Enlarge Your Tentacles, Overnight!: a short novel

Name: Enlarge Your Tentacles, Overnight!: a short novel
Price: 11.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781502380517

✍️ Pat R Steiner

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$11.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A short novel about a man whose body changes after using a dubious ointment.

August Engstrom returns home after academic failure, working nights at a library. His mother thinks he is there for her care. He uses an enhancement cream that alters his body. The story mixes comedy with horror as he deals with the results. Steiner writes about family secrets and unexpected physical changes. The narrative includes a bonus story about tentacles. Readers interested in dark humor will find this engaging. Those preferring serious drama might look elsewhere.

Key Themes

dark humor physical transformation family deception

Literary Context

Published in 2014 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, this work sits within the tradition of American independent horror fiction. It draws on gothic and supernatural themes to create a modern coming-of-age tale. The book reflects a niche market for short, genre-blending novels that mix grotesque elements with everyday struggles.

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Kafka's Metamorphosis · Clive Barker · Terry Pratchett

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 📅 2014 📖 272 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781502380517

📝 Description: Enlarge Your Tentacles, Overnight!: a short novel

Pat R Steiner presents a short novel that follows August Engstrom, a young man whose life has unraveled after losing his scholarship. He returns to his family home, working night shifts at a university library while trying to maintain his academic standing. His mother believes he is there to care for her following a stroke, hiding the true reason for his return. The narrative shifts when Auggie uses an enhancement ointment on a stormy night. The product promises rapid physical changes, leading to unexpected consequences that blend horror with dark humor. Steiner frames this as a coming-of-age story involving supernatural elements. The book includes a bonus tentacled novelette titled Tilting at Martians. This work suits readers who enjoy grotesque comedy and stories about personal failure. It may not appeal to those seeking traditional serious horror or clean romantic narratives. The text relies on the tension between mundane struggles and bizarre physical transformations. Steiner uses this premise to explore themes of deception and unintended growth.

💎 Our verdict on Enlarge Your Tentacles, Overnight!: a short novel

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Pat R Steiner delivers a provocative short novel that effectively merges body horror with dark comedy. The narrative succeeds in creating tension between August Engstrom's mundane struggles for academic redemption and the grotesque reality of his physical transformation. By framing these bizarre changes within a coming-of-age structure, Steiner explores themes of deception and family secrets with a satirical edge. The inclusion of the bonus tentacled novelette adds value for fans of the subgenre. This work is best suited for readers who enjoy grotesque comedy and stories about personal failure. It avoids traditional serious horror tropes, instead offering a sharp, unsettling look at unintended growth and academic pressure through a lens of absurdity and dark humor.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the intersection of mundane struggle and bizarre supernatural consequences will find this novel engaging. It offers a unique blend of dark humor and grotesque comedy, making it ideal for those tired of traditional serious horror. The narrative explores themes of deception and unintended growth through the lens of physical transformation, providing entertainment for fans of dark fantasy and cosmic horror elements that prioritize tone over plot complexity. Those seeking clean romantic narratives or straightforward drama may find it less appealing, but enthusiasts of unexpected physical changes and family secrets will discover a refreshing, if unsettling, perspective on personal failure and academic pressure in this short novel format.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Pat R Steiner delivers a provocative short novel that effectively merges body horror with dark comedy. The narrative succeeds in creating tension between August Engstrom's mundane struggles for academic redemption and the grotesque reality of his physical transformation. By framing these bizarre changes within a coming-of-age structure, Steiner explores themes of deception and family secrets with a satirical edge. The inclusion of the bonus tentacled novelette adds value for fans of the subgenre. This work is best suited for readers who enjoy grotesque comedy and stories about personal failure. It avoids traditional serious horror tropes, instead offering a sharp, unsettling look at unintended growth and academic pressure through a lens of absurdity and dark humor.