Commodore

by Philip Fracassi, Brian Vox (Illustrator)

There is a legend in the town of Sabbath that tells of a haunted car lost somewhere in the local junkyard. Young Jim Honeycutt and his friends have decided that they're going to find it today.Unfortunately for them, they do.And the ghost stories of that old Commodore can't even touch the horrors they are about to experience..."Fracassi does small-town horror with the best of them." - Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase“Fracassi's sly novella takes recognizable horror tropes, smooshes them together, twists them apart, and recalibrates them into something utterly new that only he could write. Commodore runs hot, rushing inexorably toward its dark conclusion. Think Stephen King’s "The Body" meets Christine.” – Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World“A dark coming-of-age tale about a town equally filled with wonders and horrors. Put Lovecraft, Bradbury, and King into a blender, mix well, and you get Commodore – a tasty horror cocktail with one a hell of a kick. Move over, Castle Rock! Horror has a new hometown!” - Bram Stoker Award-winning author Tim Waggoner“Commodore” is the classic 1970s horror story you’ve never read. It’s got all the sleek lines and the chrome you love in the old models, with a weird new engine under the hood, full of growling horsepower. It’s compulsive, scary, and heartbreaking. But most of all it's a ton of fun. Philip Fracassi nails it again. I love it." - Nathan Ballingrud, author of Six Stories from the Border of Hell"This is a two-toned, chrome-plated, V-8 monster of a story. Fracassi continues his tradition of taking his readers on a journey through a landscape of the bizarre and terrifying." - Ronald Malfi, author of Bone WhiteAbout Philip FracassiPhilip Fracassi is an award-winning author and screenwriter.

His debut collection of stories, BEHOLD THE VOID, was named "Story Collection of the Year" by both This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine. LOCUS Magazine said it "...recalls the work of writers such as McCammon, King, and Bradbury."

His second collection, BENEATH A PALE SKY, received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist called it a "must read collection." In his introduction, Josh Malerman calls it "a book for the ages."

His debut novel, BOYS IN THE VALLEY, will premier on Halloween, 2021, from Earthling Publications.

His stories have appeared in multiple magazines and anthologies, including BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR, BLACK STATIC, CEMETERY DANCE, and NIGHTMARE MAGAZINE. His work has been favorably reviewed by The New York Times, Rue Morgue Magazine, LOCUS Magazine and many others.

His produced screenplays have been distributed by Lifetime Television and Disney Entertainment.

Philip lives with his family in Los Angeles, California.

You can follow Philip on Facebook, Instagram (pfracassi) and Twitter (@philipfracassi), or at his official website at www.pfracassi.com.

Genres: Horror, Coming Of Age, Fiction, Novella, Short Stories, Supernatural, Horror Thriller

73 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2021

About the author

PHILIP FRACASSI is the Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award-nominated author of the novels A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, Boys in the Valley, The Third Rule of Time Travel, and The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre. He is also the author of the story collections Behold the Void, Beneath a Pale Sky, and No One is Safe!

His stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Black Static, Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Interzone, and Southwest Review.

Philip lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Copps Literary Services, Circle M + P, and WME. You can find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, or visit pfracassi.com.

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tick Tick Tick Tick...

COMMODORE
by Philip Fracassi

4 1/2 stars. The little town of Sabbath could be anywhere, USA, circa the 1950s where wars were fought with atomic bombs, cars were gas-guzzling boats, and TVs were broadcast in black and white...

Five 13 year old friends heard that the town's legendary and mysterious black Hudson Commodore was spotted in Riley's junkyard...

The junkyard was off limits to kids...

It was infested with fire ants, rats, mice, and other larger critters...

It had its own ecosystem amid scrap metal, stacks of flattened cars, and broken appliances. It was a mess...

But...

The rest of the town and its sapphire blue lake were carefully maintained by Sabbath's citizens...

Sabbath Lake was a sacred place. No fishing allowed. What lives in the lake, stays in the lake...

The junkyard had its rules as well. No one but old man Riley could step on the property after sunset or before sunrise...

Many things about Sabbath were strange. It was a gateway to all the unusual things the universe had to offer...

Like the black Commodore...

The myth of the black car started more as rumor than fact, but over the years, there were several eyewitness accounts...

Legend said it lived in Riley's junkyard...

But...

No one could find it until, one day, little Benji Baxter saw it and told the five young friends where to look...

Four of the friends decided to sneak into the junkyard and find the black car. The fifth boy had to stay behind to mow the family lawn...

Years later...

That lone boy who stayed behind wondered if he had caught up with his friends and gone along with them, would the outcome have been different...

Tick tick tick tick...

This was a wonderful coming-of-age cosmic horror story. I'm sorry I waited so long to get to it. The author hints at writing a collection of stories about the small town of Sabbath. I hope he follows up with that. I'll be waiting!

This story was written in the style of early Stephen King. You can't really go wrong choosing a novel by this author.

[Adrienne L · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You need a nice cold milkshake."

How have I never heard of this little gem before?

I stumbled across Commodore by Philip Fracassi while browsing the Kindle Unlimited selection, looking for a quick little horror novella and this was a happy surprise. The town of Sabbath featured here, and apparently in other short stories by Fracassi, which I now have to track down, is straight out of The Twilight Zone, but with a no holds barred dose of very modern body horror. I highly recommend this one to fans of Fracassi, coming of age stories, and cosmic horror.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Ebook format 📖

I knew that I’d read about the town of Sabbath before!

In Beneath a Pale Sky which is a collection of short stories by Philip Fracassi, there’s one called Soda Jerk about Jim Honeycutt and Sabbath.
It gave me the creeps just like this one did!

I was not prepared for where this story went and liked everything about it.
What a weird and creepy town!

Fracassi is becoming a favorite author of mine. His ability to write in the horror and sci-fi genres is great.
Looking forward to reading more by him!

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 5 out of 5]

"That's just the way of the universe, after all. Always expanding. New things coming through unfathomable dimensions of time and space to land in the heart of some foreign population."

Well... well.. well, Fracassi has done it again.
A wonderfully ominous and mind-bending short story. Just think of Stephen King mixed with a little bit of Lovecraft and you'll be getting some idea of how good this story is.
Up there with the very best.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatever Happens in Sabbath Stays in Sabbath!

Small backstory:

The town of Sabbath has secrets like any small town however nothing is as legendary as the haunted car that lies within the town's junkyard.

Towns folk have heard the legend all through the years but when some young teenage boys decide to check it out they are hoping to discover how true the legend really is about the car being haunted and what they find is beyond their wildest dreams!

That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This was my second book by this author and I wasn't disappointed. The book is a short novella but it does pack a punch as it is wrapped around cosmic horror with a dash of dark fantasy.

I was pleasantly surprised that so much happens within this short book but was happy that I stepped into it as there were also some gory and gooey areas of the book that made me pull out my gore suit.

The pace of the story moves fast when the young boys find the haunted car but then the story kicks up a notch as the story progresses and I found myself having a hard time putting the book down!

The author gives some notes at the end of the book that he might write more stories in the future about the town of Sabbath since it hides so many secrets so hoping for more books to come in the future that involves the town. Looking forward to reading more books by this author as I notice that he has quite a few floating around out in the book world. Giving this book four "Creepy Car" stars!

[Chris Lee (away) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Commodore” by Philip Fracassi surprised me. The blurb suggests a Christine-like story, but in actuality, the horror is served up on more of a cosmic plate. The plot may be full of influences and nostalgic callbacks, but the terror and sense of space had a unique voice and captivating writing style.
 
Plot: The town of Sabbath is filled with unique folks who have a penchant for sticking around its borders. Why? I’m not sure. What I do know is that they have a gnarly junkyard with a black car settled within, and those who go and see the car might just not come back.  
 
The book is short. 100 or so pages. I enjoyed the idea behind the car and the kids who travel to go see it. It has a certain discovery aspect that I think most can relate to. The first time you go out exploring the neighborhood on your own, for example. Without giving too much away, the kids experience some pretty crazy things while locked inside the car. Sight, sound, and gravity are used by the author to really amp up the suspense. Those squeamish reading about peril in small, confined spaces may be in trouble, but you’ll be fine if you can handle say, the T-rex car scene from Jurassic Park.
 
There are some loose ends, but I think the Sabbath town is setup to be expanded upon. Do not expect grand explanations, and I think you might enjoy the story. I would be interested in checking out some of the authors full length books in the future.

🎵| Soundtrack
❖ Matchbook Romance - Monsters

⭐ | Rating
❖ 3.5 out of 5 ❖

[Sadie Hartmann]

Look for my review in an upcoming issue of SCREAM Magazine!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this prepared for a Stephen King-inspired coming-of-age drama laced with horror tones similar to Hearts in Atlantis or The Body, with its 1950’s small-town setting, and a story about a group of curious boys looking for adventure. What I did not expect was a mysterious and disturbing horror of haunting imagery, body trauma that will make you cringe, and inexplicable cosmic occurrences.

The novella follows five young friends in the fictional town of Sabbath who head to a vast junkyard to find a fabled black car that’s become a town legend. The story is well-written and easy to read, but what’s really exciting is realizing that this is one smaller story in a bigger mythos that Fracassi is building with the town of Sabbath. While the story here is creepy on its own, the hints at deeper horrors in the town were even more unsettling to me. Even at the beginning of this book, you get a sense that something isn’t quite right in this small town. And are the residents aware? Are they okay with this? Do they even have a choice?

And discerning Fracassi readers will recognize that the events in this story were referenced in the first Sabbath short story, “Soda Jerk,” which can be found in his latest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, or as a bonus story at the end of his novella Shiloh: A Novella of the Civil War.

[Jeff Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

King had Derry. Malerman had Goblin. Fracassi has Sabbath.

A tale about small town horrors that's familiar and completely original. When you think you know where this story is going, you're wrong. So stop. Just read and enjoy and plan your next visit to Sabbath. COVID isn't an issue where you're going.

[Glenn Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me a bag with a little Bradbury, a little King, and throw in some extra weird shit and you get a great little novella called COMMODORE from author Philip Fracassi. I always love good coming-of-age friends-on-bikes adventure-gone-wrong kind of books, and COMMODORE is just that. I loved every second in this weird little town of Sabbath.

After reading GOTHIC (another great story) last year, and with BOYS IN THE VALLEY loaded up on my Kindle, I'm thinking this is what we call Fracassi Time!

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have never sampled Philip Fracassi, his latest novella Commodore is a great place to take a baby step in discovering a terrific author with a wealth of short fiction to explore. There has recently been an explosion of outstanding novellas in the horror world and Fracassi comfortably mixes with the best the genre has to offer. If you’re interested in the American Civil War, Shiloh (2018) provides a fascinating Lovecraftian spin on the famous battle; or, if you’ve a fan of maritime tales, then Sacculina (2017) features a boat trip which the reader quickly gets the sinking feeling the trip is one-way. Fracassi also has two outstanding short story collections, Behold the Void (2017) and the recent Beneath a Pale Sky (2021); both books are littered with memorable tales. Over the last half-decade, few authors have had such an eye-catching run of short fiction as this author and if the quality of his debut novel Boys In the Valley (2021) is anything to go by, he is fast becoming one of the most distinctive voices in the genre and deserves to be read by a much wider audience than he probably is.

You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice short story. Frascassi is becoming one of my favorite authors since I read Boys in the Valley. It started off really well and reminded me of Stranger Things, the Netflix series, even though it took place in the 1950s. I would say the author has a great imagination. It felt more like a fantasy than horror, although it did have some horror elements.

This is the first short story I've read (less than 100 pages), and as such, there was no in-depth character development. I'm taking away one star because, in a couple of dialogues between the characters, the appropriate emotion was missing. Additionally, there was one particular scene that made no sense, and the explanation given at the end was not adequate.

[עצוב שיכור · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if Rod Serling, Stephen King, and H.P. Lovecraft got spectacularly pissed at the pub and decided to collaborate on a possessed car story—only instead of a malevolent Plymouth Fury, it’s a Commodore (mind you, not a Holden Commodore). The result? A gloriously unhinged romp that’s 80% eerie atmosphere, 15% petrolhead nightmare fuel, and 5% existential dread. Four stars out of five—would’ve been five, but the boot (trunk, for our friends on the other side of the pond) inexplicably lacks a portal to the void.

[Tyler Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and vicious little novella that takes place in the fictional town of Sabbath, founded by Fracassi in his story "Soda Jerk." There is a connection here, but I don't want spoil that other than to say it made me smile.

Part "The Body" and part "From A Buick 8" and all Fracassi, a group of friends go on the hunt for a mysterious Hudson Commodore that had been spotted in the town's junk yard.

There were many directions this story could have gone, but where Fracassi takes it is somewhere much darker and unexpected. It felt like a perfectly contained "pilot episode" of a TV show. It has a satisfying ending but it also leaves you hoping this isn't the last time we get to visit the town of Sabbath.

Come to Sabbath for milkshakes and stay for a swim in the lake.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seeing so many great things on Goodreads about Philip Fragassi, I decided to give him a shot. I’m glad I did - it’s a very creepy story about a group of young teenagers searching for a mysterious black car in the small town of Sabbath.

Even though the story is set in the 50s, I kept getting vibes of the Twilight Zone mixed with 80s King. Also, The illustrations here are just stunning and really add a lot to the atmosphere.

 He mentions in the afterword that he has plans to write a collection of stories expanding on the characters and the setting of Sabbath and, here's hoping he gets to it asap.Loved it.

Easy 5 stars

[Dan Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too shabby at all. I really dug this concept, and the story went off in some truly unexpected directions. It was a bit reminiscent of the better parts of Stephen King’s From A Buick 8, only with more of a coming-of-age flare. Also, there are some excellent illustrations included in the e-book that really enriched the experience. I’d definitely read more of this writer’s work!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making my way through all of Fracassi's works. This is a very old school horror story. The illustrations were very well done, and fitting to the story. I made my way through it in less than an hour. If you haven't read anything by Philip Fracassi you need to.

[DaViD´82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fracassi příliš tlačí na kingovskou pilu. Zahodil svůj specifický projev i své silné stránky a zkusil (ostatně nikoli poprvé) kingovinu se vším všudy; maloměsto, padesátky, parta kluků, kola, výprava za dobrodružstvím a tajemno postupně přecházející v čirou hrůzu. A funguje to, ne že ne... Jen je to tuctové a zaměnitelné. Prostoru je příliš málo, kluků je moc, krom jména nemají žádné osobnosti, jeden se o ně pak nebojí. To by se Fracassimu (a ostatně ani Kingovi) normálně nestalo. Každopádně solidní nekompromisní jednohubka o osudovém parném odpoledni na jednu dvě cesty MHD.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook

[Donald Armfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

We return to the town of Sabbath a fictional town from horror fiend: Philip Fracassi. This coming of age tale has Goosebumps vibes and Stand By Me, infused with King’s Christine. The urban legend of a black car on the outskirts of a junkyard intrigues the young minds of a group of boys; friends enjoying their summer. There worse nightmares become a reality when the TICK…. TICK…. TICK… starts and stepping out of the car was even worse than getting into the abandoned car to begin with. I can’t wait for the next tale in the town of Sabbath.

Fracassi’s Commodore plays the Twilight Zone styled fiction like a ticking time bomb, edge of your seat madness—pun intended. Highly Recommend!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just splendid. Such great storytelling!

[George Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Phil we trust 🙌🏼

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s giving Stranger Things

[Zac · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great short story. I love the town of Sabbath and the mysteries it holds.

[Ryan Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fracassi hits another one out of the park! This short novella will grip from start to finish and keep you in your seat wanting more (especially with Fracassi's Afterword notes). I read the whole book in about an hour. In my opinion (and in many others) Philip Fracassi is the new version of the old version of Stephen King. He also resembles a bit of Lovecraft, Straub, and Bradbury (again, I'm not the only one stating this) - but he remains purely his own style, one which is very refreshing and finely tuned. Unlike the authors just mentioned I will say - there has not been a single work of Philip Fracassi that I have wanted to put down or pass up - EVERYTHING he has written has kept my attention and kept me reading and wanting more. Keep your eye on this guy, he is already and the ladder shooting straight up. Start buying his material while you can and keep doing it!

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a short fiction collection by Fracassi a couple of days ago and thought it was excellent, so I went straight on to this. I didn't realise, going in, that Commodore was set in the same creepy small town of Sabbath that one of the stories in the collection was also set in, but given I enjoyed that story, that was a nice surprise. On balance, though, I didn't enjoy the novella as much as the collection. I just don't find stories about cars that fascinating, even if they are creepy, and although I realise that the car here wasn't really a car - it just drew in victims by pretending to be a car, much as an anglerfish uses light to lure in its prey - I still couldn't get into it much. The characterisation that stood out so much in the collection is a little more absent here, as well, in favour of a series of weird and lethal settings that were somewhat disconnected from each other. So as a whole, although I liked it well enough (and would certainly read more Sabbath stories), I didn't love it.

[Sue and her books · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the strange little town of Sabbath, 'Anywhere, USA' - a place brimming with wonders, lurking evils and impossible mysteries - comes another chilling tale of cosmic proportions. Those who live in Sabbath, try to lead 'normal lives', while ignoring what lies deep beneath the surface of everything that surrounds them.

A group of teens believe they've found the location of the legendary Commodore, a mysterious black car whispered about in town lore. Fueled by curiosity and the bravery of innocence, they infiltrate Riley's junkyard - a forbidden place on its own - to inspect and maybe enter this haunted house on wheels. Beyond its sleek, charming exterior, the boys can't see much more than a regular old car... Will they dare to go inside?

This story is mysterious, creepy and unexpectedly heartbreaking. I love how the teen dynamic is captured against the dark, pulsing strangeness of Sabbath.

Tick.... Tick... Tick... TICK!! Are you ready for this?

[Bookish Satty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome even if it's less than 100 pages. I really felt connected to Foster and Jim so much which made me read it in 2 hours (2 am to 4 am) and sacrifice a full night of sleep because I just couldn't put it down without knowing what happened.
Let me caution you before you pick this book up because this story is brutal even though this is a coming of age novel. Don't go into this hoping for a happy ending like I did because that ending shocked me as well as made me emotional.
I loved the author's writing style so much. It's not flowery but it's not juvenile either.
The pacing was fast and the story was entertaining and suspenseful throughout, there weren't any down moments.
Gothic by Philip Fracassi is one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. I'm so pumped to jump into that soon.

[Kyle Burnett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

This was okay. Average at best. There is some good horror in here, some really interesting concept,too, but ultimately this story didn’t work all that well for me, mostly due to that fact that it is a part of a larger “story” that is still being written by Fracassi. Maybe, as his afterword puts it, if I read this in a collection where the completed story is available I would have liked it more, but this, as a stand alone, just didn’t really do it for me. There's a lot of exposition and set up at the beginning, but unfortunately I don't think it added to the story or overall impact. When I read the afterword I thought the concept made a lot more sense, but again, having that revelation AFTER reading the story isn't good. I should have had that info up front.

Average review aside, I'm excited to read more from Fracassi!