Reddit reviews John Dies at the End

I would have to say John Dies at the End. While it's not obviously inspired by Lovecraft, after I read it the only thing I could say to describe it was 'Modern-day Lovecraftian Comedy'.

Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead a man. Don’t worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you’re the one who shot him.

He had been a big, twitchy guy with veiny skin stretched over swollen biceps, a tattoo of a swastika on his tongue. Teeth filed into razor-sharp fangs, you know the type. And you’re chopping off his head because, even with eight bullet holes in him, you’re pretty sure he’s about to spring back to his feet and eat the look of terror right off your face.

On the follow-through of the last swing, though, the handle of the ax snaps in a spray of splinters. You now have a broken ax. So, after a long night of looking for a place to dump the man and his head, you take a trip into town with your ax. You go to the hardware store, explaining away the dark reddish stains on the broken handle as barbecue sauce. You walk out with a brand new handle for your ax.

The repaired ax sits undisturbed in your garage until the next spring when, on one rainy morning, you find in your kitchen a creature that appears to be a foot-long slug with a bulging egg sac on its tail. Its jaws bite one of your forks in half with what seems like very little effort. You grab your trusty ax and chop the thing into several pieces. On the last blow, however, the ax strikes a metal leg of the overturned kitchen table and chips out a notch right in the middle of the blade.

Of course, a chipped head means yet another trip to the hardware store. They sell you a brand new head for your ax. As soon as you get home with your newly-headed ax, though, you meet the reanimated body of the guy you beheaded last year. He’s also got a new head, stitched on with what looks like plastic weed trimmer line, and it’s wearing that unique expression of “you’re the man who killed me last winter” resentment that one so rarely encounters in everyday life.

You brandish your ax. The guy takes a long look at the weapon with his squishy, rotting eyes and in a gargly voice he screams, “That’s the same ax that slayed me!”

Is he right?

Anyone that likes Welcome to Night Vale NEEDS to read John Dies at the End. Seriously.

http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong-ebook/dp/B002Q7H7JC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Do yourself a favor.

John Dies at the End

The movie was ok, but had about 5% of the actual book's content.

Edit: To entice you, my favorite line on the first page:

"Let's say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use the ax to behead a man. Don't worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you're the one who shot him."

John Dies at the End

I read it awhile back but can't remember how it ends, and I want to read the second and third book, so might as well start again!

John Dies at the End by David Wong

Summary: STOP. You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands. NO, don't put it down. It's too late. They're watching you. My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.

The important thing is this: The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do. I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: None of this was my fault.

Commentary: If comedic horror is to your taste, I recommend this. It's still horror, but the dark comedy adds something to it.

I suggest reading Phillp K.Dick's We Can Remember It for You Wholesale instead; this is the short story that turned into Total Recall, and if you need a work of fiction involving drugs and saving the world this one is much better written.

For a comedic novel-length story, John Dies at the End is absolutely hilarious. (The book, not the movie.)

It's from this great book

Mogworld, by Yahtzee Croshaw

The protagonist is Jim, a former wizard in training who was killed and then raised from the dead by a necromancer. Every time Jim dies, he's raised again by the necromancer. Now all Jim wants to do is die, once and for all. The book plays on conventions from the fantasy genre, as well as Dungeons & Dragons and videogames. Funny and well written.

The Dresden Files series, by Jim Butcher

It's not really focused on humor, and it's not so much about genre bending. But it is off-kilter in the sense that it's about a wizard/private investigator, and it's set in the modern world and has vampires, faeries, werewolves, etc. I thought the first book was just interesting enough to get me to read the 2nd. I thought it got more interesting as it went on. I've since heard a rumor that Butcher wrote the first few books without a publisher, and only got an editor later on in the series. That might make sense, because I enjoyed the later books much more. (As an experienced reader, you might have already heard of the Dresden Files. It's on reddit's top 100 fantasy books.)

... There's another off-kilter fantasy book out there tickling the edges of my brain, but I can't remember it right now. I'll come back if I can think of it.

John Dies at the End, by David Wong

It's more of an off-kilter action/horror book. There's supernatural stuff, but no wizards of orcs in this one. Still, if you're looking for something sort of genre bending, then this might fit.

I got hooked on City of Thieves from the first few pages, and pretty much didn't move until I finished it. Beat the Reaper also starts off very quickly, and moves along at a pretty breathtaking pace. John Dies at the End is a comedy/science fiction/horror, and is a lot of fun. I'd also second Christopher Moore- I'd start with either Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal , or The Stupidest Angel.

John Dies at the End by David Wong.

1. Hard copy book, because creepy nostalgia is the best and the art is fabulous.
   
2. Kindle e-book, because I've been wanting to read it for ages, and my friend got me a hard copy but lost it before she could give it to me.
   
3. If I were a book, I hope that I'd be a great one.

Checking in after about a month and figured I'd give you [a suggestion.] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KJHGNI/ref=cm_sw_su_dp#customerReviews)

It's the sequel, and [the first book] (http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong-ebook/dp/B002Q7H7JC/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51ylhGxU%2BRL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&refRID=1MB8B8FABEMY896MWYTB) is also good, but it's on Netflix so you can just watch that if you'd rather. (Honestly, John Dies at the End is a strange read - he originally wrote it as a series, not a novel, so it doesn't always flow very well - still worth it though, IMO.)

Ok, if you liked this video and you like books, you really should read (not watch) John Dies at the End.

Um, holy shit. Thank you for this super generous contest!

I'm Kim, and right now I'm right keen to read John Dies in the End. It has been recommended to me so many times I feel it's only right to get on with it.

Seriously, amazing. Thank you.

My name is Matt :D I think my favorite ebook would probably be Ender's Game but I already have that! So I'll pick John Dies at the End even though I've never read it. I watched the movie a couple weeks ago and I liked it even though it was pretty weird, and I've heard and read that the book is much better, so I'd love to read it!

Thanks for doing the contest, it's amazing that everyone on here is so willing to give :D One of the reasons I love it here :D

Read this book.

1. Because I said so
   
2. Because you need to
   
   As for me I want this here book.