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PainSpace: A Novella
His daughter went into the tubes. She never came out.
During a break from work, Lucas Flores brings his six-year-old daughter, Alexis, to Buddy’s Burgers—a local fast food joint—for a quick bite and some playtime at the attached indoor playground dubbed ‘Buddy’s PlaySpace.’ But after he awakens from a lengthy, impromptu nap, he finds the playground vacant with only his daughter’s shoes near a tube entrance.
He hears her playing in the playground, but he’s unable to lure her out. Worried for her safety and kicking himself for dozing off, he ventures into the tubes to find her... unaware of the horrific secrets lurking in the playground.
Jon Athan, the author of Shared by Two and Her Suffering, blends white-knuckle suspense, bone-chilling visuals, and raw emotion in this twisted novella of cerebral, supernatural horror. Enjoy your meal... it could be your last!
This book features twelve high-quality, full-page illustrations.
Although this is not an extreme horror story, it does contain some graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
During a break from work, Lucas Flores brings his six-year-old daughter, Alexis, to Buddy’s Burgers—a local fast food joint—for a quick bite and some playtime at the attached indoor playground dubbed ‘Buddy’s PlaySpace.’ But after he awakens from a lengthy, impromptu nap, he finds the playground vacant with only his daughter’s shoes near a tube entrance.
He hears her playing in the playground, but he’s unable to lure her out. Worried for her safety and kicking himself for dozing off, he ventures into the tubes to find her... unaware of the horrific secrets lurking in the playground.
Jon Athan, the author of Shared by Two and Her Suffering, blends white-knuckle suspense, bone-chilling visuals, and raw emotion in this twisted novella of cerebral, supernatural horror. Enjoy your meal... it could be your last!
This book features twelve high-quality, full-page illustrations.
Although this is not an extreme horror story, it does contain some graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
June 3, 2026
Liminal horror that takes the phrase 'it's bigger on the inside' literally. In this case it's the playground tunnels at a fast food joint that open into another world of terror, both visceral and psychological. Losing himself in the tunnels, a father must confront how he responds to fear, and how he will survive. The human mind can either shut down or become more curious when faced with horror and sometimes it takes a choice which tunnel to go down, or how to respond in certain situations. This had more gore than I was expecting but there was a very good amount of psychological suspense and existential dread.
4🌟
4🌟
May 26, 2026
This felt like a Carlton Mellick story. And that’s a positive trait. This was a simple premise with a tremendous amount of unexpected depth, with very unique and well-placed horror elements. Great pacing and forward movement, a solid flow, and it just hit a huge amount of marks on my checklist. Definitely in the top three Jon Athan books I’ve read. I didn’t love the very last scene, as it felt unnecessary and diluted the emotional finale. Aside from that, this was a very good experience from the author.
May 2, 2026
Jon Athan writing liminal horror is what I needed.
Lucas Flores, father to six year old Alexis, takes his daughter to Buddy's PlaySpace where she can do what she does best: be a kid.
But while his daughter is playing amongst the monkey bars, ball pits, and endless colored tubes— Lucas briefly falls asleep at one of the tables from deep exhaustion.
Unfortunately, when Lucas awakens from his doze— his daughter is nowhere to be found. With her pink shoes neatly placed at the the base of the slide, that is Lucas's only indicator that she must be somewhere hidden around the play space.
From this point forward, Jon Athan pens a liminal horror tale that turns a kid-friendly, familiar place into a terrifyingly claustrophobic journey that seemingly never ends. Lucas's desperate search for his missing daughter drags all of us readers into the cruel depths of Buddy's PlaySpace.
But that isn't all.
What starts as an uncomfortable liminal horror quietly transitions into a striking tale of grief, and the many forms that it takes. Buddy's PlaySpace begins to take on the form of what feels like a purgatory— and all becomes understood. Grief plays on the mind in such excruciating ways, and I found that Jon Athan executed some of those feelings beautifully by using liminal spaces to start.
Horror transcends and it evokes. There are a plethora of ways the genre can be written to incite such rich emotion and feeling. There are feelings of the never-ending, claustrophobia, doubt, fear, love, heartbreak and redemption— all wrapped up inside of such a small book.
Previously, I had not been that impressed with the last couple of books I've read by the author, but the shift in writing and subgenre with PainSpace was incredible. This novella is so different from the typical gory, splattery writing we see from Jon Athan.
Feels like there was a lot of heart in this one.
I'm rating PainSpace: A Novella with ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ stars for its captivating premise and the liminal horror, grief ridden feel. Both liminal and grief horror stories are always on my TBR, always keeping me on the hunt. It's very cool to see a splatterpunk author write something that's outside of their usual, as I'm typically struck by it. This makes me incredibly excited to see what's next on Jon Athan's writing radar.
Lucas Flores, father to six year old Alexis, takes his daughter to Buddy's PlaySpace where she can do what she does best: be a kid.
But while his daughter is playing amongst the monkey bars, ball pits, and endless colored tubes— Lucas briefly falls asleep at one of the tables from deep exhaustion.
Unfortunately, when Lucas awakens from his doze— his daughter is nowhere to be found. With her pink shoes neatly placed at the the base of the slide, that is Lucas's only indicator that she must be somewhere hidden around the play space.
From this point forward, Jon Athan pens a liminal horror tale that turns a kid-friendly, familiar place into a terrifyingly claustrophobic journey that seemingly never ends. Lucas's desperate search for his missing daughter drags all of us readers into the cruel depths of Buddy's PlaySpace.
But that isn't all.
What starts as an uncomfortable liminal horror quietly transitions into a striking tale of grief, and the many forms that it takes. Buddy's PlaySpace begins to take on the form of what feels like a purgatory— and all becomes understood. Grief plays on the mind in such excruciating ways, and I found that Jon Athan executed some of those feelings beautifully by using liminal spaces to start.
Horror transcends and it evokes. There are a plethora of ways the genre can be written to incite such rich emotion and feeling. There are feelings of the never-ending, claustrophobia, doubt, fear, love, heartbreak and redemption— all wrapped up inside of such a small book.
Previously, I had not been that impressed with the last couple of books I've read by the author, but the shift in writing and subgenre with PainSpace was incredible. This novella is so different from the typical gory, splattery writing we see from Jon Athan.
Feels like there was a lot of heart in this one.
I'm rating PainSpace: A Novella with ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ stars for its captivating premise and the liminal horror, grief ridden feel. Both liminal and grief horror stories are always on my TBR, always keeping me on the hunt. It's very cool to see a splatterpunk author write something that's outside of their usual, as I'm typically struck by it. This makes me incredibly excited to see what's next on Jon Athan's writing radar.
May 15, 2026
My POV while reading:
“Oh yay, I love liminal space horror, woo!!”
My POV after:
“Fuck you Jon Athan. I’m sobbing and feel like fucking shit now.”
“Oh yay, I love liminal space horror, woo!!”
My POV after:
“Fuck you Jon Athan. I’m sobbing and feel like fucking shit now.”
April 30, 2026
De l'horreur liminale dans une aire de jeux, un bangeeeeer
Review of advance copy received from Author
Holy shit! This novella was seriously creepy and disturbing, but it was also an unexpectedly emotional and deep read as well. It felt different from most of Athan's work almost immediately, but I found out just as quickly I would not be disappointed. The way he wove together this tale of confusion and fear, that later turned to realization and heartbreak was nothing short of captivating. I did not expect to be holding back tears while reading a Jon Athan book, but here we are. He's shown time and time again he is the GOAT of extreme horror and splatterpunk, but he's just proven he can knock psychological horror out of the park as well.. 4.5/5 skulls ☠️️
April 30, 2026
Painspace is a novella that hits far harder than its length suggests. I went in expecting full on Splatterpunk, but the gore is surprisingly minimal. Instead, Jon Athan builds a bleak, atmospheric story that slowly tightens around you in an almost suffocating, claustrophobic way. Most of the emotional weight doesn’t land until the end, but when it does, it’s so unexpectedly devastating.
The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, 'this feels so Silent Hill coded'! That fog soaked melancholy, that sense of being trapped inside someone’s grief. Seeing Athan mention Silent Hill in the after notes made me laugh because it absolutely tracks. And that final moment? A genuine jumpscare.
The artwork between chapters is also a real treat, adding texture and atmosphere throughout. Thoughtful, haunting, and far more affecting than I expected.
The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, 'this feels so Silent Hill coded'! That fog soaked melancholy, that sense of being trapped inside someone’s grief. Seeing Athan mention Silent Hill in the after notes made me laugh because it absolutely tracks. And that final moment? A genuine jumpscare.
The artwork between chapters is also a real treat, adding texture and atmosphere throughout. Thoughtful, haunting, and far more affecting than I expected.
May 26, 2026
I did not expect this book to be as emotional as it was. Like that ending? Boyyyy, did I cry! Jon Athan's books are growing on me, for sure. I started with the Groomer, which I absolutely hated. But then I read Blender babies, then In Mad Hands and now this? I might turn into a Jon Athan fan at this rate! I am so happy that I gave this author another chance after the first book.
This book was emotional, scary, creepy and had major backroom vibes. I didn't know I needed a liminal horror story from Jon Athan in my life. The story has a really good pace, not too slow and not too fast. It doesn't feel dragged out or hastened along to fit the Novella length.
Definitely a 5 star read for me!
This book was emotional, scary, creepy and had major backroom vibes. I didn't know I needed a liminal horror story from Jon Athan in my life. The story has a really good pace, not too slow and not too fast. It doesn't feel dragged out or hastened along to fit the Novella length.
Definitely a 5 star read for me!
May 3, 2026
A father loses his 6 year old daughter in the tubes of an indoor playground at a fast food place. Worried about her safety, he goes in after her. But it turns out this is not just a regular playground....
The story moves at warp speed - giving you barely time to breathe. There's this terrifying claustrophobic vibe to it. It often feels like you're right there in the tubes with Lucas. Tension builds, until an unexpected twist shatters your heart in a thousand pieces.
Very different from other Jon Athan books, but just as good.
The story moves at warp speed - giving you barely time to breathe. There's this terrifying claustrophobic vibe to it. It often feels like you're right there in the tubes with Lucas. Tension builds, until an unexpected twist shatters your heart in a thousand pieces.
Very different from other Jon Athan books, but just as good.
April 30, 2026
Wow… just wow. I thought this was just going to be a gnarly story about kids dying in a play area but it ended up being so touching and deep. 10/10 Great writing and narration.
May 2, 2026
I am all about liminal anything. Give me the Backrooms any day. So when I saw several reviews mentioning this story was about that I jumped in willingly. What I did not expect was how emotional this story would make me. It started out as a run of the mill lost in the tunnels and quickly became a tunnel full of emotions! Grief is such a hard thing because it does often feel as if it takes on a form and weight of its own. Jon personified this in a very creepy but very poignant way. I commend him for being able to fit such a complex set of thoughts into such a short amount of pages. I gobbled this up as fast as time allowed. Excellent introduction to this author.
May 2, 2026
i loved this. was def not expecting it to creep me out but also break my heart 😅
May 3, 2026
Moooom! Jon Athan scared me and made me cry! 😒
In the beginning I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Like I was the one stuck in the tube. 😅 I almost gave myself a panic attack thinking about being stuck. Lmao! But later I cried. Did not expect that twist at all. It was…so good. Jon Athan is easily one of my favorite authors. That was awesome ♥️
In the beginning I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Like I was the one stuck in the tube. 😅 I almost gave myself a panic attack thinking about being stuck. Lmao! But later I cried. Did not expect that twist at all. It was…so good. Jon Athan is easily one of my favorite authors. That was awesome ♥️
May 4, 2026
loved this! i really liked the illustrations and thought it was the perfect length to be able to tell the story without being too repetitive or boring at all. a few creepy parts thrown in and the tense kind of feeling is always a plus!
April 30, 2026
The audiobook was incredible. I love the dual narration of this one
Story was short and quick to read. I love the art as well and it was a super nice to help visualize what I was reading
It was a pretty sad Read and I love the emotional aspects of this book. It really made sense from a grief point of view and how far the grief can get you in forgiveness and letting go means. It wasn’t quite horror, but it still gave the good horror feels
Story was short and quick to read. I love the art as well and it was a super nice to help visualize what I was reading
It was a pretty sad Read and I love the emotional aspects of this book. It really made sense from a grief point of view and how far the grief can get you in forgiveness and letting go means. It wasn’t quite horror, but it still gave the good horror feels
May 14, 2026
Went into this not expecting to be so sad! Good quick read with some horrifying descriptions.
May 21, 2026
Wow! Very different for Jon Athan but amazing nonetheless! Boy did I cry!!! This was a story full of heart and raw emotion.
Lucas and his daughter Alexis visited their local fast food place (think McDonald’s circa 1990s) and while Alexis is playing in the play space she disappears in the tubes. When Lucas ventured into the play space to get her he didn’t expect to decent into the nightmare he ends up in.
Again wow.
Lucas and his daughter Alexis visited their local fast food place (think McDonald’s circa 1990s) and while Alexis is playing in the play space she disappears in the tubes. When Lucas ventured into the play space to get her he didn’t expect to decent into the nightmare he ends up in.
Again wow.
May 15, 2026
Painspace
I could not stop reading this until the end. I was so confused at times and reread a couple pages. I might even read again which is highly unusual for me. Not for everyone though. I do not know how many books I have read of his but as soon as I see one I have to read!
I could not stop reading this until the end. I was so confused at times and reread a couple pages. I might even read again which is highly unusual for me. Not for everyone though. I do not know how many books I have read of his but as soon as I see one I have to read!
May 15, 2026
It’s been a while since I read a book in one go but this just hooked me in, insanely creative and emotional, go check it out!
May 14, 2026
Brilliant
I thought this was an amazing little read. I fell deep into the story and could see it all as though watching a movie. I was that engrossed. A father and daughters love, that strong bond that just melts your heart, is what this brought to me. Heart rendering and deep, with twists entwined. Dark and foreboding with an intense fight of the heart. Jon Athan not a book of yours I haven't read, nor been disappointed with. You are truly amazing at your work. Recommended!
I thought this was an amazing little read. I fell deep into the story and could see it all as though watching a movie. I was that engrossed. A father and daughters love, that strong bond that just melts your heart, is what this brought to me. Heart rendering and deep, with twists entwined. Dark and foreboding with an intense fight of the heart. Jon Athan not a book of yours I haven't read, nor been disappointed with. You are truly amazing at your work. Recommended!
May 2, 2026
Damn.... I did not see this taking the turn it did. I've read around 30 of Jon's books at this point and this is the first one I've read of his that wasn't extreme. It just solidifies the fact that Jon is one of the best horror/extreme horror/psychological horror etc authors out there. I've literally never been disappointed in any of his books. The ending hit like a punch to the gut. It starts off as liminal horror and turns into grief horror. I love how he leaves it open for you to sit with it. And I would absolutely love it if he did make that game he mentioned in his letter. I can't wait to see what he comes out with next
April 9, 2026
As a mother to 3.. who has taken her kids to these play structures.. and also someone who hasn’t watched or read much in the way of liminal space horror. After reading this, I have unlocked a new fear and will never look at these play places the same again 🤣. Sorry kids, your days with these play places are done 😬. I have also now found a new love in liminal horror. Now I need more!! If you’ve followed by reviews, you’ll know that I love Jon Athans work and this creepy novella has worked its way toward my top couple of reads by him. Thank you, Jon Athan for the early read! ♥️
May 13, 2026
I had to stop this several times because I felt like I couldn't breathe, I felt so claustrophobic.
Lucas takes his daughter Alexis to Buddy's Burgers, in there the pair head to the play area: Buddy's Play space. Lucas nods off and can't find Alexis, although he hears her somewhere in the chutes.
Why does it feel like time has stopped? What's happening? Where is Alexis?
Damn, just when I thought I maybe had an idea where this was going i actually didn't! This was so f***ing good! It's the first Jon Athan book I've read and I'm thirsty for more!
Lucas takes his daughter Alexis to Buddy's Burgers, in there the pair head to the play area: Buddy's Play space. Lucas nods off and can't find Alexis, although he hears her somewhere in the chutes.
Why does it feel like time has stopped? What's happening? Where is Alexis?
Damn, just when I thought I maybe had an idea where this was going i actually didn't! This was so f***ing good! It's the first Jon Athan book I've read and I'm thirsty for more!
May 28, 2026
Not much to say on Painspace. It’s relatively short, and didn’t have much of an impact on me. What I found most interesting about it is how it deviates from what I know Jon Athan as an author to be. I was struck again by how versatile he is within the horror genre. This style just doesn’t connect with me as much as his usual stuff - horror as a metaphor. I thought some of it was creepy and the direction Athan takes this did surprise me in a good way, but I never connected with the characters really and I thought some of the descriptive language left a little to be desired (he can do atmosphere, this sort of lacks that unfortunately).
May 1, 2026
Brilliant plot! My childhood fears of play places have finally come to fruition. This story was tense and brought with it a suffocating sense of claustrophobia. I especially enjoyed the illustrations. I appreciate the visual into the storyline.
I am a HUGE fan of his extreme horror. However, this novella sealed the deal that Jon Arhan can literally write anything.
I am a HUGE fan of his extreme horror. However, this novella sealed the deal that Jon Arhan can literally write anything.
May 10, 2026
A short, quick read for something a little different in mood choices. It felt more like a child’s book or young teenagers than a horror. Not terrible, but not the best - the concept was interesting just not done in the way it could’ve been.
May 31, 2026
Loved the concept of this book. At an eatery a dad looses his little girl in the play place. He enters the tunnels only to find horrors inside. Will he escape? Will he find his daughter? What a sad ending. Im enjoying finding all these hidden gems of a book.
May 13, 2026
"You didn't forget about mommy, did you?"
Yes... I would like to forget about mommy 🤣😭
Yes... I would like to forget about mommy 🤣😭
May 26, 2026
Wow, a fantastic but disturbing read, turned into an emotional masterpiece that left me feeling weepy! Great Novella.
May 27, 2026
Oh my…..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews