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Standalone
They are killers. They are monsters. They are evil.
They stalk through summer camps, abandoned hospitals, rundown schools, and isolated houses, hunting anyone foolish enough to visit these places, leaving behind carnage, terror, death, and destruction. Sometimes, there are survivors. Always, there is blood.
And they do it to protect and preserve all of existence across the Multiverse.
But now they are the ones being stalked and hunted, and life as we know it hangs in the balance unless they figure out a way to survive.
___
PRAISE FOR PAUL MICHAEL ANDERSON
"Anderson announces himself as a major talent in the dark fiction realm." - Fangoria
"Anderson writes with a sure, steady hand." – Jack Ketchum, author of The Woman, The Girl Next Door, and Off Season
"Paul Michael Anderson's writing doesn't feel gimmicky, but it has a pulp edge to it. Anderson's the real deal, guys." – Dead End Follies
They stalk through summer camps, abandoned hospitals, rundown schools, and isolated houses, hunting anyone foolish enough to visit these places, leaving behind carnage, terror, death, and destruction. Sometimes, there are survivors. Always, there is blood.
And they do it to protect and preserve all of existence across the Multiverse.
But now they are the ones being stalked and hunted, and life as we know it hangs in the balance unless they figure out a way to survive.
___
PRAISE FOR PAUL MICHAEL ANDERSON
"Anderson announces himself as a major talent in the dark fiction realm." - Fangoria
"Anderson writes with a sure, steady hand." – Jack Ketchum, author of The Woman, The Girl Next Door, and Off Season
"Paul Michael Anderson's writing doesn't feel gimmicky, but it has a pulp edge to it. Anderson's the real deal, guys." – Dead End Follies
154 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2020
8 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Paul Michael Anderson
39 books67 followersPaul Michael Anderson is the author of the novellas YOU CAN'T SAVE WHAT ISN'T THERE and STANDALONE, as well as the collections BONES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN and EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT IN THE END: APOCALYPSE SONGS. Find him at his website thenothingspace.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 24, 2020
This is a great, though short, piece of meta-fiction - turns out, all those slasher killers really were working from the same script! It's mostly just good clean gory fun, though there's a couple of loose ends that could have been picked up at the end and weren't. It's not a big deal though - like the movies that inspire it, it's not about the details; the writing is good, the premise is interesting, and it's short enough to be on the fun, rompy end of the scale.
The short story that accompanies it, The One Thing I Wish For You, is much shorter, but stuck a bit harder - it's a relatively complex idea, but written in a lovely, simple way that let the emotional notes shine through.
Altogether a very pleasing experience!
The short story that accompanies it, The One Thing I Wish For You, is much shorter, but stuck a bit harder - it's a relatively complex idea, but written in a lovely, simple way that let the emotional notes shine through.
Altogether a very pleasing experience!
August 10, 2020
Standalone easily has one of the best premises of the year with its Quantum Leap meets Friday the 13th vibe. Paul Michael Anderson turns the Quantum Leap element on its side, though, and instead of time travel we have trips across the multiverse. Yes, dear readers, Standalone is a multiversal slasher book. How bad-ass is that?!
Jenkins, our hero, if such an appellation could be applied to a horrific killer, travels across the multiverse to kill camp counselors and cut down nubile co-eds. Is it really murder if there's an infinite number of camp counselors and co-eds in other parallel dimensions? Are they even real if in one Earth they're camp counselors but on another Earth are actors playing camp counselors in a slasher flick?
Anderson largely avoids these kind of philosophical questions, opting instead for quick, bloody fun. Jenkins's immorality, too, is cushioned by the fact that he's not really a horror movie monster. He works for the Station, at the very center of the multiverse, and murder is his job. He has to claim his victims in order to properly distribute energy across all the many and various realms of existence, lest the multiverse become imbalanced and destroy all of existence. Even though he's essentially playing the role of Jason, Jenkins is a relatable everyman and never quite feels like a villain. There's a legitimate reason behind his grisly occupation, distasteful as it may be, and the role he occupies is more like a soldier than a serial killer.
Where Standalone could have stumbled is in its reasoning behind why this horror movie premise is necessary at the heart of this sci-fi book. Anderson does explain why Jenkins, and those like him at the Station, reenact familiar horror movie tropes in order to save the multiverse, but it never really goes much deeper than its because it's fucking cool! trappings. And mind you, that's not a knock because, seriously, this premise is pretty fucking cool, and Anderson's love and appreciation for the slasher genre is fully, and welcomingly, on display. It's the type of premise, though, that largely hangs on the readers willingness to accept it at face-value, and if you can groove with it you're in for a really good time.
More emotionally resonant, and with a deeper reasoning to hang a plot on, is the bonus short story, "The One Thing I Wish For You." A brand-new father is approached in the hospital waiting room with an offer that, on its surface, seems simple enough. If you could take away all of the pain your child would feel in life, and take it on yourself, would you? Your child would never know the pain of a scraped knee, a broken bone, or a slap to the face. You, however, would feel all of it and carry the scars in their stead. I dug the hell out of this little piece, and as a father myself I found it very relatable.
Both stories in this book, in fact, hinge on the choices a father makes in order to protect their loved ones, and the consequences they face. Anderson creates these neat little Faustian bargains that I really appreciate, and in Standalone and "The One Thing I Wish For You" no good deed goes unpunished. It may be bad news for Anderson's fathers, but it's good for us readers.
Jenkins, our hero, if such an appellation could be applied to a horrific killer, travels across the multiverse to kill camp counselors and cut down nubile co-eds. Is it really murder if there's an infinite number of camp counselors and co-eds in other parallel dimensions? Are they even real if in one Earth they're camp counselors but on another Earth are actors playing camp counselors in a slasher flick?
Anderson largely avoids these kind of philosophical questions, opting instead for quick, bloody fun. Jenkins's immorality, too, is cushioned by the fact that he's not really a horror movie monster. He works for the Station, at the very center of the multiverse, and murder is his job. He has to claim his victims in order to properly distribute energy across all the many and various realms of existence, lest the multiverse become imbalanced and destroy all of existence. Even though he's essentially playing the role of Jason, Jenkins is a relatable everyman and never quite feels like a villain. There's a legitimate reason behind his grisly occupation, distasteful as it may be, and the role he occupies is more like a soldier than a serial killer.
Where Standalone could have stumbled is in its reasoning behind why this horror movie premise is necessary at the heart of this sci-fi book. Anderson does explain why Jenkins, and those like him at the Station, reenact familiar horror movie tropes in order to save the multiverse, but it never really goes much deeper than its because it's fucking cool! trappings. And mind you, that's not a knock because, seriously, this premise is pretty fucking cool, and Anderson's love and appreciation for the slasher genre is fully, and welcomingly, on display. It's the type of premise, though, that largely hangs on the readers willingness to accept it at face-value, and if you can groove with it you're in for a really good time.
More emotionally resonant, and with a deeper reasoning to hang a plot on, is the bonus short story, "The One Thing I Wish For You." A brand-new father is approached in the hospital waiting room with an offer that, on its surface, seems simple enough. If you could take away all of the pain your child would feel in life, and take it on yourself, would you? Your child would never know the pain of a scraped knee, a broken bone, or a slap to the face. You, however, would feel all of it and carry the scars in their stead. I dug the hell out of this little piece, and as a father myself I found it very relatable.
Both stories in this book, in fact, hinge on the choices a father makes in order to protect their loved ones, and the consequences they face. Anderson creates these neat little Faustian bargains that I really appreciate, and in Standalone and "The One Thing I Wish For You" no good deed goes unpunished. It may be bad news for Anderson's fathers, but it's good for us readers.
October 15, 2020
Paul Michael Anderson is the the most original thing I've read this year. STANDALONE mashes horror and sci-fi and then blends it in with a healthy dose of astrophysics. The result is a twisted sci-fi horror story darker than Alien and more convoluted than the entire collection of 80's horror slashers.
In one of my updates while reading STANDALONE, I said it read as if Dr. Micho Kaku got together with Wes Craven and Clive Barker to write a book worthy of becoming an iconic movie. Instead it was written by one Paul Michael Anderson who just may have a penchant for the work of the three aforementioned gentlemen. The book feels like Alien. It feels like Friday the 13th. It feels like 2001 Space Odyssey and it feels like a treatise on String Theory and the Multiverse.
The concept is extremely original. STANDALONE uses horror for its characters, sci-fi for it backdrop and astrophysics to get where its going. And best of all, it is true to the scientific theory without being heavy handed or farcical with the subject. It doesn't use multiverse or time travel as a trap door to get out of a corner. Great execution by the writer!
There is a darkly morbid short story at the end of the book, seperate from STANDALONE. I thought it may have been unnecessary but it proved to be a nice little punctuation at the end of the book, apropos of nothing. I'd recommend this quirky sci-fi horror ditty to anyone looking for something just a tad heady but mostly just a fun homage to classic slasher films.
In one of my updates while reading STANDALONE, I said it read as if Dr. Micho Kaku got together with Wes Craven and Clive Barker to write a book worthy of becoming an iconic movie. Instead it was written by one Paul Michael Anderson who just may have a penchant for the work of the three aforementioned gentlemen. The book feels like Alien. It feels like Friday the 13th. It feels like 2001 Space Odyssey and it feels like a treatise on String Theory and the Multiverse.
The concept is extremely original. STANDALONE uses horror for its characters, sci-fi for it backdrop and astrophysics to get where its going. And best of all, it is true to the scientific theory without being heavy handed or farcical with the subject. It doesn't use multiverse or time travel as a trap door to get out of a corner. Great execution by the writer!
There is a darkly morbid short story at the end of the book, seperate from STANDALONE. I thought it may have been unnecessary but it proved to be a nice little punctuation at the end of the book, apropos of nothing. I'd recommend this quirky sci-fi horror ditty to anyone looking for something just a tad heady but mostly just a fun homage to classic slasher films.
September 24, 2020
3.5⭐
I loved the premise of Standalone! This book is a blend of slasher and sci-fi, and it was fun to read. The opening chapter was fascinating to me. I enjoyed the gore, and I wish we could have spent more time seeing how the worked. The job was so intriguing, but then most of the book ends up being about the job not working properly. I would love to read a prequel one day if it ever exists!
There's a short story at the end of this book called The One Thing I Wished for You, and it was emotional and haunting.
CW - child abuse
I loved the premise of Standalone! This book is a blend of slasher and sci-fi, and it was fun to read. The opening chapter was fascinating to me. I enjoyed the gore, and I wish we could have spent more time seeing how the worked. The job was so intriguing, but then most of the book ends up being about the job not working properly. I would love to read a prequel one day if it ever exists!
There's a short story at the end of this book called The One Thing I Wished for You, and it was emotional and haunting.
CW - child abuse
January 3, 2024
Really interesting plot that I’ve never seen before, fun & quick read
September 24, 2020
This is a wild one. Put a "handle with care" on the cover because it's not for every reader.
Standalone is a novel about movie slashers being interdimensional blue collar workers. I know it sounds gimmicky as hell and it inescapably is, but... at the same time...it... isn't?
I would've given it a three star rating if it didn't have this mysterious esoteric subtext about the fallacy of death and the close-mindedness of our perception of reality. We are so convinced we have understood everything there is to be understood about life that we don't even consider that our understanding of basic reality could be all wrong. It's the kind of ontological weirdness that I really like and that I didn't expect in a freakin' horror book.
Not a beach read. Not a book for you if you read between 0-10 books a year. In fact, it might be a book for weirdoes like me only. But if you know, you know.
Standalone is a novel about movie slashers being interdimensional blue collar workers. I know it sounds gimmicky as hell and it inescapably is, but... at the same time...it... isn't?
I would've given it a three star rating if it didn't have this mysterious esoteric subtext about the fallacy of death and the close-mindedness of our perception of reality. We are so convinced we have understood everything there is to be understood about life that we don't even consider that our understanding of basic reality could be all wrong. It's the kind of ontological weirdness that I really like and that I didn't expect in a freakin' horror book.
Not a beach read. Not a book for you if you read between 0-10 books a year. In fact, it might be a book for weirdoes like me only. But if you know, you know.
September 4, 2020
What a wicked cool premise, with excellent execution by Paul Michael Anderson. I didn't know what to expect going in, which is just as well, because I couldn't have anticipated where this story went. Lots of kills, lots of excellent settings, and a crazy mystery set up. I don't want to risk spoiling it, so I'll keep this short, but it was a heckuva lot of fun.
October 9, 2023
I'm a Slasher fan and finding a book that does a different take on the genre is always a little event. This one attempts the feat of centering on the Slasher killer and making him simultaneously the villain but also the hero of the story. So, yes, very interesting concept. Within that it incorporates Sci-Fi elements incl. the Multiverse which if I can trust Marvel movie trailers is THE thing to do at the moment.
But maybe I am not the biggest Multiverse fan? I mean I stopped watching Marvel and I started this book having quite the blast but by the end I felt a bit worn down by the concept. And maybe a bit confused. I mean, Horror movie victims are energy that needs to be removed to keep the balance in each universe? I honestly don't know if that side of the story worked for me. BUT it was a new take, I liked pondering the suggested ideas here. It also moves at a good pace and includes some surprisingly emotional aspects. The slashing got a little paint by numbers with where the plot took it towards the finale. I was wondering if maybe we could have gotten a bit more in the beginning, seeing the killers operating in their field a bit more but I also admit that that might have hurt the pacing because this novella quickly moves into its ideas to take you on that journey and I appreciated that.
My favorite aspect here was the father story line. Our protagonist was removed from his family to save his universe by slashing it up in summer camps and he suffers from not seeing his daughter grow up. I thought how the story wraps up made the idea of absent fathers a bit wishy washy but maybe it was rather the subconscious wish of Anderson who admits in the afterword to being raised by a single mother, so the idea that the father who left had to to save the universe carries some appeal. But I might be too cynic to think that about the father that left me.
This theme gets carried over into the surprise short story that was included at the end of the book, "The One Thing I Wish For You", and I loved this a lot, more than the main story actually. It is a take on the deal with the devil concept and dives deep into parental fears. I found it quite beautiful and more secure in its messaging than the big novella I came here for. "Standalone" was a fun time that plays around with a bunch of ideas but also seemed a bit overwhelmed with those, "The One Thing..." was really strong and knew exactly what it wanted to do and accomplished that. Interestingly, Anderson admits it was his easiest write ever, the story poured out of him almost as is and needed only minor editing. I could feel that strong purpose.
The writing struck me as very male but not in a bad way and actually very fitting considering its a male (a father) perspective we explore in both stories. But I didn't love it. There were a few repetitions that I don't think were needed, especially considering the shorter length that comes with a novella and how the ending repeats certain actions. I also found it weird how often these characters talk out loud with themselves. Why not just leave it in their head?
With all that rating this is hard. I would definitely recommend to Slasher fans like me who want to see the genre step into a different territory, this is one to check out. I had mostly a good time but some statements of the story later on baffled me, wasn't over the moon with its ending. Then again I really loved the short story. Still, I'll leave this at a 3*: it's an enjoyable read, it has a very fascinating genre approach but it fell short of fully convincing me.
But maybe I am not the biggest Multiverse fan? I mean I stopped watching Marvel and I started this book having quite the blast but by the end I felt a bit worn down by the concept. And maybe a bit confused. I mean, Horror movie victims are energy that needs to be removed to keep the balance in each universe? I honestly don't know if that side of the story worked for me. BUT it was a new take, I liked pondering the suggested ideas here. It also moves at a good pace and includes some surprisingly emotional aspects. The slashing got a little paint by numbers with where the plot took it towards the finale. I was wondering if maybe we could have gotten a bit more in the beginning, seeing the killers operating in their field a bit more but I also admit that that might have hurt the pacing because this novella quickly moves into its ideas to take you on that journey and I appreciated that.
My favorite aspect here was the father story line. Our protagonist was removed from his family to save his universe by slashing it up in summer camps and he suffers from not seeing his daughter grow up. I thought how the story wraps up made the idea of absent fathers a bit wishy washy but maybe it was rather the subconscious wish of Anderson who admits in the afterword to being raised by a single mother, so the idea that the father who left had to to save the universe carries some appeal. But I might be too cynic to think that about the father that left me.
This theme gets carried over into the surprise short story that was included at the end of the book, "The One Thing I Wish For You", and I loved this a lot, more than the main story actually. It is a take on the deal with the devil concept and dives deep into parental fears. I found it quite beautiful and more secure in its messaging than the big novella I came here for. "Standalone" was a fun time that plays around with a bunch of ideas but also seemed a bit overwhelmed with those, "The One Thing..." was really strong and knew exactly what it wanted to do and accomplished that. Interestingly, Anderson admits it was his easiest write ever, the story poured out of him almost as is and needed only minor editing. I could feel that strong purpose.
The writing struck me as very male but not in a bad way and actually very fitting considering its a male (a father) perspective we explore in both stories. But I didn't love it. There were a few repetitions that I don't think were needed, especially considering the shorter length that comes with a novella and how the ending repeats certain actions. I also found it weird how often these characters talk out loud with themselves. Why not just leave it in their head?
With all that rating this is hard. I would definitely recommend to Slasher fans like me who want to see the genre step into a different territory, this is one to check out. I had mostly a good time but some statements of the story later on baffled me, wasn't over the moon with its ending. Then again I really loved the short story. Still, I'll leave this at a 3*: it's an enjoyable read, it has a very fascinating genre approach but it fell short of fully convincing me.
November 19, 2020
What a gory mashup of horror, sci-fi and meta-fiction. A slasher story that does more than just drop its victims into puddles of blood.
January 3, 2021
As an introduction to an author’s work, I can’t ask for anything better than this. This horror/Sci Fi slasher is a heck of a good read. I want more - more detail, more books, more Jenkins. I sit in awe of Anderson’s brain as there is no way I would be able to suss out something like the Multiverse and explain it to others in such a way that they understand.
This book is full of gory murders and entertains as much as it disgusts. The author clearly takes the time to put out quality material - the writing is clear, sparse when needed, and the time taken pays off in a big way. I also loved the little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout plus nods to the Mandela effect. “What if...”, indeed.
I’m normally not one to read extra short stories in the back of a book, but I wasn’t ready to let go of Anderson’s writing just yet so I carried on to “The One Thing I Wished For You”. I appreciate the Introduction and Justification that precedes it; it’s another example of the care that was taken to make the reading experience a good one. This story continues on with another father and another choice. I’m not saying anything else other than this one broke me a little bit and it’s one I’m sure I’ll continue to think of long after today.
This book is full of gory murders and entertains as much as it disgusts. The author clearly takes the time to put out quality material - the writing is clear, sparse when needed, and the time taken pays off in a big way. I also loved the little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout plus nods to the Mandela effect. “What if...”, indeed.
I’m normally not one to read extra short stories in the back of a book, but I wasn’t ready to let go of Anderson’s writing just yet so I carried on to “The One Thing I Wished For You”. I appreciate the Introduction and Justification that precedes it; it’s another example of the care that was taken to make the reading experience a good one. This story continues on with another father and another choice. I’m not saying anything else other than this one broke me a little bit and it’s one I’m sure I’ll continue to think of long after today.
July 10, 2020
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).
For a long time, I've enjoyed horror. Slasher movies, psychological horror...gore or not. So when I originally read the blurb of this book, I was immediately intrigued with the idea.
I felt this book came across more as a snippet into a world. It was good to be thrown into the action almost straight away with Jenkins and his job. However, because there was very little background or information about his past, I was completely thrown about what was going on. In the book, I only had the word of the characters that something was wrong with the jobs they'd gone on. As a reader, nothing seemed out of the ordinary with what I understood was going on.
I was intrigued by the different versions of the ghost/hologram that the four main villains/bad guys had apparently met and who had recruited them, but I did feel like I missed an awful lot of world building and character development. There were hints of a history in Castle and depth to his character, but I was left with one major question: Just how did these people get convinced to murder everyone?
I liked the whole idea of the multiverse and that it was a lot bigger than Jenkins initially realised. Martin and the presenter were intriguing characters, from what I saw of them, though I was a bit lost about exactly what the presenter's role was.
The short story at the end of the book was another interesting glimpse into the world and it raised a really interesting question. However, I did feel that there were some contradictions during the course of the father's interactions with his daughter. But I found it really thought-provoking to see how things might progress if a father took his child's pain so she didn't have to experience it.
This book could have been expanded and been a lot longer, with other missions and jobs shown. There was a lot of gore in the book, as promised, which provided for some good visuals. I just think that this was a very short book for a very wide universe, or multiverse.
For a long time, I've enjoyed horror. Slasher movies, psychological horror...gore or not. So when I originally read the blurb of this book, I was immediately intrigued with the idea.
I felt this book came across more as a snippet into a world. It was good to be thrown into the action almost straight away with Jenkins and his job. However, because there was very little background or information about his past, I was completely thrown about what was going on. In the book, I only had the word of the characters that something was wrong with the jobs they'd gone on. As a reader, nothing seemed out of the ordinary with what I understood was going on.
I was intrigued by the different versions of the ghost/hologram that the four main villains/bad guys had apparently met and who had recruited them, but I did feel like I missed an awful lot of world building and character development. There were hints of a history in Castle and depth to his character, but I was left with one major question: Just how did these people get convinced to murder everyone?
I liked the whole idea of the multiverse and that it was a lot bigger than Jenkins initially realised. Martin and the presenter were intriguing characters, from what I saw of them, though I was a bit lost about exactly what the presenter's role was.
The short story at the end of the book was another interesting glimpse into the world and it raised a really interesting question. However, I did feel that there were some contradictions during the course of the father's interactions with his daughter. But I found it really thought-provoking to see how things might progress if a father took his child's pain so she didn't have to experience it.
This book could have been expanded and been a lot longer, with other missions and jobs shown. There was a lot of gore in the book, as promised, which provided for some good visuals. I just think that this was a very short book for a very wide universe, or multiverse.
October 11, 2020
Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Paul Michael Anderson with easily one of the most unique and original concepts you'll read in a horror book this year. Mixing horror with science fiction, Standalone also acts as a love letter of sorts to the slasher genre. There’s some fun shout outs to our favorite villains and movies throughout the span of horror cinema as the plot rolls along and unravels. This is one of those stories that reveals bits and pieces as it goes, never really showing all its cards until the end. And even then, the reader has room to add some of their own interpretations.
The first chapter is such a draw-in, following our lead, Jenkins, as he ravages a very familiar summer camp. Anderson drops in odd little bits here and there to take the reader out of familiarity. We're pretty much asked to make a mental note of strange happenings to return to later. Come chapter two, we start to see what's really going on. If you read my reviews, you know I like to go light on synopsis. Honestly, I don't even read the back cover most of the time. This book has a Christopher Nolan-movie vibe, where if you go in knowing little to nothing, you're bound to enjoy it more.
One of the more impressive elements pulled off here is the seemingly effortless balance of deep existential questions with gore-laden fun with familial drama elements. At first glance, it seems like too much to squish into one book, and at times I did find myself with a bit of whiplash. Perhaps wishing I had more action during exposition or even hoping for a more detailed explanation of the concepts that make up the foundation of the story. As I mentioned before, a lot of that is intentionally left, or at least that was my interpretation.
Standalone also comes with a bonus short story at the end - “The One Thing I Wished For You”, and as much as the book worked for me, I liked the story even better. The book and story share a common theme of a father making sacrifices for their child, and though the book pulls it off, the story is even more effective at those heartstring tugs. Standalone put Paul Michael Anderson on my radar, but "The One Thing..." made his collection of short fiction - Bones Are Made to be Broken - a must-have book.
If you're looking for something that's not going to echo books you've already read, or if you're simply looking for a new twist on the tried and true slasher, that makes plenty of room for blood and guts, Standalone is very likely up your alley.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
The first chapter is such a draw-in, following our lead, Jenkins, as he ravages a very familiar summer camp. Anderson drops in odd little bits here and there to take the reader out of familiarity. We're pretty much asked to make a mental note of strange happenings to return to later. Come chapter two, we start to see what's really going on. If you read my reviews, you know I like to go light on synopsis. Honestly, I don't even read the back cover most of the time. This book has a Christopher Nolan-movie vibe, where if you go in knowing little to nothing, you're bound to enjoy it more.
One of the more impressive elements pulled off here is the seemingly effortless balance of deep existential questions with gore-laden fun with familial drama elements. At first glance, it seems like too much to squish into one book, and at times I did find myself with a bit of whiplash. Perhaps wishing I had more action during exposition or even hoping for a more detailed explanation of the concepts that make up the foundation of the story. As I mentioned before, a lot of that is intentionally left, or at least that was my interpretation.
Standalone also comes with a bonus short story at the end - “The One Thing I Wished For You”, and as much as the book worked for me, I liked the story even better. The book and story share a common theme of a father making sacrifices for their child, and though the book pulls it off, the story is even more effective at those heartstring tugs. Standalone put Paul Michael Anderson on my radar, but "The One Thing..." made his collection of short fiction - Bones Are Made to be Broken - a must-have book.
If you're looking for something that's not going to echo books you've already read, or if you're simply looking for a new twist on the tried and true slasher, that makes plenty of room for blood and guts, Standalone is very likely up your alley.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
December 19, 2020
Standalone by Paul Michael Anderson is a slasher read with a nod to other slashers, that will leave you feeling haunted.
In this sci-fi horror novel, our main character kills people in order to keep a balance in the multiverse. But of course, that balance is fickle, and it’s about to be tested.
Right on page one, the first kill occurs. From there, it’s an all out massacre. While reading, I thought that this situation seems pretty familiar… And then we meet the last kill, and I became very curious to see where things would go from there.
As a reader, we soon learn that our main character, who has just slaughtered a group of teenagers at a summer camp, does this a lot. But it’s not just him. There’s a group of four men that are each sent out on assignments where they kill people based on very specific assignments they are given.
They were told that they need to do this in order to keep the balance and protect their homes. But why do things have to be done this way? Well, that is something that one character is about to learn when everything doesn’t go quite as planned…
I really enjoyed that we were totally thrown into the predicament on the first page, but then take a step back to learn more about what was going on. I also really enjoyed the slasher element of this novel paired with our characters that were clearly struggling, but were just trying to do their jobs.
I didn’t read the book description before diving in, so the sci-fi elements threw me a bit. Some scenes also seemed to drag a bit for me and I found myself losing interest, and I just wanted to jump back into the action. (I think this could very well be due to the state of the world right now. I will be returning to this book again at a later date to see if I still feel that way.)
All in all, I thought that the premise of this book was really interesting and quite spooky when you let yourself think about this really happening! Paul Michael Anderson is definitely an author that I will be keeping an eye on. I’d love to read more of his work soon!
My Final Thoughts
If you enjoy slashers paired with a heavy dose of science-fiction, then you’ve gotta check this one out!
This is a read that I would like to return to again down the road. While I enjoyed it very much, I think some of the sci-fi elements just threw me for a loop.
In this sci-fi horror novel, our main character kills people in order to keep a balance in the multiverse. But of course, that balance is fickle, and it’s about to be tested.
Right on page one, the first kill occurs. From there, it’s an all out massacre. While reading, I thought that this situation seems pretty familiar… And then we meet the last kill, and I became very curious to see where things would go from there.
As a reader, we soon learn that our main character, who has just slaughtered a group of teenagers at a summer camp, does this a lot. But it’s not just him. There’s a group of four men that are each sent out on assignments where they kill people based on very specific assignments they are given.
They were told that they need to do this in order to keep the balance and protect their homes. But why do things have to be done this way? Well, that is something that one character is about to learn when everything doesn’t go quite as planned…
I really enjoyed that we were totally thrown into the predicament on the first page, but then take a step back to learn more about what was going on. I also really enjoyed the slasher element of this novel paired with our characters that were clearly struggling, but were just trying to do their jobs.
I didn’t read the book description before diving in, so the sci-fi elements threw me a bit. Some scenes also seemed to drag a bit for me and I found myself losing interest, and I just wanted to jump back into the action. (I think this could very well be due to the state of the world right now. I will be returning to this book again at a later date to see if I still feel that way.)
All in all, I thought that the premise of this book was really interesting and quite spooky when you let yourself think about this really happening! Paul Michael Anderson is definitely an author that I will be keeping an eye on. I’d love to read more of his work soon!
My Final Thoughts
If you enjoy slashers paired with a heavy dose of science-fiction, then you’ve gotta check this one out!
This is a read that I would like to return to again down the road. While I enjoyed it very much, I think some of the sci-fi elements just threw me for a loop.
October 30, 2020
This book will kick you in the teeth, rip your guts out, chop off your limbs, and smash your skull in before you know what hit you. Standalone is about a group of slashers. Yes, a group, which is really interesting on its own. To add to that, it spins the role of who’s the good guy, and why our usually-antagonist is in fact the good guy. Sure, they do some bad things – hack, slash, bash, and thrash – but it’s all for the betterment of the Multiverse.
Yes, that’s right, I said the Multiverse. I absolutely LOVE slashers. Fortunately for me I’ve read two great ones this year. Even the bad ones are fun at the very least. What attracts me to them is I can watch someone get hacked to pieces, chased and do stupid things without anyone actually getting hurt. That is perfectly normal thing to enjoy. Not everyone would agree with that, I’m certain. That’s ok, because The Slasher Club is an exclusive club, and Paul Michael Anderson displays why with this book. If you’re a slasher fan this is an easy buy. If you aren’t, and the plot intrigues you, I promise you it is worth your time.
From start to finish I found myself reading veraciously, smiling, wanting to see what happened next. The hunt of prey and predator becomes somewhat of a complicated relationship throughout Standalone. The title itself is interesting, read the book, you’ll know what I mean.
Slashers aren’t easy to end. Hell, what book is easy to end? But Anderson did it. I found myself satisfied and I empathized for the protagonist, Jenkins. The best part about this book is it comes with a bonus story. It connects to Standalone in a way I did not see coming. It’s of a father and choices he is presented with his newborn daughter. It’s things I thought of with my own child afterwards. What would my choices impact? Would they actually do more damage to my boy and our relationship in the long run? The future is so mysterious and Anderson plays this off so
well. You will not be disappointed with Standalone. It did something to the slasher genre that I do not think anyone has ever done before, and he does it well.
Yes, that’s right, I said the Multiverse. I absolutely LOVE slashers. Fortunately for me I’ve read two great ones this year. Even the bad ones are fun at the very least. What attracts me to them is I can watch someone get hacked to pieces, chased and do stupid things without anyone actually getting hurt. That is perfectly normal thing to enjoy. Not everyone would agree with that, I’m certain. That’s ok, because The Slasher Club is an exclusive club, and Paul Michael Anderson displays why with this book. If you’re a slasher fan this is an easy buy. If you aren’t, and the plot intrigues you, I promise you it is worth your time.
From start to finish I found myself reading veraciously, smiling, wanting to see what happened next. The hunt of prey and predator becomes somewhat of a complicated relationship throughout Standalone. The title itself is interesting, read the book, you’ll know what I mean.
Slashers aren’t easy to end. Hell, what book is easy to end? But Anderson did it. I found myself satisfied and I empathized for the protagonist, Jenkins. The best part about this book is it comes with a bonus story. It connects to Standalone in a way I did not see coming. It’s of a father and choices he is presented with his newborn daughter. It’s things I thought of with my own child afterwards. What would my choices impact? Would they actually do more damage to my boy and our relationship in the long run? The future is so mysterious and Anderson plays this off so
well. You will not be disappointed with Standalone. It did something to the slasher genre that I do not think anyone has ever done before, and he does it well.
January 5, 2021
I've never heard of Paul Michael Anderson before, and I was sent Standalone in a Night Worms package, but I dove into the book almost immediately because the actual concept of self-aware slashers really spoke to me.
This book is simply put: fun. It's a super quick and easy read (I think I crushed it in just a few hours) and it carries a ton of meta undertones with some cosmic horror flair. Now typically, I hate cosmic horror, but it really worked for this book. Caleb Jenkins is having a really bad day at work, but he works a fairly unusual job: he's the villain of your favorite slasher film. Seriously. He was scooped up by some cosmic beings and put into a facility where he is sent off to other dimensions to murder teenagers Freddy and Jason style. However, in some realities those murders are real, while in others, they're simply the plots for blockbuster horror films. Cool, right? Wrong. Caleb isn't actually the biggest fan of being a slasher superstar, and now his victims are starting to catch on. "What would happen if the monsters became the hunted?" Anderson asks and "How could victims beyond the final girl finally fight back and take their revenge?"
I loved this concept and I loved all of the throwback nostalgia this book presented. It's weird in all the right ways and perfect for fans of films like Cabin in the Woods or Get Out. The cosmic horror element for once didn't hinder a book for me. In fact, it allowed it to have the self-awareness that makes it so enjoyable. It's trippy, it's bizarre, and I'm not entirely sure it even makes complete sense, but it was like reading a cult classic film with B-movie gore thrown in. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary and weird, especially if you grew up loving Freddy, Jason, Ghostface and Michael Meyers.
This book is simply put: fun. It's a super quick and easy read (I think I crushed it in just a few hours) and it carries a ton of meta undertones with some cosmic horror flair. Now typically, I hate cosmic horror, but it really worked for this book. Caleb Jenkins is having a really bad day at work, but he works a fairly unusual job: he's the villain of your favorite slasher film. Seriously. He was scooped up by some cosmic beings and put into a facility where he is sent off to other dimensions to murder teenagers Freddy and Jason style. However, in some realities those murders are real, while in others, they're simply the plots for blockbuster horror films. Cool, right? Wrong. Caleb isn't actually the biggest fan of being a slasher superstar, and now his victims are starting to catch on. "What would happen if the monsters became the hunted?" Anderson asks and "How could victims beyond the final girl finally fight back and take their revenge?"
I loved this concept and I loved all of the throwback nostalgia this book presented. It's weird in all the right ways and perfect for fans of films like Cabin in the Woods or Get Out. The cosmic horror element for once didn't hinder a book for me. In fact, it allowed it to have the self-awareness that makes it so enjoyable. It's trippy, it's bizarre, and I'm not entirely sure it even makes complete sense, but it was like reading a cult classic film with B-movie gore thrown in. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary and weird, especially if you grew up loving Freddy, Jason, Ghostface and Michael Meyers.
February 8, 2021
Another Night Worms book that I got in 2020.
Welp. This was an odd book.
My interest dwindled in the final two chapters so I spent some time flickering through the pages to get the outcome / understanding of the book.
I think the concept was interesting. Think of some strange sci-fi ark in space that chooses people to 'save' their worlds by taking on roles of various horror figures and killing people in other parallel universes of their own.
You don't know who chose them, you don't understand why they have to do this to save their wold. They ask no questions and do their job. Some have been doing it for years. It messes with the psyche.
... Then it spirals into another dimension. Merlin (yes, the wizard) is involved, and a strange malfunctioning that causes the killed people to start returning and killing those who must kill.
As the chapters went on, the point of the story was missed on me and when Merlin (still lol'ing about that one) came into the story, I put the book down and laughed for a bit asking myself what the hell am I reading.
I'll give it two stars of being 'bold' and 'different'. I mean, as the author asked someone, when was the last time you saw a killer from a horror movie become a savior/hero in it's own story? Never. So congrats, this is the first book to do it and the last I'll read.
Welp. This was an odd book.
My interest dwindled in the final two chapters so I spent some time flickering through the pages to get the outcome / understanding of the book.
I think the concept was interesting. Think of some strange sci-fi ark in space that chooses people to 'save' their worlds by taking on roles of various horror figures and killing people in other parallel universes of their own.
You don't know who chose them, you don't understand why they have to do this to save their wold. They ask no questions and do their job. Some have been doing it for years. It messes with the psyche.
... Then it spirals into another dimension. Merlin (yes, the wizard) is involved, and a strange malfunctioning that causes the killed people to start returning and killing those who must kill.
As the chapters went on, the point of the story was missed on me and when Merlin (still lol'ing about that one) came into the story, I put the book down and laughed for a bit asking myself what the hell am I reading.
I'll give it two stars of being 'bold' and 'different'. I mean, as the author asked someone, when was the last time you saw a killer from a horror movie become a savior/hero in it's own story? Never. So congrats, this is the first book to do it and the last I'll read.
December 9, 2020
Like the description says, what if the Jason Voorhees-like slashers were here to protect all existence?
We begin from the perspective of one of these killers in a slasher's disorienting yet intimate slaughter, but Anderson pulls us up short, spins us around, and lands us someplace cosmically horrific. We see how one life lost at the hands of a madman on a rampage is personally horrific, but universally inconsequential, and yet multi-dimensionally necessary to save all existence. And one these killers needs to learn this truth, and might need to make the greatest sacrifice of all to do so.
Anderson's talent for gut-punching both his protagonists and his readers is on full display here. This is a novella, but an inferior writer would have succumbed to Stephen King-like verbosity that delved into the who and why and how. Anderson takes a page, if you'll indulge the metaphor, from Bachman—quick, bold strokes that are nuanced, subtle and brief. These questions are indeed posed, but are swept aside in the narrative's momentum building toward the larger question of "What now?"
We begin from the perspective of one of these killers in a slasher's disorienting yet intimate slaughter, but Anderson pulls us up short, spins us around, and lands us someplace cosmically horrific. We see how one life lost at the hands of a madman on a rampage is personally horrific, but universally inconsequential, and yet multi-dimensionally necessary to save all existence. And one these killers needs to learn this truth, and might need to make the greatest sacrifice of all to do so.
Anderson's talent for gut-punching both his protagonists and his readers is on full display here. This is a novella, but an inferior writer would have succumbed to Stephen King-like verbosity that delved into the who and why and how. Anderson takes a page, if you'll indulge the metaphor, from Bachman—quick, bold strokes that are nuanced, subtle and brief. These questions are indeed posed, but are swept aside in the narrative's momentum building toward the larger question of "What now?"
July 24, 2020
Review to come
November 29, 2023
Got a kick out of the novel angle on this one. A very cool conceit but I won’t spoil it.
September 28, 2020
I had so much fun with this book. Slashers? Multiverse? A bigger entity outside our view? Come on! How could someone not want to read that? Paul Michael Anderson mixes this all together so well you can't help but wonder why we haven't seen this before. It makes perfect sense and is such a fresh take on slasher stories and movies. But, this is so much more than a killer stalking teens, it shifts the light from the teens, puts it on the killers, and tells you that maybe they are doing something good.
Standalone goes by quick. Anderson wastes no time on filler. He zeroes in on the story and goes full throttle. Imagine those end scenes in slasher movies, where the killer is fully unhinged, has the smell of blood and won't stop. The whole book is that. But, that's not to say there's no story and it's just a bunch of killing. There's a really good story in here, you just don't have to deal with all the boring bits of those movies.
I'm always onboard for stories about creators and producers controlling the universe. Especially when we find out there might be something wrong with the machine running everything. So, as we get deeper into the book and we start getting a peak behind the curtain, I was very happy. The idea that these killers have to do what they do or things will go very wrong is an awesome one. It's a cool concept that Anderson plays with and adds a nice mix to the story.
If you want to have a great time, maybe cheer on a slasher or two, and get some fun sci-fi stuff, then this is definitely for you. Plus, it'll make you look at Jason, Michael Myers, and Freddy Kruger a little differently, you might even want to salute them because they are doing what they can to save us all.
Standalone goes by quick. Anderson wastes no time on filler. He zeroes in on the story and goes full throttle. Imagine those end scenes in slasher movies, where the killer is fully unhinged, has the smell of blood and won't stop. The whole book is that. But, that's not to say there's no story and it's just a bunch of killing. There's a really good story in here, you just don't have to deal with all the boring bits of those movies.
I'm always onboard for stories about creators and producers controlling the universe. Especially when we find out there might be something wrong with the machine running everything. So, as we get deeper into the book and we start getting a peak behind the curtain, I was very happy. The idea that these killers have to do what they do or things will go very wrong is an awesome one. It's a cool concept that Anderson plays with and adds a nice mix to the story.
If you want to have a great time, maybe cheer on a slasher or two, and get some fun sci-fi stuff, then this is definitely for you. Plus, it'll make you look at Jason, Michael Myers, and Freddy Kruger a little differently, you might even want to salute them because they are doing what they can to save us all.
September 30, 2020
Sci-fi...AND horror? This short and sweet little book has such an interesting premise. I found myself getting a few good chills at the very beginning wondering why in the world a man in a spacesuit was Friday the 13th murdering a bunch of teenagers?!?! This book is very meta, but I found the interspersed gore and sci-fi bites a delightful mix. Sci-fi definitely needs more campy horror goodness like this- very enjoyable!
September 29, 2020
This was a science fiction slasher story. But not in the weird Jason Vorhees in space way. (not that there's anything wrong with that) 😁🔪
This book got all multiverse, and I. Was. Here. For. It.
I didn't realize that I would be able to root for the bad guy. I mean, yeah, I've felt for the antihero before, but this made my brain all confusey. How far would you go to protect the ones you love? How much is just too much?
I also loved all the little nods to the genre. I saw so many beloved movies represented here. And the Stephen King vibes were so strong with this one.
This book got all multiverse, and I. Was. Here. For. It.
I didn't realize that I would be able to root for the bad guy. I mean, yeah, I've felt for the antihero before, but this made my brain all confusey. How far would you go to protect the ones you love? How much is just too much?
I also loved all the little nods to the genre. I saw so many beloved movies represented here. And the Stephen King vibes were so strong with this one.
December 4, 2020
Standalone has a unique storyline that makes you say “the fuck...?” But it works in all of the best ways. This book is a mix of slasher and science fiction that would keep a reader up all night turning the pages.
If you want a twist on the typical slasher story, this book is for you. A quick and easy read with the right amount of gore.
If you want a twist on the typical slasher story, this book is for you. A quick and easy read with the right amount of gore.
November 14, 2020
Loved this one! Totally not what I was expecting (which was just a slasher) - this was weird, exciting, full of fighting & gore, and also incorporated a unique sci-fi plot. The only thing that could make it better would be a different cover, perhaps one with a guy in a spacesuit holding a bloody hatchet. I also loved the extra story at the end, The One Thing I Wished For You. It had me in tears. Very well done.
November 12, 2020
Hear the complete review on our website: https://bookedpodcast.podbean.com/e/5...
January 7, 2021
Meh. Not what I wanted out of it with that stunning premise. I guess I was looking more for something like Cabin in the Woods and this was decidedly not that.
January 17, 2021
Really fun concept! Could've been fleshed out a bit more though.
February 21, 2021
A unique and mind-bending take on the slasher genre. Not sure I fully understood it, but I did enjoy it.
December 18, 2021
I highly recommend going into this book blind and just rolling with it. A beautiful melding of horror and sci-fi that will keep you off balance and rooting for a character that you never thought you would.
September 8, 2020
Another great book from #Nightworms @nightworms
This is every Slasher film into one and I enjoyed it greatly. It was something weird and interesting take on the whole slasher genre.
This is every Slasher film into one and I enjoyed it greatly. It was something weird and interesting take on the whole slasher genre.
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