalypse Now. It is weird and fun and a little touching.
I've also written two books of speculative poetry - See No Evil, Say No Evil and Underwater Fistfight.
I love attending cons - I've been a panelist, moderator, invited guest, and presenter. It's always a joy to interact with readers, other writers, and creators.
My first book, Odd Men Out, was launched in the summer of 2013 from Dog Star Books. It has some steampunk, some alternate history, some horror and a giant lizard. That's plenty for the first book, right?
My second book, Indelible Ink, is an urban fantasy crime story that's sort of my homage to the late Elmore Leonard by way of the Dresden Files. I had so much fun writing this and I think it shows in the book.
Two of my novels were released in 2018: The adventure/kaiju/scifi book The Shadow Beneath the Waves, and the dark fantasy/comedy Indelible Ink.
My cryptid novels include White Anvil: Sasquatch Onslaught and Skunk Ape Kingdom.
My most recent book is Gone Where the Goblins Go, a mashup of The Wizard of Oz and Apocalypse Now. It is weird and fun and a little touching.
I've also written two books of speculative poetry - See No Evil, Say No Evil and Underwater Fistfight.
I love attending cons - I've been a panelist, moderator, invited guest, and presenter. It's always a joy to interact with readers, other writers, and creators.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 30, 2023
My reviews are always unbiased, but in the interest of transparency, please note I received a free copy of this book ahead of its publication (Manta Press, May 2023).
At 260 pages, Gone Where the Goblins Go is a fast-paced sci-fi adventure. Tilly Coleman, our American protagonist, is an ex-army pilot, rather maladjusted for civilian life. When a private sector contract comes up, she leaps at the opportunity to fly again, agreeing to ferry a team to China in order to track down a group of conservationists who have gone missing in the wilderness. The details are rather vague, but the pay is good, and anything beats drifting aimlessly from hostel to hostel, or so Tilly thinks. It soon becomes obvious this is a rather more dangerous mission than the corporate spiel suggested.
Tilly represents a common character archetype in military sci-fi: the badass tough girl with a streak of hidden sensitivity. With her mohawk hairstyle and fire demon tattoos, she projects an aura of ‘don’t mess with me’, but it is obvious from the first that this is a front. Not far below the surface, she is actually a rather haunted person who copes with her trauma by refusing to acknowledge it. Because, of course, denial is the most healthy, effective way to deal with any problem…
If I’m being completely honest, military sci-fi is not my favourite subgenre. I find it is commonly peopled by characters who lack emotional intelligence. Also, the protagonists tend to be a variation of the same person: a seasoned or former soldier who is unable or unwilling to access mental health services, and who copes with their chequered past by indulging in mild substance abuse. Tilly fits this mould, but I did initially warm to her. There is a sense that she is trying to make a new life for herself. She might not be ready to face up to her demons just yet, but she is more honest about this with herself than many a similar hero. I found her quiet self-awareness rather poignant.
In the early chapters, this book reminded me of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation. The premise – a team of specialists deployed to a weird wilderness in search of missing people – is distinctly similar. Gone Where the Goblins Go is a simpler, less subtle narrative, however, packing more gunfire and action than creep factor. Mashing military sci-fi, fantasy, eldritch horror and the psychology of complex bereavement with a dusting of Chinese mythology, it is fair to say that Betts packs this short text with more breadth than depth. However, once the plot gets moving (a little slowly from the starting gate), Gone Where the Goblins Go is a fun, feisty adventure, reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau.
Unfortunately, I think this book is let down by its characters. Besides Tilly, the cast are cardboard. Also, whilst Tilly shows initial promise, she is ultimately rather a passenger in her own story. Nothing provokes her to action. When she makes discoveries, they are accidental. Even when clues fall into her lap, Tilly is not prompted to actively investigate or ask meaningful questions. Perhaps there is an element of disillusion, a conviction that ‘if I’m not being paid to deal with it, it isn’t my problem’, but this attitude does not hold water in the face of an increasingly dangerous situation. At several points, Mingmei, the novel’s only Chinese character, literally tells Tilly what is going on, and our protagonist’s indifferent reaction amounts to ‘cool story, bro.’ Given that Tilly never does anything with the information she is given, we can only assume she does not care what happens. This presents a problem, since if the protagonist does not care, why should the reader?
