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John Dies at the End Paperback – January 1, 2007

by David Wong (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 7,113 ratings
The word-of-mouth phenomenon read online by over 50,000 readers is now available in print!

Telling the story now, I'm tempted to say something like, "Who would have thought that John would help bring about the end of the world?" I won't say that, though, because most of us who grew up with John thought he would help end the world somehow.

It's a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. On the street they call it Soy Sauce, and users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can't.

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  1. Book 1 of 4
    John Dies at the End
  2. Print length
    362 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Permuted Pr
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2007
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0978970764
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0978970765
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  1. Most people don’t realize it until they’re laying facedown on the pavement somewhere, gasping for their last breath. Only then do they realize that life is a flickering candle we all carry around. A gust of wind, a meaningless accident, a microsecond of carelessness, and it’s out. Forever.
    Highlighted by 828 Kindle readers
  2. Something coming back from the dead was almost always bad news. Movies taught me that. For every one Jesus you get a million zombies.
    Highlighted by 532 Kindle readers
  3. Guys like him, the ones who grip the Bible so tight they leave fingernail grooves, they’re the ones who are the most scared of their dark side. Always going too far the other way, fighting for the Lord, often just because it gives them an excuse to fight.
    Highlighted by 350 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

David Wong [has] managed to write that rarest of things--a genuinely scary story. -- David Wellington, author of Monster Island

About the Author

His work has appeared in National Lampoon's Not Fit For Print, as well as on NationalLampoon.com and Cracked.com. Nearly 50,000 readers completed the novel John Dies at the End in its run online.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Permuted Pr
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 362 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0978970764
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0978970765
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ John Dies at the End
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 7,113 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Jason Pargin

    Jason Pargin

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Jason Pargin used to write under the pseudonym David Wong. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series and the Zoey Ashe novels. He is the former Executive Editor at Cracked.com and now writes fiction full time.

    See more on the author's page
  2. David Wong

    David Wong

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    David Wong was the pseudonym for Jason Pargin, the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series who now publishes under his real name. He is also the former Executive Editor at Cracked.com and the author of the Zoey Ashe novels.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
7,113 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book funny with dark humor and praise its masterful storytelling, with one noting it has re-read value. The book features a great blend of horror elements, and customers like the characters, with one mentioning they feel natural in the setting. The writing style and premise receive mixed reactions - while some find it well-written and clever, others criticize the disjointed narrative, and while some appreciate the originality, others find it absurd. The plot receives mixed feedback, with some enjoying the twists and turns while others find it confusing.

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644 customers mention "Humor"572 positive72 negative

Customers find the book funny, describing it as a fun romp with dark humor, though some mention it contains lame jokes.

"...The characters were fully fleshed out people; deeply flawed, funny, with just the right pinch of heroism to make you root not just for their survival..." Read more

"...that John will be the favorite of most readers, delivering absolutely hilarious lines in even the most dire of situations...." Read more

"...characters are loveable losers that you really cheer for, and their lame jokes and sense of humor are as endearing as they are funny...." Read more

"It was like Lovecraft with dick jokes. Some of the humor is juvenile with a prankster attitude, but that's part of the charm...." Read more

548 customers mention "Readability"490 positive58 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and brilliant, particularly praising the last third of the story, with one customer noting its re-read value.

"...that blossomed between her and David was unexpected and rather sweet...." Read more

"...story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect...." Read more

"...It wasn't bad at first. It was good reading when there wasn't anything else to do...." Read more

"...At best, you'll get a great, unique story and at worst you'll have supported a true indie project." Read more

318 customers mention "Scariness level"278 positive40 negative

Customers enjoy the book's horror elements, describing it as a great blend of frightening moments and creepy scenes, with one customer noting its soul-sucking lunacy.

"...The book jacket promises "actual, soul-sucking lunacy," and if there's one thing that this tale successfully delivers on, lunacy is it...." Read more

"...If you are a fan of urban fantasy, science fiction, horror, buddy comedies, video games, mystery, and just plain weird fiction, then you are going..." Read more

"...The energy and comedy would've had more impact and there wouldn't have been as much an issue with the plot dragging or the overuse of certain..." Read more

"...quick page turning parody adventure with plenty of humor and supernatural scares and it tackles these two with a main over-arching theme of..." Read more

103 customers mention "Likable characters"75 positive28 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, finding them amazing and fun to read, with one customer noting that they feel natural in their setting.

"...The characters were fully fleshed out people; deeply flawed, funny, with just the right pinch of heroism to make you root not just for their survival..." Read more

"...Unrealistic and unbelievable characters can make or break a story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect...." Read more

"...narratives and vast, hyper-real situations, but with an unreliable narrator to boot...." Read more

"...The characters are loveable losers that you really cheer for, and their lame jokes and sense of humor are as endearing as they are funny...." Read more

95 customers mention "Creativity"95 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's creativity, praising its delightful originality, brilliant nutty imagination, and unique style.

"...Wild Imagery: Whether or not you agree with me will likely depend on the genres you read the most, but I found much of Wong's imagery to be fresh..." Read more

"...I can see some of the similarities in style and text, but the main difference here is that John Dies at the End is in first person and LJ and Rom..." Read more

"...(snicker out loud uncontrollably at points), snappy dialogue, very gross out graphic and no surprise that this one is becoming a movie...." Read more

"This book is its own unique creature...." Read more

233 customers mention "Plot"142 positive91 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some finding it interesting and full of twists and turns, while others find it confusing at times and hard to follow coherently.

"...excellent narrator, reacting to the horrors around him with the utmost believability, not to mention a good dose of refreshing sarcasm and humor...." Read more

"...this is exhausting and off-putting, and since the story feels so hastily slapped together, I am left without the desire to care too much about all..." Read more

"...There is even some romance and an emotionally touching moment or two. More than anything else, John Dies at the End is a fun book...." Read more

"...The story straddles vast levels, from the interpersonal to the interdimensional, and it's being filtered through someone who isn't entirely sure..." Read more

206 customers mention "Writing style"138 positive68 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it very well written and showing great proficiency, while others note issues with disjointed storytelling and poor grammar and syntax.

"...His years of writing humor have allowed him to create a very distinctive voice for the narrator of this book, also named David Wong, who is telling..." Read more

"...One thing I really like is how they use The Unreliable Narrator because it's left to the audience whether we want to believe every word or not...." Read more

"...But too often Wong's comedic side takes over, and many details are so bizarre and so arbitrary that situations become impossible to take seriously...." Read more

"...The writing is simple, great and snarky, so even though there is strong themes and language, I think the comprehension level here is relatively low..." Read more

125 customers mention "Premise"41 positive84 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's premise, finding it absurd and bizarre, though some appreciate its silliness.

"...The horror was so kitschy yet grotesque that you're just chuckling uncomfortably, like this shouldn't be funny, and on some level you're really..." Read more

"...Unrealistic and unbelievable characters can make or break a story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect...." Read more

"...The world is still a weird, messed-up place which, if we truly understood it, would crush our fragile psyches like a peanut under a tractor tire,..." Read more

"...It felt pretty flat and non-committal, not to mention that I kept expecting John to die. And, from what I can tell, he did not...." Read more

fantastic quality
5 out of 5 stars
fantastic quality
This book came and was in fantastic quality. As it was a used book there is very little damage to the dust jacket. This was exactly what I was looking for from a used book.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • M eZ M eR a Ti K
    5.0 out of 5 stars Grab it. It’s HILARIOUS!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Will change your perspective on the space/time continuum. And just when you think something else couldn’t possibly go wrong, something else happens! (Mirroring life without mirroring life😂).
    If you like weird stuff and great characters, grab this book. The author has many other hilarious books. But while you get this one, grab yourself the audiobook of “I’m Starting to Worry About The Big Black Box of Doom”. Story is SO funny and the guy who reads it- makes it even more fun then you thought it was in print.
    And please remember: 9 times out of 10, THE BOOK is (usually) better than the movie.
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  • Benjamin Reed
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wong has a talent for engrossing the reader in even the most bizarre of setups.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    "John Dies at the End" is a rare blend of comedy and horror from the mind of David Wong (pseudonym of Jason Pargin, editor of Cracked.com), one that throws two misfits into the midst of a sinister plot in which forces beyond human comprehension threaten the universe itself.
    In his review of the 2001 film "Donnie Darko," Roger Ebert said: "The setup and development is fascinating, the payoff less so." That statement alone could act as the super-short version of my opinion on this book--and don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it overall, but there's definitely room for improvement here.

    The book jacket promises "actual, soul-sucking lunacy," and if there's one thing that this tale successfully delivers on, lunacy is it. Wong doesn't waste any time grabbing the reader's attention; heroes John and Dave do battle against such horrors as meat monsters, exploding girls, and penis doorknobs within the first 20 pages. While normally I would argue that this sort of opening is too much, it's probably for the best that Wong puts this stuff up front. Establishing the wackiness from the get-go will probably weed out any readers who aren't ready for things to get...unconventional.

    I feel I should make a vain attempt at plot synopsis. Here goes: David is a slacker attending a concert with his best friend John. During the concert, he encounters a Jamaican dealing drugs and performing "magic tricks" such as levitation and mind-reading. In a wonderfully creepy scene, it becomes apparent that this guy possesses some legitimate supernatural powers. Unbeknownst to Dave, John takes a drug called "soy sauce" from the Jamaican, and he immediately experiences (apparent) hallucinations and extreme panic. David tries to help John, and things go from bad to bad AND weird; David receives a few calls from John, apparently calling from the future. Things seriously hit the fan when David accidentally takes some of the sauce himself. You see, the soy sauce is sort of a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it allows David to be "tuned in," giving him heightened senses that allow him to read minds and communicate across time and space. Alas, it's not all fun and games, for the soy sauce also opens doorways to other dimensions and attracts the denizens of hell. Once someone takes the sauce, they will from that point onward be aware of the things invisible to the naked eye that share the universe with us. It's a great concept, even if it does lead to some incoherence.

    While most adventure tales and buddy comedies involve the protagonists setting out to defeat some great evil, this isn't necessarily always the case here. John and Dave (and friends, most of whom don't last too long) aren't really out to stop a sinister plot; for the most part, this is an account of David trying to live his life while putting up with the nuttiness unfolding around him. It makes the story a lot more meandering than it needs to be, and DAMN if this story couldn't have been shorter and more direct. I get that some degree of incoherence is what the author was going for, and to be fair there IS a lot of creativity to be found. David encounters lamp-humping jellyfish, alien insects, shadow people, and driving dogs. But after a while, it all piles up and becomes tiring. There's only so much randomness one can endure before it becomes too much.

    This book is described as a "comic horror" novel, but there's definitely more comedy here than horror. This isn't a scary book with comic relief so much as a comedy that involves a lot of violence and monsters. Oh, sure, there are some legitimately chilling things here: the setup is definitely spooky, there's an especially gruesome scene involving a McDonald's ad, and David's narration is sometimes dark enough to genuinely disturb. But too often Wong's comedic side takes over, and many details are so bizarre and so arbitrary that situations become impossible to take seriously. A lot of it comes off as awkward rather than scary OR funny. (Immediately before a particularly brutal scene of slaughter and gore, we are presented with the line, "The kittens will make your sad go away.")

    Although, lines like that aren't the norm. If there's one thing that Wong gets PERFECTLY, it's character and dialogue. Unrealistic and unbelievable characters can make or break a story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect. David is an excellent narrator, reacting to the horrors around him with the utmost believability, not to mention a good dose of refreshing sarcasm and humor. Even more impressive, the side characters are all distinct and interesting, the best of which (by far) is the titular John, a best friend who manages to be loveable and funny despite being a drunkard and a slacker (and a druggie, sort of). I imagine that John will be the favorite of most readers, delivering absolutely hilarious lines in even the most dire of situations. On the subject of characters, my only complaint is that Wong introduces and dismisses female characters too often, going through three (four, if you count the fake-out at the beginning) in the span of one book. Granted, the final, actual love interest is another great character. Truth be told, it's pretty amazing that Wong was able to develop her so well, given barely 1/3 of the story to do so. It's just unfortunate that he couldn't have done it from the start--it would have felt much less rushed that way.

    The book also has pacing problems, which is a shame because, despite its faults, it IS immensely entertaining. I raced through each page thanks to Wong's unfailing ability to keep the reader in suspense, and I'm usually not a very fast reader. Momentum builds like mad at the beginning of the book's final third, when a character goes missing and David realizes that he might have killed them (but he can't quite remember clearly). Then, unfortunately, the story hits a serious rut and drags until the last few chapters. Worst of all, there's not much resolution and the story doesn't end; it just STOPS on an anticlimactic note. I'd be lying if I said the wackiness hadn't outlived its charm by the final page. Granted, there IS a satisfying climax, but Wong decides to go on for a few more chapters afterwards. Of course, this may just be due to the fact that "John Dies at the End" is the first part of a bigger story, so I won't hold the ending against it too much.

    So, (very) long story short, "John Dies at the End" is worth reading...if you're into this sort of thing. It does have flaws (mainly its meandering nature and often over-the-top supernatural randomness), but if you're willing to overlook them, you'll find that Wong has a talent for engrossing the reader in even the most bizarre of setups. I enjoyed it even if I didn't fully understand it, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
    Also, there's a wig monster behind you. Run bro.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4 out of 5
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Miskadoodle
    5.0 out of 5 stars All the funnies
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    David Wong and his best friend John are slacker college dropouts who find themselves the unwilling saviors of the world from evil forces beyond our understanding (theirs, too). The suck at it pretty bad but, you know, they try. Some new drug called soy sauce gives its users the ability to do really cool, bizarre things like time travel, know really obscure information about people, and dimension hop. It also uses the person as a portal to allow things from the other side to enter our world. John Dies at the End chronicles David and John's completely messed up journey of discovering just how nasty their new enemy is, and trying to figure out how the hell a couple of twenty somethings are supposed to defeat evil incarnate.

    They do not know. At all. Ever. But they try, because nobody likes it when people try to come through the television.

    This book was the closest I'll ever come to a trippy acid experience. It's sheer lunacy on every other page, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I understand now why a lot of people say it's hard to summarize what happens in this book without sounding like you're out of touch with reality. The book is basically David's recount of past events to a reporter who thinks he's full of it. David as a narrator is pretty fantastic. Sometimes unreliable, but bitingly sarcastic, self deprecating and self aware, and hilarious. I enjoyed viewing the story out of his headspace. He's a bit of a coward, except when he's not and doesn't give himself enough credit, has a love hate relationship with his best friend, and genuinely tries to do the right thing most of the time.

    There's some much unbelievable WTFery going on, and it's so over the top that you just can't even believe what you're reading, but you're kind of laughing because it is so over the top...until you realize how gross it actually is. I just kind of went with it after awhile, and the characters basically did, too. David and John became so blase towards the paranormal goings on around them that their lack of reaction was funny in and of itself. `Oh, the dog imploded? Whateves. There's a giant floating jellyfish hanging out in someone's bedroom? We'll deal with that later. Cockroach man driving my car away? NOTHIN' BETTER HAPPEN TO THAT CAR, ALL I'M SAYIN.'

    I haven't laughed that much since reading Good Omens. The horror was so kitschy yet grotesque that you're just chuckling uncomfortably, like this shouldn't be funny, and on some level you're really disturbed and grossed out, but that nervous laughter keeps bubbling up.

    I also enjoyed the fact that I really didn't know what to expect. I could not guess what would happen next (did not see wig monsters coming), who was going to die, what was going to explode or visit the characters any time of the day. I also didn't know what obscure little reference or weird...thing might be important later, so I absorbed everything, and it paid off. I felt David's paranoia at being constantly watched, not knowing where the shadow people were or who was compromised by the other side, having no one to confide in except his crazy best friend. Since it was so campy (Meat monsters. Phone bratwurst. Elton John and Co. Jellyfish. Kittens. Molly.) there weren't a lot of genuine scares, but there were a few solid creepy moments that struck a chord. Waking up knowing you lost an entire night - with no recollection of what you did or where you went - has to be a bone chilling experience. And I can't talk about the television.

    The characters were fully fleshed out people; deeply flawed, funny, with just the right pinch of heroism to make you root not just for their survival, but their happiness. We all know someone like John; heck, I dated someone like him. At first I didn't understand why David hung out with him, since he was such an astounding screwup, but I got it the further I read. He's the friend you feel a little responsible for, that you can't shake because you really care about them even when you want to punch them in the face. Who might be the only friend you have. I liked how there's no blatant info dumps on any one character. Amy was kind of refreshing, and the relationship that blossomed between her and David was unexpected and rather sweet. David's background was revealed slowly, peeled back bit by bit through occasional self reflection and relayed to other characters when he was good and ready to tell them.

    Excellent, one of a kind read.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • T.N
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tales of the strange
    Reviewed in Australia on February 13, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book isn't for everyone. Let's get that out of the way first.
    The next thing that I usually get to is what I like, so that the author doesn't go out and find me in order to enact some bloody revenge.
    Plot: David Wong talks to a reporter about the strange things that happen around him. The book is broken up into several novellas that are strung together into proper novel to give a type of origin story.
    The first story gives a basic description of his life and the types of people that he has to deal with. The story picks up on his friend, John delving into a new drug called soy sauce and the story quickly goes from 2 to 11 on the weird scale. Monsters appear, we meet some new characters and we get the first hand look of the coming of the shadow men, a recurring monster.
    This is only part one of the book and it is difficult to not give the story away without discussing the other two stories or the ending.
    Characters: David Wong is pretty average American living in one of the most haunted towns in the world. To explain his character in a nut shell, reluctant hero. He wants a normal life, he is a cynic, and has bad decision making skills.
    John: John is that eternal college party guy. The type of person who lives the life that people think rock stars have, if they were poor. He functions as the comic relief but also the person who pushes the plot on.
    Style: First perspective narrative. The comedy in the book is a little hit or miss but for me I found myself openly laughing several times. It isn't the kind of book that you can read through in one go. The book takes a modern day go at the Lovecraft style of horror with cosmic beings that either don't like us or see us as cattle.
    The writer does make an assortment of interesting original monsters and creatures with different powers, but the characters also try to make light of the situation, mostly because they don't know what they are doing or they are frightened.
    What I like: I think that there are good parts to this book with interesting characters, interesting monsters, and some mystery thrown in. If you like horror and comedy I would suggest that you read it.
    What I don't like: Is this book going to change you life? No. To me it felt like a one off read, but I also don't regret buying it. What I don't like is that this book isn't on audible despite that the sequels are.
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  • C.A.Raaven
    5.0 out of 5 stars Krank aber geil
    Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Eine Autoren-Kollegin brachte mich auf diese Story, indem sie bei einem Treffen einen Teil der ersten Szene vorlas. Ich war sofort infiziert von dieser aberwitzigen Geschichte und dem lockeren Schreibstil des Autors. Nun habe ich sie durch und kann mit Fug und Recht behaupten: Was für eine grandiose Art und Weise seine Lebenszeit zu verbringen.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mistura fantástica entre comédia, filosofia e horror cósmico! Queria uma edição em Português!
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Um dos melhores livros de ficção que já li, mesmo com alguns problemas (vou tratar abaixo). A prosa é muito envolvente, com boas técnicas de prender a atenção e dificultar que você largue a leitura — e isso vindo de alguém que só tem conseguido ler raramente, por cansaço mental de trabalhar com leitura e escrita. Além disso, a mescla de um estilo de comédia absurda e esperta estilo Douglas Adams, uma marca própria de terror cósmico que vai para muito além de uma simples paródia de Lovecraft, e o suspense psicológico que lembra Stephen King (com um pouco mais de conteúdo "quinta-série" politicamente incorreto) geram uma obra muito diversa, que te faz gargalhar alto e logo depois cravar as unhas na pele por alguma descrição grotesca ou sanguinolenta.

    Os pontos negativos que eu destacaria são principalmente o humor politicamente incorreto que comentei acima. O livro foi escrito no início dos anos 2000, e a quantidade de termos ofensivos incomoda um tanto quase 25 anos depois. Apesar disso, o livro tem momentos de vulnerabilidade emocional dos mesmos personagens responsáveis pelas piadas e comentários horrorosos (John e David), o que indica que talvez o coração deles (e do autor da obra) esteja "num lugar certo". Boa parte do conteúdo mais "mundo real" do livro está focado em condenar preconceitos e conservadorismo incoerente, então creio que a linguagem odiosa não venha de uma mente alinhada com discursos de ódio. Ainda assim, é difícil recomendar a leitura pra pessoas mais sensíveis a esse tipo de """piada""", o que fica ainda mais difícil ao levar em conta que quase nenhuma personagem feminina no livro tem alguma profundidade (mas a Amy é muito bem escrita, apesar de mais rasa do que os dois principais).

    Outro ponto fraco é que, por se tratar de uma história publicada serialmente ao longo de vários anos, a coesão do texto não é exatamente um primor. Mas, ainda assim, os três arcos de história funcionam muito bem, e o livro atiça a curiosidade de saber o que virá nas continuações, que foram escritas de forma mais convencional.

    Eu adoraria que esse livro e suas continuações tivessem uma versão em Português, pois isso facilitaria recomendar / presentear amizades que poderiam gostar do livro, mas têm uma barreira linguística total ou parcial (entendem o idioma, mas se cansam bem mais rápido da leitura). A ponto de que, mesmo com os problemas, eu penso que seria um trabalho de ouro fazer a tradução destas obras eu mesmo, caso alguma editora se interessasse (XD).

    Aguardando as próximas férias do trabalho para continuar essa tetralogia.
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  • Ankur Banerjee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    John Dies At The End by David "Dave" Wong (pseudonym for Cracked.com editor Jason Pargin) is a novel that one would expect to be the output of an author hallucinating on acid, yet still have enough coherence to write jokes. The story is a written as a first-person narrative set in Undisclosed, Midwest America from the perspective of Dave who is recounting incidents he has lived through to a skeptical journalist. He, along with his friend John, meet a Jamaican drug dealer Robert Marley (but of course) who gets them get them on a drug that goes by the name Soy Sauce which makes them hallucinate and gives them super-enhanced sensory perceptions - the ability to see ghosts, among other things.

    The book is steeped in demonology and mythology, with a narrative arc loosely centred around an evil malevolent deity known as Korrok who is trying to open a portal from his dimension into our world. But wait! Before I loose you to thinking that this book is some kind of Lord of the Rings-style fantasy (and/or that I play Dungeons & Dragons in my basement) let me stop you right there: this book's genre is best described as satirical horror. The tone of the story throughout is the kind of playfully satirical humour made so popular by Douglas Adams (think Dirk Gently rather than Hitchhiker`s). Think Ghostbusters meets Sherlock Holmes meets The Sixth Sense meets Monty Python.

    David Wong doesn't shy away from gore either with very graphic descriptions, making the horror elements work. What I liked particularly about the style of writing is that he also describes sounds, textures, and smells (without getting too distracted by them that it gets in the way of the story) that make the narrative come alive. The characters are colourful too: "shadow people", a seemingly immortal dog, the aforementioned "Robert" Marley, Detective "Morgan Freeman" Appleton, frequent appearances by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit...among many others.

    There aren't many books in which you will get to read anything along the lines of `The phrase "sodomized by a bratwurst poltergeist" suddenly flew through my mind' and find yourself alternating between terror and laughter. John Dies At The End is perhaps the most insane book I have read, and I mean that in a good way.
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  • SpanishJoe
    5.0 out of 5 stars So very weird (and funny)
    Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Fun, gross, profane and weird, this nightmare of a book is a marriage between Stephen King and Douglas Adams. A lot of it reads like a strange dream, threads and characters appear and disappear at random. Still, it does build a world and by the end you get a feel for the world building and the “logic” behind it, but it takes time and a specific sense of humour. Looking forward to reading the next instalment!
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