What do you think?
Rate this book
Beetle Brain
BEETLE BRAIN is the story of Sue Ellen, a strung out stripper who inadvertently becomes the queen of planet Earth when a cult of giant beetle worshiping masochists christens her the matriarch of a race of ancient bug-monsters who have been living beneath the surface of the Earth for millennia waiting for the opportunity to ascend and consume all life above ground.
The only problem is, Sue Ellen is possibly the dumbest girl in the whole world.
BEETLE BRAIN is a return to the extreme horror genre for two-time Wonderland Award nominee Kevin Strange and FOR SURE one of the sickest, sexiest and brain-bent novels he’s ever written. If you like the messed up shit, DO NOT sleep on BEETLE BRAIN.
The only problem is, Sue Ellen is possibly the dumbest girl in the whole world.
BEETLE BRAIN is a return to the extreme horror genre for two-time Wonderland Award nominee Kevin Strange and FOR SURE one of the sickest, sexiest and brain-bent novels he’s ever written. If you like the messed up shit, DO NOT sleep on BEETLE BRAIN.
- GenresBizarro FictionHorror
203 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2017
5 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Strange
41 books188 followersKevin Strange is a two time nominee of the Wonderland Book Award for excellence in bizarro fiction, recipient of the 2014 editor's choice award in the Lewis and Clark college literary magazine The Peppermint Rooster Review and his short story THE TWINS was listed on TangentOnline.com's 2015 year end recommended reading list.
He is the author of 18 books, and the writer/director of 7 films. He loves schlocky B-movies, cult fiction and Iron Maiden records.
He is the author of 18 books, and the writer/director of 7 films. He loves schlocky B-movies, cult fiction and Iron Maiden records.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 14, 2017
Sue Ellen is a character who dreams of blowing men for hundreds of dollars and cocaine instead of a couple dollars and cheap heroin. She'd like to think she will one day have standards, so when a stranger offers her a mystical cure-all for her boredom with life, she is all too quick to accept his offer so he'll stop talking. What transpires in the days following hooker Sue Ellen's choice transforms her into the object of affection for giant, murderous beetles overnight. Having a beetle atop her human head is a small price to pay for control over these ancient, freshly awakened killing machines.
The fact that this title is marketed under the ever-misused term of 'extreme horror' shouldn't steer any lovers of horror and weird fiction away. This story has decapitations, dead skin masks, castrations, amputations, wounds cauterized with beetle vomit, rival armies of giant bugs in an apocalyptic showdown with Sue Ellen and her eldritch hordes at its center.
The fact that this title is marketed under the ever-misused term of 'extreme horror' shouldn't steer any lovers of horror and weird fiction away. This story has decapitations, dead skin masks, castrations, amputations, wounds cauterized with beetle vomit, rival armies of giant bugs in an apocalyptic showdown with Sue Ellen and her eldritch hordes at its center.
May 23, 2018
Bugs and sex and violence
Beetle Brain combines a Lovecraftian cult-and-monsters setup with a B-movie sex-and-violence delivery. And tons of bugs. What’s not to love? Strange wrote one of my favorite weird insect stories, Texas Chainsaw Mantis, so I just assumed from jump this was going to be good. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s balls-out crazy, gross, and a lot of fun.
Beetle Brain combines a Lovecraftian cult-and-monsters setup with a B-movie sex-and-violence delivery. And tons of bugs. What’s not to love? Strange wrote one of my favorite weird insect stories, Texas Chainsaw Mantis, so I just assumed from jump this was going to be good. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s balls-out crazy, gross, and a lot of fun.
December 27, 2017
Beetle Brain is a gratuitous, bizarro adventure. Graphic insanity is heaped upon graphic insanity in this story following a train wreck of a girl. Equal parts wild creativity and depraved sensibilities meet in this instant bizarro classic.
While I enjoyed some of Strange's earlier characters more, the craftmanship of Beetle Brain shows continued upward momentum from a veteran writer who has yet to reach his peak.
While I enjoyed some of Strange's earlier characters more, the craftmanship of Beetle Brain shows continued upward momentum from a veteran writer who has yet to reach his peak.
October 14, 2017
I have only read a few Bizarro horror titles, ever. I didn't even know the genre existed until last year. That being said, this book may have made me a fan for life, at least of this author. The over the top sex, violence and humor were written with such gusto you can't help but get into the story. The main character, Peggy Sue, aka Lilith, is such a conniving, skanky, yet endearing train wreck that you can't help but keep reading. The apocalyptic elements are way over the top, and thats a good thing. The gore is like nothing I've ever read before, as it the insane amount of graphic sex. Some of the stuff is snort coke out of your nose funny, and some is just kind of gross out fun. This book may not be for everybody, but for anybody with an open mind and a wide sense of humor, this might just tickle your funnybone.
September 2, 2017
Bizzaro book of the year!
There are scenes in this book that can't be described in any other way than just plain fucked up. I've read some disturbing things before but damn, this was pushing it.
If you like your fiction bizzare and extreme this is a must-read! Easily the best Bizzaro book of 2017!
There are scenes in this book that can't be described in any other way than just plain fucked up. I've read some disturbing things before but damn, this was pushing it.
If you like your fiction bizzare and extreme this is a must-read! Easily the best Bizzaro book of 2017!
September 14, 2017
This book is great! It's about a stripper and I love strippers. Really well written. I was cracking up at some parts. Get this book.
October 14, 2017
Had Franz Kafka written his classic, The Metamorphosis, but then turned it into a violent, sexually explicit, post apocalyptic nightmare, instead of the plain old vanilla style, surreal nightmare that it was, well he might have come up with something similar to Beetle Brain. There’s a funny story about the author misunderstanding song lyrics that inspired this novella, and the cover of the book is a dead give away that there is going to be a girl in it and that she’s gonna have a giant bug on her head, but that’s about all the spoilers i can give away.
I don’t like to write reviews that describe every scene and explain the whole plot and what happens at the end and why that bit in the middle of the book had all the strange suggestions about...see? I don’t like reviews like that and i don’t want to write them, so this is just gonna be another review like I do.
There is a violent sexual act of depravity on just about every page of this book, so if you were thinking of buying a copy for your niece or nephew, well you might not want to give them a copy of Beetle Brain. Unless of course you hate the niece or nephew or cousin or whatever, then this thing will give them nightmares about bugs crawling inside them for the rest of their lives. Is it worth it? What if they flip out and trying to claw your face off after you give them the book? Will your laughter and sweet chuckle about their naivete actually stop them from slaughtering you as they grower bigger?
What about those bugs tho? There’s tons of bugs in the book, maybe Mr. Strange could land some sort of licensing deal with an insect sanctuary to promote how non poisonous and safe they are by giving everyone a rubber cockroach or something? Or larvae? Maybe every copy of the book comes with a real live pupae that will definitely keep growing until it rips the door off the hinges and spew evil acidic juice out of it’s mouth.
Or maybe he wants to die there, right in front of his brother? Oh wait, he brother is here? What’s going on? Why is my review straddling the line between schizoid paranoia and grandiose dreams of white castles in the cloud? What are beetles afraid of? Are they scared of giant chickens? Crows that eat bugs by the beak full? Do bugs even get scared? And what exactly is the sex aspect here? Are the bugs doing stuff with people? People doing stuff with bugs? What’s going on exactly? You might ask.
And here is where i’ll tell you to buy a copy and read it yourself.
I don’t like to write reviews that describe every scene and explain the whole plot and what happens at the end and why that bit in the middle of the book had all the strange suggestions about...see? I don’t like reviews like that and i don’t want to write them, so this is just gonna be another review like I do.
There is a violent sexual act of depravity on just about every page of this book, so if you were thinking of buying a copy for your niece or nephew, well you might not want to give them a copy of Beetle Brain. Unless of course you hate the niece or nephew or cousin or whatever, then this thing will give them nightmares about bugs crawling inside them for the rest of their lives. Is it worth it? What if they flip out and trying to claw your face off after you give them the book? Will your laughter and sweet chuckle about their naivete actually stop them from slaughtering you as they grower bigger?
What about those bugs tho? There’s tons of bugs in the book, maybe Mr. Strange could land some sort of licensing deal with an insect sanctuary to promote how non poisonous and safe they are by giving everyone a rubber cockroach or something? Or larvae? Maybe every copy of the book comes with a real live pupae that will definitely keep growing until it rips the door off the hinges and spew evil acidic juice out of it’s mouth.
Or maybe he wants to die there, right in front of his brother? Oh wait, he brother is here? What’s going on? Why is my review straddling the line between schizoid paranoia and grandiose dreams of white castles in the cloud? What are beetles afraid of? Are they scared of giant chickens? Crows that eat bugs by the beak full? Do bugs even get scared? And what exactly is the sex aspect here? Are the bugs doing stuff with people? People doing stuff with bugs? What’s going on exactly? You might ask.
And here is where i’ll tell you to buy a copy and read it yourself.
August 17, 2025
Would give it a 0 star if I could. Wtf? DNF too gross!
August 5, 2025
This was such a bizarre story. And I had some trouble following it at times. Tons of plot holes and things that just didn't make much sense. But, boy oh boy, was there still a lot to like. First off, I'm not sure that I've ever seen so many instances of oral sex, even in a porno, in my entire life. Like Sue Ellen must have a throat made of Kryptonian steel. And somehow even with a large beetle sticking out of her head, she sounded really sexy. Is a beetle fetish a thing? I'm not even sure how to explain what this was without spoiling anything either. All I can say is that there were armies of beetles, lots of sex, a good amount of gore, and lots of hierarchy-based battles for supremacy. There were even some elements of Pacific Rim at one point, too. Absolutely insanity. Kevin Strange always manages to keep me entertained, and his words ahead of the story did just that. He's one deranged, creative man. But rock on, my friend...rock the frick' on.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews