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Gridlocked
A pocket-sized double feature of classic cult Dog-men on motorcycles stalking their prey on a crowded interstate! A punk band's gore-soaked demo tour during the zombie apocalypse!
"It doesn't matter if he's doing crime, Lovecraftian short stories, strange literary fiction disguised as madman narratives, horror, or something in between, you always get an explosive mixture of ideas and superb use of language when reading Cody Goodfellow." - Gabino Iglesias , author of Coyote Songs
"It doesn't matter if he's doing crime, Lovecraftian short stories, strange literary fiction disguised as madman narratives, horror, or something in between, you always get an explosive mixture of ideas and superb use of language when reading Cody Goodfellow." - Gabino Iglesias , author of Coyote Songs
- GenresHorrorWerewolves
132 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2020
41 people want to read
About the author
Cody Goodfellow
162 books384 followersCODY GOODFELLOW has written nine novels and five collections, and has won three Wonderland Book Awards for Bizarro Fiction. He wrote, co-produced and scored the short Lovecraftian hygiene films Stay At Home Dad and Baby Got Bass, which have become viral sensations on YouTube. He has appeared in numerous short films, TV shows, music videos and commercials as research for his previous novel, Sleazeland. He also edits the hyperpulp zine Forbidden Futures. He “lives” in San Diego. Find out more at codygoodfellow.com.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 14, 2021
This is a short book so I going to plan on writing a short review and probably say more than I need to. Gridlocked is a short and small booklet sized slider of horror literature. Just like eating an overpacked slider, it helps to have a napkin ready because this book is overstuffed and dripping tidbits all over the place. You might be finding stains and debris long after your last bite. That is a Cody Goodfellow special.
I like the idea of the commuter special, and that is how I read this. The first novella taking the bus, the second on the way home. It is also inspired that the cover design (it looks Revert did it) was themed like a hardcore show flyer…
All ages/ $7.95 cover/ B.Y.O.B./ No jocks
These two stories have a beer-soaked musty basement show edge to them. I thought about a basement show I went to around 1999 and saw Burnt by the Sun. The only spot I could find was behind the drumset and for 40 minutes I watched Dave Witte just beat the shit out of the drums. He was too good to be playing in the basement but I was goddamn thankful he was.
2020 was an amazing year for mainstream big NY based horror publishing. The Only Good Indian by Stephen Graham Jones, The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Big sales, mainstream attention. One-year earlier Goodfellow’s Unamerica was released and while it got a deserving Wonderland award, I could not help thinking that book is as brilliant as any of the others I just mentioned. The difference is a big-time established publisher.
I am not slagging on King Shot Press they are making beautiful and quality books but I am sure Michael would agree with me there is a crime here. I get that before Cody shaved he was side hustling with regular gigs playing the homeless drifter or the occasional wizard in an Anthrax video. He doesn’t look like a boy scout or he might not seem like the traditional NPR books podcast guest, but Cody is actually one of the most wickedly intelligent people I know, so forget that noise.
Gridlocked is like a gritty single recorded over a weekend by a band tuning up for a long tour. You are better off just trusting Cody and going in blind but if you are cool with my thoughts and wild spoilers keep reading.
The title story is a unique piece that takes advantage of the San Diego setting the same way King uses Maine. What is a more Southern California tale than to be trapped in traffic? One of the problems with modern horror is how do people end up trapped despite having cellphones, well being trapped on a California freeway after an accident. So that set-up for a werewolf story that includes weird cult biker dude bro werewolves would be enough to make a story interesting.
That said Goodfellow built the novella a very crafty time reversal in the narrative. This works because Aaron the main character and his frustration are relatable. What did he get himself into? It didn’t hurt that it took place here in San Diego and I understood the geography of the story. None the less the stage is so well set when the insanity comes it gives the reader the feels it is supposed to with such skill.
Gridlocked is an effective tale that feels like a story out of EC comics jazzed up by elevated prose. That is the Goodfellow vibe in nutshell insane ideas written intelligence and skill that separate good from the boring Spaltterpunks. Anybody can write a story about a nail going through an eyeball, but not every writer gross you out and make you feel smarter at the same time. That to me is the difference.
As for the second novella, I am not going to say too much as this is a story Breaking the Chainletter that I asked Cody to write for an anthology. This was the doomed Vault of Punk Horror. It is a great anthology that I would be proud of if I had known what I was doing when We made it. As result, there are only about 30 of them in the world. So I am glad that authors like John Shirley, Jeremy Robert Johnson, and now Cody have republished the stories.
