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The Nut House
Crime! Cosmic Horror! Squirrels?!
Asher Black is one of—if not the best thieves in the town of Majestic Forest. He’s also a squirrel. Compelled to lead a group of hench-critters to an old house said to contain a vast store of acorns in the attic, Asher discovers the job isn’t as simple as he thought. The heist quickly goes wrong, as they learn that the owner was a hoarder, and soon towering piles of old newspapers, puddles of sewage, and the house’s animal inhabitants—a mix of pets, strays, and wildlife—who all worship a Death God, all stand in the way Asher’s bushy-tailed crew and freedom. Will Asher and the others escape with their tails—and minds—intact?
Originally serialized in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Patrick Barb’s talking animal-crime-cosmic horror novella is collected here for the first time in a revised and updated edition with illustrations by J.C. Amberlyn. In addition, a brand-new prequel novelette “The Acorn Run” presents a down-and-dirty squirrel crime origin for the nuts that give the infamous Nut House its name.
“The Nut House is probably the best (and most surprising) addition to the pantheon of cosmic horror that I’ve read in a long time.”
—Paul Michael Anderson, author of Standalone and You Can’t Save What Isn’t There
Asher Black is one of—if not the best thieves in the town of Majestic Forest. He’s also a squirrel. Compelled to lead a group of hench-critters to an old house said to contain a vast store of acorns in the attic, Asher discovers the job isn’t as simple as he thought. The heist quickly goes wrong, as they learn that the owner was a hoarder, and soon towering piles of old newspapers, puddles of sewage, and the house’s animal inhabitants—a mix of pets, strays, and wildlife—who all worship a Death God, all stand in the way Asher’s bushy-tailed crew and freedom. Will Asher and the others escape with their tails—and minds—intact?
Originally serialized in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Patrick Barb’s talking animal-crime-cosmic horror novella is collected here for the first time in a revised and updated edition with illustrations by J.C. Amberlyn. In addition, a brand-new prequel novelette “The Acorn Run” presents a down-and-dirty squirrel crime origin for the nuts that give the infamous Nut House its name.
“The Nut House is probably the best (and most surprising) addition to the pantheon of cosmic horror that I’ve read in a long time.”
—Paul Michael Anderson, author of Standalone and You Can’t Save What Isn’t There
- GenresHorror
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2025
4 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Barb
73 books98 followersPatrick Barb is an author of weird, dark, and spooky tales, currently living (and trying not to freeze to death) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His published works include the dark fiction collections The Children’s Horror and Pre-Approved for Haunting, the novellas Gargantuana's Ghost, Turn, and JK-LOL, as well as the novelette Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare. He is the editor and publisher of the anthology And One Day We Will Die: Strange Stories Inspired by the Music of Neutral Milk Hotel. His forthcoming works include the Killer VHS novella Night of the Witch-Hunter from Shortwave Publishing and his debut sci-fi/horror novel Abducted from Dark Matter Ink. His 2023 short story "The Scare Groom" was selected for Best Horror of the Year Volume 16. Visit him at patrickbarb.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 10, 2025
Fun horror/thriller story all told from the POV of a squirrel. Great characters, all non human, engaging/action packed plot, a supernatural aspect to the story and some good gore. Well worth the read, very unique.
August 6, 2025
Maybe the best thing I've read from Patrick Barb so far, a tense, funny, and nightmarish exploration of the pitilessness of nature and animal-human relationships. Readers who are regulator visitors to the Does the Dog Die? website might want to stay away.
July 31, 2025
Patrick Barb's novella, “The Nut House,” is imagination running riot, picking up on the way great chunks of weird fiction, cosmic horror, magical realism, haunted house horror, and even some nuggets of crime fiction. What’s propelling most of the action isn’t simply the utterly original choice to tell the whole thing from the point of view of a squirrel; it’s the premise itself: a squirrel with the reputation of the best acorn thief in the neighborhood, is blackmailed into breaking into the neighborhood’s haunted house, to recover a lost treasure trove of acorns. This ends up pitting the forest’s Squirrel Mafia, so to speak, against the Death God Cult – or whatever is lurking inside the abandoned house in the middle of the forest.
I first read this story in serialized form in Cosmic Horror Monthly magazine, and had a blast with it. Reading it as intended was a true joy; plus, there’s a bonus novelette tucked at the end, “The Acorn Run,” a squirrel horror/dark fantasy of sorts, a terrific prequel to “The Nut House,” explaining certain obscure moments in the story.
So is squirrel horror ("squorror" per the publisher lol) becoming a thing? It's my second book this year with squirrels.
Most importantly though, I can’t praise Barb’s writing enough: the details, the atmosphere, the voice and attitude, the intelligent use of the animal point of view, the constant barbs (sorry!) about humans (especially in the novelette) – but most of all the imagery! Barker-esque vistas towards the ending ("In the Hills, the Cities"), vividly described scenes of a dark fantasy quest in the middle, snapshots of a gangster flick in the beginning.
A riot of the imagination I highly recommend!
I first read this story in serialized form in Cosmic Horror Monthly magazine, and had a blast with it. Reading it as intended was a true joy; plus, there’s a bonus novelette tucked at the end, “The Acorn Run,” a squirrel horror/dark fantasy of sorts, a terrific prequel to “The Nut House,” explaining certain obscure moments in the story.
So is squirrel horror ("squorror" per the publisher lol) becoming a thing? It's my second book this year with squirrels.
Most importantly though, I can’t praise Barb’s writing enough: the details, the atmosphere, the voice and attitude, the intelligent use of the animal point of view, the constant barbs (sorry!) about humans (especially in the novelette) – but most of all the imagery! Barker-esque vistas towards the ending ("In the Hills, the Cities"), vividly described scenes of a dark fantasy quest in the middle, snapshots of a gangster flick in the beginning.
A riot of the imagination I highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Editor
Divertido, emocionante, emotivo, inquietante y con un final frenético. La Casa de las Nueces esconde un montón de secretos (no solo nueces) y Asher Black y su cuadrilla los descubrirán más bien por las malas. Maravillosas las ilustraciones de Laura Belén Pizarro y la cuidada traducción de Luis M. Cuena.
November 14, 2025
The Nut House is a thrilling, darkly whimsical ride into the furry world of Asher. A burnt, battered squirrel with the heart of a hero and the look of a black-and-white cookie. When a life-or-death treasure hunt pulls Asher into a twisted crew of anthropomorphic misfits, the stakes become as nutty as they are deadly. A hoarder's houses, twisted friendships, and squirrel-on-squirrel betrayals kept me guessing, hoping Asher would break free from his tormentors. This fantastical horror tale is endearing and terrifying. I rooted for Asher till the very last nut. Novella is worth the read. I have always been curious of the innards of a stuff filled home.
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July 2, 2025An absolutely delightful experience that involves a heist, mystery, betrayal, cosmic horror, and squirrel politics!
There is something so deeply entertaining about contrasting the whimsical nature of animal perspective to the harsh brutalities of an uncaring world. Our protagonist, Asher, knows that nature can be unforgiving. He still suffers from PTSD after losing everyone he loved in a tree fire ignited by lighting. Even with time, Asher still has the physical and mental scars of that dreadful day.
Then Asher gets forced by the Gray Squirrel leader to make the ultimate heist: robbing the Nut House. A heist is only as good as its team but, well, this team is filled with trust issues. I’m sure it won’t cause any issues.
I loved reading all the interpersonal interactions between characters and piecing together the mystery behind the Nut House (Which is a human house that has absolutely nothing strange going on inside. No suspicious activity whatsoever if you ignore the fact that no previous groups left the house alive. Don’t worry about it.)
The adventure is well-paced, there is great dialogue that effortlessly transitions from silly to serious, and the horror was surprisingly brutal (which I LOVED). While there may be some out there, this is the first squirrel horror novel I read and it is a real standout. It is a breath of fresh air in the horror genre.
And if that isn’t enough to sell you, then read it for the chipmunk. Chee-Chee is the strong female character that we need. She is absolutely nuts <3
PS. The artwork is gorgeous! There is a picture before each chapter and they are so cute!
There is something so deeply entertaining about contrasting the whimsical nature of animal perspective to the harsh brutalities of an uncaring world. Our protagonist, Asher, knows that nature can be unforgiving. He still suffers from PTSD after losing everyone he loved in a tree fire ignited by lighting. Even with time, Asher still has the physical and mental scars of that dreadful day.
Then Asher gets forced by the Gray Squirrel leader to make the ultimate heist: robbing the Nut House. A heist is only as good as its team but, well, this team is filled with trust issues. I’m sure it won’t cause any issues.
I loved reading all the interpersonal interactions between characters and piecing together the mystery behind the Nut House (Which is a human house that has absolutely nothing strange going on inside. No suspicious activity whatsoever if you ignore the fact that no previous groups left the house alive. Don’t worry about it.)
The adventure is well-paced, there is great dialogue that effortlessly transitions from silly to serious, and the horror was surprisingly brutal (which I LOVED). While there may be some out there, this is the first squirrel horror novel I read and it is a real standout. It is a breath of fresh air in the horror genre.
And if that isn’t enough to sell you, then read it for the chipmunk. Chee-Chee is the strong female character that we need. She is absolutely nuts <3
PS. The artwork is gorgeous! There is a picture before each chapter and they are so cute!
July 16, 2025
How can you go wrong with squirrels, a heist, and a creepy house? You can't. Especially in the hands of Patrick Barb. This novella is an absolute blast!
What starts out as a heist to steal a cache of hidden nuts slowly turns into something much more haunting as you go.
The change between crime story to cosmic/folk horror is done really well, with subtle hints along the way to not seem like a sudden change. Barb does a great job with it, keeping you hooked on how the heist is going to work and then hoping they can just get out of there.
It's also really awesome seeing the squirrels and chipmunks do their thing, using their features for the heist and more.
I really dug this and it's totally worth checking out!
What starts out as a heist to steal a cache of hidden nuts slowly turns into something much more haunting as you go.
The change between crime story to cosmic/folk horror is done really well, with subtle hints along the way to not seem like a sudden change. Barb does a great job with it, keeping you hooked on how the heist is going to work and then hoping they can just get out of there.
It's also really awesome seeing the squirrels and chipmunks do their thing, using their features for the heist and more.
I really dug this and it's totally worth checking out!
February 13, 2026
Libro mucho más truculento de lo que esperaba. El final es... El final no puedes imaginarlo. Los animales del libro son terribles todo. Me encanta Flippy, su forma de hablar es top. La edición es chulísima llena de ilustraciones en blanco y negro. Me encanta que venga con una historia extra.
February 22, 2026
Como siempre digo, si todo el mundo le da buena puntuación a un libro y yo todo lo contrario, "no eres tú, soy yo".
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews