What do you think?
The Etiquette of Booby Traps
"Singular and deeply palpable, each story collected in The Etiquette of Booby Traps is a delicately planted snare—a swift ambush of menace, brutality, and unending sorrow."
—Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
About the
A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm, or surprise a human or other animal, triggered by the presence or actions of the victim.
Here they are stories; small, sturdy and surprising in their levels of camouflage and damage.
-A grieving man grapples with a double whammy of loss by fishing and finds that sometimes you catch more than you expect, if you use the right bait.
-The world splinters in many different ways and scenes in a kaleidoscopic series of prose snapshots
-The young product of a lifetime of abuse grows to find her true course and embrace the trail of smoke it leaves.
-A small coastal village finds something unusual washed upon their shore.
-An abandoned amusement park has strange truths to share with a trio of teenagers.
-A woman mentally spars with the creature that haunts her property.
-Loneliness leads to wanting--and wanting has a voracious appetite, so discovers an introverted fellow in a far from typical morning at the office.
The stories are short and scattered in theme and setting but mind where you step, for they have sharp edges and hair triggers and a few of them bite hard.
About the
John Boden lives a stone’s throw from Three Mile Island with his wonderful wife and sons.A baker by day, he spends his off time writing, watching TV, or laughing with his wife. He likes Diet Pepsi, cheeseburgers, heavy metal, and sports ferocious sideburns. While his output as a writer is fairly sporadic, it has a bit of a reputation for being unique. He owes an unpayable debt to Ken Wood who invited him along at the start of Shock Totem and that singular act rekindled his love for writing, after ignoring it for 20 years. His books Dominoes, Spungunion,Walk The Darkness Down, as well as the collaborative novellas Out Behind The Barn (with Chad Lutzke), Rattlesnake Kisses, Jedi Summer, Cattywampus, and the forthcoming Black Salve (with Robert Ford) and Detritus In Love (with Mercedes M. Yardley). He thanks you from the bottom of his hairy heart, sincerely.
—Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
About the
A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm, or surprise a human or other animal, triggered by the presence or actions of the victim.
Here they are stories; small, sturdy and surprising in their levels of camouflage and damage.
-A grieving man grapples with a double whammy of loss by fishing and finds that sometimes you catch more than you expect, if you use the right bait.
-The world splinters in many different ways and scenes in a kaleidoscopic series of prose snapshots
-The young product of a lifetime of abuse grows to find her true course and embrace the trail of smoke it leaves.
-A small coastal village finds something unusual washed upon their shore.
-An abandoned amusement park has strange truths to share with a trio of teenagers.
-A woman mentally spars with the creature that haunts her property.
-Loneliness leads to wanting--and wanting has a voracious appetite, so discovers an introverted fellow in a far from typical morning at the office.
The stories are short and scattered in theme and setting but mind where you step, for they have sharp edges and hair triggers and a few of them bite hard.
About the
John Boden lives a stone’s throw from Three Mile Island with his wonderful wife and sons.A baker by day, he spends his off time writing, watching TV, or laughing with his wife. He likes Diet Pepsi, cheeseburgers, heavy metal, and sports ferocious sideburns. While his output as a writer is fairly sporadic, it has a bit of a reputation for being unique. He owes an unpayable debt to Ken Wood who invited him along at the start of Shock Totem and that singular act rekindled his love for writing, after ignoring it for 20 years. His books Dominoes, Spungunion,Walk The Darkness Down, as well as the collaborative novellas Out Behind The Barn (with Chad Lutzke), Rattlesnake Kisses, Jedi Summer, Cattywampus, and the forthcoming Black Salve (with Robert Ford) and Detritus In Love (with Mercedes M. Yardley). He thanks you from the bottom of his hairy heart, sincerely.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 11, 2026
Ever since I first discovered John Boden, I've loved his work. I don't quite remember how long ago that was, but it's been at least a decade, I reckon.
This collection was wild, at times bizarre and poetic, often brutal and always compelling. This volume runs the gamut from poetry, to flash fiction, to novelette; from talking fish to wiggling tongues emerging from a wall, from raining maggots to conniving gold diggers, this is indeed a dark world that Boden has created; barbaric and whimsical, all wrapped up in one.
Originally, I rated this 4 stars but in the week since I have finished I find myself still turning these stories over in my mind, so I've changed my rating to the full 5. I feel like there is no other author that can string words together like Boden does, his skills never fail to impress me and he never fails to bring my emotions out. Boden makes me feel. Not necessarily good feelings, mind you, but feelings just the same. No other author does that for me without fail. Bravo, Mr. Boden! Bravo!
Highly recommended!
*Book source: purchased from Amazon
This collection was wild, at times bizarre and poetic, often brutal and always compelling. This volume runs the gamut from poetry, to flash fiction, to novelette; from talking fish to wiggling tongues emerging from a wall, from raining maggots to conniving gold diggers, this is indeed a dark world that Boden has created; barbaric and whimsical, all wrapped up in one.
Originally, I rated this 4 stars but in the week since I have finished I find myself still turning these stories over in my mind, so I've changed my rating to the full 5. I feel like there is no other author that can string words together like Boden does, his skills never fail to impress me and he never fails to bring my emotions out. Boden makes me feel. Not necessarily good feelings, mind you, but feelings just the same. No other author does that for me without fail. Bravo, Mr. Boden! Bravo!
Highly recommended!
*Book source: purchased from Amazon
July 25, 2024
The raw emotions and wretched circumstances in these stories did not make for a restful sleep.
My favorites, or more accurately the ones that hurt the most and kept me awake, were at the beginning and end of the book.
The first story, Come Tomorrow and the last story, Tinsel are both heavy with grief. In the former, a man mourns the death of a life cut too short. In the latter, the pain is not negated by having had more time.
Another favorite, if that is the right word to use in this case, was Halfway Wrong Don't Make it Alright, which was a story full of abuse, neglect, revenge, and retribution.
Slightly less painful, but no less powerful stories that I can't shake off involve a monstrous tax collector, fish swimming through the air, and a simple glass of water.
The introduction warns that this book is unsafe, but I plowed full steam ahead and devoured it before bedtime. I have to agree. This is a book that will stick with you, and stick to you.
My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.
My favorites, or more accurately the ones that hurt the most and kept me awake, were at the beginning and end of the book.
The first story, Come Tomorrow and the last story, Tinsel are both heavy with grief. In the former, a man mourns the death of a life cut too short. In the latter, the pain is not negated by having had more time.
Another favorite, if that is the right word to use in this case, was Halfway Wrong Don't Make it Alright, which was a story full of abuse, neglect, revenge, and retribution.
Slightly less painful, but no less powerful stories that I can't shake off involve a monstrous tax collector, fish swimming through the air, and a simple glass of water.
The introduction warns that this book is unsafe, but I plowed full steam ahead and devoured it before bedtime. I have to agree. This is a book that will stick with you, and stick to you.
My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.
August 3, 2024
3.5 rounding up to 4 stars because there really are some beauties in here.
Halfway Wrong Don't Make It Alright. This one hits all the notes for me. It's an absolute showcase of John's talent. It turned my mind as well as my stomach. Absolute class.
Salten was another standout. A poetic plunge into a dark discovery. Short. Wonderful.
The Claim. John can really write a dark, gritty Western. So good.
In The Morning. A short WTF?
I think all horror fans will find something amongst these twenty-one short stories that will appeal to them. It covers a hell of a lot of ground.
I'm so glad this collection happened. I really am.
Recommended.
Halfway Wrong Don't Make It Alright. This one hits all the notes for me. It's an absolute showcase of John's talent. It turned my mind as well as my stomach. Absolute class.
Salten was another standout. A poetic plunge into a dark discovery. Short. Wonderful.
The Claim. John can really write a dark, gritty Western. So good.
In The Morning. A short WTF?
I think all horror fans will find something amongst these twenty-one short stories that will appeal to them. It covers a hell of a lot of ground.
I'm so glad this collection happened. I really am.
Recommended.
July 24, 2024
I doubt anyone can ever be properly prepared to read a John Boden poem or short story, and this goes double for his collection, 'The Etiquette of Booby Traps'! Twenty-one pieces of poetry and fiction, carefully planted as the "booby traps" of the title, though they end up as short sharp shocks to all unprepared readers.
Case in point, someone I'd consider obviously prepared: Aaron Dries in his delightfully lyrical introduction. "This book is not safe," he writes. "Safe in the sense of secure, reliant—something sound. It isn’t a solid experience. It turned to taffy when I was done with it, a sticky mess my hands pushed through. Me and it, becoming one." He's absolutely right. The book hit me hard several times, forcing me to wonder again and again if I'm reading about a character's psychotic break or it's the world itself that's been broken; the world itself gone psychotic and serving up some of the most terrifyingly absurd imagery, dressed in the greatest prose I've ever read. Surely it's the second alternative: Boden's stories speak less of twisted humanity and more of a twisted world, part of which is humanity itself.
So many stories can be perfect examples of the author's tendency to portray the monsters, the shadows, even broad daylight itself, as somehow deeply unstable, intimately splintered but never snapped, always on the way to collapsing. "Come Tomorrow," the opening story, has a father who's lost his ten-year-old daughter, listening to a fish calling him "Daddy"; "The Worm Eaters" has Lawrence looking at worm eaters with disdain, while he himself is popping into his mouth something even worse; "Night Games" has children going dutifully to church after a game night of the most incredible moral insanity; and so on and so forth.
Unlike typical horror tales of iconic creatures of the night, cannibals and serial killers, Boden's collection is booby trapped with horror of a different kind. Sure, there's a creature feature in a fantastic Western horror tale ("The Claim"); and a female serial arsonist whose crimes almost make sense ("Doodlebug"); and a serial killer ("This Twilight Garden") and a stalker ("Intruder") - but not a single one is that typical criminal offender you might find elsewhere! (I'll keep the review spoiler-free and allow you to discover yourself what makes these human monsters even more atypical than usual.) But Boden excels in combining supernatural horror with those human elements inspiring great art, philosophy, even religion: namely, pain, grief, memory, love, and loss. If you need convincing, just take a look at the closing story, "Tinsel": heart-breaking and deeply meaningful, as well as creepy as hell, without a drop of blood being shed; or at the apocalyptic and very disturbing "Of Debris and Duty," short and impactful, gory and heavily emotional.
In sum, don't expect any simple stories of make-believe: there are monsters here but no boogeymen. The monsters are occasionally supernatural, but in truth they're your own emotions, your own memories, the losses that will haunt you to the end of your days. Proceed with caution!
Case in point, someone I'd consider obviously prepared: Aaron Dries in his delightfully lyrical introduction. "This book is not safe," he writes. "Safe in the sense of secure, reliant—something sound. It isn’t a solid experience. It turned to taffy when I was done with it, a sticky mess my hands pushed through. Me and it, becoming one." He's absolutely right. The book hit me hard several times, forcing me to wonder again and again if I'm reading about a character's psychotic break or it's the world itself that's been broken; the world itself gone psychotic and serving up some of the most terrifyingly absurd imagery, dressed in the greatest prose I've ever read. Surely it's the second alternative: Boden's stories speak less of twisted humanity and more of a twisted world, part of which is humanity itself.
So many stories can be perfect examples of the author's tendency to portray the monsters, the shadows, even broad daylight itself, as somehow deeply unstable, intimately splintered but never snapped, always on the way to collapsing. "Come Tomorrow," the opening story, has a father who's lost his ten-year-old daughter, listening to a fish calling him "Daddy"; "The Worm Eaters" has Lawrence looking at worm eaters with disdain, while he himself is popping into his mouth something even worse; "Night Games" has children going dutifully to church after a game night of the most incredible moral insanity; and so on and so forth.
Unlike typical horror tales of iconic creatures of the night, cannibals and serial killers, Boden's collection is booby trapped with horror of a different kind. Sure, there's a creature feature in a fantastic Western horror tale ("The Claim"); and a female serial arsonist whose crimes almost make sense ("Doodlebug"); and a serial killer ("This Twilight Garden") and a stalker ("Intruder") - but not a single one is that typical criminal offender you might find elsewhere! (I'll keep the review spoiler-free and allow you to discover yourself what makes these human monsters even more atypical than usual.) But Boden excels in combining supernatural horror with those human elements inspiring great art, philosophy, even religion: namely, pain, grief, memory, love, and loss. If you need convincing, just take a look at the closing story, "Tinsel": heart-breaking and deeply meaningful, as well as creepy as hell, without a drop of blood being shed; or at the apocalyptic and very disturbing "Of Debris and Duty," short and impactful, gory and heavily emotional.
In sum, don't expect any simple stories of make-believe: there are monsters here but no boogeymen. The monsters are occasionally supernatural, but in truth they're your own emotions, your own memories, the losses that will haunt you to the end of your days. Proceed with caution!
August 13, 2024
4.5 stars
If you want some damn fine writing, John Boden is your man. This collection of his short stories is second to none.
If you want heart wrenching, suck the tears right outta your sockets, this is the book for you. The story Tinsel will have you grabbing those tissues.
If you want a scare. or a burst of discomfort, then guess what? Yeah, it's in there. Intruder shook me up. And that ain't easy.
Give it a go. you'll be glad you did.
If you want some damn fine writing, John Boden is your man. This collection of his short stories is second to none.
If you want heart wrenching, suck the tears right outta your sockets, this is the book for you. The story Tinsel will have you grabbing those tissues.
If you want a scare. or a burst of discomfort, then guess what? Yeah, it's in there. Intruder shook me up. And that ain't easy.
Give it a go. you'll be glad you did.
August 9, 2024
I am a huge John Boden fan and this is no exception. His dreamy debut collection is whimsical, dark, and tinged with melancholy. His short stories run the gamut of genre, from magical surrealism to horror. It's the kind of book you need to savor. Highly recommended if you like beautiful prose and poetic imagery.
April 13, 2026
One of the best short story collections I’ve read in a long time.
Think Kings Nightshift by way of Ligotti & Bradbury.
Or a disillusioned rural Spielberg with kids on rusty bikes that always get stuck in the mud.
Or Michael Wehunt with a twang.
Full of heart, soul, wisdom, mystery & human horror (and some gutcrunching angst). It will break your heart and you’ll be a better person for it.
Also, check out Walk the darkness down, Jedi Summer, Out behind the barn (w/ Chad Lutzke) or any other Boden of your choice.
Think Kings Nightshift by way of Ligotti & Bradbury.
Or a disillusioned rural Spielberg with kids on rusty bikes that always get stuck in the mud.
Or Michael Wehunt with a twang.
Full of heart, soul, wisdom, mystery & human horror (and some gutcrunching angst). It will break your heart and you’ll be a better person for it.
Also, check out Walk the darkness down, Jedi Summer, Out behind the barn (w/ Chad Lutzke) or any other Boden of your choice.
July 31, 2024
What a wonderful and terrifying collection of stories by John Boden, truly there is not a bad one in the bunch. I really loved the heartfelt yet sad first story, Come Tomorrow, it really was an emotional story. What a great assortment of tales!
September 3, 2025
This took me a long time to read. Especially with how short it is. The author's writing style really doesn't work for me. Very wordy/flowery and sometimes felt like too much for so little. I enjoyed a couple books I read where he collaborated with Chad Lutzke (who I really enjoy) so thought I'd give Boden a go on his own. Think I'll stick to collabs from now on.
Below are (mostly) very brief bits about how I felt after finishing the story. I do not give summaries. Some here would be literally impossible too. Some have trigger warnings at the end so beware and I'm sure I missed quite a bit. Check elsewhere before picking this one up.
Come Tomorrow - 3.5 Stars
Sad story with a sad ending. Was interesting. Part of me wanted more while the rest thought it was a great length... Suicide. Child death, spousal death.
Of Debris and Duty - 2 Stars
Really wanted more info here. I like it went stories are so open and start in the middle of things but it was... Chaos without anything else. Except suicide. Maybe some sort of virus, zombie apocalypse...?
The Recluse - 2 Stars
Wasn't a fan of the writing style with the bullet points. Had an interesting concept but didn't really care.
The Final Kick - 1 Star
Could not hold my attention. Random swears seemed cheap. Similes. "ZZZZZZZZ…" for the ending. Legit.
The Worm Eaters - 1 Star
Uh, what? Just to disgust...? Wasn't even much so and was literally only two paragraphs and not even long ones...
Halfway Wrong Don't Make It Alright - 3 Stars
Very sad. Bit convoluted. At least there was actual story. Rape of minor (multiple times, alluded to).
Salten - 2 Stars
I'm just not connecting with this author... Too flowery.
Night Games - 2.5 Stars
Interesting to see the contrast with the mask and without. Messed up.
The Claim - 4 Stars
Some creepy imagery here. Good length and liked how it looped.
In the Morning - 1 Star or even no rating
Um, okay. One paragraph.
Doodlebug - 3.5 Stars
Sad. Interesting. I really just don't have much to add to these... Abuse.
Them Iron Eyes Cody Blues - 2 Stars
Bleak. Explicit details about animal deaths/still-birth and eating them out of desperation.
Cottonmouth - 2 Stars
Meh. Felt like it could have been creepier, a lot more so but was missing... Well, I really think it's the author's writing style... Sadly. Lots of tell.
The Going Rate - 3.5 Stars
Would be interested in more background/information. Rather messed up and then to abandon your child like that...
Down by the Ocean - 2 Stars
Not much here. Just a creepy? Maybe? Creature killing/eating. That's about it.
A Fee for Fables - 3.5 Stars
Liked the ending. Perfect length for this one.
Intruder - 3 Stars
Interesting way to show OCD rep... It also took a random turn in the middle when the intruder enters the bathroom.
The Pass - 3.5 Stars
Sad. And very true.
This Twilight Garden - 2.5 Stars
Nothing to really say about this one. Delusional probably.
Summer Gullet - 2 Stars
Wouldn't have wanted to be his friend...
Tinsel - 4 Stars
Super sad. Not really sure how this story fits here though.
Below are (mostly) very brief bits about how I felt after finishing the story. I do not give summaries. Some here would be literally impossible too. Some have trigger warnings at the end so beware and I'm sure I missed quite a bit. Check elsewhere before picking this one up.
Come Tomorrow - 3.5 Stars
Sad story with a sad ending. Was interesting. Part of me wanted more while the rest thought it was a great length... Suicide. Child death, spousal death.
Of Debris and Duty - 2 Stars
Really wanted more info here. I like it went stories are so open and start in the middle of things but it was... Chaos without anything else. Except suicide. Maybe some sort of virus, zombie apocalypse...?
The Recluse - 2 Stars
Wasn't a fan of the writing style with the bullet points. Had an interesting concept but didn't really care.
The Final Kick - 1 Star
Could not hold my attention. Random swears seemed cheap. Similes. "ZZZZZZZZ…" for the ending. Legit.
The Worm Eaters - 1 Star
Uh, what? Just to disgust...? Wasn't even much so and was literally only two paragraphs and not even long ones...
Halfway Wrong Don't Make It Alright - 3 Stars
Very sad. Bit convoluted. At least there was actual story. Rape of minor (multiple times, alluded to).
Salten - 2 Stars
I'm just not connecting with this author... Too flowery.
Night Games - 2.5 Stars
Interesting to see the contrast with the mask and without. Messed up.
The Claim - 4 Stars
Some creepy imagery here. Good length and liked how it looped.
In the Morning - 1 Star or even no rating
Um, okay. One paragraph.
Doodlebug - 3.5 Stars
Sad. Interesting. I really just don't have much to add to these... Abuse.
Them Iron Eyes Cody Blues - 2 Stars
Bleak. Explicit details about animal deaths/still-birth and eating them out of desperation.
Cottonmouth - 2 Stars
Meh. Felt like it could have been creepier, a lot more so but was missing... Well, I really think it's the author's writing style... Sadly. Lots of tell.
The Going Rate - 3.5 Stars
Would be interested in more background/information. Rather messed up and then to abandon your child like that...
Down by the Ocean - 2 Stars
Not much here. Just a creepy? Maybe? Creature killing/eating. That's about it.
A Fee for Fables - 3.5 Stars
Liked the ending. Perfect length for this one.
Intruder - 3 Stars
Interesting way to show OCD rep... It also took a random turn in the middle when the intruder enters the bathroom.
The Pass - 3.5 Stars
Sad. And very true.
This Twilight Garden - 2.5 Stars
Nothing to really say about this one. Delusional probably.
Summer Gullet - 2 Stars
Wouldn't have wanted to be his friend...
Tinsel - 4 Stars
Super sad. Not really sure how this story fits here though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2024
Thank you to Cemetery Dance Publications for the review copy 🙌
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 is a collection of poems and short stories meant to ensnare the readers senses, while simultaneously enhancing their potency. Filled with grief and self reflection, these pages will overwhelm you will a flood of emotions you might not be ready for.
Once again, I am in awe of John Bodens beautiful prose. It’s very essence is poetic in form, creating beautiful imagery that brings his work to life. John has a way of invoking an emotional response with his reader, creating a very intimate relationship between page and reader.
There was a lot to absorb from this collection, but these were my personal favorites:
🎣 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬- A man grieving takes to fishing to comfort himself, but ends up catching more than he bargained for.
That ending! 😭
🏅𝙊𝙛 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙮-
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘬.”
A man caught in a war reflects on the horrors around him and is pushed to the edge.
👿𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙄𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩-
“𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘈 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬. 𝘖𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢.”
Plagued by a lifetime of abuse, a young girl sets to punishing those who hurt her, as well as her own inner demons.
🫗𝘾𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝
A house owner keeps getting strange visitors, each time requesting a glass of water.
Reading this actually made me soooo thirsty and I literally had to go get a big glass of water to drink 😂.
👹𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚
“𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵. 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩-𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯.”
A man must come to grips with the form of payment demanded by the tax man.
Wow! The visual imagery of the tax man in this one was superb 👌. And the last sentence! 😳.
🎄𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙡
A man reminisces about his amazing life with his wife until an illness takes her from him. Grief horror at its finest. Don’t forget the Kleenex box for this one 😩.
—-
I feel like reading something John Boden wrote is a privilege and I have to say, I do feel honored to have been able to read this collection. I will recommend his work to any type of reader, as I feel it can be, and should be, universally appreciated. Overall I give this collection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I always find collections difficult to rate, as there are some stories that resonate with me more than others, but I also find everyone’s palate different, and there are different stories for different palates. I also want to give a special shout out to Aaron Dries for the excellent introduction. 🙌
Until next time, thank you for letting us into your world Mister Boden 💙.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 is a collection of poems and short stories meant to ensnare the readers senses, while simultaneously enhancing their potency. Filled with grief and self reflection, these pages will overwhelm you will a flood of emotions you might not be ready for.
Once again, I am in awe of John Bodens beautiful prose. It’s very essence is poetic in form, creating beautiful imagery that brings his work to life. John has a way of invoking an emotional response with his reader, creating a very intimate relationship between page and reader.
There was a lot to absorb from this collection, but these were my personal favorites:
🎣 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬- A man grieving takes to fishing to comfort himself, but ends up catching more than he bargained for.
That ending! 😭
🏅𝙊𝙛 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙮-
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘬.”
A man caught in a war reflects on the horrors around him and is pushed to the edge.
👿𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙄𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩-
“𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘈 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬. 𝘖𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢.”
Plagued by a lifetime of abuse, a young girl sets to punishing those who hurt her, as well as her own inner demons.
🫗𝘾𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝
A house owner keeps getting strange visitors, each time requesting a glass of water.
Reading this actually made me soooo thirsty and I literally had to go get a big glass of water to drink 😂.
👹𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚
“𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵. 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩-𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯.”
A man must come to grips with the form of payment demanded by the tax man.
Wow! The visual imagery of the tax man in this one was superb 👌. And the last sentence! 😳.
🎄𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙡
A man reminisces about his amazing life with his wife until an illness takes her from him. Grief horror at its finest. Don’t forget the Kleenex box for this one 😩.
—-
I feel like reading something John Boden wrote is a privilege and I have to say, I do feel honored to have been able to read this collection. I will recommend his work to any type of reader, as I feel it can be, and should be, universally appreciated. Overall I give this collection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I always find collections difficult to rate, as there are some stories that resonate with me more than others, but I also find everyone’s palate different, and there are different stories for different palates. I also want to give a special shout out to Aaron Dries for the excellent introduction. 🙌
Until next time, thank you for letting us into your world Mister Boden 💙.
December 12, 2024
OK, so I am extremely late on writing this review, and to my Brother John, I am truly sorry. But here it is - better late than never.
If you know me, read my reviews, or followed me for any length of time, you know that when I say the following, it is one of the highest compliments I know how to give:
It didn’t suck.
If you don’t know me, or have read past reviews where I have used that statement, just know it is 100% a high compliment; reserved for those that I love, and admire.
Quick background - I originally met John on Facebook. Mutual friend, of a mutual friend, or some such thing. To be honest, I don’t quite recall, but I do remember asking for two of his books that he was offering (signed, in any color you wanted). After falling in love with those, we became good friends, and finally met up at a Scares That Care event in Virginia many years ago. We’ve been close ever since.
So much so, that he one was of the first authors I asked to submit a story for a charity anthology I edited and published in 2019. That story - “Come Tomorrow” - kicks off this latest collection of creepy, heartbreaking, gruesome, grizzly, dark, and fantastical stories that are bound to make your head spin. It was said in another review, and I have to point it out here as well - Aaron Dries stated in the introduction, “This book is not safe.” He hit the nail on the head with that one.
I don’t want to rehash the stories, or even pick a favorite - that may come tomorrow if I decide to update this review - but I can honestly say that if you’ve never read anything by John, pick this one up first. It’s like a Chinese Buffet - the range of flavors is expansive, and there is something for everyone. But remember this: Just like the buffet, you may find yourself going back for seconds; and with John, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
If you know me, read my reviews, or followed me for any length of time, you know that when I say the following, it is one of the highest compliments I know how to give:
It didn’t suck.
If you don’t know me, or have read past reviews where I have used that statement, just know it is 100% a high compliment; reserved for those that I love, and admire.
Quick background - I originally met John on Facebook. Mutual friend, of a mutual friend, or some such thing. To be honest, I don’t quite recall, but I do remember asking for two of his books that he was offering (signed, in any color you wanted). After falling in love with those, we became good friends, and finally met up at a Scares That Care event in Virginia many years ago. We’ve been close ever since.
So much so, that he one was of the first authors I asked to submit a story for a charity anthology I edited and published in 2019. That story - “Come Tomorrow” - kicks off this latest collection of creepy, heartbreaking, gruesome, grizzly, dark, and fantastical stories that are bound to make your head spin. It was said in another review, and I have to point it out here as well - Aaron Dries stated in the introduction, “This book is not safe.” He hit the nail on the head with that one.
I don’t want to rehash the stories, or even pick a favorite - that may come tomorrow if I decide to update this review - but I can honestly say that if you’ve never read anything by John, pick this one up first. It’s like a Chinese Buffet - the range of flavors is expansive, and there is something for everyone. But remember this: Just like the buffet, you may find yourself going back for seconds; and with John, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
August 24, 2024
Etiquette of Booby Traps was a collection sad heart wrenching stories. Written by John Boden my favorite out of the stories where Tomorrow, and Halfway Wrong Don’t Make It Alright. Both stories are of loss and loneliness. I’m not sure I would classify this collection as horror. I guess there was a little creature feature in it with Down by The Ocean and a telling of hellions in Night Games and a mod podge of other tales. This was ok, but I wouldn’t say it was a favorite of mine.
August 2, 2024
What a unique book of collaborative short stories and poems.
This isn't my usual go to, but the stories were short and memorable.
If this is your thing I suggest you go read! Great job John Boden.
This isn't my usual go to, but the stories were short and memorable.
If this is your thing I suggest you go read! Great job John Boden.
August 25, 2024
A truly stunning collection by the inimitable John Boden!
A more detailed review coming.
A more detailed review coming.
November 3, 2024
This book was simply fantastic.
October 20, 2025
I'm a big fan of Boden's novellas but this collection of flash and short fiction didn't work for me...it was just okay.
5/10
5/10
February 11, 2026
Some very odd, very short stories, some of which are very effective.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews