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The Grelnocks: A Philosophical Thriller
It begins with a call from a desperate manWhen Wes is brought in to resolve a standoff at the top of an upscale apartment building, he is told that the man barricaded inside the penthouse isn’t a threat to anyone but himself.So Wes puts on a bulletproof vest and walks up to the top floor, with a team in tactical gear right behind him in case anything goes sideways.Wes walks in and finds that this man – and this situation – is unlike any he has encountered before. The top floor is completely covered with strange materials, and the man is wearing a thick body suit.And then the man starts talking about the truths that he has recently perceived, truths so horrid that they suggest existence itself is not worth it.There are things we are not meant to perceiveThe standoff does not end well, and though Wes is soon absolved of fault, his problems come from a different angle — or perhaps every angle.Wes starts seeing things, or rather ‘perceiving’ things out of the sides of his vision. When he turns these creatures are inevitably gone, but there is a solidity to their being that suggests these creatures at the edges of his perception are very, very real.And then Wes finds that he is not alone in the expansion of his perceptive world. Wes is put on the case of a new serial killer, one with a profile far different he has ever seen before.The evidence suggests that this killer too is experiencing existence in an entirely new way, with unspeakable results.The GrelnocksAs Wes explores what is happening – he’ll find that our sense of perception is limited for a reason. There are some truths of existence that we are not meant to perceive.And these truths are being delivered to Wes, in the form of creatures called the Grelnocks.A note from the “When I got this manuscript from Jonathan Maas, I was immediately hooked by this Philosophical Thriller. It had shades of paranormal events, but still grounds itself in the explainable. It treads the line between Science Fiction, Dark Fantasy and Police Mystery. The tale unfolds like something out of True Detective, but it also holds deep philosophical undertones like The Schopenhauer Cure by Irvin D. Yalom, or perhaps Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.It is linked to his other podcasting tale #EOTW, though readers need not read that first. But like #EOTW, you may pick up this novel / novella and read it in one sitting like myself. Just keep the lights on – or perhaps off – you might be safer from the Grelnocks that way.”J. Shaw, Cynical Optimist PressFor fans Philosophical mysteries, True Detective, #EOTW, #EOTWAWKI, Urban Fantasy, Forensics, Police Procedurals, Podcasts, Existential mysteriesFor fans of authors and Eugene Thacker, In the Dust of this Planet, David Benatar, Yuval Noah Harari, Ed Yong, An Immense World
329 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2023
160 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maas
31 books368 followersJon Maas was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Biology and History, he's earned a living as a Musician, Peace Corps Volunteer, Standup Comedian, TV Producer and Web Designer.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 8, 2025
I am going to amend my earlier review, but I left it below. Turns out this IS kinda part of a series, so boo on me for not knowing! They are supposed to be stand alone, I believe, but I have no doubt some of these threads I want to pull on will become crystal clear if I read the others in the series (which I do plan on reading, finding good philosophical/existational horror is hard). And yes, I meant to say "threads" (wink and a nod to the book) :-)
So, more books to read and review, and I hope the tale comes together!
This was a weird book. I liked it a lot, but it felt unfinished, or like a part of a series? Some things weren't explained, like his friend AJ's "experience" for example. With a book like this you expect some degree of ambiguity, but something felt unsaid here.
Here's hoping for a sequel!
So, more books to read and review, and I hope the tale comes together!
This was a weird book. I liked it a lot, but it felt unfinished, or like a part of a series? Some things weren't explained, like his friend AJ's "experience" for example. With a book like this you expect some degree of ambiguity, but something felt unsaid here.
Here's hoping for a sequel!
August 5, 2025
I am not a philosopher, nor do I aspire to be one. But I found the concept of this novel intriguing. For me, personally, it began strong and ended strong, but I admittedly drifted a bit in the middle. Some artistic choices in terms of the prose that didn't hit for me as well as they might for others (Ready Player One left me with the same impression at times).
January 2, 2024
This is probably one of the most bizarre, confusing, and wonderful books I’ve read. The story was interesting, but the ideas the author kept tossing out were otherworldly. I likened them to digging in soft sand, seeing a glimpse of a shiny object, but the sand keeps filling in the hole so that I couldn’t grasp it in its entirety. As I thought I finally had it, I’d reread the previous section, only to come up with another fascinating insight. Oh, to be able to pick this author’s brain! He continues to astound me.
September 13, 2024
Maas combines a visceral crime investigation with exploration of the limitations of human awareness, offering a thriller that is both realistic and weird.
Wes is an investigative consultant not a police negotiator, but when a man holed up in a penthouse with a gun asks for him by name, he agrees to go in. While the situation is odd, the conversation about things Wes discusses on his podcasts seems almost reasonable—until the man starts talking about horrors he’s seen that lie outside normal human perception. The man’s claims seem unreal, even when Wes starts to glimpse something from the corners of his eyes; however, when police find what might be evidence of a serial killer who is guided by the same world-view, exploring this new perspective appears the only way for Wes to track them.
Built around the idea that there is another world (or worlds) intermixed with this one but that humans cannot usually perceive it, and that perceiving the beings or forces in it in turn makes a person vulnerable to them, the book has strong echoes of Lovecraft’s ‘From Beyond’. However, unlike Lovecraft’s tale of a single encounter in two people’s lives, Maas blends the idea with a crime thriller, expanding both plot and cast significantly.
The two threads of the investigation are skilfully interwoven, with tangible evidence from the police investigation feeding into Wes’ more abstruse explorations of philosophy and science which in turn guide what and where the police should investigate. Interspersed with Wes’ thread are short segments following one of the victims or the killer. This balances abstract metaphysical possibility with concrete discovery, offering the reader a steadily growing vision of what this expanded reality might be like if it exists without burying the tension of ritual murders under extended exposition and theory.
While complex and niche rather than things taught in school, the theories of perception, phobia, and experience that offer Wes the insights he needs to discover the truth behind his own glimpses and find the killer feel firmly grounded in science rather than magic, seating the weird more firmly into the world rather than creating an unspoken tension between the fantastical against the modern. In addition to strengthening the air of plausibility, this firm foundation in respectable scientific theories might allow modern fans of Lovecraft a taste of what it would have been like to read Lovecraft’s stories when their setting and science were the modern day.
Although the majority of the metaphysical explorations feed into uncovering what the killer’s scheme is and how to find them, the intersections with philosophies such as anti-natalism—the theory that bringing children into the world is a negative act—present non-mainstream world views and conclusions in a neutral enough way that the reader is faced with an implicit question of whether it is unquestionably right to put a few lives ahead of transition to this broader world.
In addition to offering light but relevant explanations of metaphysical theory that are well-integrated into the story, Maas provides a list of sources and further reading at the end of the book that will serve as a jumping off point for readers interested in exploring this question (and potentially others) in more breadth and detail.
Wes is a well-created protagonist for the story, his career as a consultant to the police making it entirely reasonable he is part of the investigation while allowing space for him to follow less mainstream theories and approaches. His second career as a podcaster on some not-fully-explained philosophy of life-more-meaningfully-lived, provides both an equally plausible basis for his skeptical openness to the strange when he meets it, and an a network of friends, acquaintances, and followers that offers broader investigatory routes than the police might have. This competence and celebrity is balanced by not only imperfections but an awareness of them, preventing him from feeling either smug or overly perfect.
The supporting cast have a similar slant toward intellectual ability and the non-mainstream, whether using a rare insight into the probable knock-on effects of financial trades to steer social change or operating a podcast that analyses end of the world theories. This both offers interesting alternative perspectives and helps to avoid any annoying sense that Wes is best at everything.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers interested in modern cosmic horror or a thriller about how the abstract might shape the deeply concrete.
Wes is an investigative consultant not a police negotiator, but when a man holed up in a penthouse with a gun asks for him by name, he agrees to go in. While the situation is odd, the conversation about things Wes discusses on his podcasts seems almost reasonable—until the man starts talking about horrors he’s seen that lie outside normal human perception. The man’s claims seem unreal, even when Wes starts to glimpse something from the corners of his eyes; however, when police find what might be evidence of a serial killer who is guided by the same world-view, exploring this new perspective appears the only way for Wes to track them.
Built around the idea that there is another world (or worlds) intermixed with this one but that humans cannot usually perceive it, and that perceiving the beings or forces in it in turn makes a person vulnerable to them, the book has strong echoes of Lovecraft’s ‘From Beyond’. However, unlike Lovecraft’s tale of a single encounter in two people’s lives, Maas blends the idea with a crime thriller, expanding both plot and cast significantly.
The two threads of the investigation are skilfully interwoven, with tangible evidence from the police investigation feeding into Wes’ more abstruse explorations of philosophy and science which in turn guide what and where the police should investigate. Interspersed with Wes’ thread are short segments following one of the victims or the killer. This balances abstract metaphysical possibility with concrete discovery, offering the reader a steadily growing vision of what this expanded reality might be like if it exists without burying the tension of ritual murders under extended exposition and theory.
While complex and niche rather than things taught in school, the theories of perception, phobia, and experience that offer Wes the insights he needs to discover the truth behind his own glimpses and find the killer feel firmly grounded in science rather than magic, seating the weird more firmly into the world rather than creating an unspoken tension between the fantastical against the modern. In addition to strengthening the air of plausibility, this firm foundation in respectable scientific theories might allow modern fans of Lovecraft a taste of what it would have been like to read Lovecraft’s stories when their setting and science were the modern day.
Although the majority of the metaphysical explorations feed into uncovering what the killer’s scheme is and how to find them, the intersections with philosophies such as anti-natalism—the theory that bringing children into the world is a negative act—present non-mainstream world views and conclusions in a neutral enough way that the reader is faced with an implicit question of whether it is unquestionably right to put a few lives ahead of transition to this broader world.
In addition to offering light but relevant explanations of metaphysical theory that are well-integrated into the story, Maas provides a list of sources and further reading at the end of the book that will serve as a jumping off point for readers interested in exploring this question (and potentially others) in more breadth and detail.
Wes is a well-created protagonist for the story, his career as a consultant to the police making it entirely reasonable he is part of the investigation while allowing space for him to follow less mainstream theories and approaches. His second career as a podcaster on some not-fully-explained philosophy of life-more-meaningfully-lived, provides both an equally plausible basis for his skeptical openness to the strange when he meets it, and an a network of friends, acquaintances, and followers that offers broader investigatory routes than the police might have. This competence and celebrity is balanced by not only imperfections but an awareness of them, preventing him from feeling either smug or overly perfect.
The supporting cast have a similar slant toward intellectual ability and the non-mainstream, whether using a rare insight into the probable knock-on effects of financial trades to steer social change or operating a podcast that analyses end of the world theories. This both offers interesting alternative perspectives and helps to avoid any annoying sense that Wes is best at everything.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers interested in modern cosmic horror or a thriller about how the abstract might shape the deeply concrete.
November 23, 2023
I loved this book which is indeed interesting and different as indicated by the title calling it "A Philosophical Thriller". It's a crime story centered around some extraordinary happenings. Wes, a contractor who regularly works with law enforcement, is called in to try to talk to a man with a gun - who wants to talk to Wes specifically. After this encounter, Wes feels something different is happening and it may be tied in to a murder. Wes follows the leads which includes new ways of thinking - philosophy. Reading this, it felt like a supernatural thriller but that is because there is so much more that we simply don't know. I felt this was tied up well at the end and stands as a thoughtful, amazing tale. My rating is 5 stars.
December 8, 2023
You know something? I always feel under qualified to review Jonathan Maas’s work. There are a lot of big words and some deep philosophy buried between the lines. But I always enjoy them! The Greenocks is no exception. Written with co Author Weston Scott, it really delivers the goods as a dark Philosophical Thriller. Sort of reminded me of Odd Thomas by Dean Koonts in places and that is a good thing. This story compliments #EOTW perfectly and I hope to see a third book in the series. A solid Five stars from me😊
April 8, 2024
Another fine offering from Jonathan Maas, as ever plenty to ponder, there's always depth to his books to deep dive into.
June 27, 2024
Boring
Did not hold my attention, I was dragging my way through the whole book. Good for if you want to fall asleep, and fast. Not much of a thriller to me.
Did not hold my attention, I was dragging my way through the whole book. Good for if you want to fall asleep, and fast. Not much of a thriller to me.
June 29, 2024
Remarkable
So intense and filled with wonder. Definitely a deep read. So many of the theories were oddly plausible, or maybe hopefully plausible.
So intense and filled with wonder. Definitely a deep read. So many of the theories were oddly plausible, or maybe hopefully plausible.
February 10, 2024
I kind of feel bad. Jonathan asked me to check out his newest offering several weeks ago. Little did I know that my OCD would kick in, and decide to go its own way. There seems to be a perfect moment of deja vu, coinciding with my reading of The Grelnocks. My first review of 2023 was The Woodcutter by Jonathan Maas. It only stands to reason that my final review of 2023 be another Maas offering.
The Grelnocks is not just a horror novel. It is a map comprised of a dense compilation of elements that together appear to wind through to another dimension that lies just beyond perception, and about as terrifying as anything Lovecraft ever unearthed. Maas taps into this place via an intellectual portal that few of us can cross. I found myself several times lost, left behind by the verbiage, rocking in the corner and crying for Momma. However, Maas would return, find me, and return me to a relatively safe, sane place before moving forward.
Wes is a law-enforcement professional called to an emergency situation. When he arrives, he finds no real emergency situation. He dialogues with a seemingly sane individual contemplating his sudden demise. This supposedly and apparently well-adjusted individual shares with Wes a truth that shatters perception, and Wes is now awakened to a new reality that takes him on an intellectual journey that is nothing short of nightmarish. Along the way there's a Matriarch and the Grelnocks: monsters, allies, foes. I'm not sure, but last night, I had a hard time finding sleep.
Maas is a good writer that likes to write weird $#!+. I like knowing the guy, because his mind slants toward horror. I appreciate his trust, but I'm creeped out by this one folks, and I am a "Hardcore Horror fan." Stuff rarely creeps me out. The only reason I don't give it five stars is not his fault, it's mine. I didn't always understand the verbiage and I got lost in Math-speak (and I a supposed high school math teacher. Oy vey!). Even so, the parts I understood were horrifying.
By the way, Happy New Year!
The Grelnocks is not just a horror novel. It is a map comprised of a dense compilation of elements that together appear to wind through to another dimension that lies just beyond perception, and about as terrifying as anything Lovecraft ever unearthed. Maas taps into this place via an intellectual portal that few of us can cross. I found myself several times lost, left behind by the verbiage, rocking in the corner and crying for Momma. However, Maas would return, find me, and return me to a relatively safe, sane place before moving forward.
Wes is a law-enforcement professional called to an emergency situation. When he arrives, he finds no real emergency situation. He dialogues with a seemingly sane individual contemplating his sudden demise. This supposedly and apparently well-adjusted individual shares with Wes a truth that shatters perception, and Wes is now awakened to a new reality that takes him on an intellectual journey that is nothing short of nightmarish. Along the way there's a Matriarch and the Grelnocks: monsters, allies, foes. I'm not sure, but last night, I had a hard time finding sleep.
Maas is a good writer that likes to write weird $#!+. I like knowing the guy, because his mind slants toward horror. I appreciate his trust, but I'm creeped out by this one folks, and I am a "Hardcore Horror fan." Stuff rarely creeps me out. The only reason I don't give it five stars is not his fault, it's mine. I didn't always understand the verbiage and I got lost in Math-speak (and I a supposed high school math teacher. Oy vey!). Even so, the parts I understood were horrifying.
By the way, Happy New Year!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews