Silk Bindings

by Samuel DenHartog

In the remote serenity of the forest, the boundary between sanity and madness blurs for Jonathan Rivers. A celebrated novelist once revered for his mind's creations, Jonathan now seeks refuge in a secluded cabin to escape the fragments of his shattered psyche. As dusk envelops the woods, he discovers that the greatest stories—and horrors—unfold within the silk bindings of the mind.

As nightfall whispers through the trees, Jonathan's dreams weave a disturbing tapestry of webs, and an old, forsaken house ensnares him with its haunting, arachnid legacy. The cabin, once a haven, becomes a stage for a dark narrative penned by an unseen hand. With each word Jonathan writes, he is drawn deeper into a plot that blurs the lines between his horror fiction and a terrifying reality. Guided by a voice that is not his own, the tale he crafts is one of eldritch origins, a story desperate to breach the confines of the page and reshape the world in its sinister image.

But as the web tightens and reality frays, an unexpected ally emerges in his ex-girlfriend Sarah, whose concern for Jonathan becomes the beacon in his darkest hour. Together, they must confront the spectral spider that weaves this malevolent tale, battling for Jonathan's very soul. "Silk Bindings" is a chilling odyssey that explores the depths of human resilience and the perilous power of the stories we tell ourselves. In this psychological horror, will Jonathan untangle the web of control, or will the final chapter claim more than just his sanity?

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2024

About the author

Samuel DenHartog is a versatile and imaginative author whose works span a wide array of genres, including mythology, fables, fairy tales, fantasy, romance, mystery, science fiction, and children's books. His stories captivate readers of all ages, blending wonder with rich, timeless narratives.

What sets Samuel apart is his ability to breathe new life into ancient tales while preserving their core essence. Whether it's mythology, folklore, or fairy tales from various cultures, by carefully balancing tradition with modern touches, he creates stories that resonate with contemporary audiences, making historical and mythical narratives feel fresh, relevant, and engaging.

Off the page, Samuel is a lifelong learner, constantly expanding his creative horizons and engaging with innovative ideas. His journey is a continual pursuit of knowledge and creativity, bridging the worlds of tradition and imagination.

Reviews

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst things about A.I.-generated "writing", aside from the fact that the people using it think they're producing anything of value, and also the fact that they just won't fucking stop, is how insufferable it is.

I'll never forget one house party in my university days where one guy was being a complete pseudo-intellectual boor, capped by his constant repetition of, "vis-a-vis." Everything he said was, "vis-a-vis ... vis-a-vis ... vis-a-vis!" It was laughable and, most of all, insufferable.

This "book" diarrheaed out of ChatGPT through the intellectual colon of the "author"'s prompts accomplishes the same thing with the word "narrative". It's one of the many, many, many unavoidable words apparently beloved of all generative A.I.s. Seriously, run from any author bio that refers to "crafting the narrative" or any reference to "narrative" because it's a sure thing they're using A.I. to shart the words in their "books".

This book uses "narrative" 94 times. Sometimes multiple times per page; sometimes twice in the same sentence. It's absurd.

Each room told a story of its own, inviting Jonathan to add his chapter to the ongoing narrative of the cabin.
...
these elements wove together, creating a narrative that Jonathan was only just beginning to piece together.
...
Each word he penned was a thread in the larger tapestry of a story that was beginning to weave itself in his mind, a narrative inspired by the intersection of the natural world and the mystic, of beauty found in the grotesque.
...
These elements intertwined, forming the foundation of a narrative that delved deep into the psyche, exploring the dark corners where reality blurred into nightmare.
...
The narrative unfurled on the page before him, each sentence building upon the last, weaving a tale that seemed to draw breath from the very air of the cabin.
...
As the narrative deepened, it became clear that the protagonist's battle was not against external forces but against the intricate web of his psyche.
...
This narrative, a departure from anything Jonathan had written before, was a descent into the horror of losing oneself to the mind's darkest corners.
...
Jonathan began to thread elements of his own eerie discovery in the woods into the narrative.
...As Jonathan delved deeper into the vortex of his narrative, the delineation between periods of clear-headed purpose and intense, unbridled creativity began to fade.
...
This symbiosis extended beyond the narrative, infusing Jonathan's reality with elements of the fiction he was crafting.
...
This symbiosis extended beyond the narrative, infusing Jonathan's reality with elements of the fiction he was crafting. The protagonist's feeling of being ensnared in circumstances beyond his control mirrored Jonathan's own sense of entrapment in the web of his narrative, a parallel that grew more pronounced with each passing day. In the relentless pursuit of his narrative, Jonathan began to notice a disconcerting shift not only in his perceptions but in his very reflection.
[that's 3 sentences back to back with "narrative"]

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

No one writes like this! A.I.-generated writing is shit! The only true "narrative" here is the ongoing lie that the author is doing anything other than churning out A.I.-generated abominations and pretending they're anything but.

Insufferable.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really it's more like zero stars. The fact that the author is very prolific, 'writes' very short books, and covers a variety of genres, which should be a red flag. I accidently read another of his 'works' awhile back and had same concerns. It's very repetitive and there are a lot of words on the page, but they don't really say anything. I don't shy away from reading books that have few reviews, so it's a risk I take.