Troll

by Matthew A. Clarke

“A horror filled look at the reality of the damage internet trolls can cause, with a touch of bizarro.” Kevin J. Kennedy, author of Halloween Land.

Scotty is no stranger to being bullied, but after a chance encounter on an online chatroom, finds hope in Rebecca.

Scotty is about to find out that people on the internet can be worse than people in real life.

Facebook. Twitter. These are the places the modern troll thrives.

How far would you be willing to go to bring a troll to justice?

Genres: Horror

83 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Matthew A. Clarke is a British horror and bizarro author.

He has published fifteen books at the time of writing, and has countless short stories lurking in the darkest corners of the library.

Bizarro


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Bizarro fiction is a contemporary literary genre, which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works. We read that stuff (someone has to) and then write publicly to one another here about the experience of reading it. If you join this group, you can too.

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Connect
Website: www.matthewaclarkeauthor.co.uk
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/~/e/B082WJJPQ3
Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewaclarkeauthor

Reviews

[Corrina Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn is broken, suicidal.
When she finds someone like minded on an Internet forum, they seem to hit it off...they don't judge her, just encourage her....a lot!
And not just her.......

A lonely, sad, unemployed Internet troll that gets off on making other people's lives a misery, when her own life is so pitiful and disgusting... slips up and is about to receive some much deserved karma...

Scott is deeply depressed, afflicted with a weird skin condition. He reaches out online, and when he's blocked, he sets out to find the person behind the chats and make them pay!

When Scott and his friends, Casper and Ms Starchy, find out who/what it is....things get a little bit crazy, and hilarious and Scotty finally finds his calling in life!

It's dark, disturbing, horrific at times, yet there are still traces of Matts humor threaded through and lots of laugh out loud moments! Lots of action, a little bit of mystery, horror and madness! And a great, feel good ending! 😉

I'm off for a game of Death Row Range!!!!

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! It's gross, but not extremely so. It's funny. It's sad. It's uplifting. It's everything I want in a book. From the first page I was hooked and had to keep reading. Matthew Clarke definitely knows how to take the absurd and turn into a great story.

[renee w · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first “bizarro” read. It was short and I read it in one sitting. This is the story of Scotty Scott. He’s mostly your typical teenage boy. Only his dad left and his mom is a bit bat shit crazy with OCD. Scotty had an usual skin condition and finds making friends to be rather difficult. Never mind finding a girlfriend. He joins an internet group where he meets a girl named Rebecca on a site for the lonely . He begins to think she’s a Troll. Only is she just your average internet troll or a real Troll. Scotty,his quirky friend Casper and his puppet Ms. Starchy are going to find out. This was an usual read for me but highly enjoyable.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this one in exchange for an honest review. I am a big fan of the Bizarro genre and a growing fan of Matthew A. Clarke. While this wasn't the most bizarre thing, I have read by him, it was still enough to fit the genre. The story is about a lonely kid with strange scars who can do a bit of hacking and he goes up against an internet troll. There is more to it than that, but I don't want to give anymore away. This one is novella sized so a quick read. Excellent pacing and a whole lot of fun.

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scotty joins the Lonelylife forum and comes across Rebecca. He instantly messaged her, hoping to strike up a conversation and a friendship. Little does Scotty know; Rebecca is a troll. She scours the internet daily, looking to make others miserable. They start to bond, or at least Scotty thinks they are. He asks Rebecca to meet up. She accepts his offer and then stands him up. He later finds out he has been blocked and does some digging to find out who Rebecca really is. Once he finds out the truth, he and his friends track “Rebecca” down and are looking for some justice.

Following along as Scotty went through some heartbreak, shock and then wanting to get some revenge on the person that trolled him online. After everything he went through, even a great loss, he found his true calling. I thought Scotty was an enjoyable character and Ms. Starchy was a favorite too. Rebecca not so much. Clarke did a great job at making her a character that was easy to despise. His descriptions of her leave nothing to the imagination. She is gross!

Troll held my interest throughout and of course I couldn’t wait to find out how it all ended. The bizarro elements made this a fun read and the ending was great!

"The internet was an all-you-can-eat buffet of trolls just begging to be slaughtered."

[Xtina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS ONE GETS WEIRD LOL

I loved it

[Matthew Clarke]

Another of my latest titles. Releasing November 9th, 2022, alongside Ebola Saves the Planet! and Other Wholesome Tales.

If you've chosen to read this book over the infinite others on offer, I thank you. If you choose to leave a few stars, or even a review, I will scream, regardless of where I am when I see it.

[Megan Stockton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to listen to the audiobook version of Troll and had a lot of fun with this dark, bizarre story of an internet troll who meets her match online. This is a story that's relevant to anyone who has wanted to get revenge on online bullies, and leaves us with a wild and enjoyable ending of revenge.

[Jason Nickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on internet trolls. This didn't go where I expected it to, in a good way. My first read from Clarke, but won't be my last

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Troll” is a mixture of bizarro and scary, showing readers the depravity of what “trolls” will get up to online.

A monstrous woman encourages people to harm themselves, spreads rumours, ruins lives all over the internet. Until she meets her nemesis, Scotty Scott.

I felt like I just had a lot of questions at the end of this quick read, (for example, how did Yetzel know Barry?) leaving me feeling a bit unsatisfied with the story.

I will definitely keep reading Matt’s other books, but this one just didn’t appeal to me.

[Margaret Hamnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a troll. A disgusting blob that spends its days online ruining people’s lives.
The opening description of this beast along with its room you can not only picture it but you can smell it too.
If you ever wondered who these people online are and why they do it. This answers all your questions.
The writing as ever is hilarious and the one liners that jump out every now and then had me laughing out loud like a crazeball.
Inspired by true events I think this story is what everyone imagines is on the other side of the keyboard these days.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Oh, Trolls just want to have fun,
oh, Trolls just want to have fun.'

Scotty just wants a girlfriend.

Casper just wants Ms Starchy.

Mr and Mrs Scott just want to be clean.

Evelyn just wants to find peace.

And finally Yetsel, she just wants to help, oh yeah...and have some fun!

A short, fun bizarro read which captivates from the very start.

Great imagery, highly entertaining and a unique tale which finally offers hope from a position of depression and open self-loathing.

Looking forward to reading more from this talented young author.

Rating: 4.3 squeaky clean bright stars, from the universe of the absurd.

[Joshua Jonah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book, by the author, in exchange for an honest review

This book is another one in the bizarro genre, that I am so new to. One thing I enjoyed was how the author took the ideas of online bullies / trolls and turned them into their literal meaning. Creatures that bully AND live under the bridge. This story was fun and unique with strange elements but ultimately a good message of not taking the hateful messages people send out to heart. I enjoyed the progression of the main character learning to like himself , being born with scars and finding the meaning of them later in the story. Over all this story was awesome and a quick read! I give this book 4.5 out of 5.

Thank you, Matt, for the awesome book!

[kiyah]

oh i have got to read this

[Ashley Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from page one, til the very last page.
The story is very cool; finally getting revenge on the bully. But oh my, did that take a twist.

[Samantha Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Troll" by Matt Clarke. I was sent this in exchange for a honest review.

Scotty is a strange boy with even stranger skin. He can't explain his scars or where they come from.

His friends Casper and Ms Starchy are also a bit weird but they accept Scotty for who he is.

When Scotty logs into a chat room and finds himself stood up by a girl he believes to be his age, he's a bit shocked and pissed when he realizes later the girl is no girl at all. She's an internet Troll and Scotty was her latest victim.

Together, Scotty and his friends seek the Troll out with the determination to teach it a lesson. In the process Scotty will learn things about himself and his family that he previously didn't know.

This story isn't the most bizarre thing I've ever read but it's definitely interesting. Scotty was a very unique character and his friends Casper and Ms Starchy are the bits of humor the story needed. I liked that it also had a very real message for readers, despite the bizarre twist inside.

[Shaxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Další super Zrnko temnoty. Začátek brnká na seriózní notu závažného tématu, ale pak se to nečekaně zvrtne do skvělého bizzara, takový vývoj jsem nečekala a mile mě překvapil. Od pochybných a groteskních postav, po nějaký ten náznak tu a sem pro zmatení čtenáře, co se vlastně děje... Skvělé, sice má jen 84 stran, ale já se královsky bavila. Do kategorie Zrnek temnoty tahle úzká knížečka skvěle zapadá, tuhle edici mám fakt ráda.

[Amber Bardot · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read, especially for anybody who is familiar with internet hate or has ever been disgusted with the way people act on social media! Kept me intrigued to the very end! I can say I wasn't expecting the ending at all. Loved it!

[stwdscrwdntat2d · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really know what to think of this as far as a star rating is considered.

Matthew tells the story of an internet troll. We all know those keyboard warriors that feel superior to the common commenter. This book hit differently. I don't really know how I would describe it but my feelings are 50/50.

This book is available (preorder?) on Godless as well.

Did I like the book? Overall, yes? I just have so many questions.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[A.J. Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Bizarro story grounded in realism. We’ve all dealt with trolls at some point. Matt Clarke puts an imaginative spin on a tale as old as the internet.

[yo JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Troll' prezentuje i sám autor jako knihu (72 malých stran textu, který psal 2 měsíce), ale hlavně jako dílo "proti internetové šikaně". Nejdřív sledujeme "trollku", zákeřnou a zhrzenou duši, která kdoví proč na seznamce pro jedince se sebevražednými sklony nabádá lidi k tomu, aby to ukončili, že to s nimi ukončí taky - gaslighting, manipulace, pak mazání účtů, tvoření dalších, aby rozvířila pomluvy o někom, atd. Její práce ji vyloženě těší, kurvit lidem životy. Poté přichází na scénu Scotty, který má problémy s kůží, taky na tom není nejlépe, ale alespoň má kamaráda Caspera (s ponožkou na ruce, která má vlastní identitu). Scotty se dá do řeči s Rebeccou (trollka, která čerstvě způsobila smrt dívky, spřízněné s hlavními hrdiny), která si jej posléze poté, co jí něco nesedne, zablokuje a smaže opět profil, jenže Scotty je "HACKERMAN" a tak vyslídí o koho jde a nejdříve pouze pozoruje, posléze se však hrdinové rozhodnou bestii pomstít. 'Troll' je vlastně velmi banální béčková revenge story, ale dá se samozřejmě vnímat i jako parodie/komedie, která se snaží prezentovat, jakože má přesah a jakože "vymete" s internetovými trolly, ale mě nebavila ani ta část mytologizování příběhu, kdy si člověk půlku textu není jistý, jestli jde o skutečného trolla, nebo je snad hrdina narušený a vše to bylo přibarveno v jeho hlavě? Hádám, že kdybych měl shrnout můj problém, bylo by to tohle: tvrdit, že text píšu s nějakým záměrem - a pak trollit tím, že si z toho jen dělám prdel, zatímco ta prdel je absolutní nuda. Nebavilo mě to, ať se na to podívám jakkoliv. Je to plané, ploché... napsat to nezajímavěji by šlo opravdu jen stěží. Jediné plus vidím v tom, že se to dá rychle přečíst. Tohle není dobré psaní. Já vím, o co se Clarke snažil - zamaskovat to tím bizárem, tím nápadem, ale ta protichůdnost holt není slaný karamel, ne vždycky dvě věci dohromady dokážou fungovat, tady fakt ne, ne...

[Monika Zedníčková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Internet je velice ošemetné místo. Nabízí spoustu možností - otevírá obzory, skrývá v sobě mnoho informací pro všechny, kteří se chtějí ptát a dozvídat nové věci. Poskytuje zábavu, zprávy, vzdělání… Člověk by řekl, že nic lepšího být nemůže. Ale! Jako všechno - má i svá negativa. Scotty ví své.

Scotty je celý život obětí šikany. Obyčejně neobyčejný dospívající chlapec, který díky svému populárnímu otci - velké hvězdě z reklamy v televizi - ví, jaké to je být v hledáčku všech. Ale i na zrádném internetu jsou místa, kde by mohl najít pochopení. Začne si psát s Rebekou. Dívkou, kterou vůbec nezná, neví jak vypadá, ale to, že se o něj zajímá, pro něj znamená hodně. Jenže i Rebeka má pár kostlivců ve skříni a navrhne Scottymu: „Co takhle spolu spáchat sebevraždu?“ A Scotty zpozorní!

Matthew A. Clarke napsal bizarro novelu o tom, jak dovede být svět internetu drsný a zkažený. Sám se dokonce s jeho skutečnou nemilosrdností setkal jako vydavatel - a to při tvorbě obálek knih z pomocí AI, za což schytal nepěkný hate.

Začátek příběhu na čtenáře může působit poněkud těžce, až depresivně. Chat dvou mladých lidí o plánování sebevraždy není zrovna žádným veselým úvodem. Ovšem v jednom bodě se pochmurná atmosféra zlomí a celá scéna se mění v humorné bizarro s vtipnými situacemi, do kterých se jedna z hlavních postav Scotty dostává takřka na objednávku.

Autor v krátkých svižných kapitolách proplétá bizarro s kapkou hororu, které jsou mu vlastní a hraje se čtenářem zajímavou hru: Do jaké míry je jeho text k zamyšlení se nad dnešní společností a kyberprostorem a do jaké je to odpočinková bláznivá záležitost, u které přemýšlet ani moc nemusí? Toť otázka…

Edice Zrnka temnoty opět dostála své pověsti a nabídla další kapku fantastiky říznuté hororem a bizarrem, který je trochu jiný, než na co je mainstreamový čtenář zvyklý. Svižné, chytlavé, nápaditě zpracované.

[Fi Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect and this book certainly delivered the unexpected. I really enjoyed it despite being something I’d never normally pick. Tad gruesome in places but very well written and entertaining in an out there way.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jim Ody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world is full of incredulous beings who gain orgasmic pleasure from inflicting pain on others. They hide away in basements, bedrooms, studies and lounges on their own. The king of their lonely castle, and surrounded by filth. This is exactly what this brilliant book is about. A troll. The worst type. Preying on those who need a friend and not someone who will coax them into a downward spiral.

I loved this book. The troll was a nasty and depraved character that turned your stomach and made you almost want to kick the cat. I also really enjoyed the humour that was splattered around and really made the story more palatable from the gruesome details – everything from the identity of Scotty’s dad, to the wonderful Ms. Starchy.

My only critique is obvious. It’s too short. The premise was great, as we all like to see revenge on internet trolls, and this was that but so much more. It’s a great little story with a fondle of Bizarro slipped in for good measure. Brilliant!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dedication reads “for anyone that’s been a victim of online abuse”. The first chapter describes a suicide encouraged by an online friend from a forum of other folks experiencing suicidal ideation and I just knew that this was gonna be another Clarke shaped wrinkle in my brain. I’ve read a few of his books now and each one is weird, horrifying, and heartfelt in its own way and after the first chapter, I had no doubt that Troll would leave its mark on me as well.

Scotty is an average teenage boy plagued by a mystery skin condition that he somehow manages to hide from his mother until it spreads to his face. He finds himself on a forum where just recently another young person interacted with a troll who encouraged her to follow through with her suicidal thoughts. He doesn’t know this yet, so he is receptive when he hits it off with a woman named Rebecca on the forum. When she blocks him after agreeing to meet in person, he goes on the offensive and uses his computer skills to hack into her webcam and find out who she really is.

He finds more than he bargained for and takes these findings to his friend Casper (and Ms Starchy) and this is where the story starts going down that bizarro rabbit hole. Scotty and friends discuss whether this troll is a Troll or just a sad sack on the internet. Scott learns about his father and eventually finds his purpose in life. And the troll…well, you’ll have to read it to find out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. It’s a short read, but it’ll stick with you. I like the way Clarke writes about real world things like incels or internet trolls in a bizarro horror light that still manages to weave in his brand of humor and heart. If you’re a fan of bizarro horror and aren’t reading Clarke’s work, why the heck not?

Big thanks to Matthew A. Clarke, Planet Bizarro Press, and Booksprout for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Troll, by Matthew A. Clarke on Amazon for a couple bucks. And you should, because it’s great.

[Becki 🤎 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troll 🧌

I’m a big fan of Clarke’s work, I usually stick to the extreme horror & splatterpunk genres but I do love a good bizzaro story & seeing this was available on KU, i obviously dived straight in 👏🏼


The troll is an evil human, she practically runs LonelyLife forums, encouraging suicide, talking people through each step on how to do it & giving them the push they need to actually go through with it. She thinks she’s developed this “craft” into a fine art & will stop at nothing to get her kicks out of knowing she’s been successful again 😔

Scotty is a lost soul, he’s never really been good at the ‘normal’ things. Whether that be sports or socialising, but he is great at computing & gaming. His body is filled with scars, not from self harming though, he’s not sure why he has them, he’s even played around with the idea he may have a split personality disorder that causes the jagged lines to appear up & down his body.

Finding the LonelyLife forum makes him feel like he can finally find someone to speak to, share his low thoughts & possibly find a girlfriend!

The troll thinks she’s found a new target but Scotty is a decoding computer genius that isn’t looking to die. The troll may of come for the wrong guy this time…the tables are turning!!

I LOVED this so much!!! So many great characters & the storyline had me hooked from the very first chapter. Bizzaro is just such a fun genre, you never know what direction you’re going to be taken in. I need a full series on this please Matthew 🤭

If you’re looking for a fun read, make sure to grab this ASAP 👏🏼🤎 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Lexie McDonough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troll by Matthew Clarke....where to even begin? Have you ever been on any given social media platform and found that one person who seems to just be there to cause trouble? Of course you have, we all have! Troll gives us a bizarro glimpse into both sides of that world. The trolls world and the victims. Now imagine being depressed and going to a site for support.... only to get the troll of the site. That's what this story is about. At only 94 pages, that's what I'll leave you with. I love Matt's work, I adore how much social commentary he includes. I know it may not be for everyone, but that real-life situation with a bizarre twist is just perfect to me. I find his work should make others think before they speak or self evaluate occasionally. Horror that ties in to what we all may deal with daily is an art. Even being bizarro horror, it still hits you differently. Well, at least it does for me. After reading this one, what will you do the next time you run into a troll?

Narration by Brian Jeffords was fantastic. He really brought the story to life in the weirdest and best ways you can for a story like this. His voice work for each character brought a depth I wasn't expecting, and Mrs. Starchy....the voice was similar. Maybe a filter was used? But man, I can't get that voice out of my head....or the sass.

I received a free audiobook copy of this in return for an honest review.

[Shawn Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troll by Matthew A. Clarke was a load of fun but in a greasy way. It follows our hero, the loveless Scotty Scott and his silent friend Casper (who speaks only through his sock puppet, appropriately named Ms. Starchy) as they track down and do battle with an actual troll. The story itself was hilarious and swift, meaning I was never bored nor able to put this book down once I started. I read this in a small town diner where the patrons are all in their seventies and the waitresses are even older, so I had to explain to them I was reading a short novel about trolls, “Fi fie fo fum” and they would grumble and bugger off. What I didn’t tell them was that this was quite the bizarro twist on an old fairy tale monster. Here in Clarke’s world, Trolls have reinvented themselves as Internet Trolls whose main goal is to cause as much hurt among the already aching as they could. It’s a sick sight to behold, but I am glad to have experienced this book. My only slight gripe with this book was the death of one character which felt very rushed and underwhelming, though it was not unexpected. I just wished there was more “oomph” behind the scene, but it didn’t stop me from rating this whole book an easy 5/5. I loved this book and am currently trying to convince my wife to read it next. Great work, Matt!

[Fandom SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recenziu pre Fandom.sk napísala Ena. Úryvok z recenzie:

Útla knižočka Troll je veľmi aktuálnym dielkom. Sociálne siete nás denno-denne ovplyvňujú. Niektorí na sieti zažili šikanu, hejtovanie, uverili hoaxu, zaplietli sa do agresívnej debaty, prípadne si našli priateľov na život a na smrť. Eventuálne podaktorí hejtujú, šikanujú, vedome šíria nezmysly… Autor sám na vlastnej koži zažil, aké to je, keď sa pre nepodložené tvrdenie do vás agresívne pustí množstvo neznámych ľudí. Nepoznajú vás ani pravdu, no sú schopní vás urážať, ponižovať a odsudzovať. To je aj jeden z dôvodov vzniku tejto knihy. Troll si sedí v pohodlí domova a prostredníctvom sociálnych sietí ničí ľuďom životy. Pravú tvár trolla nepoznáte. Pracuje pod falošnými identitami, a preto je väčšinou nepostihnuteľný...

Celú recenziu nájdete na Fandom.sk https://www.fandom.sk/clanok/recenzia...

[Gerhard Geick · Rating 5 out of 5]

AS ALWAYS, MATT CLARKE TAKES HOME THE GOLDEN GOOSE.

Like every other book by this author, it is hard to fit Troll into a box. There are elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and bizarro, and yet it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre - and perhaps that is why it is so easy to enjoy. Clarke's ideas are uniquely original There is nothing else to compare Troll to, and when it comes to quality prose, there is no other author that compares Clarke.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

TROLL IS FUN!!!