Synopsis:
Beginning in October, 2019, Steve Stred released three of the darkest, most depraved novellas – Ritual, COMMUNION, and Sacrament (**Nominated for a 2022 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novella!**).
These three novellas completed the ‘Father of Lies’ trilogy, telling the story of a disturbed man trying to open the cosmic gates and enter the Black Heavens to live forever. Inspired by Steve Stred’s research acquired while joining a real cult, the stories from the trilogy have already become favorites within the horror world.
Now, here for the first time, is the complete and definitive ‘The Complete Father of Lies Series.’
Review:
“Father Of Lies,” by Steve Stred is a meticulously crafted saga, in which each page is permeated with forbidden magic, ancient rituals and more monsters (literal and human) than you could shake a stick at. Steve is an awesome guy, and I’ve only ever had the nicest interactions with him… but don’t let that friendly smile fool you, for he also has one of the most disturbed minds in indie horror- and we’re all the better for it. He’s most well-known for novels such as “Mastodon,” and “Churn The Soil,” both of which are plenty good, but “Father Of Lies,” is without doubt his magnum opus; the crown jewel in his twisted repertoire… so go ahead, crack the spine (please, not literally)… “Father,” is waiting.
“I’ve come, it is your time. We must meld together. The time of ascension is upon us. The blood of necessity flows through one of you. Let us open the black heavens, let us corrupt each other and bring forth the tortured. You’ve been chosen.”
In this quadrilogy, we first meet Brad. Perhaps most terrifyingly, he lives a pretty normal life. He works in sales 9-5, he hates Mondays, and he despises his boisterous co-worker Larry. Despite all appearances however, he is not a standard guy. Brad lives in a religious commune (cult) and will do anything to please his “Father.” When “Father,” proclaims that Brad is the chosen one, he is only too happy to begin preparations for the ritual, a ritual which will open the gates to the “Black Heavens,” and allow him to ascend.
“Father,” is a completely putrid character, who uses his position of power over his followers in order to fulfil his sexual desires, as well as attempt to gain access to the Black Heavens, thus becoming immortal. Readers will also have the pleasure of encountering the dark and androgynous God, “Abaddon,” who is quite literally “a bad ‘un.” What I’m trying to tell you is that there’s so much going on, and every antagonist we stumble across is more twisted and depraved than the rest.
That is where the strength of Steve’s writing lies. What makes a novel indistinguishably written by Steve Stred is his utter lack of compassion for the reader. For full transparency, I found there was nothing particularly special or charming about the prose itself- but the storytelling? Steve’s writing has the power to challenge, provoke and ultimately scare us shitless- he does just that. He is not bothered about delicate sensibilities… to put it politely, he does not give a fuck about your feelings. Buckle up buttercup, this is an extreme novel, and by that I’m not referring to your run of the mill blood, guts and gore- we’re talking Crowleyian sex magic. Whilst he uses this quadrilogy to comment on the oppressive nature of cults, and the manipulation that occurs within them, he equally doesn’t reject the possibility that dark magic exists, and the magic we read about here is pitch black.
Why is “The Girl Next Door,” by Jack Ketchum so scary? Why is Brian Evenson’s “Father of Lies,” so depraved? Because they’re grounded in reality. As he fully explains in his awesome essay at the end, Steve actually joined a cult whilst writing this. He may as well have gone to hell and back. He joined an online “community,” (subjecting himself to experiences that would leave the bravest amongst us shuddering) and what you read in “Father Of Lies,” is inspired by what conspired there. This kind of dedication to authenticity helps blur the line between fiction and reality, and elevates what is already scary to horrifying.
Although you may emerge from the final novelette “Eucharist,” both shaken and stirred, I guarantee you’ll wish you could go back and read it for the first time again. It terrifies, it enlightens, and it terrifies again.
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