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Darkness on the Edge of Town
One morning the residents of Walden, Virginia, woke up to find the rest of the world gone. Just . . . gone.
Surrounding their town was a wall of inky darkness, plummeting Walden into permanent night. Nothing can get in - not light, not people, not even electricity, radio, TV, internet, food, or water. And nothing can get out. No one who dared to penetrate the mysterious barrier has ever been seen again. Only their screams were heard.
But for some, the darkness is not the worst of their fears. Driven mad by thirst, hunger, and perpetual night, the residents of Walden are ready to explode. The last few sane prisoners of this small town must prepare a final stand against their neighbors, themselves, and something even worse . . . something out there . . . in the darkness . . .
Surrounding their town was a wall of inky darkness, plummeting Walden into permanent night. Nothing can get in - not light, not people, not even electricity, radio, TV, internet, food, or water. And nothing can get out. No one who dared to penetrate the mysterious barrier has ever been seen again. Only their screams were heard.
But for some, the darkness is not the worst of their fears. Driven mad by thirst, hunger, and perpetual night, the residents of Walden are ready to explode. The last few sane prisoners of this small town must prepare a final stand against their neighbors, themselves, and something even worse . . . something out there . . . in the darkness . . .
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Brian Keene
371 books2,900 followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
September 17, 2024
“He Who Shall Not Be Named.”
When Robbie and his friends wake up one day, the day does not arrive. Instead, night lingers on.
And not just for a few hours. Or a few days. Seemingly, forever.
So the town of Walden, with a little over eleven thousand people, becomes a bastion of horror and fear.
Within just a few days, the murder rate climbs through the roof, and Robbie and his girlfriend, Christie, and best bud, Russ, are caught up in the violence and slaughter.
But help is coming from someone…
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
When Robbie and his friends wake up one day, the day does not arrive. Instead, night lingers on.
And not just for a few hours. Or a few days. Seemingly, forever.
So the town of Walden, with a little over eleven thousand people, becomes a bastion of horror and fear.
Within just a few days, the murder rate climbs through the roof, and Robbie and his girlfriend, Christie, and best bud, Russ, are caught up in the violence and slaughter.
But help is coming from someone…
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
March 24, 2020
Full marks to Darkness on the Edge of Town. I can see how people might not rate this book highly. But I'm thankful I had a go at it.
The inconsistencies may arise from the characters's behaviours themselves. The explanation for the supernatural may have offended the religious.
But this first read of a book by Brian Keene seduced both my primal and my superficial sides. I had a great time reading it. The book's still very vivid in my mind. It's sad to think it might be forgotten in time. But not by me.
The inconsistencies may arise from the characters's behaviours themselves. The explanation for the supernatural may have offended the religious.
But this first read of a book by Brian Keene seduced both my primal and my superficial sides. I had a great time reading it. The book's still very vivid in my mind. It's sad to think it might be forgotten in time. But not by me.
January 30, 2015
I never give synopses in my reviews because I detest writing them, so if you want to know what this is *about*, you'll have to read the description somewhere else. So instead of telling you what the book is about, I'll tell you what the book *is*.
--A dark (in every sense) tale that reminded me of UNDER THE DOME and LORD OF THE FLIES. That's a very good thing.
--An original story that perfectly balanced three menaces: the one on the edge of town, the one lurking within the town, and the one in the characters' own minds. Of course, the way Keene writes it, the lines are blurred among the triumvirate of evil forces, or if you like, they're overlapping circles on a Venn diagram. Regardless, the tale oozes menace and malice because of how cannily the author shifts the threat from one source to another.
--A bleak novel that nevertheless contained more hope than I anticipated. This was likely due to the plucky attitude of Keene's POV character, and for me that spunk and will to live gave the story an extra layer of heart.
If you're not reading Brian Keene by now, you should be. He knows people well, and he's unafraid to chip away at their protective veneer until the reader can behold the darkness (and occasionally the light) that lies beneath.
--A dark (in every sense) tale that reminded me of UNDER THE DOME and LORD OF THE FLIES. That's a very good thing.
--An original story that perfectly balanced three menaces: the one on the edge of town, the one lurking within the town, and the one in the characters' own minds. Of course, the way Keene writes it, the lines are blurred among the triumvirate of evil forces, or if you like, they're overlapping circles on a Venn diagram. Regardless, the tale oozes menace and malice because of how cannily the author shifts the threat from one source to another.
--A bleak novel that nevertheless contained more hope than I anticipated. This was likely due to the plucky attitude of Keene's POV character, and for me that spunk and will to live gave the story an extra layer of heart.
If you're not reading Brian Keene by now, you should be. He knows people well, and he's unafraid to chip away at their protective veneer until the reader can behold the darkness (and occasionally the light) that lies beneath.
September 20, 2021
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” by Brian Keene was a great read from start to finish! I had a hard time putting this book down as it kept me hooked all throughout the story and really hit home since it truly felt like this is what would happen if that ever occurred in real life. This book felt very real and I enjoyed how it was written from that realistic point of view since honestly, I can see that this is exactly how a small town would react in such a dire situation.
Everything here was brilliantly written from the characters, plot, and of course, darkness. This was fully fleshed out nicely and all the little details that went into the horrific and just creepy things that happened were all great. This was a genuine page-turner as I was excited to read this quickly to ultimately see what happens to the group of characters you meet all along the way. On a side note, being a huge metalhead, I loved reading mentions of Slayer (my all-time favorite thrash metal band!) and Iron Maiden as that got bonus points in my book.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 as the only thing I didn’t like was how it ended. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for you but I was hoping to get something different. With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am now a new fan of Keene. I’m a huge fan of his writing style and over time, will read his previous work and look forward to his future books.
Everything here was brilliantly written from the characters, plot, and of course, darkness. This was fully fleshed out nicely and all the little details that went into the horrific and just creepy things that happened were all great. This was a genuine page-turner as I was excited to read this quickly to ultimately see what happens to the group of characters you meet all along the way. On a side note, being a huge metalhead, I loved reading mentions of Slayer (my all-time favorite thrash metal band!) and Iron Maiden as that got bonus points in my book.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 as the only thing I didn’t like was how it ended. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for you but I was hoping to get something different. With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am now a new fan of Keene. I’m a huge fan of his writing style and over time, will read his previous work and look forward to his future books.
October 22, 2014
“For behold, a darkness shall cover the earth.”
—Book of Isaiah, 60:2
I’m not sure whether this should be shelved as post-apocalyptic horror, apocalyptic horror… or just plain horror. It certainly does seem to share traits with a book like, say, Metro 2033 if only for atmosphere. It works best if you really attempt to immerse yourself in the experience. If you really, really try and imagine what it’s like…
She’s wrong. We’re not dead. I know this because dead people don’t die.
It’s an effective book. More so because the author does not attempt to draw it out any longer than necessary. Darkness On the Edge of Town is actually a pretty brisk novel, as far as this kind of thing is concerned. There’s an immediacy to the proceedings that goes a long way in keeping the reader’s attention. It’s a book about physical darkness, true enough, but it’s also a book about the darkness of the human soul.
Outside in the night, someone else laughed—high-pitched, warbling, and maniacal.
The novel goes from modestly sinister to ultra unnerving in short order. Lovecraft fans should especially enjoy it. Easily recommended, if only because it reads so quickly (if you don’t like it you won’t have wasted weeks of your life).
Then the screams began.
July 19, 2018
"The darkness bites. The darkness has teeth . . ."
A chilling and creepy page turning read mixing small town horror and post-apocalyptic one, it was like reading Stephen King's "Under the Dome" and "The Mist" mixed with "Lord of the Flies" and Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.
Sadly storyline was far better than the despicable main characters, and having read just one novel and a short tale from mr. Keene, I couldn't appreciate all the references to other stories and his Labyrinth mythology, a really cool one based on multiple earths, the interdimensional Labyrinth connecting them and Thirteen eldritch evil lovecrafian gods (two of them have Cthulhu and Shub-Niggurath among their many names!) survivors from a previous universe.
Example: looking for info on google I've found out that "Darkness at the Edge of Town" is what would have happened if the characters in Ghost Walk failed to contain one of the Thirteen on another earth, and there is a creepy scene with a satyr that I think is the "villain" from Keene's "Dark Hollow".
I really enjoyed the story, the supernatural horrorific atmosphere, the pace and the bleak grimdark ending, but I'm afraid I just hated the characters (but for Dez) and maybe I had to read Brian Keene's Levi Stolzfus Series before this because of the missed references and because it seems how the universe, dimensions, and the Labyrinth work together are explained in better detail there.
Luckly these mythos have been deliberately kept subtle by the author, so that the books are accessible to new readers at any point.
A more than good read but left me wanting to read more and more about the Labyrinth and the Thirteen.
December 24, 2021
What would you do if one day you woke up and the world was gone and the only thing that remains is your town? Walden, Virginia, is about to find out. No light, not people, not even electricity, radio, TV, internet, food, or water. There is no escaping the barrier on the outside. People who try are never seen again. Just their anguish screams are heard across the black of the night. There is something in the darkness. As the night goes on the residents start turning on each other in panic. The few that remain must make a stand against each other and whatever is waiting in the dark.
I loved this book. It was just the right amount of creepy. Well written horror story! Recommend.
I loved this book. It was just the right amount of creepy. Well written horror story! Recommend.
September 26, 2019
Sat on the sofa in front of NCIS: Los Angeles I happened to say ‘I really can’t decide if this is a three or four star read’. I was thinking aloud, really, not expecting a response.
My wife, without missing a beat, said ‘Oh, come on, hun; it’s obviously a four star book.’
So, four stars it is.
P.S. My wife has not read this book and never will. She hates the horror genre.
P.P.S I am SO whipped...
My wife, without missing a beat, said ‘Oh, come on, hun; it’s obviously a four star book.’
So, four stars it is.
P.S. My wife has not read this book and never will. She hates the horror genre.
P.P.S I am SO whipped...
November 13, 2016
I love a good horror story, didn't really care for the ending. I wanted more, need to know more at the end.
July 15, 2018
TW:'s Death, Suicide, Murder, Guns, Fire, Rape..
I ended up loving this from beginning to end! The creepy atmosphere and horror did build through-out the book. I also found a lot of deep talk about humanity, the human soul, the state of the world...am I reading too much into it? I don't think so but each reader will read differently. I loved how it made me think and creeped me out at the same time, but still at the end had a note of hope to it.
This was my first Brian Keene novel...it won't be my last.
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I ended up loving this from beginning to end! The creepy atmosphere and horror did build through-out the book. I also found a lot of deep talk about humanity, the human soul, the state of the world...am I reading too much into it? I don't think so but each reader will read differently. I loved how it made me think and creeped me out at the same time, but still at the end had a note of hope to it.
This was my first Brian Keene novel...it won't be my last.
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July 13, 2018
A small American town is cut off by darkness from the rest of the world. Well, we come to know that the mysterious darkness is dangerous (has claws) and plants illusions into the heads of persons who approach it. Then we have a cast of not verly likeable characters, stoners and individualists (maybe the author wanted to show typical american residents of nowadays American small towns) who try to survive (like the rest of the inhabitants) and want to find out what's going on. A bit tedious and so la la until about 70%. Under the Dome or The Mist (even quoted in the book) were better likes to me. But then the story unexpectedly becomes really good. There's a reference to Lovecraft and the Old Gods and the book is extremely eerie now and pageturning. At the end you think you read a diary of a person who don't know what happened to him. Are the persons facing the dark already dead and looking for the light? I would say you should read the novel and find out. This won't be my last book from the author. Darkness was cleverly done. A modern horror novel with many classic quotations!
November 1, 2021
4 Stars, maybe 4.5.
Originally, I compared this to Under the Dome by Stephen King. I was wrong. There are similarities; but the circumstances as to why these people are cut off from everyone, is totally different. I don't what to mention how or why, because so many have done that and spoiled it.
The reader has no idea what the darkness is, because the characters don't. We see how much society devolves and how quickly, when there are no answers. As madness ensues, the reader is left thinking how they would handle this, but seriously, what can you do??? There is nothing coming in, no water, no food supplies, no electricity.... nothing. Those who leave, are never heard from again. Is that because victims of this are whisked away to safety; or is it because of the screams that occur right after they vanish, which tell us that we are stuck.
Only the town "crazy" has an answer, and no ones listening.
Originally, I compared this to Under the Dome by Stephen King. I was wrong. There are similarities; but the circumstances as to why these people are cut off from everyone, is totally different. I don't what to mention how or why, because so many have done that and spoiled it.
The reader has no idea what the darkness is, because the characters don't. We see how much society devolves and how quickly, when there are no answers. As madness ensues, the reader is left thinking how they would handle this, but seriously, what can you do??? There is nothing coming in, no water, no food supplies, no electricity.... nothing. Those who leave, are never heard from again. Is that because victims of this are whisked away to safety; or is it because of the screams that occur right after they vanish, which tell us that we are stuck.
Only the town "crazy" has an answer, and no ones listening.
July 14, 2018
DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, by Brian Keene, is a novel with elements that first reminded me of King's UNDER THE DOME, or THE MIST; however, the further I got into the story, the more its originality became apparent.
". . . dead people don't die . . . "
The cast of main characters here are not extraordinary in any sense, and I feel that's why I liked them so much more. They are simply every-day people trying to make sense out of a situation that has NO RULES. Merely trying to survive after a darkness literally STOPS at the edge of their town, becomes all anyone can do.
"The darkness bites. The darkness has teeth . . ."
Keene does a great job of showcasing the downfall of humanity in this small town. As soon as something . . . different. . . comes along, all sense of rules and polite society are thrown out the window as each person is out for themselves--barring a few exceptions.
". . . Where do you go to hide from the end of the world?"
Overall, an enjoyable, original apocalyptic tale with characters that do the things that I feel make sense in this situation. A lovecraftian-touch that I really appreciated ran through the novel, adding hidden layers and more mysteries to ponder.
Recommended!
". . . dead people don't die . . . "
The cast of main characters here are not extraordinary in any sense, and I feel that's why I liked them so much more. They are simply every-day people trying to make sense out of a situation that has NO RULES. Merely trying to survive after a darkness literally STOPS at the edge of their town, becomes all anyone can do.
"The darkness bites. The darkness has teeth . . ."
Keene does a great job of showcasing the downfall of humanity in this small town. As soon as something . . . different. . . comes along, all sense of rules and polite society are thrown out the window as each person is out for themselves--barring a few exceptions.
". . . Where do you go to hide from the end of the world?"
Overall, an enjoyable, original apocalyptic tale with characters that do the things that I feel make sense in this situation. A lovecraftian-touch that I really appreciated ran through the novel, adding hidden layers and more mysteries to ponder.
Recommended!
August 9, 2018
Hello darkness my old friend: er, not really.
The residents of the town of Walden wake up one morning to find nothing but darkness.
Power is off too, so coffee machines do not work.
But if you have a little jar of instant and a downstairs neighbor with a kerosene heater, you can manage. Did I say kerosene? Yes I did.
In the meantime: the darkness, blah blah blah, people going bersek, blah blah blah etc.
Then, no more kerosene. Cold instant coffee.
In the meantime: the darkness, blah blah blah, people going bersek, blah blah blah etc.
Then the main characters (flat and foldable, sold at a special Ikea store for writers) decide to leave the city before running out of instant and this is the end. Yes it is.
The residents of the town of Walden wake up one morning to find nothing but darkness.
Power is off too, so coffee machines do not work.
But if you have a little jar of instant and a downstairs neighbor with a kerosene heater, you can manage. Did I say kerosene? Yes I did.
In the meantime: the darkness, blah blah blah, people going bersek, blah blah blah etc.
Then, no more kerosene. Cold instant coffee.
In the meantime: the darkness, blah blah blah, people going bersek, blah blah blah etc.
Then the main characters (flat and foldable, sold at a special Ikea store for writers) decide to leave the city before running out of instant and this is the end. Yes it is.
May 27, 2016
The town of Walden is surrounded by an impenetrable curtain of darkness. There are whispers in the blackness and the darkness has teeth. It is strong. Worse yet, it is patient.
Looting, violence, and murder are running rampant throughout the town. Robbie and his gang are content to wait it out and pray for rescue, but when the booze runs low and the pot runs out, it is time to take a stand and go searching for the light. If it still exists.
I listened to this one on audio and dug everything about it. The narrator did a fantastic job with the pacing and tone of the story and nailed each of the characters’ personalities perfectly. Very well done.
Looting, violence, and murder are running rampant throughout the town. Robbie and his gang are content to wait it out and pray for rescue, but when the booze runs low and the pot runs out, it is time to take a stand and go searching for the light. If it still exists.
I listened to this one on audio and dug everything about it. The narrator did a fantastic job with the pacing and tone of the story and nailed each of the characters’ personalities perfectly. Very well done.
Shelved as 'to-the-left'
July 3, 2018Okay I did this once and it has disappeared so, here it is again. DNF.
The book started out sounding religious and biblical and then went rather quickly into blasphemous territory for anyone believing anything Christian. Right about when I was wondering if there was a point or if this was bc it was some demon world, the F bomb starts being used like a funky & fun new way to punctuate and capitalize. Follow that up with some derogatory terms toward women and there you have this DNF.
If life’s too short for ordinary jewelry it sure as heck is for a book that practically flips you off at the very beginning. Not for me.
The book started out sounding religious and biblical and then went rather quickly into blasphemous territory for anyone believing anything Christian. Right about when I was wondering if there was a point or if this was bc it was some demon world, the F bomb starts being used like a funky & fun new way to punctuate and capitalize. Follow that up with some derogatory terms toward women and there you have this DNF.
If life’s too short for ordinary jewelry it sure as heck is for a book that practically flips you off at the very beginning. Not for me.
March 26, 2021
My favorite Keene book so far. This bleak story was well written and perfectly paced. Keene built up the dread from the beginning and kept it building until the last page. Great book, great characters and great story
December 31, 2016
Brian Keene is one of those authors who has found his "voice" as a writer. While the premise with Darkness is very Stephen King-esque -- a town waking up to a cloud of darkness around its entire borders -- Keene's approach to the subject is uniquely his own.
Rather than psychotic sociopaths or the wounded protagonist with a backstory from hell, this tale centers around extremely ordinary characters, and therein lies its charm. It's you and me and everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis who have been trapped inside potentially the last town still standing.
As the darkness taunts and "infects" those residents still living, we see the tragic side of humanity as -- much like real life -- even our heroes are found to be flawed and highly conflicted. Once again, this is another novel with some subtle tie-ins to Lovecraftian fiction, and there was just enough shown to entice rather than drown you in lore.
A stellar novel that's as much social commentary as it is entertaining, as really aren't we all trying to keep the darkness out from the edges of our lives? A definite recommend.
Rather than psychotic sociopaths or the wounded protagonist with a backstory from hell, this tale centers around extremely ordinary characters, and therein lies its charm. It's you and me and everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis who have been trapped inside potentially the last town still standing.
As the darkness taunts and "infects" those residents still living, we see the tragic side of humanity as -- much like real life -- even our heroes are found to be flawed and highly conflicted. Once again, this is another novel with some subtle tie-ins to Lovecraftian fiction, and there was just enough shown to entice rather than drown you in lore.
A stellar novel that's as much social commentary as it is entertaining, as really aren't we all trying to keep the darkness out from the edges of our lives? A definite recommend.
December 10, 2014
Nice spin on apocalyptic horror that grabs the reader at the beginning and doesn't relent until the final page.
This was a fast, fun read and best of all featured no zombies!
This was a fast, fun read and best of all featured no zombies!
February 20, 2021
I've only read two Keene books, but this is by far my favorite!
Robbie, our narrator, is stuck in a town that has been surrounded by darkness. The world seems to be devoured by the darkness, and Robbie and company are trying to figure out what exactly the darkness is.
This book is full of great scenes and I absolutely loved it! I was a little weary to read this one, since the last Keene book wasn't my favorite book ever (Ghoul), but this book definitely delivered!
This book is like Stephen Kings The Mist, except that was a shorter story and this one hits harder than that. Not saying The Mist is a bad story! No, far from that! The Mist is a favorite of mine! But I just think this one hits harder than Stephen Kings epic tale.
The characters in this were amazing and I just had a blast with this! Also, the narration was solid! Chet Williamson did a superb job
I'm giving this book Five Stars!!! It was that good!
Robbie, our narrator, is stuck in a town that has been surrounded by darkness. The world seems to be devoured by the darkness, and Robbie and company are trying to figure out what exactly the darkness is.
This book is full of great scenes and I absolutely loved it! I was a little weary to read this one, since the last Keene book wasn't my favorite book ever (Ghoul), but this book definitely delivered!
This book is like Stephen Kings The Mist, except that was a shorter story and this one hits harder than that. Not saying The Mist is a bad story! No, far from that! The Mist is a favorite of mine! But I just think this one hits harder than Stephen Kings epic tale.
The characters in this were amazing and I just had a blast with this! Also, the narration was solid! Chet Williamson did a superb job
I'm giving this book Five Stars!!! It was that good!
April 26, 2017
When Brian Keene orders a hamburger, he orders it raw and bloody.
This is mere speculation, of course, as I have never had the opportunity to eat hamburgers with Brian Keene. Based on his horror fiction, however, I think it’s a safe bet.
Keene is the Dean Koontz of Generation Z, minus the restraint. Keene puts other horror writers---Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and even Papa King himself---to shame in terms of the sheer amount of blood and gore in his novels. He’s also not afraid to say “fuck it” and create world-, galaxy-, and occasionally universe-ending denouements. Talk about the strength of your convictions. I mean, if you’re going to write a zombie apocalypse novel, why the hell not go all the way with it.
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” is maybe the fourth or fifth Keene novel I’ve read. While he may not be the most elegant of scribes, there’s one thing for certain: he can tell a damn good story. This is good ol’ fashioned drive-in scary movie entertainment, replete with bad acting, cheesy special effects, and cliches galore. But it satisfies the die-hard horror hound’s appetite for awesome amounts of blood and guts, as well as the requisite amount of T & A.
The plot of “DOTEOT” may sound a little familiar: a small, nondescript suburban city awakes one morning to find that the sun didn’t rise. In fact, the sun may not even exist, at all, along with every other star and planet and celestial body in the universe because the town seems to be surrounded by a deep, palpable darkness. Darker than night or shadow. Attempts to penetrate the vail of darkness result in, well, lets’s just say a lot of screaming.
The people in the town, cut off from the rest of the world and knowing that their resources are severely limited, gradually lose any sense of moral structure. Violence, looting, raping, pillaging, carjacking, stealing shaving cream: the usual end-of-the-world stuff ensues.
Our hero---a pizza delivery dude named Robbie, along with his stoner girlfriend (with nice tits) and his neighbor Russ---must fight to stay alive, not only against the darkness itself, but a growing segment of the survivor population who think that Satan or witches are afoot, so they must, of course, engage in torture and murder in the name of God.
Yeah, so if you’ve read Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” or seen the movie “The Mist” (also based on a King story), you’ll know that this is basically a blatant rip-off.
For some reason, though, I was okay with that. Maybe it was the clever Lovecraftian twist at the end, or the amount of subtle and not-so-subtle humor (at one point, a character even says, “Haven’t you ever seen the movie “The Mist”?”), or maybe it was simply because Keene clearly writes the type of book he would like to read and isn’t interested in writing “quality literature”.
“DOTEOT” has been done before, sure, and it’s probably been done better, but it still does what any good book should do: entertain your pants off.
This is mere speculation, of course, as I have never had the opportunity to eat hamburgers with Brian Keene. Based on his horror fiction, however, I think it’s a safe bet.
Keene is the Dean Koontz of Generation Z, minus the restraint. Keene puts other horror writers---Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and even Papa King himself---to shame in terms of the sheer amount of blood and gore in his novels. He’s also not afraid to say “fuck it” and create world-, galaxy-, and occasionally universe-ending denouements. Talk about the strength of your convictions. I mean, if you’re going to write a zombie apocalypse novel, why the hell not go all the way with it.
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” is maybe the fourth or fifth Keene novel I’ve read. While he may not be the most elegant of scribes, there’s one thing for certain: he can tell a damn good story. This is good ol’ fashioned drive-in scary movie entertainment, replete with bad acting, cheesy special effects, and cliches galore. But it satisfies the die-hard horror hound’s appetite for awesome amounts of blood and guts, as well as the requisite amount of T & A.
The plot of “DOTEOT” may sound a little familiar: a small, nondescript suburban city awakes one morning to find that the sun didn’t rise. In fact, the sun may not even exist, at all, along with every other star and planet and celestial body in the universe because the town seems to be surrounded by a deep, palpable darkness. Darker than night or shadow. Attempts to penetrate the vail of darkness result in, well, lets’s just say a lot of screaming.
The people in the town, cut off from the rest of the world and knowing that their resources are severely limited, gradually lose any sense of moral structure. Violence, looting, raping, pillaging, carjacking, stealing shaving cream: the usual end-of-the-world stuff ensues.
Our hero---a pizza delivery dude named Robbie, along with his stoner girlfriend (with nice tits) and his neighbor Russ---must fight to stay alive, not only against the darkness itself, but a growing segment of the survivor population who think that Satan or witches are afoot, so they must, of course, engage in torture and murder in the name of God.
Yeah, so if you’ve read Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” or seen the movie “The Mist” (also based on a King story), you’ll know that this is basically a blatant rip-off.
For some reason, though, I was okay with that. Maybe it was the clever Lovecraftian twist at the end, or the amount of subtle and not-so-subtle humor (at one point, a character even says, “Haven’t you ever seen the movie “The Mist”?”), or maybe it was simply because Keene clearly writes the type of book he would like to read and isn’t interested in writing “quality literature”.
“DOTEOT” has been done before, sure, and it’s probably been done better, but it still does what any good book should do: entertain your pants off.
June 29, 2011
Brian Keene has reached that point in his career where he is suffering from literary hypothermia. This book represents the point where he is slipping into a coma. This book is completely phoned in, giving us nothing to hold onto, no meat to dig our teeth into, and not even a bone to gnaw on while we meander through a 260 page book that would have worked better as a 40 page short story.
Brian Keene impressed me with his zombie novels. Not because of any literary high-mindedness (I had no hopes that he would be a new Richard Matheson), but because they were thick with the different personalities of their characters and full of the action you would expect from anything dealing with zombies. There was no long and langorous existential woe, but instead a forceful slap in the face. They didn't read like movies- something most genre books suffer from. And I loved them.
But this. This was different. It was written in a stilted tone. It came off as very juvenile in its first-person narration. The characters had no depth and felt stale. It felt like I was reading a high school creative writing assignment that was thrown together over the three-day weekend. It had very little for the reader to hold onto in its lack of characterization, its lack of description, its lack of... just its lack.
I understand that your main character isn't a Harvard graduate. I understand he is supposed to be regular people. But I think you're underestimating regular people, Brian Keene. I don't think you're giving them as much credit as they deserve. Because it sounds like I'm reading a laundry list and not a novel. You've so distilled this character that he is nothing more than a ghost inside a ghost story. And I'm not saying that your main character has to be Walt Whitman, but you need to have someone who can describe his surroundings competently and the emotions that not only he feels, but that those around him are feeling.
There is a disturbing lack of emotion in the book. Anyone who understands the horror genre understands that emotion is the basis for horror. We want to connect to the characters empathically so that we can care about what happens to them on each and every page. Because without a connection, without the emotional connection to the characters, we cannot appreciate the story.
I hope that he can come back from this hypothermic coma and show us that same hungry fire we saw in Dead Rising.
Brian Keene impressed me with his zombie novels. Not because of any literary high-mindedness (I had no hopes that he would be a new Richard Matheson), but because they were thick with the different personalities of their characters and full of the action you would expect from anything dealing with zombies. There was no long and langorous existential woe, but instead a forceful slap in the face. They didn't read like movies- something most genre books suffer from. And I loved them.
But this. This was different. It was written in a stilted tone. It came off as very juvenile in its first-person narration. The characters had no depth and felt stale. It felt like I was reading a high school creative writing assignment that was thrown together over the three-day weekend. It had very little for the reader to hold onto in its lack of characterization, its lack of description, its lack of... just its lack.
I understand that your main character isn't a Harvard graduate. I understand he is supposed to be regular people. But I think you're underestimating regular people, Brian Keene. I don't think you're giving them as much credit as they deserve. Because it sounds like I'm reading a laundry list and not a novel. You've so distilled this character that he is nothing more than a ghost inside a ghost story. And I'm not saying that your main character has to be Walt Whitman, but you need to have someone who can describe his surroundings competently and the emotions that not only he feels, but that those around him are feeling.
There is a disturbing lack of emotion in the book. Anyone who understands the horror genre understands that emotion is the basis for horror. We want to connect to the characters empathically so that we can care about what happens to them on each and every page. Because without a connection, without the emotional connection to the characters, we cannot appreciate the story.
I hope that he can come back from this hypothermic coma and show us that same hungry fire we saw in Dead Rising.
August 14, 2022
Deja Poo
As I was reading this, I kept getting the feeling I had read it before. I seem to remember finding unexpected skid marks in my undies. Or that feeling of release as your bladder lets go...only while you're wearing clothes! Then it came to me! YES! This is the same (more or less) as James Herbert's The Dark, only without the pee-inducing spookiness. Hahaaaaa - I'm not as geriatric as I thought. There are also bits and pieces of Steven King's The Mist and a wee bit of The Fog.
I read The Dark about 40 years ago and still remember it. I doubt I'll remember DOTEOT even 1 year from now. Having said that, it's still a fair read. I'm not insinuating any plagiarism has occurred here, but there are a lot of similarities. I encourage you to read the books I mentioned and draw your own conclusions.
The writing style is gloomy, the characters annoying and the ending deeply unsatisfying. Even so...2 1/2 dark stars. 🌚🌚🌓
As I was reading this, I kept getting the feeling I had read it before. I seem to remember finding unexpected skid marks in my undies. Or that feeling of release as your bladder lets go...only while you're wearing clothes! Then it came to me! YES! This is the same (more or less) as James Herbert's The Dark, only without the pee-inducing spookiness. Hahaaaaa - I'm not as geriatric as I thought. There are also bits and pieces of Steven King's The Mist and a wee bit of The Fog.
I read The Dark about 40 years ago and still remember it. I doubt I'll remember DOTEOT even 1 year from now. Having said that, it's still a fair read. I'm not insinuating any plagiarism has occurred here, but there are a lot of similarities. I encourage you to read the books I mentioned and draw your own conclusions.
The writing style is gloomy, the characters annoying and the ending deeply unsatisfying. Even so...2 1/2 dark stars. 🌚🌚🌓
July 6, 2018
On his podcast, The Horror Show with Brian Keene, Keene has mentioned a few times that Darkness on the Edge of Town was partly inspired by Stephen King's The Mist. Commonalities certainly exist, but there's also more than a touch of King's Under the Dome, as if Keene and King had tapped into similar wavelengths and wrote their works concurrently, and likely unbeknownst to each other. King's Dome was published at the tail-end of 2009, and the first edition of Darkness was published by Leisure Books at the start of 2010, so clearly something was in the air, reaching into their minds from the beyond. I mention this only because there's a cool kind of synchronicity that can exist between creators and it fascinates and amuses me in almost equal measure that in being influenced by a much earlier King story, Keene wrote a somewhat similar story to a then-more current King tome (even if Dome itself is highly derivative of earlier, superior King books). For my money, though, Darkness on the Edge of Town is easily the better of the two.
As the title indicates, darkness is the predominate theme to this particular work. The town of Walden has been blanketed in perpetual night thick enough to blot out the stars. This darkness encases the town, and to leave Walden is suicide (but staying put could also mean certain death). Those who cross the city limits are never seen again, the violent cries of their death throes the final thing that is ever heard from them. Trapped within this small-town, madness begins to take hold as time loses all meaning and supplies begin to grow as scarce as hope.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is, suitably, a dark story. Darkness infests the town as much as it soaks the pages, and the people of Walden are driven toward their baser instincts, guided by their own inner darkness and personal torments. Keene slowly ramps up the violence, escalating from grocery store looters to gang-infested streets, home invasions, and rapes and murders that occur right in the middle of the street. It's bleak, but compulsively readable. I had to know what secrets the darkness held, and whether or not Robbie, Christy, and their neighbors were going to survive this endless night.
I also had to know if and how this book tied into the larger mythos underpinning Keene's narratives. Once the homeless man, Dez, made his appearance and began spouting off arcane craziness, my ears perked right up at the familiar concepts the fine folks of Walden brushed off as insane drivel. My patience was rewarded, and I can say that Darkness on the Edge of Town is most certainly one of the levels in Keene's overarching Labyrinth mythology. I got hints of it in the Clickers books he wrote with J.F. Gonzalez, as well as The Rising, City of the Dead, and The Complex, so I was absolutely delighted to see more of that mythology discussed and elaborated on here.
I'm a sucker for multiplicative Earth's and alternate realities and I dig the way Keene has merged scientific principles, like string theory and quantum mechanics, in a very layman way, with mythological stories to create a multi-storied overarching narrative to connect his works. Best of all, though, is that each of these works function independently. You need not have read The Rising to understand Darkness on the Edge of Town, but if you have you'll find some sweet name-drops along the way. This book in particular is a solid stand-alone, but it's made richer by the baked-in connectivity to Keene's other works.
While all that stuff is certainly cool to be sure, the story surrounding all these little Easter Eggs is just as good. I dug the characters and how they responded to the darkness encroaching upon both the town and their psyches. There's some great interpersonal dynamics at play, as well as some smaller examinations of mob mentality and how vicious and extreme human behavior can get in dire, pressing situations. Darkness is a bleak read on the whole, but a highly infectious one. Like Robbie and his neighbors, the darkness got into my head, too, and it forced me to keep turning the pages. Thankfully, I had plenty of light to read by.
As the title indicates, darkness is the predominate theme to this particular work. The town of Walden has been blanketed in perpetual night thick enough to blot out the stars. This darkness encases the town, and to leave Walden is suicide (but staying put could also mean certain death). Those who cross the city limits are never seen again, the violent cries of their death throes the final thing that is ever heard from them. Trapped within this small-town, madness begins to take hold as time loses all meaning and supplies begin to grow as scarce as hope.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is, suitably, a dark story. Darkness infests the town as much as it soaks the pages, and the people of Walden are driven toward their baser instincts, guided by their own inner darkness and personal torments. Keene slowly ramps up the violence, escalating from grocery store looters to gang-infested streets, home invasions, and rapes and murders that occur right in the middle of the street. It's bleak, but compulsively readable. I had to know what secrets the darkness held, and whether or not Robbie, Christy, and their neighbors were going to survive this endless night.
I also had to know if and how this book tied into the larger mythos underpinning Keene's narratives. Once the homeless man, Dez, made his appearance and began spouting off arcane craziness, my ears perked right up at the familiar concepts the fine folks of Walden brushed off as insane drivel. My patience was rewarded, and I can say that Darkness on the Edge of Town is most certainly one of the levels in Keene's overarching Labyrinth mythology. I got hints of it in the Clickers books he wrote with J.F. Gonzalez, as well as The Rising, City of the Dead, and The Complex, so I was absolutely delighted to see more of that mythology discussed and elaborated on here.
I'm a sucker for multiplicative Earth's and alternate realities and I dig the way Keene has merged scientific principles, like string theory and quantum mechanics, in a very layman way, with mythological stories to create a multi-storied overarching narrative to connect his works. Best of all, though, is that each of these works function independently. You need not have read The Rising to understand Darkness on the Edge of Town, but if you have you'll find some sweet name-drops along the way. This book in particular is a solid stand-alone, but it's made richer by the baked-in connectivity to Keene's other works.
While all that stuff is certainly cool to be sure, the story surrounding all these little Easter Eggs is just as good. I dug the characters and how they responded to the darkness encroaching upon both the town and their psyches. There's some great interpersonal dynamics at play, as well as some smaller examinations of mob mentality and how vicious and extreme human behavior can get in dire, pressing situations. Darkness is a bleak read on the whole, but a highly infectious one. Like Robbie and his neighbors, the darkness got into my head, too, and it forced me to keep turning the pages. Thankfully, I had plenty of light to read by.
February 6, 2016
At first glance, this lean horror novel may seem to be a little similar in plot to King's UNDER THE DOME (small town cut off from the rest of the world; townspeople struggle to survive and began to war amongst themselves), but not really. In many ways, this Keene novel is far more grim and bleak than King's. And it mostly centers around a handful of characters who live in an apartment building. Instead of King's somewhat sci-fi-ish explanation, Keene settles for a supernatural-type of darkness blocking off the town and making the townspeople violent as they try to deal with the what and why. There's a crazy homeless man who may be their only hope of survival. In a clever twist (fans of Keene's other novels may catch this), Keene connects a possible reason for the all-consuming darkness to previous novels. Probably one of his bleakest, grimmest stories, the open ended climax may leave some readers wanting more of a satisfying conclusion. Not his best but not too bad either.
May 24, 2010
This is not a review. It is much more like my two cents on what I thought about this book. Darkness on the Edge of Town is in my opinion, obviously, Brian Keene's best book since Dead Sea. Although reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King's novella The Mist, especially the ending of the latter, I enjoyed every minute reading this book. We once more have a book from Keene that transcends what feels like a cheap B-rated horror movie and moves back into the dark, mysterious, world ending entities that fascinated me with his earlier works.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
August 26, 2016
Darkness at the edge of
Town- I've really enjoyed a few things by Brian Keene. The Rising especially, this one is up there with that.
It's very similar to
Under the dome and the mist, but having said that it's also very unique in its own right.
A great story of how mankind can turn to hell when the lights go out. This was a fun book to read and I loved pretty much every minute of it.
Town- I've really enjoyed a few things by Brian Keene. The Rising especially, this one is up there with that.
It's very similar to
Under the dome and the mist, but having said that it's also very unique in its own right.
A great story of how mankind can turn to hell when the lights go out. This was a fun book to read and I loved pretty much every minute of it.
February 19, 2018
Really eerie and suspenseful stuff from Brian Keene. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!
March 14, 2015
Darkness on the Edge of Town is considered to be one of Brian Keene's most impressive novels, after reading it for myself I have to agree with the majority of reviews. The books is definitely a quick read, especially if you happen to enjoy post apocalyptic fiction as much as I do. Some of the most fun moments are when civilization is falling apart, one particular scene that sticks in my head is the infamous shaving cream burglar. While the horror aspect of it focuses on feelings of claustrophobia and isolation, I felt the true frightening moments were the horror within the human psyche. Brian Keene toys with the interesting debate of whether human beings can retain their humanity when their situation is deemed hopeless. However unlike how most authors portray it, we are never certain if the darkness is eroding away mankind's soul or if they are simply giving into the primal urges that were always buried within.
The novel focuses on three friends named Robbie, his girlfriend Christy and their friend Russ. The three of them are trapped and surrounded in their town by a entity that is one of the oldest things in the universe. Neither demon nor angel this entity is the king of a pantheon known as the thirteen and it won't stop until all of God's creations are destroyed. If you happen to be familiar with the character of Levi Stoltzfus from Ghost Walk or A Gathering of Crows you will see connections from those books in this one. Brian Keene has managed to weave together a very interesting mythology, one that is both fun and rewarding to follow.
I enjoyed Darkness on the Edge of Town for managing to keep the balance between humor and horror. I can't imagine that being something easy to do when you are writing a bleak tale such as this one. This is probably why I choose Brian Keene over so many other different horror writers. Reading about Robbie's struggle against insurmountable odds was a fun one, even if humanity's doom was pretty much written in stone. I give Darkness on the Edge of Town a five out of five stars for all of the enjoyment I had with it. Give it a shot if you enjoy horror or post apocalyptic fiction!
The novel focuses on three friends named Robbie, his girlfriend Christy and their friend Russ. The three of them are trapped and surrounded in their town by a entity that is one of the oldest things in the universe. Neither demon nor angel this entity is the king of a pantheon known as the thirteen and it won't stop until all of God's creations are destroyed. If you happen to be familiar with the character of Levi Stoltzfus from Ghost Walk or A Gathering of Crows you will see connections from those books in this one. Brian Keene has managed to weave together a very interesting mythology, one that is both fun and rewarding to follow.
I enjoyed Darkness on the Edge of Town for managing to keep the balance between humor and horror. I can't imagine that being something easy to do when you are writing a bleak tale such as this one. This is probably why I choose Brian Keene over so many other different horror writers. Reading about Robbie's struggle against insurmountable odds was a fun one, even if humanity's doom was pretty much written in stone. I give Darkness on the Edge of Town a five out of five stars for all of the enjoyment I had with it. Give it a shot if you enjoy horror or post apocalyptic fiction!
August 8, 2010
The people in the town of Walden wake up to find they have been cut off by a void, shadow, or otherwise darkness on the edge of town. No one knows what it is or why it is there. Well, there might be one person who knows, but he’s a little unstable. The characters are diverse enough that their humanity degenerates in a matter of hours. For example, the longer the darkness keeps them trapped, the denser the concentration of brutality.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is a fine piece of work from author Brian Keene. For instance, there have been comparisons made to the book The Mist by Stephen King (there are even references made by characters in the book). Sometimes if a book does not live up to expectations it is instantly compared to its nearest competitor. Brain Keene and Stephen King are similar in the fact that they are both fantastic horror authors. I hope to see Brian Keene’s notoriety reach the heights King has seen. This book has its own particular greatest.
For example its terrifically bloody and gory, in some parts, put smack dab in the middle of Americana. Walden is described with the essence of small town living. Rather than seeming out-of-place in this idealized state of being, it morphs into a mutation of what society would be in a toxic fishbowl. The antagonist is Robbie and he tells the story from the notes he takes. How it starts, what they endure, how they try to leave town, and what the darkness shows them.
Conversely, what is darker. Humanity stripped of its morals, or the void? I believe the darkness shows how society’s “darkness” has created mindless killers with a mob mentality. Watch the news. Kids beaten to death after school isn’t fiction, but could be used to describe the demoralizing acts Robbie sees.
All things considered horror fiction can get you to thinking and entertain you. Brian Keene has always made me wonder, ‘Ok. Am I am supposed to be getting a message or reveling in the blood. Kudos once again, Mr. Keene.
****SPOILER: The story ends with the possibility they could find their way out-of-town. So there could be a Part Two.*****
Darkness on the Edge of Town is a fine piece of work from author Brian Keene. For instance, there have been comparisons made to the book The Mist by Stephen King (there are even references made by characters in the book). Sometimes if a book does not live up to expectations it is instantly compared to its nearest competitor. Brain Keene and Stephen King are similar in the fact that they are both fantastic horror authors. I hope to see Brian Keene’s notoriety reach the heights King has seen. This book has its own particular greatest.
For example its terrifically bloody and gory, in some parts, put smack dab in the middle of Americana. Walden is described with the essence of small town living. Rather than seeming out-of-place in this idealized state of being, it morphs into a mutation of what society would be in a toxic fishbowl. The antagonist is Robbie and he tells the story from the notes he takes. How it starts, what they endure, how they try to leave town, and what the darkness shows them.
Conversely, what is darker. Humanity stripped of its morals, or the void? I believe the darkness shows how society’s “darkness” has created mindless killers with a mob mentality. Watch the news. Kids beaten to death after school isn’t fiction, but could be used to describe the demoralizing acts Robbie sees.
All things considered horror fiction can get you to thinking and entertain you. Brian Keene has always made me wonder, ‘Ok. Am I am supposed to be getting a message or reveling in the blood. Kudos once again, Mr. Keene.
****SPOILER: The story ends with the possibility they could find their way out-of-town. So there could be a Part Two.*****
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