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Racing With the Devil
It’s Halloween night in 1987. The era of fast cars, big hair, and glam metal is in full swing. A group of young friends push their appetite for destruction to the limit as they race along dark and dangerous back roads in search of a rumored epic spook night beer bash out in the boonies. But things take a tragic turn when they encounter a smirking villain in a sinister black car. They become trapped in haunted nightmare country with no obvious way out. Before long, it’s time to strap in tight, grab another cold one, and race with the devil. First to the finish line might even get to live.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2021
About the author
Bryan Smith
110 books779 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 8, 2022
Nice piece of nostalgia! Some dudes are cruising around in a Camaro and meet some devil ("Lou") driving a Corvette who wants to race them. Some eerie moments (Concert of the legends, the rest area). And of course music. Appetite for Destruction by G n' R was released back then. Reference to Megadeth, Metallica and of course Deep Purple's Highway Star. The novel is set in 1987 which brings back many memories on youth (seems just like yesterday). The story itself? Okay, but nothing too extraordinary. It's the feeling and the music. The tale lives through memory of 1987. There is even a playlist mentioned at the end on spotify... recommended for all those spending their youth in the 80s.
March 5, 2026
This was my first experience with Bryan Smith. I didn’t love the story, but didn’t dislike it, either. The initial portion of the book had many examples of poor sentence structure and honestly just felt like an excuse to put in 80s callbacks. The music references alone were probably in the hundreds. I get what he was trying to go for, but it came across as overkill. He could have simplified the approach here by including maybe a handful of classic 80s rock songs, but including more of the lyrics, making them apply aptly to the scenes they were placed in, rather than just list the bands repeatedly. And for such a short story, it took awhile for things to come together, but the latter parts were a much needed improvement. The ending also felt sort of abrupt and without the expected payoff, too. But it had some fun moments, was fast paced, and had some enjoyable aspects. Overall, I feel like if the 80s references were toned down a bit, leaving room to fine tune the more important parts of the story, it all would have come across as a much better story.
May 8, 2022
A wild ride of nostalgic 80s horror. Dennis and his friends are out looking for a wild party on Halloween night, but they find something much more sinister. This isn't one of Smith's more brutal novels, but it's a great read nonetheless.
October 2, 2021
One of the reasons why I always pick up a new Bryan Smith book as soon as it’s released is that I never quite know what to expect. While I’d associate his books with strong female characters, a grindhouse aesthetic and a punk rock, anything-goes attitude, Smith uses these tools in a lot of different genres and styles and, particularly in recent years, each book has been very distinct from the last, whether that be a long-awaited sequel to perhaps his best know work (Depraved 4), a Murder Mystery (Invitation to Death) or an ode to Slasher Movies (The Unseen). I’m happy to say that trend continues with his latest novella, ‘Racing With the Devil’.
Set in the 1980s, ‘Racing With the Devil’ follows four young friends with a case of beer, a Chevrolet Camaro, and no place to be. Each one has their own problems, whether that be recent break-ups, unemployment or a lack of direction in their lives but tonight they’re looking to forget their troubles and have a few drinks and a good time.
Their big night out soon sours when a mysterious car with blacked-out windows begins to follow them, culminating in a showdown at a seemingly abandoned gas station. This encounter will take the boys on a nightmarish journey through a world where time has no meaning and hope is a lost cause and the only way out is a race with the devil himself.
Anyone who has read a Bryan Smith book before will know to expect a fast-paced, gory and exciting story and ‘Racing With The Devil’ doesn’t disappoint on any count. Like his previous novel, The Unseen, Smith has embraced some much bigger and weirder concepts than some of his more grim and grounded earlier work, and the end result reads like a cross between ‘Drive Angry’ and ‘The Endless’. The horror is toned down from some of his more extreme efforts (such as the ‘Depraved’ series) but there is more than enough to satisfy his fans, and the story itself is more than enough to keep readers engaged. In typical Smith style, it introduces a fun concept and keeps you guessing how things will play out until the very last page.
Metal fans will get a huge kick out of the references in the book. Any hard rock band big in the early 80s gets a namecheck and the way they’re dotted into the story is very organic and makes the whole book feel very cinematic. We first meet the devil as he pulls up in his car blasting AC/DCs ‘Highway to Hell’, an epic chase scene features a band playing Iron Maiden’s ‘Run to the Hills’ and the titular race with the Devil kicks off with ‘Highway Star’ by Deep Purple. If Hollywood ever makes this into a movie (and they absolutely should) I can guarantee two things. It’d be amazing, and the song rights would cost an absolute fortune.
A balls to the wall action epic and a love letter to fast cars and faster tunes, ‘Running With The Devil’ delivers exactly what you want from a Bryan Smith book. It’s got some memorable characters, great set-pieces and is an absolute ton of fun to read. The fact that such a prolific author can put out such consistently entertaining books is another reason why any new Bryan Smith release should go straight to the top of any horror fans reading pile.
Set in the 1980s, ‘Racing With the Devil’ follows four young friends with a case of beer, a Chevrolet Camaro, and no place to be. Each one has their own problems, whether that be recent break-ups, unemployment or a lack of direction in their lives but tonight they’re looking to forget their troubles and have a few drinks and a good time.
Their big night out soon sours when a mysterious car with blacked-out windows begins to follow them, culminating in a showdown at a seemingly abandoned gas station. This encounter will take the boys on a nightmarish journey through a world where time has no meaning and hope is a lost cause and the only way out is a race with the devil himself.
Anyone who has read a Bryan Smith book before will know to expect a fast-paced, gory and exciting story and ‘Racing With The Devil’ doesn’t disappoint on any count. Like his previous novel, The Unseen, Smith has embraced some much bigger and weirder concepts than some of his more grim and grounded earlier work, and the end result reads like a cross between ‘Drive Angry’ and ‘The Endless’. The horror is toned down from some of his more extreme efforts (such as the ‘Depraved’ series) but there is more than enough to satisfy his fans, and the story itself is more than enough to keep readers engaged. In typical Smith style, it introduces a fun concept and keeps you guessing how things will play out until the very last page.
Metal fans will get a huge kick out of the references in the book. Any hard rock band big in the early 80s gets a namecheck and the way they’re dotted into the story is very organic and makes the whole book feel very cinematic. We first meet the devil as he pulls up in his car blasting AC/DCs ‘Highway to Hell’, an epic chase scene features a band playing Iron Maiden’s ‘Run to the Hills’ and the titular race with the Devil kicks off with ‘Highway Star’ by Deep Purple. If Hollywood ever makes this into a movie (and they absolutely should) I can guarantee two things. It’d be amazing, and the song rights would cost an absolute fortune.
A balls to the wall action epic and a love letter to fast cars and faster tunes, ‘Running With The Devil’ delivers exactly what you want from a Bryan Smith book. It’s got some memorable characters, great set-pieces and is an absolute ton of fun to read. The fact that such a prolific author can put out such consistently entertaining books is another reason why any new Bryan Smith release should go straight to the top of any horror fans reading pile.
October 16, 2021
Not your typical Bryan Smith story
Here’s the thing…. If you are a Bryan Smith fan, you will find this to be quite different than his usual fare. At the same time, it feels authentically Bryan: You have beer, muscle cars, and heavy metal.
Instead of a splatterpunk story, he gave us a ghost story.
I had an issue with some of the story logic, but I did feel it was a compelling and heartfelt read. It is an extremely quick read so the point and moral of the story is obvious. I liked this book, but didn’t love it.
Here’s the thing…. If you are a Bryan Smith fan, you will find this to be quite different than his usual fare. At the same time, it feels authentically Bryan: You have beer, muscle cars, and heavy metal.
Instead of a splatterpunk story, he gave us a ghost story.
I had an issue with some of the story logic, but I did feel it was a compelling and heartfelt read. It is an extremely quick read so the point and moral of the story is obvious. I liked this book, but didn’t love it.
September 13, 2023
Great novella to be read for Halloween.
April 20, 2026
2.75 stars yes 80s vibe good tunes and fast cars but could not make it to the checkered flag for me sorry
September 28, 2022
Lovely flashback to the 80s horror. The combination of the cozy nostalgia and the creepy dreadful atmosphere worked nicely in this little halloween tale.
October 5, 2022
A great concept that took me by surprise with how it developed in the middle. Had a very cool vibe about the whole book feeling like something from the eighties, but also quite modern at the same time. Also felt like a different writing style for Bryan Smith which was interesting. A big fan of all his work to date and this one is no different.
October 18, 2024
"Racing With the Devil" by Bryan Smith is a nostalgic horror novella set in the 1980s, following four friends on a Halloween night adventure that turns sinister. They encounter a mysterious driver in a Corvette, leading to a high-stakes race. The story features numerous music references, particularly to iconic 80s rock bands.
While the novella is fast-paced and engaging, the ending is abrupt. Overall, it captures the reckless spirit of the era, making it a fun read for fans of horror and classic rock.
While the novella is fast-paced and engaging, the ending is abrupt. Overall, it captures the reckless spirit of the era, making it a fun read for fans of horror and classic rock.
Read
March 6, 2026Dark cloud run after us
fog throw thee wing
night dance at halwen song
night buil tower of fear
hunt star throw many home
dark cloud run after our wish
run after our blood
open many grave and fear
run until down
down come soon
warm our win
hunt by our sin
fight for last breath
win over divil wish
fog throw thee wing
night dance at halwen song
night buil tower of fear
hunt star throw many home
dark cloud run after our wish
run after our blood
open many grave and fear
run until down
down come soon
warm our win
hunt by our sin
fight for last breath
win over divil wish
October 6, 2021
Even though I figured out the plot pretty early and the story beats were predictable at times, I had alot of fun with it and ended up wishing it was longer. Pretty straight forward and quick read.
October 12, 2021
A quick decent read for Halloween. Far from Smith's best but short enough to fly through. The ending felt a but rushed.
January 1, 2023
I read this for a video and ended up really enjoying the novella a lot. I found the story intriguing and enjoyable and it was a great length. One of my favorite horror novellas I read this year
May 22, 2023
3.5 out of 5
My first Bryan Smith novel and I enjoyed quite a bit. As a fan of classic hard rock and 80s culture altogether, I enjoyed the numerous references sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed all the characters, and the story was quick but unique. It feels like a Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt episode in novella form which was cool. I will say my only complaint is with the ending. It just all feels very abrupt, and a lot of things are explained after the fact instead of in the moment. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job.
My first Bryan Smith novel and I enjoyed quite a bit. As a fan of classic hard rock and 80s culture altogether, I enjoyed the numerous references sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed all the characters, and the story was quick but unique. It feels like a Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt episode in novella form which was cool. I will say my only complaint is with the ending. It just all feels very abrupt, and a lot of things are explained after the fact instead of in the moment. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job.
August 23, 2025
cringe greeb slop for cringe greebs to soyjak at.
"this is just like *80s movie* guys!"
"erm guns and roses! \m/"
honestly my description makes it sound better than it is. The only reason it's not a 1 star is that it's short and doesn't waste too much of your time and that I feel it could have been much worse. Very disappointing to read this after Depraved.
"this is just like *80s movie* guys!"
"erm guns and roses! \m/"
honestly my description makes it sound better than it is. The only reason it's not a 1 star is that it's short and doesn't waste too much of your time and that I feel it could have been much worse. Very disappointing to read this after Depraved.
December 13, 2021
Kick Ass 80’s Vibe
RACING THE DEVIL by Bryan Smith has a kick ass 80’s vibe that few writers have the ability to express. RACING THE DEVIL has partying, music and young recklessness that was so common among us 80’s teens, let the race begin!
RACING THE DEVIL by Bryan Smith has a kick ass 80’s vibe that few writers have the ability to express. RACING THE DEVIL has partying, music and young recklessness that was so common among us 80’s teens, let the race begin!
April 17, 2022
Una breve novela con una historia muy, muy clásica... Me ha recordado inmediatamente a la película Reeker. La atmósfera es increíble y las continuas referencias musicales aportan muchísimo a la narración.
Recomendable incluso para chavalitos. No tiene apenas gore o contenido "adulto".
Recomendable incluso para chavalitos. No tiene apenas gore o contenido "adulto".
November 18, 2022
Freaking loved this Halloween story, perfect if you want something seasonal that's not all trick-or-treaty. Some dudes on their way to a party end up in a life or death race on Halloween night, got me nostalgic for my late years for sure.
October 22, 2021
A very quick read about four boys driving into another dimension, or is it hell? The book was a fun ride especially for the Halloween setting and the mention of various rock songs.
March 18, 2022
this quick read brings back memories from every kids past and the dumb stuff we did. BUT you can't mess with the devil, he doesn't play fair.
June 24, 2022
Heaps of fun.
November 5, 2023
This was a great Halloween read, full of twists and turns that really keep you guessing
November 10, 2022
Halloween night, 1987, four friends on their way to a backwoods bash find themselves lost in nightmare country, with a smirking man in a suped-up car gunning for a race. Bryan Smith's Racing With The Devil is a nostalgic and haunting read that's more sentimental than his usual work while retaining a jet-black vein of horror. Like the sleek Camero Z, the man who may or may not be the devil drives, this quick and fast ride pulls some dirty tricks all set to a beer-swilling, hard rock, and metal soundtrack.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews