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I, Ghost
I, Ghost is a paranormal story written by the ghost. The protagonist is tortured in a program by the Institute to extract the body's pain fighting chemicals. An error by Jon, an eighteen-year-old surly boy and the son of his torturer, Leon, leads to the death of the subject. His spirit enters the next world, a realm of souls trapped between the physical world and the next domain. The inability to let go of the entrapments of the physical life they left behind holds them in this realm. The ghost realizes this and can move on, but seeks revenge on those who tortured and killed him.
As a spirit, he is unable to sense the physical world, but can enter the minds of those he had interacted with and perceive the world through them. The more time he is with them the stronger the bond until he is able to influence them. He creates nightmares in both Jon and Leon.
The Institute takes Jon on as a student in their medical training program, and he proves quite adept in diagnostics. The spirit is able to funnel information from the next domain of Knowledge into Jon giving him the ability to make accurate diagnoses of patients. The spirit develops an affinity for Jon as it helps him.
Jon and Leon's interactions with other people allows the ghost to become familiar with and enter them. He learns that Dr. Yoon, the supervisor, is part of a nefarious North Korean scheme to extort billions of dollars from the world to stem a disease they have created. The spirit plants doubt and caution into Jon who posts information about the virus and a vaccine online, thus disrupting the plan.
The dimension of Knowledge the destination of souls and beckons the spirit to join, but he resists, feeling a duty to punish those at the Institute responsible for the torture and potential pandemic. He realizes Leon was a puppet in this project and a liability to the Institute if their torture program is revealed. A plan forms to destroy those behind this scheme.
As a spirit, he is unable to sense the physical world, but can enter the minds of those he had interacted with and perceive the world through them. The more time he is with them the stronger the bond until he is able to influence them. He creates nightmares in both Jon and Leon.
The Institute takes Jon on as a student in their medical training program, and he proves quite adept in diagnostics. The spirit is able to funnel information from the next domain of Knowledge into Jon giving him the ability to make accurate diagnoses of patients. The spirit develops an affinity for Jon as it helps him.
Jon and Leon's interactions with other people allows the ghost to become familiar with and enter them. He learns that Dr. Yoon, the supervisor, is part of a nefarious North Korean scheme to extort billions of dollars from the world to stem a disease they have created. The spirit plants doubt and caution into Jon who posts information about the virus and a vaccine online, thus disrupting the plan.
The dimension of Knowledge the destination of souls and beckons the spirit to join, but he resists, feeling a duty to punish those at the Institute responsible for the torture and potential pandemic. He realizes Leon was a puppet in this project and a liability to the Institute if their torture program is revealed. A plan forms to destroy those behind this scheme.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 28, 2025
R.L. Clayton’s I, Ghost is a daring blend of paranormal mystery and medical thriller, offering readers a story that is both chilling and deeply thought-provoking. What begins with the brutal suffering of a human test subject in a shadowy medical program unfolds into a haunting tale of survival beyond death, revenge, and the thin line between justice and obsession.
The novel introduces us to a man whose body is exploited by an Institute determined to harness pain-resistant chemicals for its own purposes. His tragic end comes at the hands of Jon, a troubled teenager and the son of Leon, one of his tormentors. But death is not the conclusion—it is the beginning. The man’s consciousness drifts into a space between life and eternity, where souls linger because they are tethered to what they could not release in the world of the living. Unlike others, he discovers a way forward, yet his thirst for retribution keeps him tied to those who destroyed him.What makes this story striking is the ghost’s unusual ability to reconnect with the living—not through objects or shadows, but by inhabiting the thoughts and emotions of those he once encountered. This link first appears fragile, allowing him only glimpses of their world. Over time, the connection deepens, giving him the ability to influence dreams, create nightmares, and, eventually, affect decisions. The most complex of these bonds is with Jon. Initially, Jon becomes another channel for his revenge, but the spirit soon starts funneling knowledge into him—knowledge that allows the boy to excel as a medical student, almost as though he is guided by an intelligence beyond human comprehension.
The novel grows even more layered as the ghost uncovers a darker plot behind the Institute. Under Dr. Yoon’s leadership, a plan emerges to profit from a manufactured global health crisis.This revelation shifts the ghost’s role: no longer just a vengeful presence, he becomes a crucial force in dismantling a catastrophic scheme that could endanger millions. Through Jon, he begins sowing resistance, leading to information leaks that threaten the shadowy project.
Clayton balances the personal and the global with impressive control. On one hand, we see the intimate torment of a soul unable to let go of betrayal and cruelty. On the other, we watch a vast conspiracy unfold, placing the ghost in a position where his choices impact not just those who wronged him but humanity at large. These parallel struggles—private vengeance versus collective responsibility—make the book resonate beyond a standard supernatural story.Stylistically, the novel carries a cinematic quality. The dreamscapes, the psychological manipulations, and the ghost’s gradual growth in influence are rendered with detail that makes them feel vivid and unsettling. At the same time, the philosophical undercurrent—about whether clinging to anger or duty prevents one from moving on—gives readers plenty to reflect upon once the action pauses.
What ultimately sets I, Ghost apart is its refusal to remain one thing. It is at once a paranormal tale, a conspiracy thriller, and a meditation on the costs of vengeance. Clayton doesn’t offer easy resolutions, instead forcing readers to confront uncomfortable questions: Does revenge ever free us? Can justice coexist with compassion? And what is the true purpose of knowledge that outlives the body?
The novel introduces us to a man whose body is exploited by an Institute determined to harness pain-resistant chemicals for its own purposes. His tragic end comes at the hands of Jon, a troubled teenager and the son of Leon, one of his tormentors. But death is not the conclusion—it is the beginning. The man’s consciousness drifts into a space between life and eternity, where souls linger because they are tethered to what they could not release in the world of the living. Unlike others, he discovers a way forward, yet his thirst for retribution keeps him tied to those who destroyed him.What makes this story striking is the ghost’s unusual ability to reconnect with the living—not through objects or shadows, but by inhabiting the thoughts and emotions of those he once encountered. This link first appears fragile, allowing him only glimpses of their world. Over time, the connection deepens, giving him the ability to influence dreams, create nightmares, and, eventually, affect decisions. The most complex of these bonds is with Jon. Initially, Jon becomes another channel for his revenge, but the spirit soon starts funneling knowledge into him—knowledge that allows the boy to excel as a medical student, almost as though he is guided by an intelligence beyond human comprehension.
The novel grows even more layered as the ghost uncovers a darker plot behind the Institute. Under Dr. Yoon’s leadership, a plan emerges to profit from a manufactured global health crisis.This revelation shifts the ghost’s role: no longer just a vengeful presence, he becomes a crucial force in dismantling a catastrophic scheme that could endanger millions. Through Jon, he begins sowing resistance, leading to information leaks that threaten the shadowy project.
Clayton balances the personal and the global with impressive control. On one hand, we see the intimate torment of a soul unable to let go of betrayal and cruelty. On the other, we watch a vast conspiracy unfold, placing the ghost in a position where his choices impact not just those who wronged him but humanity at large. These parallel struggles—private vengeance versus collective responsibility—make the book resonate beyond a standard supernatural story.Stylistically, the novel carries a cinematic quality. The dreamscapes, the psychological manipulations, and the ghost’s gradual growth in influence are rendered with detail that makes them feel vivid and unsettling. At the same time, the philosophical undercurrent—about whether clinging to anger or duty prevents one from moving on—gives readers plenty to reflect upon once the action pauses.
What ultimately sets I, Ghost apart is its refusal to remain one thing. It is at once a paranormal tale, a conspiracy thriller, and a meditation on the costs of vengeance. Clayton doesn’t offer easy resolutions, instead forcing readers to confront uncomfortable questions: Does revenge ever free us? Can justice coexist with compassion? And what is the true purpose of knowledge that outlives the body?
August 19, 2025
I’ve read my share of ghost stories, but none of them even come close to this. The choice to tell the entire story through the voice of a restless spirit was bold, and it pays off in every chapter. What struck me most was how real it felt the torment, the confusion, the anger, and even the strange moments of clarity that come after death. Clayton doesn’t shy away from the darker parts, and while some scenes were brutal, they gave the story real weight. I loved how the pacing kept me hooked, never dragging but never rushing, either. The suspense builds naturally, and I found myself reading later into the night than I should have just to see where it went next. It’s haunting in every sense of the word both as a paranormal thriller and as an exploration of what it means to be human.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews