Gothic

By: Philip Fracassi

Narrated by: Eric Fox

On his 59th birthday, Tyson Parks—a famous, but struggling, horror writer—receives an ornate antiquarian desk in the hopes it will rekindle his creative juices. Perhaps inspire him to write another best-selling book and prove his best years aren’t behind him…

As Tyson begins to use the new desk, he finds himself writing copy at an unfathomable speed, becomes so focused on writing that he binges on all-night, all-day sessions that take a serious physical and psychological toll.

Soon, Tyson begins acting strange. Violent.

Meanwhile, a mysterious woman, Diana Montresor, is making inquiries with her sources around the globe for the whereabouts of a certain artifact she, and her family, have been hunting for centuries.

As forces converge on Tyson’s world, he faces the hardest choice of his life: Does he let go of his new muse, allow it to be taken back to the void of history where it belongs? Or does he continue to live as the desk’s mouthpiece, not only regaining his glory days as a famous writer, but achieving levels of success he’s only dreamed of?

As the desk—and the force that lives inside it—grows stronger, he must choose.

Before it’s too late.

©2023 Philip Fracassi (P)2023 Vibrance Press

Critic reviews

"A dark and delirious journey into the unraveling of a mind, Gothic is the accursed 21st century bastard child of the 70s horror boom and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness. Deadly, compelling, and pulls no punches."—BRIAN EVENSON

"GOTHIC is the literary equivalent of the abyss gazing right back at you from the hellish depths of its pages. Don't lean in too close, lest you fall into this nightmarish novel and never find your way out again."—CLAY MACLEOD CHAPMAN, author of Ghost Eaters

"Stylish, atmospheric, and chilling, GOTHIC is an affectionate ode to the horror greats, and an effective reminder that Philip Fracassi is destined to become one of them. One of my favorite reads of the year so far."—KEALAN PATRICK BURKE, author of Kin and Sour Candy

A simple premise, results in a chilling story.

Tyson Parks is a famous horror novelist has-been who is in desperate need of a new best-selling book. His girlfriend Sarah gifts him a very expensive, gothic-looking desk for him to write his next bestseller on. As soon as he starts writing on the desk, he's sent into a dangerous writing trance. On the other side of the world, a mysterious woman is desperately seeking this desk in order to destroy it and end the evil curse attached to it. From the moment this desk entered his life a gory, violent story begins and Tyson literally cannot type fast enough.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a good psychological episode and/or descent into madness story. There were many moments where I had to pause and come back to it later in order to recompose and separate myself from the events unfolding in the book. It's this type of reaction that makes this a true horror story for me. Masterfully done Mr. Fracassi.

Horrifying

One of the most horrifying books I read in a long time. finished this book in just two days. It was very good. Now I want to read other titles by this author a lot more.

Original story

I honestly didn’t expect much from a book about a writer and his evil desk. I was wrong. The story is engaging, keeps you reading, the characters develop well, and when the horror hits, it hits pretty hard I thought.

Sad and Gruesome

I liked Gothic, because it didn’t have a happy ending. It reminded me of Into the Mouth of Madness, where there is no ending. Just an endless carrying of the darkness that’s emerged.

good listening, easy to understand

very well put together, creepy but the end leaves me a little baffled.Is there going to b a 2nd book..I HOPE