What do you think?
Rate this book
Goddamn Electric Nights
When electricity hangs in the air so thick the moon and stars fizzle and drown in a sea of light, the people living within it, breathing it in, can never be “normal.”
From disfigured mutants accidentally murdering god to a man falling madly in love with a blood-thirsty VCR, we promise you’ve never read anything as bizarre as this!
In these six tales, Pauley explores the lives of those living in the darkest corners of the world, those living electric:
GODDAMN ELECTRIC NIGHTS.
Contains the stories:
1) Slime Night!
2) Killing Teddy (previously published under the names Insection 8 and The Third Floor)
3) The Spiders of Honeyville
4) Hypnagogia
5) $5 Electric Suzie
6) Spin Doctors Mixtape
From disfigured mutants accidentally murdering god to a man falling madly in love with a blood-thirsty VCR, we promise you’ve never read anything as bizarre as this!
In these six tales, Pauley explores the lives of those living in the darkest corners of the world, those living electric:
GODDAMN ELECTRIC NIGHTS.
Contains the stories:
1) Slime Night!
2) Killing Teddy (previously published under the names Insection 8 and The Third Floor)
3) The Spiders of Honeyville
4) Hypnagogia
5) $5 Electric Suzie
6) Spin Doctors Mixtape
Hardcover
First published October 1, 2014
About the author
William Pauley III
37 books568 followers🔥🔥🔥For $5 a month (cancel any time), get access to the entire DOOM FICTION catalog in both audio and digital formats! And much more! 🔥🔥🔥➡️www.doomfiction.com
"The beauty of Pauley’s work is that he makes the reader (relatively) comfortable with these fun, weird elements and then injects the narrative with short bursts of deep thinking and questions that cut to the marrow of human nature." — Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
William Pauley III has been praised by critics and readers alike for his contributions to weird science fiction and horror over the last 15 years. He's received rave reviews from Fangoria Magazine, Verbicide, and Dead End Follies, the latter stating "William Pauley III is one of the most recognizable voices in weird literature." He is the author of The Bedlam Bible, Hearers of the Constant Hum, and Automated Daydreaming. He lives in Lexington, KY.
"The beauty of Pauley’s work is that he makes the reader (relatively) comfortable with these fun, weird elements and then injects the narrative with short bursts of deep thinking and questions that cut to the marrow of human nature." — Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
William Pauley III has been praised by critics and readers alike for his contributions to weird science fiction and horror over the last 15 years. He's received rave reviews from Fangoria Magazine, Verbicide, and Dead End Follies, the latter stating "William Pauley III is one of the most recognizable voices in weird literature." He is the author of The Bedlam Bible, Hearers of the Constant Hum, and Automated Daydreaming. He lives in Lexington, KY.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 2, 2022
I got this book of short stories with another book that I won on Goodreads. I went into the book expecting the stories to be weird, but I have to say they blew my expectation of weird out of the water. It’s always hard to rate a book of short stories since I found them to score differently but I went with 4 stars as an average. These stories are a bit irreverent and a little horrific but I definitely enjoyed them. I think I liked The Spiders of Honeyville the most - where small town finds itself mostly infected with a yellow stink that turns everyone into zombies. It wasn’t anything like I was expecting but it stuck with me and was entertaining (which few zombie stories do anymore).
June 26, 2023
Weird, bizarre, kinda gross, sorta funny, great short stories. Honestly I’m running out of synonyms to describe books by this author because I love them all. Refer to my prior reviews for @wpauleyiii for more detail, and/or just read it yourself.
As always thanks William Pauley III, Doom Fiction & NetGalley, though I did purchase a copy of this one as well. 🫡
As always thanks William Pauley III, Doom Fiction & NetGalley, though I did purchase a copy of this one as well. 🫡
December 23, 2022
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this collection of short horror stories! The different narrators were great and each gave the story a vibrant and unique feel. The author really has a way of setting a scene and characters up quickly that allows the reader to dive right in without hesitation! I think my favorite was the last one about Dave, although I would never let him watch my cat haha! If you’re into horror, sexuality, and a touch of comedy to lighten the mood, I would definitely recommend this book!
I loved this collection of short horror stories! The different narrators were great and each gave the story a vibrant and unique feel. The author really has a way of setting a scene and characters up quickly that allows the reader to dive right in without hesitation! I think my favorite was the last one about Dave, although I would never let him watch my cat haha! If you’re into horror, sexuality, and a touch of comedy to lighten the mood, I would definitely recommend this book!
December 6, 2012
A while back William Pauley III gave out a couple of his ebooks for free and I snatched them up quick. Having read The Brothers Crunk and enjoyed it quite a bit I decided this dude was one to look out for. His book Goddamned Electric Nights features three short bizarro tales that are as enjoyable as they are weird.
The first story is $5 Electric Suzie. Pauley puts an interesting twist on a tale about love and obsession.
The Spiders of Honeyville is one of the most original zombie stories I’ve read, maybe the best of the three if I was forced to choice a best.
Closing out this book is Insection 8. In this our narrator walks into a crazy Japanese game show in progress. And if you think Japanese game shows are all crazy, none of them are like this!
This book is great, well written and extremely entertaining. It’s perfect for anyone looking for some crazy Bizarro reading. Or, if you haven’t read anything from WP3 before this is an excellent place to start.
The first story is $5 Electric Suzie. Pauley puts an interesting twist on a tale about love and obsession.
The Spiders of Honeyville is one of the most original zombie stories I’ve read, maybe the best of the three if I was forced to choice a best.
Closing out this book is Insection 8. In this our narrator walks into a crazy Japanese game show in progress. And if you think Japanese game shows are all crazy, none of them are like this!
This book is great, well written and extremely entertaining. It’s perfect for anyone looking for some crazy Bizarro reading. Or, if you haven’t read anything from WP3 before this is an excellent place to start.
April 25, 2022
This is a tough one for me to review. Three of the stories here are good and the other three are BRILLIANT. Average out my ratings for the individual stories and it’s four stars… but I’ve given the collection five. Why? Because sometimes, in a weird and wonderful way, you read things and they somehow cater exactly to your tastes. Almost as if they were written just for you.
Put simply: I couldn’t bring myself to give this collection four stars because ‘The Spiders of Honeyville’, ‘Hypnagogia’, and ‘Spin Doctors Mixtape’ deserve nothing less than five stars! They’re the kind of magic, original, crazy/weird/surreal, throw the kitchen sink on a page stories I love.
If you read this, William, thank you. These three stories are why I read. Also, how can I get my hands on an e-book copy of ‘The Doom Magnetic! Trilogy’. It sounds right up my alley but I can’t seem to find it anywhere…
Put simply: I couldn’t bring myself to give this collection four stars because ‘The Spiders of Honeyville’, ‘Hypnagogia’, and ‘Spin Doctors Mixtape’ deserve nothing less than five stars! They’re the kind of magic, original, crazy/weird/surreal, throw the kitchen sink on a page stories I love.
If you read this, William, thank you. These three stories are why I read. Also, how can I get my hands on an e-book copy of ‘The Doom Magnetic! Trilogy’. It sounds right up my alley but I can’t seem to find it anywhere…
February 14, 2024
I got this as an audiobook, and it was a lot of fun, weird by fun, the writing had a similar feel to Phillip K Dick, almost playful the way the stories unfold, some stories are more sci-fi like "The Spiders of Honeyville", while others more funny like "Spin Doctors Mixtape"
If you are looking for something quick and different, I’d suggest this.
The narrator was excellent, the tone and pace he used really suited the stories.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
If you are looking for something quick and different, I’d suggest this.
The narrator was excellent, the tone and pace he used really suited the stories.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
March 27, 2023
Goddamn Electric Nights by William Pauley III was extraordinary! Each of the short stories in this collection elicited a response from me. I laughed and cringed and smiled!
I just genuinely enjoyed this collection of short stories. Pauley is officially one of my auto-buy authors. What genius storytelling with original stories and horrific elements. BRAVO!
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I just genuinely enjoyed this collection of short stories. Pauley is officially one of my auto-buy authors. What genius storytelling with original stories and horrific elements. BRAVO!
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
June 25, 2022
I won "Hearers of the Constant Hum" on Goodreads giveaways and the author threw this one in with it. Thank you so much, I love a little generosity. I really enjoyed this little collection of bizarre stories. Pauley has a down to earth style of writing that comes through in each story balancing out the weird content. The stories are matter of fact and that accentuates just how disturbed each little world is. My favorite is $5 Electric Suzie with Killing Teddy sitting at a close second.
December 16, 2015
GODDAMN ELECTRIC NIGHTS by William Pauley III is a bizarre collection of six grotesquely inviting stories that bring to mind Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, Hunter S. Thompson’s, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the cinematic works of David Cronenberg, specifically in reference to Videodrome and Existenz. What I find myself most drawn to in Pauley’s work is his ability to comment on progress, whether it be in the form of technology, sexuality, or emotional maturity (or lack thereof) as he works in the genre of weird literature with references to insects, power, and psychopathy. His stories are blunt, raw, and they give no room for questions as they are sharp, unforgiving, and at times, cruel. His characters in this collection are broken to me, and that makes them all the more interesting because their journey and motives drive the story and the work against the typical happily ever after or happily for now ending. In fact, the stories that do end on a high point, often make readers question how that is in fact a high point as his characters are constantly pushed to the limits both mentally and physically. For instance, “Insection 8” is a story about repeated suicide and bodily transformation, and “$5 Electric Suzie” is a piece about literally falling in love—and in bed--with technology. Pauley’s stories intrigue me as he takes the seemingly ordinary and melts and molds it into something uniquely original. He never ceases to amaze me with his writing, and his creativity in regards to concept and plot is something that always draws me back to him…and to his work.
April 28, 2023
I’ve read another amazing book by William Pauley III!
These stories were fun, weird and fascinating, I really enjoyed all of them but my favorite was the third, Killing Teddy.
I highly recommend this fun, horror short story collection!
Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an AudioARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
These stories were fun, weird and fascinating, I really enjoyed all of them but my favorite was the third, Killing Teddy.
I highly recommend this fun, horror short story collection!
Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an AudioARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 19, 2023
Goddamn Electric Nights is a collections of various stories. I have reviewed each one separately below. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Slime Night!: (about 40 minutes). Out of all the stories, this one was my least favorite. It depicts the tale of two teenage boys vying for the affections of the same girl. However, their portrayal of her is unflattering, portraying her as promiscuous and having undergone multiple "wire hanger" abortions. The boys engage in a bizarre pinball game known as Slime Night!, where losing results in being drenched in slime. By the conclusion, one of the characters experiences a significant personal revelation. While not terrible, I believe the story could benefit from more extensive exploration of the emotional complexities, perhaps through a longer narrative.
Killing Teddy: (about 20 minutes). The story opens on an excellent note, with the first-person protagonist, who is the superintendent of a building, abruptly awakened by a deafening scream followed by the menacing sound of a chainsaw. To his horror, he finds a woman and a colossal ant inside one of the apartments. The woman recounts an implausible tale of a Japanese game show where the prize money is 500k, and the contestant, Teddy, must be killed and transformed into hundreds of distinct species to entertain the audience. Without weighing the consequences, the superintendent agrees to help the woman for a hefty sum. However, unforeseen events unfold as a result. Overall, this story is a delightfully imaginative and entertaining read.
The Spiders of Honeyville: (about 28 minutes). The story commences with a plumber visiting his lover's residence to unclog her shower drain. However, after he eliminates a snake, a yellow fog bursts out from inside it, killing both the plumber and his mistress and turning them into zombies. In the second part, we learn that the snake species has evolved a revenge mechanism, which results in the predator's death. Scientists are studying this phenomenon and come across a pregnant woman infected with it, from whom they deliver the baby via cesarean section. But the baby is promptly stolen, and in a pursuit, the thief drops the baby, causing it to explode and release a yellow cloud over the entire town. Consequently, the scientists devise a plan to combat the zombies with genetically engineered spiders, which backfires, creating a town full of zombie Spider-Men. Overall, this story is hilarious and had me chuckling throughout. This one is probably my favorite story in the collection.
Hynagagia: (about 15 minutes). This was the first part of The Tower, another novella by the author, which I reviewed here.
$5 Electric Suzie: (about 17 mins). In this story, Susie, an anthropomorphic VCR, needs blood to stay alive. The protagonist of the story becomes infatuated with Susie and starts feeding her his own blood. Eventually, he develops an obsession with her and begins to kill people, starting with his own parents. The tale begins with the protagonist as a young boy, and as he grows up, he continues to feed her. He spends his whole life in the service of the VCR. This story was weird, and not one of my favorites. Nothing much happened from a plot perspective, and the sexual connection with the VCR was uncomfortable.
Spin Doctor Mix Tape: (about 38 mins). The story begins on a somber note, with the protagonist's girlfriend's cat dying accidentally. However, the narrative is imbued with a sense of humor, as the narrator adopts the tone and delivery of a newscaster. The girlfriend forgives him, and when he invites her and his parents over for dinner, everything goes smoothly until they realize that he fed them the cat instead of the planned chicken. The protagonist explains that he was short on cash and had no other option. The girlfriend breaks up with him again, but after listening to a Spin Doctor mixtape he made for her, she decides to give him another chance. Although the cat's death and consumption were a bit off-putting, the story was enjoyable overall.
Slime Night!: (about 40 minutes). Out of all the stories, this one was my least favorite. It depicts the tale of two teenage boys vying for the affections of the same girl. However, their portrayal of her is unflattering, portraying her as promiscuous and having undergone multiple "wire hanger" abortions. The boys engage in a bizarre pinball game known as Slime Night!, where losing results in being drenched in slime. By the conclusion, one of the characters experiences a significant personal revelation. While not terrible, I believe the story could benefit from more extensive exploration of the emotional complexities, perhaps through a longer narrative.
Killing Teddy: (about 20 minutes). The story opens on an excellent note, with the first-person protagonist, who is the superintendent of a building, abruptly awakened by a deafening scream followed by the menacing sound of a chainsaw. To his horror, he finds a woman and a colossal ant inside one of the apartments. The woman recounts an implausible tale of a Japanese game show where the prize money is 500k, and the contestant, Teddy, must be killed and transformed into hundreds of distinct species to entertain the audience. Without weighing the consequences, the superintendent agrees to help the woman for a hefty sum. However, unforeseen events unfold as a result. Overall, this story is a delightfully imaginative and entertaining read.
The Spiders of Honeyville: (about 28 minutes). The story commences with a plumber visiting his lover's residence to unclog her shower drain. However, after he eliminates a snake, a yellow fog bursts out from inside it, killing both the plumber and his mistress and turning them into zombies. In the second part, we learn that the snake species has evolved a revenge mechanism, which results in the predator's death. Scientists are studying this phenomenon and come across a pregnant woman infected with it, from whom they deliver the baby via cesarean section. But the baby is promptly stolen, and in a pursuit, the thief drops the baby, causing it to explode and release a yellow cloud over the entire town. Consequently, the scientists devise a plan to combat the zombies with genetically engineered spiders, which backfires, creating a town full of zombie Spider-Men. Overall, this story is hilarious and had me chuckling throughout. This one is probably my favorite story in the collection.
Hynagagia: (about 15 minutes). This was the first part of The Tower, another novella by the author, which I reviewed here.
$5 Electric Suzie: (about 17 mins). In this story, Susie, an anthropomorphic VCR, needs blood to stay alive. The protagonist of the story becomes infatuated with Susie and starts feeding her his own blood. Eventually, he develops an obsession with her and begins to kill people, starting with his own parents. The tale begins with the protagonist as a young boy, and as he grows up, he continues to feed her. He spends his whole life in the service of the VCR. This story was weird, and not one of my favorites. Nothing much happened from a plot perspective, and the sexual connection with the VCR was uncomfortable.
Spin Doctor Mix Tape: (about 38 mins). The story begins on a somber note, with the protagonist's girlfriend's cat dying accidentally. However, the narrative is imbued with a sense of humor, as the narrator adopts the tone and delivery of a newscaster. The girlfriend forgives him, and when he invites her and his parents over for dinner, everything goes smoothly until they realize that he fed them the cat instead of the planned chicken. The protagonist explains that he was short on cash and had no other option. The girlfriend breaks up with him again, but after listening to a Spin Doctor mixtape he made for her, she decides to give him another chance. Although the cat's death and consumption were a bit off-putting, the story was enjoyable overall.
October 15, 2023
Goddamn Electric Nights by William Pauley III
Narrated by Connor Brannigan, I just love this guys books ....Especially as I binged some of these over the last few days. This is another weirdest book you will ever read and I loved it, especially the cover.......Don't judge the book by its cover.......Well I did with all his books and I didn't know what I was letting myself into lol.
But, I am glad I did. Brilliant!
Narrated by Connor Brannigan, I just love this guys books ....Especially as I binged some of these over the last few days. This is another weirdest book you will ever read and I loved it, especially the cover.......Don't judge the book by its cover.......Well I did with all his books and I didn't know what I was letting myself into lol.
But, I am glad I did. Brilliant!
January 7, 2023
I'm not averse to weird but this was Weird!
The first story is pretty mild up to the rest of the book and lulls you into a sense of false security even if parts of the "sex" scene made me feel a little nauseated.
It just gets stranger after that with a story about a snake head that poisons the whole town by gassing them. Its kind of funny though. Then there's odd ones about various objects being deified and a very peculiar one that'll put you off game shows for life. The last one is quite tame until you get to the cat.
I'm sure they're all analogies for something but I'm darned if I knew what. Not my thing at all but it was short enough to zip through. Had there been a lot more stories I might not have finished. William Pauley III clearly has a unique mind.
The first story is pretty mild up to the rest of the book and lulls you into a sense of false security even if parts of the "sex" scene made me feel a little nauseated.
It just gets stranger after that with a story about a snake head that poisons the whole town by gassing them. Its kind of funny though. Then there's odd ones about various objects being deified and a very peculiar one that'll put you off game shows for life. The last one is quite tame until you get to the cat.
I'm sure they're all analogies for something but I'm darned if I knew what. Not my thing at all but it was short enough to zip through. Had there been a lot more stories I might not have finished. William Pauley III clearly has a unique mind.
April 30, 2023
I love the narrator's voice, it fit perfectly with this collection of short stories and I will definitely look for more books narrated by Connor Brannigan in the future.
This was an interesting collection of short stories, each story was unique and entertaining. I look forward to reading more of William's work.
This was an interesting collection of short stories, each story was unique and entertaining. I look forward to reading more of William's work.
March 24, 2023
3.5* rounded up because it made me guffaw a few times.
April 20, 2022
It is always difficult to rate a book with disparate stories. This book, which I won through Goodreads giveaways, takes the reader on a psychotic roller coaster ride. It starts innocently enough. Slime Night is a typical tale of teenage lust and angst with a slime spewing pinball machine as a mediator between two estranged friends. Then we crest the top of the climb, marvel at the view, try to see our car in the parking lot and then come screaming down into Killing Teddy with our hair on fire. The hapless landlord of a rundown apartment building is pulled into an LSD induced get rich scheme perpetuated by two of his residents. Teddy and his girlfriend are the victims of a Japanese game show that requires Teddy to become every living creature on earth before they can collect 500 million dollars. His girlfriend has to kill him in unique and different ways to speed the process along. The landlord decides this could be a bit of lucrative fun and offers to assist for a cut of the fortune. Unfortunately, the landlord makes a mistake and becomes the next contestant on the Super Happy Fun Time show. We are quickly climbing again toward the approaching contortions of the track. The Spiders of Honeyville starts with a snake that when killed produces a yellow cloud that stinks and oh by the way, turns everyone into zombies. The government, in their infinite wisdom, sends in androids to cultivate giant spiders that will attach to the heads of the infected citizens creating mindless spider people and neutralizing the infection all in one fell swoop. A dome is placed around the town. The story is told by a group of uninfected scientists who analyze the events while trapped in their lab. Someone finds a tv that can receive signals from the outside world. The images beyond their town are so depressing and appalling that the scientists set aside all ideas of escape and embrace their current fate. We are now in a series of loops and twists that scramble our minds and stomachs. Hypnagogia is a confusing fever dream where the mutants of the Eighth Block Tower live. They believe the walls are filled with radiation and their god is an inflatable mattress. Each week two of these mutants suck anti matter out of the sky with a vacuum cleaner in order to feed their deflated god. On one of these outings a pigeon gets sucked into the vacuum hose and then quickly expelled back into the sky. The two suckers are convinced they have killed the real God with their pigeon projectile. Speaking of projectiles, we plummet down into a dark tunnel. $5 Dollar Electric Suzie is a typical tale of a blood sucking homicidal VCR and her lover. Our hero falls in love with the static image of the VCR's feminine visage. He becomes a serial killer for the next 50 years in order to keep her fed and happy. Finally, he too succumbs to her charms and becomes her final meal. For now. There is just one more sharp turn before we cruise into the station. Eddie is the star of the final tale, Spin Doctors Mixtape. He is the bumbling, forgetful and I would say borderline evil boyfriend of Dani. He stands up Dani's parents in order to go see Batman. Then he kills Dani's cat with a grappling hook. He forgot his house keys and decided to enter his house through a window through which he fires the grappling hook and catches the cat in his grip instead. He tries to make up for his transgression by inviting Dani and her parent's over for dinner. Having forgotten to buy groceries, Eddie prepares the only thing he has in the house, Dani's dead cat. Although the meal was a success, Eddie's ruse is discovered, and he is punched into a coma by Dani's dad. Dani dumps him after the coma and Eddie gets blind drunk and wakes up with Frank and Sherline on the sidewalk outside the bar. They bond over the Spin Doctors and Eddie thinks a Spin Doctors mix tape is the key to get Dani back. He is wrong. The restraints are off and we are free to stagger off to our next ride as we chat about the fading blur of our ride that slowly dissolves into more a feeling than a memory.
April 20, 2023
I wasn't sure what to expect out of this, but I was not disappointed. In each story, the characters had distinctive, strong voices, and the things going on was very imaginative and for the most part, kept me guessing. I enjoyed his writing style; it was very humorous and engaging.
The first story, Slime Night was good, but not at all what I was expecting based on the description on the back and my (admittedly limited) knowledge of the author. The bizarre elements were very much toned down compared to the other stories.
Killing Teddy is where the expected "bizarre" stories began, and it did not disappoint. A strange premise, executed in a funny and interesting way.
The Spiders of Honeyville was another very interesting story with a lot of imaginative ideas. It kept me guessing. I enjoyed the end and the "twist", but I definitely think it could have been longer and more fleshed out.
Hypnagagia is a bizarre, but well written story. It's an interesting peek at the inhabitants of an isolated apartment block, which I believe also appears in some of his other books. It piqued my interest but it felt like it ended too soon. Definitely going to have to check out the other works featuring the Eighth Block!
$5 Electric Suzie was another good story. It was a bit hard to read at times, but I admit I'm a bit squeamish. Like some of the others, the mix of realism with the absurd is brilliant in its execution.
Spin Doctors Mixtape was the last story in the collection. It depicts an amusing satire of young love and poor, strange decisions. It was bizarre in a different way to most of the other stories, much more similar to Slime Night. The strangeness came from the behavior of the main character rather than their surroundings.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and I'm looking forward to reading Automated Daydreaming next! I really should've gotten around to reading this much earlier.
The first story, Slime Night was good, but not at all what I was expecting based on the description on the back and my (admittedly limited) knowledge of the author. The bizarre elements were very much toned down compared to the other stories.
Killing Teddy is where the expected "bizarre" stories began, and it did not disappoint. A strange premise, executed in a funny and interesting way.
The Spiders of Honeyville was another very interesting story with a lot of imaginative ideas. It kept me guessing. I enjoyed the end and the "twist", but I definitely think it could have been longer and more fleshed out.
Hypnagagia is a bizarre, but well written story. It's an interesting peek at the inhabitants of an isolated apartment block, which I believe also appears in some of his other books. It piqued my interest but it felt like it ended too soon. Definitely going to have to check out the other works featuring the Eighth Block!
$5 Electric Suzie was another good story. It was a bit hard to read at times, but I admit I'm a bit squeamish. Like some of the others, the mix of realism with the absurd is brilliant in its execution.
Spin Doctors Mixtape was the last story in the collection. It depicts an amusing satire of young love and poor, strange decisions. It was bizarre in a different way to most of the other stories, much more similar to Slime Night. The strangeness came from the behavior of the main character rather than their surroundings.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and I'm looking forward to reading Automated Daydreaming next! I really should've gotten around to reading this much earlier.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4.
April 11, 2022
Very Interesting and different. I always love reading different books and this one was.. definitely different but in a pleasant way. I really enjoyed the first story "Slime Night" and enjoyed there creativity but I do feel this booked did drag a little bit and continuously became repetitive in multiple stories. I did enjoy it though and it was good to read something other than what i'm used to. It was more of an experience book I read it but will i remember it and read it again? Probably not. But I think that has to do with there being all different stories but honestly Idk but i do know that the book was good just a ... required taste
April 3, 2022
Well. How does one ever attempt to do justice to William Pauley III with a review? If you're reading his stuff, you know it wasn't by accident. You're looking for a read that is graphic, grimy and delightfully campy. (I mean that with tremendous love.)
Goddamn Electric Nights is a collection of short stories. It is a six pack of tales that touch on a selection of 80s horror nods. It's a love letter to those of us who grew up on b-film horror titles, and this one hit the mark in a major way. It was uncomfortable at times, and it was in those moments that I really saw these tales shine. Pauley III is doing great work here. I urge you to read these shorts!
The Spiders of Honeyville was my personal favorite, but I must reiterate that there isn't a single miss in this collection. Pick it up!
Goddamn Electric Nights is a collection of short stories. It is a six pack of tales that touch on a selection of 80s horror nods. It's a love letter to those of us who grew up on b-film horror titles, and this one hit the mark in a major way. It was uncomfortable at times, and it was in those moments that I really saw these tales shine. Pauley III is doing great work here. I urge you to read these shorts!
The Spiders of Honeyville was my personal favorite, but I must reiterate that there isn't a single miss in this collection. Pick it up!
April 22, 2022
This is a cool little book of short stories. It's a little irreverent and not for the faint of heart, but the stories are an entertaining, fun, and easy read. This book is one of those things you label "weird, but in the good way".
February 15, 2023
Jesus this was dark and twisty! While I enjoyed this, I'm still processing it all. Going into this, I knew it would be weird, but it certainly surpassed all 'weirdness' in every possible way!
February 1, 2023
There is something about William Pauley III’s writing that is smoothly dark and bizarre, with a brilliant sense of comedic timing that appears effortless. Some writers you just fall into a zone with and know that you’ll enjoy anything they put out there. Dude has skills.
Electric angels, inflatable mattress gods, the yellow stink, Super Happy Funtime, meatloaf dinner surprise and “I thought we were playing for cream soda”.
4+ Stars and Highly Recommended
Electric angels, inflatable mattress gods, the yellow stink, Super Happy Funtime, meatloaf dinner surprise and “I thought we were playing for cream soda”.
4+ Stars and Highly Recommended
April 21, 2023
Once again William Pauley III and the narrator Connor Branagan have made my ears fall in love. I absolutely cannot get enough of this authors audio books, the stories are awesome (every single one reminds me of the old time radio series) and the narrator is just crushing it and making the stories come alive. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving the the chance to listen to this. You really should listen to it. It’s a fun ride.
May 18, 2023
Another great set of horror short stories. I saw this one and had to grab it. I am a fan of short stories and just loved this. These are weird and unique. I didn't want to finish. Each story is so different. I will definitely read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
May 18, 2023
These stories were weird but they were my kind of weird. I especially liked Killing Teddy and $5 Electric Suzie they were perfectly gruesome and morbid to a T.
January 16, 2023
I’ve written reviews for a few of William Pauley III’s books in the last year. I like his brand of weird. I feel right at home on Eighth Tower Block. I have owned the kindle version of Goddamn Electric Nights for a while now. I picked up the audiobook (and one other) on NetGalley a few weeks ago when my kindle had died an untimely death, having seen its existence there as a sign to revisit Eighth Block Tower. I have a new kindle now, thanks to the thoughtful generosity of my bff, so I followed along on that as I listened to the audiobook.
Once again, Connor Brannigan’s performance is great. I really enjoy his voice and delivery of the material. The only exception is the last story. It was like listening to Robert Stack narrating Unsolved Mysteries, a quality that was not bad in the observation parts of the zombie story but not quite fitting Spin Doctors Mixtape. I still love Brannigan’s narration though.
It’s difficult to choose a favorite in this collection of strange tales. Killing Teddy was a neat concept with a great ending. Does anyone ever really win? Parts of $5 Electric Suzie cracked me up. Imagine falling in love with a VCR with a taste for human flesh. Now imagine the levels of love and obsession that would drive a man to murder for 50 years to keep his love sated. I guarantee you’ll never look at a VCR’s, uh, lips the same way again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. I love Pauley’s writing. His stories are vividly descriptive and take you to worlds you never imagined. This collection gives a little more insight to how the mutants of Eighth Block Tower came to be and how they continue to exist and I want more.
Big thanks to William Pauley III, Doom Fiction, and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can read Goddamn Electric Nights as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Or just buy the book. The eBook is only a couple bucks and the print version would look great on your shelf. Do yourself a favor and grab the audio companion while you’re at it.
Once again, Connor Brannigan’s performance is great. I really enjoy his voice and delivery of the material. The only exception is the last story. It was like listening to Robert Stack narrating Unsolved Mysteries, a quality that was not bad in the observation parts of the zombie story but not quite fitting Spin Doctors Mixtape. I still love Brannigan’s narration though.
It’s difficult to choose a favorite in this collection of strange tales. Killing Teddy was a neat concept with a great ending. Does anyone ever really win? Parts of $5 Electric Suzie cracked me up. Imagine falling in love with a VCR with a taste for human flesh. Now imagine the levels of love and obsession that would drive a man to murder for 50 years to keep his love sated. I guarantee you’ll never look at a VCR’s, uh, lips the same way again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. I love Pauley’s writing. His stories are vividly descriptive and take you to worlds you never imagined. This collection gives a little more insight to how the mutants of Eighth Block Tower came to be and how they continue to exist and I want more.
Big thanks to William Pauley III, Doom Fiction, and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can read Goddamn Electric Nights as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Or just buy the book. The eBook is only a couple bucks and the print version would look great on your shelf. Do yourself a favor and grab the audio companion while you’re at it.
December 10, 2023
Goddamn Electric Nights
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. This is the first of William Pauley's work I have ever read. I downloaded the audiobook so that I could finish listening to it in the car on the way to work. I absolutely loved the darkness of these stories. If you can download the audiobook, please do! The narrator is talented! In fact, I started from the beginning and "re-read" it just to listen to him. I would definitely read more of Pauley's work! I enjoyed it!
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. This is the first of William Pauley's work I have ever read. I downloaded the audiobook so that I could finish listening to it in the car on the way to work. I absolutely loved the darkness of these stories. If you can download the audiobook, please do! The narrator is talented! In fact, I started from the beginning and "re-read" it just to listen to him. I would definitely read more of Pauley's work! I enjoyed it!
June 22, 2022
It's a collection of pretty weird stories, but very creative and a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews