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Crawlspace
An historic plantation house acts as the electrifying intersection in time for random strangers with psychic talents, along with the entities who haunt it and the unsavory evil force that lurks within.
Among them; an African slave/shaman, an American WWII soldier crushed with guilt, a reality television ghost investigation crew dangerously unprepared, and a psychic crippled by claustrophobia who discovers he is a bare uninsulated wire attracting psychic energies like a lightning rod.
Among them; an African slave/shaman, an American WWII soldier crushed with guilt, a reality television ghost investigation crew dangerously unprepared, and a psychic crippled by claustrophobia who discovers he is a bare uninsulated wire attracting psychic energies like a lightning rod.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2014
5 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
John Gregory Hancock
17 books89 followersJohn Gregory Hancock is a storyteller.
A graphic professional for many years (which is one way to tell a story), his graphic journalism garnered international awards, and was nominated for a Pulitzer. He incorporates his visual sense in his ability to spin compelling yarns.
Currently, he has seven books of his own, and has written for The Future Chronicles anthology series, whose titles have hit the overall Amazon Top 10 Bestsellers list. The Immortality Chronicles - a Top 5 SF Anthology and Hot New Release - featured his story 'The Antares Cigar Shoppe', which was also nominated for Best American Science Fiction.
His work has appeared in other anthologies, including; Prep For Doom, Bite-Sized Offerings: Tales & Legends of the Zombie Apocalypse, Flying Toasters - The DeadPixel Tales, and Off the Kuf.
Hancock is not tied to any one genre, but is comfortable in the science fiction/fantasy/horror realm. Even a dash of humor, at times. The foreword to his 'A Plague of Dreams' says it well: "These stories, these lies, these Dreamwood Tales, are dipped in the heady ink of my fevered dreams. They travel unique and varied paths to arrive at your shuttered door. I entreat you to undo the latch and let them in to lie upon your hearth. They will not bite. Except for the ones that do."
He lives with his wife and soul mate (who puts up with him, beyond all logic) and a fantastically brilliant son (who thrashes him soundly in video games -- really, it's no contest). They are hopelessly landlocked in Midwest America, far from ocean or desert. Or glacier, come to that.
Like many of his characters, life has shaped and unshaped him.
His fingers itch to write and so far, luckily, people seem to enjoy the things he offers.
A graphic professional for many years (which is one way to tell a story), his graphic journalism garnered international awards, and was nominated for a Pulitzer. He incorporates his visual sense in his ability to spin compelling yarns.
Currently, he has seven books of his own, and has written for The Future Chronicles anthology series, whose titles have hit the overall Amazon Top 10 Bestsellers list. The Immortality Chronicles - a Top 5 SF Anthology and Hot New Release - featured his story 'The Antares Cigar Shoppe', which was also nominated for Best American Science Fiction.
His work has appeared in other anthologies, including; Prep For Doom, Bite-Sized Offerings: Tales & Legends of the Zombie Apocalypse, Flying Toasters - The DeadPixel Tales, and Off the Kuf.
Hancock is not tied to any one genre, but is comfortable in the science fiction/fantasy/horror realm. Even a dash of humor, at times. The foreword to his 'A Plague of Dreams' says it well: "These stories, these lies, these Dreamwood Tales, are dipped in the heady ink of my fevered dreams. They travel unique and varied paths to arrive at your shuttered door. I entreat you to undo the latch and let them in to lie upon your hearth. They will not bite. Except for the ones that do."
He lives with his wife and soul mate (who puts up with him, beyond all logic) and a fantastically brilliant son (who thrashes him soundly in video games -- really, it's no contest). They are hopelessly landlocked in Midwest America, far from ocean or desert. Or glacier, come to that.
Like many of his characters, life has shaped and unshaped him.
His fingers itch to write and so far, luckily, people seem to enjoy the things he offers.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 18, 2015
My favorite type of horror story is the kind that leaves you feeling slightly disturbed at the end of it. I've always found that the best horror is as much psychological as it is filled with gore. In this way, I think Crawlspace delivers.
The story starts with Ethan, a legitimate psychic who has been hired by one of those crackpot TV shows that specialize in haunted houses and things that go bump in the night. At first, Ethan's only real motivation is to make a little cash, but he quickly realizes this house is the real deal and he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Hancock then delves into the history of the house and takes us through other individual stories from it's past. We meet an African shaman, a soldier, and a young orphan girl. Slowly, he begins to weave their stories together and reveals how the house became haunted, and why it has acted as a psychic magnet over the ages.
Hancock's quality of writing is quite high. The editing is clean and the overall plot is solid. I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that mentioned they had a hard time relating to the characters. At times I found it hard to connect with any of them. For the most part, I was okay with that. The story is certainly strong enough. As it stands, this novel took me in a few unexpected directions and left me wondering.
** I won a free copy of this book by participating in an online book fair. **
The story starts with Ethan, a legitimate psychic who has been hired by one of those crackpot TV shows that specialize in haunted houses and things that go bump in the night. At first, Ethan's only real motivation is to make a little cash, but he quickly realizes this house is the real deal and he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Hancock then delves into the history of the house and takes us through other individual stories from it's past. We meet an African shaman, a soldier, and a young orphan girl. Slowly, he begins to weave their stories together and reveals how the house became haunted, and why it has acted as a psychic magnet over the ages.
Hancock's quality of writing is quite high. The editing is clean and the overall plot is solid. I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that mentioned they had a hard time relating to the characters. At times I found it hard to connect with any of them. For the most part, I was okay with that. The story is certainly strong enough. As it stands, this novel took me in a few unexpected directions and left me wondering.
** I won a free copy of this book by participating in an online book fair. **
April 17, 2015
To be honest, when I started this book I only read the first section and set it down, thinking it was gonna be a group of short stories, Boy was I wrong! While there is a collection of individual stories, they are masterfully woven together which make up the horror and mystique that is the Dorchester house. An African shaman, a WWII soldier, along with a psychotic little girl with psychic powers and a taste for blood are but a few of the personalities forever bound to the evil that resides within the walls of Dorchester house. Throw in a modern day tv ghost hunter group investigating the house's history and you get a recipe for bloodshed.
I am eagerly looking forward to another book so I can find out what happens next!
I am eagerly looking forward to another book so I can find out what happens next!
August 31, 2015
Fantastic suspense and great characters made this a very good read. I liked how the story wove itself through time never really letting on who the main character was going to be until the end. There were a lot of horror and paranormal elements, but this story was mainly a look at humanity, as most good stories are. This story is worth a look, as it had me up late two nights in a row.
December 13, 2016
An interesting sort of spin on a horror story with the feeling of a grouping of short stories coming together to tell a fuller tale.
January 14, 2023
amazing
All the characters and their backstories were incredible. I can’t wait to read the next book and see where this leads.
All the characters and their backstories were incredible. I can’t wait to read the next book and see where this leads.
March 9, 2017
A fascinating look at the paranormal told through a series of interwoven stories. The stories span a series of cultures in time but does so in just enough of a way to keep you interested. At ~200 pages it's a pretty quick read, too, and it's well worth the time. Written with a really deft hand at the little observations and musings that add a lot of character and little bits of humor to offset the plot as it grows darker. Hints at more from the author, which is really exciting.
October 14, 2015
Haunted house novels can be a lot of fun but are full of logistical traps for the writer. A good haunted house novel is essentially a psychological horror novel. The haunting is important but it is the people who are being haunted who make up the story no matter how creative your house and resident spirits are. Both Shirley Jackson and Richard Matheson were very aware of that. So is John Gregory Hancock. His novel, Crawlspace may not be the equivalence of such masterpieces as The Haunting of Hill House and Hell House. What is? But it is still a rousing good tale of a haunted house and haunted people.
