Fantastic book. Dark, disturbing, prose succinct yet poetic. Definitely not for everyone, but perfect for me. A new favourite author.
From the get-go we’re introduced to Nicholas and Nakota, two misfits living on society’s fringes. Nicholas is an assistant manager at a video store, Nakota a barlady-cum-waitress at a local dive-bar. They’re in Nicholas’s dilapidated flat, when we find out they’ve recently discovered something they refer to as ‘The Funhole’.
The Funhole itself is an anomaly: a hole that could lead to anywhere, clearly some kind of supernatural disturbance or portal. It gives off strange smells, occasionally sending psychic music to them, and tempting them back to its presence in Nicholas’ apartment block. Our protagonists start experimenting with the Funhole, trying to determine where it leads (if anywhere) and what happens to those who enter it. Their curiosity starts as scientific, but devolves into quasi-religious fervour as the Funhole exerts its influence on them and those around them.
Our…heroes?:
The Funhole exists in the fringe, and so only those living there could find it. Nicholas is a failed poet, and generally apathetic about life. Existing has become rote, and he performs the bare minimum actions to sustain himself in as mechanical a manner as possible without any thought to pleasure or accomplishment. The only things that break through this grey haze he lives in are Nakota, and the Funhole.
Nakota is the one person who can intimidate and goad Nicholas into action. From the get-go it’s obvious she is driven and predatory, ready to sacrifice anyone to get what she wants. Every time Nicholas gives in to her her influence grows that little bit stronger. She feels the Funhole’s lure most powerfully of all. As the stakes get higher, Nicholas is called to action, often to oppose her. Nakota’s dark charisma is a formidable weapon, however, and soon she amasses followers who are drawn to the promise of some extraordinary transubstantiation that she offers.
Adrenaline Poetry:
Most captivating for me about Koja’s writing was the vivid quality of her descriptions. The story is told from Nicholas’ perspective, which might explain the cynical, poetic voice being used. Self-deprecating in tone, yet insightful, it paints a perfect picture of the squalor the characters start in, and the degeneration they undergo on a mental and spiritual level. With very few words, used in delightful combinations and the poetic flourish of the Beats, Koja manages to conjure visceral and powerful imagery. It’s the succinct, poetic yet cynical quality of her prose that makes this tale come alive.
The pace is fast, and there’s never a dull moment. The novel draws you in with mysteries that you want the answers to, and keeps you hooked with escalating action that brings promised disaster racing to the fore.
So what’s not to like?
I had no issue with this book beyond the Kindle formatting – there was an occasional typographical mistake (r instead of an n), or moments where a new paragraph would start mid-sentence. This is unfortunate, as it makes an otherwise flawless and admirable presentation come across as less polished than it really is.
In conclusion:
This isn’t for all readers, but it’s definitely for me. It’s very dark and thrilling. The quality of the prose makes me want to up my game, and Cipher has introduced me to a new favourite author.
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Reviews with images
Distorted imageries beyond your average rudimentary horror novel
Two friends discover a living black darkness in the form of a strange hole. Approximately one foot in diameter and located in a storage room, the unusual opening slowly becomes an obsession with regard to experimentation for the pair. This leads towards a hideous version of a Twilight Zone episode come true. Kathe Koja brings to life a horror that defies disbelief as she introduces a stretched and distorted unrealism to everyday reality. This entity is vacant of all light and cleverly nicknamed “The Funhole”. Written with an intellectual stimulation of the horrific kind Koja establishes a gateway to a opened Pandora's Box full of nightmare images linked with science and mysticism. The Cipher has constant spontaneous arrangements of self combustion which flow towards distorted imageries beyond your average rudimentary horror novel. There are plenty bits of comic relief in the fashion of beer induced theories of what lies beyond, however the essentials in this work of fiction certainly bleeds its own brand of terror. Hitting on all cylinders of phantasmic flesh, fans of Clive Barker will definitely have their hooks into this one. I really enjoyed all aspects of this book, and I think you will too.
Top reviews from other countries
Always finding fault
Stick with it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2022
