“Heart-Shaped Box” by Joe Hill – Playing with Fire

Judas Coyne is a death metal rock god, one that has legions of fans at his back, despite his best days having left him very long ago.

If there is one thing Judas is passionate about in his life, it’s the collection of macabre treasures, such as a used hangman’s noose, a snuff film, or even a cannibal cookbook.

One day though, he notices an add in which someone is selling their stepfather’s soul, apparently trapped in a suit. Knowing no fear, Judas decides he must have that trinket, whatever it is.

However, when he is presented with the heart-shaped box containing the soul, he unleashes it without thought, subjecting himself to the most horrific and realistic haunting in his entire life.

For some reason, Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill sent me jogging down memory lane, remembering all of those old horror movies and stories designed to teach people truths and morals, regardless of their age (although most of them were primarily designed for kids). The premise is perfect: a self-confident man who keeps on tempting fate bits off far more than he can chew, entering a dark game he knows nothing about.

There is the ghost, who while at first seems harmless enough, starts to develop what look like murderous ambitions. There is also the mysterious messenger who makes the entire thing possible (the person who put the add in the newspaper in the first place).

There are so many questions to wonder about here, many of which we don’t get an answer to, and that’s perfectly fine; this type of book revels in mystery, and there’s just the perfect amount of it.

Despite the story being quite dark, I always felt as if a comedic atmosphere persisted throughout it all, or at least irony, especially considering Judas’ relation to death and the macabre (he is a death metal rock star and has a very unhealthy hobby).

Also, apart from the obvious moral to it (don’t keep on tempting fate by associating yourself with death), there are also some themes which are deeply explored, especially ones of life after death and vengeance.

I won’t say more for fear of spoilers, but if you do like horror as a genre, I definitely recommend you give Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill a shot.

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Joe Hill Personal site Joe Hill , born under the name Joseph Hillstrom King, is an American writer and comic book author. He is the son of legendary horror writer Stephen King, and so far he has written three novels, Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, and NOS4A2, as well as a short story collection, 20th Century Ghosts.