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New Bizarro Author Series
SuperGhost
Mad science, giant monsters, and a whole lot of severed limbs...
Things were bad when Darren lost his arm to a drunken farmer driving a stolen bulldozer the wrong way down a one-way city street. All he had left was the strange tingling sensation where his arm had been and a life that was no longer there. Now, even that is about to be stolen from him.
The foulest mad scientist the world has ever seen has plans for Darren's phantom limb, and the limbs of all the other amputees he can attack. He is gathering them to build the greatest Frankenstein ghost ever made from phantom body parts - a SuperGhost designed to destroy the world! And it will take Darren and a ragtag band of amputation survivors to bring down the creature and save mankind from total destruction!
Things were bad when Darren lost his arm to a drunken farmer driving a stolen bulldozer the wrong way down a one-way city street. All he had left was the strange tingling sensation where his arm had been and a life that was no longer there. Now, even that is about to be stolen from him.
The foulest mad scientist the world has ever seen has plans for Darren's phantom limb, and the limbs of all the other amputees he can attack. He is gathering them to build the greatest Frankenstein ghost ever made from phantom body parts - a SuperGhost designed to destroy the world! And it will take Darren and a ragtag band of amputation survivors to bring down the creature and save mankind from total destruction!
85 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2014
6 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
Scott Cole
38 books54 followersScott Cole is the author of Crazytimes, Triple Axe, and SuperGhost, as well as two collections of short fiction, Departures and Slices. He is also an artist and graphic designer. He lives in Philadelphia. Find him on social media, behind you in the mirror, or at 13visions.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 7, 2020
4 1/2 Stars
This was such a weird novella but weird in the best of weird ways. It was the perfect book to choose to forget about the world for a few hours. It’s pure madness, really, and if you need some of that in your life you won’t be let down.
Dr. Rains is a scientist but he’s not your average scientist. He’s a mad scientist! Think Re-animator’s Herbert West mad. If West was messing with phantom limbs and giant ghost monsters and had nothing but revenge on his warped brain, that is!
I’ve been having a hard time focusing on reading these days like most of us. I typically pick up a book and read for ten minutes and find myself distracted by everything else and going back to reread the last few pages after I’ve realized my mind has wandered away from me and that is just the worst thing. And yes, run-on forever sentences are my forte. It’s why I read books and don’t write them. But that start/stop thing didn’t happen with this book. I plopped myself in a chair outside and read from nearly beginning to end in one fell swoop until I had to go in because I was cooked like a lobsta. Granted it’s only 140 pages or so but STILL. This is an accomplishment for me.
Super Ghost is pure fun and it made me laugh so many times. The humor is on the sarcastic side, especially the character of Michelle. I loved her voice. She really spoke to me. She becomes a patient of Dr. Creepfest after hurling insults at him. She’s wary but she is in so much physical pain that she reluctantly agrees to let him perform his “experimental” treatment on her missing limbs. He promises to end her pain. For FREE! Uh oh!
Darren is the other main character. He’s lost an arm and Dr. Demento accosts him with his promises to fix him up good with his “Phantom Zapper”. Darren is not so easily swayed but Dr. Creepfest thinks no means” sure, why not?” And things get wild from here.
This book is nothing but gleefully ridiculous lighthearted fun. There’s monsters and body horror and humor. It’s all there and it’s feeling fine! Go get yourself a copy and have a laugh. You deserve it.
This was such a weird novella but weird in the best of weird ways. It was the perfect book to choose to forget about the world for a few hours. It’s pure madness, really, and if you need some of that in your life you won’t be let down.
Dr. Rains is a scientist but he’s not your average scientist. He’s a mad scientist! Think Re-animator’s Herbert West mad. If West was messing with phantom limbs and giant ghost monsters and had nothing but revenge on his warped brain, that is!
I’ve been having a hard time focusing on reading these days like most of us. I typically pick up a book and read for ten minutes and find myself distracted by everything else and going back to reread the last few pages after I’ve realized my mind has wandered away from me and that is just the worst thing. And yes, run-on forever sentences are my forte. It’s why I read books and don’t write them. But that start/stop thing didn’t happen with this book. I plopped myself in a chair outside and read from nearly beginning to end in one fell swoop until I had to go in because I was cooked like a lobsta. Granted it’s only 140 pages or so but STILL. This is an accomplishment for me.
Super Ghost is pure fun and it made me laugh so many times. The humor is on the sarcastic side, especially the character of Michelle. I loved her voice. She really spoke to me. She becomes a patient of Dr. Creepfest after hurling insults at him. She’s wary but she is in so much physical pain that she reluctantly agrees to let him perform his “experimental” treatment on her missing limbs. He promises to end her pain. For FREE! Uh oh!
Darren is the other main character. He’s lost an arm and Dr. Demento accosts him with his promises to fix him up good with his “Phantom Zapper”. Darren is not so easily swayed but Dr. Creepfest thinks no means” sure, why not?” And things get wild from here.
This book is nothing but gleefully ridiculous lighthearted fun. There’s monsters and body horror and humor. It’s all there and it’s feeling fine! Go get yourself a copy and have a laugh. You deserve it.
November 1, 2025
3.5 stars. First off, this was a really unique blend of some standard horror concepts, all reworked together. Scott Cole created this wacky and zany world, grounded very loosely in reality, that was as fun, as it was terrifying. The core content was enjoyable, but the characters felt very surface-level, which was a big, missed opportunity. Without spoiling anything, with the type of leads that we had, that was very disappointing, as I really wanted to be invested in each person more. And the pacing was too quick, rushing from one plot point to the next, consistently, without taking any time to let certain ideas simmer with the reader. I think that if the author just slowed everything down and built the story up a bit more, that would have elevated this reading experience quite a bit. Still a lot of fun, but just not a great outing overall.
July 2, 2020
From my review on Sci Fi and Scary:
Think Ghostbusters, but the ghosts are phantom limbs, and the villain is actually something akin to the wild-eyed criminal in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Add in some truly gory body horror, and that’s SuperGhost. It is a wild ride of junk science and experiments that went so right, they are wrong.
I really had a good time with this bizzaro novella. The premise is unique: a doctor, like a demented Rick Moranis in Honey I Shrunk the Kids, comes up with a machine to rid people of phantom limb pain by removing their phantom limbs. Of course, he has to DO something with these limbs to get the scientific community to take him seriously, and off we go. Cole really came up with something unique here. For me, bizarro has to have a little bit of a “oh, this could actually happen” before I can get invested, and Cole was able to do this successfully.
As a short book, there isn’t a whole lot of time for character development. Darren and Michelle (and a few others) were provided just enough depth for me to be able to cheer for them in the end as they take on one of the most ridiculous and HUGE monsters I have ever read about. This is what needed to happen, what fun is a chase and a fight and a wild solution if I’m not invested?
This book is definitely genre-bending as it includes elements of bizarro, sci-fi, and body horror. It is a spectacular mash-up and it just WORKS for this story. The elements of humor woven throughout worked with some truly disgusting body horror (especially at the end, urk) to make this a great experience. On screen, this could’ve been an episode of MST3K as far as the blend of humor, horror, and science fiction.
I will definitely read more from this author. Be sure to check out SuperGhost if you are new to bizarro or if you already love the genre; for fans of Danger Slater, Calton Mellick III, and more.
Think Ghostbusters, but the ghosts are phantom limbs, and the villain is actually something akin to the wild-eyed criminal in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Add in some truly gory body horror, and that’s SuperGhost. It is a wild ride of junk science and experiments that went so right, they are wrong.
I really had a good time with this bizzaro novella. The premise is unique: a doctor, like a demented Rick Moranis in Honey I Shrunk the Kids, comes up with a machine to rid people of phantom limb pain by removing their phantom limbs. Of course, he has to DO something with these limbs to get the scientific community to take him seriously, and off we go. Cole really came up with something unique here. For me, bizarro has to have a little bit of a “oh, this could actually happen” before I can get invested, and Cole was able to do this successfully.
As a short book, there isn’t a whole lot of time for character development. Darren and Michelle (and a few others) were provided just enough depth for me to be able to cheer for them in the end as they take on one of the most ridiculous and HUGE monsters I have ever read about. This is what needed to happen, what fun is a chase and a fight and a wild solution if I’m not invested?
This book is definitely genre-bending as it includes elements of bizarro, sci-fi, and body horror. It is a spectacular mash-up and it just WORKS for this story. The elements of humor woven throughout worked with some truly disgusting body horror (especially at the end, urk) to make this a great experience. On screen, this could’ve been an episode of MST3K as far as the blend of humor, horror, and science fiction.
I will definitely read more from this author. Be sure to check out SuperGhost if you are new to bizarro or if you already love the genre; for fans of Danger Slater, Calton Mellick III, and more.
April 28, 2020
"Science is a crazy thing, you know?"
SuperGhost is my second book by Scott Cole, and it's a unique and creative bizarro story. It's a quick read, and I think this would be a great starting point for bizarro before getting into more intense stuff.
While I enjoyed the idea of this book, I didn't fully connect with the story. It felt like something was missing, and I'm not sure what it was. Maybe I wanted it to have more humor, or more heart, or more craziness. This is not a bad book at all, but it ended up being a middle-of-the-road read for me.
CW - animal cruelty
SuperGhost is my second book by Scott Cole, and it's a unique and creative bizarro story. It's a quick read, and I think this would be a great starting point for bizarro before getting into more intense stuff.
While I enjoyed the idea of this book, I didn't fully connect with the story. It felt like something was missing, and I'm not sure what it was. Maybe I wanted it to have more humor, or more heart, or more craziness. This is not a bad book at all, but it ended up being a middle-of-the-road read for me.
CW - animal cruelty
January 27, 2020
Review to follow soon...
December 18, 2017
Holy shit! This book is completely bananas, and I loved every second of it. Scott Cole has somehow fused together Re-Animator, Ghostbusters, and Godzilla into one beautiful little bizarro meatball. I picked it up on a recommendation from Adam Cesare (read Cesare’s Exponential if you like this one), and I’m so glad that I did. It’s wonderful. Buy Superghost! And pick yourself up a pint of the weirdest flavored ice cream you can find when you’ve finished reading the book. You deserve it.
April 28, 2015
Okay, so I finished this book quite some time ago, and am just now getting around to the review. I was asked by a friend if I liked it as soon as I'd finished it, and I replied that I did, indeed, like it. But for some reason, I described it as 'believable.' It's not actually believable at all, but I think what I meant is that it's set in a much less Bizarro world that most NBAS books do. It's basically in OUR world, with people doing things for reasons I can understand (well, the good guys, at least), with one MAJOR Bizarro element. Namely, SuperGhost.
This is an easily digestible book. I read it in one sitting. There is a maximum word limit to NBAS books, so it's not very long at all, and therefore, it rushes along at a break neck speed. I have a feeling that if Scott had more room, he'd have probably developed the story more than it was (NOT to say the story isn't comprehensive; there's just not a lot of background or descriptive parts). The heroes were all maimed underdogs to begin with, and to see their unity during their combat with SuperGhost was quite touching. Trina, Hank, Darren, Michelle...they all work so well together, and the dynamics between them is comedic and serious, by turns.
Overall, I recommend this book if you're looking for a very talented newbie author. The story leans more towards sci-fi than anything, and it's kinda like the Bizarro Ghostbusters. It's light fare, although some of the amputee's stories are sad and make you think. It's short, fun, and captivating...a perfect books for lounging around with on a lazy afternoon!
This is an easily digestible book. I read it in one sitting. There is a maximum word limit to NBAS books, so it's not very long at all, and therefore, it rushes along at a break neck speed. I have a feeling that if Scott had more room, he'd have probably developed the story more than it was (NOT to say the story isn't comprehensive; there's just not a lot of background or descriptive parts). The heroes were all maimed underdogs to begin with, and to see their unity during their combat with SuperGhost was quite touching. Trina, Hank, Darren, Michelle...they all work so well together, and the dynamics between them is comedic and serious, by turns.
Overall, I recommend this book if you're looking for a very talented newbie author. The story leans more towards sci-fi than anything, and it's kinda like the Bizarro Ghostbusters. It's light fare, although some of the amputee's stories are sad and make you think. It's short, fun, and captivating...a perfect books for lounging around with on a lazy afternoon!
July 5, 2015
I might have to explain this but I think I may have just read a novel by the Robert Sheckley of Bizarro.
For those not in the know, Robert Sheckley was a science fiction writer renowned for his comedic and satiric take on the future. He often came across as a science fiction version of Robert Benchley. If you don't know who Robert Benchley was, I give up. Look it up yourself. In his best works, which tended to be his short humorous fiction, Sheckley had an easy going style that belied the sharp social criticism of modern society that was usually hidden in his prose. Sheckley had a knack for taking the most serious speculative ideas and placing them in funny but thoughtful pieces of fiction.
I am not sure if Scott Cole had a message in his very funny but surprisingly lighthearted Bizarro novella SuperGhost. It is quite likely that he was just having fun. But the rest fits. In a genre that often goes overboard with weirdness, SuperGhost stands out for throwing that bizarreness into a very real situation: Two individuals who are dealing with the loss of their limbs from tragic accidents and are plagued by the very real phenomena of phantom limbs. It is not necessarily the natural playground for the absurd but when coupled with a mad scientist who wants to take those phantom limbs and merge them onto his very own ghost Frankenstein, it becomes a clever and intelligent farce. SuperGhost in turn becomes playfully outrageous but not offensive. It is the type of story that causes you to do double takes at the strangeness of it but makes you laugh and keeps you laughing and shaking your head long after you read it. This may sound weird in itself, but the strange ideas of SuperGhost actually comes out almost believable in Cole's telling, which is a bizarre achievement in itself.
There is little horrific about Superghost even if the creatures the writer conjures up are grotesquely awful. They are more "eww...funny!" then just "Eww!". The characters are mainly there to fit the story yet the three protagonists who take up the quest to fight the scientist and get those limbs back come across very real in motivation and very likeable. The character whose job is to create new ice cream flavors does sound like someone who could have come out of a Robert Sheckley story. Yet I do not want to go on and on about that comparison because Cole clearly has his own thing going. SuperGhost is a first novel and frankly a bit of a teaser since it makes me want to read more by Cole. I do hope he continues exploring the humorous side of Bizarro and examining that fine line that can meld the surreal and satirical with the real world.
For those not in the know, Robert Sheckley was a science fiction writer renowned for his comedic and satiric take on the future. He often came across as a science fiction version of Robert Benchley. If you don't know who Robert Benchley was, I give up. Look it up yourself. In his best works, which tended to be his short humorous fiction, Sheckley had an easy going style that belied the sharp social criticism of modern society that was usually hidden in his prose. Sheckley had a knack for taking the most serious speculative ideas and placing them in funny but thoughtful pieces of fiction.
I am not sure if Scott Cole had a message in his very funny but surprisingly lighthearted Bizarro novella SuperGhost. It is quite likely that he was just having fun. But the rest fits. In a genre that often goes overboard with weirdness, SuperGhost stands out for throwing that bizarreness into a very real situation: Two individuals who are dealing with the loss of their limbs from tragic accidents and are plagued by the very real phenomena of phantom limbs. It is not necessarily the natural playground for the absurd but when coupled with a mad scientist who wants to take those phantom limbs and merge them onto his very own ghost Frankenstein, it becomes a clever and intelligent farce. SuperGhost in turn becomes playfully outrageous but not offensive. It is the type of story that causes you to do double takes at the strangeness of it but makes you laugh and keeps you laughing and shaking your head long after you read it. This may sound weird in itself, but the strange ideas of SuperGhost actually comes out almost believable in Cole's telling, which is a bizarre achievement in itself.
There is little horrific about Superghost even if the creatures the writer conjures up are grotesquely awful. They are more "eww...funny!" then just "Eww!". The characters are mainly there to fit the story yet the three protagonists who take up the quest to fight the scientist and get those limbs back come across very real in motivation and very likeable. The character whose job is to create new ice cream flavors does sound like someone who could have come out of a Robert Sheckley story. Yet I do not want to go on and on about that comparison because Cole clearly has his own thing going. SuperGhost is a first novel and frankly a bit of a teaser since it makes me want to read more by Cole. I do hope he continues exploring the humorous side of Bizarro and examining that fine line that can meld the surreal and satirical with the real world.
February 20, 2016
A disgruntled mad scientist creates a monster with the ghost limbs of amputees. That right there is the story in a nutshell. It was fun, quirky, and entertaining. A short read as are all NBAS reads so this is a good taste of what one would have in store if trying bizarro for the first time. My fave part was the inclusion of an octopus and its limbs which while highly inaccurate as octopi will regrow limbs, not that this story is factual but non the less phantom octopus limbs don't happen. Be that as it may I enjoyed Sexy the Sexopus and his little wiggly ghost appendage. < That sounded wrong.
May 22, 2015
I picked this title up from the author at WHC in Atlanta recently; I'm glad I did. The story is short, and moves along quickly, but the author still manages to flesh out the characters and convey the plot by utilizing well written dialogue and clever similes. It didn't have the Troma-esque gore that I was expecting, but that might not be the author's style. I guess I'll have to buy his next book to find out. Overall, a well written, fun bizarro read.
October 2, 2024
Fun quick read, didn’t connect with it as much as I did Triple Axe also by Cole but a fun B-movie sci fi book.
December 12, 2014
"The hand truck was practically an heirloom at this point, a thing held onto for nostalgic reasons more than it's usability.
It got the job done though.
The doctor had used it to transport those elephant parts all those years ago, prior to building the Elephant Train.
He had used it to transport the lab equipment he would later use in his creation of the Neverending Mango, something he had come up with in an effort to rid the world of famine. Unfortunately he had not anticipated the mango turning on humans and devouring them instead."
I bought Superghost as a birthday present at this year's Bizarro Con and I am pleased to say,
I did not disappoint....myself. (I'm actually amazing at buying gifts, we should become friends and then you would see)
I ate a bag of regularly shaped gummies while reading this book, because my local bodega was freshly out of amputated limb gummies but I found them, along with the book to be pretty darn enjoyable.
Nice job on the new author Eraserhead Press, I look forward to future work from Mr. Scott Cole.
June 20, 2015
Do you remember those movies that we all used to stare at in the video store? The ones with the amazing titles, the lurid cover art, and the awesome-sounding synopses, but no actual stills from the movie on the back? The ones that, whenever we rented them, inevitably turned out to disappoint us completely?
SuperGhost is the book that we all wanted those movies to be. It's got an irresistible logline and the manic energy of a Full Moon Home Video release, but without any limits on budget (or imagination). One of the other reviewers read it while eating a bag of gummy bears; if you can find a bag of gummy severed limbs, that seems like a perfect compliment to this book. If not, I suppose gummy worms'll do. If not that, a pint of ice cream, in a pinch.
SuperGhost is the book that we all wanted those movies to be. It's got an irresistible logline and the manic energy of a Full Moon Home Video release, but without any limits on budget (or imagination). One of the other reviewers read it while eating a bag of gummy bears; if you can find a bag of gummy severed limbs, that seems like a perfect compliment to this book. If not, I suppose gummy worms'll do. If not that, a pint of ice cream, in a pinch.
June 15, 2023
This book was a very quick read. It seemed kind of like an extended episode of Scooby Doo, but with curse words. The idea is rather entertaining.
As a side note that really has nothing to do with the story itself, I have to mention the several pages of ads at the end of the book. They are not ads for other titles by Cole. They are black and white cover pics with a short description for books by other authors from this publisher. As an author, I would NEVER allow my book to be associated with that level of disgusting, immoral, filthy, and asinine trash! I swear I feel scarred just from having read the titles and descriptions of some of them. They just demean the entire book.
As a side note that really has nothing to do with the story itself, I have to mention the several pages of ads at the end of the book. They are not ads for other titles by Cole. They are black and white cover pics with a short description for books by other authors from this publisher. As an author, I would NEVER allow my book to be associated with that level of disgusting, immoral, filthy, and asinine trash! I swear I feel scarred just from having read the titles and descriptions of some of them. They just demean the entire book.
November 30, 2014
Ghostly Mad Scientist Action
This is one ghost story that has never been done before. Severed ghost limbs? Glued together by an insane scientist? This is a fast-paced mashup of mad scientist action and ghostly weirdness with an ending that gives Clive Barker's "In the Hills, the Cities" a run for its money. The comedy is solid and I got a lot of laughs from this one. The author also does a nice job of creating well-rounded characters quickly, without delaying or distracting from the craziness. Plus, ice cream plays a major role!
This is one ghost story that has never been done before. Severed ghost limbs? Glued together by an insane scientist? This is a fast-paced mashup of mad scientist action and ghostly weirdness with an ending that gives Clive Barker's "In the Hills, the Cities" a run for its money. The comedy is solid and I got a lot of laughs from this one. The author also does a nice job of creating well-rounded characters quickly, without delaying or distracting from the craziness. Plus, ice cream plays a major role!
August 1, 2016
I will be discussing this book on a future episode of Bizzong! Podcast.
December 30, 2019
"Yup. Franken-ghosts."
First, a big thank you to the author for a review copy of SuperGhost.
The name of Scott Cole's game is bizarre sci-fi and that is what he delivered with SuperGhost. I've seen it described as Ghostbusters meets Frankenstein and that's a perfect description. SuperGhost is one crazy ride from start until that ending. And that ending. Cole went all in on that ending and it paid off; anything less bizarre would have felt lacking.
In the heart of the action there was a lot of talking through the history when you wouldn't think a whole lot of talking should be going on. Raines, the evil scientist, gave up his secrets pretty easily, yet the information and back story of these friends-of-friends-of-friends remained cloudy and confused. If there was going to be so much explanation, I would have preferred everything to get explained.
SuperGhost was a weird and ridiculous and fun end to my 2019 reading.
First, a big thank you to the author for a review copy of SuperGhost.
The name of Scott Cole's game is bizarre sci-fi and that is what he delivered with SuperGhost. I've seen it described as Ghostbusters meets Frankenstein and that's a perfect description. SuperGhost is one crazy ride from start until that ending. And that ending. Cole went all in on that ending and it paid off; anything less bizarre would have felt lacking.
In the heart of the action there was a lot of talking through the history when you wouldn't think a whole lot of talking should be going on. Raines, the evil scientist, gave up his secrets pretty easily, yet the information and back story of these friends-of-friends-of-friends remained cloudy and confused. If there was going to be so much explanation, I would have preferred everything to get explained.
SuperGhost was a weird and ridiculous and fun end to my 2019 reading.
March 20, 2017
I enjoyed this semi-bizarro book by Scott Cole. I say semi because although the concept is quite clever, most of the book really doesn't get all that weird or outrageous. Yes, the superghost itself is pretty wild, but everything else felt fairly pedestrian. I never really connected with any of the characters and a lot of the plot elements were predictable. Some of the coincidences were also a bit laughable at times, but I realize a lot was intentionally silly, so that didn't bother me too much.
Cole moved the story along at a nice pace and had a couple of cool ideas that made this book worthwhile. At times the tone moved from serious to wacky and then back again, so I was not sure what the author was going for. But in the end, I was glad to pick it up and would be curious to read what Cole comes up with next. His writing flows nicely and although it wasn't as bizarro as most of the other titles I have read, it is still recommended, especially for people on the fence about trying out bizarro and not wanting something too crazy to start with.
Cole moved the story along at a nice pace and had a couple of cool ideas that made this book worthwhile. At times the tone moved from serious to wacky and then back again, so I was not sure what the author was going for. But in the end, I was glad to pick it up and would be curious to read what Cole comes up with next. His writing flows nicely and although it wasn't as bizarro as most of the other titles I have read, it is still recommended, especially for people on the fence about trying out bizarro and not wanting something too crazy to start with.
March 14, 2018
Fun, absurd in the best possible ways, strange and weird (also in wonderful ways), hilarious, yet all while staying intriguing and suspenseful. I wasn't familiar with absurd/bizarre horror fiction, and I'm excited and very pleased to have started with Scott Cole. The plot is crazy and takes some surprising turns. He uses some really great and unsettling descriptions for what phantom limb syndrome must feel like. I look forward to reading more of his stuff.
March 27, 2018
Superghost by Scott Cole is a crazy story that keeps your attention through out. It starts out with a drunken farmer driving a stolen bulldozer the wrong way down a one way street. This turned Darren's life upside down when he loses his arm after being struck by the bulldozer. Darren was left with only a little stub. There is also a mad scientist that wants to build a Superghost out of phantom body parts. This book is unlike any book I have ever read!
June 27, 2024
so much fun
This book was so much fun,like a trashy 80s horror that brings ample amounts of weirdness, ghosts and mad scientists.
This book was so much fun,like a trashy 80s horror that brings ample amounts of weirdness, ghosts and mad scientists.
September 20, 2015
Have you ever had the experience where you feel sensation or pain in a limb that you no longer have, a phenomenon known as phantom limb? Me neither, primarily because I've never lost a limb, but that's beside the point.
SuperGhost by Scott Cole is based on this phenomenon, putting forth the idea that a phantom limb is really just that: A phantom. The ghost of a severed limb lives on connected to the rest of the body. But what if a mad scientist devised a way to remove the phantom limb? A spiritual amputation, as it were. Then, what if said mad scientist decided to use the phantom limbs to create a ghostly Frankenstein's monster to destroy the world? MUAHAHAHA!… Oops, got a little carried away there. Sorry.
SuperGhost is part of the New Bizarro Authors Series, where new authors who haven't had a book published get a chance to prove that they have the chops. And Cole has the chops. First, Cole takes a somewhat unusual approach to his bizarro book, setting it in the “real” world, or a close facsimile. The world is identifiable and entirely believable and could very well be our own world. That is, until a giant ghost made of severed phantom limbs goes rampaging through the city. The characters are well developed, especially give the small space Cole has to work with. It was surprising how the characters could feel so fleshed out in such a short book. And the characters are likable. Heck, even the mad scientist villain is likable. It would have been interesting to see how much more developed he could be in a longer book. As they say, audiences will hate a good villain but love a great one.
It's both accurate and unfair to compare this book to “Ghostbusters.” The comparisons are obvious, especially given the overall humorous tone of the book. But Cole adds more to it than just a “Ghostbusters” vibe. Comparisons could be made to lots of other sources, such as “Frankenstein,” but they are mashed and stitched together in Cole's own unique way, creating his own Frankenstein's monster of literary tones. But it's all fun. In fact, if I was to describe SuperGhost in one word, it would be “fun.”
Unfortunately, while Cole does an admirable job with the short space he has, I would have liked to have seen this story written in a longer form. It's a story that feels like it was meant for something bigger, and that it had to be trimmed down to make it fit with the maximum word allowance for a NBAS book. Still, SuperGhost is definitely a lot of fun and worth the short time it takes to read.
SuperGhost by Scott Cole earns earns 4 severed limbs out of five.
SuperGhost by Scott Cole is based on this phenomenon, putting forth the idea that a phantom limb is really just that: A phantom. The ghost of a severed limb lives on connected to the rest of the body. But what if a mad scientist devised a way to remove the phantom limb? A spiritual amputation, as it were. Then, what if said mad scientist decided to use the phantom limbs to create a ghostly Frankenstein's monster to destroy the world? MUAHAHAHA!… Oops, got a little carried away there. Sorry.
SuperGhost is part of the New Bizarro Authors Series, where new authors who haven't had a book published get a chance to prove that they have the chops. And Cole has the chops. First, Cole takes a somewhat unusual approach to his bizarro book, setting it in the “real” world, or a close facsimile. The world is identifiable and entirely believable and could very well be our own world. That is, until a giant ghost made of severed phantom limbs goes rampaging through the city. The characters are well developed, especially give the small space Cole has to work with. It was surprising how the characters could feel so fleshed out in such a short book. And the characters are likable. Heck, even the mad scientist villain is likable. It would have been interesting to see how much more developed he could be in a longer book. As they say, audiences will hate a good villain but love a great one.
It's both accurate and unfair to compare this book to “Ghostbusters.” The comparisons are obvious, especially given the overall humorous tone of the book. But Cole adds more to it than just a “Ghostbusters” vibe. Comparisons could be made to lots of other sources, such as “Frankenstein,” but they are mashed and stitched together in Cole's own unique way, creating his own Frankenstein's monster of literary tones. But it's all fun. In fact, if I was to describe SuperGhost in one word, it would be “fun.”
Unfortunately, while Cole does an admirable job with the short space he has, I would have liked to have seen this story written in a longer form. It's a story that feels like it was meant for something bigger, and that it had to be trimmed down to make it fit with the maximum word allowance for a NBAS book. Still, SuperGhost is definitely a lot of fun and worth the short time it takes to read.
SuperGhost by Scott Cole earns earns 4 severed limbs out of five.
August 15, 2015
Review from Horrorunderground.org
Imagine a giant amalgamation of phantom limbs glued together in the form of a 50 foot tall creature rampaging through a city in a fit of rage. That right there is why you need to read this book. The story of SuperGhost becomes even crazier at this moment in the novella. Scott Cole has assembled quite the story in a short amount of space. As the mad scientist Dr. Rains constructed a creature of multiple parts, so to has Cole in his story. SuperGhost is the culmination of too many rewatches of Ghostbusters, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and Godzilla and it’s even better than that description.
Dr. Rains is a Scientist with the best of intentions in mind, help relieve the pain caused by phantom limbs. After developing a machine that can remove the pain, he hangs around amputee support groups in order to lure people into his contraption. I say lure because Rains clearly has other motivation besides helping people confront their new disability.When Rains uses the machine on the wrong people, three friends band together to uncover the truth behind Rains and his contraption.
Once things are set in motion, which is pretty quick, the adventure and humor are almost constant. There are some corny puns used but there is also clever material in here that keeps it from being an adolescent novel. Nothing in the story is appalling or grotesque. Other than some language, this book is appropriate for almost anyone.
Cole does a great job of describing the action without breaking the pace. The creatures are described with crystal clarity and can easily be pictured in your mind, no matter how absurd things may be. I can certainly guarantee that no one has told a story like this before. It never goes where you think it will and always keeps you guessing and wanting more. I would love to read a series or sequel to this story.
With the New Bizarro Author Series from Eraserhead Press, new bizarro authors are being given a chance to get their stories told in an environment that is supportive of them and the genre. Scott Cole’s SuperGhost is a hilariously fun read. The plot moves along quickly and you’ll be whipping through the chapters in excitement. I didn’t know what to expect going into this as I am relatively new to bizarro fiction, but if this is any indication as to how the genre is, I am definitely a new fan.
Imagine a giant amalgamation of phantom limbs glued together in the form of a 50 foot tall creature rampaging through a city in a fit of rage. That right there is why you need to read this book. The story of SuperGhost becomes even crazier at this moment in the novella. Scott Cole has assembled quite the story in a short amount of space. As the mad scientist Dr. Rains constructed a creature of multiple parts, so to has Cole in his story. SuperGhost is the culmination of too many rewatches of Ghostbusters, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and Godzilla and it’s even better than that description.
Dr. Rains is a Scientist with the best of intentions in mind, help relieve the pain caused by phantom limbs. After developing a machine that can remove the pain, he hangs around amputee support groups in order to lure people into his contraption. I say lure because Rains clearly has other motivation besides helping people confront their new disability.When Rains uses the machine on the wrong people, three friends band together to uncover the truth behind Rains and his contraption.
Once things are set in motion, which is pretty quick, the adventure and humor are almost constant. There are some corny puns used but there is also clever material in here that keeps it from being an adolescent novel. Nothing in the story is appalling or grotesque. Other than some language, this book is appropriate for almost anyone.
Cole does a great job of describing the action without breaking the pace. The creatures are described with crystal clarity and can easily be pictured in your mind, no matter how absurd things may be. I can certainly guarantee that no one has told a story like this before. It never goes where you think it will and always keeps you guessing and wanting more. I would love to read a series or sequel to this story.
With the New Bizarro Author Series from Eraserhead Press, new bizarro authors are being given a chance to get their stories told in an environment that is supportive of them and the genre. Scott Cole’s SuperGhost is a hilariously fun read. The plot moves along quickly and you’ll be whipping through the chapters in excitement. I didn’t know what to expect going into this as I am relatively new to bizarro fiction, but if this is any indication as to how the genre is, I am definitely a new fan.
January 5, 2015
If there’s one thing my dad taught me, it’s that you can NEVER trust a mad scientist. You can trust an eccentric botanist, a quirky chemist, and maybe a funky geologist -- but never, never, never, trust a mad scientist of any discipline.
Author Scott Cole proves my father’s lesson timeless in his fun novella SuperGhost. Scott is one of Eraserhead Press’s New Bizarro Series Authors (NBAS) for 2014 and he delivers a promising debut to the scene. This cozy story presents a classic monster movie dilemma, engaging characters, and hits some nice bizarro notes that will prove satisfying to fans of the genre as well as providing a great entry point for those that are new to the bizarro world.
As I read SuperGhost, I couldn’t help but be happily reminded of Ghostbusters (which has been mentioned in other reviews), Men in Black, and the criminally underrated David Duchovny movie, Evolution. There’s a bit of schlock but a lot of heart here. A great Saturday afternoon read.
Somebody call Jon Lithgow -- because if there is one man to play the evil Dr. Rains, he’s the guy.
I give this book 5 full test tubes.
Author Scott Cole proves my father’s lesson timeless in his fun novella SuperGhost. Scott is one of Eraserhead Press’s New Bizarro Series Authors (NBAS) for 2014 and he delivers a promising debut to the scene. This cozy story presents a classic monster movie dilemma, engaging characters, and hits some nice bizarro notes that will prove satisfying to fans of the genre as well as providing a great entry point for those that are new to the bizarro world.
As I read SuperGhost, I couldn’t help but be happily reminded of Ghostbusters (which has been mentioned in other reviews), Men in Black, and the criminally underrated David Duchovny movie, Evolution. There’s a bit of schlock but a lot of heart here. A great Saturday afternoon read.
Somebody call Jon Lithgow -- because if there is one man to play the evil Dr. Rains, he’s the guy.
I give this book 5 full test tubes.
November 27, 2014
It's like Frankenstein meets Ghostbusters. Okay, I admit, I haven't seen Ghostbusters... But still, that's what SuperGhost is.
This book is pretty much everything I want from the NBAS. It's fast, fun, and bizarro! Granted, this isn't heavy bizarro, but bizarro all the same. Also, it's quite tame (from a language / sex stand point).
For the plot, I guess the book description covers that. And that should interest you! Still not convinced to read it though? Okay... Personally, I really dug this book. The world is interesting and it is a totally original take on the mad scientist genre of literature. I mean, a mad scientist who runs around stealing phantom limbs from people?! And then said mad scientist uses those nonexistent limbs to create a totally destructive monster that makes Frankenstein look as terrifying as Frankenweenie (NOT TERRIFYING)!! I mean, who doesn't want to read a book that does that?
This is Scott Cole's first book, but READ IT, and it won't be his last!
This book is pretty much everything I want from the NBAS. It's fast, fun, and bizarro! Granted, this isn't heavy bizarro, but bizarro all the same. Also, it's quite tame (from a language / sex stand point).
For the plot, I guess the book description covers that. And that should interest you! Still not convinced to read it though? Okay... Personally, I really dug this book. The world is interesting and it is a totally original take on the mad scientist genre of literature. I mean, a mad scientist who runs around stealing phantom limbs from people?! And then said mad scientist uses those nonexistent limbs to create a totally destructive monster that makes Frankenstein look as terrifying as Frankenweenie (NOT TERRIFYING)!! I mean, who doesn't want to read a book that does that?
This is Scott Cole's first book, but READ IT, and it won't be his last!
February 14, 2015
I'm calling this an "Ode to Ghostbusters" Funny, outrageous bizarro and very smart idea.
When a scientist pulls the curtains on his new creation, Three friends are in tune to save the city they live in from destruction. The giant collection of Phantom Limbs. All pieced together and somewhere in that giant heaping pile is there own phantom limbs and they want them back, despite the pain it gave them.
What begins with missing appendages jokes and a support group. A mad scientist that could've been one of the most intelligent to walk the earth and an ending kinda like the famous kid song "On top of Spaghetti" and what happens to that item. But the mind of Scott Cole gives a whole new meaning to "Meatball"
Overall its a ghost story in the likes of those slapstick style movies with gut wrenching laughter, and the bizarro goodness that taste so good with ice cream, no matter what flavor it is.
When a scientist pulls the curtains on his new creation, Three friends are in tune to save the city they live in from destruction. The giant collection of Phantom Limbs. All pieced together and somewhere in that giant heaping pile is there own phantom limbs and they want them back, despite the pain it gave them.
What begins with missing appendages jokes and a support group. A mad scientist that could've been one of the most intelligent to walk the earth and an ending kinda like the famous kid song "On top of Spaghetti" and what happens to that item. But the mind of Scott Cole gives a whole new meaning to "Meatball"
Overall its a ghost story in the likes of those slapstick style movies with gut wrenching laughter, and the bizarro goodness that taste so good with ice cream, no matter what flavor it is.
July 6, 2017
It’s big! It’s kooky! It really is spooky! It’s SuperGhost!
Scott Cole proves that science really is fun in his debut novella, SuperGhost. With a kind of flashback to the 80s cartoony type of fun, Cole’s characters fill the pages with their unique personalities, and his monsters are as interesting and colorful as you’d imagine a mad scientist’s creations could be.
If you are into mass destruction, unstable scientific minds, and flashy green spirits of disembodied limbs, this book is for you. The plot is a little quick moving for me, but I’m not sure how Cole could have packed any more flavor (literally, Tastee Freeze is like Baskin Robbins on acid!) into a mere 93 pages.
I really do suggest that you join Darren, Trina, Michelle and all of their friends and comrades as the face off against Dr. Rains and his SuperGhost.
Another A+ from the Eraserhead’s New Bizarro Author Series.
September 14, 2015
Really good story. No mistakes that I noticed. It's bizarro but not too bizarro which I think would be an excellent story to give to someone new to bizarro to ease them in :) .... Hmm, I said bizarro a lot there!
Anyway, the story is about people who have lost limbs and then they sort of lose them again... Not possible?! Then they get them back again!... You should definitely read this to know what I am talking about!
Anyway, the story is about people who have lost limbs and then they sort of lose them again... Not possible?! Then they get them back again!... You should definitely read this to know what I am talking about!
August 10, 2015
Mad scientist steals phantom limbs to create super frankenghost? That is probably one of the most original story concepts out there. This was a fun quick read. It felt like a Saturday morning cartoon injected with a shit ton of LSD. Funny and very creative. This is Mr. Cole's first novel and is a sign of amazing things to come!
August 4, 2015
Superghost = super fun. Scott presents you with a very imaginative story complete with great characters, villains, weirdos and...let's just say it's bizarre. Think Ghostbusters meets the Human Centipede! The story hints towards a new universe to explore and I hope Scott some day takes us there.
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