GhostCityGirl

by Simon Paul Wilson

Serial killers, starvation cults, and spicy noodles - just another day in Nihon City. It's been one hundred years since Tokyo was ravaged by a ghost quake and talking about the supernatural was forbidden. To escape her unhappy family life and mundane job, Kichi Honda spends her days off visiting Mister Tanaka, an old man who tells her illegal tales of haunted Japan. But when Kichi gets stranded on Level One, she meets an impossible girl who claims to have come from Tokyo. Kichi learns the truth about what really happened all those years ago ... and discovers history is about to repeat itself.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal

306 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

Simon Paul Wilson is a U.K. based writer of horror, sci-fi, and magic realism.
He is the author of GhostCityGirl, the first in a cyberpunk horror trilogy, See You When The World Ends, and Baggage, co-written with Matt Wildasin.
When not writing, Simon listens to post and prog rock at a very loud volume. He also plays a mean air bass.

Reviews

[Benjamin Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you grabbed a bunch of memorable characters, a cool sci-fi setting, a driving plot, and a supernatural disaster, and you tossed them all into a blender, you'd be lucky to get a novel as fun as GhostCityGirl. And without a tight lid, you'd get a lot of blood on the walls.

Full disclosure: I'm the publisher of this novel. I chose to publish it because I love it!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

GIMME MORE!

Here's how amazing this book is: it's written in first-person present tense, which I don't care for. By chapter 3 I was so invested in the story I no longer noticed the tense. (That hasn't happened since I read The Night Circus.)

Only the Day Job prevented me from finishing this book in one long, breathless session. It was exactly like watching a quality Asian horror movie, which I adore. I was captivated by Kichi, her friends, and her world. More. Must have more.

'Quality Asian horror movie' is the closest you'll get to a spoiler. Also wasabi. I need wasabi right now.

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. Science fiction, Horror, a dystopian future. Its like a lost novel from Philip K Dick but with humour and characters you get invested in from the get go. The whole concept was very clever and I lived this book, as in, I was there, I swear it. At least, that's what it felt like.
Now, I also want 37 locks on my door and a butler robot that does nice things for me. I also want hot noodles.
And those nil-by-mouths!!! Oh my....

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ghost story (of the gory variety) and also a heroic origin story. Kichi Honda is a young woman with not much life to speak of. She lives with her mother, a VR TV addict, in an extremely high highrise apartment and works in the meaningless position of mall greeter. But Kichi finds joy where she can, in spicy food, old pop music, and the ghost stories shared by her elderly friend Mr. Tanaka. “Spook talk” has been forbidden by the Department of Paranormal Activity since the Tokyo ghost quake a century before, but Mr. Tanaka is able to keep their conversations secret. Kichi has never seen a ghost and isn’t sure she wants to, but she loves the stories. Then she meets Miaka, a girl who has escaped from Tokyo on a mission to prevent a recurrence of the ghost quake. Kichi and Mr. Tanaka team up with Miaka to stop the world from ending, but the clock is already ticking and things are getting weird.

Kichi is an appealing companion in a story that goes from quirky to spooky to straight-up terrifying. Although frustrated with her home life and government restrictions and surveillance, she retains curiosity, compassion, and a snarky sense of humor. Her interest in a local serial killer and encounters with creepy cultists end up being central to the apocalyptic plot. This is the first book of a trilogy; the cliffhanger ending hints at an even more heroic role for Kichi in future volumes.

I received an advance review ebook from the publisher.

[Jason Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have ever taken the trouble to review anything, especially a novel – something that has taken the heart and soul of a fellow human to produce, and here I am about to pass my critique like it counts for something. Well… I hope it does! I will start by saying I read a lot, or as much as I can, but rarely do I read anything that so completely sucks me in that I get lost in the ride. This novel blends the genres of Cyberpunk and Horror like the two have always gone hand in hand and are a match made in heaven. The story skips along at pace with a sly sense of fun and a spring it is step. When the horror kicks in, and it most certainly does that, you are dragged into it, heart pounding. Even through the most gut wrenching sections the novel just about clings on to a sliver of humour to pull you out the other side. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a comedy, but it is a book to be enjoyed, which is exactly what I did. I don’t think you have to have your tastes routed in any particular genre to enjoy this ride; just jump in and go with – you will not be disappointed!

[Joe Ortlieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon doesn't just write page turning stories. He write stories that you become invested in. As I was reading ghost city it was like a movie that was playing in my head. With twist and turns that I didn't see coming. This is easily going to end up in my top 5 of the year. So this along with everything else I've read from Simon is worth reading. If you don't believe me try it for yourself. I truly don't believe you'll be disappointed.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. There are great characters with wonderful quirks, a cool cyberpunk setting, and horrific, vengeful ghosts. A good helping of spicy noodles and wasabi-dogs, along with the music, helps to round out the world.
The story is well-paced, building to a climax that left me wanting more. Thankfully, I'm told a sequel is well underway.

[Brett Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cyberpunk fiction so when I read the review of GhostCityGirl where it combines cyberpunk with Japanese horror I just couldn’t resist... so happy I found this and devoured it over the last 36 hours. Highly recommended if you enjoy dystopian Japanese horror with cyberpunk sci-fi feel. Loved the characters too. Can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this trilogy. Thanks Simon!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyberpunk, starvation cults (what the hell is a starvation cult and why do people join??), and not much horror. At least I thought so the first few chapters....hold on tight, welcome to the Japanese highway to Hell.

[Steve L Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

GhostCityGirl is a masterful blend of horror/sci-fi/cyberpunk. Simon Paul Wilson has created an intriguing world with genuine characters and horrifying secrets. The book moves at a relentless pace that will keep you turning pages until the end. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

[Simon Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sincerest thanks to all you kind folk who have taken time to read/review GCG.
I truly appreciate your support and feedback.
Thank you so very much.

If you are about to read GCG, I hope you enjoy!

[Michaela Thorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

GhostCityGirl is an inventive story, unrivaled by anything today. It seamlessly blends genres like horror and sci-fi and makes the concept of a dystopian society feel new again. Kichi Honda is a fascinating lead protagonist, pushing the story through every twist and turn, fighting every uphill battle, and slowly losing her naivety and innocence to a world of horrors, both alive and dead.

GhostCityGirl is the perfect read for fans of Ghost in the Shell, Fatal Frame, and Japanese ghost stories. Crammed tight with endless twists and shiver-inducing scares, GCG is a creative and harrowing look into a future where, not only are ghostly creatures a physical threat, but the morality of mankind is ever-skewed in a constant grapple with them.