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Reprobates:
From the bestselling author of the "Vivian Amberville" saga, comes the surreal novella of a man's journey through Limbo. Freshly arrived at the Totermann Inn, Marc Whitehouse couldn’t have known he was dead. Sir, no sir. Not now that Chantal Dublanc had so mysteriously entered his life; his afterlife. In his quest for the truth behind his early demise, he finds himself on a journey where past memories intermingle with present actions. He is not yet ready to call it a life. 206 heartbeats to peace. The hour is late, but Marc is yet to renounce his hope for salvation... A surreal novella of love, loss and the afterlife, written in the captivating, dreamlike style of André Breton. “Reprobates” is an exquisitely written narrative of Life after Life, centred on Marc’s journey through Limbo. Its style is heavy on allegory, at every step teeming with Underworld intrusions of the sacred into the profane.
SHORT HISTORY
"Reprobates" is Louise Blackwick's first ever published short-story . It was originally written in 2005 and published in the Anglo-French literary magazine Francophonies with an initial run of 300 printed copies. The first print was eventually upped to 100K printed copies, a success attributed to the story's appeal to literature students from France. The original story was written in a more subtle narrative style, a style congruent with André Breton's early surrealist work .
A decade later, in 2015, the English-Dutch publishing house, Creascriptum procured the publishing rights for "Reprobates", but with a small caveat. Blackwick was asked to rewrite the story in its entirety so as to appeal to the Anglo-American market. The original ending of "Reprobates" (that the character was trapped in a limbo made out of his last seconds alive) was no longer to be a surprise-reveal, but introduced and hinted at from the start.
Many fans and readers of the original story didn't agree with the change - the author among them - and professed a preference for the original 2005 ending. Despite this criticism, "Reprobates" quickly managed to replicate the original success of the short-story in countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. GENRE: Epic Surreal Fiction, Psychological Thriller; CATEGORY: Classic British novella; SUBJECTS : Life after death, journey through purgatory; THEMES : Love, loss, death, life and afterlife.
SHORT HISTORY
"Reprobates" is Louise Blackwick's first ever published short-story . It was originally written in 2005 and published in the Anglo-French literary magazine Francophonies with an initial run of 300 printed copies. The first print was eventually upped to 100K printed copies, a success attributed to the story's appeal to literature students from France. The original story was written in a more subtle narrative style, a style congruent with André Breton's early surrealist work .
A decade later, in 2015, the English-Dutch publishing house, Creascriptum procured the publishing rights for "Reprobates", but with a small caveat. Blackwick was asked to rewrite the story in its entirety so as to appeal to the Anglo-American market. The original ending of "Reprobates" (that the character was trapped in a limbo made out of his last seconds alive) was no longer to be a surprise-reveal, but introduced and hinted at from the start.
Many fans and readers of the original story didn't agree with the change - the author among them - and professed a preference for the original 2005 ending. Despite this criticism, "Reprobates" quickly managed to replicate the original success of the short-story in countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. GENRE: Epic Surreal Fiction, Psychological Thriller; CATEGORY: Classic British novella; SUBJECTS : Life after death, journey through purgatory; THEMES : Love, loss, death, life and afterlife.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2015
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Louise Blackwick
7 books150 followersLouise Blackwick is a Dutch jungian writer, author of many thought-provoking stories themed on
subjective reality
and
states of altered consciousness.
Her body of work is distinguished by the presence of Jungian themes, concepts and imagery which she superimposes over popular genres like fantasy, science-fiction and psychological thrillers.
Blackwick is particularly known as the author of the international bestseller, VIVIAN AMBERVILLE®, an epic fantasy saga that follows the interdimensional adventures of a teenage girl who can control odds, luck and circumstances. Vivian Amberville is set in a parallel ultra-reality, where people have found a way to "Weave Threads of influence into the very fabric of reality".
Blackwick is also recognized as the creator of a new niche genre of science-fiction she calls NEON SCIENCE-FICTION.
Her first novel to fully fit the neon sci-fi subgenre was "5 Stars", published in 2021, just before the advent of A.I..
While the novel was critically-acclaimed for its postmodern interpretation of Orwellian AI technologies (i.e. virtual glasses that feed into your cognitive bias etc.), "5 Stars" did not manage to escape the small country of the Netherlands, despite it being published globally, in the English language.
Blackwick is a long-term pupil of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, her writing digging deep roots into JUNGIAN CONCEPTS like: individuation, synchronicity, archetypes, shadow-work and the collective unconscious.
She often enjoys exploring the forgotten teachings of psychoanalysts, alchemists, hermetic philosophers and mystics, which she writes about and publishes weekly on her official Patreon page.
For philosophical views, she draws inspiration from the giants of old - among which Nietzsche, Wagner, Goethe and Schopenhauer may hold the most resemblance.
Other influences: André Breton, Edgar A.Poe, Franz Kafka, J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, C. Paolini, J.K. Rowling and E.R. Eddison.
Upcoming books include: the humorous science fiction novel "God is a Robot", the sci-fi thriller “29 seconds” and the much-awaited sequel "Vivian Amberville - The Book of Chaos".
Learn more about the Vivian Amberville saga: www.vivianamberville.com
Visit her official website: www.louiseblackwick.com
Become best friends on her socials:
https://louiseblackwick.bio.link
Check out her exclusive work on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/louiseblackwick
Her body of work is distinguished by the presence of Jungian themes, concepts and imagery which she superimposes over popular genres like fantasy, science-fiction and psychological thrillers.
Blackwick is particularly known as the author of the international bestseller, VIVIAN AMBERVILLE®, an epic fantasy saga that follows the interdimensional adventures of a teenage girl who can control odds, luck and circumstances. Vivian Amberville is set in a parallel ultra-reality, where people have found a way to "Weave Threads of influence into the very fabric of reality".
Blackwick is also recognized as the creator of a new niche genre of science-fiction she calls NEON SCIENCE-FICTION.
Her first novel to fully fit the neon sci-fi subgenre was "5 Stars", published in 2021, just before the advent of A.I..
While the novel was critically-acclaimed for its postmodern interpretation of Orwellian AI technologies (i.e. virtual glasses that feed into your cognitive bias etc.), "5 Stars" did not manage to escape the small country of the Netherlands, despite it being published globally, in the English language.
Blackwick is a long-term pupil of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, her writing digging deep roots into JUNGIAN CONCEPTS like: individuation, synchronicity, archetypes, shadow-work and the collective unconscious.
She often enjoys exploring the forgotten teachings of psychoanalysts, alchemists, hermetic philosophers and mystics, which she writes about and publishes weekly on her official Patreon page.
For philosophical views, she draws inspiration from the giants of old - among which Nietzsche, Wagner, Goethe and Schopenhauer may hold the most resemblance.
Other influences: André Breton, Edgar A.Poe, Franz Kafka, J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, C. Paolini, J.K. Rowling and E.R. Eddison.
Upcoming books include: the humorous science fiction novel "God is a Robot", the sci-fi thriller “29 seconds” and the much-awaited sequel "Vivian Amberville - The Book of Chaos".
Learn more about the Vivian Amberville saga: www.vivianamberville.com
Visit her official website: www.louiseblackwick.com
Become best friends on her socials:
https://louiseblackwick.bio.link
Check out her exclusive work on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/louiseblackwick
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 1, 2024
"Reprobates" van de Engelse-Nederlandse auteur Louise Blackwick heeft me echt verrast.
Dit korte verhaal is een intrigerende mix van "Twin Peaks" en "Lost", maar de ontknoping is veel dramatischer (en ja, er is een enorme plotwending aan het einde). Alles voelt dromerig aan, inclusief de motivaties van de personages, en de volgende dag lijkt niet te komen.
De personages zijn gevangen in een limbo, maar dat is niet de grootste verrassing van het verhaal. De manier waarop Blackwick de spanning opbouwt en de lezer meeneemt in deze bizarre wereld is meesterlijk. De sfeer is doordrenkt met een gevoel van onbehagen, en terwijl je verder leest, word je steeds dieper het verhaal ingetrokken.
De karakters zijn niet alleen complex, maar ze zijn ook boeiend in hun worstelingen en interacties. Hun motivations blijven ondoorgrondelijk, wat bijdraagt aan de droomachtige kwaliteit van het verhaal. De kracht van "Reprobates" ligt in de verrassingen die het biedt. Zonder te veel te verklappen, kan ik zeggen dat de uiteindelijke onthulling je zeker op het puntje van je stoel zal houden. Het is een verhaal dat je aan het denken zet over de aard van de werkelijkheid en de keuzes die we maken. Dus waar wacht je nog op?
Neem de tijd om dit korte verhaal te lezen. Het is ongelooflijk griezelig en ik weet zeker dat je het geweldig zult vinden!
Dit korte verhaal is een intrigerende mix van "Twin Peaks" en "Lost", maar de ontknoping is veel dramatischer (en ja, er is een enorme plotwending aan het einde). Alles voelt dromerig aan, inclusief de motivaties van de personages, en de volgende dag lijkt niet te komen.
De personages zijn gevangen in een limbo, maar dat is niet de grootste verrassing van het verhaal. De manier waarop Blackwick de spanning opbouwt en de lezer meeneemt in deze bizarre wereld is meesterlijk. De sfeer is doordrenkt met een gevoel van onbehagen, en terwijl je verder leest, word je steeds dieper het verhaal ingetrokken.
De karakters zijn niet alleen complex, maar ze zijn ook boeiend in hun worstelingen en interacties. Hun motivations blijven ondoorgrondelijk, wat bijdraagt aan de droomachtige kwaliteit van het verhaal. De kracht van "Reprobates" ligt in de verrassingen die het biedt. Zonder te veel te verklappen, kan ik zeggen dat de uiteindelijke onthulling je zeker op het puntje van je stoel zal houden. Het is een verhaal dat je aan het denken zet over de aard van de werkelijkheid en de keuzes die we maken. Dus waar wacht je nog op?
Neem de tijd om dit korte verhaal te lezen. Het is ongelooflijk griezelig en ik weet zeker dat je het geweldig zult vinden!
November 18, 2017
This is actually the first thing I read from Louise Blackwick, early 2015 when she wasn't a very known author and the Vivian Amberville series didn't exist. Reprobates was published in the "West European Authors" literary magazine and I later found it on Amazon and read it again.
It's a very deep story of Mr. Whitehouse walk through Limbo. In the original version of the short story ( The one from the magazine) the fact that Marc was dead was a bit more subtle and you couldn't really tell all those people were dead and that the hotel was a Limbo, but in the newer version it's a lot more obvious.
Reprobates is a really strange tale, because it very neatly removes the idea of a "possible future". The characters are in between living and dying and everything feels distorted. I really loved this tale - it is my second-favourite short story of Blackwick after "Jump into the Abyss!", which is a masterpiece of the horror genre.
It's a very deep story of Mr. Whitehouse walk through Limbo. In the original version of the short story ( The one from the magazine) the fact that Marc was dead was a bit more subtle and you couldn't really tell all those people were dead and that the hotel was a Limbo, but in the newer version it's a lot more obvious.
Reprobates is a really strange tale, because it very neatly removes the idea of a "possible future". The characters are in between living and dying and everything feels distorted. I really loved this tale - it is my second-favourite short story of Blackwick after "Jump into the Abyss!", which is a masterpiece of the horror genre.
November 16, 2023
Ik begrijp niet waarom mensen dit korte verhaal niet leuk vinden. Ik hoorde iemand zeggen dat dit het zwakste verhaal van Louise Blackwick was, wat waar zou kunnen zijn gezien het feit dat het haar eerste gepubliceerde verhaal was, en dat het vijftien jaar voordat ze fulltime auteur werd, werd gepubliceerd.
Ik bedoel, zeker, het verhaal van een man die gevangen zit in een voorgeborchte die bestaat uit zijn laatste drie minuten leven is misschien niet het meest originele plotgewijs. Maar het was in 2009, toen het voor het eerst werd gepubliceerd in een literair tijdschrift. Ik vond het persoonlijk erg leuk. Het las als een Twin Peaks-film, en het mysterie en de donkere humor hielden me de hele tijd geïntrigeerd. Ook in dit verhaal is de symboliek heel sterk. Het leest als een literaire klassieker!
Ik bedoel, zeker, het verhaal van een man die gevangen zit in een voorgeborchte die bestaat uit zijn laatste drie minuten leven is misschien niet het meest originele plotgewijs. Maar het was in 2009, toen het voor het eerst werd gepubliceerd in een literair tijdschrift. Ik vond het persoonlijk erg leuk. Het las als een Twin Peaks-film, en het mysterie en de donkere humor hielden me de hele tijd geïntrigeerd. Ook in dit verhaal is de symboliek heel sterk. Het leest als een literaire klassieker!
June 26, 2023
I was pleased to discover this was Louise Blackwick's first short-story from when she was only 19 years old. It was initially published in a local (read small) literary magazine. Since this suthor has recently landed on my radar and became one of my absolute favourite writers of fantasy and sci-fi, I thought I should give this one a read,
Reprobates is surreal and haunting. It is reminiscent of our dear Andre Breton, the father of surreaism so it's eerie and reads like a dream. Reprobates is a story about limbo and afterlife. Since it's a very very early work, it is not as exquisite as Louise Blackwick's later works such as "5 Stars", "Jump into the Abyss!" or even "The Weaver of Odds", but it still holds much charm and creative soul.
Reprobates is surreal and haunting. It is reminiscent of our dear Andre Breton, the father of surreaism so it's eerie and reads like a dream. Reprobates is a story about limbo and afterlife. Since it's a very very early work, it is not as exquisite as Louise Blackwick's later works such as "5 Stars", "Jump into the Abyss!" or even "The Weaver of Odds", but it still holds much charm and creative soul.
January 24, 2018
Suspenseful and Exquisitely Eerie!
Straightaway the reader discovers that there is something gravely amiss about the cold caretaker Rob, and the chilling environment at the Totermann Inn. Then the strangeness and curiosity levels are turned up a huge notch when the creepy character, Inness enters the story. Although there are many clues as to what's really going on, the author expertly keeps the plot elusive until the very end. The execution of the plot was cleverly delivered, and the atmosphere and mood brilliantly set, keeping me on pins and needles the whole time. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Blackwick, and I highly recommend this read to all lovers of suspense.
March 4, 2020
Reprobates is one of Blackwick's earliest short-stories and arguably, one of the most well-received (not counting the international commercial success of the Vivian Amberville fantasy series).
Meet Marc Whitehouse, a man trapped in an Inn, a limbo of his own making, where he is forced to relieve his last few seconds of life. The characters are mysterious, if whimsical, and the symbolism is one of the most detailed I have ever seen in a psychological thriller.
Blackwick is a Jungian, and you can really see her flexing her muscles in this novella, possibly, the second-most Jungian novella after "The Underworld Rhapsody"
Meet Marc Whitehouse, a man trapped in an Inn, a limbo of his own making, where he is forced to relieve his last few seconds of life. The characters are mysterious, if whimsical, and the symbolism is one of the most detailed I have ever seen in a psychological thriller.
Blackwick is a Jungian, and you can really see her flexing her muscles in this novella, possibly, the second-most Jungian novella after "The Underworld Rhapsody"
December 5, 2022
Unique selling points for “Reprobates”:
- The reveal that the limbo the character is trapped in is composed from the last few minutes of that character’s life
- Surreal imagery that seems disjoined but only come together towards the end of the story
Strong spots in the story:
- Compelling main character
- Unique dialogue, with plenty of symbolism
- Reads like a story set in the Twin Peaks universe
Weak spots in the story:
- This short-story was written by the author at a very young age, and it shows in the finer details. The execution of the limbo elements is a little bit on the nose.
- The reveal that the limbo the character is trapped in is composed from the last few minutes of that character’s life
- Surreal imagery that seems disjoined but only come together towards the end of the story
Strong spots in the story:
- Compelling main character
- Unique dialogue, with plenty of symbolism
- Reads like a story set in the Twin Peaks universe
Weak spots in the story:
- This short-story was written by the author at a very young age, and it shows in the finer details. The execution of the limbo elements is a little bit on the nose.
September 7, 2017
I purchased this short story on Amazon because I was a big fan of the bestselling Vivian Amberville fantasy saga and the surreal style of Andre Breton. The tale is a rare gem of fiction. The dreamlike limbo world of in between the living and the dead is something of a signature move of the author. The multi-layered texture of the narrative is also something I encountered in Blackwick's work. I loved the main character too (who is dead but doesn't know he's dead yet). He dragged the whole story along beautifully
June 13, 2018
JA Stone
Reprobate is a chilling tale. To describe it's storyline would reveal too much. I can say with impunity, that Blackwick is the Author to watch. Her prose is melodic and absorbing, her style defies title, yet I wish to say gothic.
The ending is striking and made me think carefully about my own life...I am moved, precisely what fine literature is supposed to do - elicit emotion. Excellent work, Miss Blackwick. I would recommend this title to anyone, but particularly someone who revels in the classics.
Reprobate is a chilling tale. To describe it's storyline would reveal too much. I can say with impunity, that Blackwick is the Author to watch. Her prose is melodic and absorbing, her style defies title, yet I wish to say gothic.
The ending is striking and made me think carefully about my own life...I am moved, precisely what fine literature is supposed to do - elicit emotion. Excellent work, Miss Blackwick. I would recommend this title to anyone, but particularly someone who revels in the classics.
September 25, 2019
There is no escape from beyond the grave. In his heart of hearts, Marc Whitehouse had known that ever since boarding the Train that leads to Nowhere.
A man's journey through the inferno of his mind becomes the only escape from the prison of his memories: where characters are pale imitations of their once-living selves and where the time is always just before midnight. Artful. Thrilling. Exquisite. Psychedelic. "Reprobates" is, in many ways, the smaller brother of the novella "The Underworld Rhapsody", which I deeply recommend you read as well.
A man's journey through the inferno of his mind becomes the only escape from the prison of his memories: where characters are pale imitations of their once-living selves and where the time is always just before midnight. Artful. Thrilling. Exquisite. Psychedelic. "Reprobates" is, in many ways, the smaller brother of the novella "The Underworld Rhapsody", which I deeply recommend you read as well.
March 15, 2019
This story is like Tween Peaks meets the "Lost", except the pay-off is a lot more dramatic (and yes, there is a huge plot-twist at thee end). Everything feels dream-like, including the character's motivations, and the next day fails to come. The characters are trapped in limbo, but that's not the biggest surprise of the story.
Get yourself reading this story. It's completely free and you'll love it for sure!
Get yourself reading this story. It's completely free and you'll love it for sure!
November 22, 2018
Hypnotic trip into the state of limbo leading to an uncertain afterlife. A wonderfully woven tale of travellers on the train of destiny.
A half-remembered, half-dreamed nightmare of a world past midnight, with no dawn in sight or redemption in prospect.
Compelling, claustrophobic and captivating.
A half-remembered, half-dreamed nightmare of a world past midnight, with no dawn in sight or redemption in prospect.
Compelling, claustrophobic and captivating.
September 30, 2021
If David Lynch wrote books, it would be this book
This book has been on my reading list for the longest time. I finally got to read it and my oh my, what a treat! It's delightful, suspenseful and absolutely original. Loved the 3rd part the most. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, screaming "Mark, noooo!" It was tense and f**king insane!
This book has been on my reading list for the longest time. I finally got to read it and my oh my, what a treat! It's delightful, suspenseful and absolutely original. Loved the 3rd part the most. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, screaming "Mark, noooo!" It was tense and f**king insane!
September 30, 2021
An amazing story about life, death and limbo. The psychedelic (and slightly surreal) journey of a young man, trapped in a limbo made out of his last moments alive. Haunting and absolutely gruesome read.
December 8, 2023
Louise Blackwick's first ever story. Not her greatest and most exquisite story, but the genius can already be glimpsed even from that early age. An overall entertaining tale about limbo and salvation...
March 15, 2022
Reprobates reads like a really good Twin Peaks story, if it were written by the writers of the TV series of LOST
September 11, 2023
Man wakes up in a Twin Peaks-ieqsue purgatory comprised of his last minute alive. Surreal and even trippy at times.
June 5, 2019
Kierkegaardian, Kafkaesque but undoubedly, Blackwickian. One of Louise Blackwick's earliest stories, a story of the afterlife, written like a trip into the subconscious, a descent into limbo and the delicate veil that separates the living from the dead.
Elements of absurd are beautifully woven throughout the story, only to be releaved at the very end in a shocking twist that will leave you pondering for many days in a row. Once again, Blackwick proves she is a master of both character and storytelling. Marc Whitehouse is witty, cynnical, sarcastic, timeless and marvelously articulated, its three-dimensionality springing from the page like a living, breathing being. His world is one of life and death, a dreamlike construct in which realism is entangled with surrealism.
A wonderful masterpiece I deeply recommend, particularly as it is free to download on her website, louiseblackwick.com
Elements of absurd are beautifully woven throughout the story, only to be releaved at the very end in a shocking twist that will leave you pondering for many days in a row. Once again, Blackwick proves she is a master of both character and storytelling. Marc Whitehouse is witty, cynnical, sarcastic, timeless and marvelously articulated, its three-dimensionality springing from the page like a living, breathing being. His world is one of life and death, a dreamlike construct in which realism is entangled with surrealism.
A wonderful masterpiece I deeply recommend, particularly as it is free to download on her website, louiseblackwick.com
Want to read
July 10, 2021for me this a gothic fictional short story with psychological approach/ aspect involving defense mechanism, about a man's death that initially unknown to him but later turned into a reality and acceptance of such death...
finely written by an expert- Louise Blackwick!!! 👍👍👍
finely written by an expert- Louise Blackwick!!! 👍👍👍
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews