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Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man
A collection of chilling stories from the leading writers in horror and suspense exploring elusive urban legends. In the popular podcast Video Palace, Mark Cambria, aided by his girlfriend Tamra Wulff, investigated the origins of a series of esoteric white videotapes. Cambria went missing in pursuit of these tapes, but not before hearing whispers of an ominous figure called the Eyeless Man.
Fascinated by the podcast and Cambria’s disappearance, Maynard Wills, PhD, a professor of folklore, embarks on his own investigation into the origins of the tapes and the Eyeless Man, who he believes has lurked in the dark corners of media culture and urban legends for at least seventy-five years. As part of his study, he has invited popular writers of horror and gothic fiction to share their own Eyeless Man stories, whether heard around the campfire or experienced themselves.
Get swept away in this thrilling and terrifying collection of tales from contributors including: Bob DeRosa, Meirav Devash and Eddie McNamara, Owl Goingback, Brea Grant, Merrin J. McCormick, Rebekah and David Ian McKendry, Ben Rock, John Skipp, Graham Skipper, Gordon B. White, Tamra Wulff, and Mary Phillips-Sandy.
Fascinated by the podcast and Cambria’s disappearance, Maynard Wills, PhD, a professor of folklore, embarks on his own investigation into the origins of the tapes and the Eyeless Man, who he believes has lurked in the dark corners of media culture and urban legends for at least seventy-five years. As part of his study, he has invited popular writers of horror and gothic fiction to share their own Eyeless Man stories, whether heard around the campfire or experienced themselves.
Get swept away in this thrilling and terrifying collection of tales from contributors including: Bob DeRosa, Meirav Devash and Eddie McNamara, Owl Goingback, Brea Grant, Merrin J. McCormick, Rebekah and David Ian McKendry, Ben Rock, John Skipp, Graham Skipper, Gordon B. White, Tamra Wulff, and Mary Phillips-Sandy.
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First published October 13, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 13, 2020
(3.5) Video Palace is a podcast, produced by the horror streaming platform Shudder, which I listened to and enjoyed a couple of years ago. To be honest, I was kind of surprised it was a big enough deal to get a follow-up book, but since I love media-related horror, I'm not complaining. The original (podcast) story was about a video collector and his girlfriend investigating the mystery of some seemingly powerful white VHS tapes. Along the way they heard a modern folktale about a Slenderman-esque figure called the Eyeless Man, who is the connecting theme for the stories included in this anthology. There are eleven short stories, plus a wraparound narrative depicting the ostensible editor of the whole thing – Dr Maynard Wills – descending into an all-consuming obsession with the Eyeless Man. The authors are all new to me, and (I guess unsurprisingly given the Shudder connection) many of them are best known as screenwriters.
Unfortunately, when I was about halfway through this book, some bad stuff happened in my personal life that hit me very hard and rendered me unable to concentrate on anything longer than an article for several weeks. I eventually distractedly polished off the remaining stories, but can't say I exactly gave them my usual level of attention. So I'm not going to attempt a proper, thorough review. I can name my favourite stories, though. Top of the pile is 'A Texas Teen Story' by Brea Grant, a fantastic portrayal of teenage social politics which introduces its spooky elements in a way that's both completely believable and very creepy. 'Deep Focus' by Bob DeRosa is an effective take on the traditional 'lost film' trope. Despite some extremely clumsy depictions of British people, 'The Real Sharon Lockenby' by Graham Skipper is also entertaining due to an absolutely ingenious plot. 'The Satanic Schoolgirls' by Meirav Devash and Eddie McNamara is a similarly great idea, one I can easily see being turned into a film.
I will also say that I think you will get more out of this book if you have listened to Video Palace. The last story ('A Conversation with Tamra' by Mary Phillips-Sandy) in particular would be meaningless otherwise. But as a companion to the podcast, it's an absorbing and immersive read.
I received an advance review copy of Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
Unfortunately, when I was about halfway through this book, some bad stuff happened in my personal life that hit me very hard and rendered me unable to concentrate on anything longer than an article for several weeks. I eventually distractedly polished off the remaining stories, but can't say I exactly gave them my usual level of attention. So I'm not going to attempt a proper, thorough review. I can name my favourite stories, though. Top of the pile is 'A Texas Teen Story' by Brea Grant, a fantastic portrayal of teenage social politics which introduces its spooky elements in a way that's both completely believable and very creepy. 'Deep Focus' by Bob DeRosa is an effective take on the traditional 'lost film' trope. Despite some extremely clumsy depictions of British people, 'The Real Sharon Lockenby' by Graham Skipper is also entertaining due to an absolutely ingenious plot. 'The Satanic Schoolgirls' by Meirav Devash and Eddie McNamara is a similarly great idea, one I can easily see being turned into a film.
I will also say that I think you will get more out of this book if you have listened to Video Palace. The last story ('A Conversation with Tamra' by Mary Phillips-Sandy) in particular would be meaningless otherwise. But as a companion to the podcast, it's an absorbing and immersive read.
I received an advance review copy of Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
September 20, 2020
If you thought the Slender Man was a good spook, you haven't seen anything yet. Introducing the Eyeless Man. No one knows who he is. No one knows what he is. No one knows where he comes from. He is known only as the Eyeless Man.
He comes to you through generic white video tapes. He comes to you through the static. He comes to recruit you to the Stack. He comes to take you and your soul. It doesn't matter how young or how old. He knows your weaknesses. He will use them against you.
Those that have experienced the Eyeless Man and were seduced by his rhetoric disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. I take that back. They may have been seen sporadically, incidentally, even quite possibly, if there is benefit to the Eyeless Man, but not likely. Those that were able to pull away from the Eyeless Man went on with their lives. They did not walk away unscathed. He leaves an impression. One that does not go away. One that settles deep inside places, not to be forgotten. Never to be forgotten.
This book is suspenseful, eerie, foreboding, down right creepy, and oh so good. I loved the formatting. The book is written as journal entries with the stories titled by each individual's name submitting their experience. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Exactly up my alley. Most definitely my cup of tea.
Now that I am cliched out....Read this book!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.
He comes to you through generic white video tapes. He comes to you through the static. He comes to recruit you to the Stack. He comes to take you and your soul. It doesn't matter how young or how old. He knows your weaknesses. He will use them against you.
Those that have experienced the Eyeless Man and were seduced by his rhetoric disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. I take that back. They may have been seen sporadically, incidentally, even quite possibly, if there is benefit to the Eyeless Man, but not likely. Those that were able to pull away from the Eyeless Man went on with their lives. They did not walk away unscathed. He leaves an impression. One that does not go away. One that settles deep inside places, not to be forgotten. Never to be forgotten.
This book is suspenseful, eerie, foreboding, down right creepy, and oh so good. I loved the formatting. The book is written as journal entries with the stories titled by each individual's name submitting their experience. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Exactly up my alley. Most definitely my cup of tea.
Now that I am cliched out....Read this book!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.
December 2, 2020
VIDEO PALACE is a companion piece to Shudder's podcast series by the same name. The podcast was written and created by several industry folks exclusively for Shudder subscribers. It's a 10 part series chronicling a young couple's investigation of a strange VHS tape and the video store from whence it came. (I just wanted to say the phrase "from whence it came" Ha!)
The podcast sounds really fun and interactive but I don't subscribe to Shudder and I don't have a lot of free time to give to podcasts-they're pretty low on the totem pole in terms of priorities. However! When Simon & Schuster reached out to see if Night Worms would be interested in a book party reviewing the companion book, we jumped at the chance. I love a good urban legend/found footage experience. Upon starting the book, I got a real sense that I wasn't aware of the larger narrative that most likely evolved from the podcast. So just a caveat here: I think this would be a more entertaining read if you had just finished listening to all the episodes of the show. Which is kind of a bummer, honestly. These stories read like sequels or a continuation of a storyline that isn't clearly defined for readers walking into the whole thing off the street.
I'm a big fan of the Netflix show, BLACK MIRROR and the themes of how technology can be dangerous if used against us, so I was drawn to those aspects in some of these tales. Read back to back, the stories take on that same vibe/mood of doing a deep dive on Reddit threads or Creepypasta--fans of the book PENPAL by Dathan Aruebach would know what I mean by that. Other Worms compared it to Slenderman-but I never really got into that whole thing. I totally skipped over a few stories, to be honest. They were a bit "young" for me. I thought the preface was a great hook, but the first story DOORWAYS OF THE SOUL made me lose interest. As with most anthologies, there are some solid attention grabbers like, Brea Grant's story A TEXAS TEEN STORY (who is also an actress for the podcast). I enjoyed the first person narrative stories--they felt the creepiest. 3 stars
The podcast sounds really fun and interactive but I don't subscribe to Shudder and I don't have a lot of free time to give to podcasts-they're pretty low on the totem pole in terms of priorities. However! When Simon & Schuster reached out to see if Night Worms would be interested in a book party reviewing the companion book, we jumped at the chance. I love a good urban legend/found footage experience. Upon starting the book, I got a real sense that I wasn't aware of the larger narrative that most likely evolved from the podcast. So just a caveat here: I think this would be a more entertaining read if you had just finished listening to all the episodes of the show. Which is kind of a bummer, honestly. These stories read like sequels or a continuation of a storyline that isn't clearly defined for readers walking into the whole thing off the street.
I'm a big fan of the Netflix show, BLACK MIRROR and the themes of how technology can be dangerous if used against us, so I was drawn to those aspects in some of these tales. Read back to back, the stories take on that same vibe/mood of doing a deep dive on Reddit threads or Creepypasta--fans of the book PENPAL by Dathan Aruebach would know what I mean by that. Other Worms compared it to Slenderman-but I never really got into that whole thing. I totally skipped over a few stories, to be honest. They were a bit "young" for me. I thought the preface was a great hook, but the first story DOORWAYS OF THE SOUL made me lose interest. As with most anthologies, there are some solid attention grabbers like, Brea Grant's story A TEXAS TEEN STORY (who is also an actress for the podcast). I enjoyed the first person narrative stories--they felt the creepiest. 3 stars
February 28, 2021
Video Palace is a perfect companion to the podcast of the same name. Compiled of several short stories about various encounters with the "Eyeless Man", interspersed with those stories are notes from a professor who is slowly becoming obsessed with the material. A great addition to modern folklore, urban legends, technology horror. My favorite stories were: Doorways of the Soul, A Texas Teen Story, The Satanic Schoolgirls and Dreaming in Lilac on a Cool Evening.
November 30, 2020
Have you ever heard of the Eyeless Man? Prior to reading Video Palace, I had never heard of him. Seeing his name on the cover of this book highly intrigued me and it also raised the hairs on the back of my neck. It created this curiosity and this need to dive deep into his story. So, I got super cozy, planted myself on the couch and let my curiosity run wild as I devoured story after story of the Eyeless Man. Now I won’t kid you, he creeps me out like nothing else has.
This book, VIDEO PALACE: IN SEARCH OF THE EYELESS MAN, was inspired by a podcast that the creator of this book, Dr. Maynard Wills, had been introduced to by his teaching assistant, Daniel Carver. You see Dr. Wills is a professor of folklore, so he quickly got absorbed by these events. The podcast, by the same name, tells a story about a VHS tape found by a video collector and his girlfriend. After watching this mysterious video, Mike Cambria starts talking in his sleep in a different language and this sends them both on this hunt for the origin of this tape. Well, Dr. Maynard Wills becomes obsessed with this podcast and he goes on the search for the origin of The Eyeless Man.
Within this book we find a collection of stories from people, contacted by Wills, that have either come in contact with The Eyeless Man or that have heard of, or maybe knew of someone that has come in contact with him. These stories are eerie and I loved them so much. It opened up this fascination within me to know more of this entity. BUT I will not give into this need to know more. As I stated earlier I’m beyond creeped out with this man. I know, super silly, but it is what it is. Just the thought of looking more into this “thing” makes me anxious. So I guess, in part, this book did it’s intended job, to scare the bejesus out of me. Another thing I loved was the formatting of this book. Crammed in between these stories we learn more of the journey that Dr. Wills has been on during his search. I felt like these little glimpses were sort of palate cleansers between stories. It allowed me to read these stories back to back without muddling these stories together, BRILLIANT.
Needless to say, I'm obsessed with this collection. NEVER EVER have I given a 5 star rating to a collection of stories, but as the saying goes “there is a first time for everything”. I highly recommend this collection to anyone that loves a good urban legend.
Thank you so much to Tiller Press and also Night Worms for this eerie book party!
This book, VIDEO PALACE: IN SEARCH OF THE EYELESS MAN, was inspired by a podcast that the creator of this book, Dr. Maynard Wills, had been introduced to by his teaching assistant, Daniel Carver. You see Dr. Wills is a professor of folklore, so he quickly got absorbed by these events. The podcast, by the same name, tells a story about a VHS tape found by a video collector and his girlfriend. After watching this mysterious video, Mike Cambria starts talking in his sleep in a different language and this sends them both on this hunt for the origin of this tape. Well, Dr. Maynard Wills becomes obsessed with this podcast and he goes on the search for the origin of The Eyeless Man.
Within this book we find a collection of stories from people, contacted by Wills, that have either come in contact with The Eyeless Man or that have heard of, or maybe knew of someone that has come in contact with him. These stories are eerie and I loved them so much. It opened up this fascination within me to know more of this entity. BUT I will not give into this need to know more. As I stated earlier I’m beyond creeped out with this man. I know, super silly, but it is what it is. Just the thought of looking more into this “thing” makes me anxious. So I guess, in part, this book did it’s intended job, to scare the bejesus out of me. Another thing I loved was the formatting of this book. Crammed in between these stories we learn more of the journey that Dr. Wills has been on during his search. I felt like these little glimpses were sort of palate cleansers between stories. It allowed me to read these stories back to back without muddling these stories together, BRILLIANT.
Needless to say, I'm obsessed with this collection. NEVER EVER have I given a 5 star rating to a collection of stories, but as the saying goes “there is a first time for everything”. I highly recommend this collection to anyone that loves a good urban legend.
Thank you so much to Tiller Press and also Night Worms for this eerie book party!
November 18, 2020
Review of “Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man” #nightwormsbookparty #tillerpress
Wow! I’m not normally a fan of short story collections but some of the ones I’ve been reading lately have been amazing with one being Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man. It’s an anthology of stories, incournters, and interviews from people that have been in close contact with this Eyeless man. He comes in through tapes and the internet. Electronics are his gateway and your obsession is his treat.
“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬.”
“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞,
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐬,
𝐖𝐞 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧.”
When I was reading this collection of accounts with the Eyeless man, I was really intrigued. I found all the stories interesting and ending with me being a little scared. Should I still be reading this book? Will he find me next? I started to find myself a little obsessed with the Eyeless man and if some of the people involved will find some of their missing loved ones. I also found myself believing the victims in this horror that to some will say is just a story but it’s made so believable I can’t help but believe them. This book actually scared me reading it at night time that the shadow in my peripheral might be him. Even a rustle is the grass at night and the tapping on the window had me wondering if he found me. Stranger things have happened I’m sure. I’d say most stories are between a 4-5 stars but as a whole it was a 5 ⭐️. I will continue the deep dive into this folklore and check out the podcast from shudder. If I go missing .. you know who it was. 👀
November 18, 2020
EDIT: Since I finished reading this I've started listening to the Video Palace podcast and have found that these stories are basically a 'sequel' to the podcast. Just so that anyone who is interested in these stories are aware.
This was an entertaining anthology of sorts recounting different people’s interactions with a made-up urban legend of the Eyeless Man. Some of the individual stories had some serious creep factor to them and are all generally told from people on the outskirts of the individuals that directly experienced TEM. It’s also done in kind of an essay/documentary style so some of the names and events sounded so real that I actually looked up a couple of the Dr.’s names just to make sure they weren’t real people.
There isn’t really a consistent story told throughout and you will not get a tied-up story in the end where you actually understand TEM or what he’s after. Which honestly adds to the creep factor. I also found out after reading the book that it was basically a novelized version of an actual podcast called “Video Palace” which I will be listening to. I enjoy listening to creepypasta podcasts and so I’m sure I would enjoy this. Plus, you get a little bit of a different experience when you have voice actors portraying the characters.
All in all this was a fun read and one I would recommend to people who enjoy creepypasta type of stories.
ARC received via Netgalley. All opinions are expressly my own.
This was an entertaining anthology of sorts recounting different people’s interactions with a made-up urban legend of the Eyeless Man. Some of the individual stories had some serious creep factor to them and are all generally told from people on the outskirts of the individuals that directly experienced TEM. It’s also done in kind of an essay/documentary style so some of the names and events sounded so real that I actually looked up a couple of the Dr.’s names just to make sure they weren’t real people.
There isn’t really a consistent story told throughout and you will not get a tied-up story in the end where you actually understand TEM or what he’s after. Which honestly adds to the creep factor. I also found out after reading the book that it was basically a novelized version of an actual podcast called “Video Palace” which I will be listening to. I enjoy listening to creepypasta podcasts and so I’m sure I would enjoy this. Plus, you get a little bit of a different experience when you have voice actors portraying the characters.
All in all this was a fun read and one I would recommend to people who enjoy creepypasta type of stories.
ARC received via Netgalley. All opinions are expressly my own.
November 11, 2020
After being absolutely blown away by the Video Palace podcast, I found out that this book had just been released. It was brilliant to get so many accounts of the eyeless man, and how the story is so much more than the white tapes, that all media is a danger and a gateway for him. I devoured this and hope there is more to come from the eyeless man myth.
November 22, 2020
I'm not a podcast listener so I wasn't sure how it would be to go into a collection of stories based on the Video Palace podcast. So honestly, I'm not sure if I missed anything or not. What I can say is that I had fun reading this collection. Lots of creepy moments and I had to remind myself to not even think of the Eyeless Man or he'd come for me... which resulted in me actually thinking about him... but I'm safe... so far... I think....
Very reminiscent of Slender Man (which I was obsessed with at one point) with a touch of The Ring with those damn video tapes. I'm so happy I got rid of my VHS player a few years back (yes, I still had one for a LONG time). I did feel at times that while the stories are all from different points of views, they all still seemed somewhat similar to each other. Perhaps it would've been better to read a couple stories here and there rather than binge reading the entirety of it all in one sitting.
If you're a fan of folklore/urban legends then I think you'll have a lot of fun with this collection. Like all collections, some tales grabbed me more than others but I can they all raised the tiny hairs.
3.5 stars.
Very reminiscent of Slender Man (which I was obsessed with at one point) with a touch of The Ring with those damn video tapes. I'm so happy I got rid of my VHS player a few years back (yes, I still had one for a LONG time). I did feel at times that while the stories are all from different points of views, they all still seemed somewhat similar to each other. Perhaps it would've been better to read a couple stories here and there rather than binge reading the entirety of it all in one sitting.
If you're a fan of folklore/urban legends then I think you'll have a lot of fun with this collection. Like all collections, some tales grabbed me more than others but I can they all raised the tiny hairs.
3.5 stars.
August 18, 2022
I loved this type of book. One central theme with a collection of people encounters of this entity that is tied together with the investigator being thrown in the mix. Apparently the podcast that is referenced is actually real and I should’ve listened to that first since this is a sequel of sorts. Honestly I don’t think I’m going to go looking for the podcast because this truly freaked me out. Since I read it in one sitting I am not looking forward to the nightmare I’m going to have tonight. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
September 23, 2020
Video Palace, a creepy podcast from the Shudder channel, results in the disappearance of its host and in this book, it fuels an obsession for “Dr. Maynard Wills”. Who is the Eyeless Man? He’s a man – but not a man, a creature – who pops up in urban legends and folk horror starting in the 20th century. The ways he appears vary, the ways he influences people vary (but almost always end up with suicide and or/death), but one thing remains the same: he comes through media. TV usually, but sometimes radio, VCR tapes, even grainy FB videos. And once he’s got his hooks in you, you won’t get away. The scariest part? You won’t want to.
This book contains eleven short stories – “real life” encounters with the Eyeless Man, all interspersed with journal entries from Dr. Maynard Wills and his assistant, Daniel Carter, as they delve deep into the search for the Eyeless Man. The stories are creepy, if a bit redundant in the end. You can only read about the same scary guy so many times. But each story stood well on its own, well written and cringe-worthy (in a good way). My suggestion would be to spread this book out over a few weeks or months, reading a few stories and then moving on to something else, coming back to this one periodically until its finished.
This book is an example of the new immersive storytelling movement, presented as real and honestly seeming real at times, to the point that you look warily at your television and are tempted to look up some of these things online to see if they really happened….except the internet is media, too isn’t it?
We’re all doomed. O Ta Keta.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man releases October 13, 2020.)
This book contains eleven short stories – “real life” encounters with the Eyeless Man, all interspersed with journal entries from Dr. Maynard Wills and his assistant, Daniel Carter, as they delve deep into the search for the Eyeless Man. The stories are creepy, if a bit redundant in the end. You can only read about the same scary guy so many times. But each story stood well on its own, well written and cringe-worthy (in a good way). My suggestion would be to spread this book out over a few weeks or months, reading a few stories and then moving on to something else, coming back to this one periodically until its finished.
This book is an example of the new immersive storytelling movement, presented as real and honestly seeming real at times, to the point that you look warily at your television and are tempted to look up some of these things online to see if they really happened….except the internet is media, too isn’t it?
We’re all doomed. O Ta Keta.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man releases October 13, 2020.)
October 29, 2020
Wow. This book had it all. Stories within legends within your TV. Playing on the evil found within the media and the attachment we have to our technology, the book progresses to an explosion of entertainment. I laughed at nostalgia, I gasped at the realization we could all be victims of the Eyeless Man, and I even found him buried in a 20 year old photo. Just creepy enough to keep you drawn in without stepping over the border of being unrealistic. The notes from each author and interview make this book stand out from the rest. I loved it!
*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader's edition*
*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader's edition*
November 24, 2020
Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man rounds up a lot of stories, interviews, and first hand experiences and encounters of the Eyeless Man, which comes across as a blend of Slenderman, creepypasta, and The Ring. Everything we read is intended to support the author's theory that the Eyeless Man is real and we should all be more exposed. All of the stories bring different insight into this myth/legend and, as a reader, I am not sure what to think. As I had never heard of the Eyeless Man before, reading these testimonies and stories for the first time really started to creep me out. As with most anthologies and collections, there are some stories that are better than others. But all the ones here made me pause, look around, and wonder, "What if?" Fans of Slenderman, urban legends, and more will definitely eat this up!
3.5 stars and rounded up for Goodreads! Thanks to the publisher for this #NightwormsBookParty!
3.5 stars and rounded up for Goodreads! Thanks to the publisher for this #NightwormsBookParty!
January 12, 2021
Nope. Nope. Nope. I will not look up information on the Eyeless Man. I’d never heard of him, I’d never heard of the podcast and now I’m trying to unlearn his name. After reading these stories, I’m sufficiently creeped out enough that I won’t be googling shit. But I’m so curious. But I don’t want to think about him cause you know, he’ll know.
October 12, 2020
The Eyeless Man is the figure that pulls together this pastiche of softly meta, 80s-genre-movie-mad fictionlets by various folks in the horror world. Many writers compose sort-of-found-footage-feeling vignettes in which the eponymous Eyeless Man is glimpsed on some fragile piece of fading media. The most compelling yarn describes a vaguely ICE STORM-y suburban universe in which an EST-like consortium of marriage therapists holds sway; its ingenious to try to fuse BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE with sheer shrieking terror.
July 6, 2021
remember slender man? well boy have i got a new one for you
October 31, 2020
This book was a surprise and I’m glad I picked it up. Yes I’m a fan of the podcast and loved that it turned me on to Tanis and Rabbits - nosleep has been number 1 for me. When I saw the advert I got kinda excited and picked it up.
The book is a short story collection about The Static and Eyeless Man and trying to still trying out what happened to Mark.
The book only had one weak story in its the opener Doorways of the Soul - maybe it was too YA but didn’t really like it. The only other weird one for me was Ranger Ronin Presents. The rest are very strong stories that’s why I’m giving the book 5 stars. Very well written. Deep Focus really stands out but my favorite Ecstatica.
Even if you have not listened to the podcast you will enjoy the book and you’ll end up interested in the show. That’s not a bad thing.
The book is a short story collection about The Static and Eyeless Man and trying to still trying out what happened to Mark.
The book only had one weak story in its the opener Doorways of the Soul - maybe it was too YA but didn’t really like it. The only other weird one for me was Ranger Ronin Presents. The rest are very strong stories that’s why I’m giving the book 5 stars. Very well written. Deep Focus really stands out but my favorite Ecstatica.
Even if you have not listened to the podcast you will enjoy the book and you’ll end up interested in the show. That’s not a bad thing.
October 17, 2020
This is a wonderful continuation of the VIDEO PALACE podcast. Even though all the writers involved have different styles and the plots are different, the connecting thread makes them all feel like they belong together. I devoured this book as fast as I could and it’s the only book to actually scare me.
October 10, 2020
Everyone who enjoyed the Shudder podcast will appreciate and enjoy this anthology that continues right where it was left off. This collection of stories captures the EXACT feel the podcast gave.
Maynard Wills continues Mark Cambria’s research and we get new events and stories as the professor slowly succumbs to the madness. Mark’s girlfriend Tamra tells us what has happened since his disappearance. We still don’t know what happened in the piano shop basement.
This is top tier horror and I enjoyed the hell out of it. If you haven’t experienced the podcast yet, I would get on top of that. I do not enjoy podcasts at all and it sucked me in.
Maynard Wills continues Mark Cambria’s research and we get new events and stories as the professor slowly succumbs to the madness. Mark’s girlfriend Tamra tells us what has happened since his disappearance. We still don’t know what happened in the piano shop basement.
This is top tier horror and I enjoyed the hell out of it. If you haven’t experienced the podcast yet, I would get on top of that. I do not enjoy podcasts at all and it sucked me in.
September 29, 2020
This book is a perfect "spooky season" read. Some of the stories really felt like something ripped out of a true-crime Reddit forum, and I had to remind myself the stories are based on urban legend. Even writing this review and revisiting the book gives me the chills. If you consider yourself a purveyor of true-crime, urban legend, or horror, this book is for you. This is the perfect Halloween read late at night while home alone, listening to the house settle but convincing yourself something is coming for you...
December 7, 2020
Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man is a horror anthology based on the Shudder podcast of the same name. Its eleven short stories are presented as part of the research output of one Dr. Maynard Wills, a professor of folklore at The New School. Wills was inspired by the Shudder podcast—here imagined as a truthful account of supernatural events—to researching the elusive Eyeless Man. He solicited legends and personal narratives about the creature from friends, whose contributions are also presented as genuine accounts.
You can read Jeff's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Jeff's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
June 21, 2022
This holds a special place in my heart, which goes hand in hand with being able to enjoy this as a reader in general: you *must* listen to the podcast series (Video Palace) if you plan on reading this. The pod is excellent, and this is a logical progression of the events that take place in the podcast, but expand on a really interesting modern day urban legend. The second to last excerpt very literally is an interview with one of the characters from the podcast - so without the background context, most of this book might not hit the right way - although it could still be an enjoyable albeit confusing.
Also lol if you're familiar with Professor Professorson from Community, that's sort of how all of Prof. Maynard's parts read aloud in my head
Also lol if you're familiar with Professor Professorson from Community, that's sort of how all of Prof. Maynard's parts read aloud in my head
March 18, 2022
Highly enjoyed this connected anthology of stories about an urban legend called The Eyeless Man. You don’t need to have listened to the podcast prior, though I’m sure it does allow for more impact if you do. Only one or two of the stories dragged at parts—all others had a major creep factor, and kept me hooked.
July 9, 2022
Loved Video Palace, so had to give this a go. Some stories are great, others didn't grab me quite as much, but overall well done.
November 24, 2020
Video Palace is like a cross between Slenderman creepypasta and The Ring franchise. The legend this time focuses on the enigmatic "Eyeless Man," a being who moves through the airwaves, controls your mind via sound and static, kills you, steals your soul, opens doorways to the Great Stack...and some variation of all the above. I'm not entirely sure. The more that is revealed the more questions we're left with. It's all very ambiguous, and a little creepy.
I liked the structure of the book, framing a series of short stories from different authors with one professor's obsessive search for the truth. The stories are interspersed with notes from the professor detailing the progress of his search, as well as his own descent into madness. The collection appears to be based on a podcast, and everyone involved is writing with such honesty and earnest that it started to mess with my mind (like is there even a Eyeless Man mythos or is it all just made up for this book?).
I've never done hard drugs (great way to start a sentence), but I've always been intrigued by psychedelics, lucid dreaming, thought control experiments, and so forth. Stands to reason those elements of the story were the most interesting to me, and also why my favorite stories were "Ranger Ronin Presents...," "The Inward Eye," and " Ecstatica".
As with all collections, some stories were better than others. At about the halfway point it all started to feel fairly repetitive though, and I began to lose some interest. I did appreciate attempts to portray the Eyeless Man in different ways, but most hit the same basic beats. There's definitely some creepy scenes, but the scares also began to lose their luster. I could see this working well in a visual medium (perhaps a TV show?).
3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
I liked the structure of the book, framing a series of short stories from different authors with one professor's obsessive search for the truth. The stories are interspersed with notes from the professor detailing the progress of his search, as well as his own descent into madness. The collection appears to be based on a podcast, and everyone involved is writing with such honesty and earnest that it started to mess with my mind (like is there even a Eyeless Man mythos or is it all just made up for this book?).
I've never done hard drugs (great way to start a sentence), but I've always been intrigued by psychedelics, lucid dreaming, thought control experiments, and so forth. Stands to reason those elements of the story were the most interesting to me, and also why my favorite stories were "Ranger Ronin Presents...," "The Inward Eye," and " Ecstatica".
As with all collections, some stories were better than others. At about the halfway point it all started to feel fairly repetitive though, and I began to lose some interest. I did appreciate attempts to portray the Eyeless Man in different ways, but most hit the same basic beats. There's definitely some creepy scenes, but the scares also began to lose their luster. I could see this working well in a visual medium (perhaps a TV show?).
3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
February 23, 2021
Overall a really cool horror anthology about an entity called The Eyeless Man. You should listen to the audiodrama (Video Palace; 10 episodes) first as this anthology is a direct spin-off from the podcast. I also recommend you listen to this as an audiobook, it really brings the stories in here more to life.
Edit: though all the stories were really well written and sometimes quite creepy, my favorite stories included "Dreaming in Lilac on a Cool Evening" (ch. 22) and "The Satanic Schoolgirls" (ch. 14).
Edit: though all the stories were really well written and sometimes quite creepy, my favorite stories included "Dreaming in Lilac on a Cool Evening" (ch. 22) and "The Satanic Schoolgirls" (ch. 14).
November 17, 2020
An excellent companion to the Video Palace podcast, full of spine-tingling encounters with the Eyeless Man. Though if you start hearing voices in the static, stop reading.
December 7, 2020
Won on Goodreads. Eeerie!!!! Absolutely keeps you burning through the pages. Loved it.
December 31, 2020
I am absolutely fascinated by urban legends and folklore. The creepier the better. While I’m not a podcast listener, this seems like one I should finally give a chance. It’s no secret that Slenderman is one I can’t get enough of, mainly because you can literally find the exact date of his origins on creepy pasta, and yet he has such a hold on some people. That just shows the power that some urban legends can have.
This book caught my attention because I’ve never heard of the Eyeless Man before and he seems to be one where you can’t truly pinpoint his origins. He feels similar to the Bye-Bye Man (definitely recommend that movie), where you don’t want to think of him or he’ll come for you. Don’t say it and don’t think it – easier said than done, right?
This collection of short stories was a great way to introduce him and see people’s experiences with this chilling urban legend (and of course resulted in online searches for more). I loved the format, all coming from VHS tapes. A unique way of telling the stories. While to some the stories could feel repetitive, it shows how he manifests and the consistency made it even creepier to me.
If these types of urban legends, folklore, and creepy campfire stories pique your curiosity, then give this one a try! Now, back into the rabbit hole of researching different stories and inevitably freaking myself out.
This book caught my attention because I’ve never heard of the Eyeless Man before and he seems to be one where you can’t truly pinpoint his origins. He feels similar to the Bye-Bye Man (definitely recommend that movie), where you don’t want to think of him or he’ll come for you. Don’t say it and don’t think it – easier said than done, right?
This collection of short stories was a great way to introduce him and see people’s experiences with this chilling urban legend (and of course resulted in online searches for more). I loved the format, all coming from VHS tapes. A unique way of telling the stories. While to some the stories could feel repetitive, it shows how he manifests and the consistency made it even creepier to me.
If these types of urban legends, folklore, and creepy campfire stories pique your curiosity, then give this one a try! Now, back into the rabbit hole of researching different stories and inevitably freaking myself out.
November 21, 2020
The first book I've read that truly creeper me out
This is the first book I've ever read that actually was scary, it actually creeped me out multiple times. There are no bad stories, they all leave you feeling like you don't know what's real. Coupled with the podcast this is the most effective horror media I've consumed in years.
This is the first book I've ever read that actually was scary, it actually creeped me out multiple times. There are no bad stories, they all leave you feeling like you don't know what's real. Coupled with the podcast this is the most effective horror media I've consumed in years.
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