BooksGoblin: A Novel in Six Novellas
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Malorie comes a chilling story that revolves around a mysterious small town, revealing its sinister secrets one by one. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL • “Must-read horror.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with the master storyteller Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Welcome to Goblin. . . . A Man in Slices: A man proves his “legendary love” to his girlfriend with a sacrifice even more daring than Vincent van Gogh’s—and sends her more than his heart. Kamp: Walter Kamp is afraid of everything, but most afraid of being scared to death. As he sets traps around his home to catch the ghosts that haunt him, he learns that nothing is more terrifying than fear itself. Happy Birthday, Hunter!: A famed big-game hunter is determined to capture—and kill—the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl who lives in Goblin’s dark forests. But this mysterious creature is not the only secret the woods are keeping. Presto: All Peter wants is to be like his hero, Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world. When the famous magician comes to Goblin, Peter discovers that not all magic is just an illusion. A Mix-Up at the Zoo: The new zookeeper feels a mysterious kinship with the animals in his care . . . and finds that his work is freeing dark forces inside him. The Hedges: When his wife dies, a man builds a hedge maze so elaborate no one ever solves it—until a little girl resolves to be the first to find the mysteries that wait at its heart.
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Find Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas Josh Malerman in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
10 books in catalog
Post-apocalyptic horror fiction gained widespread attention with the publication of Bird Box, a novel exploring psychological survival under total sensory deprivation that was later adapted into a feature film. Josh Malerman introduced readers to this sensory-focused narrative, establishing a distinct presence in contemporary horror and speculative fiction.
Before publishing his debut novel with ECCO/HarperCollins in 2014, Josh Malerman wrote fourteen complete novels without ever shopping a single manuscript to agents or publishers. During this period, he spent six years touring extensively as a singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the Detroit-based rock band The High Strung, playing an average of 250 shows a year across the United States. He wrote many of his early rough drafts in the passenger seat of the tour van while traveling between cities. For years, Malerman maintained what he described as a glorious delusion, engaging in phantom interviews, imagining interactions with fictional literary agents, debating invisible editors, and placing imaginary hardcover books on his shelves.
The situation changed when Dave Simmer, a friend from high school who had worked with authors and properties in Hollywood, contacted Malerman to ask permission to share one of his manuscripts with contacts in the publishing industry. Simmer helped assemble a professional team, leading to representation by a real agent and active editorial guidance. Following the release of Bird Box in 2014, Malerman published numerous novels, novellas, and short story collections while remaining active in music and later co-founding the production company Spin a Black Yarn in 2020.
Malerman's fiction is marked by high-concept psychological tension, atmospheric horror, and rhythmic pacing influenced by his musical background. Heavily influenced by classic horror films and literature such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, alongside classic authors like William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky, he often constructs book structures with the sequencing and flow of music albums. His stories frequently revolve around unseen or inexplicable threats, close-knit family dynamics, and high-stakes survival scenarios that force characters to navigate extreme environmental or sensory restrictions.
