What do you think?
Rate this book
Schizoid
At thirty four years of age, dark fiction scribe Micha Tudor has finally had enough trying to eke out a living as an author. Suicide, that eternal taboo of man, could potentially provide an escape hatch for an exhausted spirit seeking a reset button. But when Micha awakens in a world of his own making - a world straight from the pages of his new novel - he soon discovers the afterlife is far from an escape hatch or even oblivion. For in Hadley Grove, monsters walk the streets. Towering creatures composed of mercury who seem tied to the town’s ancient church brooding above the oceanic bluffs. Presided over by the ominous sibling priests Malphas and Natal Purson, their hellish cathedral seems inextricably linked with Hadley Grove … And now, Micha himself. Schizoid is a dark-hued fable of the often precarious line between our waking lives and the restorative power of storytelling.
- GenresHorror
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2018
15 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Tait
30 books46 followersMatthew Tait is an award-winning Australian horror author whose work blends psychological intensity with uncanny, brutal atmosphere. He published his first collection of dark fiction in 2011 and has since built a catalogue of titles praised for their originality and emotional depth. His novel Deception Pass won the Australasian Shadows Award for Best Novel, an honor for which he has been nominated three times. His short story Car Crash Weather was also commended by the Australian Horror Writers Association.
A former horror columnist and lifelong devotee of the genre, Tait’s work has been described as “the sort of horror Clive Barker must read on his days off.” When not crafting unsettling narratives, he’s immersed in the gritty tones of grunge music.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 16, 2019
Review copy
A struggling writer commits suicide and wakes up in his "work in progress." That work is The Mercury Man, not even a quarter completed.
"The first time Micha Tudor went to Hadley Grove he'd thought the whole experience a fevered dream."
Each time he would return to reality, he finds more added to his story.
"A few weeks ago, the number count on The Mercury Man had stood at a paltry fifteen-thousand words. Barely enough framework or adequate structure to properly introduce his cast. Now the word count hovered at an astonishing forty-two-thousand."
As Micha spends more time in Hadley Grove he becomes more and more a part of the story. Mix in a serial killer known as The Mercury Man, a pair of demons, and their father, and you have the makings of a fine horror novel within a horror novel.
"Horror novels like The Mercury Man did not end with the hero cold-cocking his rival and running away with the girl...They ended with blood."
Matthew Tait has a distinctive voice and Schizoid is an ambitious novel worthy of H. P. Lovecraft.
Recommended.
Schizoid is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - A vociferous horror columnist since 2005, Matthew Tait published his first collection of dark fiction in 2011. Since then, he has twice been nominated for the Australian Shadows Award. Described as writing 'the sort of horror Clive Barker must read on his days off' Matthew's fiction often treads the line between the familiar and the fantastic.
A struggling writer commits suicide and wakes up in his "work in progress." That work is The Mercury Man, not even a quarter completed.
"The first time Micha Tudor went to Hadley Grove he'd thought the whole experience a fevered dream."
Each time he would return to reality, he finds more added to his story.
"A few weeks ago, the number count on The Mercury Man had stood at a paltry fifteen-thousand words. Barely enough framework or adequate structure to properly introduce his cast. Now the word count hovered at an astonishing forty-two-thousand."
As Micha spends more time in Hadley Grove he becomes more and more a part of the story. Mix in a serial killer known as The Mercury Man, a pair of demons, and their father, and you have the makings of a fine horror novel within a horror novel.
"Horror novels like The Mercury Man did not end with the hero cold-cocking his rival and running away with the girl...They ended with blood."
Matthew Tait has a distinctive voice and Schizoid is an ambitious novel worthy of H. P. Lovecraft.
Recommended.
Schizoid is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - A vociferous horror columnist since 2005, Matthew Tait published his first collection of dark fiction in 2011. Since then, he has twice been nominated for the Australian Shadows Award. Described as writing 'the sort of horror Clive Barker must read on his days off' Matthew's fiction often treads the line between the familiar and the fantastic.
July 14, 2019
I've been reading Matthew Tait's work for years now and haven't failed to notice the steady upward trend with regards to his ability to deftly fashion his prose. "Schizoid" is a particularly impressive accomplishment because the subject matter, plot, cultural references, and writing style accompany the reader through time. Tait offers us Victorian eloquence and a deeply disturbed protagonist, a combination which in places reminded me vaguely of "The Picture of Dorian Gray". At the same time, we are plunged into the nineteen-eighties and regaled with musical souvenirs and catchphrases from this decade. We are given an alternate reality in which Johnny Cash sings "Run on for a Long Time"... imagine! Above all, we are reminded that Matthew Tait is a great admirer of Clive Barker's tales, of horror that is by turns down-to-earth and gritty and fantastic and otherworldly, and to be honest, with "Schizoid", one can't help but feel that he is standing on the podium with this renowned writer.
January 9, 2019
Tait looks inward for his latest offering, an impressive meta-dark fantasy that's well worth a look.
With shades of King and Barker, it's a book that draws on the premise of a writer, who battling his own real world demons, finds himself living in the fictional town of his own creation.
The protagonist of Micah is richly drawn, and Tait let's the story unfold slowly drawing you into world of Hadley Grove before a compelling final act.
Tait's finest work to date.
With shades of King and Barker, it's a book that draws on the premise of a writer, who battling his own real world demons, finds himself living in the fictional town of his own creation.
The protagonist of Micah is richly drawn, and Tait let's the story unfold slowly drawing you into world of Hadley Grove before a compelling final act.
Tait's finest work to date.
December 7, 2022
The story of a man who commits suicide and wakes up in a world of his own creation, straight out of an unfinished book was a very intriguing premise. Metafiction can get messy quite quickly, but this was handled quite deftly and came to a satisfying conclusion. It's also very well written and the world building is fantastic. I'm looking forward to reading more titles by Matthew Tait.
February 14, 2019
Good book from a good Australian author.
Matthew Tait continues to grow as a beacon in the realm of Australian dark (and wierd) fiction, continuing his trend to get the reader to think as they read. This one will twist your minds somewhat with time travel, alternate realities, 80’s pop, aliens, humans and a bit of WTF just to shake things up.
The story slides between all these realms smoothly, a few jumps to keep you awake and a nice meld between the “now” and “then”. Clearly a child of the 80’s in style, book and music, pop culture references abound.
Though set in the US, I found it still flavoured with an Australian tinge that opened it up and I felt way comfortable visiting this world(s). Maybe because I have become somewhat jaded, I won’t say this is scary, but there are some horrifyingly descriptive passages, particularly as the climax nears, that may have those with a weak constitution needing a hiccup or two.
Would be good if a sequel could be ties in somehow. There are a few doors left ajar in that respect. Let’s hope Mr Tait chooses to step through one someday soon.
GoodRead.
Matthew Tait continues to grow as a beacon in the realm of Australian dark (and wierd) fiction, continuing his trend to get the reader to think as they read. This one will twist your minds somewhat with time travel, alternate realities, 80’s pop, aliens, humans and a bit of WTF just to shake things up.
The story slides between all these realms smoothly, a few jumps to keep you awake and a nice meld between the “now” and “then”. Clearly a child of the 80’s in style, book and music, pop culture references abound.
Though set in the US, I found it still flavoured with an Australian tinge that opened it up and I felt way comfortable visiting this world(s). Maybe because I have become somewhat jaded, I won’t say this is scary, but there are some horrifyingly descriptive passages, particularly as the climax nears, that may have those with a weak constitution needing a hiccup or two.
Would be good if a sequel could be ties in somehow. There are a few doors left ajar in that respect. Let’s hope Mr Tait chooses to step through one someday soon.
GoodRead.
October 26, 2019
Well written fantasy
Story about a writer who commits suicide. He awakens inside the story he was writing. The plot shift between reality and the dream world while the store pages lengthen . Dream world characters are interesting but readers have to like alternate realities.
Story about a writer who commits suicide. He awakens inside the story he was writing. The plot shift between reality and the dream world while the store pages lengthen . Dream world characters are interesting but readers have to like alternate realities.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews