Things

Name: Things
Price: 12.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9789197972536

✍️ M G Allen

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$12.99

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A retail worker befriends a slug-born army in this dark comedy.

Jason Wylie finds his life upended by Big Mama, a sentient slug giving birth in his laundry. From this union emerge the Serpenteras, loyal shape-shifters who offer Jason money and retribution against his foes. The plot tracks his attempts to manage this volatile alliance while avoiding the wrath of his creator. Allen presents a narrative where the supernatural intrudes on mundane retail struggles, creating a unique blend of horror and satire. The focus remains tightly on Jason’s personal survival and the peculiar dynamics of his new household.

Key Themes

shape-shifting creatures slug monster friendship retail worker struggles

Literary Context

Published by Kraken Press in 2015, this work sits within contemporary horror fiction. It reflects a modern interest in grotesque humor and the supernatural invading domestic spaces. Allen’s writing engages with traditions of body horror and urban fantasy, presenting a distinctly American setting where ordinary life clashes with bizarre entities.

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Grant Morrison's The Invisibles · China Miéville's Perdido Street Station · Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Kraken Press 📅 2015 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9789197972536

📝 Description: Things

M G Allen crafts a darkly comic tale centered on Jason Wylie, a retail worker with financial struggles and a stagnant romantic life. His routine is shattered when he encounters Big Mama, an unusually intelligent four-foot slug residing in his washing machine during its birthing process. This encounter leads to the birth of the Serpenteras, a group of shape-shifting creatures that pledge their loyalty to Jason. The narrative follows Jason as he navigates this new reality where his strange allies provide him with wealth and settle scores against his adversaries. However, maintaining their favor becomes a precarious balancing act. The text highlights the danger of alienating Big Mama, noting that her wrath is formidable when scorned. Allen’s work draws on supernatural fiction traditions to explore themes of power, dependency, and the absurdity of everyday life colliding with the monstrous. This book suits readers who enjoy offbeat horror and dark humor involving unconventional protagonists and bizarre creatures. It may not appeal to those seeking traditional ghost stories or serious literary gothic works. The story remains grounded in Jason’s immediate experiences with his new family of monsters, focusing on their interactions and the consequences of their actions rather than broader mythological expansions.

💎 Our verdict on Things

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

M G Allen crafts a compelling darkly comic tale that effectively blends horror with satire. The concept of a sentient slug in a washing machine is executed with enough wit to sustain interest without becoming grotesque for its own sake. The narrative succeeds by maintaining a tight focus on Jason’s immediate experiences, allowing the absurdity of his situation to drive the plot rather than relying on external mythological context. This approach suits readers who enjoy offbeat horror and dark humor involving unconventional protagonists. However, those seeking traditional ghost stories or serious literary gothic works may find the tone too light. The book offers a unique exploration of dependency and power through a bizarre yet grounded lens.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate offbeat horror and dark humor will find this tale engaging due to its unconventional protagonist and bizarre creatures. Jason Wylie’s precarious balancing act between wealth and survival offers a unique perspective on power and dependency. The narrative provides a refreshing departure from traditional ghost stories or serious literary gothic works by grounding the supernatural in the immediate experiences of a retail worker. Those seeking satire involving the collision of the mundane and the monstrous will enjoy the tight focus on Jason’s personal survival and the peculiar dynamics of his new household, rather than broad mythological expansions.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

M G Allen crafts a compelling darkly comic tale that effectively blends horror with satire. The concept of a sentient slug in a washing machine is executed with enough wit to sustain interest without becoming grotesque for its own sake. The narrative succeeds by maintaining a tight focus on Jason’s immediate experiences, allowing the absurdity of his situation to drive the plot rather than relying on external mythological context. This approach suits readers who enjoy offbeat horror and dark humor involving unconventional protagonists. However, those seeking traditional ghost stories or serious literary gothic works may find the tone too light. The book offers a unique exploration of dependency and power through a bizarre yet grounded lens.