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TH3 D3M0N: The Fires Rise, Book 1
A series of mysterious disappearances in the city of Boston has Cort on the edge. There are rumors that the missing have fallen victim to a computer virus known as “The Demon” which causes those infected to exhibit violent behavior. As people continue to vanish or fall victim to the violence, it becomes harder for Cort to pretend that "The Demon" is just an urban legend spread on the internet.
Will he be able to survive a world overrun by the infected?
Will he be able to survive a world overrun by the infected?
- GenresHorror
Audible Audio
First published October 29, 2017
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22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 2, 2018
It's a story about a computer virus that may (or may not) have infernal origins and causes people to commit disgusting crimes, perform ritual murders, practice cannibalism, and enjoy other such adventures once they have seen the red screen of death. It is very possible, even probable, that the author is satirizing some or all segments of society in the process, in the most sincerely Romero-ish sense.
The characters are very well-realized and the incidents are generally not gloated over, occurring in fugue states, keeping the book from being splatter and adding to the mysterioso air of the book.
Great fun. Fast read. You should buy it.
The characters are very well-realized and the incidents are generally not gloated over, occurring in fugue states, keeping the book from being splatter and adding to the mysterioso air of the book.
Great fun. Fast read. You should buy it.
November 1, 2018
Social media and the internet at large can be terrifying. That’s a tacit truth that many of us don’t give much thought as we interact with the virtual world day after day. Sean M. Thompson, however, dives headfirst into this concept, and what he’s created in his debut novel is at once gruesome and thought-provoking.
As a huge fan of his 2016 collection, TOO LATE, I was looking very forward to seeing what Thompson could do with a longer form, so I dug in as soon as I received this ARC. Fortunately, TH3 D3M0N does not disappoint. This story is dark and twisted and unlike anything else you’ve ever read. Without giving too much away, it is fair to say there is so much pain here, and so much raw honesty as well. A grim book to be sure, it also explores and deconstructs what makes us human---displaying all the cruelty and violent predilections that come much too easy to people. TH3 D3M0N will stick with you for a long time, lingering in the back of your mind, nagging at you in the way that only a great story can. Highly recommended.
As a huge fan of his 2016 collection, TOO LATE, I was looking very forward to seeing what Thompson could do with a longer form, so I dug in as soon as I received this ARC. Fortunately, TH3 D3M0N does not disappoint. This story is dark and twisted and unlike anything else you’ve ever read. Without giving too much away, it is fair to say there is so much pain here, and so much raw honesty as well. A grim book to be sure, it also explores and deconstructs what makes us human---displaying all the cruelty and violent predilections that come much too easy to people. TH3 D3M0N will stick with you for a long time, lingering in the back of your mind, nagging at you in the way that only a great story can. Highly recommended.
May 6, 2021
I have several anthologies Sean Thompson's shorter work appears in, though what really prompted me to seek out a longer work by him was hearing about 'Hate From the Sky' on the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast, which I still have yet to read. The concept intrigued me enough that I wanted to dip into something longer of his. Especially as while I generally find Bizarro overall a bit hit or miss (more often miss than hit), in particular bizarro themed collections, I had enjoyed his shorter form work in more 'weird' and straightforward horror collections.
'D3mon' is interesting, in that it stylistically reads almost like two different books. The first half reads like a more traditional horror novel, with same sorts of suspense, tension building, and shocks one might expect in that genre, albeit through the lens of technology being the delivery method for the supernatural/demonic/occult horror. It takes place over the course of approximately 10 months, and the storytelling (from some highly unreliable narrators) involves us hearing about or seeing made blog/vlog entries, but not presented as documents. It begins to evolve into an almost-zombie/almost-satanic cult story, and by the second half really starts to go off the rails (not in a bad way) into the bizarro realm. I noticed some other reviews stating that the story started off 'slow' but eventually took off, and I think this stylistic/genre shift is what they're referring too, though I'd argue that first part is not slow, but rather the natural tension building that long form work requires to be more than a string of vaguely connected scenes.
I'm interested to see if in further longer form works this obvious tension between two styles will be synthesized into something more cohesive and unique, with a less distinguishable switch between the two. I think that's the sort of thing that's going to be required for bizarro to reach wider audiences and gain recognition in more 'respectable' literary (even horror) circles, rather than just leaning into absurdity and shock value. I can easily see authors like Sean Thompson and J.R. Hammentaschen (for different reasons entirely) spearheading this kind of shift while retaining some of the fun and outlandish elements of bizarro.
'D3mon' is interesting, in that it stylistically reads almost like two different books. The first half reads like a more traditional horror novel, with same sorts of suspense, tension building, and shocks one might expect in that genre, albeit through the lens of technology being the delivery method for the supernatural/demonic/occult horror. It takes place over the course of approximately 10 months, and the storytelling (from some highly unreliable narrators) involves us hearing about or seeing made blog/vlog entries, but not presented as documents. It begins to evolve into an almost-zombie/almost-satanic cult story, and by the second half really starts to go off the rails (not in a bad way) into the bizarro realm. I noticed some other reviews stating that the story started off 'slow' but eventually took off, and I think this stylistic/genre shift is what they're referring too, though I'd argue that first part is not slow, but rather the natural tension building that long form work requires to be more than a string of vaguely connected scenes.
I'm interested to see if in further longer form works this obvious tension between two styles will be synthesized into something more cohesive and unique, with a less distinguishable switch between the two. I think that's the sort of thing that's going to be required for bizarro to reach wider audiences and gain recognition in more 'respectable' literary (even horror) circles, rather than just leaning into absurdity and shock value. I can easily see authors like Sean Thompson and J.R. Hammentaschen (for different reasons entirely) spearheading this kind of shift while retaining some of the fun and outlandish elements of bizarro.
November 1, 2017
Thompson brings possession horror to the age of social media. This is bloody, batshit horror, with scenes of brutal violence literally bookending chapters of the main story. The weirdness keeps ratcheting up to the very end and it's just so great. The conceit itself is genius--half-KING IN YELLOW, half-PULSE, Thompson illustrates the memetic destruction of humanity brilliantly. I don't want to say too much, but trust me: this book is a fun, grisly ride well worth your time.
(Full disclosure: I *did* publish an early draft of this book on my website as a serial. I am *not* associated with this longer, edited version.)
(Full disclosure: I *did* publish an early draft of this book on my website as a serial. I am *not* associated with this longer, edited version.)
August 16, 2018
Great first novel from Sean M. Thompson. Plenty of gory and creepy moments and an intriguing story. Really excited to see what else is going to come up in this universe and from this author.
August 15, 2018
There's something electric in Thompson's gonzo prose. Though I'm not quite certain what the "bizarro" umbrella entails, I know it when I see it. Thompson is a master of the form, blending humor and nihilism with excellent and slow character work that somehow hastens the speed of his apocalypse. This left me wanting more, and I hope the author can get that out quickly.
January 6, 2018
This book is a helluva ride
Brutal, creepy, and weirdly, darkly funny, TH3 D3MON is the kind of horror novel that doesn't just get read--it gets devoured. I was in sync with Thompson's writing from the first page, and I reveled in the varied sins and depravities explored in the pages. It's gratuitous in the best possible way, and layered with solid writing and a unique perspective on what 21st century horror can be. I can't wait for whatever Thompson has coming next!
Brutal, creepy, and weirdly, darkly funny, TH3 D3MON is the kind of horror novel that doesn't just get read--it gets devoured. I was in sync with Thompson's writing from the first page, and I reveled in the varied sins and depravities explored in the pages. It's gratuitous in the best possible way, and layered with solid writing and a unique perspective on what 21st century horror can be. I can't wait for whatever Thompson has coming next!
May 14, 2022
One of my favorite Sean M Thompson works, Th3 D3m0n is a fast-paced and vivid depiction of technology and the occult. The vignettes are short, vicious, and beautifully surreal, and help bring the narrative together in an all-too-real world balanced with strange, apocalyptic moments of brutal and visceral horror.
January 8, 2020
The story started out slow, but as it built the feeling of dread only got better. I look forward to reading more by this author. I only hope it arrives before the end of days.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews