Staff Pick
Okay, so. SO. I honestly have no idea how to accurately sum up Edenville. This book has it all! Struggling author? Check. Strained relationships? Check. Massive amounts of gore and humor? Check. This is going to be the perfect Halloween read and I will be recommending it to my fellow horror enthusiasts! Recommended By Chris P., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
" A]n essential read for horror enthusiasts." —Booklist
An unsettling, immersive, and wildly entertaining debut novel from an exciting new voice in horror for fans of Paul Tremblay and Stephen Graham Jones.
"Edenville is a delightfully gooey blend of gothic, cosmic, folk and body horror churned by a sharp-bladed critique of academia." —Lucy A. Snyder, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Sister, Maiden, Monster
After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he's convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn. His girlfriend Quinn isn't so sure — she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along.
But there's something wrong in Edenville. Despite the charming old ladies milling about Main Street and picturesque sunflowers dotting the sidewalks, poison lurks beneath the surface. As a series of strange and ominous events escalate among Edenville and its residents, Cam and Quinn find themselves entangled in a dark and disturbing history.
Told with equal parts horror and humor, Edenville explores the urban legends that fuel our nightmares and the ways in which ambition can overshadow our best instincts. Sam Rebelein is an exciting, sharp new voice, sure to terrify readers for years to come.
"The mundane horrors of rural and academic living collide with pure cosmic weirdness in Sam Rebelein's Edenville. Not since Jason Pargin's John Dies at the End have I been so horrified and grossed out by a book...I could say more, but honestly, the less you know about this book, the better. A fantastic debut." —Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Devil's Creek and Cold, Black & Infinite
Review
"Rebelein sprinkles his wild and unpredictable narrative with pop culture references and a gleeful smattering of profanity, setting his voice apart." Publishers Weekly
Review
"There are many campus horror novels, but I think Edenville gets an A for AAAAAAIIIIIII! Sam Rebelein should be awarded a Masters Degree in SCARY. A major new talent!"
R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear Street
Review
"In Edenville, there's a captivating and equally irresistible kind of frenetic intensity pulsing from each and every page — the raw, powerful energy of a new, uninhibited talent in horror fiction. Sam Rebelein possesses the skillset of a venerated master and Edenville is a truly imaginative debut." Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
Review
"Nobody is writing the uncanny like Sam Rebelein. Edenville is an immersive, visceral, unsettling metafictional tale that lures you into the shadows, and then slowly expands your mind to the horrors that were always there. It's Chuck Palahniuk mixed with Clive Barker and Stephen Graham Jones to create a funny, heartbreaking, original piece of fiction." Richard Thomas, author of Spontaneous Human Combustion, a Bram Stoker finalist
Synopsis
" A]n essential read for horror enthusiasts." --Booklist
An unsettling, immersive, and wildly entertaining debut novel from an exciting new voice in horror for fans of Paul Tremblay and Stephen Graham Jones.
"Edenville is a delightfully gooey blend of gothic, cosmic, folk and body horror churned by a sharp-bladed critique of academia."-- Lucy A. Snyder, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Sister, Maiden, Monster
After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he's convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn. His girlfriend Quinn isn't so sure--she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along.
But there's something wrong in Edenville. Despite the charming old ladies milling about Main Street and picturesque sunflowers dotting the sidewalks, poison lurks beneath the surface. As a series of strange and ominous events escalate among Edenville and its residents, Cam and Quinn find themselves entangled in a dark and disturbing history.
Told with equal parts horror and humor, Edenville explores the urban legends that fuel our nightmares and the ways in which ambition can overshadow our best instincts. Sam Rebelein is an exciting, sharp new voice, sure to terrify readers for years to come.
"The mundane horrors of rural and academic living collide with pure cosmic weirdness in Sam Rebelein's Edenville. Not since Jason Pargin's John Dies at the End have I been so horrified and grossed out by a book...I could say more, but honestly, the less you know about this book, the better. A fantastic debut."-- Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Devil's Creek and Cold, Black & Infinite
About the Author
Sam Rebelein holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. His work has appeared in Bourbon Penn, Planet Scumm, Shimmer, Ellen Datlow's The Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. Edenville is his first novel.