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Exponential
Can anything stop a creature that won’t stop growing?
Sam Taylor just wants a friend. Is that too much to ask? His only mistake is finding that friend in Felix, a lab mouse that Sam rescues from the top-secret facility where he works as a janitor. Shortly after his rescue, the mouse begins to change, to swell. There’s something new growing underneath Felix’s fur. Growing very fast.
Holed up in a roadside bar, four survivors—a woman who’s lost everything, her drug dealer, a tribal police officer, and a professional gambler—are all that stand between the rampaging beast and the city of Las Vegas. But as the monster keeps growing—and eating—how long until it’s able to topple the walls protecting them?
Sam Taylor just wants a friend. Is that too much to ask? His only mistake is finding that friend in Felix, a lab mouse that Sam rescues from the top-secret facility where he works as a janitor. Shortly after his rescue, the mouse begins to change, to swell. There’s something new growing underneath Felix’s fur. Growing very fast.
Holed up in a roadside bar, four survivors—a woman who’s lost everything, her drug dealer, a tribal police officer, and a professional gambler—are all that stand between the rampaging beast and the city of Las Vegas. But as the monster keeps growing—and eating—how long until it’s able to topple the walls protecting them?
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2014
110 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Adam Cesare
65 books2,559 followersAdam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. His books include Clown in a Cornfield, Video Night, The Summer Job, and Zero Lives Remaining. He’s an avid fan of horror cinema and runs Project: Black T-Shirt, a YouTube review show where he takes horror films and pairs them with reading suggestions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 2, 2017
When a janitor smuggles a laboratory mouse home, he has no idea of the horror he has unleashed upon the southwest. Holed up in a desert dive, two meth heads, an ex-cop, and a gambler have to find a way past the ravenous beast and to freedom...
As I get older, I'm rediscovering my fondness for gore-splattered creature features. Exponential, Adam Cesare's homage to The Blob and road horror movies, fits the bill.
Exponential is an homage to The Blob and it shows. Only instead of a giant amoeba, the blob of Exponential is a gelatinous pile of dissolving organs and bone fragments. Kind of like the contents of a Taco Bell burrito.
The group of strangers stranded someplace and threatened by an unspeakable menace is one of my favorite horror tropes and Cecsare mines the vein pretty hard. I was at once reminded of Tremors, Maximum Overdrive, and a hundred other B movies from the 80s and early 90s. The characters were surprisingly rich. Kate mourns a dead child. Ken tries to do the right thing despite being a meth dealer. Nez couldn't hack being a cop anymore. Vicki runs from her childhood.
The carnage level is very high. I never felt like the characters were working with a net, which is a good thing because that net would be saturated with blood and bits of monster before long. The ending was satisfying but I'm hoping Son of Exponential shows up one of these days.
Exponential is a shitty 80s horror movie in book form. I mean that in the best of ways. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
As I get older, I'm rediscovering my fondness for gore-splattered creature features. Exponential, Adam Cesare's homage to The Blob and road horror movies, fits the bill.
Exponential is an homage to The Blob and it shows. Only instead of a giant amoeba, the blob of Exponential is a gelatinous pile of dissolving organs and bone fragments. Kind of like the contents of a Taco Bell burrito.
The group of strangers stranded someplace and threatened by an unspeakable menace is one of my favorite horror tropes and Cecsare mines the vein pretty hard. I was at once reminded of Tremors, Maximum Overdrive, and a hundred other B movies from the 80s and early 90s. The characters were surprisingly rich. Kate mourns a dead child. Ken tries to do the right thing despite being a meth dealer. Nez couldn't hack being a cop anymore. Vicki runs from her childhood.
The carnage level is very high. I never felt like the characters were working with a net, which is a good thing because that net would be saturated with blood and bits of monster before long. The ending was satisfying but I'm hoping Son of Exponential shows up one of these days.
Exponential is a shitty 80s horror movie in book form. I mean that in the best of ways. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
January 6, 2022
He only wanted a pet to love, so he stole a lab rat from his employer. Two days later the rat has dissolved into some liquid gel mass comprised of bones, fur, and organs. Thinking his pet is dead, he reaches in to dispose of the horrible remains, to find it's not dead, just transformed. The monster is loose, consuming every living thing in its wake to change into something bigger, deadlier. Five strangers drawn together at a roadside bar on the outskirts of Las Vegas. They will be the last stand between us and the beast. Excellent horror book! Quick paced and full of chills.
😻😻😻😻
😻😻😻😻
September 20, 2017
Meth-heads versus a monster! What's not to enjoy?
In its opening chapters, a kindhearted janitor steals a lab mouse from the animal research division of the biotech company he's working for. And since this is a horror novel, you can pretty well guess how that ends for both the poor janitor and the cute, cuddly lil mousey.
As it turns out, the mouse is infected with something akin to the alien monstrosities at the heart of The Thing and The Blob, and once free it goes on a terrific rampage through the Nevada desert, straight for the first signs of life it can absorb. This just so happens to be a dive bar, a setting that author Adam Cesare spends a good part of the book's first half introducing and then driving our characters toward in-between some good, old-fashioned monster mayhem.
Exponential isn't particularly deep or meaningful, which is fine for me because it is a heck of a lot of easy, breezy fun and I've been craving a flat-out enjoyable creature feature. This one fit the bill rather nicely! We get some neat-o graphic depictions of sentient biomass wreaking havoc on its human prey, some gnarly flashes of meth mouth, and a few solidly heroic beats for our beleaguered cast, all of which made me pretty happy. The main focus here is on fun, and, as evidenced by past works of his I've read, Cesare is a fine entertainer, one who is well-versed in 80s-style B-movie horror goop and who wears his inspirations proudly on his sleeve. I dig that.
In its opening chapters, a kindhearted janitor steals a lab mouse from the animal research division of the biotech company he's working for. And since this is a horror novel, you can pretty well guess how that ends for both the poor janitor and the cute, cuddly lil mousey.
As it turns out, the mouse is infected with something akin to the alien monstrosities at the heart of The Thing and The Blob, and once free it goes on a terrific rampage through the Nevada desert, straight for the first signs of life it can absorb. This just so happens to be a dive bar, a setting that author Adam Cesare spends a good part of the book's first half introducing and then driving our characters toward in-between some good, old-fashioned monster mayhem.
Exponential isn't particularly deep or meaningful, which is fine for me because it is a heck of a lot of easy, breezy fun and I've been craving a flat-out enjoyable creature feature. This one fit the bill rather nicely! We get some neat-o graphic depictions of sentient biomass wreaking havoc on its human prey, some gnarly flashes of meth mouth, and a few solidly heroic beats for our beleaguered cast, all of which made me pretty happy. The main focus here is on fun, and, as evidenced by past works of his I've read, Cesare is a fine entertainer, one who is well-versed in 80s-style B-movie horror goop and who wears his inspirations proudly on his sleeve. I dig that.
September 28, 2021
If you like creature features, you will love this! I read Cesare's Video Night a while back and really liked it, and with Exponential, he crafted another fun and fast read. Exponential could have been pure cheese, I mean, the premise-- five strangers stuck in a lonely roadside bar in the middle of a desert facing a monster? I was expecting something like the movie Feast but this has a lot more going for it.
The plot? Basically a semi-secret lab out in Nevada is doing some strange genetic experiments on animals and one kind old soul of a janitor decides to take one of the lab mice home; big mistake! What ever they did to the mouse, it now basically absorbs people, animals, insects, whatever and is growing rapidly. The strangers in the bar are a fun and diverse lot; with a rather 'old hat' plot such as this, it will be the characters that make or break the story. So, to the strangers. Vicky, a small woman who is a professional gambler and lives off the land as a hunter; Nez, an older ex-cop from the rez; two meth heads on the run from a deal that went south, and of course, the lonely bartender who always wanted the roadhouse to be a biker bar.
Vicky rocks-- just about 5 feet of pixie power with attitude to spare! Cesare manages to create a truly creepy monster; something like the blob with animal cunning and much more capable. Cesare also tosses in the lab's 'cleaner' into the mix, tasked with making sure there are no witnesses to the 'snotdog's' actions. Add in the excellent pacing and some good twists along the way and we have a winner! Looking for a good creature feature this October? Look no further! Recommended for fans of horror-- old school and new. 4 blobby stars!
The plot? Basically a semi-secret lab out in Nevada is doing some strange genetic experiments on animals and one kind old soul of a janitor decides to take one of the lab mice home; big mistake! What ever they did to the mouse, it now basically absorbs people, animals, insects, whatever and is growing rapidly. The strangers in the bar are a fun and diverse lot; with a rather 'old hat' plot such as this, it will be the characters that make or break the story. So, to the strangers. Vicky, a small woman who is a professional gambler and lives off the land as a hunter; Nez, an older ex-cop from the rez; two meth heads on the run from a deal that went south, and of course, the lonely bartender who always wanted the roadhouse to be a biker bar.
Vicky rocks-- just about 5 feet of pixie power with attitude to spare! Cesare manages to create a truly creepy monster; something like the blob with animal cunning and much more capable. Cesare also tosses in the lab's 'cleaner' into the mix, tasked with making sure there are no witnesses to the 'snotdog's' actions. Add in the excellent pacing and some good twists along the way and we have a winner! Looking for a good creature feature this October? Look no further! Recommended for fans of horror-- old school and new. 4 blobby stars!
December 15, 2014
Sam is a janitor at Pine Hills research facility. He likes animals. He wants a pet mouse, so he steals one from work. Probably should have thought this one through a bit more and went to the pet store instead, because it turns out to be a growing gelatinous monster mouse. And it just got out. Oops. Shit.
Adam Cesare is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre. Exponential is an engaging creature feature with a quick moving plot, well developed characters and equally well developed blobby “snotdog” monster. Another very solid work from Adam. 4+ Stars! Highly Recommended!
Adam Cesare is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre. Exponential is an engaging creature feature with a quick moving plot, well developed characters and equally well developed blobby “snotdog” monster. Another very solid work from Adam. 4+ Stars! Highly Recommended!
Want to read
April 1, 2017This book is copy 14 of 52 copies produced and is signed by Adam Cesare.
Signed , Numbered - 52 Copies, Black Voltage Book 70
The cover art is by Chris Enterline.
Signed , Numbered - 52 Copies, Black Voltage Book 70
The cover art is by Chris Enterline.
October 28, 2014
A name that I've come across on numerous occasions at the harder core end of the horror continuum is Adam Cesare, and as such, I've long been looking to read something from his word processor. Not surprisingly then I jumped at the chance to do a pre-release review of his new short novel from Samhain Publishing.
Exponential opens with a simple man engaging in an act of kindness when he saves a rat from a lab where it is being experimented on, hoping to make a friend and save the small creature any further pain. It isn't long before said rat undergoes an incredible change, turning into a kind of amorphous blob like creature that can can take different forms using the bones from the things it has eaten/subsumed into its structural mass, growing bigger as it feeds, and feeding awfully frequently as it heads out on a path that places Rose's Tavern and a bunch of its patrons in harm's way ...
If you're thinking that sounds a lot like either film version of The Blob (for the record, I count myself as a much bigger fan of the 1988 Chuck Russell version), you'd be right. It's a fairly straight forward creature feature type of story. But the execution is excellent. Cesare switches points of view in each chapter, with the early fun being predicting which of the introduced characters will run into the creature and which of those will make it to Rose's Tavern, only to then have to survive against the incessantly ravenous monster. Those that don't more often than not end up meeting an entertaining end, and - be warned, those of a more sensitive disposition - Cesare does not skimp on descriptions of their gory demises. His characters are also engaging, with several being flawed but likeable, to the point where I was actually hoping they would make it out of the mess they found themselves in.
Before this review becomes too lavish in its praise, I should note the very end of Exponential did not quite live up to the standard set by the first 85%. It's satisfying enough, but I would have liked a greater sense of what happened post the final page (he said trying to be vague enough to avoid spoilers), and an interesting character who looked set to play a major role is relegated to being a fulcrum for any sequel that might in future be warranted. Cesare also has a writing style that occasionally knocked me out of the narrative - it's not bad, just different, and very comma-heavy.
These minor quibbles aside, Exponential is an excellent novel, one of the best creature features I've read in years, and will very likely appear on my Top 10 Horror Reads of 2014 when that list appears in a little over two month's time. Do not hesitate to check it out if rampaging-monsters-on-the-loose reads are your type of thing.
4.5 Whip-Lashing Tendrils for Exponential.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Samhain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review and a host of others like it at Horror After Dark.
Exponential opens with a simple man engaging in an act of kindness when he saves a rat from a lab where it is being experimented on, hoping to make a friend and save the small creature any further pain. It isn't long before said rat undergoes an incredible change, turning into a kind of amorphous blob like creature that can can take different forms using the bones from the things it has eaten/subsumed into its structural mass, growing bigger as it feeds, and feeding awfully frequently as it heads out on a path that places Rose's Tavern and a bunch of its patrons in harm's way ...
If you're thinking that sounds a lot like either film version of The Blob (for the record, I count myself as a much bigger fan of the 1988 Chuck Russell version), you'd be right. It's a fairly straight forward creature feature type of story. But the execution is excellent. Cesare switches points of view in each chapter, with the early fun being predicting which of the introduced characters will run into the creature and which of those will make it to Rose's Tavern, only to then have to survive against the incessantly ravenous monster. Those that don't more often than not end up meeting an entertaining end, and - be warned, those of a more sensitive disposition - Cesare does not skimp on descriptions of their gory demises. His characters are also engaging, with several being flawed but likeable, to the point where I was actually hoping they would make it out of the mess they found themselves in.
Before this review becomes too lavish in its praise, I should note the very end of Exponential did not quite live up to the standard set by the first 85%. It's satisfying enough, but I would have liked a greater sense of what happened post the final page (he said trying to be vague enough to avoid spoilers), and an interesting character who looked set to play a major role is relegated to being a fulcrum for any sequel that might in future be warranted. Cesare also has a writing style that occasionally knocked me out of the narrative - it's not bad, just different, and very comma-heavy.
These minor quibbles aside, Exponential is an excellent novel, one of the best creature features I've read in years, and will very likely appear on my Top 10 Horror Reads of 2014 when that list appears in a little over two month's time. Do not hesitate to check it out if rampaging-monsters-on-the-loose reads are your type of thing.
4.5 Whip-Lashing Tendrils for Exponential.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Samhain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review and a host of others like it at Horror After Dark.
February 21, 2015
My first Adam Cesare book was Video Night which I really loved. I saw some starling reviews for Exponential, but I put it off for awhile because I am wary of "monster" novels. After so many years of reading horror monster stories can be rather formulaic that and zombies normally end up on the bottom of my read list.
Fortunately I didn't hold off on Exponential, thankfully my misgivings were wrong. Adam immediately captivated me with his characters in this tale. You wouldn't expect to find such rich back stories in a monster horror novel, but I found myself attached to these characters, even the ones that started out despicable you start feeling for. One character's back story Vicky even tugged at my emotional heart strings.
Oh yeah and there is a monster in this book aka snotdog, I thought was a very cool concept. And the monsters POV was unique and I found enjoying almost wishing there was more from it's perspective. Great read! Adam has been added to my must read list!
Fortunately I didn't hold off on Exponential, thankfully my misgivings were wrong. Adam immediately captivated me with his characters in this tale. You wouldn't expect to find such rich back stories in a monster horror novel, but I found myself attached to these characters, even the ones that started out despicable you start feeling for. One character's back story Vicky even tugged at my emotional heart strings.
Oh yeah and there is a monster in this book aka snotdog, I thought was a very cool concept. And the monsters POV was unique and I found enjoying almost wishing there was more from it's perspective. Great read! Adam has been added to my must read list!
January 9, 2020
Before I get into the review of the book itself, I want to make a quick note regarding my experience with audio books. I haven’t listened to one before this novel. A little bit when needed at work or in some undergrad or graduate course, but other than that, nothing. A hearing disability coupled with the fact that I am a visual learner and reader, and audio books have always been a pass for me. I do like podcasts, so I thought “why not”. I truly enjoyed Cesare’s The Summer Job and Video Night and I NEEDED to read this one, so I accepted.
Man, I am glad I did. I’ve been proven wrong. The combination of Matt Godfrey’s spot-on narration and Cesare’s storytelling ability made it easy for this reluctant audio reader to fall right into the story. Exponential is a highly entertaining creature feature ala The Blob or The Thing and I. Was. There. For. It. I found myself invested in the story from the first chapter, at times chuckling as Cesare and Godfrey took me along for one wild ride.
You will get zero info from me regarding the origin of the “creature” and any other plot details. I knew absolutely NOTHING about this book when I began and I think the reader discovery adds so much to the experience of this book. I will say this, the monster is nasty and the gore coupled with excellent chomp and stomp scenes made my horror heart happy.
Not into creature features? This one also boasts good character development (when needed – let’s be honest – some people are just food, plain and simple) as well as decent backstory that helped me to cheer for our protagonists…and sometimes the monster. Poor Felix. I know one thing – I need a physical copy of this book to add to my Cesare collection. I will fix that soon. After enjoying three novels by this author, I will show up for everything else he puts out there.
Man, I am glad I did. I’ve been proven wrong. The combination of Matt Godfrey’s spot-on narration and Cesare’s storytelling ability made it easy for this reluctant audio reader to fall right into the story. Exponential is a highly entertaining creature feature ala The Blob or The Thing and I. Was. There. For. It. I found myself invested in the story from the first chapter, at times chuckling as Cesare and Godfrey took me along for one wild ride.
You will get zero info from me regarding the origin of the “creature” and any other plot details. I knew absolutely NOTHING about this book when I began and I think the reader discovery adds so much to the experience of this book. I will say this, the monster is nasty and the gore coupled with excellent chomp and stomp scenes made my horror heart happy.
Not into creature features? This one also boasts good character development (when needed – let’s be honest – some people are just food, plain and simple) as well as decent backstory that helped me to cheer for our protagonists…and sometimes the monster. Poor Felix. I know one thing – I need a physical copy of this book to add to my Cesare collection. I will fix that soon. After enjoying three novels by this author, I will show up for everything else he puts out there.
April 4, 2018
This was a decent creature horror novel. The creature is very cool and disgusting, a great creation by Cesare. I felt like this book could have been better, though. The plotting is a little goofy, the reasons why the main characters all converge in one spot in the middle of the desert kind of needlessly stretchy. Why not have the main characters all just be regulars at the bar? Instead they all have sort of needlessly weird backstories. Also, I don't understand why this story had to be set in the present day, only to have weird, unbelievable reasons why some of the main characters don't have cellphones. Why not just say that their phones don't get reception way out in the desert? Instead, they just don't have phones. In 2017. Again, kind of needlessly unbelievable stuff that just happens to push the plot along. That said, there are some great passages in this book, and the monster is very interesting and cool. Kind of an uneven affair overall, with goofy, needless plotting balanced with some excellent passages and a cool creature.
October 27, 2019
Another Great Story from Cesare
What makes this story interesting is that it is more about the experience of a variety of characters facing an unknown monstrosity, than about the monster itself. My personal
favorite was Vicki!!! You really don’t get to learn a great deal about the origins of the monster and that causes a host of questions to arise in your mind. What it doesn’t do, is lessen the impact of its horror.
This is a short, fun read from Adam Cesare.
What makes this story interesting is that it is more about the experience of a variety of characters facing an unknown monstrosity, than about the monster itself. My personal
favorite was Vicki!!! You really don’t get to learn a great deal about the origins of the monster and that causes a host of questions to arise in your mind. What it doesn’t do, is lessen the impact of its horror.
This is a short, fun read from Adam Cesare.
November 21, 2015
Exponential is my first Adam Cesare read, and right away I could tell I was going to like his writing style. The first half of the book reads sort of like a menu for our rampaging creature, each new player being "fattened up" for the reader (and the monster) by utilizing the "info dump" method of character development, a system that only works well in the hands of a clever writer like Mr. Cesare. Just as these introductions start to become tiresome, the author changes gears and sends us to the final showdown with the creature; this is were the story gets really good. The action is well written and the gore top-notch in these scenes, giving the book that classic drive-in feel. A fun, tense monster story. Highly recommended!
January 7, 2020
There's not enough blob stories out there. Thanks, Adam!
July 6, 2023
Fast paced, gooey, gross; this story had a monster that reminded me a bit of Jeff VanderMeer’s “Borne”. This was a totally different take, but Felix’s appetite gave me
Borne vibes.
It was strange, as I have hardly read any books where some of the main characters are active drug addicts. There are other characters, but Kate did offer a unique perspective. Of course, my favourite was crazy Vicky!!
This is a meth’d up read for sure!
Borne vibes.
It was strange, as I have hardly read any books where some of the main characters are active drug addicts. There are other characters, but Kate did offer a unique perspective. Of course, my favourite was crazy Vicky!!
This is a meth’d up read for sure!
June 21, 2018
meh. I just really didn't care for this story
January 10, 2015
I read three books by Cesare this year (The First One You Expect, Tribesman, and Exponential) and thoroughly enjoyed all three. Cesare is quickly becoming one of my favorite horror writers because of his creative approach to the genre. I love horror movies as well as books and Cesare does a great job of blending the two in his writing. His books sort of remind me of a sick hip hop beat. What I mean is he samples an old horror trope like a producer samples an jazz song and flips it into something completely original. There is an obvious nod to something like The Blob in Exponential but it stops there, a nod. The rest of the story is about various unsuspecting people crossing paths with this killer gelatinous amorphous thing that eats you from the inside out and will pop you like a balloon. Another example in his book Tribesman, Cesare writes an ode to the cult classic Cannibal Holocaust. When he writes these stories the essence of original is there but it is made into something completely new and pretty sick. I've never been scared of something that will murder you as bloodlessly as the "monster" in Exponential. I wanted to share this quote I highlighted from the book that made me squirm when I read it.
"It had no mouth, no lungs that were liquified, so it didn't scream. There was something odd about that, watching the thrashing, the movements of an animal in pain but the animal remaining completely mute"
Odd indeed. Exponential is incredibly entertaining and I blew through it in two sittings. The chapters are short but they eventually come together.
Cesare definitely got my attention with Exponential and now I am a certified fan!
I saw on Facebook that he has a new full length novel coming out in June that I will be checking out for sure. Until then I guess I will have to check out some of his other older novels or one of his collaborative releases with other great authors such as Shane Mckenzie and Cameron Pierce.
"It had no mouth, no lungs that were liquified, so it didn't scream. There was something odd about that, watching the thrashing, the movements of an animal in pain but the animal remaining completely mute"
Odd indeed. Exponential is incredibly entertaining and I blew through it in two sittings. The chapters are short but they eventually come together.
Cesare definitely got my attention with Exponential and now I am a certified fan!
I saw on Facebook that he has a new full length novel coming out in June that I will be checking out for sure. Until then I guess I will have to check out some of his other older novels or one of his collaborative releases with other great authors such as Shane Mckenzie and Cameron Pierce.
February 20, 2022
3.25/5.
Overall this was a fun book to read but there were a lot of issues with the book as well. Too many characters were introduced just as they were killed and there is a main character that ended up not impacting the plot in any real way and felt like a forgotten piece.
I find Adam Cesare to be a fun writer and I enjoy his B-movie prose. I plan on reading anything and everything that he writes. Also, it should be noted that he gets better with every book and I can tell that even when reading his works out of order.
Overall this was a fun book to read but there were a lot of issues with the book as well. Too many characters were introduced just as they were killed and there is a main character that ended up not impacting the plot in any real way and felt like a forgotten piece.
I find Adam Cesare to be a fun writer and I enjoy his B-movie prose. I plan on reading anything and everything that he writes. Also, it should be noted that he gets better with every book and I can tell that even when reading his works out of order.
April 18, 2020
Like all of Adam Cesare's work, I loved this. It's a loving homage to The Blob, and it's a whole tonne of fun. When you want that breakneck style of tongue-in-cheek creature feature, Cesare never lets you down. The creature in this one is awesome. It's reminiscent enough of The Blob while staying as its own Beast, and the characters are a motley bunch who are forced to work together to overcome it. Great stuff.
September 4, 2020
Good read!
I normally wouldn't read a book about a blob, but this was weirdly good. I enjoyed the animalistic yet sentient qualities it had. Loved the gore!
I normally wouldn't read a book about a blob, but this was weirdly good. I enjoyed the animalistic yet sentient qualities it had. Loved the gore!
September 29, 2021
A fun monster-survival story reminiscent of the movies "Feast" and "Splinter". Interesting characters in a desperate locale dealing with a terrifying creature. Who could ask for more?
September 20, 2018
Beware the Snot Dog:
Adam Cesare, in my mind, has taken a seat at the front of a bus full of horror writers. This group of novelists are not inspired as much by the gothic tales of Poe-Shelley-Stoker-Lovecraft (although there are elements present) as they are by the gory cinema of the 80s (give or take). It's a new age of horror, and it is magnificent. In Exponential, we get some good old fashioned monster-movie scare art. It is mixed media brilliance within the walls of fiction: the slow flame stoking of literary characterization combined with the lit fuse build of suspense all swallowed up by sing-along-familiar, yet creatively original horror tropes. Cesare creates character after character we begin to love, just so we can sit, mouth agape, and watch them being devoured by the creature of our creature feature. And what a creature it is--one we can almost come to love in its own right (almost root for at times ... important times). But what begins as almost a road novel, with a desert traveling monster on the heels of numerous characters, ends up as an epic showdown in a roadside bar between the blob and a ragtag cast of final characters (hop heads, an ex cop, and sort of a modern day female gunslinger of sorts with punk rock hair). There are obvious notes of The Thing and The Blob bouncing around, but what struck me most were echoes of Cujo, with the characterization oozing out gradually between the cracks of our fingers, hiding our eyes from the impending doom. Anyone up for some first-rate monster horror, this book is EXACTLY what you are looking for.
Adam Cesare, in my mind, has taken a seat at the front of a bus full of horror writers. This group of novelists are not inspired as much by the gothic tales of Poe-Shelley-Stoker-Lovecraft (although there are elements present) as they are by the gory cinema of the 80s (give or take). It's a new age of horror, and it is magnificent. In Exponential, we get some good old fashioned monster-movie scare art. It is mixed media brilliance within the walls of fiction: the slow flame stoking of literary characterization combined with the lit fuse build of suspense all swallowed up by sing-along-familiar, yet creatively original horror tropes. Cesare creates character after character we begin to love, just so we can sit, mouth agape, and watch them being devoured by the creature of our creature feature. And what a creature it is--one we can almost come to love in its own right (almost root for at times ... important times). But what begins as almost a road novel, with a desert traveling monster on the heels of numerous characters, ends up as an epic showdown in a roadside bar between the blob and a ragtag cast of final characters (hop heads, an ex cop, and sort of a modern day female gunslinger of sorts with punk rock hair). There are obvious notes of The Thing and The Blob bouncing around, but what struck me most were echoes of Cujo, with the characterization oozing out gradually between the cracks of our fingers, hiding our eyes from the impending doom. Anyone up for some first-rate monster horror, this book is EXACTLY what you are looking for.
August 14, 2017
Can't believe I'm going to say this, science being not one of my favorite subjects, but I rather wish the book would have gotten more into the scientific part of this. I don't need an in-depth explanation with bars and graphs, however the lack of explanation in this book made it fall a little flat. I don't mean to say the book was bad. Great character development, plenty of gore and a very unforgettable scene with a bear. (Warning for you animal lovers out there. This doesn't contain anyone being cruel or anything, still it was hard to read about an animal going out painfully. Yup, I'm one of those weirdo's who can read about harm coming to people all day, the second an animal is involved though, you better watch out! lol I know some people will never get that but oh well. It is what it is and I won't apologize.)
July 7, 2023
What a unique and thrilling horror ride! This played out exactly like you might expect - just like the horror movies that Cesare mentions in the novel! You know that Adam Cesare is truly a horror film buff and loves paying homage to his faves in his novels. I really enjoyed this and found myself laughing and truly creeped out!
September 8, 2023
The Blob meets Feast with a little The Faculty sprinkled in.
December 31, 2014
Full disclosure, I write for the same house the published Exponential. It's the first of Cesare's works that I've ever read.
Spoiler Alert (sort of): Yes, people will think "The Blob," when they read about four losers, essentially, brought together by random circumstances in a dive bar on desert outskirts, where they must fight for their lives against this gelatinous mass. But I thought of "Tremors"! Yes, that flick with Kevin Bacon. All in all, I dug Cesare's tale, and enjoy his writing. Here's a passage that I highlighted in my Kindle:
"At the nightmare’s base, there was a human ribcage. It was bifurcated, the tips of each rib undulating like the long legs of a house centipede, inching the monster forward across the concrete."
I love that! I can vividly picture this monster creeping across the ground. And unlike the Blob, "Felix" the monster has a gameplan and isn't simply mindless in how it attacks its prey.
My one minor gripe is that some characters that I wanted to learn more about were quickly eliminated. But the key characters Cesare created were developed enough so that I got their personalities and rooted for them.
And, as the great comedian Dave Attell would joke (and I paraphrase): Everybody talks about all the bad things that crystal meth does to you, well why not talk about all the good things crystal meth can do? Like, You got too many teeth. Gotta grind some of those ******* out!
I won't spoil too much here, but crystal meth comes into play in this book in ways I never imagined. Exponential is a fun, fast read, and a fine introduction to Cesare's work. Thoroughly entertaining!
Spoiler Alert (sort of): Yes, people will think "The Blob," when they read about four losers, essentially, brought together by random circumstances in a dive bar on desert outskirts, where they must fight for their lives against this gelatinous mass. But I thought of "Tremors"! Yes, that flick with Kevin Bacon. All in all, I dug Cesare's tale, and enjoy his writing. Here's a passage that I highlighted in my Kindle:
"At the nightmare’s base, there was a human ribcage. It was bifurcated, the tips of each rib undulating like the long legs of a house centipede, inching the monster forward across the concrete."
I love that! I can vividly picture this monster creeping across the ground. And unlike the Blob, "Felix" the monster has a gameplan and isn't simply mindless in how it attacks its prey.
My one minor gripe is that some characters that I wanted to learn more about were quickly eliminated. But the key characters Cesare created were developed enough so that I got their personalities and rooted for them.
And, as the great comedian Dave Attell would joke (and I paraphrase): Everybody talks about all the bad things that crystal meth does to you, well why not talk about all the good things crystal meth can do? Like, You got too many teeth. Gotta grind some of those ******* out!
I won't spoil too much here, but crystal meth comes into play in this book in ways I never imagined. Exponential is a fun, fast read, and a fine introduction to Cesare's work. Thoroughly entertaining!
December 18, 2015
Although I have to be honest and say this isn't my favorite Cesare book, it was good in nany ways. I think what kinda miffed me was the super, super sudden ending. Although that IS part of the appeal to a lot of people, I'd imagine. And I can always keep my fingers crossed for a sequel, right?
Anyway, as for the story...well, the synopsis mentions a certain Sam Taylor bringing home a lab rat from work. Things go terribly awry. But that's not much of the story. THAT'S just the perfect setup for the action that ensues. I think Cesare's best attribute is some serious character development, and this book is no different than usual. Sam Taylor is just our momentary intro to the REAL story, that of 4 unlikely companions holing up against a crazy monstrosity inside Rose's Tavern. We meet and connect with Kate and Ken, Vicky, and Nez and see how they all come together on a hell bent mission to fight pure evil. Well, maybe pure scientific madness, but ya get the drift. I can't say much more about the ending, but suffice it to say there's enough of an open ending for a sequel.
The pacing is break-neck, which is another skill Cesare has mastered. Once you pick it up, you won't wanna put it down. I'm sure it woulda been a one sitting reading had I not actually listened to it instead. I wouldn't recommend this as the first book you pick from Cesare...maybe The Tribesman or The First One You Expect would be better suited, although I DO enjoy the change of pace in this one. It's more sci-fi than straight horror like the rest of his books I've read. And that's a personal preference. But still...definitely worth a look-see (or 'listen-hear'! haha).
Anyway, as for the story...well, the synopsis mentions a certain Sam Taylor bringing home a lab rat from work. Things go terribly awry. But that's not much of the story. THAT'S just the perfect setup for the action that ensues. I think Cesare's best attribute is some serious character development, and this book is no different than usual. Sam Taylor is just our momentary intro to the REAL story, that of 4 unlikely companions holing up against a crazy monstrosity inside Rose's Tavern. We meet and connect with Kate and Ken, Vicky, and Nez and see how they all come together on a hell bent mission to fight pure evil. Well, maybe pure scientific madness, but ya get the drift. I can't say much more about the ending, but suffice it to say there's enough of an open ending for a sequel.
The pacing is break-neck, which is another skill Cesare has mastered. Once you pick it up, you won't wanna put it down. I'm sure it woulda been a one sitting reading had I not actually listened to it instead. I wouldn't recommend this as the first book you pick from Cesare...maybe The Tribesman or The First One You Expect would be better suited, although I DO enjoy the change of pace in this one. It's more sci-fi than straight horror like the rest of his books I've read. And that's a personal preference. But still...definitely worth a look-see (or 'listen-hear'! haha).
November 26, 2015
This is my late arrival to the Cesare party, but I'm glad I showed up.
Exponential is the story of a genetically modified mouse that escapes, with a little help, into the world at large. It doesn't take long for the mouse to outgrow its furry little vessel and become something...unusual. It kills and, er, assimilates its way through the Southwest desert, finally stopping at Rose's Tavern, where a small group of social misfits has gathered and must now fight together against a creature that won't stop growing.
I really enjoyed this inventive little read. Cesare is great at building characters, who aren't cookie-cutter heroes or even stale antiheroes, but outsiders who can be obnoxious one moment and deeply sympathetic the next. I also liked how he plays with structure here, jumping back and forth in time, and letting scenes play out from different perspectives.
And, of course, there's Felix, one of the most original monsters I've seen in a recent novel. Yikes!
My only issue: the many stand-alone death scenes in the first half of the book, some of which were effective and drove the story forward, and some of which just felt like well-written filler.
Overall, I found this a great intro to Cesare's work, and it has left me hungry for more.
4 stars.
Exponential is the story of a genetically modified mouse that escapes, with a little help, into the world at large. It doesn't take long for the mouse to outgrow its furry little vessel and become something...unusual. It kills and, er, assimilates its way through the Southwest desert, finally stopping at Rose's Tavern, where a small group of social misfits has gathered and must now fight together against a creature that won't stop growing.
I really enjoyed this inventive little read. Cesare is great at building characters, who aren't cookie-cutter heroes or even stale antiheroes, but outsiders who can be obnoxious one moment and deeply sympathetic the next. I also liked how he plays with structure here, jumping back and forth in time, and letting scenes play out from different perspectives.
And, of course, there's Felix, one of the most original monsters I've seen in a recent novel. Yikes!
My only issue: the many stand-alone death scenes in the first half of the book, some of which were effective and drove the story forward, and some of which just felt like well-written filler.
Overall, I found this a great intro to Cesare's work, and it has left me hungry for more.
4 stars.
November 23, 2015
This story is the tale of a little lab mouse who was the subject of an experiment. The little critter grows and grows along with his insatiable hunger. Well, it may have started as a mouse but the creature that is the central threat of the story is a bit more like the Blob. The author even references that cinematic classic in the story - basically a nod to his inspiration. Of course his critter it a very unique take on the classic blob.
It's a fun high speed story that keeps picking up pace throughout. You meet a lot of people in this story - unfortunately most of them are just waiting to be killed in a horrible manner.
I must say that the surviving protagonists find what has to be the most unique method to beat the monster EVER.
It's a very typical monster romp. You know what to expect in general - scary monster, life and death struggles, heroics, cowardice, sacrifice. All in all a good story.
It even has a classic "the end?" kind of ending like those monster movies I grew up loving.
It's a fun high speed story that keeps picking up pace throughout. You meet a lot of people in this story - unfortunately most of them are just waiting to be killed in a horrible manner.
I must say that the surviving protagonists find what has to be the most unique method to beat the monster EVER.
It's a very typical monster romp. You know what to expect in general - scary monster, life and death struggles, heroics, cowardice, sacrifice. All in all a good story.
It even has a classic "the end?" kind of ending like those monster movies I grew up loving.
August 13, 2019
If you have read any of Adam Cesare’s work before, you know what your in for.solid characters, fast paced action and very wet and nasty gore. This is no different. Another solid, entertaining story.
A slow witted janitor makes off with a laboratory mouse, little does he know that mouse is part of an experiment. Cesare uses this as a springboard for some gooey monster action. Cesare knows his way around his characters, keeping the reader off balanced as to who his main characters will be, once his protagonists are established, he does an admirable job of allowing us to sympathize and root for them.
His work with monster is equally fine, many writers would leave the creature as hungry killing machine but not Cesare. The creature is simply doing what’s in its nature to do, taking no pleasure from its actions.
Highly recommend.
A slow witted janitor makes off with a laboratory mouse, little does he know that mouse is part of an experiment. Cesare uses this as a springboard for some gooey monster action. Cesare knows his way around his characters, keeping the reader off balanced as to who his main characters will be, once his protagonists are established, he does an admirable job of allowing us to sympathize and root for them.
His work with monster is equally fine, many writers would leave the creature as hungry killing machine but not Cesare. The creature is simply doing what’s in its nature to do, taking no pleasure from its actions.
Highly recommend.
June 18, 2019
When you follow an author's career, there's an unexpected sense of pride and strange pleasure that comes from seeing them grow and become great at what they do. In the case of Adam Cesare, the experience is even better because he was great right out of the gates and has only gotten better with each new book. Exponential, his latest release, is like a collection of the elements that make Cesare's fiction so enjoyable wrapped up in a fast-paced giant monster narrative that's also a bit of the author's love letter to the subgenre.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
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