A good haunting usually depends on either the psychology of the haunted (Hill House) or the nature of the haunting (Hell House) which can also be psychological. Hancock gives us both. In Crawlspace we have the character of Ethan Novotney, a distant cousin to Hill House’s Eleanor Vance in his fragile personality and his claustrophobic fears. We meet him early on as he is headed to an allegedly haunted Southern plantation to appear in a filming of a "Ghost Hunter" styled reality TV show. That is the first aspect. The novel leaves him for a good while as we are given the story that reveals the nature of the haunting. It entails a African shaman who is shipped to the US as a slave in the 19th century, an evil girl, and a troubled World War II soldier. The best part of Hancock’s tale is how he blends these three characters together in the development of the horrors of the plantation house. By the time we return to contemporary times and Ethan, we have all the elements in play. There are a lot of dread and scares in this novel which is an essential ingredient for this type of novel but most of all I like the way the characters interact together. I wish I felt the same for the reality TV crew which seems to be the weak link, having little character development and basically being just there to fill in the blanks. It remains for Ethan and the spirits of the house to move this tale along.
Crawlspace has some nice elements to it; a strong backstory, a fragile but thoughtful main protagonist, and sufficiently vivid spirits of which their intentions are varied. While it is a standalone novel in one way, it is also the first of a series that uses some of the characters to continue the story apparently away from the haunting. It also has a bit of a tease and cliffhanger at the end. I wish that was made clearer at the beginning or in the blurb on the book as it weakens some of the resolution. There is also a resolution regarding Ethan’s girlfriend that felt tacked on and unconnected to the bulk of the story. Yet Crawlspace remains an entertaining and scary haunted house tale that effectively brings together Ethan’s fears and the intentions of the spirit of the house. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good haunted house story.
Three and a half stars.
A good haunting usually depends on either the psychology of the haunted (Hill House) or the nature of the haunting (Hell House) which can also be psychological. Hancock gives us both. In Crawlspace we have the character of Ethan Novotney, a distant cousin to Hill House’s Eleanor Vance in his fragile personality and his claustrophobic fears. We meet him early on as he is headed to an allegedly haunted Southern plantation to appear in a filming of a "Ghost Hunter" styled reality TV show. That is the first aspect. The novel leaves him for a good while as we are given the story that reveals the nature of the haunting. It entails a African shaman who is shipped to the US as a slave in the 19th century, an evil girl, and a troubled World War II soldier. The best part of Hancock’s tale is how he blends these three characters together in the development of the horrors of the plantation house. By the time we return to contemporary times and Ethan, we have all the elements in play. There are a lot of dread and scares in this novel which is an essential ingredient for this type of novel but most of all I like the way the characters interact together. I wish I felt the same for the reality TV crew which seems to be the weak link, having little character development and basically being just there to fill in the blanks. It remains for Ethan and the spirits of the house to move this tale along.
Crawlspace has some nice elements to it; a strong backstory, a fragile but thoughtful main protagonist, and sufficiently vivid spirits of which their intentions are varied. While it is a standalone novel in one way, it is also the first of a series that uses some of the characters to continue the story apparently away from the haunting. It also has a bit of a tease and cliffhanger at the end. I wish that was made clearer at the beginning or in the blurb on the book as it weakens some of the resolution. There is also a resolution regarding Ethan’s girlfriend that felt tacked on and unconnected to the bulk of the story. Yet Crawlspace remains an entertaining and scary haunted house tale that effectively brings together Ethan’s fears and the intentions of the spirit of the house. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good haunted house story.
Three and a half stars.
December 1, 2016
This book blew my freaking mind. It was fast paced and the writing was flawless. It was hard to put down. I mean really hard because of how everything flowed it was just intense from the beginning to the end. I loved how it was broken up in to parts and with each part brought more to the story and new characters. It was similar to peeling back a onion each part was more intense than the last. After reading some of the author's other books I liked how some old characters were mentioned and possibly being brought in for a sequel. Now I would love a sequel and hope it comes out soon because this was fantastic. It had all the elements I look for in a story. You had a little love, paranormal and horror. The horror in itself will make you sleep a little less at night. It was well done and unforgettable.
I normally at this point in my review I would describe my favorite moment. I can't do that because it will give away a spoiler and I don't want to do that. Ok fine it was in the bedroom in the house. It was absolutely crazy and I will never forget that horrifying revelation for Ethan. I have two favorite characters for very different reasons. One of my favorite characters is Ethan. I found him to be completely genuine in the decisions he makes. He seems to be a average person with who is "Sensitive". I just love a main character who has as many flaws as redeemable qualities. My second favorite character Ubinti. His back story is fascinating and his secrets are important. I loved how well rounded he is and how strong he is. His back story is a must read.
Overall I loved this book and would recommend it to all my horror loving friends who are looking for something a little different.
I normally at this point in my review I would describe my favorite moment. I can't do that because it will give away a spoiler and I don't want to do that. Ok fine it was in the bedroom in the house. It was absolutely crazy and I will never forget that horrifying revelation for Ethan. I have two favorite characters for very different reasons. One of my favorite characters is Ethan. I found him to be completely genuine in the decisions he makes. He seems to be a average person with who is "Sensitive". I just love a main character who has as many flaws as redeemable qualities. My second favorite character Ubinti. His back story is fascinating and his secrets are important. I loved how well rounded he is and how strong he is. His back story is a must read.
Overall I loved this book and would recommend it to all my horror loving friends who are looking for something a little different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2016
Wow. This book blew me away. There were many characters ,and it was hard to figure how they were all going to intersect. It was a puzzle and the pieces were only given to the reader piece by piece. This helped build suspense and keep the reader guessing.
My favorite character was Ethan. He is a sensitive and doesn't like to be called a psychic. He is flawed, but he is the person the reader will most relate to partially because of those flaws.
The book also spends a lot of time with Ubinti. After becoming an orphan, he is taken in and trained to be narungu. This is a sort of magic man. His story is very detailed and is a large portion of the first part of the book.
I don't want to go into too many details as they may turn into spoilers. The pacing is deliberate and effective. The writing is sharp. There is a lot of tension and suspense as the book nears its conclusion. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy horror stories. It is definitely an entertaining read that keeps you engaged throughout.
My favorite character was Ethan. He is a sensitive and doesn't like to be called a psychic. He is flawed, but he is the person the reader will most relate to partially because of those flaws.
The book also spends a lot of time with Ubinti. After becoming an orphan, he is taken in and trained to be narungu. This is a sort of magic man. His story is very detailed and is a large portion of the first part of the book.
I don't want to go into too many details as they may turn into spoilers. The pacing is deliberate and effective. The writing is sharp. There is a lot of tension and suspense as the book nears its conclusion. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy horror stories. It is definitely an entertaining read that keeps you engaged throughout.
June 21, 2016
This book is set up like a chess game. Each section is like one move, which by itself may not make sense, but by the end, there's a checkmate out of nowhere, but you can tell it was carefully crafted. Such a creepily bizarre story that's going to make it difficult for me to sleep tonight! Well done, John.
December 9, 2016
A spooky collection of short stories sure to grab your attention and keep it.
Mr. Hancock did an outstanding job writing this fabulous collection of spooky stories. The wonderful storyteller did it again and Crawlspace is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, hold on for a wild ride.
Mr. Hancock did an outstanding job writing this fabulous collection of spooky stories. The wonderful storyteller did it again and Crawlspace is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, hold on for a wild ride.
December 11, 2016
Scary and Inventive
This book is a great escape into the terrifying mind if John Hancock. His book allows you to see deep into a character's psyche. I think out of this book my favourite and scariest character is Cara. Read the book and you will be done in no time. It is quite the page turner!
This book is a great escape into the terrifying mind if John Hancock. His book allows you to see deep into a character's psyche. I think out of this book my favourite and scariest character is Cara. Read the book and you will be done in no time. It is quite the page turner!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews