Serial

Overview

Remember the twin golden rules of hitchhiking?

# 1: Don't go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy.

# 2: Don't pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be raving nutcase.

So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Nutcase #2?

When two of the most twisted minds in the world of horror fiction face off, the result is SERIAL, a terrifying tale of hitchhiking gone terribly wrong. Like a deeply twisted version of an "After School Special," SERIAL is the single most persuasive public service announcement on the hazards of free car rides.

Beyond a thrilling piece of horrifying suspense, SERIAL is also a groundbreaking experiment in literary collaboration. Kilborn wrote the first part. Crouch wrote the second. And they wrote the third together over email in 100-word exchanges, not aware of each other's opening section. All bets were off, and may the best psycho win.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews for this product are not available at this time.

Author Information

Bio of Jack Kilborn

Jack Kilborn is a pen name for award winning thriller author JA Konrath. He's a longtime fan of horror books and movies, and has had dozens of scary short stories published in magazines and anthologies. Jack has this to say about horror: "We love being scared. Whether it is a roller coaster, a haunted house on Halloween, or the latest Hollywood monster movie, there's nothing more fun than the skin-tingly adrenalin jolt of fear. But books have an advantage over all forms of self-inflicted horrific entertainment. Rather than assault our senses, horror novels assault our minds. We all have fears, and the most frightening books prey on those fears, enhanced by our own imaginations. I can't scare you nearly as well as you're able to scare yourself, so my job is to give you just enough room to do just that." A native of Chicago, Jack currently lives in the suburbs with one wife, one child, and two dogs. He encourages you to visit his website, www.JackKilborn.com. Other scary books Mr. Kilborn recommends are Desert Places by Blake Crouch, Pressure by Jeff Strand, Off Season by Jack Ketchum, Midnight's Lair by Richard Laymon, Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, Stinger by Robert McCammon, and Master of Lies by Graham Masterton. Read at your own risk.

Bio of Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch is a recent Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives with his wife in Durango, Colorado, where he is at work on the sequel to Desert Places.

Customer Reviews

• Wow! Spine-Chilling!

  Posted May 19, 2009 by T.Browder, Lancaster

  I was at first disappointed when I clicked to read this as it is only 84 pages, but trust me, those are the best pages ever. I have never read anything by this author and mainly got it because: #1 It was free #2 Reading the summary got me hooked. I am so glad I got this and am now looking for others by this author. If you have EVER thought about hitchhiking or picking up a hitchhiker, read this book first, and think again..

• Crazy Sick Twisted!!!!!

  Posted May 26, 2009 by Eachy, Philadelphia

  Didn't know what to expect with this short book but was disturbingly surprised. Great fast read! Nightmares to come.

• DO NOT READ THIS SICK BOOK!

  Posted June 15, 2009 by A typical reader, Anonymous

  When I saw that this was a free book, I thought it was worth a shot. I completely regret that decision. If you want your mind flowing with disgusting and vile images such as an elderly man killing a hitchhiker with a swiss army knife, go ahead and read it, but I strongly suggest that you look for other more worthwhile books that are actually enjoyable to read.

• Absolutely Perfect!

  Posted June 18, 2009 by Crystal, Tennessee

  If you like psycho-killer stories, get this book! It's a quick read, well thought out

• Corn on the Cob !

  Posted June 28, 2009 by Michelle, Chicago

  The intro had me! I downloaded it and did not get a chance to read it. I finally did all I can say is WOW! I thought the first chapter was the story, not at all. You have to read it to get into the details. All I can say is WOW! Corn, Lemon Juice, and Chains oh my!
  
  I finished it before I knew it, and was ready for more and this is not my kind of read. It took me away from my day to day for a quick minute. I finished it in 2 hours, then started over again.

• I guess I'm a wimp

  Posted July 23, 2009 by Dayna, Arnold, MO

  I couldn't read this book. It just got too graphic for me and I had to stop. I had read the other reviews that warned of this, but thought I could handle it - I was wrong.

• READ THIS SICK BOOK!!

  Posted August 07, 2009 by Sandy, Manchester, CT

  I enjoyed this thoroughly. Although short, I never saw the ending coming - it made me laugh at the irony.

• too funny to be scary

  Posted August 29, 2009 by nicky, yorktown

  this book was pure entertainment -after i read some of the other ratings i was expecting to be scared to death but that never happened- i was more amused by the twist of the story -so if you want to enjoy a free read try serial

• Great Horror Short Story

  Posted September 02, 2009 by Linda, Seymour

  I also got this book because it was free, after reading it I want to read more of this authors books, yes it is gory and a bit disturbing but truly enjoyed it wished it didn't end so soon. It had me captured from beginning to end.

• Predictable

  Posted September 12, 2009 by Edward, Regina

  Short story with what appears to some to be a surprise ending, not so much. Good thing it was free and short. Very graphic, for no real reason.

• Quick, and to the point!

  Posted September 16, 2009 by RT, Oklahoma

  I didn't have really high expectations since this was a freebie. Boy was I wrong. This was a great little horror short story. It was intense and graphic. Thoroughly enjoyable. I will be looking at more from these two authors.

• Identify with the psycho of your choice

  Posted September 19, 2009 by Joe, Oregon

  Serial lets you identify with the slasher of your choice, male or female, then pits the psychos in a rewarding duel of the monsters. Which serial killer will you root for? Read the interview at the end of the story to fully appreciate the maneuverings of the killers. It’s very well written, especially considering how it was written. But it’s devoid of anyone I cared about. Ultimately the only point of the novelette seems to be to promote the authors' other work.

• Hilarious!

  Posted September 27, 2009 by Amy L, Altoona, PA

  If you have a weak stomach, you probably won't enjoy this story. However, for a die hard horror fan, you will fall out of your chair laughing. Would be a great scary story for around a campfire, but on paper it's simply a riot. I don't know if this is what the author's were going for, but I certainly enjoyed it.

• Couldn't finish it.

  Posted October 19, 2009 by Jen, Tampa

  It was way too graphic for me. So disgusting I couldn't finish it.

• Short, sweet story about maniacs

  Posted November 02, 2009 by Jay, Wayne, NJ

  I loved this short story. It hits you hard and fast and makes you wish it was of novella proportions. The two writers pieced together the work seamlessly and share a wonderful talent for writing from twisted minds. You will definitely like this if you enjoy the more demented side of American culture.

• Too Graphic!

  Posted November 09, 2009 by JE, Toronto

  I have read many many murder and suspense books, however I found this book too graphic for my taste. I stopped reading as I felt disturbed. I think that it takes more skill as a writer to build horror and suspense without being so graphic; it's a cheap trick.

• Quick Read - Good Story Telling - Short on Ending

  Posted November 20, 2009 by Dave, Houston

  I thought the premise was fantastic....two serial killers cross paths....GREAT. The first two chapters are great reads, but the third is weak on substance. I understand there was to be little in character development, just raw action...and plenty of it, but some more development of the story was needed and I felt like the end was anti-climactical. It just sort of happened....

Additional Info

Imprint

Hachette Book Group USA

Filesize

991.30 KB

Number of Pages

N/A

eBook ISBN

9781102466000