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Nightsiders
Keep repeating, it’s only a story, it’s only a story, it’s only a story Welcome to Number One Oval Lane, the last house at the top of the hill. Robert Mitchell thought he lived there with his wife and children, but he doesn’t. Not anymore. A new family—the Corbeaus—has taken up residence, and they are on a deadly mission for mischief. Soon Robert will understand the true nature of ownership, and he will discover that real life is nothing more than a story a horror story. We're playing games now. We're just beginning.
257 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2013
About the author
Gary McMahon
179 books108 followersGary McMahon lives, works and writes in West Yorkshire but posseses a New York state of mind. He shares his life with a wife, a son, and the nagging stories that won’t give him any peace until he writes them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 14, 2020
i don't think this is the most successful piece of writing i have ever read, but i think it is worth checking out because 1) it is very short, so it won't take up too much of your life, and 2) it puts an interesting spin on the horror genre, specifically the revenge-porn genre where you find things like i spit on your grave, straw dogs, and last house on the left.
in the afterword, mcmahon claims that it is more like funny games, and in a way, that's true, but only in its violence and in that one scene in the movie where the fourth wall is breached, and there is that little wink of complicity.and this story turns from a straightahead horror story to a sort of exercise in metafiction.
and i think that's where it stayed for me: a fun writing exercise, but something that still needed a little polish.
the story starts out really fun, or "fun": an english family, in order to escape a trauma they endured in the city, moves to a house in the country, "away from it all." however, they had already scheduled a family vacation, so after moving in all their stuff, they go away together, and upon their return, they find that another family has moved in in their absence. a very baaaad family. and they seem to have the police and real estate law on their side. violence ensues.
it is all very horrifying. but slowly, slyly, other elements start creeping in, the center cannot hold. what is real, what is construct? what is story, what are characters? what is really at work here? it becomes something other than a typical horror story.
from the afterword:
and i totally agree - what it turns into is much more interesting than its origins, but it does get a little muzzy there at the end. i see what he was working towards, but i don't think it quite got there.
and this is what i was thinking about specifically, when i sat own to write this review, and i have been racking my brain (and google's brain) for that quote, the one i thought was from one of those transcendentalists about creativity being a violent outpouring of emotion, tempered by time. and had i actually been able to find that quote, which i swear i am not making up, i would point out that the most important part of it (if it does in fact exist) is the phrase "tempered by time," because letting the muse take over is all well and good, but sometimes even the muse needs an editor to clean up some of the ambiguities or tighten some of the scenes; a moment to step back and understand what the material is aching to become. THANK GOODNESS FOR MADELINE who reminded me that i was, in fact, thinking of wordsworth, who claimed that poetry was "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings...recollected in tranquility."
because i am too dumb to remember things.
i will say that most of it is great - i loved the tension, and the way it just built and built and the reader was completely caught up in the events. the only problems i had were with 1) the believablility of the characters, and 2) once the story made its "turn," i think it got really exciting and promising, but then just cut off too quickly, before the idea had really ripened fully.
but, since 2) negates 1), because of the nature of the turn, i guess i just have a little disappointment with the end. metafiction is tough to pull off, and i applaud the idea of it here, i just wish he had stuck the landing a little better.
but read it, it is a clever idea, if you are someone who can handle a lot of blood on the walls and stuff.
come to my blog!
in the afterword, mcmahon claims that it is more like funny games, and in a way, that's true, but only in its violence and in that one scene in the movie where the fourth wall is breached, and there is that little wink of complicity.and this story turns from a straightahead horror story to a sort of exercise in metafiction.
and i think that's where it stayed for me: a fun writing exercise, but something that still needed a little polish.
the story starts out really fun, or "fun": an english family, in order to escape a trauma they endured in the city, moves to a house in the country, "away from it all." however, they had already scheduled a family vacation, so after moving in all their stuff, they go away together, and upon their return, they find that another family has moved in in their absence. a very baaaad family. and they seem to have the police and real estate law on their side. violence ensues.
it is all very horrifying. but slowly, slyly, other elements start creeping in, the center cannot hold. what is real, what is construct? what is story, what are characters? what is really at work here? it becomes something other than a typical horror story.
from the afterword:
...as I sat down to write, something peculiar happened. The story refused to bend to my will. It began to twist and turn in my grasp, taking on a new shape, becoming something entirely different from what I'd originally envisaged. So now, rather than a tough, noirish thriller with sociopolitical overtones, I was dealing with something much more ambitious and problematic.
and i totally agree - what it turns into is much more interesting than its origins, but it does get a little muzzy there at the end. i see what he was working towards, but i don't think it quite got there.
That was when I decided to hand everything over to my muse and just go with it, and it led to the strangest writing experience of my life. The story basically told itself, with no apparent gap between thought and page, no room to react to what was forming in my brain before I saw it on the laptop screen. It was (as) if I were simply transcribing the words being whispered in my ear by a particularly giddy psychopath...
and this is what i was thinking about specifically, when i sat own to write this review, and i have been racking my brain (and google's brain) for that quote, the one i thought was from one of those transcendentalists about creativity being a violent outpouring of emotion, tempered by time. and had i actually been able to find that quote, which i swear i am not making up, i would point out that the most important part of it (if it does in fact exist) is the phrase "tempered by time," because letting the muse take over is all well and good, but sometimes even the muse needs an editor to clean up some of the ambiguities or tighten some of the scenes; a moment to step back and understand what the material is aching to become. THANK GOODNESS FOR MADELINE who reminded me that i was, in fact, thinking of wordsworth, who claimed that poetry was "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings...recollected in tranquility."
because i am too dumb to remember things.
i will say that most of it is great - i loved the tension, and the way it just built and built and the reader was completely caught up in the events. the only problems i had were with 1) the believablility of the characters, and 2) once the story made its "turn," i think it got really exciting and promising, but then just cut off too quickly, before the idea had really ripened fully.
but, since 2) negates 1), because of the nature of the turn, i guess i just have a little disappointment with the end. metafiction is tough to pull off, and i applaud the idea of it here, i just wish he had stuck the landing a little better.
but read it, it is a clever idea, if you are someone who can handle a lot of blood on the walls and stuff.
come to my blog!
April 20, 2013
4.5 stars rounded up to 5!
This story was a trip. It starts out a little vague and as it continues more and more of the puzzle becomes clear. Sort of. :)
A family returns from vacation to the new home they purchased just before they went away. Except for when they get there, another family is living there and won't let them in.
That's all I will say about the plot, other than that I can't remember ever reading a story quite like this. It starts out a bit surreal and weird,then it gets even weirder, and then... then it totally goes over to the flip side. The night side. Where the Nightsiders live.
It was some trip.
Please note this one contains graphic violence and sex. What are you waiting for? Highly recommended for seasoned fans of horror.
This story was a trip. It starts out a little vague and as it continues more and more of the puzzle becomes clear. Sort of. :)
A family returns from vacation to the new home they purchased just before they went away. Except for when they get there, another family is living there and won't let them in.
That's all I will say about the plot, other than that I can't remember ever reading a story quite like this. It starts out a bit surreal and weird,then it gets even weirder, and then... then it totally goes over to the flip side. The night side. Where the Nightsiders live.
It was some trip.
Please note this one contains graphic violence and sex. What are you waiting for? Highly recommended for seasoned fans of horror.
April 10, 2013
4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up for a horrifically original novella.
This story takes us through the unimaginable nightmare facing an innocent family, who are just trying to put back the pieces of their lives after a brutal attack on the wife, Sarah. When they return from a vacation, eager to start a new life for their family, they are forced into the most horrific predicament. Their home--that they had bought just recently--is now being inhabited by a family of ruthless, despicable people who make a game of wantonly destroying everything in their paths.
As if the destruction and hostile takeover of their belongings isn't enough, Robert is beginning to doubt--not only his own sanity--but also that of the reality of everything around him.
Exactly what is real, and what is merely a product of one's mind?
The story captivated my attention fro the get-go, as I couldn't begin to imagine the torment and frustration this family was now going through. Then, we get a glimpse inside of the nightmare. The story seemed to take on a life of its own as it reached out into unforeseen directions. Every breathtaking moment of the final confrontation was something new. And the ending--well, I'll just say that it was one I never saw coming!
A very unique, dark tale that takes a gut-renching nightmare and brings it to life through the written words. Another great one from the DarkFuse lineup!
This story takes us through the unimaginable nightmare facing an innocent family, who are just trying to put back the pieces of their lives after a brutal attack on the wife, Sarah. When they return from a vacation, eager to start a new life for their family, they are forced into the most horrific predicament. Their home--that they had bought just recently--is now being inhabited by a family of ruthless, despicable people who make a game of wantonly destroying everything in their paths.
As if the destruction and hostile takeover of their belongings isn't enough, Robert is beginning to doubt--not only his own sanity--but also that of the reality of everything around him.
Exactly what is real, and what is merely a product of one's mind?
The story captivated my attention fro the get-go, as I couldn't begin to imagine the torment and frustration this family was now going through. Then, we get a glimpse inside of the nightmare. The story seemed to take on a life of its own as it reached out into unforeseen directions. Every breathtaking moment of the final confrontation was something new. And the ending--well, I'll just say that it was one I never saw coming!
A very unique, dark tale that takes a gut-renching nightmare and brings it to life through the written words. Another great one from the DarkFuse lineup!
January 12, 2013
Review of Nightsiders by Gary McMahon
DarkFuse Publishing
5 Stars
This was truly a “reading out of the box” story for me, because normally I would have been too afeard of the topic to read it. However, author Gary McMahon so excellently explores the territory, the subject, the characters, and then goes far beyond that, higher and deeper, to explore the nature of reality: how do we know what we know? Do we know what “is” or are we simply players in some vast stage play or film, puppets orchestrated by something “greater”?
The Mitchell family left London because of a brutal and dangerous assault on Sarah, wife and mother. To protect her and the two children, Molly and Conor, Robert Mitchell has purchased a home outside the tiny village of Battle, and they’ve scarcely moved in before the opportunity to vacation in the Lake District offered itself. On their return, they discover their house is occupied, trashed, and the inhabitants are some kind of inexplicable “family” who seem to have legal deeds supporting their ownership, and an injunction barring the Mitchells from coming anywhere near. They also have a local police sergeant on their side; but soon Robert discovers no one at the police department has ever heard of this man, and indeed, the Mitchells find themselves on the outside looking in, puppets in the hands of something they can't understand.
What the Mitchells have stumbled into is certainly no ordinary situation; and all their reserves—moral, emotional, spiritual, physical—will be required to bring an end to this terror.
DarkFuse Publishing
5 Stars
This was truly a “reading out of the box” story for me, because normally I would have been too afeard of the topic to read it. However, author Gary McMahon so excellently explores the territory, the subject, the characters, and then goes far beyond that, higher and deeper, to explore the nature of reality: how do we know what we know? Do we know what “is” or are we simply players in some vast stage play or film, puppets orchestrated by something “greater”?
The Mitchell family left London because of a brutal and dangerous assault on Sarah, wife and mother. To protect her and the two children, Molly and Conor, Robert Mitchell has purchased a home outside the tiny village of Battle, and they’ve scarcely moved in before the opportunity to vacation in the Lake District offered itself. On their return, they discover their house is occupied, trashed, and the inhabitants are some kind of inexplicable “family” who seem to have legal deeds supporting their ownership, and an injunction barring the Mitchells from coming anywhere near. They also have a local police sergeant on their side; but soon Robert discovers no one at the police department has ever heard of this man, and indeed, the Mitchells find themselves on the outside looking in, puppets in the hands of something they can't understand.
What the Mitchells have stumbled into is certainly no ordinary situation; and all their reserves—moral, emotional, spiritual, physical—will be required to bring an end to this terror.
April 20, 2013
I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars. Gotta think on it a minute~
4 1/2 stars - It had a flaw near the end, but I got it. No one is perfect, right?
Hat of to Mr. McMahon. The author pulled me in and made me feel. I was tense. I was pissed for the characters and with them. Robert made me so angry, but I could relate to his passive attitude. I see people in real live do the same thing. They lie to themselves and hold things in until they are ready to burst or drink themselves under the table.
Have you every had such a messed up day, week, month that it's wearing your normally happy demeanor down, changing you, making you do and say things that you wouldn't have under other circumstances? Well, this read is all about how far people can be pushed and what a person is willing to do and go through to take back control when things are out of their hands.
The ending fit and was perfect in my opinion and I look forward to reading more of McMahon. Be forewarned that there is violence and sexual situations that some may find objectionable. Just thought I'd lay that out there so you know what you're getting into. Don't like that stuff, don't buy it.
A Recommended Read
4 1/2 stars - It had a flaw near the end, but I got it. No one is perfect, right?
Hat of to Mr. McMahon. The author pulled me in and made me feel. I was tense. I was pissed for the characters and with them. Robert made me so angry, but I could relate to his passive attitude. I see people in real live do the same thing. They lie to themselves and hold things in until they are ready to burst or drink themselves under the table.
Have you every had such a messed up day, week, month that it's wearing your normally happy demeanor down, changing you, making you do and say things that you wouldn't have under other circumstances? Well, this read is all about how far people can be pushed and what a person is willing to do and go through to take back control when things are out of their hands.
The ending fit and was perfect in my opinion and I look forward to reading more of McMahon. Be forewarned that there is violence and sexual situations that some may find objectionable. Just thought I'd lay that out there so you know what you're getting into. Don't like that stuff, don't buy it.
A Recommended Read
January 25, 2014
Nightsiders was my first read by Gary McMahon and to find it was set in the Lake District where I’ve holidayed many times certainly grabbed my attention immediately.
The Mitchell family bought a house in the Lakes and then went on holiday with the intention of fully moving in on their return, it’s a new start for the family and an escape from the city and a heart breaking tragedy.
They arrive at their new house only to find another family and an intimidating one at that, is already living there. Who the hell are the Corbeaus and why are they seemingly intent on destroying Robert Mitchell and his planned peaceful hideaway.
The author takes a remarkably normal situation and family, then turns it completely around and puts a genuinely scary spin on it. For reasons unknown the Corbeau family, who are seemingly no strangers to violence and this exact same situation, don’t just want the house, they want to bring everything crashing down on the Mitchell’s. The most chilling thought was how easy it is to put yourself in the Mitchells shoes and the terror that follows.
Highly recommended.
The Mitchell family bought a house in the Lakes and then went on holiday with the intention of fully moving in on their return, it’s a new start for the family and an escape from the city and a heart breaking tragedy.
They arrive at their new house only to find another family and an intimidating one at that, is already living there. Who the hell are the Corbeaus and why are they seemingly intent on destroying Robert Mitchell and his planned peaceful hideaway.
The author takes a remarkably normal situation and family, then turns it completely around and puts a genuinely scary spin on it. For reasons unknown the Corbeau family, who are seemingly no strangers to violence and this exact same situation, don’t just want the house, they want to bring everything crashing down on the Mitchell’s. The most chilling thought was how easy it is to put yourself in the Mitchells shoes and the terror that follows.
Highly recommended.
August 3, 2017
A fantastic horror!
This book starts out as traditional horror and reminded me of the horror film Eden Lake. It is a very British book with the characters and setting very familiar. One family bringing terror to another. It plays on the fear of a nasty, uncouth working class British stereotype that tabloids like to report about.
Then the book takes a different, strange, bizarre direction and reality itself is questioned. What is going on? Is all this real?
I loved this change and the new elements brought in. This is the first Gary McMahon book I have read and I look forward to reading more of his books.
This book starts out as traditional horror and reminded me of the horror film Eden Lake. It is a very British book with the characters and setting very familiar. One family bringing terror to another. It plays on the fear of a nasty, uncouth working class British stereotype that tabloids like to report about.
Then the book takes a different, strange, bizarre direction and reality itself is questioned. What is going on? Is all this real?
I loved this change and the new elements brought in. This is the first Gary McMahon book I have read and I look forward to reading more of his books.
September 7, 2013
4.5*
Received and read as part of Darkfuse book club books of the month.
Robert and his family are escaping the city, after a horrific incident, to settle in the country and try to rebuild their lives. On arrival at their new home, they find that another family is already in residence with supposed proof that the house belongs to them.
What starts out as a normal run of the mill house invasion story soon descends into something far more horrifying. Robert's character is really well drawn and you feel his frustration and anger at the hopelessness of his situation. The family in residence are a nasty bunch who taunt Robert at every turn. You really root for his character even though some of his actions are extremely questionable.
At just after the half way mark this story takes a sharp turn in plot development to a storyline that I would have never seen coming and one that I found to be far more unsettling than the home invasion. This story stayed with me longer after finishing, for me that is the mark of a great read. An author to watch out for. Highly recommended.
Received and read as part of Darkfuse book club books of the month.
Robert and his family are escaping the city, after a horrific incident, to settle in the country and try to rebuild their lives. On arrival at their new home, they find that another family is already in residence with supposed proof that the house belongs to them.
What starts out as a normal run of the mill house invasion story soon descends into something far more horrifying. Robert's character is really well drawn and you feel his frustration and anger at the hopelessness of his situation. The family in residence are a nasty bunch who taunt Robert at every turn. You really root for his character even though some of his actions are extremely questionable.
At just after the half way mark this story takes a sharp turn in plot development to a storyline that I would have never seen coming and one that I found to be far more unsettling than the home invasion. This story stayed with me longer after finishing, for me that is the mark of a great read. An author to watch out for. Highly recommended.
January 11, 2013
A dark and twisted tale. A family trying to start over. When their lives get hijacked instead, things go from bad to worse rather quickly. As the terror increases the family is forced to try and figure out what is going on in their new town and why these things are happening. Do they have the guts to gather together and fight back? A gritty, tense read that was written extremely well and moves at a breakneck pace. Welcome to the Nightsiders - Let the games begin.
I look forward to reading more from Gary McMahon. Highly recommended.
I look forward to reading more from Gary McMahon. Highly recommended.
May 2, 2013
Originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-rev...
I don’t get this book. There, I said it. I don’t get it. It’s not scary – it’s disgusting. It’s not frightening – it’s weird. And not in a good way. It’s like a writing exercise gone wrong, and it feels unpolished and unsophisticated, like something thrown together in a day.
The book starts out promising enough with Robert Mitchell, our main character, and his family coming home from a short trip. The family tried to escape the big city after something happened to Robert’s wife, and they want to start a new life in a quaint little town. But when they return to the house they purchased, it’s inhabited by another family, the Corbeaus, a strange, darkly unsettling, violent family. When Robert threatens them, they call the police and an officer shows up, escorting the Mitchells from the premises. Robert is forced to take his family to a motel, but the Corbeaus aren’t done with him yet. They stalk him, they threaten him, and their kids start hanging around with his kids. Robert begins to suspect something is seriously wrong with the Corbeaus, and that’s when things get even weirder…
There’s a graphic sex scene somewhere in the middle of the book, and there’s some violence toward the end. I actually thought both scenes were hilarious – probably not the mindset the author was going for. The violence is so surreal and over the top that it’s hilarious, and the sex awkward and clumsy. As a whole, this book is awfully clumsy, and it made no sense, at least not to me. There’s no brilliant conclusion, no truly amazing reveal of who or what the Corbeaus are, and nothing makes sense. There are no rules.
The writing was promising, and the story had potential if it hadn’t been so plainly bizarre. I’m willing to give the author another shot, but this story didn’t work for me.
I don’t get this book. There, I said it. I don’t get it. It’s not scary – it’s disgusting. It’s not frightening – it’s weird. And not in a good way. It’s like a writing exercise gone wrong, and it feels unpolished and unsophisticated, like something thrown together in a day.
The book starts out promising enough with Robert Mitchell, our main character, and his family coming home from a short trip. The family tried to escape the big city after something happened to Robert’s wife, and they want to start a new life in a quaint little town. But when they return to the house they purchased, it’s inhabited by another family, the Corbeaus, a strange, darkly unsettling, violent family. When Robert threatens them, they call the police and an officer shows up, escorting the Mitchells from the premises. Robert is forced to take his family to a motel, but the Corbeaus aren’t done with him yet. They stalk him, they threaten him, and their kids start hanging around with his kids. Robert begins to suspect something is seriously wrong with the Corbeaus, and that’s when things get even weirder…
There’s a graphic sex scene somewhere in the middle of the book, and there’s some violence toward the end. I actually thought both scenes were hilarious – probably not the mindset the author was going for. The violence is so surreal and over the top that it’s hilarious, and the sex awkward and clumsy. As a whole, this book is awfully clumsy, and it made no sense, at least not to me. There’s no brilliant conclusion, no truly amazing reveal of who or what the Corbeaus are, and nothing makes sense. There are no rules.
The writing was promising, and the story had potential if it hadn’t been so plainly bizarre. I’m willing to give the author another shot, but this story didn’t work for me.
October 27, 2013
Gary McMahon to me is a difficult author to like and I can't quite figure out why. He can write, there is no question of that. But there is something amiss in his books, the general unpleasantness is never quite offset. Of course, he writes horror and general unpleasantness is to be expected, but there is something about his particular blend...In Concrete Groves I didn't care for, but I wanted to give him another try and with novellas there is really only an hour or two lost either way. Nightsiders I liked much better, nasty twisted story about a middle class family being challenged for their home, safety and their very sanity by a sort of evil in human form. McMahon did a good job here describing the very fabric of reality ebbing and tearing away, the insidiousness of the impossible yet eerily realistic scenario. This could also be perceived as a class war situation, but really who looks for a sociopolitical angle in horror stories. In his afterword, the author claims the story took on a life of its own, which might possibly explain why there is (or is there?) a cop by the name of McMahon. Otherwise that's just weird, isn't it, sort of like the novella itself. Interesting disturbing read.
March 1, 2016
Say whuuuuut? It wasn't awful, but my attention was fading fast. Good thing it was a novella because it probably would've ended up on the DNF list.
May 28, 2013
Civilized society can be a precarious proposition sometimes, and it's highlighted really effectively in Gary McMahon's new novella.
In the span of a week, Nightsiders depicts the disintegration of a family. The trick is that it may well have been crumbling well before the story even began. Robert Mitchell, along with his wife, daughter, and son, arrive at their new home in the little English town of Battle only to find it occupied by Nate and Monica, two unsavory interlopers who claim the house is theirs. After a brief but violent altercation, Robert and his family find themselves holed up in a hotel in town while a police sergeant tries to sort the whole thing out. And that's when things get really weird.
Nate is a brute and Monica is ... well, there are moments when it's not entirely clear what she is in relation to Nate, but sufficed to say they are both bad news for Robert and his family. Their presence inside the house throws the entire family off balance, especially since there seems to be some kind of malevolent intent behind Nate's actions, but nothing explicitly made clear to Robert or the others. It feels like the chickens have come home to roost, but Robert's never seen the guy before and has led a rather meek and unassuming life.
The dark cloud of the interlopers presence isn't the only thing dogging Robert, as his wife--and he for that matter--are still coping with the trauma as a result of her being raped. That act of violence has palled Robert, feeling powerless at the time to help his wife, and even more powerless to help her in the aftermath. Gary McMahon does an impressive job in presented the paralyzing dread of a family man seeing his family splintered before his eyes. There's a bit of that weird tale vibe through the first half of the novella, but as it moves along it becomes very sinister. And while it become ever more otherworldly with the suspense, things almost crystallize in how real it feels, emotionally at least. By the end of the book, all bets are off and the gut punch that comes with the final confrontation is shocking.
I am continually impressed by Gary McMahon's ability to weave horror so seamlessly into the mundane. Nightsiders is no exception.
In the span of a week, Nightsiders depicts the disintegration of a family. The trick is that it may well have been crumbling well before the story even began. Robert Mitchell, along with his wife, daughter, and son, arrive at their new home in the little English town of Battle only to find it occupied by Nate and Monica, two unsavory interlopers who claim the house is theirs. After a brief but violent altercation, Robert and his family find themselves holed up in a hotel in town while a police sergeant tries to sort the whole thing out. And that's when things get really weird.
Nate is a brute and Monica is ... well, there are moments when it's not entirely clear what she is in relation to Nate, but sufficed to say they are both bad news for Robert and his family. Their presence inside the house throws the entire family off balance, especially since there seems to be some kind of malevolent intent behind Nate's actions, but nothing explicitly made clear to Robert or the others. It feels like the chickens have come home to roost, but Robert's never seen the guy before and has led a rather meek and unassuming life.
The dark cloud of the interlopers presence isn't the only thing dogging Robert, as his wife--and he for that matter--are still coping with the trauma as a result of her being raped. That act of violence has palled Robert, feeling powerless at the time to help his wife, and even more powerless to help her in the aftermath. Gary McMahon does an impressive job in presented the paralyzing dread of a family man seeing his family splintered before his eyes. There's a bit of that weird tale vibe through the first half of the novella, but as it moves along it becomes very sinister. And while it become ever more otherworldly with the suspense, things almost crystallize in how real it feels, emotionally at least. By the end of the book, all bets are off and the gut punch that comes with the final confrontation is shocking.
I am continually impressed by Gary McMahon's ability to weave horror so seamlessly into the mundane. Nightsiders is no exception.
March 10, 2013
My skin was crawling almost from the start! This tale is the ultimate in frustration, topped with unbelievable fear and being trapped in a nightmare you can't wake from all rolled into one!
The Mitchell family bought a house in a quiet setting after Sarah Mitchell was brutally attacked in London. Prior to moving in, they went on vacation only to come home to find that someone is living in their new home, has proof of ownership, has trashed the place and have an officer of the law on their side. Does this officer really exist? What is going on? How do you keep your sanity in all of this madness?
The author has led the reader on a twisted ride with the ease of a masterfully twisted mind!
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Darkfuse in exchange for my honest review!
The Mitchell family bought a house in a quiet setting after Sarah Mitchell was brutally attacked in London. Prior to moving in, they went on vacation only to come home to find that someone is living in their new home, has proof of ownership, has trashed the place and have an officer of the law on their side. Does this officer really exist? What is going on? How do you keep your sanity in all of this madness?
The author has led the reader on a twisted ride with the ease of a masterfully twisted mind!
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Darkfuse in exchange for my honest review!
February 2, 2013
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/X2TcOZ
My opinion: CAN YOU SAY "CREEPY"? I love when a book has me saying "WTH?" within the first couple of pages. Nightsiders did just that. This book is a novella that packs a big book punch. Written with a methodical release of creepiness, this book kept me guessing as to what the "moral" of the story was and where it was going to end up.
It is because of this type of book that I absolutely love Darkfuse publishing. This is, for the most part, their standard type of release.
Love horror? Don't miss this book!
My opinion: CAN YOU SAY "CREEPY"? I love when a book has me saying "WTH?" within the first couple of pages. Nightsiders did just that. This book is a novella that packs a big book punch. Written with a methodical release of creepiness, this book kept me guessing as to what the "moral" of the story was and where it was going to end up.
It is because of this type of book that I absolutely love Darkfuse publishing. This is, for the most part, their standard type of release.
Love horror? Don't miss this book!
April 12, 2013
(Consider this my first draft review. You'll see why)
Nightsiders was a great read for me. Really great. As a suburban dad who has to hide his dark, primal side at times raising two daughters, and acting more like Phil Dumphey from Modern Family than my former crazy self, I could relate.
Nightsiders potrays a family under seige by violence, how they then try to restore their civilized self, but are unable to, and instead must fight to protect themselves. This book passed the first test for me: I went to bed each night wishing I could stay up longer to read it. And in fact, did stay up, reading the novella over 3 days.
The characters were great, with some very interesting distance in the 'spaces between' them, making for family tension as well as the suspense of the real horrific characters they faced from the outside. And the horriric characters, sort of 'dopplegangers', were vivid and interesting and unique.
More than once the author evoked some very interesting inferences about what was going on in the novel, but then I had to cringe when he basically explained, through the main character exactly what he had just set up in the preceding 5 pages. (I highlighted them on my kindle, we can meet for coffee, and I'll explain.)
The author also started getting into this whole, 'what is fact? what is fiction? who is the almighty narrator of this story and our lives?' I appreciated the risk and the conversation was interesting, but I did not find the payoff.
And the payoff is what I'm confused about. The climactic scene of the novel was well done, even surreal at times, certainly supernatural, but I can't be the only person who was lost at the epilogue. What was that noise all about? I read it twice. Yeah, maybe I'll delete this part of the review as soon as someone explains it, and I'll pretend that I knew it all along (maybe I do, but if so, then, I'm not content.)
Bottom line, though, is that any book I care enough about that gets me writing like this is a damn good one. And I saw one review about the blood and guts and graphic nature of this novel. He used the 'c' word once or twice to describe the male member, fully in context, and it fit the scene, and maybe a sentence or two that were used for shock, but it was mild compared to most out there.
Okay, I'm going to go start a 'stream of consciousness' reviewers group on Goodreads now. Check you later.
Nightsiders was a great read for me. Really great. As a suburban dad who has to hide his dark, primal side at times raising two daughters, and acting more like Phil Dumphey from Modern Family than my former crazy self, I could relate.
Nightsiders potrays a family under seige by violence, how they then try to restore their civilized self, but are unable to, and instead must fight to protect themselves. This book passed the first test for me: I went to bed each night wishing I could stay up longer to read it. And in fact, did stay up, reading the novella over 3 days.
The characters were great, with some very interesting distance in the 'spaces between' them, making for family tension as well as the suspense of the real horrific characters they faced from the outside. And the horriric characters, sort of 'dopplegangers', were vivid and interesting and unique.
More than once the author evoked some very interesting inferences about what was going on in the novel, but then I had to cringe when he basically explained, through the main character exactly what he had just set up in the preceding 5 pages. (I highlighted them on my kindle, we can meet for coffee, and I'll explain.)
The author also started getting into this whole, 'what is fact? what is fiction? who is the almighty narrator of this story and our lives?' I appreciated the risk and the conversation was interesting, but I did not find the payoff.
And the payoff is what I'm confused about. The climactic scene of the novel was well done, even surreal at times, certainly supernatural, but I can't be the only person who was lost at the epilogue. What was that noise all about? I read it twice. Yeah, maybe I'll delete this part of the review as soon as someone explains it, and I'll pretend that I knew it all along (maybe I do, but if so, then, I'm not content.)
Bottom line, though, is that any book I care enough about that gets me writing like this is a damn good one. And I saw one review about the blood and guts and graphic nature of this novel. He used the 'c' word once or twice to describe the male member, fully in context, and it fit the scene, and maybe a sentence or two that were used for shock, but it was mild compared to most out there.
Okay, I'm going to go start a 'stream of consciousness' reviewers group on Goodreads now. Check you later.
May 29, 2013
this one starts out great, it has a real dark feel to it that really sucks you in. I would say ominous but it is more than just a feeling of something bad coming, it is the sense of something good slipping away. it is a whole new kind of life spinning out of control. as the story progresses there are more and more breaks with reality and for awhile it feels kind of like a lucid dream, the main character knows that nothing around him is real but can't do anything about it. this continues to the point where it is constantly pointed out by the author that this is a story and the characters are just characters, at more than one point he says I know I shouldn't do this but it's part of the story. he also describes his surroundings and says "I wonder who authored them?" and there are a few times where I read " if this where a novel" as well. by the end the characters are dehumanized to the point that they are like puppets sitting and waiting for the author to bring them back into the story. it is an interesting concept and well written but the problem is that once I stopped looking at the characters as people and just as words on a page I quit careing about them and quit careing what happened to them and as a result I also quit caring about the story and how it ended.
August 27, 2013
You know that squirming feeling in your stomach that you get when you are watching a movie and something bad is about to happen to a character you really care about? Well this book pretty much puts you through that for the whole way. This is one of the few books that I can say made me physically uncomfortable while at the same time not able to stop reading.
I found the plot line nightmarish and compelling, realistic yet hinting early of deeper connections, and I followed the slowly escalating malice to its nightmarish grand guignol conclusion.
I literally read this book at every available moment until it was done.
Absolutely fantastic. Once again Darkfuse provides a real winner and Gary McMahon just went on my author TBR list.
I found the plot line nightmarish and compelling, realistic yet hinting early of deeper connections, and I followed the slowly escalating malice to its nightmarish grand guignol conclusion.
I literally read this book at every available moment until it was done.
Absolutely fantastic. Once again Darkfuse provides a real winner and Gary McMahon just went on my author TBR list.
May 28, 2013
I really was hoping this book would pull for me, but it didn't. Ending was a disappointment and a little confusing. At least the author was aware of this. And I'm glad he went in a different direction. It just wasn't for me.
February 9, 2016
Ok Gary bring it on...and boy have you brought it on!..just look at this for a bit of teasing and snaring the unprotected reader into a nightmare world of his darkest dreams..."It was exactly the kind of place they needed to heal their wounds, a quiet, almost lazy backwater where everyone knew everyone else's business but nobody really bothered to interfere" So you are curious we have just met a lovely sweet scented family Robert, Sarah and some wonderful kids Connor and cute little Molly but we the reader are told they need to heal their wounds...you are snared...you want to know more!!...a lovely little appetizer Gary :) So the story of this middle class family unfolds and we learn a little more about the tormented Sarah "She was beautiful. He had never stopped thinking so, even as she lay in a north London hospital bed, her face swollen and bruised and those full lips shredded by her attackers cheap gold rings" This family is wounded but they are a unit, a fighting family unit and have taken the decision to move up country to Battle (nice play on that word) to a new home and a new life only to find their dreams shattered by an evil moulded and created from the mean streets of Hell...the Corbeaus...and just before battle commences probably the greatest and most memorable line in the book is spoken "He could almost hear their laughter as the skin of the world began to slowly unpeel"
No life is ideal and no family is perfect and in a world of good and evil "you try to retain a sense of purity within the sanctity of your family, to do your best to keep the tide of filth at bay" Robert Miller is a duplicitous character, he purports to be a man of honour, and yet he has a somewhat unenviable core, he loves to delve into the low seedy life and has an attraction for short affairs and sexual adventures with ladies of the night...are we all not a little like this? I purely pose the question and suggest nothing is what it seems...At the core of this story the Corbeaus are the lowest of the low, the scum of society we fear, the embodiment of our darkest dreams and they exist in every part and facet of our lives and we use our best endeavours to avoid and ignore their very existence..their world is "littered with detritus: fast-food cartons, beercans, condoms, wooden crates, pages torn from pornographic magazines, and, oddly, cut flowers. The stems of the flowers were dry and brittle, and the petals had been scattered across the grubby carpet in decorative arcs. The room smelled bad, like backed-up sewage pipes." The Corbeaus were Robert's very own demons and wanted him dead...unless he could take the fight to them. Welcome to the underbelly of the world! "We're the flipside," said a soft, low voice from behind and somewhere off to his left. "We're the underside. We're the nightside. And we're never. Going. Away".......
A fantastic achievement by Mr McMahon, a brilliant, thought provoking and highly intelligent story by a British author mastering and developing his trade.
No life is ideal and no family is perfect and in a world of good and evil "you try to retain a sense of purity within the sanctity of your family, to do your best to keep the tide of filth at bay" Robert Miller is a duplicitous character, he purports to be a man of honour, and yet he has a somewhat unenviable core, he loves to delve into the low seedy life and has an attraction for short affairs and sexual adventures with ladies of the night...are we all not a little like this? I purely pose the question and suggest nothing is what it seems...At the core of this story the Corbeaus are the lowest of the low, the scum of society we fear, the embodiment of our darkest dreams and they exist in every part and facet of our lives and we use our best endeavours to avoid and ignore their very existence..their world is "littered with detritus: fast-food cartons, beercans, condoms, wooden crates, pages torn from pornographic magazines, and, oddly, cut flowers. The stems of the flowers were dry and brittle, and the petals had been scattered across the grubby carpet in decorative arcs. The room smelled bad, like backed-up sewage pipes." The Corbeaus were Robert's very own demons and wanted him dead...unless he could take the fight to them. Welcome to the underbelly of the world! "We're the flipside," said a soft, low voice from behind and somewhere off to his left. "We're the underside. We're the nightside. And we're never. Going. Away".......
A fantastic achievement by Mr McMahon, a brilliant, thought provoking and highly intelligent story by a British author mastering and developing his trade.
November 17, 2016
Civilized society can be a precarious proposition sometimes, and it's highlighted really effectively in Gary McMahon's new novella.
In the span of a week, Nightsiders depicts the disintegration of a family. The trick is that it may well have been crumbling well before the story even began. Robert Mitchell, along with his wife, daughter, and son, arrive at their new home in the little English town of Battle only to find it occupied by Nate and Monica, two unsavory interlopers who claim the house is theirs. After a brief but violent altercation, Robert and his family find themselves holed up in a hotel in town while a police sergeant tries to sort the whole thing out. And that's when things get really weird.
Nate is a brute and Monica is ... well, there are moments when it's not entirely clear what she is in relation to Nate, but sufficed to say they are both bad news for Robert and his family. Their presence inside the house throws the entire family off balance, especially since there seems to be some kind of malevolent intent behind Nate's actions, but nothing explicitly made clear to Robert or the others. It feels like the chickens have come home to roost, but Robert's never seen the guy before and has led a rather meek and unassuming life.
The dark cloud of the interlopers presence isn't the only thing dogging Robert, as his wife--and he for that matter--are still coping with the trauma as a result of her being raped. That act of violence has palled Robert, feeling powerless at the time to help his wife, and even more powerless to help her in the aftermath. Gary McMahon does an impressive job in presented the paralyzing dread of a family man seeing his family splintered before his eyes. There's a bit of that weird tale vibe through the first half of the novella, but as it moves along it becomes very sinister. And while it become ever more otherworldly with the suspense, things almost crystallize in how real it feels, emotionally at least. By the end of the book, all bets are off and the gut punch that comes with the final confrontation is shocking.
I am continually impressed by Gary McMahon's ability to weave horror so seamlessly into the mundane. Nightsiders is no exception.
In the span of a week, Nightsiders depicts the disintegration of a family. The trick is that it may well have been crumbling well before the story even began. Robert Mitchell, along with his wife, daughter, and son, arrive at their new home in the little English town of Battle only to find it occupied by Nate and Monica, two unsavory interlopers who claim the house is theirs. After a brief but violent altercation, Robert and his family find themselves holed up in a hotel in town while a police sergeant tries to sort the whole thing out. And that's when things get really weird.
Nate is a brute and Monica is ... well, there are moments when it's not entirely clear what she is in relation to Nate, but sufficed to say they are both bad news for Robert and his family. Their presence inside the house throws the entire family off balance, especially since there seems to be some kind of malevolent intent behind Nate's actions, but nothing explicitly made clear to Robert or the others. It feels like the chickens have come home to roost, but Robert's never seen the guy before and has led a rather meek and unassuming life.
The dark cloud of the interlopers presence isn't the only thing dogging Robert, as his wife--and he for that matter--are still coping with the trauma as a result of her being raped. That act of violence has palled Robert, feeling powerless at the time to help his wife, and even more powerless to help her in the aftermath. Gary McMahon does an impressive job in presented the paralyzing dread of a family man seeing his family splintered before his eyes. There's a bit of that weird tale vibe through the first half of the novella, but as it moves along it becomes very sinister. And while it become ever more otherworldly with the suspense, things almost crystallize in how real it feels, emotionally at least. By the end of the book, all bets are off and the gut punch that comes with the final confrontation is shocking.
I am continually impressed by Gary McMahon's ability to weave horror so seamlessly into the mundane. Nightsiders is no exception.
July 14, 2013
Every month an exciting new publishing house named DarkFuse releases new novellas that in the short span of six months I've become a huge fan of reading. These novellas can be read in around an hour, give or take, and I look forward to them much the way I would watching a new episode of X-Files or Masters of Horror. There's a quality and consistency to them (not every one is good, but neither is every episode of your favorite TV show). Many of them have a very Twilight Zone feel to them, like the ghost of Rod Serling inspired the minds of the authors. Being a mega huge fan of Serling, I'm so, so, so there!
With Nightsiders, this tale is all TZ in nature. It begins with a rather twisted scene involving a small animal and morphs into a tale about a London man and his family displaced by another family. Another family is living in the Mitchell family's house and it's not the Brady Bunch. One scene in this story really blew me away. I shuddered after reading that part of the scene. Great horror!
The ending got a bit too crazy and outpaced the rest of the story, leaving me feeling like more subtlety would have worked better for me. The scariest part of the book was in the middle. All in all, I liked and recommend this creepy yarn. 3.75 stars. 1,603 Kindle locations.
With Nightsiders, this tale is all TZ in nature. It begins with a rather twisted scene involving a small animal and morphs into a tale about a London man and his family displaced by another family. Another family is living in the Mitchell family's house and it's not the Brady Bunch. One scene in this story really blew me away. I shuddered after reading that part of the scene. Great horror!
The ending got a bit too crazy and outpaced the rest of the story, leaving me feeling like more subtlety would have worked better for me. The scariest part of the book was in the middle. All in all, I liked and recommend this creepy yarn. 3.75 stars. 1,603 Kindle locations.
May 2, 2013
4.5/5.0
My Thoughts
The theme song from The Twilight Zone kept playing through my head as I read this - although with the sex and violence, it would have to be The Twilight Zone - circa 2013.
Take an ordinary family and stick them in the middle of an unexplainable, bizarre situation and see who is still standing when all is said and done. I must say, it ended differently than I thought. I love when that happens.
This was a short story and it zipped from beginning to end. My first book from this author and I must say - well done on the creep level!
Thanks to Dark Fuse, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: April 30, 2013.
My Thoughts
The theme song from The Twilight Zone kept playing through my head as I read this - although with the sex and violence, it would have to be The Twilight Zone - circa 2013.
Take an ordinary family and stick them in the middle of an unexplainable, bizarre situation and see who is still standing when all is said and done. I must say, it ended differently than I thought. I love when that happens.
This was a short story and it zipped from beginning to end. My first book from this author and I must say - well done on the creep level!
Thanks to Dark Fuse, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: April 30, 2013.
July 30, 2014
The Mitchell family is returning home from vacation and all they can think about is getting back to the house that they just bought. Upon arriving, they discover a problem; another family is in the house and claim that it's rightfully theirs. Robert Mitchell set about trying to sort things out only to find that things aren't what they seem and these people in his house can be quite dangerous...
Another winner from Darkfuse! I really liked the Mitchell's in here even though I didn't agree with their actions sometimes. However I can't begin to imagine what it's be like to come home and find out that you lost your house so hats off to McMahon for thinking that up and making it work so well in here. Highly recommended!
Another winner from Darkfuse! I really liked the Mitchell's in here even though I didn't agree with their actions sometimes. However I can't begin to imagine what it's be like to come home and find out that you lost your house so hats off to McMahon for thinking that up and making it work so well in here. Highly recommended!
April 8, 2013
Robert Mitchell and his family are looking to start a new life in the county following the sexual attack on his wife, Sarah, which Robert feels great guilt over. Unfortunately, another family - the Corbeau’s - are living in the new house now and it appears they have every right to do so. So what’s going on, why does Corbeau hate Robert so much, why do people disappear?
Another fantastic piece of work - dark and unpleasant and bleak and beautifully written - this cleverly moves into meta-fiction from a straight, horror/thriller set-up and never once falters. A confident, well paced tale, this gripped me from the off.
note of interest - I read this in 2009 to critique it
Another fantastic piece of work - dark and unpleasant and bleak and beautifully written - this cleverly moves into meta-fiction from a straight, horror/thriller set-up and never once falters. A confident, well paced tale, this gripped me from the off.
note of interest - I read this in 2009 to critique it
April 24, 2013
Imagine what you cherish most is taken away from you ... and no one believes it was ever yours. Just like Josef K who is accused but never knows what the accusation is. And then it gets worse ... much worse ... like those great Twilight Zone episodes. I cannot recommend this journey enough ... it leaves you breathless, after you have read the final word and the full stop.
July 17, 2013
Keep repeating, it’s only a story, it’s only a story, it’s only a story…
Welcome to Number One Oval Lane, the last house at the top of the hill. Robert Mitchell thought he lived there with his wife and children, but he doesn’t. Not anymore. A new family—the Corbeaus—has taken up residence, and they are on a deadly mission for mischief.
Soon Robert will understand the true nature of ownership, and he will discover that real life is nothing more than a story…a horror story.
We're playing games now. We're just beginning.
There are very few writers who can leave a mark from the early days of their careers. Gary McMahon not only is such a writer, but he also doesn’t waste any opportunity to prove his talent, with little consideration for the length of his fiction, but only for the quality of it. The latest work released by Gary McMahon is a novella published by DarkFuse Publications, “Nightsiders”.
Gary McMahon has the ability to take some of the violent pieces of news we all see on the TV or newspaper and give them a new dimension. As is the case with “Nightsiders”, the story at the base of the novella can be easily encountered in the TV programs or morning papers almost on every day basis. Robert Mitchell and his family seek a refuge into the small town of Battle from their recent violent experience in London, but at the return from a planned vacation they find their newly bought home occupied by another family. But if these stories are often related in a cold and detached manner Gary McMahon goes deeper behind the scene, explores more profoundly the facts and details of this type of story. This would only seem that changes the way a piece of news is related, but the truth is far from it. Not only Gary McMahon goes deeper within the story, but he also connects the tale and reader tighter through a gripping plot and believable characters, invades the reader’s personal space in an intimate way and throws one with ease in the clutches of fear. There are a couple of supernatural elements that can be seen as an escape for the reader, but don’t rely on it for safety, the true terror lies in the human nature and its capacity for evil.
The story of “Nightsiders” gravitates around two families, with an emphasis on the Mitchells. Irreversibly changed by violence they find no reprieve in the secluded and small town of Battle, on the contrary they’ll come face to face with another episode of viciousness. Among the four members of the Mitchells Robert sees himself as the head and protector of the family, but he struggles to find an escape from the new threat. With his world already in full collision with a world of violence Robert Mitchell is confused and insecure, he feels the unity of his family coming apart and the entire situation slipping from his grasp. If these are hardly qualities appropriate for raising a reliable defensive wall around of his family, Robert’s desperation and vulnerability lead him to a point of no return and that might come in handy in Robert’s attempt of reclaiming a feeling of security. All these elements of weakness make Robert Mitchell a character that draws plenty of sympathy from the reader, but with some traces of unpleasant personal history finding way through a breach in his present he might not be very likeable. But in the end, show me one person who is entitled to cast the first stone thanks to a spotless behavior and I will remove Robert Mitchell from the hall of clearly defined, strong and believable characters of fiction.
In “Nightsiders”, as is the case with all Gary McMahon’s works, the author doesn’t put all his effort in building only part of his cast to perfection. The antagonists are not neglected, they do not put a show only for the sake of having a villain. In this instance, the Corbeaus are as lively as the Mitchells. Although they do not get the same space for development, that doesn’t make them less solid. They feel as real as the characters given a longer appearance, the Corbeaus are the persons who the readers, like the Mitchells, prefer never to intersect. And when the plot brings these two particles there is no guarantee for the outcome. Particularly when nothing is rushed in the plot, the reader is slowly but inevitably drawn within the story, the tension is flawlessly built and is extremely difficult to find a fault in the road taken by the tale from start to finish.
There is one more path “Nightsiders” takes, that of the metafiction. After all, the character of Sergeant McMahon could be seen as a reflection of Gary McMahon in the story, keeping a closer eye on his characters and story. And when both are subtly herded towards their preordained road McMahon, the character or author, leaves them assured that they will follow their natural course. Another character, Robert Mitchell, when faced with what looks like a situation without an exit, starts to question existence and destiny. His reflections are often pointed toward the process of creating works of fiction, raising questions about fable and reality. Everything is masterfully done though, not single time these aspects hindering the progress and solidity of the story. With a final, well executed touch the metafictional elements leave some room for everyone to take a breath, without reaping anything from the inflicted fear and discomfort, only provoking the reader to profound considerations.
Ever since his debut Gary McMahon made an impact on the horror genre and continues to do so. “Nightsiders” is just another proof of the quality and high-standard of Gary McMahon’s writing and one more brick paving his route in becoming a classic of the genre.
Welcome to Number One Oval Lane, the last house at the top of the hill. Robert Mitchell thought he lived there with his wife and children, but he doesn’t. Not anymore. A new family—the Corbeaus—has taken up residence, and they are on a deadly mission for mischief.
Soon Robert will understand the true nature of ownership, and he will discover that real life is nothing more than a story…a horror story.
We're playing games now. We're just beginning.
There are very few writers who can leave a mark from the early days of their careers. Gary McMahon not only is such a writer, but he also doesn’t waste any opportunity to prove his talent, with little consideration for the length of his fiction, but only for the quality of it. The latest work released by Gary McMahon is a novella published by DarkFuse Publications, “Nightsiders”.
Gary McMahon has the ability to take some of the violent pieces of news we all see on the TV or newspaper and give them a new dimension. As is the case with “Nightsiders”, the story at the base of the novella can be easily encountered in the TV programs or morning papers almost on every day basis. Robert Mitchell and his family seek a refuge into the small town of Battle from their recent violent experience in London, but at the return from a planned vacation they find their newly bought home occupied by another family. But if these stories are often related in a cold and detached manner Gary McMahon goes deeper behind the scene, explores more profoundly the facts and details of this type of story. This would only seem that changes the way a piece of news is related, but the truth is far from it. Not only Gary McMahon goes deeper within the story, but he also connects the tale and reader tighter through a gripping plot and believable characters, invades the reader’s personal space in an intimate way and throws one with ease in the clutches of fear. There are a couple of supernatural elements that can be seen as an escape for the reader, but don’t rely on it for safety, the true terror lies in the human nature and its capacity for evil.
The story of “Nightsiders” gravitates around two families, with an emphasis on the Mitchells. Irreversibly changed by violence they find no reprieve in the secluded and small town of Battle, on the contrary they’ll come face to face with another episode of viciousness. Among the four members of the Mitchells Robert sees himself as the head and protector of the family, but he struggles to find an escape from the new threat. With his world already in full collision with a world of violence Robert Mitchell is confused and insecure, he feels the unity of his family coming apart and the entire situation slipping from his grasp. If these are hardly qualities appropriate for raising a reliable defensive wall around of his family, Robert’s desperation and vulnerability lead him to a point of no return and that might come in handy in Robert’s attempt of reclaiming a feeling of security. All these elements of weakness make Robert Mitchell a character that draws plenty of sympathy from the reader, but with some traces of unpleasant personal history finding way through a breach in his present he might not be very likeable. But in the end, show me one person who is entitled to cast the first stone thanks to a spotless behavior and I will remove Robert Mitchell from the hall of clearly defined, strong and believable characters of fiction.
In “Nightsiders”, as is the case with all Gary McMahon’s works, the author doesn’t put all his effort in building only part of his cast to perfection. The antagonists are not neglected, they do not put a show only for the sake of having a villain. In this instance, the Corbeaus are as lively as the Mitchells. Although they do not get the same space for development, that doesn’t make them less solid. They feel as real as the characters given a longer appearance, the Corbeaus are the persons who the readers, like the Mitchells, prefer never to intersect. And when the plot brings these two particles there is no guarantee for the outcome. Particularly when nothing is rushed in the plot, the reader is slowly but inevitably drawn within the story, the tension is flawlessly built and is extremely difficult to find a fault in the road taken by the tale from start to finish.
There is one more path “Nightsiders” takes, that of the metafiction. After all, the character of Sergeant McMahon could be seen as a reflection of Gary McMahon in the story, keeping a closer eye on his characters and story. And when both are subtly herded towards their preordained road McMahon, the character or author, leaves them assured that they will follow their natural course. Another character, Robert Mitchell, when faced with what looks like a situation without an exit, starts to question existence and destiny. His reflections are often pointed toward the process of creating works of fiction, raising questions about fable and reality. Everything is masterfully done though, not single time these aspects hindering the progress and solidity of the story. With a final, well executed touch the metafictional elements leave some room for everyone to take a breath, without reaping anything from the inflicted fear and discomfort, only provoking the reader to profound considerations.
Ever since his debut Gary McMahon made an impact on the horror genre and continues to do so. “Nightsiders” is just another proof of the quality and high-standard of Gary McMahon’s writing and one more brick paving his route in becoming a classic of the genre.
July 16, 2024
McMahon, Gary - Nightsiders
Horror novella finds family returning from long weekend, only to discover another family in possession of their home.
When the police arrive, interlopers produce deeds and documents.
Indeed, the constable recalls helping them move in a week earlier.
While the first family tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, their own backstory is revealed in cuts and slices.
The disassociation theme recalls vintage Aickman or Ramsey Campbell.
Near the last junction, the author has to decide between rational and ambiguous.
Decently written, though I felt disengaged.
Horror novella finds family returning from long weekend, only to discover another family in possession of their home.
When the police arrive, interlopers produce deeds and documents.
Indeed, the constable recalls helping them move in a week earlier.
While the first family tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, their own backstory is revealed in cuts and slices.
The disassociation theme recalls vintage Aickman or Ramsey Campbell.
Near the last junction, the author has to decide between rational and ambiguous.
Decently written, though I felt disengaged.
August 31, 2024
What the heck!?
May 8, 2013
Keep repeating, it’s only a story, it’s only a story, it’s only a story…
Welcome to Number One Oval Lane, the last house at the top of the hill. Robert Mitchell thought he lived there with his wife and children, but he doesn’t. Not anymore. A new family—the Corbeaus—has taken up residence, and they are on a deadly mission for mischief.
Soon Robert will understand the true nature of ownership, and he will discover that real life is nothing more than a story…a horror story.
We’re playing games now. We’re just beginning.
Robert Mitchell is an everyman character; he could quite easily be you or me. I’m sure anyone could empathise with the situation he finds himself in. You get the feeling that he’s almost ill-suited to modern life. He has been ground down at every turn and has nearly reached his breaking point. He just wants to be left alone to live his life in peace, but the world wants to intrude and deny him that simple pleasure at every turn. Each time he thinks that things are taking a turn for the better something always manages to come along and ruin that feeling of calm.
Then on the other hand, you have Nathan Corbeau and his animalistic brood. They’re an earthy bunch who take what they want, when they want it. Rules and regulations just don’t figure in their world-view. For them, this is the land of “do as you please” and this is exactly what they intend to do.
Things build to a tipping point and eventually all the impotent rage that Rob has kept bottled up comes bubbling to the surface. The two families clash in a spectacularly violent fashion.
Gary McMahon continues to impress with each new tale that I read. His raw, often emotive, style is never boring and manages to both entertain but also remain frighteningly insightful at the same time. This particular story is just over a hundred pages long but it’s a surprise how much he manages to cram in. I was utterly fascinated by how he has so effectively captured the varying horrors that Rob and his family have to face. We learn a little of their back story and it is evident that they have suffered significantly already before we join them. In many respects, the family is already in a bad way and the incidents with the Corbeaus are just a catalyst.
The writing skilfully plays on that common fear of home invasion, but manages to go much further than that. There is something primal about this kind of fear. Where this story really succeeds is in capturing the horror of being helpless.
If you enjoy short fiction then this could well be the novella for you, I’d heartily recommend it. This is small but perfectly formed dark fiction. Well worth your time.
Nightsiders is published by Dark Fuse and is available now
Welcome to Number One Oval Lane, the last house at the top of the hill. Robert Mitchell thought he lived there with his wife and children, but he doesn’t. Not anymore. A new family—the Corbeaus—has taken up residence, and they are on a deadly mission for mischief.
Soon Robert will understand the true nature of ownership, and he will discover that real life is nothing more than a story…a horror story.
We’re playing games now. We’re just beginning.
Robert Mitchell is an everyman character; he could quite easily be you or me. I’m sure anyone could empathise with the situation he finds himself in. You get the feeling that he’s almost ill-suited to modern life. He has been ground down at every turn and has nearly reached his breaking point. He just wants to be left alone to live his life in peace, but the world wants to intrude and deny him that simple pleasure at every turn. Each time he thinks that things are taking a turn for the better something always manages to come along and ruin that feeling of calm.
Then on the other hand, you have Nathan Corbeau and his animalistic brood. They’re an earthy bunch who take what they want, when they want it. Rules and regulations just don’t figure in their world-view. For them, this is the land of “do as you please” and this is exactly what they intend to do.
Things build to a tipping point and eventually all the impotent rage that Rob has kept bottled up comes bubbling to the surface. The two families clash in a spectacularly violent fashion.
Gary McMahon continues to impress with each new tale that I read. His raw, often emotive, style is never boring and manages to both entertain but also remain frighteningly insightful at the same time. This particular story is just over a hundred pages long but it’s a surprise how much he manages to cram in. I was utterly fascinated by how he has so effectively captured the varying horrors that Rob and his family have to face. We learn a little of their back story and it is evident that they have suffered significantly already before we join them. In many respects, the family is already in a bad way and the incidents with the Corbeaus are just a catalyst.
The writing skilfully plays on that common fear of home invasion, but manages to go much further than that. There is something primal about this kind of fear. Where this story really succeeds is in capturing the horror of being helpless.
If you enjoy short fiction then this could well be the novella for you, I’d heartily recommend it. This is small but perfectly formed dark fiction. Well worth your time.
Nightsiders is published by Dark Fuse and is available now
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