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Rot
Kyle Brubaker, a carefree California surfer, finds little to celebrate in a small Wisconsin town until he meets beautiful and spirited Marianne Avery. But their budding romance is snuffed when they are brutally attacked by three hoodlum brothers. With his life unraveling around him, Kyle accepts and offer of help from a mysterious carnival Gypsy. Soon after that things really go to hell...
- GenresHorror
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Gary Brandner
91 books112 followersGary Phil Brandner (May 31, 1930 – September 22, 2013) was an American horror author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling. The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981. Brandner's second and third Howling novels, published in 1979 and 1985 respectively, have no connection to the film series, though he was involved in writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf. The fourth film in the Howling series, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, is actually the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel, though this too varies to some degree.
Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.
Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.
He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.
Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.
Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.
He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 29, 2022
Kyle Brubaker goes back to childhood days taking care of his elderly uncle in Wisconsin. After a strife with one of the troublemakers in town things take a dramatic turn for him. The soon-to-be wife of his cousin, Marianne, undergoes a sinister change after they had an accident when leaving the carnival. What happened to her? How is the eerie gypsy's role? Can Kyle in the end leave all the mess behind or is evil following up to him (no spoilers here)? This is classic old school horror at its very best. Hard scenes (sex and violence), nasty evil and neverending terror (LOL death is not the end). Really enjoyed this book and have to continue with Gary Brandner. Gosh, he comes up with excellent 80s stuff. With him you directly go back into that long gone era too, like Kyle... Highly recommended!
May 17, 2022
I received an audio copy of this book from the publishers Encycopocalypse in receipt of an honest review.
Unfortunately, I did not finish this story by Gary Bradner. The story did not resonate with me at all.
It is the story of Kyle Brubaker, a young surfer type who has been sent to his uncle's farm after he has suffered a stroke. Bored, he strikes up a friendship with his cousin's fiancée, Marianne.
After breaking up a fight by local thugs who are beating up a gypsy boy, the thugs seek retribution on Kyle after he has been out with Marianne to a local carnival. They beat him up and viciously sexually assault Marianne. Immediately following this Kyle & Marianne are in a car crash that has devastating effects.
Now as I said, I couldn't get along with this book at all. I didn't gel with the writing style or the events happening in the book.
I have to admit that I have a hard time reading sexual violence and I feel it has to be sensitively handled, and not feel exploitative. In the defense of the book, Bradner does deal with it in a non exploitative way, but the events afterwards did not gel with me.
However, Encycopocalypse have put out another well produced audio book that is narrated by Sly Sylcox that is very well done. Sylcox' s stealing narration fits well with the story and he enunciates everything really well.
Now, I don't usually talk about books that I did not finish as I cannot give a complete view of the story and its events. However, I can give my reasons as to why I DNF'D it. Simply put, this book was not for me. However, I can comment on the audio and it's quality which is very good.
Unfortunately, I did not finish this story by Gary Bradner. The story did not resonate with me at all.
It is the story of Kyle Brubaker, a young surfer type who has been sent to his uncle's farm after he has suffered a stroke. Bored, he strikes up a friendship with his cousin's fiancée, Marianne.
After breaking up a fight by local thugs who are beating up a gypsy boy, the thugs seek retribution on Kyle after he has been out with Marianne to a local carnival. They beat him up and viciously sexually assault Marianne. Immediately following this Kyle & Marianne are in a car crash that has devastating effects.
Now as I said, I couldn't get along with this book at all. I didn't gel with the writing style or the events happening in the book.
I have to admit that I have a hard time reading sexual violence and I feel it has to be sensitively handled, and not feel exploitative. In the defense of the book, Bradner does deal with it in a non exploitative way, but the events afterwards did not gel with me.
However, Encycopocalypse have put out another well produced audio book that is narrated by Sly Sylcox that is very well done. Sylcox' s stealing narration fits well with the story and he enunciates everything really well.
Now, I don't usually talk about books that I did not finish as I cannot give a complete view of the story and its events. However, I can give my reasons as to why I DNF'D it. Simply put, this book was not for me. However, I can comment on the audio and it's quality which is very good.
May 25, 2022
I was able to get a copy of this audiobook from Encyclopocalypse in exchange for an honest review. I will say this, this story wasn’t for me… however the narrator kept me listening. In all honesty it wasn’t a terrible story, it just had a few parts that to me made me slightly uncomfortable. I look forward to hearing and reading more from this publisher.
May 21, 2022
As Jud said in Pet Sematary, “Sometimes dead is better.”
Kyle can’t catch a break. Shipped off from California to help out on his sick uncles farm in the middle of nowhere. No friends, not much to do, and gets no respect from anyone in the town until he stands up to an adult beating on a kid. He slowly finds out that no good deed goes unpunished.
This was a great short story and while it may have been a little predictable in some areas, it had good pacing and kept you interested.
Definite triggers for sexual abuse. Some scenes had me squirming with horror and pity at what these people went through. Be cautious what you wish for or at least be very specific.
Kyle can’t catch a break. Shipped off from California to help out on his sick uncles farm in the middle of nowhere. No friends, not much to do, and gets no respect from anyone in the town until he stands up to an adult beating on a kid. He slowly finds out that no good deed goes unpunished.
This was a great short story and while it may have been a little predictable in some areas, it had good pacing and kept you interested.
Definite triggers for sexual abuse. Some scenes had me squirming with horror and pity at what these people went through. Be cautious what you wish for or at least be very specific.
February 15, 2026
A truly gnarly revenge story. I actually think there's some interesting commentary here about "surviving" trauma and how we (unintentionally or otherwise) punish victims of sexual abuse, but I could just be reading into it. Don't read if you're sensitive to graphic depictions of rape or body horror.
April 28, 2021
Creepy good
Dead people, sweet revenge, and a promising summer gone bad. What more could one ask for in horror? This one creeped me out. For days.
Dead people, sweet revenge, and a promising summer gone bad. What more could one ask for in horror? This one creeped me out. For days.
January 19, 2020
Mantengo la opinión que todavía no he leído libro de Gary Brandner que no me guste; escribía el tipo de historias de terror que me atraen y su estilo es bastante fluído. El problema que tuve con este libro es que una vez que ocurre lo que da pie al "conflicto principal", el resto de la historia es bastante insípida y hasta predecible.
December 22, 2025
Bits of good, lots of bad, quite horrible in parts. Felt a bit sick reading it. I thought this book was about zombies when I picked it out, which I guess it was a bit. Still … yuck
October 24, 2021
It is with a somewhat heavy heart that 19 or so years old Kyle Brubaker comes to spend his last summer as a student at his Uncle Bob’s farm in the tiny town of Bischoff, Wisconsin, with its farmlands and lonely dusty roads, its Main Street and its trailer park and of course its single bank, convenience store and bar. You know the place and so does he, now so far from his comfortable life in California, its parties and his beloved surfboard. But then he meets the spirited Marianne Avery, the town’s beautiful homecoming-queen. Since this is a horror tale by Gary Brandner, this unexpected reversal of fortune is short lived. After a brutal attack by the town’s hoodlum and a subsequent car accident (it doesn’t rain, it pours), Kyle’s summer turns from drab to down right horrific. Careful what you wish.
Rot is a morality tale of sometimes surprising cruelty about selfishness and its consequences as well as the responsibilities of one’s actions and it goes about it by aiming straight at the jugulars, sometimes discarding any notion of verisimilitude by the use of the occasional plot contrivance. However, I found this easy to ignore as Rot proved for the most part to be utterly engrossing. This is a truly creepy and even nightmarish piece of work sprinkled with the blackest of humour. Interestingly, as Kyle’s self-preserving choices quickly spin out of control and eventually ensnare him into the relentless logic of the tale, right to its nihilistic conclusion, I found my empathy shift from protagonist to antagonist. This makes Rot a quite unique piece in the author’s horror work. Although thematically reminiscent of his 1980’s Walkers -a.k.a. Death Walkers- and 1986’s Carrion, Rot might probably be the horror offering by Brandner with the most overt feminist bent as the few female characters incarnate either the moral compass of the story or the retribution for the unspeakable deeds perpetrated by the male cohort of the tale.
Rot did not meet its audience upon its publication back in 1999 and it is a damn shame. As a result, most copies available on sale are the beautiful original edition by Cemetery Dance Publications signed by the author! Rot may have been Gary Brandner’s last work of horror before his passing in 2013, but the author of The Howling signed off the genre with one hell of a bang.
Rot is a morality tale of sometimes surprising cruelty about selfishness and its consequences as well as the responsibilities of one’s actions and it goes about it by aiming straight at the jugulars, sometimes discarding any notion of verisimilitude by the use of the occasional plot contrivance. However, I found this easy to ignore as Rot proved for the most part to be utterly engrossing. This is a truly creepy and even nightmarish piece of work sprinkled with the blackest of humour. Interestingly, as Kyle’s self-preserving choices quickly spin out of control and eventually ensnare him into the relentless logic of the tale, right to its nihilistic conclusion, I found my empathy shift from protagonist to antagonist. This makes Rot a quite unique piece in the author’s horror work. Although thematically reminiscent of his 1980’s Walkers -a.k.a. Death Walkers- and 1986’s Carrion, Rot might probably be the horror offering by Brandner with the most overt feminist bent as the few female characters incarnate either the moral compass of the story or the retribution for the unspeakable deeds perpetrated by the male cohort of the tale.
Rot did not meet its audience upon its publication back in 1999 and it is a damn shame. As a result, most copies available on sale are the beautiful original edition by Cemetery Dance Publications signed by the author! Rot may have been Gary Brandner’s last work of horror before his passing in 2013, but the author of The Howling signed off the genre with one hell of a bang.
March 1, 2013
A graphic, disturbing short story that would satisfy any horror fan.
April 17, 2014
Fast paced and nasty novella that comes with a warning about being careful for what you ask, because you may very well get it. Great descriptions of the nasty business elevate this one.
May 9, 2014
fast paced, attention to detail, ended just right.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews