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Dopefoot
When a college drop-out accepts work on a cannabis farm in the woods of Northern California, he realizes almost immediately that the harsh realities of this life won't match his naïve fantasies. He'll have to work hard-and watch his back. Dubbed "Harmless" by his cultish cohorts, the young man learns the logistics of cultivation and the dark philosophies dictating conduct in this outlaw wilderness.
The farm sits on a mountain the locals call Satan's Tumor, above a valley called The Green Cauldron, where dangerous elements have been brewing beneath the misty canopy. Overstimulated gangs of smugglers and well-funded foreign mobsters vie for control of this fertile territory, threatening to disrupt an elaborate ecosystem that predates history.
And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink. The forest is an explosive tinderbox on the verge of ignition. If he's going to survive, Harmless must sink to new depths before facing unimaginable horrors on a feverish journey into Hell and back.
Dopefoot is a distinctly Californian spin on dark woodland horror, a gory cryptid mystery fueled by butane, THC, and amphetamines, by Joshua Millican, author of Teleportasm and Chopping The Novelization.
The farm sits on a mountain the locals call Satan's Tumor, above a valley called The Green Cauldron, where dangerous elements have been brewing beneath the misty canopy. Overstimulated gangs of smugglers and well-funded foreign mobsters vie for control of this fertile territory, threatening to disrupt an elaborate ecosystem that predates history.
And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink. The forest is an explosive tinderbox on the verge of ignition. If he's going to survive, Harmless must sink to new depths before facing unimaginable horrors on a feverish journey into Hell and back.
Dopefoot is a distinctly Californian spin on dark woodland horror, a gory cryptid mystery fueled by butane, THC, and amphetamines, by Joshua Millican, author of Teleportasm and Chopping The Novelization.
- GenresHorror
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2026
About the author
Joshua Millican
9 books63 followersJoshua Millican's debut novel, DEEPER THAN HELL, was released by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2022. He is also the author of SEPTUM (Encyclopocalypse), TELEPORTASM (Shortwave), and DOPEFOOT (Mad Axe Media).
Joshua has written film novelizations for FORBIDDEN ZONE, ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE, CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, and CHOPPING MALL. THE DREADFUL YEARS (Encyclopocalypse), is a collection of interviews he conducted during his tenure as Editor-in-Chief at Dread Central.
Joshua has written film novelizations for FORBIDDEN ZONE, ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE, CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, and CHOPPING MALL. THE DREADFUL YEARS (Encyclopocalypse), is a collection of interviews he conducted during his tenure as Editor-in-Chief at Dread Central.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 25, 2026
Dopefoot by Joshua Millican is a fast-moving horror story set in the remote woods of Northern California, where a college dropout takes a job on a cannabis farm because it seems straightforward enough at first. That idea doesn’t last long. What starts as simple work quickly spirals into a situation involving rival groups, unstable people, and something unsettling in the surrounding forest that no one fully understands — or wants to.
From there, the story escalates continuously. One problem leads straight into another, and any sense of control disappears pretty quickly. It has that constant feeling of things being just about manageable, right up until they very much aren’t.
The pacing is relentless, and even the quieter moments feel temporary rather than safe. The story rarely slows down, which fits the tone really well and keeps the tension high throughout.
The gore is frequent and graphic, but it becomes part of the background rather than just shock value. After a while, it’s less about reacting to individual moments and more about accepting the world the story is operating in.
The humour is subtle and dry, and it often appears at the most unexpected times. Serious or horrific situations are sometimes handled with a casual tone, which adds a darkly funny edge to the chaos.
Despite everything happening, the characters are well realised. Joshua Millican gives them distinct voices and reactions, and even under constant pressure they feel individual rather than interchangeable. Some are more grounded, others are barely coping, but all of them feel consistent within the story’s world.
Character development also works well given the pace. People don’t reset after each event; they react, adapt, and change based on what they’ve gone through, which helps give the constant escalation some weight.
The action rarely lets up for long, and even calmer sections feel like a brief pause before things escalate again. The tension comes as much from anticipation as from what is actively happening.
The twists help keep the story unpredictable without feeling disconnected. Some are easier to anticipate than others, but most fit the tone and momentum of the narrative.
Overall, Dopefoot is fast, chaotic, and brutal, but also has a dry, dark humour running through it that helps balance the intensity. It fully commits to its tone and pacing, which makes the experience consistently engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and author Joshua Millican for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publishing date: June 16th, 2026.
From there, the story escalates continuously. One problem leads straight into another, and any sense of control disappears pretty quickly. It has that constant feeling of things being just about manageable, right up until they very much aren’t.
The pacing is relentless, and even the quieter moments feel temporary rather than safe. The story rarely slows down, which fits the tone really well and keeps the tension high throughout.
The gore is frequent and graphic, but it becomes part of the background rather than just shock value. After a while, it’s less about reacting to individual moments and more about accepting the world the story is operating in.
The humour is subtle and dry, and it often appears at the most unexpected times. Serious or horrific situations are sometimes handled with a casual tone, which adds a darkly funny edge to the chaos.
Despite everything happening, the characters are well realised. Joshua Millican gives them distinct voices and reactions, and even under constant pressure they feel individual rather than interchangeable. Some are more grounded, others are barely coping, but all of them feel consistent within the story’s world.
Character development also works well given the pace. People don’t reset after each event; they react, adapt, and change based on what they’ve gone through, which helps give the constant escalation some weight.
The action rarely lets up for long, and even calmer sections feel like a brief pause before things escalate again. The tension comes as much from anticipation as from what is actively happening.
The twists help keep the story unpredictable without feeling disconnected. Some are easier to anticipate than others, but most fit the tone and momentum of the narrative.
Overall, Dopefoot is fast, chaotic, and brutal, but also has a dry, dark humour running through it that helps balance the intensity. It fully commits to its tone and pacing, which makes the experience consistently engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and author Joshua Millican for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publishing date: June 16th, 2026.
May 2, 2026
Dopefoot is a novel that is abrasive in the best way. I yelled. I laughed. It is sticky with sweat, paranoia, and a festering realization that something is deeply wrong. What begins as a story of a drifter, dubbed "Harmless" by his batshit crazy boss, chasing an off-grid fantasy, quickly curdles into something far more sinister. The cannabis farm isn't just unsettling, it is a pressure cooker, ruled by unstable personalities and an unspoken code that feels equal parts survivalist and cult doctrine. Millican excels at atmosphere. The Green Cauldron pulses with menace. Its dense wilderness closes in as tensions bubbling between workers, smugglers, and other presences escalate. There is a constant sense of unease that never lets up, even before the horror is fully revealed. When it is, the shift is less a sharp turn and more of a descent into madness, as the narrative slides from gritty crime into something feral and nightmarish. What makes Dopefoot impactful is how it remains grounded in human desperation. The violence and grotesque elements hit harder because they are rooted in a world that already feels lawless and fraying. It is not only about what is hiding in the woods (and oh boy are there some things hiding in the woods) but about what people become when they are pushed to the very edge. Bleak, visceral, and deeply unsettling, this is a woodland horror with some teeth. Thank you to Mad Axe Media for gifting me an ARC for review. Keep an eye out for my long form review coming from *redacted* very soon … You can pick this up when it publishes June 16, 2026!
May 12, 2026
I went into Dopefoot thinking this was the Bigfoot monster book I’ve been waiting for..
But it was so much more than that. Dripping with WTF moments, brutality, and heart; this read had me laughing while squirming in my seat. The gamut of emotions you’ll run through while reading this book is intense, character relationships are challenging, and the imagery is beautifully horrifying.
But it was so much more than that. Dripping with WTF moments, brutality, and heart; this read had me laughing while squirming in my seat. The gamut of emotions you’ll run through while reading this book is intense, character relationships are challenging, and the imagery is beautifully horrifying.
June 9, 2026
Stefon’s review: Northern California’s hottest club is Satan’s Tumor. It has everything - Cryptids, cannabis farms, rocket launchers, drop-outs named Harmless, amphetamines, weird tree people, a woman who claps every time she talks, scary pits, and so much more.
Okay, that’s a joke but also all of that is in this book, sooooooo. Dopefoot is a bonkers horror novel that is tons of fun. I really had no idea what was going to happen next in the best way. There is so much humor packed into this book and it’s a good thing because the horror here is actually quite frightening. And I loved how Bigfoot lore is used in this novel to explore myth and how and why we believe (or don’t believe) certain myths.
If you’re into over-the-top, wild horror with a heaping of humor, check out Dopefoot.
Huge thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC for review.
Okay, that’s a joke but also all of that is in this book, sooooooo. Dopefoot is a bonkers horror novel that is tons of fun. I really had no idea what was going to happen next in the best way. There is so much humor packed into this book and it’s a good thing because the horror here is actually quite frightening. And I loved how Bigfoot lore is used in this novel to explore myth and how and why we believe (or don’t believe) certain myths.
If you’re into over-the-top, wild horror with a heaping of humor, check out Dopefoot.
Huge thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC for review.
May 15, 2026
Dopefoot is a fun blend of quirky characters and a growing sense of dread. The novel follows “Harmless,” a drifter who finds himself employed at a cannabis farm in
california. He quickly realizes that the fun job he planned for isn’t exactly what awaits him.
This book blends humor and body horror. The main character is thrust into conflict that quickly escalates. The woodsy atmosphere and urban legends quickly suck you in. This book is easy to read and has short, punchy chapters which makes the book fly by.
Be sure to check out this book when it releases on June 16th
Special thanks to Mad Axe Media and the author for the arc copy!
california. He quickly realizes that the fun job he planned for isn’t exactly what awaits him.
This book blends humor and body horror. The main character is thrust into conflict that quickly escalates. The woodsy atmosphere and urban legends quickly suck you in. This book is easy to read and has short, punchy chapters which makes the book fly by.
Be sure to check out this book when it releases on June 16th
Special thanks to Mad Axe Media and the author for the arc copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Fist bump to the author, for offering to send along a digital ARC. All views and opinions are my own.
-
“ He who makes a beast of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man.”
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Cryptids are cool, I’ve been fascinated by the subject since I was grub. Sasquatch, and the lore surrounding it, has been part of the atmosphere I breath for just as along. I know I’m not the only one like this. Perhaps you’re like me, recognize the (albeit high strangeness infused) reality of the “Large Hairy Homonid Hypothesis”. Even if you’re someone who is dimly aware of the pop-culture icon (through Jerky ads etc.) The silhouette of the massive hairy form, looms somewhere in your mind. Joshua Millican understands this, I’d argue he even plans for it. It’s this subconscious presupposition with which the author baits the prose traps, and camouflages the literary snares, laid on the path guiding us directly into DOPEFOOT. In the introduction, the author makes it clear that the entire premise of this book is grounded in the reality of “it’s all fake”. Time and time again, you find yourself tripped up, mentally circling back thinking “I dunno, I think he might be pulling a fast one, and surprise us with it being real”. It’s a red herring, it’s such a massive red herring, that it’s a fresh fish, nailed to a road sign, declaring “Welcome the Northern California! We don’t need bigfoot, everything already massively bizarre, unhinged and downright weird!”
Northern California, in the larger popular culture, is a place of myth and mystery. The Emerald Triangle might as well the Bermuda Triangle, with all the sheer scope of legends, lies and Strange but true stories that have piled up. The Soil is fertile is almost as fertile as the imagination of the people who come there, people like “harmless”. What transpires is a phantasmagorical roller-coaster ride. A Violent, Gonzo, psychedelic descent into the depths of what humans can become. It’s whirlwind of cataclysmic violence, stripping away and remaking a person from the synapses on up. A glimpse into the paths homo sapiens can go, what they can do, and what they open themselves to encountering. Millican brings us a story that feels like it could be set in some fantastic realm, completely diverged from reality, from right now. Perhaps that’s the scariest thing about DOPEFOOT, despite that sense like the story could take place in “elsewhere”, it’s grisly yarn, that could even be happening right now. A short walk off the paved road...steps away from “ civilization”. Drama, Tragedy and hardship, playing out amongst those who forsake the trappings of the modern, and gave themselves over to the green, the wild, and that dark potential rooted deep within us all.
-
“ He who makes a beast of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man.”
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Cryptids are cool, I’ve been fascinated by the subject since I was grub. Sasquatch, and the lore surrounding it, has been part of the atmosphere I breath for just as along. I know I’m not the only one like this. Perhaps you’re like me, recognize the (albeit high strangeness infused) reality of the “Large Hairy Homonid Hypothesis”. Even if you’re someone who is dimly aware of the pop-culture icon (through Jerky ads etc.) The silhouette of the massive hairy form, looms somewhere in your mind. Joshua Millican understands this, I’d argue he even plans for it. It’s this subconscious presupposition with which the author baits the prose traps, and camouflages the literary snares, laid on the path guiding us directly into DOPEFOOT. In the introduction, the author makes it clear that the entire premise of this book is grounded in the reality of “it’s all fake”. Time and time again, you find yourself tripped up, mentally circling back thinking “I dunno, I think he might be pulling a fast one, and surprise us with it being real”. It’s a red herring, it’s such a massive red herring, that it’s a fresh fish, nailed to a road sign, declaring “Welcome the Northern California! We don’t need bigfoot, everything already massively bizarre, unhinged and downright weird!”
Northern California, in the larger popular culture, is a place of myth and mystery. The Emerald Triangle might as well the Bermuda Triangle, with all the sheer scope of legends, lies and Strange but true stories that have piled up. The Soil is fertile is almost as fertile as the imagination of the people who come there, people like “harmless”. What transpires is a phantasmagorical roller-coaster ride. A Violent, Gonzo, psychedelic descent into the depths of what humans can become. It’s whirlwind of cataclysmic violence, stripping away and remaking a person from the synapses on up. A glimpse into the paths homo sapiens can go, what they can do, and what they open themselves to encountering. Millican brings us a story that feels like it could be set in some fantastic realm, completely diverged from reality, from right now. Perhaps that’s the scariest thing about DOPEFOOT, despite that sense like the story could take place in “elsewhere”, it’s grisly yarn, that could even be happening right now. A short walk off the paved road...steps away from “ civilization”. Drama, Tragedy and hardship, playing out amongst those who forsake the trappings of the modern, and gave themselves over to the green, the wild, and that dark potential rooted deep within us all.
June 1, 2026
Cryptids are not something I have always been passionate about, but as of late I have been wanting more. Enter,
Dopefoot
by
Joshua Millican
. Sometimes there is that story that perfectly times out with your current passion, but also adds so much more. Dopefoot is a tension-filled horror where cannabis cultivation and mysterious forces combine for a truly terrifying tale.
When a college drop-out accepts work on a cannabis farm in the woods of Northern California, he realizes almost immediately that the harsh realities of this life won't match his naïve fantasies. He'll have to work hard-and watch his back. Dubbed "Harmless" by his cultish cohorts, the young man learns the logistics of cultivation and the dark philosophies dictating conduct in this outlaw wilderness.
The farm sits on a mountain the locals call Satan's Tumor, above a valley called The Green Cauldron, where dangerous elements have been brewing beneath the misty canopy. Overstimulated gangs of smugglers and well-funded foreign mobsters vie for control of this fertile territory, threatening to disrupt an elaborate ecosystem that predates history.
And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink. The forest is an explosive tinderbox on the verge of ignition. If he's going to survive, Harmless must sink to new depths before facing unimaginable horrors on a feverish journey into Hell and back.
When looking for new books to read, cannabis farmer is not typically towards the top of this list. However, I know the harsh realities of such an industry can be which peaked my interest. This is even before including the mysteries that surround this farming area. Bigfoot and related creatures have always been lingering in my mind, but have really moved to the forefront over the past few months, making Dopefoot the perfect story to read right now.
What made Dopefoot a story I could not put down from the first few pages was Millican's captivating writing of Harmless his journey to Northern California, his start on the farm, and the dangers of such a profession. Those who wish harm on such a place from gangs or mobsters that want control over the area was horrifying enough and had me hooked. The addition to mysterious forces made the book for me, but it was these early chapters that made me care. Moving forward I had a connection to Harmless and what he was about to go through.
Millican takes real-life horrors and combines with supernatural forces making a truly terrifying story. Just when you think things are going bad for our band of farmers, things only get worse. This made each page turn that much more suspenseful and tension-filled. It's the mystery that comes with it all which added to the story and allowed for an unsettling read. Millican knew exactly where he was taking us, and there were moments of apprehension on my part, not wanting to see what happens next, I was sure as hell I went along for the ride.
Dopefoot ended up being exactly the horror story I was looking for and then some. Joshua Millican takes the brutal realities of Northern California's cannabis trade and blends it fantastically with cryptid folklore and unsettling supernatural terror. Dopefoot is a relentless story filled with paranoia, violence, and supernatural horror that never loosened its grip.
Dopefoot hits bookstores everywhere on June 16, 2026 from Mad Axe Media.
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Dopefoot from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
When a college drop-out accepts work on a cannabis farm in the woods of Northern California, he realizes almost immediately that the harsh realities of this life won't match his naïve fantasies. He'll have to work hard-and watch his back. Dubbed "Harmless" by his cultish cohorts, the young man learns the logistics of cultivation and the dark philosophies dictating conduct in this outlaw wilderness.
The farm sits on a mountain the locals call Satan's Tumor, above a valley called The Green Cauldron, where dangerous elements have been brewing beneath the misty canopy. Overstimulated gangs of smugglers and well-funded foreign mobsters vie for control of this fertile territory, threatening to disrupt an elaborate ecosystem that predates history.
And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink. The forest is an explosive tinderbox on the verge of ignition. If he's going to survive, Harmless must sink to new depths before facing unimaginable horrors on a feverish journey into Hell and back.
When looking for new books to read, cannabis farmer is not typically towards the top of this list. However, I know the harsh realities of such an industry can be which peaked my interest. This is even before including the mysteries that surround this farming area. Bigfoot and related creatures have always been lingering in my mind, but have really moved to the forefront over the past few months, making Dopefoot the perfect story to read right now.
What made Dopefoot a story I could not put down from the first few pages was Millican's captivating writing of Harmless his journey to Northern California, his start on the farm, and the dangers of such a profession. Those who wish harm on such a place from gangs or mobsters that want control over the area was horrifying enough and had me hooked. The addition to mysterious forces made the book for me, but it was these early chapters that made me care. Moving forward I had a connection to Harmless and what he was about to go through.
Millican takes real-life horrors and combines with supernatural forces making a truly terrifying story. Just when you think things are going bad for our band of farmers, things only get worse. This made each page turn that much more suspenseful and tension-filled. It's the mystery that comes with it all which added to the story and allowed for an unsettling read. Millican knew exactly where he was taking us, and there were moments of apprehension on my part, not wanting to see what happens next, I was sure as hell I went along for the ride.
Dopefoot ended up being exactly the horror story I was looking for and then some. Joshua Millican takes the brutal realities of Northern California's cannabis trade and blends it fantastically with cryptid folklore and unsettling supernatural terror. Dopefoot is a relentless story filled with paranoia, violence, and supernatural horror that never loosened its grip.
Dopefoot hits bookstores everywhere on June 16, 2026 from Mad Axe Media.
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Dopefoot from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Did Not Finish
May 9, 2026Tossed this one to the side at the 40% mark. I'm not sure what I thought this was going to be but it whatever it is, I wasn't into it. And if there's a horror, aspect to it... it was taking too long to get there.
June 26, 2026
Dark, Snarky & Relentless
Primeval forests of Northern California camouflage cannabis, beasts and at least seven layers of hell. Fantastic description, relentless mayhem and a smart, snarky narrative.
Primeval forests of Northern California camouflage cannabis, beasts and at least seven layers of hell. Fantastic description, relentless mayhem and a smart, snarky narrative.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Note: This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.
When is a Bigfoot horror book not about Bigfoot at all? That’s the question some readers might be asking themselves as they tear through Joshua Millican’s Dopefoot.
I went into Dopefoot rather blindly, knowing only that the premise involved one of the world’s most well-known and heavily sought after cryptids and a California marijuana farm. I was expecting something along the lines of a Hunter Shea book by way of Cheech and Chong, or maybe a spiritual successor to Cocaine Bear that could be distilled down to Bong Hit Bigfoot. Dopefoot proved to be much more, but also less, than that.
