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A review by ghostboyreads
William by Mason Coile
3.5
"The locks won't hold. That's what Henry recalls feeling, but he doesn't say it, because he doesn't want to frighten Lily. Every chain and padlock in the world would make no difference. Because what terrified him wasn't the thing on the other side of the wood, but the new thing that had joined it. A presence that will not be contained."
William is an extremely suspenseful, highly entertaining and blisteringly fast-paced little horror novella. There's some real, genuine creepiness here, especially surrounding the malevolent robotic creations that terrorize the household. I must admit that, stories that have an AI as their central theme just don't captivate me in the same way that other horror stories do, however, William tackles its AI theme in a rather brilliant and interesting way, there's some real delightful little twists to discover despite the short length of the novella, and the robotic dog is so bloody menacing, it deserves its own special shout out. This is the sort of novel that you can breeze through entirely in one sitting, it's engaging and just, so much fun but, it will also have chills running up your spine.
This novel sets out to disorient you, it wants you to feel confused, and panicked and muddled, and it certainly achieves this with how chaotic it becomes. This is horror as entertainment, while yes there's a deeper discussion that explores family dynamics, the ethics of robotics and AI, and a surprisingly amazing exploration of agoraphobia, because of its slim size, it works much better as a fun piece of media. And, it's never a bad thing, to read for entertainment, William knows what it is, and it delivers on that really, really well. It's entirely in your face, hitting hard and fast and offering little respite to its readers. The kills are super satisfying and really visceral, there's creepy robotics, an AI gone rouge, freaky dolls and plenty of bloodshed, there's a lot to enjoy.
William is an extremely suspenseful, highly entertaining and blisteringly fast-paced little horror novella. There's some real, genuine creepiness here, especially surrounding the malevolent robotic creations that terrorize the household. I must admit that, stories that have an AI as their central theme just don't captivate me in the same way that other horror stories do, however, William tackles its AI theme in a rather brilliant and interesting way, there's some real delightful little twists to discover despite the short length of the novella, and the robotic dog is so bloody menacing, it deserves its own special shout out. This is the sort of novel that you can breeze through entirely in one sitting, it's engaging and just, so much fun but, it will also have chills running up your spine.
This novel sets out to disorient you, it wants you to feel confused, and panicked and muddled, and it certainly achieves this with how chaotic it becomes. This is horror as entertainment, while yes there's a deeper discussion that explores family dynamics, the ethics of robotics and AI, and a surprisingly amazing exploration of agoraphobia, because of its slim size, it works much better as a fun piece of media. And, it's never a bad thing, to read for entertainment, William knows what it is, and it delivers on that really, really well. It's entirely in your face, hitting hard and fast and offering little respite to its readers. The kills are super satisfying and really visceral, there's creepy robotics, an AI gone rouge, freaky dolls and plenty of bloodshed, there's a lot to enjoy.
"William. Skin-ripped, skull-caved. Standing lopsided on legs he has grown or stitched on or imagined into being. His baggy, formal suit stained with the thick mustard-blood that hangs in a lengthening string from the corner of his mouth."
And, it's all laced in this claustrophobic atmosphere, which the enclosed setting really does elevate. William is the sort of book where you'll absolutely hate everyone involved, and you'll be more than okay with praying for their demise. The story does, at times, become a little disorderly, but in this novel its weirdly endearing, you end up feeling like you're spiralling alongside the protagonist, you're watching him descend into madness while watching his life crumble, and you feel that so fully. It's so, so addictive and engaging, a novella of intensely strong ideas that could have actually made one hell of a full length novel. Some might be able to guess where the story is going to go right from the jump, but even so, the surprises along the way make this one more than worth it.
"Now it's William's turn to lean close. Henry can smell it now. Not just the new odors of the robot's body, but the thing inside. Charred animal rot carried on the air of a burned barn. "The only way to find life is to take life," the robot says."