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Deadly Serious
Deadly Serious by A. J. Thibault is a darkly comic spy thriller about Dan Goodis, an anxious would-be stand-up comic whose ordinary life gets pulled into a dangerous web of Cold War secrets, murder, romance, family history, and strange science. The book moves between 1980s Los Angeles and later consequences, mixing comedy clubs, intelligence operations, anti-gravity intrigue, and personal unraveling into a genre-bending thriller that is part espionage novel, part mystery, and part dark comedy.
This book feels restless in a good way. One minute, I was in a violent, snowy opening that feels almost cinematic, and the next, I was with Dan and his sheepdog in Los Angeles, watching his life veer between awkward humor and real danger. Thibault makes a bold choice by letting comedy and brutality stand close together. Sometimes that contrast is sharp enough to make you wince. Sometimes it works like a pressure valve. The jokes are not just decoration. They are part of how Dan survives, or tries to.
I also found myself thinking about how much of the book is really about fear beneath performance. Dan wants to be funny, but he is also exposed, insecure, and often overwhelmed by forces he barely understands. That gives the spy-thriller machinery a more personal edge. The author’s choices can feel big, strange, and occasionally messy, but the ambition is clear. This isn’t a neat little thriller that follows one clean track. It swerves. It piles on conspiracies, odd characters, romance, violence, and satire until the whole thing starts to feel like a feverish backstage tour of power and paranoia.
I would recommend Deadly Serious most to readers who like thrillers with personality, especially people who enjoy espionage stories that are willing to get weird, funny, and emotionally jagged. Readers who appreciate dark comedy inside a mystery-thriller will likely enjoy its nerve and unpredictability. It’s a book for someone who wants a plot with bite, a little chaos, and a main character who keeps trying to laugh while the world keeps raising the stakes.
Pages: 342 | ASIN : B01I92QGRQ
The Bath Salts Journals, Volume One
The Bath Salts Journals, Volume One drops readers into a zombie apocalypse through dated entries rather than panoramic spectacle, and that choice gives the book its pulse. Alexis, a Toronto mother of triplets, notices early signs that the so-called “bath salts” attacks are really the beginning of the undead, then drags her skeptical family and a fiercely funny friend, Xuân, into a survival plan that leads north to a fenced compound in Nunavut. What begins as domestic paranoia hardens into a trek through wreckage, then into a rough new life built from hydroponics, fishing, grief, and vigilance. The book’s premise is familiar; its texture is not. It keeps returning the apocalypse to the scale of diapers, canned food, improvised childcare, and whether there will be enough light, warmth, and patience to get through one more day.
What I enjoyed most was the doubleness of the narration. Alexis writes with earnest resolve and maternal terror, while Xuân’s entries slash across the page with profanity, gallows humor, and a kind of anti-sentimental clarity. That contrast keeps the novel from going slack. Alexis can verge on idealized competence, but the book is sharper when it lets exhaustion, pettiness, boredom, and small comforts sit beside the horror. I believed this world most when the characters were arguing over what to pack, improvising meals, hauling children through danger, or trying to preserve scraps of normal life with movies, karaoke, and make-do celebrations. The apocalypse here is not sleek; it’s cramped, messy, and often absurd, which makes it feel oddly convincing.
I also appreciated that the novel is less interested in zombie mythology than in endurance and social reassembly. Even after the gore and flight, the story keeps asking what survival is for. The answer is not heroics alone, but routine, community, and the stubborn decision to remain human. The prose is sometimes blunt, and the emotional beats land a little squarely, yet the journal format forgives some of that by making immediacy more important than polish. I came away feeling that the book’s real engine is not fear but tenacity. It has an unvarnished, handmade quality that suits the material: less a polished studio production than a barricade built overnight that somehow holds.
I’d hand The Bath Salts Journals to readers who enjoy zombie horror, survival fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, diary novels, and character-driven speculative fiction, especially those who want domestic detail and dark comedy mixed into the bloodshed. It reminded me less of World War Z’s global architecture than of The Walking Dead filtered through a colder, more intimate, more homespun lens, with a streak of irreverence that feels closer to Mira Grant at her loosest. This is a good fit for readers who like their end-of-the-world stories scrappy, human, and a little feral. The end of the world is still, maddeningly, a matter of keeping the house together.
Pages: 216 | ISBN : 978-1945502521
Where The Winds Blow
Where The Winds Blow blends political satire, global intrigue, and adrenaline-soaked storm chasing into a single, fast-moving narrative. The book follows the rise of Path Finder, a grassroots movement born from grief and idealism, while powerful governments, criminal networks, and ordinary people collide around it. At the same time, the story weaves in a parallel thread of storm chasers barreling across Texas, where tempests both real and emotional hit with little warning. The plot swings from Irish funerals to boathouse diplomacy to desert border tensions, always nudged forward by colorful characters who often stumble into history by accident.
Reading it, I found myself laughing at moments I didn’t expect to laugh at and bracing during scenes that came out of nowhere, like the chaotic barbecue rescue early on or the tense debates inside the gilded halls of Peace Castle. The writing has a kind of cheeky confidence. The author slips from humor to sincerity in seconds, and somehow it works. I liked how the “science guides” at the castle go from bickering like rivals to forming a unified plan after being nudged by drinks, blunt truth, and a locked door. Those small human quirks make the big themes feel grounded. And the storm chasing chapters surprised me. The imagery of dirt clouds swallowing the vans and lightning cracking overhead felt alive. Moments like Simon dragging a stubborn tourist away from his dramatic self-sacrifice scene stuck with me because they were messy and relatable and oddly sweet.
The book plays with many threads. I enjoyed each storyline on its own, but sometimes the pace jumped so fast that I had to remind myself where we were and who was scheming or storm chasing or hiding from cartel lookouts. The Path Finder political satire is sharp and funny, especially scenes in Washington where we watch powerful people try to bend the movement to their will. The storm chasing plot, though, has this raw emotional pulse that could carry a book by itself. When the two worlds finally echo each other thematically, it lands.
I closed the book feeling satisfied. Where The Winds Blow is a good pick for readers who like stories with heart and humor mixed into real-world chaos, who enjoy political send-ups, or who don’t mind a chase through a thunderstorm or a bureaucratic maze. It’s lively. It’s warm. It’s playful. And it’s perfect for anyone who wants a story that reminds them that even the biggest changes in the world often start with a handful of imperfect people trying to do the right thing.
Pages: 313 | ASIN : B0G1KKJLYR
Potential to Grow and Change
Afterward follows a woman who finds her boyfriend unconscious in their apartment and is thrust into an emotional maze, forcing her to question love, responsibility, and belonging. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Unfortunately, the story, or something like it, is something you hear more often than one would hope. I heard a version of it had happened to an acquaintance of mine in school (many years ago, and it had happened years before I met her), and it was just something I couldn’t get out of my head. I thought the normal things, such as how bad I felt for what she and the rest of the people affected must have gone through. But then my mind kind of wandered with new questions–about how one becomes equipped to deal with things like that, and what if you weren’t? How would that go? It was really in the course of thinking about those tangential questions that I came up with the story.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
Lauren as a character really didn’t inherit anything from me, but in the course of writing this, I did break my leg and end up in the hospital. I remember being tired and hurt in the ER, and hearing the staff talk about a bad date one of them had had. I remember thinking it was such an odd thing to overhear such an everyday conversation during a day that was so unusual for me. But of course, this was their every day, it wasn’t odd for them, and they should be able to talk with coworkers like anyone else. It just stood out to me in that experience, so I included that moment in the book.
What themes were important for you to explore in this book?
Understanding was a big one. I really don’t even like Lauren in the beginning, but it’s easy to be critical, right? My hope was that by the end, the reader would find a little empathy for a flawed person in a truly horrible situation that wasn’t doing a great job with it. And, I guess, hope for the potential to grow and change. But there are other issues in there that different readers have picked up on as being big to them–friendship/bullying, race, alcohol, insecurity, mental health–and I’m glad different people are finding issues that mean a lot to them, and I hope I handled them okay.
What next book are you working on, and when will it be available?
Actually, I’m very excited to say I am sending my newest book to my publisher tomorrow. It is about a young man whose life events put him in the position to pursue his dream of living in a cabin in Alaska, and what that reality looks like. And I know what that reality is because I spent a lot of time growing up at my family’s homestead, which was not only “off the grid,” but also off the road system. It’s a love letter to, and a cautionary tale about, Alaska.
Author Links: GoodReads | BlueSky | Website | Amazon
Torn from her normal routines—coffee, sex, barhopping, and disc golf—she finds herself in an unfamiliar world of hospital visits and doctor’s appointments, all while navigating an unexpected move to a new apartment and enduring the disapproval of her boyfriend’s mother, as well as the gossip of her friends and coworkers. (Plus the suspicious looks of strangers, and the unbearable strain on her credit card…and did we mention the gossip of her friends and coworkers?) Along the way, she meets every obstacle with…well, not grace, exactly. In fact, pretty much the opposite of grace. Maybe more like bitchiness, truth be told. And all the while, the aftereffects of the tragedy cast a pall over everything she does—and threaten to destroy everything she has.
Bristol Vaudrin’s fascinating debut novel is an engrossing and darkly comedic read with an unforgettable narrator/protagonist. Watching her struggles—real, imagined, and in-between—we too must choose between kindness and judgment, between condescension towards someone who simply doesn’t have a clue, and empathy with a person struggling to deal with something we all must face: the desire to hold on to the things we enjoy when the world around us changes in ways we didn’t expect.
There’s Humor Within the Pain
Buffer Zone follows a hapless food service worker enduring the daily grind in a demeaming position. Where did the idea for this book come from?
This book is largely autobiographical. I’ve spent 20 years working in the food service industry, mostly as a waiter. I wanted to incorporate those experiences into this book because as difficult as customer service can be, there’s humor within the pain. In many ways humor is the way I process pain. I believe humor helps us cope with the hardships of life.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your main character’s life?
The concept for this book really started in 2008 when I had an experience in a cafe that I describe in chapter 1. A woman was sitting next to me and getting a little too invasive of my personal space. I had a flashback memory of when I was a kid and I used to build a wall of cereal boxes around me when I ate breakfast. This prompted the first 12 page black & white comic, which later became chapter 1. A couple of years later I created issue 2 about people on the bus, which became chapter 2. A year or so later I released issue 3 about how I wanted to be a ninja as a kid, which became chapter 3. The original title for this comic series was, “White Male Neurosis”, poking fun at the stereotype of the neurotic white guy. Around 2015 I had the idea to combine the stories into a larger book and transform the issues into chapters. I changed the title to “Buffer Zone” because I feel it represents more of the overall theme and tone of the book.
What draws you to the graphic novel genre and makes it ripe for you to write such a great dark comedy in it?
I’ve always enjoyed comic books and graphic novels. I was drawn to the idea that I could tell a story visually any way I choose. There are standards and norms, but really you can frame, compose and pace a story any way you want. The first version of “Buffer Zone” was more like a picture book, but I wanted it to have more movement and action, so I kept revising. I also do stand up comedy occasionally and I used this book as a vehicle for illustrating my stand up material instead of performing it.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I’ve been creating a series of surreal digital paintings for an art exhibition, and I’m currently working on a prequel story to “A Nightmare On Elm St” which I’ve titled “Springwood 1972” about Freddy Krueger living a double life as a serial killer and mild mannered member of the community. This story is a thriller about a town in disarray, a cop in pursuit, and a killer with an insatiable lust. You can view the cover and pages 1-6 on my patreon. This is fan fiction. I have not been commissioned and I don’t have any legal permission to use the characters from these movies, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to publish it. However, I’d love to. I’ve always been a horror fan, and after spending so much time on a project so personal it is refreshing to create something totally fictional and separate from my life story.
Author Links: Goodreads | Instagram | Facebaook | Patreon | Website
Told through colorful pen & ink illustrations and narrated through the protagonist’s thoughts and memories, “Buffer Zone” is a hilarious journey inside the mind of a waiter on the verge of a breakthrough or a breakdown. This 130 page graphic memoir is a character study of social anxiety, a darkly comical look at food service and an examination of growing up in Midwest America in the 80’s and 90’s.
Buffer Zone
Buffer Zone, by James Michael Williams, takes readers on a darkly comedic journey through the trials of food service, exploring the absurdities of modern work and the existential dread that comes with it. This graphic novel begins by tracing humanity’s evolutionary path from single-celled organisms to the intricate, sentient beings we are today. Then it drops us into the life of one such character—a hapless worker trapped in the food service industry. With biting humor, the story examines what it means to be alive and aware, only to spend that awareness grinding away at a menial, demeaning job.
The protagonist’s plight resonates deeply, particularly for anyone who has ever felt overqualified for their work. Much like the early Ryan Reynolds film Waiting, this graphic novel captures the sharp wit and biting sarcasm needed to endure such a soul-crushing reality. Self-deprecating humor becomes a lifeline, a way for the brain to protect itself from the realization that precious time is slipping away while slogging through dead-end shifts for slightly above minimum wage. Williams masterfully balances this humor with poignant reflections on the absurdity of it all, making for a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is hilarious. The protagonist knows he doesn’t belong in this world of food service drudgery. He believes he was destined for greater things, yet some cruel cosmic joke has placed him here, in the trenches of the customer service industry.
The mantra “the customer is always right” becomes a cruel punchline when logic and evidence repeatedly say otherwise. It’s this keen awareness of his situation that gives the story its edge, transforming what could have been a straightforward workplace satire into a sharp commentary on modern existence. Beneath the humor lies a subtle, sobering truth. The monotony of the protagonist’s work, combined with his existential musings, drives him to the brink of madness. Yet, in a cruel twist, even if he loses his mind in some quiet, unremarkable way, it’s likely no one would notice. This adds a layer of dark poignancy to the story, elevating it beyond mere comedy into something more profound.
Buffer Zone, by James Michael Williams, is a wildly entertaining black comedy that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever endured a job that feels beneath them. It’s a clever, irreverent look at the disconnect between our aspirations and the realities we face, brought to life through sharp writing and striking illustrations. Williams delivers a graphic novel that’s equal parts humor and heartbreak, a must-read for those who’ve ever questioned the price of a paycheck.
Pages: 127 | ASIN : B0CPTP69B7
Childproof
Childproof by Michael Noonan is a dark comedy about Rose and Will, a couple who love to throw parties; in fact, their lives revolve around them. They have, in fact, constructed the perfect party group composed of three other couples who fit their strict requirements. Life is a whirlwind being the center of attention, being praised for their parties, but one day that all ends when one of the couples announces their pregnancy. One by one, the other couples follow suit, leaving Rose and Will alone in their childless lives. Over time the pair comes to miss their old lives so much that they decide to go to great lengths to get their friends back, even if it involves murder.
The first thing I liked about this book was that it gave a definition of dark comedy, which I feel also serves as your warning that this book is a dark comedy, which is an excellent thing it did. Said comedy starts at the very beginning, as the couple contemplates ending their lives in a spectacular newsworthy fashion. Please don’t consider following in their footsteps. The book did contain a couple of memorable lines that’ll stick with me, which I always find a plus. It’s hilarious how Noonan also gives us the thoughts of animals and babies in this book; it’s great getting their input on each situation.
I found the backstories, and while informative and funny, they made me forget their original point. Then there are the backstories within the backstories that made for a disorienting reading experience. A couple of characters featured throughout the book were annoying, and while that was their point, I found they were so much so that their scenes grated on my nerves.
Childproof is a full-on dark comedy that will entertain and shock readers. It pulls no punches and leaves no insult unused. You’ll constantly be saying: “Did they really make a joke about that?” If you like your comedy extremely dark, then this is your book. While the darkness of the comedy could be a bit much for readers, it was a well-penned book.
Pages: 266 | ASIN : B0BF4PCBTW
Giant Banana Over Texas
Giant Banana Over Texas by Mark Nutter is a collection of short stories that will make you stop in your track and reread it. With straightforward and short stories, the author has tried to capture the absurdity of human life in weird circumstances. All these instances that are mentioned in the book are plausible situations. They have the full potential to be true, but this is something that is generally not heard of. It might sound confusing, but this is exactly what the stories are: confusing and chaotic.
The author’s writing style is the common thread that binds these 31 stories together in this book. All of them are weirdly thought-provoking and will leave you with a deep sense of discomfort. Of course, I knew that stories are simply stories, but there is something in those stories that make them very near to reality despite being in the vein of impossibility.
The stories have sensible beginnings, a possible flow of action, but an unsettling end. These endings are connected to the problems at the beginning. The weird endings suddenly turn the flow of the stories and take them away from the realistic relatability that we feel with the stories. It is weird, but curiosity makes it interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed being stumped by this Giant Banana over Texas.
The author uses absurdity to bring out the problems of the contemporary world. Even though the endings are not what lies in the wake of realistic action, it brings out discomfort in the readers. The readers feel relatable yet away from the characters. The discomfort of the stories seeps within the reader’s conscience and itches at the mind.
Giant Banana Over Texas is a collection of short dark-humor stories. The language used is very easy to read and understand. Anyone will enjoy the Absurd twists and turns that the stories take while the characters are left hanging on the edge of uncertainty.
Pages: 237 | ASIN : B09S6T5FM4
