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The Hillels Have Eyes
A cult under UT, dedicated to perversion and torture, enacts a ritual that demands the murder of a willing sacrifice and an unwilling witness.
Featuring themes Mutilation, Lust, Violence
Featuring themes Mutilation, Lust, Violence
71 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2023
8 people want to read
About the author
John Baltisberger
56 books136 followersJohn Baltisberger is an author of speculative and genre fiction that often focuses on Jewish Elements. Through his writing, he has explored themes of mysticism, faith, sin, and personal responsibility. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and his daughter.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2024
Fascinated by this story. A cult story based on Judaism with a bit of a cosmic horror feel to it. I loved how the story built up and the ending was perfect. I imagine Josh joining Ze'ev in his fight and I hope the author takes this story in the direction. Now, off to read the books of Ze'ev!
August 6, 2025
Yet another excellent tale from John Baltisberger. I couldn’t tell where this book was heading, so each turn of the page my excitement was building. Couldn’t put it down.
December 27, 2023
I learned so much about the University of Texas, Jewish mysticism, and the disturbing knowledge that author John Baltisberger has about mutilating human anatomy, all in the span of one lovely coconut lime bath bomb. This was a fun little pocketbook, filled with visceral violence and filth in the best possible way, but also a very relatable story about a college kid moving to the big city for the first time and the horrifying fish out of water feeling that can lead down a path to destruction. It also serves as a great advertisement for Baltisberger's book of Ze'ev, since that character shows up in the story, and now I want to read that too. Mission accomplished.
October 24, 2023
ridiculous
July 29, 2025
So, first things first: I was shocked to discover after reading that the author is the same one producing Mork Borg novels. Who would have guessed?
Anyway, what do we have here? Well, you know how everything is very, *very* Christian in horror movies? Like, specifically Catholic? How there's a whole subgenre of religious horror?
What if that but for Judaism.
I am oversimplifying a bit and it is a disservice to Batilsberger. Josh is a young freshman attending the University of Texas. It's Welcome Week. He's going to be an engineer. He's from a small town with only two Jewish families and he's looking to the local Hillel to help get some grounding in his new surroundings. He's never really been grounded in a Jewish community, the nearest synagogue to his home town being an hour away.
Anyway, the local Hillel is a front for an eldritch cult. There's lot of grindhouse blood and guts and the day is eventually saved but not without loss.
It's really interesting as a piece. Josh considers his Jewishness throughout but, at the end, isn't really any closer to Yahweh than when he started. He is more self conscious about it. "If there are monsters and Jewish magic can hurt them doesn't that de facto mean god exists?" But the book doesn't have him experience revelation. Some bad shit happened to him but the suffering didn't make him stronger. It just made him suffer.
The piece is, unfortunately, too short. There's enough here that it really should have been expanded to a full-length novel. We barely have met Josh before he's thrown into a ritual sacrifice. Baltisberger generally has break-neck pacing and it isn't very good for this piece.
I will say, the novelty of Jewish horror is enough to be worth a read, though. Especially with how annoyingly Christian horror often is as a genre.
Anyway, what do we have here? Well, you know how everything is very, *very* Christian in horror movies? Like, specifically Catholic? How there's a whole subgenre of religious horror?
What if that but for Judaism.
I am oversimplifying a bit and it is a disservice to Batilsberger. Josh is a young freshman attending the University of Texas. It's Welcome Week. He's going to be an engineer. He's from a small town with only two Jewish families and he's looking to the local Hillel to help get some grounding in his new surroundings. He's never really been grounded in a Jewish community, the nearest synagogue to his home town being an hour away.
Anyway, the local Hillel is a front for an eldritch cult. There's lot of grindhouse blood and guts and the day is eventually saved but not without loss.
It's really interesting as a piece. Josh considers his Jewishness throughout but, at the end, isn't really any closer to Yahweh than when he started. He is more self conscious about it. "If there are monsters and Jewish magic can hurt them doesn't that de facto mean god exists?" But the book doesn't have him experience revelation. Some bad shit happened to him but the suffering didn't make him stronger. It just made him suffer.
The piece is, unfortunately, too short. There's enough here that it really should have been expanded to a full-length novel. We barely have met Josh before he's thrown into a ritual sacrifice. Baltisberger generally has break-neck pacing and it isn't very good for this piece.
I will say, the novelty of Jewish horror is enough to be worth a read, though. Especially with how annoyingly Christian horror often is as a genre.
April 22, 2023
The Hillels Have Eyes is a story from Baltisberger’s Book of Ze’ev series. I was excited to see that in the title to be able to find out another piece of that character’s story!
Josh and Alan are two Jewish college kids from a small town who have just arrived in Austin to go to school at UT. Alan, the ever popular jock is aching to go in this new city to explore, while Josh is a bit more reserved and cautious about the big city. The local Jewish organization offers some fellowship and assistance that Alan thinks they need. Chaos is just around the corner, bubbling up to the surface looking to cause mischief.
This was an entertaining story that I read very quickly. Baltisberger did his magic captivating me from the beginning and keeping me hooked throughout the story! This one gets messy in grand fashion for sure! Ze’ev’s appearance was perfect! Come read about the small town boys and their adventure in the weird city of Austin!
Josh and Alan are two Jewish college kids from a small town who have just arrived in Austin to go to school at UT. Alan, the ever popular jock is aching to go in this new city to explore, while Josh is a bit more reserved and cautious about the big city. The local Jewish organization offers some fellowship and assistance that Alan thinks they need. Chaos is just around the corner, bubbling up to the surface looking to cause mischief.
This was an entertaining story that I read very quickly. Baltisberger did his magic captivating me from the beginning and keeping me hooked throughout the story! This one gets messy in grand fashion for sure! Ze’ev’s appearance was perfect! Come read about the small town boys and their adventure in the weird city of Austin!
May 2, 2023
Josh and Alan were accepted into the prestigious UT. Alan seemed to blend in rather well, but Josh always seemed uncomfortable. It’s like he sensed something was off at the campus. Josh’s feelings must have been right because things take an unexpected turn and as more details come out things quickly deteriorate.
Freshmen orientation may have started off okay, but it didn’t take long for that to change. Alan ends up pulling Josh into a dark ritual full of torture that was rather mind blowing. Baltisberger doesn’t leave much to the imagination as he gives the reader a front row seat to the madness. If enjoy fast paced reads with some blood and gore give this one a go.
Freshmen orientation may have started off okay, but it didn’t take long for that to change. Alan ends up pulling Josh into a dark ritual full of torture that was rather mind blowing. Baltisberger doesn’t leave much to the imagination as he gives the reader a front row seat to the madness. If enjoy fast paced reads with some blood and gore give this one a go.
June 12, 2025
Author wrote this in a burst between getting one off and tying one on? Disappointed I dropped $10 for it. Cliche plotline, characters. A snoozer. The bio says award winning author so either he writes other books well or anybody can get an award these days from somebody.
December 17, 2024
10/10 - would adventure with Ze’ev again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews