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Judas Goat
Who is the Judas Goat?
It had been twenty years since Lenny Cates had seen or heard from his old college flame Sheena. Theirs had been a brief and tumultuous relationship that ended badly, so when Lenny is notified that Sheena has died in a freak accident and has left her entire estate to him, he feels compelled to investigate the last days leading to her untimely death. As Lenny arrives in town to settle her affairs, he begins to dig deeper into Sheena’s life and learns her final days were cast in shadows of loneliness, depression and experiments in black magic. Soon, Lenny will discover that Sheena’s death has awakened something insatiably demonic and old as mankind, something lying in wait and growing stronger in a quiet little town where the horrors of the past never truly die, pain is eternal, and nothing is as it seems.
Look closer…sometimes evil hides in plain sight.
It had been twenty years since Lenny Cates had seen or heard from his old college flame Sheena. Theirs had been a brief and tumultuous relationship that ended badly, so when Lenny is notified that Sheena has died in a freak accident and has left her entire estate to him, he feels compelled to investigate the last days leading to her untimely death. As Lenny arrives in town to settle her affairs, he begins to dig deeper into Sheena’s life and learns her final days were cast in shadows of loneliness, depression and experiments in black magic. Soon, Lenny will discover that Sheena’s death has awakened something insatiably demonic and old as mankind, something lying in wait and growing stronger in a quiet little town where the horrors of the past never truly die, pain is eternal, and nothing is as it seems.
Look closer…sometimes evil hides in plain sight.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
4 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Greg F. Gifune
81 books353 followersCalled "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 16, 2014
It never ceases to amaze me how I can re-read a "favorite" book, and still find something "new" or forgotten in it from previous reads. JUDAS GOAT is nothing short of one of Greg's finest books, IMHO!
What I love about JUDAS GOAT the most is that it doesn't give up its secrets easily. This book takes a more "scenic route", if you will, building up the atmosphere to an almost unbearable tension before you begin to glimpse what Lenny is up against. The concept of the Judas Goat itself was constantly in play in this story--adding an additional layer of mystery to this shrouded tale of regret, loss, and unattainable redemption.
Highly recommended!
What I love about JUDAS GOAT the most is that it doesn't give up its secrets easily. This book takes a more "scenic route", if you will, building up the atmosphere to an almost unbearable tension before you begin to glimpse what Lenny is up against. The concept of the Judas Goat itself was constantly in play in this story--adding an additional layer of mystery to this shrouded tale of regret, loss, and unattainable redemption.
Highly recommended!
September 28, 2013
What is it about Greg F Gifune that makes me want to write a review, spread his fame and share his innermost thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world. First can I say if you are a lover of dark fiction and have never heard of Greg (where have you been!) then you are in for a treat, a treat that is not always an easy ride, a treat with no happy ending, and a treat that contains a collection of tormented souls who will never attain nirvana and who face each day full of regret and misunderstanding….welcome to the darkside!
Lenny Gates a failed part time actor, living with an alcoholic girlfriend, is surprised when he receives information that his student love Sheena has died leaving all possessions to him. He sets out to investigate why this should be and is drawn deep into a nightmare of epic proportions. Sheena had discovered something, had unleashed something, never meant for it to happen but was afraid it could not now be stopped. It is the way that Gifune writes, more than the story itself, that makes Judas Goat a memorable journey into the mind of a lost soul full of regret and remorse…
“Fighting with everything he had to keep his mounting terror at bay, Lenny backed into a corner of the room and slowly sank to the floor. He wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the lamp. Its light provided some comfort, but the paranoia and fear were winning. ..Lenny watched the glow for what seemed hours, clinging desperately to whatever bits of control remained. He felt like a helpless child lost at sea and struggling to remain above water. No matter how hard he fought, eventually he’d slip beneath the surface and die. He knew this, yet he continued to struggle. Had it not been quite so hopeless, he might’ve claimed it valiant. But the doomed had no such luxuries. He told himself he would not sleep could not sleep-but eventually did just that. As the waves overtook him, he swallowed night and spiralled down through liquid darkness to all that waited for him. There, in the horrifying depths of his own torment”
The author treats the reader with respect and lays before him prose that allow him to question his own moralities and beliefs..”But one thing I do know is that we’ll never be alive again like we are right now. It’ll all be yesterdays and memories before you know it. And we’ll both look back and give anything to be young and free again just for a day, an hour. No matter what happens, good or bad, we’ll never feel this indestructible again”
I think “Judas Goat” is an inspired name for this book…”It’s a trained animal slaughterhouses and farmers use. It leads animals onto trucks or platforms and into pens, that kind of thing. It also leads them to slaughter. It betrays its own kind. You know, as in Judas Iscariot?” When Lenny last saw Sheena he would never commit and he left her when she was most vulnerable, now this inheritance she has bequeathed to him may become his Judas Goat.
So Lenny travels to Trapper Falls to confront his destiny and he is helped along this path by two memorable characters…Officer Meadows and his annoying scratching habit “Lenny was sorry he’d called the police in the first place. Meadows had been annoying enough, but what the hell was this incessant scratching about? Did he have lice?” and lets not forget big mean Gus Garvin the mad wielding Axe Man “ At close range the man smelled like he hadn’t bathed in eons. It’s ok, Lenny told him, fighting an urge to block his nose, you can put the ax down. I’m a friend….Without warning Gus lunged for him and swung the ax!.
So a highly enjoyable read by one of my favourite dark fiction authors who continues to probe the deeper recesses of the human mind and by doing so produce some magnificent storytelling.
Lenny Gates a failed part time actor, living with an alcoholic girlfriend, is surprised when he receives information that his student love Sheena has died leaving all possessions to him. He sets out to investigate why this should be and is drawn deep into a nightmare of epic proportions. Sheena had discovered something, had unleashed something, never meant for it to happen but was afraid it could not now be stopped. It is the way that Gifune writes, more than the story itself, that makes Judas Goat a memorable journey into the mind of a lost soul full of regret and remorse…
“Fighting with everything he had to keep his mounting terror at bay, Lenny backed into a corner of the room and slowly sank to the floor. He wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the lamp. Its light provided some comfort, but the paranoia and fear were winning. ..Lenny watched the glow for what seemed hours, clinging desperately to whatever bits of control remained. He felt like a helpless child lost at sea and struggling to remain above water. No matter how hard he fought, eventually he’d slip beneath the surface and die. He knew this, yet he continued to struggle. Had it not been quite so hopeless, he might’ve claimed it valiant. But the doomed had no such luxuries. He told himself he would not sleep could not sleep-but eventually did just that. As the waves overtook him, he swallowed night and spiralled down through liquid darkness to all that waited for him. There, in the horrifying depths of his own torment”
The author treats the reader with respect and lays before him prose that allow him to question his own moralities and beliefs..”But one thing I do know is that we’ll never be alive again like we are right now. It’ll all be yesterdays and memories before you know it. And we’ll both look back and give anything to be young and free again just for a day, an hour. No matter what happens, good or bad, we’ll never feel this indestructible again”
I think “Judas Goat” is an inspired name for this book…”It’s a trained animal slaughterhouses and farmers use. It leads animals onto trucks or platforms and into pens, that kind of thing. It also leads them to slaughter. It betrays its own kind. You know, as in Judas Iscariot?” When Lenny last saw Sheena he would never commit and he left her when she was most vulnerable, now this inheritance she has bequeathed to him may become his Judas Goat.
So Lenny travels to Trapper Falls to confront his destiny and he is helped along this path by two memorable characters…Officer Meadows and his annoying scratching habit “Lenny was sorry he’d called the police in the first place. Meadows had been annoying enough, but what the hell was this incessant scratching about? Did he have lice?” and lets not forget big mean Gus Garvin the mad wielding Axe Man “ At close range the man smelled like he hadn’t bathed in eons. It’s ok, Lenny told him, fighting an urge to block his nose, you can put the ax down. I’m a friend….Without warning Gus lunged for him and swung the ax!.
So a highly enjoyable read by one of my favourite dark fiction authors who continues to probe the deeper recesses of the human mind and by doing so produce some magnificent storytelling.
February 26, 2013
This was yet another fascinating story by Mr. Gifune.
Lenny is bequeathed a house by an ex-girlfriend he hasn't seen in years. Before selling the home, he feels an obligation to at least go and look at it. The house is located in an extremely isolated area and Lenny decides to stay for a few days and check it out.
And so begins the story of Judas Goat. An explanation of the phrase Judas Goat is provided at the beginning of the novella, so while you're reading you're constantly wondering who it's going to turn out to be. In the meantime, the atmosphere and the creepiness begin to build until you're racing through to the final chapter. Black magic, mirrors and guilt set the stage and finally at the end, the lights come up and you're just sitting there saying "Wow".
Mr. Gifune is the master of creating a creepy, tense atmosphere and this novella is no different. Highly recommended for fans of dark fiction and horror.
Lenny is bequeathed a house by an ex-girlfriend he hasn't seen in years. Before selling the home, he feels an obligation to at least go and look at it. The house is located in an extremely isolated area and Lenny decides to stay for a few days and check it out.
And so begins the story of Judas Goat. An explanation of the phrase Judas Goat is provided at the beginning of the novella, so while you're reading you're constantly wondering who it's going to turn out to be. In the meantime, the atmosphere and the creepiness begin to build until you're racing through to the final chapter. Black magic, mirrors and guilt set the stage and finally at the end, the lights come up and you're just sitting there saying "Wow".
Mr. Gifune is the master of creating a creepy, tense atmosphere and this novella is no different. Highly recommended for fans of dark fiction and horror.
February 11, 2019
“The Judas Goat, he waits...
…then leads us to the slaughter every time.”
Lenny has been running from his ghosts for years.
Looks like they are starting to catch up to him.
Gifune is one of the best in the business. Dude puts the dark in dark fiction.
No doubt.
…then leads us to the slaughter every time.”
Lenny has been running from his ghosts for years.
Looks like they are starting to catch up to him.
Gifune is one of the best in the business. Dude puts the dark in dark fiction.
No doubt.
April 4, 2015
This was my first experience reading anything by Greg F. Gifune, and Judas Goat demonstrated perfectly just what a talent Mr. Gifune is. His plot structuring, pacing, and ability to crank up growing levels of unease and creeping dread, made this an almost word perfect example of intelligent horror.
Lenny Cates should be feeling on top of the world; an old girlfriend has willed him the remains of her estate. But Lenny is deeply troubled, it has been many years since he'd last seen or heard from Sheena, and yes, truth be told, in another life they may well have become soul mates; but their relationship was tainted.
Sheena had always needed more, but Lenny was a young man with dreams of his own. He couldn't offer her the promise of a long term future, and so things between them became strained...
Now, years down the line, Lenny hears that the girl he loved, but whom he ultimately failed, has willed him ownership of a small country cottage. As Lenny journeys towards the remote and lonely house, we know we are soon to find out... who is the Judas Goat?
Lenny Cates should be feeling on top of the world; an old girlfriend has willed him the remains of her estate. But Lenny is deeply troubled, it has been many years since he'd last seen or heard from Sheena, and yes, truth be told, in another life they may well have become soul mates; but their relationship was tainted.
Sheena had always needed more, but Lenny was a young man with dreams of his own. He couldn't offer her the promise of a long term future, and so things between them became strained...
Now, years down the line, Lenny hears that the girl he loved, but whom he ultimately failed, has willed him ownership of a small country cottage. As Lenny journeys towards the remote and lonely house, we know we are soon to find out... who is the Judas Goat?
November 7, 2021
This is my third Gifune book in just 2 weeks, and dammit, I want more…. No! I NEED more!!!
His stories are absolutely intoxicating and I can not get enough!!
His stories are absolutely intoxicating and I can not get enough!!
January 31, 2019
After I`ve read some four or five works from Gifune I can say that I see a small general pattern in them. In almost all, the main character is very normal in the beginning of the text to reveal until the end some strong drama or gruesome secret from his childhood or, some cases, early younghood.
This one here makes no exception, our main character has some personal regrets from his early years, facts that will mark his course of life forever. And all this informations are revealed on the course of the story, not from beginning, so we almost always are in a not knowing zone.
The final chapters of this one have a eerie and creepy atmosphere to them with some really disturbing and mysterious elements, that reminded me of the 2018 movie, Hereditary.
Anyway, the story goes strong all the way, the characters were well developed, and keeping it short, the whole idea of this one was appealing and skillfully woven to unexpected heights.
For the horror fans this is a must read!
This one here makes no exception, our main character has some personal regrets from his early years, facts that will mark his course of life forever. And all this informations are revealed on the course of the story, not from beginning, so we almost always are in a not knowing zone.
The final chapters of this one have a eerie and creepy atmosphere to them with some really disturbing and mysterious elements, that reminded me of the 2018 movie, Hereditary.
Anyway, the story goes strong all the way, the characters were well developed, and keeping it short, the whole idea of this one was appealing and skillfully woven to unexpected heights.
For the horror fans this is a must read!
July 8, 2021
BEST! BEST!! BEST!!!
Another master blaster from my all time favourite author Greg F. Gifune. Man I just couldn't count myself off about how many times I recall the author when I been doomed by dull writing or say books by other authors. Hell of a journey that was...
Lenny was living with his alcoholic girlfriend Tabitha was going ok by far while a sudden news bemused him that could never be occurred but it did. His old college friend or say his first love of his life Sheena had been dead tragically but left all her asset in his name. To know the reason behind that he made his mind to revisit Sheena's home. But at the time he didn't know what laying ahead about his journey to his forgotten love. As the time tickled and he went deeper and deeper to that matter he knew this was wrong, wrong to its very core. Sheena did something terrible that cannot be sum up easily, Lenny begin to fear but there is no coming back. Mistakenly or unfortunately he choose his path and now he had to face it. The ending or say that prime event from this book or something that I just didn't want to read. Believe me I actually regretting that part from myself. But anyway that was a personal choice of mine nothing else. But the event that occurred in the past of Lenny's life this was something that I believe no one will wants to happen in their life too. Anyway the dark side of the story and the way those characters intertwined was enough to terrified your mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course I have to admit the ending was bit tragic. Because of that Judas goat did achieve its hype. Must read horror book for all horror lover...
Obviously 5 out of 5. Grateful to Greg F. Gifune, by whom I never disappointed while reading...
Another master blaster from my all time favourite author Greg F. Gifune. Man I just couldn't count myself off about how many times I recall the author when I been doomed by dull writing or say books by other authors. Hell of a journey that was...
Lenny was living with his alcoholic girlfriend Tabitha was going ok by far while a sudden news bemused him that could never be occurred but it did. His old college friend or say his first love of his life Sheena had been dead tragically but left all her asset in his name. To know the reason behind that he made his mind to revisit Sheena's home. But at the time he didn't know what laying ahead about his journey to his forgotten love. As the time tickled and he went deeper and deeper to that matter he knew this was wrong, wrong to its very core. Sheena did something terrible that cannot be sum up easily, Lenny begin to fear but there is no coming back. Mistakenly or unfortunately he choose his path and now he had to face it. The ending or say that prime event from this book or something that I just didn't want to read. Believe me I actually regretting that part from myself. But anyway that was a personal choice of mine nothing else. But the event that occurred in the past of Lenny's life this was something that I believe no one will wants to happen in their life too. Anyway the dark side of the story and the way those characters intertwined was enough to terrified your mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course I have to admit the ending was bit tragic. Because of that Judas goat did achieve its hype. Must read horror book for all horror lover...
Obviously 5 out of 5. Grateful to Greg F. Gifune, by whom I never disappointed while reading...
May 16, 2023
I really need to stop waiting so long between Gifune books! His work scratches a horror itch for me that most writers fail to hit. The books dive to emotional depths that others never dare to, while still providing the terror and thrills.
This novella feels like an eerie dream from the very first paragraph and it never once lets up on the atmosphere, especially as our main character Lenny gets to the small town where his ex-girlfriend has died and mysteriously left him her house. As he struggles to understand what happened to Sheena, we the reader discover a tragic story of love squandered and two people filled with pain and regret. I almost always leave a Gifune book satisfied and impressed and this is another great one.
This novella feels like an eerie dream from the very first paragraph and it never once lets up on the atmosphere, especially as our main character Lenny gets to the small town where his ex-girlfriend has died and mysteriously left him her house. As he struggles to understand what happened to Sheena, we the reader discover a tragic story of love squandered and two people filled with pain and regret. I almost always leave a Gifune book satisfied and impressed and this is another great one.
July 1, 2018
Greg is one of my favorite horror writers, that said, when I started Judas Goat, wasn't sure what to expect. Kept reading and loving it more and more, then it ended. It was so cool the way it ended, and so weird. An awesome read.
September 29, 2019
A little cosmic horror mix in with lost love and a failed life.
Doesn't rock the literary world of Lovecraftian horror but a diverting read.
Doesn't rock the literary world of Lovecraftian horror but a diverting read.
April 10, 2013
I just finished poring over the limited edition, signed novel published in 2008 by Morning Star (Bloodletting Press), written by my friend Greg F. Gifune. The book itself is an exquisite tome in the colors of charred bone and blood soaked earth; with fine production values that make for a congenial, if somewhat apprehensive read. I am not in the habit of recommending a book before I have finished reading it, but the tactile pleasures of perusing this decadent volume alone begs for a screaming broadcast far and wide. And why shouldn’t Greg’s novels be as rich in physical construction as they are layered in opulent character and perspicacious plot development? It’s a bad day when Lenny Cates drives from the concrete confines of New York City to the windswept wildness of rural New Hampshire to inspect a cottage recently bequeathed him by a former (now deceased) lover. It’s been years since Lenny has even heard from Sheena—what was she trying to accomplish by bestowing the cottage upon Lenny—what unfinished business lays between them like a grassy strip between graves? Buy the book. Let your fingers dance over the crisp edges and linger on the pointed corners of its weighty paper as you gradually turn the pages . . . and are pulled deeper into the mystery of the Judas Goat.
February 25, 2013
A girlfriend from the past dies and wills a house to Lenny. As he explores more of the house, particularly the covered mirrors, his repressed memories return with a vengeance. Strong storytelling with some gripping scenes, three dimensional characterization, and an ending that will have your heart doing triple-time. This one raised some gooseflesh in at least one place and has a very good, unexpected ending. My favorite of the three by Gifune I've read so far. 2,052 Kindle Locations. Recommended.
July 3, 2019
some nice ideas but it could have been "more"
January 17, 2026
To short
Like most of Mr Gifunes novels, left me wishing for Mabry fifty more pages. Oh well. I'm a bit of a fanboy when it comes to this author and honestly this was one of the better ones. He carries bleakness to a ten and wraps it in a very atmospheric settling. There's some abstract writing ( as always) which takes away from the ending a bit but overall, a read that settles in your bones.
Like most of Mr Gifunes novels, left me wishing for Mabry fifty more pages. Oh well. I'm a bit of a fanboy when it comes to this author and honestly this was one of the better ones. He carries bleakness to a ten and wraps it in a very atmospheric settling. There's some abstract writing ( as always) which takes away from the ending a bit but overall, a read that settles in your bones.
June 23, 2017
I had not read a book by Greg Gifune in a while, and decided to pick this one up. On the short side and I did not want anything too involved, and boy was I wrong. Judas Goat packs into it enough story elements and detail for a book three times the length. Great atmosphere and characterization in this novella, and well worth reading.
November 14, 2018
A solid novella entry from Greg F. Gifune, which was as equally dark and unnerving as his longer works.
As always, he seems to have a knack for writing about lost and broken souls and his bleak little worlds always manage to draw me in so easily, as if I had a longing for a slice of melancholia (which I don't, but that's just testament to how skilled a writer he is).
As always, he seems to have a knack for writing about lost and broken souls and his bleak little worlds always manage to draw me in so easily, as if I had a longing for a slice of melancholia (which I don't, but that's just testament to how skilled a writer he is).
December 2, 2019
The author does a great job building tension then hits you with a fantastic ending
Well narrated and highly recommended if you like your horror on the darker side
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
Well narrated and highly recommended if you like your horror on the darker side
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
January 22, 2019
Um. This was weird.
March 18, 2019
Barely any build-up for no pay-off. Pointless smut scenes. Good ol' "abortion complications". Nonsense lore. Rape as a plot device yeeey!
February 1, 2019
Was pleasantly surprised at the amount of suspense in such a short story. Have liked all of Gufine's books so far. This one is no exception.
January 21, 2020
Overseas scenarios too contrived.
March 23, 2024
3,5 Stars
January 30, 2019
What makes a truly great writer? Those icons that stand tall above the rest? It is not only craftmanship, consistency or the ability to grab the reader's attention for a few hundred pages. For me, it is the ability to repeatedly connect with the reader on more than just the superficial level of engagement but striking a chord much deeper, resonating on a more subtle, maybe even primal level deep down inside.
In my eyes Greg F. Gifune is one of the few writers, that never fails to deliver on this and I am absolutely mystified why the man has not made it to the absolute pantheon of contemporary horror and dark fiction writers and taken his righteous place besides the very greats of the genre yet. Especially given the mediocrity floating around these days.
But let us talk about "Judas Goat". From the start this novella is just another example of Gifune's marvelous prose and his ability to portray and bring to life these unique, yet always broken individuals, worn down by the strains of existence and the guilt accumulated through the passage of time. His stories have a distinctively noir character to it without relying on all too many of the genre's slightly tedious tropes while carefully blending them with a horror that is step by step creeping up from a faint whisper somewhere in the void into a crescendo of outright terror.
But it is not only timing and pacing that makes Gifune's writing so effective. His horror works so extraordinary well, as it is anchored deep within the human condition and is hitting close to the bone for everyone whose life has not only been flowers and rose gardens. The terror he portrays is as much grounded in reality as it is in the realms of the paranormal. Gifune finds it hidden behind the masks we wear and the reflection we shun in our mirrors. He looks deep inside the dark corners of the soul and drags the charred remains of our humanity, our self and all we have lost from out of the shadows into the gritty light of his stories and before the eyes of the reader. An experience that can at times be painful yet also cleansing. Whatever it is for you, I guarantee you that there are only very few writers in the horror genre today that can pull off something similar with their efforts (I am thinking mainly about Laird Barron and maybe Jon Bassoff).
If you have not read Gifune yet, "Judas Goat" surely is a great place to start. But then so is almost every single one of his books (with very few exceptions like maybe "Babylon Terminal"). If you prefer novels over novellas go and seek out "The Bleeding Season" if you can get your hands on it. All I can do for now is urge you to take a ride with Greg Gifune. But be forewarned, he is gonna lead you to some very dark places but then again he might just be the Judas Goat you have been waiting for all along...
In my eyes Greg F. Gifune is one of the few writers, that never fails to deliver on this and I am absolutely mystified why the man has not made it to the absolute pantheon of contemporary horror and dark fiction writers and taken his righteous place besides the very greats of the genre yet. Especially given the mediocrity floating around these days.
But let us talk about "Judas Goat". From the start this novella is just another example of Gifune's marvelous prose and his ability to portray and bring to life these unique, yet always broken individuals, worn down by the strains of existence and the guilt accumulated through the passage of time. His stories have a distinctively noir character to it without relying on all too many of the genre's slightly tedious tropes while carefully blending them with a horror that is step by step creeping up from a faint whisper somewhere in the void into a crescendo of outright terror.
But it is not only timing and pacing that makes Gifune's writing so effective. His horror works so extraordinary well, as it is anchored deep within the human condition and is hitting close to the bone for everyone whose life has not only been flowers and rose gardens. The terror he portrays is as much grounded in reality as it is in the realms of the paranormal. Gifune finds it hidden behind the masks we wear and the reflection we shun in our mirrors. He looks deep inside the dark corners of the soul and drags the charred remains of our humanity, our self and all we have lost from out of the shadows into the gritty light of his stories and before the eyes of the reader. An experience that can at times be painful yet also cleansing. Whatever it is for you, I guarantee you that there are only very few writers in the horror genre today that can pull off something similar with their efforts (I am thinking mainly about Laird Barron and maybe Jon Bassoff).
If you have not read Gifune yet, "Judas Goat" surely is a great place to start. But then so is almost every single one of his books (with very few exceptions like maybe "Babylon Terminal"). If you prefer novels over novellas go and seek out "The Bleeding Season" if you can get your hands on it. All I can do for now is urge you to take a ride with Greg Gifune. But be forewarned, he is gonna lead you to some very dark places but then again he might just be the Judas Goat you have been waiting for all along...
June 10, 2013
Probably my least favorite Gifune to date.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews