David Wong’s “John Dies at the End”

I finally got my hand on another cult-classic this week, and without further ado, it is time to review David Wong’s John Dies at the End. How can I describe this book? Well, the title will speak for itself. The story is influenced by many previous horror novels, and the method of storytelling is no exception. Starting with an interview with David, the story is actually a retelling of interrelated stories from David’s life. The stories center around David and John (John of dying fame in the title), and the distribution of a drug named Soy Sauce in their undisclosed town of Residence in Midwestern America. The drug makes the user have absolutely insane hallucinations, and it is becoming increasingly clear that David and John are stumbling on a plot of universal proportions. For spoiler’s sake, I can’t go into too much depth here (sorry!).

Now, what makes this book stand out from other sci-fi/horror novels with strange plots? John Dies at the End is a horror comedy, which is a slightly more technical way of saying it is like a demented Douglas Adams book (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). There are some creepy scenes and events in this book that will appeal to the conspiracy theorist in everyone, and there are plenty of laughs to be had. John and David are truly best friends, and their dialogue is excellently written. The book, itself, is trippy throughout. Normal interactions feel alien, and the stories that David tells would fit perfectly into a Mystery Science Theater 3000 special. If you are anything like me, this is good, good news. John Dies at the End also has some interesting social and political commentary if you dig into the plot, and is filled with pop-culture references. From television shows, to movies, video games, books, and social events at large, this book can easily warrant three or four rereads just to find all of the references (which is a huge plus for me. After all, who doesn’t like a quirky jab at their favorite tv series?) Is this book going to heralded as a classic in horror or comedy for generations to come? No. But I almost guarantee that this book will be passed between friends and siblings for a great many years with a reverent chuckle of “Man, I know you, and you have got to read this. It’s like… I don’t know, just read it.” It’s filled with humor, a respectable amount of creepiness, and is downright bizarre at times. All I can say further is that if any of the above sounds entertaining to you, go read John Dies at the End. It fills a hole left by Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, all while establishing its own identity in contemporary literature.