The Sadist's Bible

After finishing this book I sat in a daze for a moment, much the same as after I finished watching the (original) film Martyrs, which this book also reminded me of. I had to slowly absorb what I had experienced as the visceral horror worked through my mind.The story may be short but it really packs a punch, it's messed up and deranged, and I absolutely loved it.Hellraiser is one of my favourite movies of all time and this book also brought to mind this film as well and especially this line from Frank "I thought I'd gone to the limits. I hadn't. The Cenobites gave me an experience beyond limits... pain and pleasure, indivisible."Whilst the book fondly brought to mind other books (Early Clive Barker) and films it still managed to stay original and engaging.After reading this and Nicole's other novellas 'I Am the New God' and 'Children of No One' she is without doubt one of my favourite authors and anyone that wants to read well written horror that doesn't hold back, I would definitely recommend this for you!

(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)There’s nothing like discovering a well-hidden gem, and that’s exactly what happened when I originally spied a review from Morgan K Tanner's blog. The book in question seemed intriguing; a mix of suicidal intentions and grim religion - right up my street. What followed was a quick read, yet despite its short length, its execution was no less impactful. Cushing was able to portray two very mentally ill individuals; their helplessness apparent when they decide the best course of action is a joint suicide. Amongst the fantasies of death, is a very prominent emphasis on homosexuality, whereupon the women visualise their passing as a deeply erotic affair, and thus a statement to society. Certainly morbid, but in that darkly fascinating sort of way that I can appreciate if done well. Of course this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, especially when it comes to Christianity, as the He is painted in a very harsh light - which isn't as far-fetched as one might believe. If anything, I'd consider Him more alike his Old Testament representation, but that’s neither here nor there.One thing that occurred to me early on was that, whilst Lori’s situation was significantly more dour, Ellie’s was a lot more closer to reality. Unable to express her true self, Ellie was ruled by fear, and to some extent, shame. It was a very genuine example of what a lot of people go through every day of their lives, and I felt that the coupling of real life issues and celestial intervention worked well together. Honestly though, I didn't find these two characters entirely likeable on a personal level, however my sympathy lay more with Lori, as I believed her to be a victim of the most horrendous acts possible. The connection between these two women could've been explored further, although it was easy enough to discern their relationship formed out of desperation.The plot itself was able to keep up a decent pace, probably because it didn’t have time to add any unnecessary fluff. The last half of the book is where things took a turn, and I guess I didn’t expect things to get so crazy, but they did. The running theme of sex and violence only magnified, and it was unquestionably shoved to the forefront throughout the end. Vivid, graphic scenes delved into totortuous acts of depravity, where Cushing had no qualms about detailing the sadistic pleasures of a heavenly orgy. I use the term "heavenly" very loosely, as those creatures more resembled beings of nightmare.That's the thing here - this is a bleak story, where a saviour, in the typical sense of the word, doesn't exist.In conclusion: Torture intermingles with sex in this novella, and those of a religious nature would be likely best to avoid this one altogether. I considered it a very entertaining read, and it certainly put Cushing on my radar.Notable Quote:The arc of the universe is long, but bends towards degeneracy.© Red Lace 2018

Realistically, a title like The Sadist’s Bible (2016) gives all the indication the reader needs, as to what kind of story this book is going to be. Boy, does it frequently live up to it as well. The narrative begins with two women who meet and begin exchanging messages with one another, on an online board designed to find a suicide partner.Ellie Blake is the older of the two, and is coming to terms with her own homosexuality during a nineteen year long – and largely loveless – heterosexual marriage. She lives in Indiana, specifically in an area with very conservative and religious peoples and views. She knows that coming out would have consequences, both for her and her husband, and feels trapped as a result. Ellie sees her situation as one of utter mediocrity: she is an average woman, with an average husband, and is living a totally unremarkable life. Perceiving her own existence as a constant string of wasted opportunity – of wasted relationships, and wasted potential – she decides to end it. Before she does though, she intends to satisfy her unrealised fantasy of sleeping with and sexually dominating another woman.Lori Morris is a bisexual woman, about thirteen years Ellie’s junior, and proposes that the two of them have sex before committing suicide together. She has an entirely different reason for wanting to end her life. Every single Sunday for a prolonged period of time, she has been violently maimed and raped by God.She has also mothered his acephalic child, Joshua, whom she plans to murder shortly before her own suicide.Yeah.As you might imagine, this book really won’t appeal to everyone. In fact, I don’t think it’d be stretch to say that The Sadist’s Bible is only going to cater to quite a niche audience. Given that brief plot synopsis and the title, you would be right in assuming that this book gets pretty blasphemous. For me, that isn’t where I took issue: I don’t really consider myself a religious individual, by any stretch of the imagination – but there are definitely going to be a lot of readers, even horror ones, put of by the premise alone. The God of The Sadist’s Bible is no benevolent being of forgiveness and salvation. It is a wickedly sadistic entity, bent on making humanity as deformed and helpless as possible so that they are utterly reliant on him. As the narrative repeats throughout, “THE ARC OF THE UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT BENDS TOWARDS DEGENERACY”.I suppose my own biggest issue with this book is its distinct lack of intrigue in the narrative. This is THE biblical God; the omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent God, the all-knowing and the all-powerful God. The odds aren’t exactly in favour of the two women from the offset, and the narrative doesn’t really surprise much in that regard. I also felt that neither Ellie nor Lori were particularly rounded out as characters, so it was hard for me to be invested in either of their fates. I didn’t really warm to them, Ellie in particular. I also felt that Lori’s plan to escape an ever-present God by committing suicide seemed like a scheme with very little foresight.That said though, there was also a lot to like here, as a horror fan. Cushing’s use of language is devilishly good at describing even the most grotesque and shocking of scenes. Though I don’t think the ending packs a lot of punch in a narrative sense, it certainly does in terms of imagery. The way scenes of sexual sadomasochism are effortlessly weaved into those of extremely graphic gore is masterful. I just wish the book was much longer, and that the notions it conjures up were explored much deeper. As it stands, The Sadist’s Bible feels like something of an extract, a bit underdeveloped and underwhelming, which is a shame as there is an awful lot to love here too.VERDICT: The Sadist’s Bible will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea, that’s a given. But in spite of my issues with the book, I did quite enjoy it. The story is solidly written and compelling, even if it doesn’t have a satisfactory pay-off. Though it could have done with a lot more fleshing out, the concept itself is ambitious in scope, and quite terrifying on an existential level. The ideas brought forward in regards to the nature of heaven and hell are ones that I’ve thought about myself, and are genuinely pretty scary. All things considered, The Sadist’s Bible is a very good book, but never quite great for me personally.After a lot of mulling over and back and forth, it’s a 3 1/2 stars out of 5 from this reviewer.