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At the Hour of Violence
- GenresHorror
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2026
About the author
Robert Essig
97 books290 followersRobert Essig is the author of 30 books such as Baby Fights, Disco Rice, and Master of Bodies, which was nominated for a Splatterpunk Award. He has published over 130 short stories and edited three anthologies. Robert lives with his family in east Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 3, 2026
At the Hour of Violence by Robert Essig is a complex and brutal extreme horror novel with exquisite elements of psychological horror, a disturbing supernatural bent, and many wicked twists. It’s a dark and immersive read you won’t want to put down.
In this intense suburbia tale of domestic frustration, keeping up appearances, and graphic, gruesome violence, Essig explores different facets of bullying and the darkest side of duality. The mysterious and supernatural bent actually adds to the sophisticated depth, and the vivid characters drive the story and suspense with an uncomfortable poignancy you feel in your chest and gut. It’s difficult to speak to this one without spoilers, but I found it to be a fantastic story and a hardcore reading experience.
Essig’s phenomenal storytelling will keep you turning the page, but this one is most definitely not for the squeamish. It’s gruesome and impactful in equal measures and an absolute must-read, but extreme horror fans only, please.
A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2026/04/03/at-the-hour-of-violence/
In this intense suburbia tale of domestic frustration, keeping up appearances, and graphic, gruesome violence, Essig explores different facets of bullying and the darkest side of duality. The mysterious and supernatural bent actually adds to the sophisticated depth, and the vivid characters drive the story and suspense with an uncomfortable poignancy you feel in your chest and gut. It’s difficult to speak to this one without spoilers, but I found it to be a fantastic story and a hardcore reading experience.
Essig’s phenomenal storytelling will keep you turning the page, but this one is most definitely not for the squeamish. It’s gruesome and impactful in equal measures and an absolute must-read, but extreme horror fans only, please.
A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2026/04/03/at-the-hour-of-violence/
April 2, 2026
Owen is a father, husband, good neighbour, and an entrepreneur. His life from the outside looks pretty perfect. But behind closed doors, well, that's another story. His wife addicted to pills, his son acting out, and his infatuation with his work partner, things are starting to become stressful. On top of all this, there is a strange series of murders happening around him.
When the murders start getting closer to home, panic sets in and Owen starts to unravel. He harbours a dark and very unique secret that nobody knows of. He's good at maintaining his cool, until he's not. Soon enough everything goes wrong and Owen knows exactly why.
This might be one of Essigs most brutal books. Owen is a mean man and I really enjoyed that. He's the perfect mix of good and evil. When the twist is revealed, it adds a layer of spook to this story which was so well done. I really enjoyed all of these characters, even the kids. The kills were mean and so damn good! I loved everything about this and is a top Essig read for me. Don't miss out on this great read! So well done!
When the murders start getting closer to home, panic sets in and Owen starts to unravel. He harbours a dark and very unique secret that nobody knows of. He's good at maintaining his cool, until he's not. Soon enough everything goes wrong and Owen knows exactly why.
This might be one of Essigs most brutal books. Owen is a mean man and I really enjoyed that. He's the perfect mix of good and evil. When the twist is revealed, it adds a layer of spook to this story which was so well done. I really enjoyed all of these characters, even the kids. The kills were mean and so damn good! I loved everything about this and is a top Essig read for me. Don't miss out on this great read! So well done!
March 13, 2026
In this story we follow Owen and his family. His business which seems to be going pretty steady, his cute kids, and his pill addicted wife. Owen is trying to hold up appearances with his children and his wife but in reality he’s slowly starting to become more and more unhinged. When brutal murders start taking place around town, things start to take a turn.
I absolutely loved this story. Owen’s character was so cool and then he completely transformed in ways that didn’t even seem possible from his actions before. The twist in the story was so good and genuinely had me shocked. I loved Lana’s character and felt so bad for her just from the beginning.
I would 100% recommend this book thank you so much Robert for sending over this ARC!
I absolutely loved this story. Owen’s character was so cool and then he completely transformed in ways that didn’t even seem possible from his actions before. The twist in the story was so good and genuinely had me shocked. I loved Lana’s character and felt so bad for her just from the beginning.
I would 100% recommend this book thank you so much Robert for sending over this ARC!
April 8, 2026
An intensely disturbing and brutal book, At the Hour of Violence is also highly original and delivers a fresh take on extreme horror that kept me glued to its pages to see what happened next.
Primarily following the perspective of Owen, a family man and business owner of a hot sauce company, the story begins at a point where everything seems to be going well. Apart from his wife, Kelly's pill addiction problems, that is but he handles that frustration with a unique meditation technique that helps alleviate his anger which otherwise threatens to explode.
As circumstances test Owen's ability to contain his anger, Owen finds himself pushed to the very brink by his son's developing bullying behaviour, the loss of a large business contract and his wife's growing issues and soon his meditation techniques aren't enough to quell his frustration and the unhinged violence he wants to unleash on the world.
I mentioned it before but this book is brutal. It's definitely not for the squeamish and as such, the reader had best be prepared. There is one huge twist in this book which shocked me and carried it into the supernatural territory which I won't spoil here, which made things even more depraved.
Essig has a great writing style, and his storytelling in this one doesn't pull any punches. If you are in the mood for an extreme horror book then you can't go wrong reading this one.
Primarily following the perspective of Owen, a family man and business owner of a hot sauce company, the story begins at a point where everything seems to be going well. Apart from his wife, Kelly's pill addiction problems, that is but he handles that frustration with a unique meditation technique that helps alleviate his anger which otherwise threatens to explode.
As circumstances test Owen's ability to contain his anger, Owen finds himself pushed to the very brink by his son's developing bullying behaviour, the loss of a large business contract and his wife's growing issues and soon his meditation techniques aren't enough to quell his frustration and the unhinged violence he wants to unleash on the world.
I mentioned it before but this book is brutal. It's definitely not for the squeamish and as such, the reader had best be prepared. There is one huge twist in this book which shocked me and carried it into the supernatural territory which I won't spoil here, which made things even more depraved.
Essig has a great writing style, and his storytelling in this one doesn't pull any punches. If you are in the mood for an extreme horror book then you can't go wrong reading this one.
April 3, 2026
This newly released Robert Essig Extreme Horror story is full of intense gore, cruelty, twists, and shock. This is one of the most extreme books I’ve ever read by this author. The writing was excellent and brought out all kinds of feelings in me.
Owen is a father, husband, and business owner who is stressed to the max and uses a form of sleep meditation to help him. His world is quickly becoming more of a complication as he tries to fix it.
There were several times I struggled to get through the parts I was reading because of how intense they were. I recommend it to extreme horror fans for sure.
Trigger warnings: extreme violence and gore, sexual content, death, child and animal harm, abuse
Owen is a father, husband, and business owner who is stressed to the max and uses a form of sleep meditation to help him. His world is quickly becoming more of a complication as he tries to fix it.
There were several times I struggled to get through the parts I was reading because of how intense they were. I recommend it to extreme horror fans for sure.
Trigger warnings: extreme violence and gore, sexual content, death, child and animal harm, abuse
May 2, 2026
This one was SO GOOD. I thought the whole concept was unique and different. 5/5 🥹
April 15, 2026
This book has all the triggers. If you’re squeamish, this is not for you!
At the Hour of Violence is a story of a dysfunctional family hanging by a thread.
Owen tries his best to take care of his kids and keep his business afloat until shit hits the fan.
Not only does his neighbourhood get taken over by a wave of violence, but his business partner gets abused, and even his son becomes a bully.
But what sort of people are capable of doing this? That is the question.
One thing for sure… Essig’s writing is addictive! Thought-provoking, gory, and gruesome, and for me, the cherry on top of the cake was the paranormal elements.
A very different concept from everything that I’ve read before, and this book is one of those that I will have to revisit soon.
At the Hour of Violence is a story of a dysfunctional family hanging by a thread.
Owen tries his best to take care of his kids and keep his business afloat until shit hits the fan.
Not only does his neighbourhood get taken over by a wave of violence, but his business partner gets abused, and even his son becomes a bully.
But what sort of people are capable of doing this? That is the question.
One thing for sure… Essig’s writing is addictive! Thought-provoking, gory, and gruesome, and for me, the cherry on top of the cake was the paranormal elements.
A very different concept from everything that I’ve read before, and this book is one of those that I will have to revisit soon.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was far more brutal and complicated than I expected; Essig has a way of inviting readers to ease themselves into a new plot before hitting them hard with several psychologically messy twists and shocking scenes of butchery, seemingly out of nowhere. Afterwards, most of the book is spent showing how those apparently unmotivated story turns are not only compelling and well thought out, they also make perfect sense of what's been happening - here, a series of bizarre murders in a suburban neighborhood, where Owen, the main character, lives.
Owen's a family man, father of a preteen girl who seems to love her daddy unconditionally and a teen boy who's fast growing into a bully. Kelly, his wife, however, is addicted to pills, and her condition seems to deteriorate daily on account of her firm denial to seek help. Owen tries to take care of his family and his own business as well. He seems the perfect husband, the considerate father, the reliable business owner. But he's also something else. He's ready to flip his lid. Blow his top. Fly off the handle.
Fortunately, he's taught himself to keep his cool as needed; thanks to meditation techniques he picked up from a book, he can fall asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow. Too bad he has to awake to his addicted wife next to him almost comatose every morning. And then the violent night murders start: an old woman a couple of houses over, a old man who's never had the sympathy of anyone in the neighborhood.
A major twist follows. I was shocked, intrigued, a bit revolted. And all the while, Owen slowly reveals himself to be a selfish, pompous ass. It's truly unsettling how the tables turn, and Owen gets himself into a tangle entirely of his own making, one for which he never holds himself accountable, always blaming others.
I won't even hint at the ending, trying to keep everything spoiler-free. Yet it has to be mentioned that with this deeply disturbing supernatural story, Essig delivers a pointed message about toxic masculinity and generational trauma - without ever dropping the ball or settling for a quick and rushed resolution. "At the Hour of Violence" is a fine addition to the work of a consistently high quality, prolific, and reliable author!
Owen's a family man, father of a preteen girl who seems to love her daddy unconditionally and a teen boy who's fast growing into a bully. Kelly, his wife, however, is addicted to pills, and her condition seems to deteriorate daily on account of her firm denial to seek help. Owen tries to take care of his family and his own business as well. He seems the perfect husband, the considerate father, the reliable business owner. But he's also something else. He's ready to flip his lid. Blow his top. Fly off the handle.
Fortunately, he's taught himself to keep his cool as needed; thanks to meditation techniques he picked up from a book, he can fall asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow. Too bad he has to awake to his addicted wife next to him almost comatose every morning. And then the violent night murders start: an old woman a couple of houses over, a old man who's never had the sympathy of anyone in the neighborhood.
A major twist follows. I was shocked, intrigued, a bit revolted. And all the while, Owen slowly reveals himself to be a selfish, pompous ass. It's truly unsettling how the tables turn, and Owen gets himself into a tangle entirely of his own making, one for which he never holds himself accountable, always blaming others.
I won't even hint at the ending, trying to keep everything spoiler-free. Yet it has to be mentioned that with this deeply disturbing supernatural story, Essig delivers a pointed message about toxic masculinity and generational trauma - without ever dropping the ball or settling for a quick and rushed resolution. "At the Hour of Violence" is a fine addition to the work of a consistently high quality, prolific, and reliable author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
...𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒅.
This brutal book takes the glossy, picture-perfect image of the nuclear family and drags it straight to hell. From the outside, Owen has it all with a successful business, lovely wife, two kids, and neighbors who wave and smile. But inside? He’s clenching his teeth so hard you can practically hear them crack. He’s exhausted. He’s unraveling. He’s asking himself how much more he can take before he completely loses it. And while his inner world is fraying, something far worse is roaming the streets; faceless, formless beings who leave no fingerprints nor trace of their visits behind. They destroy for sport, killing without consequence. And when they drift into Owen’s neighborhood, it feels less like coincidence and more like inevitability.
This book feels like a pressure cooker with the lid welded shut. The horror isn’t just what stalks the night, it’s also the suffocating weight of expectation, masculinity, resentment, and that terrifying moment when you realize you might not be as stable as you pretend to be. The supernatural elements are brutal and chaotic, but they mirror something deeply human, which is the rage often brought on by sheer burnout. It's the internal fracture that creeps in quietly and then suddenly demands to be seen. It’s dark and violent, but what makes it so unsettling is that it feels so uncomfortably close to home.
By the time everything collides, it’s less about who wins and more about what’s left standing. This isn’t neat horror. It’s jagged and angry horror that stares directly at the parts of ourselves we try to keep polished and presentable. And when the hour of violence finally arrives? Maybe the real monster was never the one without fingerprints. Many thanks to the author for the early copy to review! Look for this one April 2, 2026.
This brutal book takes the glossy, picture-perfect image of the nuclear family and drags it straight to hell. From the outside, Owen has it all with a successful business, lovely wife, two kids, and neighbors who wave and smile. But inside? He’s clenching his teeth so hard you can practically hear them crack. He’s exhausted. He’s unraveling. He’s asking himself how much more he can take before he completely loses it. And while his inner world is fraying, something far worse is roaming the streets; faceless, formless beings who leave no fingerprints nor trace of their visits behind. They destroy for sport, killing without consequence. And when they drift into Owen’s neighborhood, it feels less like coincidence and more like inevitability.
This book feels like a pressure cooker with the lid welded shut. The horror isn’t just what stalks the night, it’s also the suffocating weight of expectation, masculinity, resentment, and that terrifying moment when you realize you might not be as stable as you pretend to be. The supernatural elements are brutal and chaotic, but they mirror something deeply human, which is the rage often brought on by sheer burnout. It's the internal fracture that creeps in quietly and then suddenly demands to be seen. It’s dark and violent, but what makes it so unsettling is that it feels so uncomfortably close to home.
By the time everything collides, it’s less about who wins and more about what’s left standing. This isn’t neat horror. It’s jagged and angry horror that stares directly at the parts of ourselves we try to keep polished and presentable. And when the hour of violence finally arrives? Maybe the real monster was never the one without fingerprints. Many thanks to the author for the early copy to review! Look for this one April 2, 2026.
April 2, 2026
This story contained the violence of what happens when someone loses complete control of their humanity. When you read about the first death; it is very gruesome. The neighborhood blames some sick person with a grudge against a nasty neighbors. Owen seems to be a good father, a loving husband and good boss. Then things begin to happen to those around him. The attack on an old homeless man, a female employee gets assaulted and then a crabby neighbor is killed. Owen knows what has happened but seems to have placed the problems at other person’s door. The reader discovers the connection and is shocked. Then as the humanity starts to slip further from the man; the attacks start happening on a daily basis. Then all out warfare occurs. No one is wiser to whom is in charge of all the horrendous murders occurring. When the final showdown happens….its just over; no explanation just done. This book was quite disturbing and yet the outcome seemed plausible. Humanity is what separates humans from monsters. Hopefully this never happens.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Owen, a suburban husband and father is juggling running his own company, his family, and his other life.
When he begins to notice his wife’s behavior worsening after years of narcotics abuse, his son is suspended for bullying, and he starts losing clients at work, AND his nosey neighbors annoying behavior…Owen starts to lose grip of his perfect life. With things falling apart at home he has to correct this behavior and control the narrative. Letting his narcissistic anger get the best of him he begins making rash decisions with terrible consequences.
This book takes the trope “husband leading two lives” to a whole new level. Very interesting and unique concept. Essig touches on things that happen in daily family life and marital issues in a very relatable way and then throws you a disturbing curve ball. As always, well written and a story unlike any other.
When he begins to notice his wife’s behavior worsening after years of narcotics abuse, his son is suspended for bullying, and he starts losing clients at work, AND his nosey neighbors annoying behavior…Owen starts to lose grip of his perfect life. With things falling apart at home he has to correct this behavior and control the narrative. Letting his narcissistic anger get the best of him he begins making rash decisions with terrible consequences.
This book takes the trope “husband leading two lives” to a whole new level. Very interesting and unique concept. Essig touches on things that happen in daily family life and marital issues in a very relatable way and then throws you a disturbing curve ball. As always, well written and a story unlike any other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2026
I can't wait to try and sleep tonight while carefully not thinking about the possibility of some whackjob astral projecting hard enough to create the perfect criminal......
Mr. Essig, my hat is off to you! What a story! From the brutal kills to the unique villains, I was kept guessing the whole way through. And then that little tidbit at the end; that poor character never stood a chance.
I also have to give credit for one of the most unlikable characters I've ever had the displeasure of reading. Owen is such an absolute piece of crap, my God. That guy definitely had some receipts coming, though I think he got off a little lightly for everything he did. Essig certainly has a way with making me feel for his characters, both good and bad 😂
This one was a fun one! Scarily thought-provoking, but a fun read for sure!
Mr. Essig, my hat is off to you! What a story! From the brutal kills to the unique villains, I was kept guessing the whole way through. And then that little tidbit at the end; that poor character never stood a chance.
I also have to give credit for one of the most unlikable characters I've ever had the displeasure of reading. Owen is such an absolute piece of crap, my God. That guy definitely had some receipts coming, though I think he got off a little lightly for everything he did. Essig certainly has a way with making me feel for his characters, both good and bad 😂
This one was a fun one! Scarily thought-provoking, but a fun read for sure!
April 2, 2026
Received an arc of this one by Robert Essig and another awesome story! Went into it blind and glad I did because I wasn't expecting that!
Owen is trying to keep everything together at home, including his sanity and self-control. His wife is addicted to pills but won't admit it, his son is slowly turning into a bully and Owen doesn't know how to stop it, blaming himself. His business starts losing major clients and everything is starting to pile on. And all this time something seemingly inhuman is stalking people, savagely murdering them leaving no clues or witnesses.
Don't wanna leave spoilers but the direction the story heads in was totally unexpected. Some gruesome, nasty scenes as to be expected!
Owen is trying to keep everything together at home, including his sanity and self-control. His wife is addicted to pills but won't admit it, his son is slowly turning into a bully and Owen doesn't know how to stop it, blaming himself. His business starts losing major clients and everything is starting to pile on. And all this time something seemingly inhuman is stalking people, savagely murdering them leaving no clues or witnesses.
Don't wanna leave spoilers but the direction the story heads in was totally unexpected. Some gruesome, nasty scenes as to be expected!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The whole idea behind this story was such an amazing concept. I want one! I often wondered why I woke up in the morning feeling like I’d been hit by a bus and covered in bruises. Now I know!
I enjoyed every second of this and had no idea what was coming next. The gore as always was an additional little treat. The characters were perfectly complex and too realistic if anything. The way the stories began to enter-twine was a stroke of genius and I want to see a sequel! This story feels etched in my brain and I will be thinking about it for many nightmares to come.
I enjoyed every second of this and had no idea what was coming next. The gore as always was an additional little treat. The characters were perfectly complex and too realistic if anything. The way the stories began to enter-twine was a stroke of genius and I want to see a sequel! This story feels etched in my brain and I will be thinking about it for many nightmares to come.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is easily my favorite story by Robert Essig! For those of you who've read, "My Corpse Has A Heartbeat" by Nick Roberts, you will also enjoy this book.
We follow Owen, a pretty standard Suburbanite, as he tries to maintian his business, raise his kids, and figure out how to navigate addiction with his wife. In the first half of the book, you also follow mysterious characters that are committing BRUTAL acts of violence in the same town.
The twist in the middle of the book was unexpected and from there, the story is fast-paced and insane. I could NOT put this book down!
We follow Owen, a pretty standard Suburbanite, as he tries to maintian his business, raise his kids, and figure out how to navigate addiction with his wife. In the first half of the book, you also follow mysterious characters that are committing BRUTAL acts of violence in the same town.
The twist in the middle of the book was unexpected and from there, the story is fast-paced and insane. I could NOT put this book down!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC/Releases April 2nd. Owen has a good business and his family seems perfect from the outside. Little do other’s know that his wife is addicted to pills and his son is acting out. After awhile he starts to unravel and lose his shit. To cause even more stress, bodies start to turn up around their cul-de-sac and nobody knows who’s at fault…..or do they? What a truely different story than I’ve ever read, I absolutely loved the twists and how it all played out. Essig never fails and he keeps proving it. 
March 23, 2026
Essig has a way of making me want to see his worlds in black and white and root for the mc then unraveling the whole thing and turning it up on its head. He’s done it again here. We follow along as Owen sees his near idyllic life begin to unravel. You can’t help but hope he can fix everything, it all seems so unfair. Until it doesn’t. The twist in this one got me even with clues sprinkled in and still I turned pages because I had to know it all.
Review of advance copy received from Author
First, thank you to Robert for the opportunity to read an ARC of this crazy book.
The story follows Owen and his family. Owen is running his hot sauce business, while trying to keep his home life together, mainly dealing with his pill addicted wife. Owen seems to be handling everything, but it’s not long before murders start popping up.
Gore, violence, and a whole lotta fun make this book such a good read!
The story follows Owen and his family. Owen is running his hot sauce business, while trying to keep his home life together, mainly dealing with his pill addicted wife. Owen seems to be handling everything, but it’s not long before murders start popping up.
Gore, violence, and a whole lotta fun make this book such a good read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Owen seems to have a perfect life on the surface. However, his business is suffering and his family is falling apart. Things however started looking up for Owen when his darkest fantasies started coming true.
It was a surprising good book. There’s a twist in the middle of it I didn’t see coming. I would recommend it if you are looking for something different .
March 23, 2026
Holy he**! Robert Essig has written a crazy, scary book for sure. The last 60 pages had me in freak out mode. I couldn’t do anything but read. Owen has a great life and family, until he doesn’t. Yikes. This one may give me nightmares. Thank you so much Robert Essig for the advanced read. Much appreciated.
April 14, 2026
This is unlike anything I've ever read before. My attention and interest was piqued from the start, and the story kept its hold on me until the very last page. I haven't read a book by Robert Essig that I didn't love or enjoy, because he doesn't stay on a single horror sub-genre. He is the master of them all.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Essig does it again...gets you all comfortable and then BAM!! Violence and a twist in the story that you didn't see coming until it was upon you!! What a ride it was, fast paced, great character development and a whole lot of holy s**t!!! The more Essig I read, the more I love his writing style!
April 4, 2026
Well done tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Essig is one of Indie horror's must read authors.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The more I read from this author, the more I enjoy his crazy creativity. This was a great story with a lot of violence so if you have triggers... This is one of those stories where it is just ticking along and you think you know what's going on and then BAM, you are launched of the cliff into WTF territory. I didn't particularly like the main character but that added to the story in my opinion. Definitely worth the read.
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