I suppose I must also issue a slight spoiler warning, albeit one that’s drilled into our main character’s head early-on and that readers should keep in mind here: Bigfoot isn’t real. But that doesn’t mean the forests of Northern Cali surrounding the dope fields at Goat Farms are safe. Far from it. These woods are haunted by warring factions of pot growers and thieves, along with a few of the more inexplicable elements. Some are used by the farmers to prop up the legs of urban legends surrounding Satanic cults, while are others are less easily explained or accounted for.
Dopefoot has its fair share of monsters, but Millican focuses on those human evils first and foremost. When we meet Harmless, a college drop-out hitching across the country to avoid going home and facing his mother’s wrath, he’s studying the various posters of missing people. Some blame Bigfoot for the disappearances, while others claim they’ve been sacrificed by the cults inhabiting the forests. It’s more likely that the missing hikers stumbled across an illicit growing operation and found themselves murdered or conscripted into farming the fields at gunpoint before being dumped in a mass grave.
Millican’s focus on weed farming and the growers Harmless finds himself equally enraptured with and ensnared by is deadly serious business. Unlike a Shea or Jeff Strand book, which would take the combination of pot growers and Bigfoot and let it run wild with raucous fun, Dopefoot plays it entirely straight, whittling down those blurry lines separating crime and horror genres. Harmless’s journey through The Green Cauldron, as these woods are known, is more like a trip through Dante’s Inferno, eventually culminating into something more akin to Apocalypse Now than Zombie Bigfoot, as Harmless descends ever deeper into madness and war. And war, as we all know, is hell.
Along the way, Millican builds a rich mythology around The Green Cauldron. The idea of Bigfoot is never far behind, but the truth (or truths) is oftentimes nebulous and darker. This makes Dopefoot more about the concept of how urban legends are built and grow (or are farmed) across generations to take on a life of their own, mixing fact and fiction and using lies and conspiracy to hide the truth. Dopefoot is a grander, deeper exploration of its illegal, backwoods pot growers than it is about Bigfoot, and ultimately a more rewarding and thoughtful journey than if it had just been about the cryptid alone.
When is a Bigfoot horror book not about Bigfoot at all? That’s the question some readers might be asking themselves as they tear through Joshua Millican’s Dopefoot.
I went into Dopefoot rather blindly, knowing only that the premise involved one of the world’s most well-known and heavily sought after cryptids and a California marijuana farm. I was expecting something along the lines of a Hunter Shea book by way of Cheech and Chong, or maybe a spiritual successor to Cocaine Bear that could be distilled down to Bong Hit Bigfoot. Dopefoot proved to be much more, but also less, than that.
I suppose I must also issue a slight spoiler warning, albeit one that’s drilled into our main character’s head early-on and that readers should keep in mind here: Bigfoot isn’t real. But that doesn’t mean the forests of Northern Cali surrounding the dope fields at Goat Farms are safe. Far from it. These woods are haunted by warring factions of pot growers and thieves, along with a few of the more inexplicable elements. Some are used by the farmers to prop up the legs of urban legends surrounding Satanic cults, while are others are less easily explained or accounted for.
Dopefoot has its fair share of monsters, but Millican focuses on those human evils first and foremost. When we meet Harmless, a college drop-out hitching across the country to avoid going home and facing his mother’s wrath, he’s studying the various posters of missing people. Some blame Bigfoot for the disappearances, while others claim they’ve been sacrificed by the cults inhabiting the forests. It’s more likely that the missing hikers stumbled across an illicit growing operation and found themselves murdered or conscripted into farming the fields at gunpoint before being dumped in a mass grave.
Millican’s focus on weed farming and the growers Harmless finds himself equally enraptured with and ensnared by is deadly serious business. Unlike a Shea or Jeff Strand book, which would take the combination of pot growers and Bigfoot and let it run wild with raucous fun, Dopefoot plays it entirely straight, whittling down those blurry lines separating crime and horror genres. Harmless’s journey through The Green Cauldron, as these woods are known, is more like a trip through Dante’s Inferno, eventually culminating into something more akin to Apocalypse Now than Zombie Bigfoot, as Harmless descends ever deeper into madness and war. And war, as we all know, is hell.
Along the way, Millican builds a rich mythology around The Green Cauldron. The idea of Bigfoot is never far behind, but the truth (or truths) is oftentimes nebulous and darker. This makes Dopefoot more about the concept of how urban legends are built and grow (or are farmed) across generations to take on a life of their own, mixing fact and fiction and using lies and conspiracy to hide the truth. Dopefoot is a grander, deeper exploration of its illegal, backwoods pot growers than it is about Bigfoot, and ultimately a more rewarding and thoughtful journey than if it had just been about the cryptid alone.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you're a fan of Bigfoot, cryptids, or creature features, then "Dopefoot" should probably NOT be your next book: it takes all the familiar (and hackneyed) themes of this genre, and unapologetically turns them on their head - provoking a feeling of vertigo and loss as it breaks all the rules, and rebuilds them in several unexpected, original, and, well, brazen and audacious ways! Almost certainly, the result is not going to be for everyone (it's gonna be downright divisive), but if you appreciate novelty, atmosphere, and the uncanny vibes of urban legends, "Dopefoot" will give you chills, and the satisfaction of a unique reading experience solidly grounded on the trope of the outsider fighting for their life, in a surprisingly and entertaingly complex setting, full of weird events and more-than-life characters.
I went into this blind, having immensely enjoyed all of Millikan's previous books. I was stunned. It started as a promising adventure revolving around Bigfoot and Bigfoot investigators; it suddenly turned into the slow exploration of the strange life choices of an anonymous college dropout, who gives everything up to go work on a cannabis farm in the mountains of Northern California; dubbed "Harmless" by the people there, he meets the weirdest characters and has the most surprising of experiences; and then everything goes to hell - almost literally.
Millikan's incredible writing style, his knack for subtly detailed characterization, and the plot itself, kept me reading right to the end. The pacing was pleasantly uneven; "Dopefoot" is one of those books that alternate between the ruminative and the shocking, in order to return to the same themes with new doubts and new approaches to old questions: is Bigfoot real? Is Hamless really harmless? Is this hell?
The ending is a game-changer, with many tongue-in-cheek disruptions to the story as told before. Millikan respects nothing, and eagerly upends his own tale to make a (rather bleak) point about the human condition, revealing it as inherently rife with metaphysical, moral and existential ambiguities. A genuine, blood-soaked meditation on weird life choices and the cost of survival! Highly recommend.
I went into this blind, having immensely enjoyed all of Millikan's previous books. I was stunned. It started as a promising adventure revolving around Bigfoot and Bigfoot investigators; it suddenly turned into the slow exploration of the strange life choices of an anonymous college dropout, who gives everything up to go work on a cannabis farm in the mountains of Northern California; dubbed "Harmless" by the people there, he meets the weirdest characters and has the most surprising of experiences; and then everything goes to hell - almost literally.
Millikan's incredible writing style, his knack for subtly detailed characterization, and the plot itself, kept me reading right to the end. The pacing was pleasantly uneven; "Dopefoot" is one of those books that alternate between the ruminative and the shocking, in order to return to the same themes with new doubts and new approaches to old questions: is Bigfoot real? Is Hamless really harmless? Is this hell?
The ending is a game-changer, with many tongue-in-cheek disruptions to the story as told before. Millikan respects nothing, and eagerly upends his own tale to make a (rather bleak) point about the human condition, revealing it as inherently rife with metaphysical, moral and existential ambiguities. A genuine, blood-soaked meditation on weird life choices and the cost of survival! Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dopefoot By Joshua Millican
I received this great book as an ARC, so you might not be able to get a copy immediately, but make sure to get one as soon as it is available because it's a wild ride. The author firmly decided not to waste your time—this book is not very long, but it is certainly packed with content. And it's pretty crazy content, let me tell you.
It starts off as a story about a young man trying to find his way working on a cannabis plantation, and it only gets weirder and weirder from there. The first part of the book is somewhat more disciplined; we keep reading about the characters on the plantation until, at some point, we start spiraling down the rabbit hole. In a metaphorical way, but also kind of for real.
I must admit that I expected a straightforward monster story featuring Bigfoot or... is the plural for Bigfoot "Bigfoots" or "Bigfeet"? Anyway, what I got was way better. I'm not sure whether to call this horror or not; it certainly has plenty of violence and some quite disgusting moments, but to me, the overall atmosphere was more like an adventure... just a bit more of a deadly adventure, with quite a body count.
The author often walked a thin line between bizarre humor and violent horror (okay, I guess I'll call it horror), and I was wondering if he would tip over and turn this book into something else, but he kept a straight face and stayed on the horror side. It was a very entertaining read, very much like riding an amusement park ghost train, with new surprises jumping out after every bend.
I will definitely recommend this book to everyone interested in an unusual, fast-paced, horrorish read... if they don't have a problem with occasional bloodshed and massacre, of course.
I received this great book as an ARC, so you might not be able to get a copy immediately, but make sure to get one as soon as it is available because it's a wild ride. The author firmly decided not to waste your time—this book is not very long, but it is certainly packed with content. And it's pretty crazy content, let me tell you.
It starts off as a story about a young man trying to find his way working on a cannabis plantation, and it only gets weirder and weirder from there. The first part of the book is somewhat more disciplined; we keep reading about the characters on the plantation until, at some point, we start spiraling down the rabbit hole. In a metaphorical way, but also kind of for real.
I must admit that I expected a straightforward monster story featuring Bigfoot or... is the plural for Bigfoot "Bigfoots" or "Bigfeet"? Anyway, what I got was way better. I'm not sure whether to call this horror or not; it certainly has plenty of violence and some quite disgusting moments, but to me, the overall atmosphere was more like an adventure... just a bit more of a deadly adventure, with quite a body count.
The author often walked a thin line between bizarre humor and violent horror (okay, I guess I'll call it horror), and I was wondering if he would tip over and turn this book into something else, but he kept a straight face and stayed on the horror side. It was a very entertaining read, very much like riding an amusement park ghost train, with new surprises jumping out after every bend.
I will definitely recommend this book to everyone interested in an unusual, fast-paced, horrorish read... if they don't have a problem with occasional bloodshed and massacre, of course.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚.
"And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink."
Harmless has dropped out of college and is looking to find himself and make some money in the process. He ends up taking a job on an illegal cannabis farm, and his quest to find himself quickly devolves into a horrific fight for his life.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed Joshua's writing style. The character development was amazing, especially for a shorter novel. It was a fastpaced story that pulled me in right away. I mean who hasn't wondered if Bigfoot is real at some point, right?
There were a few times I was very briefly pulled from the story, and that was during the taste descriptions of the cannabis. I just honestly felt like it wasn't needed. The quality of the cannabis was described visually and in the description of the high afterwards, so it just felt like overkill to me.
Once the horror aspects started I was both enthralled and disgusted in the best way possible. This book was very reminiscent of late 80s psychedelic horror for me. That weird feeling where you are questioning if reality is actually reality, or if your narrator is just really unreliable. It left me excited to explore more of Joshua's writing.
I want to extend thanks to Joshua Millican, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for a review.
"And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring... angry, agitated, pushed to the brink."
Harmless has dropped out of college and is looking to find himself and make some money in the process. He ends up taking a job on an illegal cannabis farm, and his quest to find himself quickly devolves into a horrific fight for his life.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed Joshua's writing style. The character development was amazing, especially for a shorter novel. It was a fastpaced story that pulled me in right away. I mean who hasn't wondered if Bigfoot is real at some point, right?
There were a few times I was very briefly pulled from the story, and that was during the taste descriptions of the cannabis. I just honestly felt like it wasn't needed. The quality of the cannabis was described visually and in the description of the high afterwards, so it just felt like overkill to me.
Once the horror aspects started I was both enthralled and disgusted in the best way possible. This book was very reminiscent of late 80s psychedelic horror for me. That weird feeling where you are questioning if reality is actually reality, or if your narrator is just really unreliable. It left me excited to explore more of Joshua's writing.
I want to extend thanks to Joshua Millican, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for a review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, NetGalley and Mad Axe Media for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed the overall plot and the new take on a bigfoot story. There was so much more than just reading about bigfoot. The main character who was given the name Harmless is going to work on a cannabis farm in Northern California which is sometimes known as “bigfoot country”. He meets the many people that work on this farm and all go by nicknames. I liked the nicknames because it made the characters distinct, and there were many characters to keep track of. There are many groups throughout the woods near the farm where Harmless works and that’s really where the plot is focused so I won’t spoil anything more. This book also gets very weird which I enjoyed.
The writing was where I struggled a bit. It started pretty solid, but a lot of the time it was telling instead of showing. The last few chapters are straight up telling and explaining what went down. There were about 3 chapters that all felt like endings. It seemed like the author was trying to tie everything up by explaining things away. The very last chapter was good and I would’ve liked it better if the explaining chapters before it were deleted. I would’ve enjoyed it more if there was some mystery left for the reader to take away on their own. I would still recommend this book if you’re interested in a different take on a bigfoot story.
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed the overall plot and the new take on a bigfoot story. There was so much more than just reading about bigfoot. The main character who was given the name Harmless is going to work on a cannabis farm in Northern California which is sometimes known as “bigfoot country”. He meets the many people that work on this farm and all go by nicknames. I liked the nicknames because it made the characters distinct, and there were many characters to keep track of. There are many groups throughout the woods near the farm where Harmless works and that’s really where the plot is focused so I won’t spoil anything more. This book also gets very weird which I enjoyed.
The writing was where I struggled a bit. It started pretty solid, but a lot of the time it was telling instead of showing. The last few chapters are straight up telling and explaining what went down. There were about 3 chapters that all felt like endings. It seemed like the author was trying to tie everything up by explaining things away. The very last chapter was good and I would’ve liked it better if the explaining chapters before it were deleted. I would’ve enjoyed it more if there was some mystery left for the reader to take away on their own. I would still recommend this book if you’re interested in a different take on a bigfoot story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was intrigued by the blurb, assuming that the premise would be a trippy experience due to the fact that there are lots of drugs involved here. While it really wasn't, what follows is a series of exposition and how-to's on various topics that I suppose were supposed to be the crux of the main character's journey.
I like the idea that there are strange things in the woods that we don't understand, but some of these things seemed a little far-fetched - there are rocket launchers and helicopters... I'm more interested in how the Lithuanians acquired these things rather than the stories of whatever exists in the woods. While the deep woods haven't been fully explored, I'm sure mass wildfires and flying vehicles might draw some attention outside of the isolation.
At one point, Harmless finds himself inside "the flesh pit," which is described as an inescapable hell that he manages to get out of in less than an hour. I was also quite a bit underwhelmed by Bigfoot's reveal and motivations.
Somewhere in the middle and consistent through the end, there are several instances of head-hopping, and I had to double-take every time. I liked Honeydew's character, and her trauma response. It was unique.
Anyway, it's an interesting enough premise, I just thought it would me more psychological.
2.5/5 rounded up
I like the idea that there are strange things in the woods that we don't understand, but some of these things seemed a little far-fetched - there are rocket launchers and helicopters... I'm more interested in how the Lithuanians acquired these things rather than the stories of whatever exists in the woods. While the deep woods haven't been fully explored, I'm sure mass wildfires and flying vehicles might draw some attention outside of the isolation.
At one point, Harmless finds himself inside "the flesh pit," which is described as an inescapable hell that he manages to get out of in less than an hour. I was also quite a bit underwhelmed by Bigfoot's reveal and motivations.
Somewhere in the middle and consistent through the end, there are several instances of head-hopping, and I had to double-take every time. I liked Honeydew's character, and her trauma response. It was unique.
Anyway, it's an interesting enough premise, I just thought it would me more psychological.
2.5/5 rounded up
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Dopefoot by Joshua Millican is an incredibly fast paced tale of mind altering substances, weird woods shit and gangsters. We follow our protagonist, eventually given the nickname ‘Harmless’, as he heads blindly into what he assumes is a mellow time: working at a cannabis farm. Within the first day things go from zero to complete chaos with various backcountry lore and turf wars. So my fast paced, action packed readers: this one is for y’all.
There is a lot going on in this book. There’s so many different flavors of evil lurking and it made it a bit difficult to stay focused. Millican makes a valiant effort to tie everything together in the end and clear up the various curiosities, but I struggled to relate to many of the actions taken because everything just moved so quickly. Maybe life in backcountry Humboldt county is absolutely batshit insane every day but I think I would’ve benefitted just getting to know the characters a bit more. It was difficult establishing the motives of each clan. I loved the bits in the flesh pit, especially the more liminal sections. Dopefoot seemed to struggle to commit to the supernatural and I had a tough time distinguishing the elements in the mayhem. This was a fun read but I think the plot took off a bit too fast for me to keep up.
There is a lot going on in this book. There’s so many different flavors of evil lurking and it made it a bit difficult to stay focused. Millican makes a valiant effort to tie everything together in the end and clear up the various curiosities, but I struggled to relate to many of the actions taken because everything just moved so quickly. Maybe life in backcountry Humboldt county is absolutely batshit insane every day but I think I would’ve benefitted just getting to know the characters a bit more. It was difficult establishing the motives of each clan. I loved the bits in the flesh pit, especially the more liminal sections. Dopefoot seemed to struggle to commit to the supernatural and I had a tough time distinguishing the elements in the mayhem. This was a fun read but I think the plot took off a bit too fast for me to keep up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book read like a crazy acid trip. When I thought it was going one way, it went completely sideways and upside down.
I went into this book not knowing much about it but when I found out that Bigfoot was going to be a prevalent topic, I was a bit sceptic and concerned with how much I would enjoy the story (I didn’t need to be). Personally, I felt like everything (characters, plot, setting, etc.) fit together good and every side story we got played a part into the plot and the readers final understanding later in the novel.
To me, it felt like a coming of age story (even though the MMC is in his early twenties) with an unreliable narrator. It was very thought provoking and had some interesting takes on some beliefs and the lifestyle that comes with living off the grid.
The novel’s secluded setting, the myths and rumors that come with dense forests (especially the valley where the story takes place), and the things that we see throughout the story, gave the book an almost otherworldly atmosphere as well as just being down right creepy especially since throughout the novel, the reader is told that there are worse things in the valley than Bigfoot or pot growers which undoubtedly made the environment and the characters actions a bit more trepidatious for me.
I went into this book not knowing much about it but when I found out that Bigfoot was going to be a prevalent topic, I was a bit sceptic and concerned with how much I would enjoy the story (I didn’t need to be). Personally, I felt like everything (characters, plot, setting, etc.) fit together good and every side story we got played a part into the plot and the readers final understanding later in the novel.
To me, it felt like a coming of age story (even though the MMC is in his early twenties) with an unreliable narrator. It was very thought provoking and had some interesting takes on some beliefs and the lifestyle that comes with living off the grid.
The novel’s secluded setting, the myths and rumors that come with dense forests (especially the valley where the story takes place), and the things that we see throughout the story, gave the book an almost otherworldly atmosphere as well as just being down right creepy especially since throughout the novel, the reader is told that there are worse things in the valley than Bigfoot or pot growers which undoubtedly made the environment and the characters actions a bit more trepidatious for me.
June 11, 2026
🌲𝘿𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩 // 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘢 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯
What the whaaat was this? (😜 …𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺…)
I honestly have no idea how this story worked, but it did…there is cannabis farming, cannabis farmers on meth, Bigfoot, warring rural gangs…like what? How does all of this work together? Millican did something crazy original and totally rad with this story.
So how does this all come about anyway? Well, our MC, dubbed “Harmless”, is on his way to work on a cannabis farm. Simple enough. On his way, he stops at a Bigfoot museum where the proprietor adamantly tries to convince him that Bigfoot isn’t real..a little foreshadowing, maybe? 👀 Well, anyway, when Harmless gets to the cannabis farm, he’s quickly made aware of the ongoing war between the other groups in the deep forest. Oh, and the group he’s working with is totally cult-like as well. 🤔 Well, then missiles start flying and things catch on fire and everyone is forced to flee to the forest…chaos and craziness ensue.
𝘋𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 is a wiiiiiild ride. It has all the northwestern- Cali- drug induced- fever dream- brutal- horrifying- gory- cryptid- bizarre- horror vibes. It’s like nothing I’ve read, but it’s also everything I didn’t know I wanted in a summer read.
🖤🖤🖤🖤/5
💫 Thank you @joshua_millican for this #gifted copy!
What the whaaat was this? (😜 …𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺…)
I honestly have no idea how this story worked, but it did…there is cannabis farming, cannabis farmers on meth, Bigfoot, warring rural gangs…like what? How does all of this work together? Millican did something crazy original and totally rad with this story.
So how does this all come about anyway? Well, our MC, dubbed “Harmless”, is on his way to work on a cannabis farm. Simple enough. On his way, he stops at a Bigfoot museum where the proprietor adamantly tries to convince him that Bigfoot isn’t real..a little foreshadowing, maybe? 👀 Well, anyway, when Harmless gets to the cannabis farm, he’s quickly made aware of the ongoing war between the other groups in the deep forest. Oh, and the group he’s working with is totally cult-like as well. 🤔 Well, then missiles start flying and things catch on fire and everyone is forced to flee to the forest…chaos and craziness ensue.
𝘋𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 is a wiiiiiild ride. It has all the northwestern- Cali- drug induced- fever dream- brutal- horrifying- gory- cryptid- bizarre- horror vibes. It’s like nothing I’ve read, but it’s also everything I didn’t know I wanted in a summer read.
🖤🖤🖤🖤/5
💫 Thank you @joshua_millican for this #gifted copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dopefoot feels like being dropped into the middle of something already rotting.
This isn’t just backwoods horror. It’s grime, sweat, paranoia, and a constant sense that something is off long before anything actually happens. The cannabis farm setting is harsh and suffocating, filled with people who feel just as dangerous as whatever might be lurking in the forest. There’s a cult-like edge to the dynamics.
What worked for me was the atmosphere. The Green Cauldron feels alive. The deeper the story goes, the more it slips into something darker and more unhinged. It starts grounded in crime and survival, then slowly tilts into full horror without losing that gritty edge.
It is violent, chaotic, and at times disorienting, but that almost adds to the experience. You feel just as off-balance as the main character. The cryptid elements don’t take over completely, but they linger enough to make everything feel unstable and wrong.
This is not a clean or easy read. It is messy, uncomfortable, and a little feverish.
If you like your horror raw, strange, and soaked in atmosphere, this one is worth it.
This isn’t just backwoods horror. It’s grime, sweat, paranoia, and a constant sense that something is off long before anything actually happens. The cannabis farm setting is harsh and suffocating, filled with people who feel just as dangerous as whatever might be lurking in the forest. There’s a cult-like edge to the dynamics.
What worked for me was the atmosphere. The Green Cauldron feels alive. The deeper the story goes, the more it slips into something darker and more unhinged. It starts grounded in crime and survival, then slowly tilts into full horror without losing that gritty edge.
It is violent, chaotic, and at times disorienting, but that almost adds to the experience. You feel just as off-balance as the main character. The cryptid elements don’t take over completely, but they linger enough to make everything feel unstable and wrong.
This is not a clean or easy read. It is messy, uncomfortable, and a little feverish.
If you like your horror raw, strange, and soaked in atmosphere, this one is worth it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I went into this one blind, the cover alone had me interested 👀.
What do you get when a college drop out gets a job on a canna farm??
A crazy trip right, nope the reality sinks in real quick that this is a real job, labor intensive and one where paranoia runs eveywhere.
Out in the middle of nowhere, in a business that already has shady corners and even shadier characters, the isolation of the compound really added to how to felt.
Then you add the Bigfoot lore in and this turns into something else and way more grittier then I expected from the name alone.
When the "business" is taking up a forrest and destroying what was once a beautiful ecosystem, the humans seem not to care much, but Dopefoot does.. And what lurks in the forrest might be more dangerous than the illegal farm he's working on or the people running it..
What a crazy fever dream of a book, absolutely loved it, it was dark and way more then just a cryptid story, this was a dark journey in finding yourself and finding out what you can survive.
What do you get when a college drop out gets a job on a canna farm??
A crazy trip right, nope the reality sinks in real quick that this is a real job, labor intensive and one where paranoia runs eveywhere.
Out in the middle of nowhere, in a business that already has shady corners and even shadier characters, the isolation of the compound really added to how to felt.
Then you add the Bigfoot lore in and this turns into something else and way more grittier then I expected from the name alone.
When the "business" is taking up a forrest and destroying what was once a beautiful ecosystem, the humans seem not to care much, but Dopefoot does.. And what lurks in the forrest might be more dangerous than the illegal farm he's working on or the people running it..
What a crazy fever dream of a book, absolutely loved it, it was dark and way more then just a cryptid story, this was a dark journey in finding yourself and finding out what you can survive.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I went into this thinking I was going to get a Bigfoot novel about a guy working a cannabis farm, and while we do get that, Millican offers us so, so much more.
In the acknowledgements, Millican describes Dopefoot as his Great American Novel, and that's exactly what this is. It's equally all about Bigfoot and not really about Bigfoot at the same time. It's about identity and belief, believing in yourself, in who you are, in what you could become, but also, a belief in something greater. It asks big questions and delivers it in a devastatingly bloody fashion.
Dopefoot is both thrilling and mind-bending, throwing so many curves at you like a cannibalistic clown and a 100-year-old underground witch, that you'll at times wonder if Bigfoot is even a threat (he is). Still, I was most unnerved by Ranger Mason, who may or may not have a pile of bodies in his... cabin or station.
Don't sleep on this book. It's bound to be as legendary as the famed cryptid itself.
In the acknowledgements, Millican describes Dopefoot as his Great American Novel, and that's exactly what this is. It's equally all about Bigfoot and not really about Bigfoot at the same time. It's about identity and belief, believing in yourself, in who you are, in what you could become, but also, a belief in something greater. It asks big questions and delivers it in a devastatingly bloody fashion.
Dopefoot is both thrilling and mind-bending, throwing so many curves at you like a cannibalistic clown and a 100-year-old underground witch, that you'll at times wonder if Bigfoot is even a threat (he is). Still, I was most unnerved by Ranger Mason, who may or may not have a pile of bodies in his... cabin or station.
Don't sleep on this book. It's bound to be as legendary as the famed cryptid itself.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Okay. You had me at Bigfoot lore, but then we throw in a college dropout working on an illegal cannabis farm run by shady characters deep in the forests of Northern California and suddenly this turns into a full blown fever dream spiral into chaos.
What really impressed me was how strong the character work is. It takes its time building the atmosphere, the tension, and the strange ecosystem of The Green Cauldron before everything completely detonates. And once it does? The story never lets up.
The setting feels grimy, isolated, and alive. The entire book feels like a slow descent into hell where you genuinely never know what kind of madness is waiting on the next page.
And the atmosphere? Incredible. It’s humid and violent. It’s weird in a way that feels fresh rather than forced.
Millican’s writing style is seriously solid. I thought Teleportasm was great, but Dopefoot easily tops it for me.
What really impressed me was how strong the character work is. It takes its time building the atmosphere, the tension, and the strange ecosystem of The Green Cauldron before everything completely detonates. And once it does? The story never lets up.
The setting feels grimy, isolated, and alive. The entire book feels like a slow descent into hell where you genuinely never know what kind of madness is waiting on the next page.
And the atmosphere? Incredible. It’s humid and violent. It’s weird in a way that feels fresh rather than forced.
Millican’s writing style is seriously solid. I thought Teleportasm was great, but Dopefoot easily tops it for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is like a literary roller coaster and unfortunately I don't think I'll be riding again.
A drifter, dubbed Harmless, joins a ragtag team of cannabis farmers and everything very quickly goes to hell. After the midpoint of the book it seems like every chapter introduces a new threat and it becomes overwhelming pretty quickly. Here is a non-exhaustive list: Bigfoot (or is it?), a crazed Lithuanian mob boss, a clan of wild people, an immortal hag who lives in a pit full of rotting carcasses, a serial killer posing as a park ranger, and more. If you like balls to the wall craziness and gore this is the book for you! I would have preferred if it stuck with 2-3 of those things and fleshed it out a bit more.
3 stars because it didn't work for me but I can tell there is an audience that will appreciate it more.
A drifter, dubbed Harmless, joins a ragtag team of cannabis farmers and everything very quickly goes to hell. After the midpoint of the book it seems like every chapter introduces a new threat and it becomes overwhelming pretty quickly. Here is a non-exhaustive list: Bigfoot (or is it?), a crazed Lithuanian mob boss, a clan of wild people, an immortal hag who lives in a pit full of rotting carcasses, a serial killer posing as a park ranger, and more. If you like balls to the wall craziness and gore this is the book for you! I would have preferred if it stuck with 2-3 of those things and fleshed it out a bit more.
3 stars because it didn't work for me but I can tell there is an audience that will appreciate it more.
Review of advance copy received from Author
🍃ARC REVIEW🍃
PUB DATE: 6/16/2026 Mad Axe Media
“These trees drink blood, Harmless. The woods lure people in with promises of riches before devouring them. This place demands respect.”
“There’s one thing I know for certain: there are scarier things than Bigfoot in these woods. Be careful.”
💬 What in the HELL just happened! If I told you we were going to combine mar1juana fields, big foot myths, cryptid lore, Satn worship, amphetamines, cults, helicopters and missiles… but then also top it all off with a CRONE, what would you say? You know what though… it worked. I was sat for this. And the ending?! Come onnnn. Chilling and ambiguous. Definitely recommend for a wacky, freaky adventure🍃
Thank you @joshua_millican for the ARC
PUB DATE: 6/16/2026 Mad Axe Media
“These trees drink blood, Harmless. The woods lure people in with promises of riches before devouring them. This place demands respect.”
“There’s one thing I know for certain: there are scarier things than Bigfoot in these woods. Be careful.”
💬 What in the HELL just happened! If I told you we were going to combine mar1juana fields, big foot myths, cryptid lore, Satn worship, amphetamines, cults, helicopters and missiles… but then also top it all off with a CRONE, what would you say? You know what though… it worked. I was sat for this. And the ending?! Come onnnn. Chilling and ambiguous. Definitely recommend for a wacky, freaky adventure🍃
Thank you @joshua_millican for the ARC
June 20, 2026
Hypnotic, unpredictable, and absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. I was enthralled from the first page to the last. I felt the pull of a deep undercurrent while reading this book, like there were two stories being told: one about Harmless and the Goat Farm in Humboldt, the apocalyptic conflict between warring factions of the worst elements of the cannabis industry and those caught in its crossfire, and the weird-fiction-Bildungsroman in which a lost man comes to knowledge of himself through the search for a dangerous cryptid; but a second story, too, that could only be read between the lines, about emotional truths and how our oldest wounds are forced into the light by our personal apocalypses. This book is a shoulder-fired missile aimed at dry grass in fire season. I read it in one sitting.
Review of advance copy received from Author
As someone settled in the PNW, I do not generally enjoy Bigfoot lore. To be honest, I avoid it like the plague.
I am so glad I took a chance on this one. I saw that cover and was like, yeah, okay, I’m in.
This book is like what happens if Bigfoot spends too much time listening to Sublime and doing recreational drugs. But Millican’s character work is top-notch, and the flow and cadence of this novel is superb, and the whole thing was an absolute treat to read. Definitely will be ordering a paperback copy of this one. Well done!
I am so glad I took a chance on this one. I saw that cover and was like, yeah, okay, I’m in.
This book is like what happens if Bigfoot spends too much time listening to Sublime and doing recreational drugs. But Millican’s character work is top-notch, and the flow and cadence of this novel is superb, and the whole thing was an absolute treat to read. Definitely will be ordering a paperback copy of this one. Well done!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Millican has an unparalleled ability to take outlandish, potentially silly concepts, and to execute them with the gravitas and the brutality of a true horror maestro. First with TELEPORTASM, and now with the drug-turf-war-turned-creature-feature DOPEFOOT, I've learned there's no premise too wild for Millican to thrill me with. Believe in him just like you believe in Bigfoot and buckle the *foot* up.
Review of advance copy received from Author
It’s hairy. It’s gory. It’s got claws. I’m not talking about Bigfoot, I’m talking about “Dopefoot.” Be prepared to feel unsettled, disgusting, and suspicious. But also prepare for humor and characters that you can’t help but love. Millican has created a world inside the world of cannabis culture that mirrors the horrors we face in our daily lives. You’ll leave this story asking yourself, “who are the real monsters?”
Thank you, Joshua, for offering an advanced copy! This was such a fun read.
Thank you, Joshua, for offering an advanced copy! This was such a fun read.
December 9, 2025
Dopefoot brims with colorful characters, lush environments, crazy situations, and things lurking in the woods. Millican weaves together a tight, fast-paced narrative that will keep you turning the pages and feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster combined with a dark ride; zipping along, having a blast with no idea what's going to be around the next sharp, shadowed turn waiting to surprise you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was so freakin’ entertaining! The concept alone hooked me and it totally delivered on its premise. Such a wildly unique story packed with gore, humor and nonstop action. It’s fast paced with so many twists and turns that I didn’t know what to expect next. The characters were super interesting and well written. This is way more than just a typical Bigfoot story!
If you like cryptids and pot farms, wild adventure and books with brutal kills then you have to check this one out! It comes out on June 16th!
If you like cryptids and pot farms, wild adventure and books with brutal kills then you have to check this one out! It comes out on June 16th!
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