David and John are a pair of paranormal investigators who live in an unnamed Midwestern town (referred to in the novel as "Undisclosed"). Dave meets reporter Arnie in a local restaurant and recounts the origin of his and John's unusual abilities.
The main story begins with David and John at a party, where John is performing with his band Three Arm Sally. David leaves the party early after a confrontation with an "amateur magician" who seemed to have real supernatural powers, leaving him shaken. David goes home with an Irish setter named Molly, which seems to have selected him as her new owner. David is awakened in the middle of the night by a call from John, asking that he come save him from something in his apartment. David meets up with John at his apartment and saves John from a "monster" that Dave can't see. They then go to Denny's, where John reveals that he has taken a drug known as "soy sauce." John shows David a syringe containing the drug, which he was given by the magician, who told John his name is "Robert Marley". David pockets the syringe. Later, David accidentally injects himself with the drug in his pocket and begins to feel the effects.
Local police detective Lawrence Appleton informs David that everyone from the party except himself are either dead or missing, which turns out not to be true. While David is being interrogated, Appleton and David are informed that John has died in the other room, causing Appleton to leave David alone in the interrogation room. Mysteriously, David receives a call from John urging him to escape custody in the chaos that has ensued from him flatlining in the other room. After a brief fight with a demon masquerading as an officer, David follows the instructions of the John on the phone to go to the trailer home of Robert Marley. While there, David sees a TV displaying the last moments of Robert Marley: he explodes into a massive swarm of flying, wingless bugs that look like grains of rice. These bugs then fly over to someone else that came from the party and dig into them, apparently possessing them. Appleton arrives shortly after David to burn down the trailer, gripped with the desire to purge the town of the evil he believes has come. He leaves David for dead after shooting him in the chest with a defective bullet, then leaves. David is rescued by Molly driving his car through the wall of the trailer. Shortly after, Molly begins to "speak" in the voice of John, which urges David to go to Vegas to seek out Albert Marconi.
David goes home to wash up and change clothes. After leaving the shower, David finds the man who had been possessed by the bugs that were once in Marley. He/it tells David to call him Shitload because "there's a shitload of us in here." After surviving multiple gunshots, Shitload kidnaps David, who is knocked unconscious after Shitload repeatedly punches him in the balls. David wakes up in the back of a liquor truck with John and other survivors of the party and they seem to be headed to the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas to meet with Albert Marconi, an expert in the paranormal. En route to Las Vegas, Detective Appleton rescues the group from Shitload. Shortly after, he explodes into a swarm of the white bugs, which possess one of the other survivors, forcing David to kill and burn their body.
A climactic battle scene takes place at the Luxor and involves many strange scorpion monsters and a portal into what is apparently Hell that unleashes several entities called Shadow People. Marconi closes the portal, and John and David return home and resume their lives.
One year later, Dave and John begin investigating various strange phenomena, all caused by the Shadow Men. David alone is haunted by messages from a "Korrok," who harbors seeming ill will towards David, and is somehow orchestrating much of the phenomena. Eventually, David and John are called to the home of Molly's previous owner and one of the survivors who died in the Luxor, "Big" Jim Sullivan, to investigate the disappearance of Jim's sister, Amy. Amy disappeared from behind a locked door with no other entrances. After Amy reappears, David and John take more soy sauce to gain the supernatural awareness that they feel they need to confront the source of the Shadow Men and stop them for good. They then build a bomb, which is accidentally eaten by Molly. After tracking the Shadow Men to an abandoned mall, John and Dave are transported to another dimension where they are greeted by followers of a godlike being called Korrok, who commands the Shadow Men in a bid to conquer all possible universes for consumption and amusement via acts of mass genocide and torture. They are informed that through their use of the Soy Sauce, they are now the chosen vectors through which the Shadow Men will invade their world. Escaping their captors, the two flee with Molly just as the bomb detonates.
An incredulous Arnie refuses to believe Dave, even after being shown one of the monsters the Shadow Men summoned. After Arnie tells a story about his younger years of being a reporter wherein a cop referred to him as an N-word, David realises that Arnie, whom he sees as a white man, must be manifesting as a ghost. David reveals the real Arnie dead in the trunk of Arnie's rental car. Arnie panics and disappears.
In an epilogue, John and Dave find another dimensional portal inhabited by members of a paramilitary organization, who tell the two friends they are chosen ones who will save them. Annoyed, John and Dave leave, and watch as a group of teenagers travel through the portal and save the dimension.
Characters
David Wong: Author surrogate and the novel's protagonist. Dave narrates the novel from the first-person perspective. Dave is self-conscious and sarcastic, thus his narration is unreliable as the truth (he says he has been "mostly" honest with Arnie, and thus the reader). Dave is a slacker who works various minimum-wage jobs in his local town; during the timeline of the story he works at a video rental store.
John: Long-time best friend of Dave. John is frequently under the influence of various drugs, and Dave's need to rescue John from various difficult situations propels the plot forward. His band is playing at the party that opens the main storyline.
Molly: Molly is David's adoptive dog, an "Irish rust dog", whose tags indicate she previously belonged to the Sullivan family. Dave finds Molly at the party at the beginning of the main storyline. When Dave tries to return the dog, they refuse to receive it, and it follows Dave around for most of the story.
Arnie Blondestone: A journalist investigating paranormal affairs, his interview with Dave provides a framing story for the main events of the novel.
Robert Marley: A drug dealer present at the party at the outset of the story, he provides a drug known as "soy sauce" that either kills its users or gives them supernatural powers.
Jennifer Lopez, "Big" Jim Sullivan, Fred Chu: Three party-goers who were all present at the party at the start of the story that sets the plot in motion. The three of them join John and Dave on the trek to Las Vegas in Book 1. "Big" Jim and Fred are killed in the events, while Jennifer (whom Dave has had a crush on since high school) ends up dating Dave for a while during the period between the two main storylines.
Amy Sullivan: Timid sister of "Big" Jim Sullivan. She is missing her left hand stemming from an accident that killed her parents. Towards the end and in later novels Amy is dating David.
Detective Lawrence Appleton: Detective in the Undisclosed Police Department, he starts investigating the deaths of several of the party goers, but becomes obsessed with the case, and changes from an investigator to trying to actively stop the evil that is operating in Undisclosed. He reminds Dave of a famous African-American actor, which Dave mistakenly thinks is Morgan Freeman.
Doctor Albert Marconi: A former priest, and current lecturer on Paranormal Activities, he acts as an advisor of sorts to Dave and John.
Danny Wexler: Local sportscaster whose possession by The Shadow Men provides the inciting incident in Book 2.
Krissy Lovelace: Danny's neighbor who initiates the main investigation in Book 2.
Korrok: Believed to be an evil deity worshiped by several different cultures in human history, Korrok serves as the novel's major antagonist, with many of the demons encountered by David and John throughout the novel acting as his servants. Korrok is depicted in many ways, both physical and metaphorical.
"Shitload": One of Korrok's supernatural minions. Shitload's natural form consists of a swarm of small, white insectoids comparable to rods described in cryptozoological theories.
Reception
Reviewer Bryan Gatchell considered it "a horror novel parody," saying, "The story combined the horror of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and the surrealism of Heironymus [sic] Bosch painting with the early 20s (i.e., their age) asininity of its two main protagonists, David Wong and John... [T]hey can see things no other human can see such as shadow men, demons, floating worms, obscene fast food murals, ghost doors, men observing them through the television and dog-sized, wig-wearing, scorpion-like creatures... Wong is much more at home when it comes to the humorous aspects of the story... Strangely enough, the best moment of the novel has neither to do with horror (in the traditional sense) or humor. The novel becomes the most gripping when David describes a violent incident as a high school student. The rest of the novel is amusing, but at this moment, the novel breaks away from its jokey Internet origins and seems to come into its own as a genuinely good book."[2]
The book received a positive review in The Guardian, with reviewer Eric Brown comparing it to the works of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson and writing "it may be a farrago of nonsense, but it's also unputdownable thanks to great narrative pace and its pair of likeable layabouts".[3]
A review in Publishers Weekly was positive, saying "the book's smart take on fear manages to tap into readers' existential dread on one page, then have them laughing the next".[4]
A review in Kirkus Reviews criticized the writing as "clunky" but ultimately praised the book, concluding "when it’s funny, it's laugh-out-loud funny, yet when the situation calls for chills, it provides them in spades".[5]
Sandra Scholes, writing a featured review on SF Site recommended the book, stating "for those who like to delve into the realms of the unreal and offbeat, this is a really good one".[6]
Sequels
A sequel, This Book Is Full of Spiders, was published on October 2, 2012. It originally had the working title of John and Dave and the Fifth Wall before Wong announced the official title. Part of the book was originally hosted on the official website under the title of John and Dave and the Temple of X'al'naa'thuthuthu, but was removed from the site. Wong later re-posted the excerpt on the website in February 2009, but removed it the following year.[citation needed]
Filming began on October 21, 2010. The movie stars Paul Giamatti as Arnie Blondestone and Clancy Brown as Dr. Marconi, with Giamatti also helping to produce.[11] Actors Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes play the lead roles of Dave and John, respectively.[11]
John Shirley is an American writer, primarily of horror, fantasy, science fiction, dark street fiction, westerns, and songwriting. He has also written one historical novel, a western about Wyatt Earp, Wyatt in Wichita, and one non-fiction book, Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas. Shirley has written novels, short stories, TV scripts and screenplays—including The Crow—and has published over 84 books including 10 short-story collections. As a musician, Shirley has fronted his own bands and written lyrics for Blue Öyster Cult and others. His newest novels are Stormland and Axle Bust Creek.
A shadow person is the perception of shadow as a living species, humanoid figure, sometimes interpreted as the presence of a spirit or other entity by believers in the paranormal or supernatural.
Don Coscarelli Jr. is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in horror films. His directing credits include the first four films in the Phantasm franchise, as well as The Beastmaster (1982) and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).
Bubba Ho-Tep is a 2002 American comedy horror film written, co-produced and directed by Don Coscarelli. It stars Bruce Campbell as Sebastian Haff, a man residing in a nursing home who claims to be the real Elvis Presley. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. "Jack" Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black, and abandoned.
Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles.
Scrooge is a 1951 British Christmas fantasy drama film and an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, and was produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. It also features Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Clifford Mollison, Jack Warner, Ernest Thesiger and Patrick Macnee. Michael Hordern plays Marley's ghost and the older Jacob Marley. Peter Bull narrates portions of Charles Dickens' words at the beginning and end of the film, and appears on-screen as a businessman.
Justice is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appeared in the New Universe imprint of Marvel Comics, primarily as the protagonist of a 32-issue comic book series of the same name published from 1986 to 1989. Most of its run was written by Peter David and penciled by Lee Weeks, though it also featured rare 1980s Marvel work from Keith Giffen. David later reintroduced Justice as a supporting character in Spider-Man 2099, a series with a very different setting. This version of the character, also known as the Net Prophet, was older and had different powers.
Peter and the Shadow Thieves is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, in 2006. Written by humorist Dave Barry and novelist Ridley Pearson, the book is a sequel to their book Peter and the Starcatchers, continuing the story of the orphan Peter and his latest adventures with the Starcatchers. The "Starcatchers" series is an epic story of a battle between good and evil, incorporating a reimagined version of characters and situations from J.M. Barrie's classic novel Peter and Wendy. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call.
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2007. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the book is an unauthorized reimagining of Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie, and tells the story of an orphan named Peter. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call. It is a sequel to Barry and Pearson's Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, best-sellers released in late 2004 and mid-2006. This book was released on October 23, 2007, and was described at the time as the last novel in the series. However, in May 2008 the writers announced a fourth book: Peter and the Sword of Mercy.
Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel from a screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos, based on the 2005 memoir of the same name by John Grogan. The film stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as the owners of Marley, a Labrador retriever. Marley & Me was released in the United States and Canada on December 25, 2008, and set a record for the largest Christmas Day box office ever with $14.75 million in ticket sales. The film was followed by a 2011 direct-to-video prequel, Marley & Me: The Puppy Years.
Anger Management is a 2003 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman. Starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson with Marisa Tomei, Luis Guzmán, Woody Harrelson and John Turturro in supporting roles, the film tells the story of a businessman who is sentenced to an anger management program under a renowned therapist with unconventional methods. Anger Management marked the final film for Lynne Thigpen who died weeks before the release and it is also dedicated in her memory. Released in theaters in the United States on April 11, 2003 by Columbia Pictures, the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $195 million against a $75 million budget.
Peter and the Sword of Mercy is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2009. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the book is an unauthorized reimagining of characters and situations from Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie, and tells the story of an orphan named Peter. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call. It is a sequel and fourth installment to Barry and Pearson's "Starcatchers" series, best-sellers released in 2004–2007, which was originally said at the time to be a trilogy. This book was released on October 13, 2009. The next book, called The Bridge to Never Land, was published in 2011.
John Dies at the End is a 2012 American comedy horror film written and directed by Don Coscarelli and based on David Wong's novel of the same name. It stars Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, with Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Daniel Roebuck, and Doug Jones.
Jason Keith Pargin is an American humor writer and novelist who formerly wrote under the name David Wong. He is the former executive editor of humor website Cracked.com.
This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It is a 2012 comic lovecraftian horror novel written by Jason Pargin under the pseudonym of David Wong. The novel is a sequel to Wong's book John Dies at the End, which was initially published as a webserial and later as a printed novel. This Book Is Full of Spiders was first published in hardback on October 2, 2012 through Thomas Dunne Books and chronicles the further adventures of John and Dave, who are living in an Undisclosed American Midwest town, which has a long history of horrific occurrences with supernatural roots. John and Dave have the unique ability to see things that ordinary people cannot after taking a mysterious drug known as the "Soy Sauce" during events of John Dies at the End.
Chase Williamson is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for portraying David Wong in John Dies at the End (2012).
A Second Chance at Sarah is a fantasy graphic novel written by Neil Druckmann, with illustrations by Joysuke Wong. The novel was originally published by Ape Entertainment on February 24, 2010; Dark Horse Comics re-released the novel on August 20, 2014. The book follows Johnny, who makes a deal with a demon to go back in time and save his dying wife, who fell into a coma upon the birth of their son.
What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror is a 2017 comic Lovecraftian horror novel written by Jason Pargin under the pseudonym of David Wong. It is the third book in the series after John Dies at the End and This Book Is Full of Spiders.
If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe is a 2022 comic Lovecraftian horror novel by Jason Pargin. It is the fourth book in the John Dies at the End series, written under a working title "David Wong Dies in This One". It is also the first of Pargin's novels published under his real name beginning from the first edition, after he had abandoned the "David Wong" pseudonym his previous books were published under.
Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick is a 2020 science fiction novel by Jason Pargin and a sequel to his Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits. It was the last book by Pargin published under his pen name "David Wong" which he abandoned shortly after; the paperback edition was published under his real name instead. The second novel in what became colloquially called "the Zoey Ashe series", it was followed by Zoey Is Too Drunk For This Dystopia in 2023.
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