🩸 Horror Fiction

Schizoid

✍️ Matthew Tait
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$14.95
Temporarily out of stock

Currently unavailable

This book is sold out right now. Leave your email — we'll let you know if it comes back, and you'll get 10% off any book today.

In stock now — readers of this book also loved:

Deception Pass ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Matthew Tait
Deception Pass
$14.95
81
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition) ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition)
$22.99
92
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works
$24.99
92
Frankenstein ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Frankenstein
$26.95
92
Dracula (Deluxe Edition) ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Bram Stoker
Dracula (Deluxe Edition)
$40.00
92
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
1
Edgar Allan Poe
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings
$15.99
88
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A writer wakes in his own novel, finding monsters instead of peace.

Tait crafts a fable about the consequences of creative exhaustion. Micha’s journey into Hadley Grove reveals that death offers no rest when one’s mind has built the afterlife. The narrative examines how stories can trap their creators as much as they free them. The presence of the Purson priests and mercury beings suggests a deep entanglement between the author’s psyche and his fictional world. This approach appeals to fans of literary horror who enjoy psychological depth alongside supernatural dread.

Key Themes
storytelling power mercury monsters sibling priests
Literary Context

Published in 2019, this work sits within the tradition of dark fiction and gothic literature. It draws on themes of suicide as a taboo escape and the supernatural intersection of author and creation. The setting of Hadley Grove reflects classic horror tropes of isolated towns with ancient, ominous religious structures.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Thomas Ligotti · M.R. James · Algernon Blackwood · Shirley Jackson
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Thorpe Bowker 📅 2019 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780646996981

📝 Description: Schizoid

Matthew Tait presents a dark narrative in Schizoid that follows Micha Tudor, a thirty-four-year-old writer exhausted by his struggle to make a living. After contemplating suicide as an escape, he wakes up in Hadley Grove, a world constructed from the pages of his own novel. This setting is not a peaceful oblivion but a place where monsters roam the streets and towering mercury creatures brood near an ancient church on oceanic bluffs. The story is presided over by sibling priests Malphas and Natal Purson, whose hellish cathedral appears linked to both the town and Micha himself. Tait explores the precarious boundary between waking life and the power of storytelling. The book suits readers interested in gothic fiction and supernatural tales where reality blurs with creation. It may not appeal to those seeking straightforward horror without meta-fictional elements or complex character introspection.

💎 Our verdict on Schizoid

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Matthew Tait delivers a sophisticated fable about the perils of artistic burnout, crafting a world where fiction bleeds terrifyingly into reality. The narrative excels in building an atmosphere of oppressive dread through its depiction of Hadley Grove and its monstrous inhabitants. By intertwining the protagonist’s psyche with his fictional creations, Tait achieves a chilling commentary on the power of storytelling. This work is best suited for readers who appreciate literary horror that demands engagement with its thematic complexity. It may frustrate those seeking simple scares or linear plots, but it rewards those interested in the psychological consequences of creating dark worlds.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers drawn to the intersection of literary horror and psychological depth will find this narrative compelling. It offers a unique exploration of creative exhaustion, presenting a world where the act of writing becomes a trap rather than an escape. Those who enjoy complex character introspection alongside supernatural elements will appreciate the nuanced portrayal of Micha’s descent. The book appeals to fans who prefer stories that challenge the nature of reality and authorship, providing a dense, atmospheric experience for those willing to engage with its meta-fictional layers and gothic undertones without seeking straightforward plot resolution.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
H
Horror Reads editorial team

Matthew Tait delivers a sophisticated fable about the perils of artistic burnout, crafting a world where fiction bleeds terrifyingly into reality. The narrative excels in building an atmosphere of oppressive dread through its depiction of Hadley Grove and its monstrous inhabitants. By intertwining the protagonist’s psyche with his fictional creations, Tait achieves a chilling commentary on the power of storytelling. This work is best suited for readers who appreciate literary horror that demands engagement with its thematic complexity. It may frustrate those seeking simple scares or linear plots, but it rewards those interested in the psychological consequences of creating dark worlds.

✍️ More books by this author Matthew Tait

Insect Kin
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Matthew Tait
Insect Kin
$9.99
78
Read →
Deception Pass
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Matthew Tait
Deception Pass
$14.95
81
Read →
Providence Place
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Matthew Tait
Providence Place
$12.99
81
Read →

You might also like

See more →
Deception Pass ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Matthew Tait
Deception Pass
$14.95
81
Read →
Providence Place ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Matthew Tait
Providence Place
$12.99
81
Read →
The Haunting of Hill House ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House
$16.99
92
Read →
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition) ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Dracula (Masterpiece Library Edition)
$22.99
92
Read →
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works
$24.99
92
Read →
Frankenstein ✨ New
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Frankenstein
$26.95
92
Read →

Have a question about this item?

Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.

Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist