John Dies at the End, by David Wong (aka Jason Pargin)

(hb; 2009: prequel to This Book is Full of Spiders)

From the inside flap:

"STOP

" • You should not have touched this book 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 in these pages, about the sauce, and 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 MOST 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.

"Unfortunately for us, if you make the right choice, we'll have a much harder time explaining how fight off the otherworldly invasion currently threatening to enslave humanity.

"I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about the 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 IS MY FAULT."


Review:

Good, gory, zinger line-laden apocalyptic and imaginatively funny novel that would have been excellent, if the author had tightened up the rambling storyline, whose bizarre thrills threaten to peter out in the third quarter of the book. The ending redeems John with its intriguing and (like the rest of the novel) funny finish, which promises a sequel.

Worth reading, despite its excessive length.

Followed by This Book is Full of Spiders.

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The resulting film is scheduled for "wide" stateside release on January 25, 2013.

Chase Williamson played Dave. Rob Mayes played John. Fabianne Therese played Amy. Paul Giamatti played Arnie. Clancy Brown played Dr. Albert Marconi.

Glynn Turman played Detective Lawrence "Morgan Freeman" Appleton. Doug Jones played Roger North. Daniel Roebuck played Largeman. Jonny Weston played Justin White. Jimmy Wong played Fred Chu. Tai Bennett played Robert Marley.

Angus Scrimm is listed as one of the film's actors, but his role isn't named.

Don Coscarelli scripted and directed the film.