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Monochrome Trilogy #1
A Life Transparent
WHO IS DONOVAN CANDLE?
In A Life Transparent, first published in 2007, Todd Keisling welcomed readers to the Monochrome—a nightmarish parallel reality—and introduced Donovan Candle: a modern everyman experiencing an early mid-life crisis. Now, Bloodshot Books is proud to present a revised and expanded edition, featuring Keisling’s all-new afterword series, “Who is Donovan Candle?”
DONOVAN CANDLE IS BORING.
Consummate husband, supportive brother, hard-working employee—a paragon of the diminishing Middle Class. Like so many others, he has fallen into routine and compromised his dreams for the sake of a paycheck. After a bad day at the office leaves him low, all Donovan wants is to sleep off the disappointment and start over.
DONOVAN CANDLE IS TERRIFIED.
His body is fading out of existence. He’s seeing strange visions of the world in monochrome and horrific creatures lurking in his periphery. No one else seems to notice, and as the odd afflictions intensify, Donovan fears he is losing his grip on reality.
DONOVAN CANDLE IS DISAPPEARING.
Someone breaks into his home and abducts his wife. Before he can contact the authorities, a stranger’s ominous phone call urges him on a path to her rescue, but only if he follows the rules. The clock is ticking, and with every step Donovan slips further into a state of transparency. Will he be in time to save his wife—and himself—from the dangers of A Life Transparent?
In A Life Transparent, first published in 2007, Todd Keisling welcomed readers to the Monochrome—a nightmarish parallel reality—and introduced Donovan Candle: a modern everyman experiencing an early mid-life crisis. Now, Bloodshot Books is proud to present a revised and expanded edition, featuring Keisling’s all-new afterword series, “Who is Donovan Candle?”
DONOVAN CANDLE IS BORING.
Consummate husband, supportive brother, hard-working employee—a paragon of the diminishing Middle Class. Like so many others, he has fallen into routine and compromised his dreams for the sake of a paycheck. After a bad day at the office leaves him low, all Donovan wants is to sleep off the disappointment and start over.
DONOVAN CANDLE IS TERRIFIED.
His body is fading out of existence. He’s seeing strange visions of the world in monochrome and horrific creatures lurking in his periphery. No one else seems to notice, and as the odd afflictions intensify, Donovan fears he is losing his grip on reality.
DONOVAN CANDLE IS DISAPPEARING.
Someone breaks into his home and abducts his wife. Before he can contact the authorities, a stranger’s ominous phone call urges him on a path to her rescue, but only if he follows the rules. The clock is ticking, and with every step Donovan slips further into a state of transparency. Will he be in time to save his wife—and himself—from the dangers of A Life Transparent?
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2007
6 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Todd Keisling
47 books469 followersTODD KEISLING is the two-time Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of Devil’s Creek, Scanlines, Cold, Black & Infinite, and most recently, The Sundowner’s Dance, among several others. A pair of his earlier works were recipients of the University of Kentucky’s Oswald Research & Creativity Prize for Creative Writing (2002 and 2005), and his second novel, The Liminal Man, was an Indie Book Award finalist in Horror & Suspense (2013). He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 11, 2021
A LIFE TRANSPARENT by Todd Kiesling in the first in the Monochrome Trilogy, and a re-release and polished version of the original 2007 publication.
When I was still in school and somebody would have asked any of us which supernatural power we would like to have, nine out of ten would have said invisibility. I’m not even going to fake humble or noble motivations behind it – if you could have seen your biggest crush naked, it would have surpassed anything.
(For those who were not a geek like me and actually got to see it anyway – screw you guys!)
Of course, the hormonal teenage mind doesn’t think ahead much, so the impracticality would have come as a surprise. Just think, there you are, in the middle of your immoral peek show, and you realize you have to pee. Now, you may be invisible, but you can still make noise, which is not really ideal. It also means you have to pee without hitting the water, which means a very careful aim into the bowl, at just the right angle and pressure. What happens?
Okay, for those who haven’t seen ME, MYSELF & IRENE, aiming with an erection is very, very difficult. Furthermore, seeing that the urine comes from inside your invisible body, logic dictates that it will be seen, either.
Are you getting the mental picture of what I’m getting at?
BUSTED!!!
And that’s not even the worst of it. Can you imagine being trapped in the bathroom with that special someone while they have super-diarrhea?!
Back to the book, people, we haven’t got all damn day, you know.
The main character is Donovan Candle, married to his lovely wife, Donna, working a dead end job in telesales. Too scared to start a family before they have enough money saved up, he throws himself into his job, giving it all his energy and having no energy to actually live his life as well, he is stuck in this monotonous rut of existence.
Which made this character completely relatable to me – I’m not going to get into it, but I will say my career is less than satisfying.
Which brings us to the Monochrome, a parallel plane of existence where nobody can see you, where there is no color, no nourishment and, most of all, no hope of escape. And Donovan is starting to flicker, parts of his body disappearing for short spells, and people start to ignore him as if they are forgetting he even existed.
On the flip side, you have Albert Sparrow, who found a loophole and escaped the Monochrome, which makes the man in charge, Mr. Dullington, very unhappy. Sparrow takes precautions, but Dullington needs someone to bring him back.
And what can be a better incentive than kidnapping the wife of a man who has one foot in the door already?
Can Donovan save his wife? Can Donovan save his own life?
If I meant for them to rhyme, I would have been as sharp as a knife…
This book really impressed me a lot. Kiesling did a great job of taking you on the journey with the characters. It reads fairly fast and he doesn’t waste your time with trivial, unnecessary facts. And, even though it is the first in a trilogy, this book works as a stand-alone as well.
Very entertaining – I don’t think it is exclusive to horror readers. Those who like Thrillers might also enjoy this if they are willing to let reality bend just a little.
*Originally reviewed at IndieMuse
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
When I was still in school and somebody would have asked any of us which supernatural power we would like to have, nine out of ten would have said invisibility. I’m not even going to fake humble or noble motivations behind it – if you could have seen your biggest crush naked, it would have surpassed anything.
(For those who were not a geek like me and actually got to see it anyway – screw you guys!)
Of course, the hormonal teenage mind doesn’t think ahead much, so the impracticality would have come as a surprise. Just think, there you are, in the middle of your immoral peek show, and you realize you have to pee. Now, you may be invisible, but you can still make noise, which is not really ideal. It also means you have to pee without hitting the water, which means a very careful aim into the bowl, at just the right angle and pressure. What happens?
Okay, for those who haven’t seen ME, MYSELF & IRENE, aiming with an erection is very, very difficult. Furthermore, seeing that the urine comes from inside your invisible body, logic dictates that it will be seen, either.
Are you getting the mental picture of what I’m getting at?
BUSTED!!!
And that’s not even the worst of it. Can you imagine being trapped in the bathroom with that special someone while they have super-diarrhea?!
Back to the book, people, we haven’t got all damn day, you know.
The main character is Donovan Candle, married to his lovely wife, Donna, working a dead end job in telesales. Too scared to start a family before they have enough money saved up, he throws himself into his job, giving it all his energy and having no energy to actually live his life as well, he is stuck in this monotonous rut of existence.
Which made this character completely relatable to me – I’m not going to get into it, but I will say my career is less than satisfying.
Which brings us to the Monochrome, a parallel plane of existence where nobody can see you, where there is no color, no nourishment and, most of all, no hope of escape. And Donovan is starting to flicker, parts of his body disappearing for short spells, and people start to ignore him as if they are forgetting he even existed.
On the flip side, you have Albert Sparrow, who found a loophole and escaped the Monochrome, which makes the man in charge, Mr. Dullington, very unhappy. Sparrow takes precautions, but Dullington needs someone to bring him back.
And what can be a better incentive than kidnapping the wife of a man who has one foot in the door already?
Can Donovan save his wife? Can Donovan save his own life?
If I meant for them to rhyme, I would have been as sharp as a knife…
This book really impressed me a lot. Kiesling did a great job of taking you on the journey with the characters. It reads fairly fast and he doesn’t waste your time with trivial, unnecessary facts. And, even though it is the first in a trilogy, this book works as a stand-alone as well.
Very entertaining – I don’t think it is exclusive to horror readers. Those who like Thrillers might also enjoy this if they are willing to let reality bend just a little.
*Originally reviewed at IndieMuse
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
March 16, 2021
Meet Donovan Candle. A regular guy, with a regular job, a regular wife, a regular...everything. Then something happens that turns Donovan's life down a totally different path. Is that a bad or a good thing? You'll have to read this short novel to find out!
I liked Donovan straight off. I said above he was a regular guy, but his wife has fibromyalgia and that hurts him, just as it hurts her, but in different ways. Unlike a lot of husbands, he adjusts his life to be better able to help her. Being a woman with a few health issues, I know that a lot of men don't react that way, which is part of the reason I liked him so much.
Donovan always wanted to write a book, when he and his wife met in college, that was the plan. Graduate, write the book, get famous, get rich. As we get older, we all realize life is what happens when you're making other plans. Fast forward a few years and we find Donnie working a sales job in an office where competition rules. The job doesn't allow for a lot of time for him to write, but it does pay the bills and now there's a baby on the way. Then, at the worst possible time, Donnie starts flickering in and out of existence. What, you say? I say, he entered the Monochrome!
I won't say any more about the plot-just a few words about how the book made me feel. What gets you into the Monochrome? The day to day to day routine is what. Who can't relate to that? Most people I know are not living the life they thought they would, including myself. Especially now, with this pandemic going on, daily life is that much more routine. Boring. Numbing. Losing. I say that because when this feeling washes over you, you feel as if you're losing. When you compare your dreams and what you thought your life would be, to what your life actually IS, I wager that many of us would come up short. How many of us act on that feeling? How many of us just trudge on and on?
A LIFE TRANSPARENT asks those questions and Donnie answers them. I asked those same questions of myself and I bet you'll ask them of yourself too, if you decide to give this book a try. I recommend that you do!
Recommended, and I am highly anticipating my return to the Monochrome, as soon as the next book is available!
*Thank you to the publisher and author for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
I liked Donovan straight off. I said above he was a regular guy, but his wife has fibromyalgia and that hurts him, just as it hurts her, but in different ways. Unlike a lot of husbands, he adjusts his life to be better able to help her. Being a woman with a few health issues, I know that a lot of men don't react that way, which is part of the reason I liked him so much.
Donovan always wanted to write a book, when he and his wife met in college, that was the plan. Graduate, write the book, get famous, get rich. As we get older, we all realize life is what happens when you're making other plans. Fast forward a few years and we find Donnie working a sales job in an office where competition rules. The job doesn't allow for a lot of time for him to write, but it does pay the bills and now there's a baby on the way. Then, at the worst possible time, Donnie starts flickering in and out of existence. What, you say? I say, he entered the Monochrome!
I won't say any more about the plot-just a few words about how the book made me feel. What gets you into the Monochrome? The day to day to day routine is what. Who can't relate to that? Most people I know are not living the life they thought they would, including myself. Especially now, with this pandemic going on, daily life is that much more routine. Boring. Numbing. Losing. I say that because when this feeling washes over you, you feel as if you're losing. When you compare your dreams and what you thought your life would be, to what your life actually IS, I wager that many of us would come up short. How many of us act on that feeling? How many of us just trudge on and on?
A LIFE TRANSPARENT asks those questions and Donnie answers them. I asked those same questions of myself and I bet you'll ask them of yourself too, if you decide to give this book a try. I recommend that you do!
Recommended, and I am highly anticipating my return to the Monochrome, as soon as the next book is available!
*Thank you to the publisher and author for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
April 12, 2021
I have previously written a glowing 5-star review for Todd Keisling’s epic cult horror novel, ‘Devil’s Creek’, which was easily one of my favourite books of 2020. It was a no-brainer for me when I heard that he was re-releasing a revised edition of his debut novel, ‘A Life Transparent’ and I was not disappointed when I finally got around to reading it.
Donovan Candle lives a very ordinary life. He is happily married, works a nine to five job and has settled into a comfortable routine. Sure, he’s stopped going on holidays or taking his wife out, and maybe he’s no closer to that elusive promotion at work than he was when he started, but that’s life.
Isn’t it?
When Donovan wakes up one morning and notices his skin starting to grow transparent. His wife stops talking to him, his co-workers don’t seem to acknowledge his presence and, even worse, he is beginning to see terrible, impossible creatures walking freely around, seemingly unnoticed. A phone call from a mysterious stranger seems to offer answers to his strange predicament, but those answers come at a cost, one which Donovan may be unable to pay.
‘A Life Transparent’ is a very different book from Devil’s Creek. While it certainly has elements of horror, it has more of an urban fantasy feel to it, but largely defies definition, as Keisling throws in some family drama, detective noir and sci-fi into the mix, resulting in a fun and unpredictable mash-up that keeps things interesting until the final page.
What really makes the book work though, is Donovan. ‘A Life Transparent’ is ostensibly about a man who is wasting his life. He is stuck in a routine, neglecting the things that are truly important to him and putting aside his goals and dreams for a job and a life that is mired in mediocrity. Posing such a character as your lead runs the risk of having a bland, dull narrator who the reader is unwilling to follow into the story, but Donovan is at once three dimensional and complex, and painfully relatable. I think this really nails the core appeal of the book, for me at least. Everyone will see something of themselves in Donovan and he is a gripping lead for that reason alone.
‘The Life Transparent’ is the first of a trilogy and Keisling expertly walks the fine line between offering a satisfying ending to this particular book, but leaving enough open to offer a lot of exciting possibilities for a sequel. The world-building is inventive and unique and there is a lot of ground that could be covered with a second book. This story leaves its lead characters in a different place by the closing chapter and it’s refreshing to see the set-up in place hinting at a very different follow-up.
A Life Transparent is exciting, action-packed and unique, defying definition and expectation and its broad appeal and likeable characters mean that I can’t imagine anyone not having a great time with this book. Sign me up for the sequel!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter and Instagram - @RickReadsHorror
Donovan Candle lives a very ordinary life. He is happily married, works a nine to five job and has settled into a comfortable routine. Sure, he’s stopped going on holidays or taking his wife out, and maybe he’s no closer to that elusive promotion at work than he was when he started, but that’s life.
Isn’t it?
When Donovan wakes up one morning and notices his skin starting to grow transparent. His wife stops talking to him, his co-workers don’t seem to acknowledge his presence and, even worse, he is beginning to see terrible, impossible creatures walking freely around, seemingly unnoticed. A phone call from a mysterious stranger seems to offer answers to his strange predicament, but those answers come at a cost, one which Donovan may be unable to pay.
‘A Life Transparent’ is a very different book from Devil’s Creek. While it certainly has elements of horror, it has more of an urban fantasy feel to it, but largely defies definition, as Keisling throws in some family drama, detective noir and sci-fi into the mix, resulting in a fun and unpredictable mash-up that keeps things interesting until the final page.
What really makes the book work though, is Donovan. ‘A Life Transparent’ is ostensibly about a man who is wasting his life. He is stuck in a routine, neglecting the things that are truly important to him and putting aside his goals and dreams for a job and a life that is mired in mediocrity. Posing such a character as your lead runs the risk of having a bland, dull narrator who the reader is unwilling to follow into the story, but Donovan is at once three dimensional and complex, and painfully relatable. I think this really nails the core appeal of the book, for me at least. Everyone will see something of themselves in Donovan and he is a gripping lead for that reason alone.
‘The Life Transparent’ is the first of a trilogy and Keisling expertly walks the fine line between offering a satisfying ending to this particular book, but leaving enough open to offer a lot of exciting possibilities for a sequel. The world-building is inventive and unique and there is a lot of ground that could be covered with a second book. This story leaves its lead characters in a different place by the closing chapter and it’s refreshing to see the set-up in place hinting at a very different follow-up.
A Life Transparent is exciting, action-packed and unique, defying definition and expectation and its broad appeal and likeable characters mean that I can’t imagine anyone not having a great time with this book. Sign me up for the sequel!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter and Instagram - @RickReadsHorror
June 12, 2024
What if a job in sales entailed selling yourself short, literally? That's the question Keisling invites you to contemplate here.
The world building was pretty frigging fantastic and I'm an absolute sucker for stories featuring the whole supernatural underworld somehow connected to our own where a character is somehow granted access to more or less against their own will. Don was a generally pretty likeable character so it was easy to stay invested in what happened to him and to feel for him.
That being said, I wasn't really impressed with what made people "saturated with mediocrity" though, but I'm the type to think that finding comfort and joy in the mundane is great so maybe I felt just a smidge called out. Also, what happened to Mr. Precious Paws? Unforgivable!
The world building was pretty frigging fantastic and I'm an absolute sucker for stories featuring the whole supernatural underworld somehow connected to our own where a character is somehow granted access to more or less against their own will. Don was a generally pretty likeable character so it was easy to stay invested in what happened to him and to feel for him.
That being said, I wasn't really impressed with what made people "saturated with mediocrity" though, but I'm the type to think that finding comfort and joy in the mundane is great so maybe I felt just a smidge called out. Also, what happened to Mr. Precious Paws? Unforgivable!
June 8, 2014
This was a pleasant surprise. An actually original story, albeit with an old sentiment behind it. Boredom, tedium, complacency are not just not good, they are also dangerous as made by Keisling. When all work and no play makes Donovan Candle a dull boy, he begins to flicker in and out of life and must find out what's going on and how to stop it. Turns out dullness is a sort of purgatory of its own named Monochrome with its own rules and nightmares. The writing was good, but the star of the show here is the story or the idea behind it. This is first book of trilogy, more tolerable than series, but would have been perfectly fine left as a stand alone. Very quick entertaining (because one has to fight the boredom every day in every way...or flicker) read. Recommended.
February 24, 2021
Donovan in spot of trouble, in and out kind, a flickering of matter, one minute here the next somewhere else, caught in a realm of the illogical in a world of monochrome he finds his pursuit of happiness under question as certain developments have him reevaluate his life.
A wife taken and need for safety and return also contained within.
Donovan felt he wasn’t living up to his expectations and felt failed on many levels.
Then there is the envy of the brother’s better success and he being too complicit in life and his brother the opposite.
Donovan failed at writing a great American novel he mentions due to work and marriage and he his is trying to write one big novel but with creative block, now with this Monochrome he may find a major creativity obstacle.
Interesting theme on how a life is lived and expectations of it, the mundane, the dissatisfactions, and the pursuits of happiness with an anti 9-5 city-life tale, in a Scifi and noir speculative mystery.
It could have been a pi styled novel without the Scifi and speculative concoction and one would still have no trouble reading it and being immersed with an identity and self in peril and the authors crafting the right pace and words needed to make a story like this work.
This is a reissue and revised with a very personal afterward, one now eager on reading the rest of the trilogy.
Review with excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/a-life-transparent-by-todd-keisling/
A wife taken and need for safety and return also contained within.
Donovan felt he wasn’t living up to his expectations and felt failed on many levels.
Then there is the envy of the brother’s better success and he being too complicit in life and his brother the opposite.
Donovan failed at writing a great American novel he mentions due to work and marriage and he his is trying to write one big novel but with creative block, now with this Monochrome he may find a major creativity obstacle.
Interesting theme on how a life is lived and expectations of it, the mundane, the dissatisfactions, and the pursuits of happiness with an anti 9-5 city-life tale, in a Scifi and noir speculative mystery.
It could have been a pi styled novel without the Scifi and speculative concoction and one would still have no trouble reading it and being immersed with an identity and self in peril and the authors crafting the right pace and words needed to make a story like this work.
This is a reissue and revised with a very personal afterward, one now eager on reading the rest of the trilogy.
Review with excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/a-life-transparent-by-todd-keisling/
April 17, 2012
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Speculative fiction
40% - Sci-fi
10% - Brotherhood
10% – Marriage
Science fiction novels intimidate me because I worry my imagination may not be vibrant enough to keep up with their exotic ideas and visual inventions. Those worries were quelled in "A Life Transparent" for two reasons. First, the majority of the sci-fi content in the novel relates not to visible things, but to things becoming invisible. And second, Keisling does an admirable job of maintaining a narrow scope and keeping the focus on his characters.
The novel's unsettling premise and examination of modern American society elevate it from the standard fare found in the thriller genre. There is no shortage of plot twists, and the kidnapped wife storyline is key to advancing the action and delivering a conclusion that carries some weight. "A Life Transparent" is a quick read with some crafty symbolism and a powerful message.
Noteworthy Quote:
He cursed his imagination for breeding a Southern detective, and cursed himself for letting the character become the voice of his inner monologue.
L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Speculative fiction
40% - Sci-fi
10% - Brotherhood
10% – Marriage
Science fiction novels intimidate me because I worry my imagination may not be vibrant enough to keep up with their exotic ideas and visual inventions. Those worries were quelled in "A Life Transparent" for two reasons. First, the majority of the sci-fi content in the novel relates not to visible things, but to things becoming invisible. And second, Keisling does an admirable job of maintaining a narrow scope and keeping the focus on his characters.
The novel's unsettling premise and examination of modern American society elevate it from the standard fare found in the thriller genre. There is no shortage of plot twists, and the kidnapped wife storyline is key to advancing the action and delivering a conclusion that carries some weight. "A Life Transparent" is a quick read with some crafty symbolism and a powerful message.
Noteworthy Quote:
He cursed his imagination for breeding a Southern detective, and cursed himself for letting the character become the voice of his inner monologue.
July 8, 2012
Not my usual genre, but the book drew me into the story and I thorougly enjoyed it. Anticipating more from Keisling.
February 28, 2021
Before Devil’s Creek knocked the indie horror scene on it’s ass last year, there was A Life Transparent. You just didn’t know it. While elements of horror pop up in the first entry in the Monochrome trilogy in the form of monsters and a creepy villain, the real horror comes from the everyday.
Following main character Donovan Candle, Keisling explores the all-too common idea of falling into a joysucking vocation that doesn’t remotely resemble what you thought you’d be doing with your life. Sacrificing your worth for a steady 9-5 paycheck. Candle begins to flicker in and out of existence and the story snowballs from there, delving into the weird and territory that would feel at home in science fiction.
Keisling’s characters serve as archetypes, telling a cautionary tale as much as exploring a personal journey. The strife revolving around everything from being underappreciated in a dead-end job to trying to balance personal responsibility with truly living make the story and main characters immensely relatable.
The degree of fear harnessed from fading away while the rest of the world remains indifferent around you reaches out to a primal nature within us all.
Keisling keeps the first book in this trilogy well contained while offering up nuggets and leaving some threads to tug on for future stories. We end up with a book that satisfies on its own, but teases the reader with a wider world and further adventures to be had. The expanded version, namely the added coda, go a long way with set up, and the afterword from the author serve to enhance the reader’s understanding and enjoyment.
Check out A Life Transparent from Bloodshot Books and be on the lookout for the other books in the trilogy - The Liminal Man and Non-Entity - coming later this year.
I received a copy from the author for review consideration.
Following main character Donovan Candle, Keisling explores the all-too common idea of falling into a joysucking vocation that doesn’t remotely resemble what you thought you’d be doing with your life. Sacrificing your worth for a steady 9-5 paycheck. Candle begins to flicker in and out of existence and the story snowballs from there, delving into the weird and territory that would feel at home in science fiction.
Keisling’s characters serve as archetypes, telling a cautionary tale as much as exploring a personal journey. The strife revolving around everything from being underappreciated in a dead-end job to trying to balance personal responsibility with truly living make the story and main characters immensely relatable.
The degree of fear harnessed from fading away while the rest of the world remains indifferent around you reaches out to a primal nature within us all.
Keisling keeps the first book in this trilogy well contained while offering up nuggets and leaving some threads to tug on for future stories. We end up with a book that satisfies on its own, but teases the reader with a wider world and further adventures to be had. The expanded version, namely the added coda, go a long way with set up, and the afterword from the author serve to enhance the reader’s understanding and enjoyment.
Check out A Life Transparent from Bloodshot Books and be on the lookout for the other books in the trilogy - The Liminal Man and Non-Entity - coming later this year.
I received a copy from the author for review consideration.
February 20, 2021
Simply put, Todd Keisling’s
Devil's Creek
is one of the most outstanding novels of 2020 and of such quality the author deserves to have a new legion of curious fans flocking to their work. Hopefully for Todd, such readers find themselves sifting through his impressive back catalogue, which features novellas, short stories, collections, and other novels. A Life Transparent is the oldest of these, first published in 2007, with its sequel
The Liminal Man
following five years later. Keisling was fresh out of college when he wrote this first effort and in the fascinating end notes reveals that he has tidied the manuscript up slightly and made several minor chapter amendments, otherwise it is relatively unchanged from first time around. The author also promises a brand new, third and final book, at some point in the not-too-distant future.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
January 28, 2022
"We will shuffle you off your banal coil, Mr. Sparrow, and it will be glorious."
Donovan Candle is just like you and I, living a happy if somewhat mundane life. He is caught up in the trappings of a day-to-day grind, working a job that is not as meaningful as he'd like to save for things that are just out of reach. Missing out on the little joys that surround him in lieu of a bigger picture.
But when he begins to feel pulled from the tangibility of this existence he starts to flicker-out, crossing over from the saturated world to that of the Monochrome, a gray-scale world populated by lost, boring souls.
Donovan must change his ways, break away from the banality his life has become and complete a task for the ruler of the Monochrome. His soul isn't the only one at risk.
I dug this book quite a bit, and it seemed to be speaking to me at times as sometimes I too feel like I'm getting caught up in the mundane and not capturing the little joys that wisp in and out of our grasp everyday. A Life Transparent is an easy path to fall into and can be tough to break out of.
The story flows at a brisk pace and is inhabited by interesting characters. A strength of Mr. Keisling is that he creates strong, believable characters that act and speak in a non-clichéd manor. It's a refreshing trait and it helps his stories break away from the path that you, the reader, are expecting.
Albert Sparrow is a baddie with great potential who doesn't get to really unfurl his darkness. And there is a rad scene involving the Yawning, one of the creatures that populate the Monochrome, attacking one of Aleister Dullington's (ruler of the monochrome) subservients, more of that, please.
I'm also curious to know more about Dullington's endgame. What purpose do these lost souls have, why does he need/ want them. As this is the first entry in a trilogy I expect to get more of what I looking for in the following chapters. I am fully invested in Donovan Candle's tribulations and I am excited to see where he goes from here, perhaps a little face-to-face time with Sparrow is in order. One can only hope.
"Mr. Candle, if you interrupt me again, I will see to it that your wife's non-vital organs are separated from her body."
The Mouths of Madness Podcast
Donovan Candle is just like you and I, living a happy if somewhat mundane life. He is caught up in the trappings of a day-to-day grind, working a job that is not as meaningful as he'd like to save for things that are just out of reach. Missing out on the little joys that surround him in lieu of a bigger picture.
But when he begins to feel pulled from the tangibility of this existence he starts to flicker-out, crossing over from the saturated world to that of the Monochrome, a gray-scale world populated by lost, boring souls.
Donovan must change his ways, break away from the banality his life has become and complete a task for the ruler of the Monochrome. His soul isn't the only one at risk.
I dug this book quite a bit, and it seemed to be speaking to me at times as sometimes I too feel like I'm getting caught up in the mundane and not capturing the little joys that wisp in and out of our grasp everyday. A Life Transparent is an easy path to fall into and can be tough to break out of.
The story flows at a brisk pace and is inhabited by interesting characters. A strength of Mr. Keisling is that he creates strong, believable characters that act and speak in a non-clichéd manor. It's a refreshing trait and it helps his stories break away from the path that you, the reader, are expecting.
Albert Sparrow is a baddie with great potential who doesn't get to really unfurl his darkness. And there is a rad scene involving the Yawning, one of the creatures that populate the Monochrome, attacking one of Aleister Dullington's (ruler of the monochrome) subservients, more of that, please.
I'm also curious to know more about Dullington's endgame. What purpose do these lost souls have, why does he need/ want them. As this is the first entry in a trilogy I expect to get more of what I looking for in the following chapters. I am fully invested in Donovan Candle's tribulations and I am excited to see where he goes from here, perhaps a little face-to-face time with Sparrow is in order. One can only hope.
"Mr. Candle, if you interrupt me again, I will see to it that your wife's non-vital organs are separated from her body."
The Mouths of Madness Podcast
May 30, 2014
I read 70 percent of this book in one night, and finished it up the next day. Keisling created a character who was memorable due to his being unremarkable. Donovan Candle is a stable, hardworking, average Joe who isn't the best at anything. He is mundane. He isn't living to his full potential. He's painfully ordinary.
Keisling's horror of the mundane bleeds through in this work. I found myself growing to like Donovan and especially his brother. The premise was unique and I especially liked the Cretins and The Yawning, who were different and creepy. Solidly written with an ending that satisfies. I'll be reading the rest of the Monochrome Trilogy.
Keisling's horror of the mundane bleeds through in this work. I found myself growing to like Donovan and especially his brother. The premise was unique and I especially liked the Cretins and The Yawning, who were different and creepy. Solidly written with an ending that satisfies. I'll be reading the rest of the Monochrome Trilogy.
March 16, 2012
Todd Keisling’s A Life Transparent explores the universal desire to make a mark and leave something tangible behind, but lead Donovan Candle is about to find out what happens when one does not live up to one’s potential.
Read my full review HERE and enter to win a copy (contest closes midnight Fri. Mar. 16)
Read my full review HERE and enter to win a copy (contest closes midnight Fri. Mar. 16)
May 19, 2011
What's worth than death? Being forgotten. Even worse? It's all your fault.
A Life Transparent may be fiction, but you'll quickly relate to the book's main character, Donovan Candle. A guy who thought he had life pretty much figured out only to find out he was from it.
This book will kick you in the head and by the end, you'll be re-examining your life.
(I actually give this a 4.5 rating)
A Life Transparent may be fiction, but you'll quickly relate to the book's main character, Donovan Candle. A guy who thought he had life pretty much figured out only to find out he was from it.
This book will kick you in the head and by the end, you'll be re-examining your life.
(I actually give this a 4.5 rating)
October 29, 2011
Reviewed by Jennifer Bacile
...I doubt Mr. Keisling intended his excellent tale as a ‘kick in the pants’ to his readers, but it was a good kick in the pants to have, from an unexpected place...
Read the entire review at ParaYourNormal
...I doubt Mr. Keisling intended his excellent tale as a ‘kick in the pants’ to his readers, but it was a good kick in the pants to have, from an unexpected place...
Read the entire review at ParaYourNormal
April 9, 2012
It's not my usual type of book, but all in all, I loved it. It was nicely written and observed a point of view I had never thought about. I highly recommend this book.
September 14, 2013
Wow. This was a great read. A wake up call, if I may call it that way. I recommended it!
May 16, 2021
4.5 rounded to 5! Review soon
March 1, 2021
I went into this knowing that it wasn't going to be anything like Devil's Creek, in my opinion, Keisling's best book to date. I knew going in that A Life Transparent is a more philosophical book. So maybe you need to know that going in as well. It's a story about a man who has a mundane life, wife, and job. Nothing about him is worth writing a note about, never mind a book. That is until he begins to flicker. Flicker like a candle in the wind.
He's introduced to a world covered in shades of gray. Literally. The Monochrome. It's a place where the yawning, these towering creatures that can unhinge their jaws and suck you in like they are the walking encasement of a wormhole, and Cretins, little creatures that jump on people's shoulders and whisper in their ears, slowly causing others to forget about you. Of course, there has to be a bad guy in this world. A ruler. And there is. But other reviews will surely cover him. I'd like to talk about how the Monochrome could easily be considered an alternate universe to that of The Matrix. What I mean by that is, it's a world within our world. A world that doesn't make much sense. A world that abducts people from our world for itself and there is no stopping it. There were certain scenes, particularly the last one that deals with a character named Alice, that reminded me of a later scene in the first Matrix film. For that reason, at times, Transparent put a smile on my face.
I don't consider this a slow-burn novel, rather, I consider it to be a story that builds up toward pure chaos in book 3. Although this was originally intended to be a standalone, Transparent has a lot of worldbuilding and good pacing in it where it maintains its entertainment value as well. Second one drops later this summer with the third a few months after that this year (2021).
All-in-all, this book is a weird sci-fi with moments of dread. Like any good artist, it showcases Keisling's ability to throw the reader in a new story while entertaining them from the first to the last page.
He's introduced to a world covered in shades of gray. Literally. The Monochrome. It's a place where the yawning, these towering creatures that can unhinge their jaws and suck you in like they are the walking encasement of a wormhole, and Cretins, little creatures that jump on people's shoulders and whisper in their ears, slowly causing others to forget about you. Of course, there has to be a bad guy in this world. A ruler. And there is. But other reviews will surely cover him. I'd like to talk about how the Monochrome could easily be considered an alternate universe to that of The Matrix. What I mean by that is, it's a world within our world. A world that doesn't make much sense. A world that abducts people from our world for itself and there is no stopping it. There were certain scenes, particularly the last one that deals with a character named Alice, that reminded me of a later scene in the first Matrix film. For that reason, at times, Transparent put a smile on my face.
I don't consider this a slow-burn novel, rather, I consider it to be a story that builds up toward pure chaos in book 3. Although this was originally intended to be a standalone, Transparent has a lot of worldbuilding and good pacing in it where it maintains its entertainment value as well. Second one drops later this summer with the third a few months after that this year (2021).
All-in-all, this book is a weird sci-fi with moments of dread. Like any good artist, it showcases Keisling's ability to throw the reader in a new story while entertaining them from the first to the last page.
May 10, 2021
After a brief prologue to give us a taste of the Monochrome and the background of the book, we meet Donovan Candle, the protagonist. Once a budding author, he seems to have become stagnant in his life, working a tedious office job and just waiting for that promotion. While he is happily married, there seems to be little else in his life to be happy about, with having to cut back on spending and being frustrated by his current writing project, not to mention a strained relationship with his brother. So far, Donovan’s existence can be described as mundane, and often depressing. But this changes when he begins to experience the unusual phenomenon of disappearing from view.
While this experience reflects the way he has come to view his life, with co-workers failing to acknowledge him and even his own wife, Donna, seemingly ignoring his comments, it does present him with the opportunity to prove himself. After a week of fading out of reality, with the occurrences growing more frequent and the effects worsening (Donna becoming more and more distant, and the appearance of shadowy and frightening figures), mysterious and sinister Aleister Dullington makes his move. Through a kidnapping by Dullington’s minion, he hopes to force Donovan to find Albert Sparrow, a man who escaped Dullington’s clutches in the past, and continues to elude him. But, given Donovan’s dull and uninteresting existence up to this point, will he be able to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done?
Keisling captures the hopelessness of Donovan’s situation in the beginning of the book, so much so that the reader could be forgiven for being concerned for the author’s frame of mind at the time. With Donovan being a budding author himself, losing his self-confidence thanks to a thankless job that just about covers the bills and leaves little time for creativity, many readers with aspirations of one day penning their own bestseller may recognise themselves in the protagonist. With that said, once Donovan is forced into action by the demands of Dullington and the realisation that there is more to perceived reality than meets the eye, the excitement picks up and we feel invested in Donovan’s quest, as though we are along for the ride.
Being the first book in the trilogy, Keisling must walk a fine line between showing too much too soon and, thus, risking the narrative becoming bogged down in exposition about the Monochrome and the roles played by Dullington and Sparrow, or not showing enough to keep the reader interested. Keeping Dullington at arm’s length, maintaining an air of mystery around him, and having him rely on his henchman to coerce Donovan, not only creates tension about the antagonist and the extent of his influence, but also builds anticipation for book two. Reader’s will be excited to further witness Donovan’s transition from a dull drone to a man of action. With a rich mythology hinted at throughout book one, and with a credible protagonist in whom we can all believe and root for, as well as a delightfully sinister antagonist, old and new Monochrome fans alike will be eagerly anticipating the completion of the trilogy.
While this experience reflects the way he has come to view his life, with co-workers failing to acknowledge him and even his own wife, Donna, seemingly ignoring his comments, it does present him with the opportunity to prove himself. After a week of fading out of reality, with the occurrences growing more frequent and the effects worsening (Donna becoming more and more distant, and the appearance of shadowy and frightening figures), mysterious and sinister Aleister Dullington makes his move. Through a kidnapping by Dullington’s minion, he hopes to force Donovan to find Albert Sparrow, a man who escaped Dullington’s clutches in the past, and continues to elude him. But, given Donovan’s dull and uninteresting existence up to this point, will he be able to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done?
Keisling captures the hopelessness of Donovan’s situation in the beginning of the book, so much so that the reader could be forgiven for being concerned for the author’s frame of mind at the time. With Donovan being a budding author himself, losing his self-confidence thanks to a thankless job that just about covers the bills and leaves little time for creativity, many readers with aspirations of one day penning their own bestseller may recognise themselves in the protagonist. With that said, once Donovan is forced into action by the demands of Dullington and the realisation that there is more to perceived reality than meets the eye, the excitement picks up and we feel invested in Donovan’s quest, as though we are along for the ride.
Being the first book in the trilogy, Keisling must walk a fine line between showing too much too soon and, thus, risking the narrative becoming bogged down in exposition about the Monochrome and the roles played by Dullington and Sparrow, or not showing enough to keep the reader interested. Keeping Dullington at arm’s length, maintaining an air of mystery around him, and having him rely on his henchman to coerce Donovan, not only creates tension about the antagonist and the extent of his influence, but also builds anticipation for book two. Reader’s will be excited to further witness Donovan’s transition from a dull drone to a man of action. With a rich mythology hinted at throughout book one, and with a credible protagonist in whom we can all believe and root for, as well as a delightfully sinister antagonist, old and new Monochrome fans alike will be eagerly anticipating the completion of the trilogy.
April 18, 2021
Imagine a life where your entire existence seems meaningless, riddled with complacency, and plagued by banality. You begin to fade into the background, a hollow shell of your former self. No longer acknowledged by those around you, slipping into the Monochrome. Donovan Candle is an ordinary man, toiling away, empty and unsatisfied. The almost decade of his life spent at his dead-end job is catching up to him. He is bored and complacent, focusing on work. His dedication to work has led to strife with his wife. His obsession with money and preparing for the future, has placed a strain on their relationship.
Deeply devoted to Identinel just isn’t enough for Donovan, he has slipped under their radar despite his hard work. Destined to never ascend the corporate ladder. Deep down, he knows something is not right, he’s been working harder, putting in more effort to get noticed, to no avail. He is quickly fading from reality, yet no one seems to notice. Eyes forward and heads down his colleagues are unaware of the strange phenomenon taking place around them.
Donovan is blinking so to speak and when those blinks become more common, he begins to panic. On the other side of these blinks, he sees grey, or more like the absence of color. Enter the Monochrome, a realm lacking life in the traditional sense. Those who have succumbed to complacency call it home. It's teeming with strange creatures, littered throughout our world, that seems to cover the existence of the Monochrome and wipe out the memory of those that are slipping from our world. Yet, these are the least of his worries, there is something much larger lurking around. The Yawnings and Cretins are controlled by Aleister Dullington, answering his every call.
My favorite part of A Life Transparent is Keisling’s ability to grip the reader, he had me, I kept digging through the pages and before I knew it, it was over. I read this in a single sitting. The world had me engrossed, the characters, the plot, it all hit for me. When I think back to my experience with this novel, I become anxious, what if this was real. What if we really could be sucked into an alternate parallel dimension? Would we be able to see other dimensions around us?
This was my first experience with Kiesling’s work, and it paved the way for my interest in his other works. At the time of writing this I have since read Scanlines, which is utterly terrifying, and I’m currently reading Devil’s Creek, and I must say if you were unaware, he is surely one to watch.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Todd Keisling for providing me with an e-ARC for review consideration.
Deeply devoted to Identinel just isn’t enough for Donovan, he has slipped under their radar despite his hard work. Destined to never ascend the corporate ladder. Deep down, he knows something is not right, he’s been working harder, putting in more effort to get noticed, to no avail. He is quickly fading from reality, yet no one seems to notice. Eyes forward and heads down his colleagues are unaware of the strange phenomenon taking place around them.
Donovan is blinking so to speak and when those blinks become more common, he begins to panic. On the other side of these blinks, he sees grey, or more like the absence of color. Enter the Monochrome, a realm lacking life in the traditional sense. Those who have succumbed to complacency call it home. It's teeming with strange creatures, littered throughout our world, that seems to cover the existence of the Monochrome and wipe out the memory of those that are slipping from our world. Yet, these are the least of his worries, there is something much larger lurking around. The Yawnings and Cretins are controlled by Aleister Dullington, answering his every call.
My favorite part of A Life Transparent is Keisling’s ability to grip the reader, he had me, I kept digging through the pages and before I knew it, it was over. I read this in a single sitting. The world had me engrossed, the characters, the plot, it all hit for me. When I think back to my experience with this novel, I become anxious, what if this was real. What if we really could be sucked into an alternate parallel dimension? Would we be able to see other dimensions around us?
This was my first experience with Kiesling’s work, and it paved the way for my interest in his other works. At the time of writing this I have since read Scanlines, which is utterly terrifying, and I’m currently reading Devil’s Creek, and I must say if you were unaware, he is surely one to watch.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Todd Keisling for providing me with an e-ARC for review consideration.
April 1, 2022
A LIFE TRANSPARENT: BOOK ONE OF THE MONOCHROME TRILOGY – by Todd Keisling
‘In the time since, Donovan rolled with life’s
punches, working his a** off to keep the seams of his world from tearing. At the
center was Donna, and if he could overcome those early years of hardship, he
could overcome this—whatever it was.’
As I made my way through the pages of Book One in the Monochrome Trilogy, it was like looking in a mirror, my life on the page—by stories end, I couldn’t help but wonder if the flickering image looking back at me each morn is real or just an illusion.
Love This! – From The Afterword:
‘We can only look forward with the
experience of where we’ve been, and hope that where we’re headed is a little
easier, the road not quite as bumpy and cracked. And things rarely ever work out
that way, do they?’
Thank you, Todd Keisling, for providing me with an eBook of A LIFE TRANSPARENT at the request of an honest review.
‘In the time since, Donovan rolled with life’s
punches, working his a** off to keep the seams of his world from tearing. At the
center was Donna, and if he could overcome those early years of hardship, he
could overcome this—whatever it was.’
As I made my way through the pages of Book One in the Monochrome Trilogy, it was like looking in a mirror, my life on the page—by stories end, I couldn’t help but wonder if the flickering image looking back at me each morn is real or just an illusion.
Love This! – From The Afterword:
‘We can only look forward with the
experience of where we’ve been, and hope that where we’re headed is a little
easier, the road not quite as bumpy and cracked. And things rarely ever work out
that way, do they?’
Thank you, Todd Keisling, for providing me with an eBook of A LIFE TRANSPARENT at the request of an honest review.
November 2, 2013
There were two reasons I picked up this book 1- Because my husband knows Todd from high school and read the first release. He told me about it several times. So, when we got the rerelease, he said I should read it.
2- I wanted to support an author and expand my typical genre
Now for the reasons I read this book pretty much in one sitting. Todd did a masterful job at engaging interest, keeping the story going and creating suspense without getting too bogged down in details that I didn't even realize were "missing".
This book was challenging: I recognize some tendencies in myself similar to Donovan's. I often try my best to be invisible and Donovan's experience in the monochrome was sobering and revelatory.
Somewhat related: My mother wanted to read this book just by reading the title. She had come to visit my husband and I for the weekend, grabbed the book and read it in one day. She kept laughing at herself for not being able to stop reading to visit with us. Also, she abhorred "horror". She kept asking me when his new book was coming out.
Well done, Todd.
2- I wanted to support an author and expand my typical genre
Now for the reasons I read this book pretty much in one sitting. Todd did a masterful job at engaging interest, keeping the story going and creating suspense without getting too bogged down in details that I didn't even realize were "missing".
This book was challenging: I recognize some tendencies in myself similar to Donovan's. I often try my best to be invisible and Donovan's experience in the monochrome was sobering and revelatory.
Somewhat related: My mother wanted to read this book just by reading the title. She had come to visit my husband and I for the weekend, grabbed the book and read it in one day. She kept laughing at herself for not being able to stop reading to visit with us. Also, she abhorred "horror". She kept asking me when his new book was coming out.
Well done, Todd.
November 5, 2014
Todd Keisling
It took me only one day to complete this book, the story and plot line was so good that I had no choice but to continue reading.
good suspense,good character development.
with that being said I also learned a few things ..
the word monochrome and cretins.
A fast-paced, easy read that envelopes you in an intricate sci-fi adventure ...generally,the book moves very quickly, but chapters with a more leisurely pace helped keep the tension high and the story moving without allowing the reader to become bored.
I enjoyed it ..
my fav part line is "the human existence isn't meant to be confined to a box, computer screen, a telephone, or any other device for a large amount of time.We begin to loose touch with reality, with our loved ones, with our own lives.Mediocrity is a disease of our society, and unlike diseases of the natural world, this one is entirely man made. Affliction is a choice!!
once part of the Monochrome, always part of the Monochrome:)
It took me only one day to complete this book, the story and plot line was so good that I had no choice but to continue reading.
good suspense,good character development.
with that being said I also learned a few things ..
the word monochrome and cretins.
A fast-paced, easy read that envelopes you in an intricate sci-fi adventure ...generally,the book moves very quickly, but chapters with a more leisurely pace helped keep the tension high and the story moving without allowing the reader to become bored.
I enjoyed it ..
my fav part line is "the human existence isn't meant to be confined to a box, computer screen, a telephone, or any other device for a large amount of time.We begin to loose touch with reality, with our loved ones, with our own lives.Mediocrity is a disease of our society, and unlike diseases of the natural world, this one is entirely man made. Affliction is a choice!!
once part of the Monochrome, always part of the Monochrome:)
July 22, 2014
This story follows Donovan Candle, an average person seeming to lead a rather ho-hum life, until he ends up skirting worlds on a adventure that could change his life. Donovan is a great character, as I think everyone can see some of themselves in him as he works through his fantastical experiences. The world within in a world aspects are set up nicely, and it comes to a nice conclusion, while setting up future stories.
June 7, 2014
An enjoyable story about a man whose choices have led to a dull life and dull job and what happens when the consequences of those choices threaten those he loves. I'm sure the vast majority of us have taken a gig because they were the only one to call back out of all the applications we've put out. Many of us have fallen into a routine because its easier than taking risks. But what if there was something that fed on that apathy and could use it against us? Find out here!
September 11, 2015
I love this book greatly, I enjoy the storyline and love the characters. This novel is fresh in every way possible and I'll always be glad to have it among my many books. Todd knows how to write, so if I were you I pick up this book and don't put it down, this is not the kind of story you want to miss.
July 25, 2009
Wow, what can I say? I have never really been a fan of the whole sci-fi thing. However, this book was selected for our book club. I am so glad I read it. It is a relatively short book, with a big message. It really made me stop and think about the way I live my life and my routines. To me, any book that can do this is a great book. I recommend this book to everyone.
August 10, 2012
I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The premise is completely original, and the plotting fast paced. I think what I liked best is the way the plot doesn't overpower theme. I felt there was a clear and concise message throughout the narrative, which lends an extra layer of meaning, and thereby depth, to the novel. Highly recommended.
January 19, 2011
I reviewed this book for Smash Cake Magazine recently, and was amazed by how quickly I fell into the character's world. These pages contain a smooth ride and weird, archetypal imagery that I couldn't shake back out of my head.
I dug it.
I dug it.
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