This story is complete chaos and has a fever dream pace to it. Of course, I love it.
Yeah, for 8 bucks you can’t go wrong with this title. He keeps winning the Wonderland award for a reason. He is one of the best weird fiction writers we got.
I like the idea of the commuter special, and that is how I read this. The first novella taking the bus, the second on the way home. It is also inspired that the cover design (it looks Revert did it) was themed like a hardcore show flyer…
All ages/ $7.95 cover/ B.Y.O.B./ No jocks
These two stories have a beer-soaked musty basement show edge to them. I thought about a basement show I went to around 1999 and saw Burnt by the Sun. The only spot I could find was behind the drumset and for 40 minutes I watched Dave Witte just beat the shit out of the drums. He was too good to be playing in the basement but I was goddamn thankful he was.
2020 was an amazing year for mainstream big NY based horror publishing. The Only Good Indian by Stephen Graham Jones, The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Big sales, mainstream attention. One-year earlier Goodfellow’s Unamerica was released and while it got a deserving Wonderland award, I could not help thinking that book is as brilliant as any of the others I just mentioned. The difference is a big-time established publisher.
I am not slagging on King Shot Press they are making beautiful and quality books but I am sure Michael would agree with me there is a crime here. I get that before Cody shaved he was side hustling with regular gigs playing the homeless drifter or the occasional wizard in an Anthrax video. He doesn’t look like a boy scout or he might not seem like the traditional NPR books podcast guest, but Cody is actually one of the most wickedly intelligent people I know, so forget that noise.
Gridlocked is like a gritty single recorded over a weekend by a band tuning up for a long tour. You are better off just trusting Cody and going in blind but if you are cool with my thoughts and wild spoilers keep reading.
The title story is a unique piece that takes advantage of the San Diego setting the same way King uses Maine. What is a more Southern California tale than to be trapped in traffic? One of the problems with modern horror is how do people end up trapped despite having cellphones, well being trapped on a California freeway after an accident. So that set-up for a werewolf story that includes weird cult biker dude bro werewolves would be enough to make a story interesting.
That said Goodfellow built the novella a very crafty time reversal in the narrative. This works because Aaron the main character and his frustration are relatable. What did he get himself into? It didn’t hurt that it took place here in San Diego and I understood the geography of the story. None the less the stage is so well set when the insanity comes it gives the reader the feels it is supposed to with such skill.
Gridlocked is an effective tale that feels like a story out of EC comics jazzed up by elevated prose. That is the Goodfellow vibe in nutshell insane ideas written intelligence and skill that separate good from the boring Spaltterpunks. Anybody can write a story about a nail going through an eyeball, but not every writer gross you out and make you feel smarter at the same time. That to me is the difference.
As for the second novella, I am not going to say too much as this is a story Breaking the Chainletter that I asked Cody to write for an anthology. This was the doomed Vault of Punk Horror. It is a great anthology that I would be proud of if I had known what I was doing when We made it. As result, there are only about 30 of them in the world. So I am glad that authors like John Shirley, Jeremy Robert Johnson, and now Cody have republished the stories.
This story is complete chaos and has a fever dream pace to it. Of course, I love it.
Yeah, for 8 bucks you can’t go wrong with this title. He keeps winning the Wonderland award for a reason. He is one of the best weird fiction writers we got.
January 25, 2021
I rly dug the two novellas contained in Gridlocked. Both stories bordering on classical horror monsters (werewolfs and zombies), but both have their own internal logic and world-building that keep them from being werewolf or zombie stories. Another great book by Mr. Goodfellow.
Read
April 11, 2022A double-shot of Goodfellow goodness. Two novelettes in one slim package. While the titular story Gridlocked was a lotta fun, I was in complete awe of the second feature, Breaking the Chain Letter. Perhaps the most insane and most punk rock piece of fiction I've ever laid eyes on. The whole book took only about two hours to get through, but Cody Goodfellow's prose is both propulsive and full and it certainly FEELS like a whole lot more when you're in the moment, which, in this reader's opinion, is what the best kind of fiction does regardless of genre. This was great.
December 22, 2020
I didn't read the second story yet but dude wtf
I don't think it's even possible to be better at writing. I've been reading literature and I've been reading trash and this is some sacred-and-profane pairing of the two.
This is like, Zora Neale Hurston level wizardry, but it's about mutant wolfbros chompin' American skulls open in standstill traffic.
Pretty sure this is a book because a movie would cost way too much to do right.
IDK why I'm trying to review this at 1am haha sorry I'll fix this later
but dude wtf
I read the second story and it was also good. the imagery is, as we inarticulate kids now say, chef's kiss.
I don't think it's even possible to be better at writing. I've been reading literature and I've been reading trash and this is some sacred-and-profane pairing of the two.
This is like, Zora Neale Hurston level wizardry, but it's about mutant wolfbros chompin' American skulls open in standstill traffic.
Pretty sure this is a book because a movie would cost way too much to do right.
IDK why I'm trying to review this at 1am haha sorry I'll fix this later
but dude wtf
I read the second story and it was also good. the imagery is, as we inarticulate kids now say, chef's kiss.
April 13, 2021
Simply put, Cody Goodfellow never disappoints, and this slim volume is no exception. But don’t let its diminutive stature fool you — Gridlocked is a raw one-two blast from a double-barreled shotgun of literary abandon that contains more inspired weirdness and sharp, blistering prose than a lot of doorstopper books ten times its size. Clocking in at just 132 pages, it makes a great intro to Cody’s stuff if you’re new to his work and want to get a taste before jumping into something longer, but it’s no breezy read — it’s just so dense and packed with anarchic goodness that you’ll want to slow down and savor every last word of it.
The first story, “Gridlocked,” is a fresh, fun take on the tired werewolf mythos, combining a traffic jam from hell with a pack of cultist dog bikers on the hunt for revenge. What’s really driven home in this story is the chaotic and claustrophobic feeling that comes from a huge freeway snarl — the main character has very limited space to run from his pursuers, and more amusingly, despite the supernatural bloodshed that occurs, everyone else in the jam seems oblivious to the true scope of what’s going on around them. And, as always, Cody ties what could have been just a simple horror tale into a deeper and more profound message, this one prompting us to ask, “In this modern world, how free are we, really?”
(In the spirit of honest feedback, this story seemed like it needed one more round of editorial attention — I noticed a smattering of random commas at odd places in various sentences, and there’s a paragraph toward at the very end of the story that didn’t make much sense until I realized that it was probably supposed to appear a page or so earlier. But really, minor quibbles overall.)
As great as the title story is, the second story, “Breaking The Chain Letter,” is operating on a whole other level — I think it’s my favorite Goodfellow short story yet. Frequent readers of Cody’s stuff may notice a very similar feel to a story that appeared in his collection Strategies Against Nature, “Wasted on the Young,” as both stories focus on resurrecting the danger and raw power of punk rock from a world that has rendered it safe and commercially neutered. The less I can say about this story, the better, as I don’t want to spoil some of the developments that start to creep in early in the story and naturally build up into a fiery crescendo by the end of it. Let’s just say that if this story was a hit single, I’d buy it in a heartbeat and play it on repeat until my earholes started to bleed.
One final note: the design of the book is killer, as many King Shot Press titles are. The Matthew Revert cover is glorious, looking like a grindhouse movie poster; the back cover design, which resembles an underground rock flier, is fun and inspired; and the inner design on the inside is a hoot, “advertising” the two short stories in the same cheap newsprint style one used to see for exploitation and porno flicks in the ‘70s. Awesome stuff. Don’t think. Just buy it already.
The first story, “Gridlocked,” is a fresh, fun take on the tired werewolf mythos, combining a traffic jam from hell with a pack of cultist dog bikers on the hunt for revenge. What’s really driven home in this story is the chaotic and claustrophobic feeling that comes from a huge freeway snarl — the main character has very limited space to run from his pursuers, and more amusingly, despite the supernatural bloodshed that occurs, everyone else in the jam seems oblivious to the true scope of what’s going on around them. And, as always, Cody ties what could have been just a simple horror tale into a deeper and more profound message, this one prompting us to ask, “In this modern world, how free are we, really?”
(In the spirit of honest feedback, this story seemed like it needed one more round of editorial attention — I noticed a smattering of random commas at odd places in various sentences, and there’s a paragraph toward at the very end of the story that didn’t make much sense until I realized that it was probably supposed to appear a page or so earlier. But really, minor quibbles overall.)
As great as the title story is, the second story, “Breaking The Chain Letter,” is operating on a whole other level — I think it’s my favorite Goodfellow short story yet. Frequent readers of Cody’s stuff may notice a very similar feel to a story that appeared in his collection Strategies Against Nature, “Wasted on the Young,” as both stories focus on resurrecting the danger and raw power of punk rock from a world that has rendered it safe and commercially neutered. The less I can say about this story, the better, as I don’t want to spoil some of the developments that start to creep in early in the story and naturally build up into a fiery crescendo by the end of it. Let’s just say that if this story was a hit single, I’d buy it in a heartbeat and play it on repeat until my earholes started to bleed.
One final note: the design of the book is killer, as many King Shot Press titles are. The Matthew Revert cover is glorious, looking like a grindhouse movie poster; the back cover design, which resembles an underground rock flier, is fun and inspired; and the inner design on the inside is a hoot, “advertising” the two short stories in the same cheap newsprint style one used to see for exploitation and porno flicks in the ‘70s. Awesome stuff. Don’t think. Just buy it already.
April 28, 2022
Cody Goodfellow is a lesser known though no less eminently potent voice of the American west, North and South of the Golden Gate.
Gridlocked is a book made of two unrelated stories, Gridlocked and Breaking the Chain Letter. Like I already alluded to, the first is Larry Talbot turns into The Hitcher pursued by Rev. Harry Powell and the hound of the Baskervilles. He gets a ride from Travis Bickle and everything turns into a Tarantino movie with fur.
The second story, Breaking the Chain Letter, is about a bunch of no hope kids and an old man of 38 who form a so called Punk band called Chain Letter. They go on a Black Flagian tour of the west coast. They pick up a cult following until a new drug called Ataraxium hits the street and turns every idiot kid into a murderous zombie type being. At a climatic show on the Sunset Strip 2 members of Chain Letter are killed, they are dismembered and devoured.
"Dreams become a reality here, but mostly, they come to die, and the stink of their decay pervades the air like a smog of the soul," writes Goodfellow. He knows this town. His voice is rich, fast, savage and funny.
And however wrote the blurb and designed the cover obviously didn't read the stories.
Gridlocked is a book made of two unrelated stories, Gridlocked and Breaking the Chain Letter. Like I already alluded to, the first is Larry Talbot turns into The Hitcher pursued by Rev. Harry Powell and the hound of the Baskervilles. He gets a ride from Travis Bickle and everything turns into a Tarantino movie with fur.
The second story, Breaking the Chain Letter, is about a bunch of no hope kids and an old man of 38 who form a so called Punk band called Chain Letter. They go on a Black Flagian tour of the west coast. They pick up a cult following until a new drug called Ataraxium hits the street and turns every idiot kid into a murderous zombie type being. At a climatic show on the Sunset Strip 2 members of Chain Letter are killed, they are dismembered and devoured.
"Dreams become a reality here, but mostly, they come to die, and the stink of their decay pervades the air like a smog of the soul," writes Goodfellow. He knows this town. His voice is rich, fast, savage and funny.
And however wrote the blurb and designed the cover obviously didn't read the stories.
December 15, 2022
Gridlocked consists of two short, lightning quick and gore soaked reads. Each of the stories in this punk horror novella are bloody, visceral experiences, and quite honestly, I adored every single second of them both. These are some of the most gritty, intense, and entertaining horror stories I have ever read, and what's more, they're told with absolutely beautiful prose.
Though this novella only comes in at just over 100 pages, it certainly feels like a whole lot more. The pure imagery of these stories is absolutely insane, it drags you right in, you get to feel every single ounce of terror that courses through these pages. This really is a crazy little book, I mean it's absolutely insane. Each story takes a classic horror monster, and flips it on it's head, providing us readers with something fresh and interesting.
If this caliber of storytelling is the norm for Cody Goodfellow, I'll be reading everything he puts out.
Though this novella only comes in at just over 100 pages, it certainly feels like a whole lot more. The pure imagery of these stories is absolutely insane, it drags you right in, you get to feel every single ounce of terror that courses through these pages. This really is a crazy little book, I mean it's absolutely insane. Each story takes a classic horror monster, and flips it on it's head, providing us readers with something fresh and interesting.
If this caliber of storytelling is the norm for Cody Goodfellow, I'll be reading everything he puts out.
January 13, 2026
Short, mean, gory and punky. Bought from Cody himself as he visited Weird Horde in Petaluma. He said, "werewolves on motorcycles," and I said, "sold." Could see the first story here as a short movie or episode on one of those anthology shows--guy picks up hitchhiker (are there any stories where someone picks up a hitchhiker, everything is normal, and then the hitcher gets out of the car?), gets stuck in monster traffic jam on the 15 in San Diego, and then here come some werewolves on cycles, complete with religious leader. Second one is about a cruddy punk band that is both authentically punk and authentically bad that writes one song that exerts a pied-piper type zombie vibe and gets a zombie army of kids roller-skating in their wake. Real over-the-top EC-type grossouts on offer here that are treated with Wile E. Coyote seriousness. Still pretty gross, though, all things considered. Pretty solid pair of campfire tales designed to make the audience groan, turn green, and/or laugh.
March 14, 2021
A pair of novellas (or maybe they're short stories; does it matter?), both worth every penny. Whenever I read Cody Goodfellow, some part of my brain starts reciting the words in Doug Stanhope's voice....
Story 1, "Gridlocked": if you enjoyed / were terrified / enjoyed being terrified by that scene in An American Werewolf In London where David's dreaming, and the Nazi stormtrooper wolves come barging in? Yeah, that scene. Only, on a crowded SoCal highway. Make this a movie, you out-of-ideas Hollywood types.
Story 2, "Breaking The Chain Letter": a scathing, hilarious, highly entertaining take on the music industry / advertising / youth culture. "If starving to play for stupid, snot-nosed kids is the apex of punk rock integrity, then Toby is the only one still keeping it real. Integrity tastes a lot like raw ramen noodles."
Story 1, "Gridlocked": if you enjoyed / were terrified / enjoyed being terrified by that scene in An American Werewolf In London where David's dreaming, and the Nazi stormtrooper wolves come barging in? Yeah, that scene. Only, on a crowded SoCal highway. Make this a movie, you out-of-ideas Hollywood types.
Story 2, "Breaking The Chain Letter": a scathing, hilarious, highly entertaining take on the music industry / advertising / youth culture. "If starving to play for stupid, snot-nosed kids is the apex of punk rock integrity, then Toby is the only one still keeping it real. Integrity tastes a lot like raw ramen noodles."
December 13, 2020
This book is two lightning fast, violent, fun stories and I loved it. In Gridlocked, when a man picks up a hitchhiker and gets stuck in traffic he gets more than he bargained for at the hands (paws?) of a supernatural biker gang. Breaking the Chain Letter is a punk band on a collision course, all the while being manipulated by the powers that be. The length and size of this book is perfect, and it seathes with punk attitude and energy. Highly recommend!
November 21, 2020
Right around a 100 pages of the craziness and gory ultra-violence we've come to know and love from the seething brain of Mr. Goodfellow.
Another fine job.
Another fine job.
October 21, 2021
Gave this a 3 star purely on the strength of the first story. 2nd story felt a bit disjointed.
February 13, 2022
Pretty fantastic. Think the 2nd novella stole the show, like Green Room met Sorry To Bother You.
March 12, 2024
Gridlocked by Cody Goodfellow is a gritty, gore-soaked punk horror novelette that packs a punch! I’m new to this author and felt like this bite sized firecracker was a great intro to his work.
In the titular story “Gridlocked”, a man named Aaron picks up a hitchiker and ends up getting caught in a gnarly traffic jam from hell; Sprinkle in a gang of biker dogs out for revenge and you’ve got yourself a good time.
The second story “Breaking the Chain Letter” follows a local band in the midst of their first demo tour; I think things are better left unsaid with this one, but it doesn’t disappoint.
In the titular story “Gridlocked”, a man named Aaron picks up a hitchiker and ends up getting caught in a gnarly traffic jam from hell; Sprinkle in a gang of biker dogs out for revenge and you’ve got yourself a good time.
The second story “Breaking the Chain Letter” follows a local band in the midst of their first demo tour; I think things are better left unsaid with this one, but it doesn’t disappoint.
May 3, 2024
Cody is a writer's writer. Study him, if you're a fellow scribbler. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can compose such hard-packed action that teases just south of Splatterpunk. His sense of rhythm at sentence level is masterful, which collects into a kick-ass romp.
"Gridlock," the titular story of this double-shot volume, and in "Breaking the Chain Letter," Goodfellow takes us by the lapel (on fellow-nerds who wear blazers) and flings the reader into a world wherein you'd better fucking keep up.
"Gridlock," the titular story of this double-shot volume, and in "Breaking the Chain Letter," Goodfellow takes us by the lapel (on fellow-nerds who wear blazers) and flings the reader into a world wherein you'd better fucking keep up.
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