Tilly’s ‘team’ are not the slickest operation. Aside from Tilly and her co-pilot, Saburo, there is a distinct lack of cooperation and basic competence. Forced, reluctantly, to take command (in the loosest, most unenthusiastic sense) before the useless team leader, Harrison, gets everyone killed, Tilly must singlehandedly drag herself and her burden of idiots through hostile, dangerous territory. It would be all very well, if Tilly gave us any reason to believe in her commitment to the mission. I found it hard to root for her success, and it is unsatisfying that the novel never explains why the people sent on this ill-fated crusade are so ill-suited for its demands. This includes Tilly, whose supposed combat experience is rather diminished by the fact that she has never killed anyone, and does not believe she has it in herself to do so – incongruous, I think, with a military career.
Given that the story is set in China, it is also a shame that Betts makes little use of the setting’s rich culture and abundance of unique wildlife. The Yellow River as it is presented here might be, in truth, any river. There is next to no tangible description pinpointing the area Tilly traverses as a real place – we could just as easily be in the Amazon, or the Thames Estuary.
Overall, I think this narrative is decently structured, and Betts clearly has good ideas. For me, it’s a memorable book, since it is such a strange, wild ride. The story and worldbuilding could do with some more meat on the bones, however, and it’s a shame about the weak characterisation. To sum, Gone Where the Goblins Go is a bizarre, beguiling read, in which the scale between good weird and bad weird weighs roughly even.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site:
https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
At 260 pages, Gone Where the Goblins Go is a fast-paced sci-fi adventure. Tilly Coleman, our American protagonist, is an ex-army pilot, rather maladjusted for civilian life. When a private sector contract comes up, she leaps at the opportunity to fly again, agreeing to ferry a team to China in order to track down a group of conservationists who have gone missing in the wilderness. The details are rather vague, but the pay is good, and anything beats drifting aimlessly from hostel to hostel, or so Tilly thinks. It soon becomes obvious this is a rather more dangerous mission than the corporate spiel suggested.
Tilly represents a common character archetype in military sci-fi: the badass tough girl with a streak of hidden sensitivity. With her mohawk hairstyle and fire demon tattoos, she projects an aura of ‘don’t mess with me’, but it is obvious from the first that this is a front. Not far below the surface, she is actually a rather haunted person who copes with her trauma by refusing to acknowledge it. Because, of course, denial is the most healthy, effective way to deal with any problem…
If I’m being completely honest, military sci-fi is not my favourite subgenre. I find it is commonly peopled by characters who lack emotional intelligence. Also, the protagonists tend to be a variation of the same person: a seasoned or former soldier who is unable or unwilling to access mental health services, and who copes with their chequered past by indulging in mild substance abuse. Tilly fits this mould, but I did initially warm to her. There is a sense that she is trying to make a new life for herself. She might not be ready to face up to her demons just yet, but she is more honest about this with herself than many a similar hero. I found her quiet self-awareness rather poignant.
In the early chapters, this book reminded me of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation. The premise – a team of specialists deployed to a weird wilderness in search of missing people – is distinctly similar. Gone Where the Goblins Go is a simpler, less subtle narrative, however, packing more gunfire and action than creep factor. Mashing military sci-fi, fantasy, eldritch horror and the psychology of complex bereavement with a dusting of Chinese mythology, it is fair to say that Betts packs this short text with more breadth than depth. However, once the plot gets moving (a little slowly from the starting gate), Gone Where the Goblins Go is a fun, feisty adventure, reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau.
Unfortunately, I think this book is let down by its characters. Besides Tilly, the cast are cardboard. Also, whilst Tilly shows initial promise, she is ultimately rather a passenger in her own story. Nothing provokes her to action. When she makes discoveries, they are accidental. Even when clues fall into her lap, Tilly is not prompted to actively investigate or ask meaningful questions. Perhaps there is an element of disillusion, a conviction that ‘if I’m not being paid to deal with it, it isn’t my problem’, but this attitude does not hold water in the face of an increasingly dangerous situation. At several points, Mingmei, the novel’s only Chinese character, literally tells Tilly what is going on, and our protagonist’s indifferent reaction amounts to ‘cool story, bro.’ Given that Tilly never does anything with the information she is given, we can only assume she does not care what happens. This presents a problem, since if the protagonist does not care, why should the reader?
Tilly’s ‘team’ are not the slickest operation. Aside from Tilly and her co-pilot, Saburo, there is a distinct lack of cooperation and basic competence. Forced, reluctantly, to take command (in the loosest, most unenthusiastic sense) before the useless team leader, Harrison, gets everyone killed, Tilly must singlehandedly drag herself and her burden of idiots through hostile, dangerous territory. It would be all very well, if Tilly gave us any reason to believe in her commitment to the mission. I found it hard to root for her success, and it is unsatisfying that the novel never explains why the people sent on this ill-fated crusade are so ill-suited for its demands. This includes Tilly, whose supposed combat experience is rather diminished by the fact that she has never killed anyone, and does not believe she has it in herself to do so – incongruous, I think, with a military career.
Given that the story is set in China, it is also a shame that Betts makes little use of the setting’s rich culture and abundance of unique wildlife. The Yellow River as it is presented here might be, in truth, any river. There is next to no tangible description pinpointing the area Tilly traverses as a real place – we could just as easily be in the Amazon, or the Thames Estuary.
Overall, I think this narrative is decently structured, and Betts clearly has good ideas. For me, it’s a memorable book, since it is such a strange, wild ride. The story and worldbuilding could do with some more meat on the bones, however, and it’s a shame about the weak characterisation. To sum, Gone Where the Goblins Go is a bizarre, beguiling read, in which the scale between good weird and bad weird weighs roughly even.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site:
https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
March 9, 2023
Gets the "Nerdection Must Read"
A conservationist doctor tampering with mythical creatures to save animals? Beguiling! ‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘ has a fast-paced and thrilling storyline that will leave you craving for more. Betts has artfully mashed up biopunk with military sci-fi and light fantasy that will leave you exhilarated.
‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘ featured great characters. Of course most of all, I liked Tilly with her fast reflexes. She was a complete badass, flying the helicopter and challenging Harrison (who by the way was a clueless wreck from the start, and like Tilly I wanted so much to kick him out of his position of leadership). So Tilly was a super charged-up character who knew her stuff, and from being a pilot to a leader and then helping those ‘creatures’ out, she was amazing. Not to mention her haircut which in others I may not have approved but I must say it suited and complemented her badass personality.
Aside from our vigorous Tilly, there was Saburo whom I immediately liked. She was a team player and like Tilly, helped advance the crew’s mission when Harrison’s faulty judgment kept blowing it apart in pieces.
There’s a discernible lack of a strong male character in Gone Where The Goblins Go, however strong female leads easily make up for the difference. Nevertheless, the dynamic trio of Tilly, Saburo, and Mingmei will be your absolute favorite to read.
The book deftly merges and challenges many subgenres of Sci-fi yet the plot unfolds smoothly and was undeniably fresh. The throwbacks of Tilly with her father added discernible depth to her story. The stark contrast of action scenes, with those of throwbacks of Tilly’s past where she paints kites with her father and Hirata always left me enraptured.
Moreover, I was struck by the beaten-down image of post-war China and the way people were used as lab rats. However, I think I would have liked to know more about Doctor Oscar and his uncanny love of saving animals. And how he came to believe in Chinese folklore enough to start practicing it.
There are plenty of fast-paced action scenes and Matt described them so well I was engrossed. Surprisingly, the characters sprang into action within the very first few pages. Matt’s writing is picturesque, not to mention the use of humor where I least expected it and that actually left me laughing hard. The ending, though adequate, left a few untied threads. This made me wonder whether Matt will write a sequel for ‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘. If so, I’d love to read that, though I’d like to know more about the Hofūna Corporation in the sequel.
Recommended for fans of biopunk and military sci-fi though honestly, any devourer of adventure books would love this.
A conservationist doctor tampering with mythical creatures to save animals? Beguiling! ‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘ has a fast-paced and thrilling storyline that will leave you craving for more. Betts has artfully mashed up biopunk with military sci-fi and light fantasy that will leave you exhilarated.
‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘ featured great characters. Of course most of all, I liked Tilly with her fast reflexes. She was a complete badass, flying the helicopter and challenging Harrison (who by the way was a clueless wreck from the start, and like Tilly I wanted so much to kick him out of his position of leadership). So Tilly was a super charged-up character who knew her stuff, and from being a pilot to a leader and then helping those ‘creatures’ out, she was amazing. Not to mention her haircut which in others I may not have approved but I must say it suited and complemented her badass personality.
Aside from our vigorous Tilly, there was Saburo whom I immediately liked. She was a team player and like Tilly, helped advance the crew’s mission when Harrison’s faulty judgment kept blowing it apart in pieces.
There’s a discernible lack of a strong male character in Gone Where The Goblins Go, however strong female leads easily make up for the difference. Nevertheless, the dynamic trio of Tilly, Saburo, and Mingmei will be your absolute favorite to read.
The book deftly merges and challenges many subgenres of Sci-fi yet the plot unfolds smoothly and was undeniably fresh. The throwbacks of Tilly with her father added discernible depth to her story. The stark contrast of action scenes, with those of throwbacks of Tilly’s past where she paints kites with her father and Hirata always left me enraptured.
Moreover, I was struck by the beaten-down image of post-war China and the way people were used as lab rats. However, I think I would have liked to know more about Doctor Oscar and his uncanny love of saving animals. And how he came to believe in Chinese folklore enough to start practicing it.
There are plenty of fast-paced action scenes and Matt described them so well I was engrossed. Surprisingly, the characters sprang into action within the very first few pages. Matt’s writing is picturesque, not to mention the use of humor where I least expected it and that actually left me laughing hard. The ending, though adequate, left a few untied threads. This made me wonder whether Matt will write a sequel for ‘Gone Where The Goblins Go‘. If so, I’d love to read that, though I’d like to know more about the Hofūna Corporation in the sequel.
Recommended for fans of biopunk and military sci-fi though honestly, any devourer of adventure books would love this.
July 7, 2023
So, firstly, I will say I loved the idea for this story. A lot of other readers will likely be very interested in the concept of a fantasy adventure thriller!
For me, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They seemed an odd mix for a dangerous mission; some have no experience, others don’t question things they see are obviously wrong. They all felt apathetic or even if they expressed some concerns, they never acted on it, and I didn’t vibe with that.
The plot was a mixture of slow and fast, and the action scenes still didn’t really capture my interest. I kept putting this book down and forcing myself to keep reading.
The descriptions could be worked on- some imagery was vivid (ex: UN outpost), but other areas felt bland (the river, the jungles, etc). Nothing really grabbed my attention and it was hard to imagine what the journey actually looked like.
Thank you to BookSirens & the author for a copy!
For me, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They seemed an odd mix for a dangerous mission; some have no experience, others don’t question things they see are obviously wrong. They all felt apathetic or even if they expressed some concerns, they never acted on it, and I didn’t vibe with that.
The plot was a mixture of slow and fast, and the action scenes still didn’t really capture my interest. I kept putting this book down and forcing myself to keep reading.
The descriptions could be worked on- some imagery was vivid (ex: UN outpost), but other areas felt bland (the river, the jungles, etc). Nothing really grabbed my attention and it was hard to imagine what the journey actually looked like.
Thank you to BookSirens & the author for a copy!
March 1, 2023
Matt Betts does not shy away from complicated truths about military culture, grief, and survival. Gone Where the Goblins Go is a perfectly gritty dystopia. A great novel with perfect pacing. On brand with Betts’s radical creative elements, this novel seamlessly intertwines the human condition with inhuman parallels. You can cut the tension with a knife. Starring a true-to-life female veteran protagonist, the story will rip at your once pleasant dreams, leaving you who you were meant to be all along.
September 16, 2023
I really did like the premise of this story, I enjoyed the "near future post apocalypse" premise, but that the apocalypse was localized to one region and most of the world was doing business' as normal.
I like our narrator, though at the beginning she is made to look like an alcoholic, but then it turns out she isn't. She has these flashbacks and memory gaps that I initially attributed to her military service, but she doesn't describe any traumatic deployment/engagements. I also didn't understand why she was so broke. It felt like there was a huge unaddressed gap between when her father passed (ending her reason for being in Japan) and her deciding she needed a job when she had almost no money left. It made it hard for me to understand her as the protagonist.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the "actual veterans" and the "corporate monkeys playing soldier" on the team, I thought it gave a nice dynamic to the situation. I thought the characters throughout the story were amusing/engaging and the dialogue was well done. The imagery of the jungle and the settings was great and I was able to picture them without issue. The hints about the chaos and destruction wrought on China was done beautifully to balance the lack of detail between "No one really knows" and "Everyone knows so no one talks about it" which gave a realism to it.
At the end, I felt the finale/climax did not match the rest of the story and it left me feeling confused. Which is very in the vein of Lovecraftian fiction, but the first 3/4 of the book was almost textbook military fiction so it ended up feeling forced. I would have been happier if the author left out the Lovecraft elements and went for more of a PTSD mixed with some kind of exotic illness. If she woke up in a hospital two weeks later and they told her she was pulled out by Red Cross and had been running a fever of 105. I would have been wondering "Did she hallucinate it, did it actually happen?". Instead of "Where did THAT come from?"
I like our narrator, though at the beginning she is made to look like an alcoholic, but then it turns out she isn't. She has these flashbacks and memory gaps that I initially attributed to her military service, but she doesn't describe any traumatic deployment/engagements. I also didn't understand why she was so broke. It felt like there was a huge unaddressed gap between when her father passed (ending her reason for being in Japan) and her deciding she needed a job when she had almost no money left. It made it hard for me to understand her as the protagonist.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the "actual veterans" and the "corporate monkeys playing soldier" on the team, I thought it gave a nice dynamic to the situation. I thought the characters throughout the story were amusing/engaging and the dialogue was well done. The imagery of the jungle and the settings was great and I was able to picture them without issue. The hints about the chaos and destruction wrought on China was done beautifully to balance the lack of detail between "No one really knows" and "Everyone knows so no one talks about it" which gave a realism to it.
At the end, I felt the finale/climax did not match the rest of the story and it left me feeling confused. Which is very in the vein of Lovecraftian fiction, but the first 3/4 of the book was almost textbook military fiction so it ended up feeling forced. I would have been happier if the author left out the Lovecraft elements and went for more of a PTSD mixed with some kind of exotic illness. If she woke up in a hospital two weeks later and they told her she was pulled out by Red Cross and had been running a fever of 105. I would have been wondering "Did she hallucinate it, did it actually happen?". Instead of "Where did THAT come from?"
July 9, 2024
Full review at Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2023/10/2...
A crazy mix of science fiction and fantasy with lashings of horror. A very enjoyable books that carries several thought-provoking themes - loved it!
https://happygoathorror.com/2023/10/2...
A crazy mix of science fiction and fantasy with lashings of horror. A very enjoyable books that carries several thought-provoking themes - loved it!
September 26, 2023
A very enjoyable book that goes from interesting and tense to absolutely nuts, but in awesome ways.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews