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Into the Void
In the smoky depths of an uncertain existence, a world-weary minstrel at the tender age of twenty-seven sees his life, already cracked and fragmented, careen into further disarray. Fate, that mischievous puppeteer, unravels his path and entwines it with that of a dangerous dalliance. At the tender age of sixteen, a siren beckons—an enigmatic girl who shatters assumptions of innocence with a glance. Beneath her youthful exterior lies a labyrinth of complexity. The boundary between naiveté and knowing blurs, as their lives converge in a reckless dance of youth, desire, and the unpredictable.
83 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 29, 2025
A well-written and overall pretty compelling debut novel here from Darrick Franz. The voice and overall tone is somewhat similar to the books mentioned in Colin Wilson's The Outsider, which is an overview of classic existential novels like Camus' The Stranger, Hell by Barbusse and Hesse's Steppenwolf. But though influenced, Franz does indeed have a voice in his own right, and one that I'd like to see evolve and bloom.
With Into the Void, we get a modern update in terms of the existential that Thomas Ligotti would adore; one steeped in antinatalism. Franz offers a bleak, often disparaging take not just on reproduction, but on relationships and life itself.
We're in the head of Desmond, a very much 'unnamed narrator' type in terms of narration style, who, like many of us, has hit a crossroads with life at the volatile age of twenty-seven. Life, the eerie dream of being something more than it is, has started to fragment, and the ghosts of his past seem destined to haunt his future. He rues the loss of his past love, Isabelle, probably more than he realises, and since their breakup Desmond is very much a broken man. Naturally, being that way leads him into the arms of Ava, a true train wreck herself, as if summoned to break our MC for good. Her being a minor by American standards, not to mention a Jezebel, femme fatale archetype, paves the way for the void alluded to by the title.
The most intriguing parts of the novel come from Desmond’s despondent, existential despair and philosophical musings. Most notably as they bleed into the darker corners of his psyche, where he begins to convince himself that transgression is the only way forward. The temptation, futility of it all, mental gymnastics and carnal lust make for an enjoyable, if not at times depressingly relatable read. A lone man's cry is destined to remain lonely, it seems.
I was a little surprised by how gratuitous the events became as the novel neared its end. While I personally had no issue with it, it may come across as a bit jarring to the average reader. It sort of made me wonder whether the novel would've been strengthened by beginning at the ending (or if it played around with the linear structure on a two or three timeline scale), as it would've really added tension and conflict as the events unfolded. Naturally though, this would've changed the type of novel that it is. A somewhat classical but timeless, man vs. self story, where our protagonist has to confront fate as it bleeds into determinism.
In the end, Into the Void dodged its own bloodshed by abandoning ship, somewhat abruptly, a little like this review.
With Into the Void, we get a modern update in terms of the existential that Thomas Ligotti would adore; one steeped in antinatalism. Franz offers a bleak, often disparaging take not just on reproduction, but on relationships and life itself.
We're in the head of Desmond, a very much 'unnamed narrator' type in terms of narration style, who, like many of us, has hit a crossroads with life at the volatile age of twenty-seven. Life, the eerie dream of being something more than it is, has started to fragment, and the ghosts of his past seem destined to haunt his future. He rues the loss of his past love, Isabelle, probably more than he realises, and since their breakup Desmond is very much a broken man. Naturally, being that way leads him into the arms of Ava, a true train wreck herself, as if summoned to break our MC for good. Her being a minor by American standards, not to mention a Jezebel, femme fatale archetype, paves the way for the void alluded to by the title.
“Was ‘consciousness’ ever meant to be a gift, or was it always meant to be used against us as the catalyst of neurosis? Are these terrors the only things keeping the average human ‘decent’? Is this fear the only barrier preventing all of humanity’s descent into chaos and debauchery? Does it make a person dangerous when they are no longer afraid?”
The most intriguing parts of the novel come from Desmond’s despondent, existential despair and philosophical musings. Most notably as they bleed into the darker corners of his psyche, where he begins to convince himself that transgression is the only way forward. The temptation, futility of it all, mental gymnastics and carnal lust make for an enjoyable, if not at times depressingly relatable read. A lone man's cry is destined to remain lonely, it seems.
I was a little surprised by how gratuitous the events became as the novel neared its end. While I personally had no issue with it, it may come across as a bit jarring to the average reader. It sort of made me wonder whether the novel would've been strengthened by beginning at the ending (or if it played around with the linear structure on a two or three timeline scale), as it would've really added tension and conflict as the events unfolded. Naturally though, this would've changed the type of novel that it is. A somewhat classical but timeless, man vs. self story, where our protagonist has to confront fate as it bleeds into determinism.
In the end, Into the Void dodged its own bloodshed by abandoning ship, somewhat abruptly, a little like this review.
Displaying 1 of 1 review