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Enter Softly
ENTER SOFTLY collects the brand new novellas that are included in the extended editions of CRITERIUM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, and the new novel ALMOST RUTH.
In "Along the Shadow", a story from the world of THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, Detective Gary Shaw is called to the scene of an unusual and grisly murder. which leads him to chase after a strange suspect. But Shaw is not sure if the suspect is also chasing him.
The butler for a wealthy family begins to fear the worst when mysterious guests show up at the manor in "Wake Up", a prequel story to the novel ALMOST RUTH.
And in ENTER SOFTLY, Emergency Room nurse, Lisa Morton, has a problem and she is about to lose her marriage, her child, and her job. As she works the night shift a very damaged patient comes into the hospital and sets in motion a series of events that could lead to Lisa's salvation, or her end. A companion novella to the critically acclaimed CRITERIUM, Tyler Jones returns to a world where addiction is a force with teeth and claws, and it will not let you go quietly.
In "Along the Shadow", a story from the world of THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, Detective Gary Shaw is called to the scene of an unusual and grisly murder. which leads him to chase after a strange suspect. But Shaw is not sure if the suspect is also chasing him.
The butler for a wealthy family begins to fear the worst when mysterious guests show up at the manor in "Wake Up", a prequel story to the novel ALMOST RUTH.
And in ENTER SOFTLY, Emergency Room nurse, Lisa Morton, has a problem and she is about to lose her marriage, her child, and her job. As she works the night shift a very damaged patient comes into the hospital and sets in motion a series of events that could lead to Lisa's salvation, or her end. A companion novella to the critically acclaimed CRITERIUM, Tyler Jones returns to a world where addiction is a force with teeth and claws, and it will not let you go quietly.
- GenresHorror
230 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
3 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Tyler Jones
23 books196 followersTyler Jones is the author of CRITERIUM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, ALMOST RUTH, BURN THE PLANS, TURN UP THE SUN, HEAVY OCEANS, MIDAS, and LONGSIGHT M40.
His upcoming books include:
DEPTH CHARGE (Shortwave Publishing)
NIGHT OF THE GLASS KNIVES (Shortwave Publishing)
GO (Clash Books)
His work has appeared in the anthologies BURNT TONGUES (edited by Chuck Palahniuk), ONE THING WAS CERTAIN, 101 PROOF HORROR, CAMPFIRE MACABRE, PARANORMAL CONTACT and in Dark Moon Digest, Coffin Bell, Aphotic Realm, Cemetery Dance, LitReactor, and The NoSleep Podcast.
He lives in Portland, Oregon.
He is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Agency and Alec Frankel at IAG for Film/TV.
His upcoming books include:
DEPTH CHARGE (Shortwave Publishing)
NIGHT OF THE GLASS KNIVES (Shortwave Publishing)
GO (Clash Books)
His work has appeared in the anthologies BURNT TONGUES (edited by Chuck Palahniuk), ONE THING WAS CERTAIN, 101 PROOF HORROR, CAMPFIRE MACABRE, PARANORMAL CONTACT and in Dark Moon Digest, Coffin Bell, Aphotic Realm, Cemetery Dance, LitReactor, and The NoSleep Podcast.
He lives in Portland, Oregon.
He is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Agency and Alec Frankel at IAG for Film/TV.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 14, 2021
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Having previously read both ‘Criterium’ and ‘The Dark Side of the Room,’ I was excited to not only read Jones’ next release ‘Almost Ruth’ but also the extended novellas that feature alongside each of them.
Jones definitely thought the release through on this, much to the benefit of the readers. First off – each of these three novellas included are new editions of each of the original books. Second off – in order to make sure those who’ve already purchased the first two books could read these as well as not have to rebuy a book they already own, he’s released them as a trilogy collection, which makes for ease of access. Kudos for that Jones. Additionally, I have seen him offering his previous releases as free ebooks lately as well, so he’s really doing his due diligence in helping out his fans.
What I liked: Made up of three novellas/novellettes, ‘Enter Softly’ showcases just how dark and depressing Jones’ writing can get. The atmosphere throughout reminds me of reading a dark graphic comic, where the panels are always shaded in and the sun hardly shows itself.
It should be noted that Jones has suggested you read the previous books before reading these, but I’d suggest they work just as well as standalone pieces. You’ll obviously see the connections and get more out of the subtle nods, but they still would work if you stumbled into this first.
First up is ‘Enter Softly’ the companion novella to ‘Criterium.’ The story follows a nurse, Lisa, who is dealing with her personal life spiralling out of control, as well as the stress of her day-to-day duties as a nurse being complicated by that. Lisa is an interesting character, one with significant faults that makes you both loath her but also root for her. Jones did a great job of infusing this story with a frantic element that worked really well.
Next up is ‘Along the Shadow.’ This is a muddy detective story set within the world of ‘The Dark Side of the Room.’ We follow Shaw and his partner Robby after a call comes in about a body. Shaw is a broken man, one dealing with his own personal issues, but he still wants to do what’s right for the community. I really enjoyed seeing how this ‘odd’ discovery had affected various characters and ultimately what leads to a really exciting finale.
Lastly, we get ‘Wake Up,’ a prequel novella to ‘Almost Ruth.’ The story centers around Bradford, the live-in butler for the Burke family. When something odd begins to happen and the children are locked away in their room, Bradford knows something is up. Jones does a great job of starting this off fairly straightforward and then quickly ramping up the tension and ultimately driving this story straight into blackness.
All three were really well done and each definitely works to add to the worlds they inhabit.
What I didn’t like: I honestly enjoyed each of the stories and nothing stood out that rattled my cage or struck a nerve. Jones did a solid job of making these individual pieces while also tying them into pre-existing worlds, which can often be tough, but he crushes it.
Why you should buy this: If you already own ‘Criterium’ and ‘The Dark Side of the Room,’ then this is a must-own, as you’ll want to dive in further. If you’re a new fan, I’d suggest that this would make for great ‘further reading’ but you’d also not be spoiling much by reading these first. Jones is a fantastic writer and a conjurer of dark atmosphere that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Having previously read both ‘Criterium’ and ‘The Dark Side of the Room,’ I was excited to not only read Jones’ next release ‘Almost Ruth’ but also the extended novellas that feature alongside each of them.
Jones definitely thought the release through on this, much to the benefit of the readers. First off – each of these three novellas included are new editions of each of the original books. Second off – in order to make sure those who’ve already purchased the first two books could read these as well as not have to rebuy a book they already own, he’s released them as a trilogy collection, which makes for ease of access. Kudos for that Jones. Additionally, I have seen him offering his previous releases as free ebooks lately as well, so he’s really doing his due diligence in helping out his fans.
What I liked: Made up of three novellas/novellettes, ‘Enter Softly’ showcases just how dark and depressing Jones’ writing can get. The atmosphere throughout reminds me of reading a dark graphic comic, where the panels are always shaded in and the sun hardly shows itself.
It should be noted that Jones has suggested you read the previous books before reading these, but I’d suggest they work just as well as standalone pieces. You’ll obviously see the connections and get more out of the subtle nods, but they still would work if you stumbled into this first.
First up is ‘Enter Softly’ the companion novella to ‘Criterium.’ The story follows a nurse, Lisa, who is dealing with her personal life spiralling out of control, as well as the stress of her day-to-day duties as a nurse being complicated by that. Lisa is an interesting character, one with significant faults that makes you both loath her but also root for her. Jones did a great job of infusing this story with a frantic element that worked really well.
Next up is ‘Along the Shadow.’ This is a muddy detective story set within the world of ‘The Dark Side of the Room.’ We follow Shaw and his partner Robby after a call comes in about a body. Shaw is a broken man, one dealing with his own personal issues, but he still wants to do what’s right for the community. I really enjoyed seeing how this ‘odd’ discovery had affected various characters and ultimately what leads to a really exciting finale.
Lastly, we get ‘Wake Up,’ a prequel novella to ‘Almost Ruth.’ The story centers around Bradford, the live-in butler for the Burke family. When something odd begins to happen and the children are locked away in their room, Bradford knows something is up. Jones does a great job of starting this off fairly straightforward and then quickly ramping up the tension and ultimately driving this story straight into blackness.
All three were really well done and each definitely works to add to the worlds they inhabit.
What I didn’t like: I honestly enjoyed each of the stories and nothing stood out that rattled my cage or struck a nerve. Jones did a solid job of making these individual pieces while also tying them into pre-existing worlds, which can often be tough, but he crushes it.
Why you should buy this: If you already own ‘Criterium’ and ‘The Dark Side of the Room,’ then this is a must-own, as you’ll want to dive in further. If you’re a new fan, I’d suggest that this would make for great ‘further reading’ but you’d also not be spoiling much by reading these first. Jones is a fantastic writer and a conjurer of dark atmosphere that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
November 5, 2021
On the eve of the release of Tyler Jones’ first novel, Almost Ruth, Tyler added three novellas as a stand-alone book, comprising of the three novellas that are added to the extended versions of his previous two novellas - The dark side of the room, and Criterium - as well as the novella included in Almost Ruth.
Now, I haven’t read Almost Ruth yet, that’s actually my plan today, but the two stories “Along the shadow” and “Enter softly” are novellas that share common ties with the novellas they appear alongside – In Along the shadow, we follow a detective investigating a homicide in which the perpetrator of the crime is the supernatural being that is the base of The dark side of the room. Likewise, "Enter softly" explores the world surrounding Criterium, bringing in characters from that book and also showing a side of the story previously unseen, that of a nurse on the emergency ward where victims of Criterium’s antagonist (a bike) are admitted to hospital. I can’t speak about the common tie from “Wake up”, but am fairly confident I’ll get that tie by the end of today.
Ok, so that’s the intro over, how did the book fair?
Tyler’s playing his A-game here, there’s an unashamed appreciation from my part for Tyler’s prose, his voice is eminently readable, his flow merciless, the language lyrical, his love of character perfect. Of the three novellas, Enter softly made the most impact for me, the deterioration of the protagonist Lisa Morton was sublime, Tyler’s timing, his layering, all of it was just spot on. I was fully committed to the storyline, I wanted to see how low we could go and Tyler illustrated the house perfectly, and the inclusion of Henry Thayer was wonderful, I loved the character from Criterium so was thrilled to see a return and a little more background building from him. I believe this won’t be the last we see of him, Tyler has left us some unanswered questions here that we will need answering. Dammit.
I’m not going to tell you about the stories because honestly, that’s not what is on sale here. You are buying time with Tyler’s voice, and it is money well spent. There’s a bleeding honesty in Jones’ prose, it comes across as heartfelt, as if Tyler has lived in the shoes of all of his characters, there’s nothing stereotypical or 2D about any of the characters or situations in his books, each personality comes with its own baggage, emotional turmoil, and humanity.
Tyler knows his characters, and every one of them has a heart that can be broken, and Tyler shows us that process. It hurts, but every second you spend in his world is escapism of the purest form.
I can say without any doubt that Tyler is a “must-buy” Author from me. Can’t wait to get going on Almost Ruth.
5 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s and my thanks for releasing these stories for those of us that already had the novels these stories appeared in, in their extended editions.
Now, I haven’t read Almost Ruth yet, that’s actually my plan today, but the two stories “Along the shadow” and “Enter softly” are novellas that share common ties with the novellas they appear alongside – In Along the shadow, we follow a detective investigating a homicide in which the perpetrator of the crime is the supernatural being that is the base of The dark side of the room. Likewise, "Enter softly" explores the world surrounding Criterium, bringing in characters from that book and also showing a side of the story previously unseen, that of a nurse on the emergency ward where victims of Criterium’s antagonist (a bike) are admitted to hospital. I can’t speak about the common tie from “Wake up”, but am fairly confident I’ll get that tie by the end of today.
Ok, so that’s the intro over, how did the book fair?
Tyler’s playing his A-game here, there’s an unashamed appreciation from my part for Tyler’s prose, his voice is eminently readable, his flow merciless, the language lyrical, his love of character perfect. Of the three novellas, Enter softly made the most impact for me, the deterioration of the protagonist Lisa Morton was sublime, Tyler’s timing, his layering, all of it was just spot on. I was fully committed to the storyline, I wanted to see how low we could go and Tyler illustrated the house perfectly, and the inclusion of Henry Thayer was wonderful, I loved the character from Criterium so was thrilled to see a return and a little more background building from him. I believe this won’t be the last we see of him, Tyler has left us some unanswered questions here that we will need answering. Dammit.
I’m not going to tell you about the stories because honestly, that’s not what is on sale here. You are buying time with Tyler’s voice, and it is money well spent. There’s a bleeding honesty in Jones’ prose, it comes across as heartfelt, as if Tyler has lived in the shoes of all of his characters, there’s nothing stereotypical or 2D about any of the characters or situations in his books, each personality comes with its own baggage, emotional turmoil, and humanity.
Tyler knows his characters, and every one of them has a heart that can be broken, and Tyler shows us that process. It hurts, but every second you spend in his world is escapism of the purest form.
I can say without any doubt that Tyler is a “must-buy” Author from me. Can’t wait to get going on Almost Ruth.
5 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s and my thanks for releasing these stories for those of us that already had the novels these stories appeared in, in their extended editions.
July 19, 2023
Loved this collection of three novellas from Tyler Jones and how they connect with his other works (notably Burn The Plans, Dark Side of the Room and Almost Ruth) - it could be enjoyed without having read his other novels, but the sheer joy I had reading this was because I had the knowledge of the works these loosely hang from.
Tyler again shows what a great writer he is and how he punches hard and fast in the short fiction as much as he does in his longer fiction.
Highly recommended.
Tyler again shows what a great writer he is and how he punches hard and fast in the short fiction as much as he does in his longer fiction.
Highly recommended.
May 7, 2022
It's important to know what Tyler Jones' novella collection is, as well as what it isn't. Enter Softly collects three stories, all of which take place adjacently to each of Jones' first three books. Enter Softly, the title novella, parallels Criterium. Along the Shadow revisits the world of The Dark Side of the Room, and Wake Up exists alongside Almost Ruth. That's what this book is.
So here's what it isn't. Enter Softly could have been an attempt to capitalize on the readership Jones has built, a cash grab at least by independent publishing terms. It is not that, nor is it a collection of stories that will leave the reader utterly lost if they are not intimately familiar with the rest of Tyler's work.
Enter Softly deftly walks the line, presenting three original stories that stand on their own. Their connections to the original work are apparent, but they manage to present a mathematical impossibility. Read in addition to the originals, they add to the story, the world building, but without them, those novellas lose nothing. Masterful self-contained storytelling from one of the strongest modern voices in horror.
So here's what it isn't. Enter Softly could have been an attempt to capitalize on the readership Jones has built, a cash grab at least by independent publishing terms. It is not that, nor is it a collection of stories that will leave the reader utterly lost if they are not intimately familiar with the rest of Tyler's work.
Enter Softly deftly walks the line, presenting three original stories that stand on their own. Their connections to the original work are apparent, but they manage to present a mathematical impossibility. Read in addition to the originals, they add to the story, the world building, but without them, those novellas lose nothing. Masterful self-contained storytelling from one of the strongest modern voices in horror.
April 19, 2025
I loved how the titular story tied into Criterium
February 8, 2022
Tyler Jones does it again. I enjoyed all of the novellas, but the second set in the world of The Dark Side of the Room took the cake for me. Exceptionally weird, noir, and gritty, I was glad to be back in that world again, and it was nice seeing a familiar face—or lack there of.
March 15, 2022
Enter Softly was my introduction to Jones's work. After reading these collected novellas, I was kicking myself for waiting so long. I own his previous works, but sadly, had not made it around to cracking them open. The amount of emotion that Jones commands with his writing crushes you. I dove into each of these novellas with a blind eye. In doing so, I was rewarded-finding a new favorite amongst an already growing list. Each of these novellas serves as an extension to his previous work, which I will soon be consuming fervently. If you're looking for something that can simultaneously wrench at your heartstrings and inspire you, all the same, this is maybe what you're seeking.
Many thanks to Tyler for providing me with an early copy!
Many thanks to Tyler for providing me with an early copy!
December 5, 2021
Since announcing himself with his debut novella, Criterium, in the late summer of 2020, Tyler Jones has been an ever-present in conversations about genre fiction - especially in the indie scene. Enter Softly is a set of three novellas, each one set in the same universes as Jones' standalone novellas, Criterium, The Dark Side of the Room, and the newly released Almost Ruth. While the settings and concerns are wildly different in these three stories, the things which come to the fore immediately and stay there are voice and character. I won't say more in case of spoilers, but needless to say, you need this book in your life.
January 19, 2024
This collection of three novellas continues to expand on Tyler Jones' reputation as a soon-to-be master of literary horror. It also expands on his ever-growing literary universe, each novella set in the world of a previously existing story. I feel that most readers will be able to enjoy these as standalones, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have read the previous works.
First up is Enter Softly, which takes place in the same world as Jones' excellent Criterium. This is a darker, bleaker side of the Criterium coin, though, a story that pulls no punches in it's depiction of addiction and the destructive power of drug abuse. This is dark stuff, and while incredibly written, it would be difficult to call this a fun read. Still -- go read it!
Next is Dark Side of the Room. This feels like a classic noir violently shoved through a modern horror meat grinder. The description of the "culprit" in this little detective tale gave me chills. This one is short, but far from sweet. Probably my favorite of the three novellas here.
Last in the collection is Wake Up. Wow, this is just macabre fun. Think, of the narrator from Remains of the Day (and yes, this is written well enough to deserve the comparison) dragged through a much more classic sort of horror. This is the one for you lovers of the gothic form done well.
First up is Enter Softly, which takes place in the same world as Jones' excellent Criterium. This is a darker, bleaker side of the Criterium coin, though, a story that pulls no punches in it's depiction of addiction and the destructive power of drug abuse. This is dark stuff, and while incredibly written, it would be difficult to call this a fun read. Still -- go read it!
Next is Dark Side of the Room. This feels like a classic noir violently shoved through a modern horror meat grinder. The description of the "culprit" in this little detective tale gave me chills. This one is short, but far from sweet. Probably my favorite of the three novellas here.
Last in the collection is Wake Up. Wow, this is just macabre fun. Think, of the narrator from Remains of the Day (and yes, this is written well enough to deserve the comparison) dragged through a much more classic sort of horror. This is the one for you lovers of the gothic form done well.
January 14, 2024
First things first: can we talk about this COVER??!! I am obsessed.
I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about this book, but the cover really drew me in. I had no idea it was a collection of three novellas related to his other books. That got me worried… since I have not read any of these books. To my surprise, however, these stories are self contained and I didn’t need to have any previous knowledge to enjoy them.
I do own Almost Ruth, so I am excited to give that one a read!
I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about this book, but the cover really drew me in. I had no idea it was a collection of three novellas related to his other books. That got me worried… since I have not read any of these books. To my surprise, however, these stories are self contained and I didn’t need to have any previous knowledge to enjoy them.
I do own Almost Ruth, so I am excited to give that one a read!
April 5, 2023
Should I knock first?
This was a very enjoyable collection of stories. This was my introduction to this author and I plan to check out more or their works. Other than the fun tales I found the writing oh so smooth.
This was a very enjoyable collection of stories. This was my introduction to this author and I plan to check out more or their works. Other than the fun tales I found the writing oh so smooth.
February 19, 2024
Continuation of the Criterium world with another spin on addiction. Good little touch of world building but the main character feels forced and not overly likable. I was pretty content that it was short.
August 23, 2024
Tyler Jones can’t write a bad story. He just can’t.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews