The Bleed, by Stephen S. Schreffler
18 Jul 2024The Book
Synopsis:
Barry and Lich are two high school outcasts living as much of a life as they can in the small town of Grafting, Michigan, circa 1995.
Life ain’t great, but it ain’t too bad either. That is, until the Grafting quake hits and a strange man heading a secretive organization shows up with an army of brilliant minds, highly trained mercenaries, and a monster that’s crawled straight from the realm of nightmares. As it turns out, reality is starting to tear, and things from another dimension are starting to pop up—things with really bad intentions. So, when a few popular jocks from the local high school fall victim to a series of brutal murders and all the evidence points to Barry and Lich, their already crazy world is flipped upside down once more. Now on the run from local law enforcement, a secret government agency, and the monstrous manifestation of their own dark desires, the two teens, with the help of some very unlikely allies, must find a way to prove their innocence and save their small town from an evil beyond imagination.
My Review
The Bleed is the debut novel of Stephen S. Schreffler, expanding over material from the story Barry & Lich, included in the anthology Humans Monsters, both published by Dark Matter INK. A fast paced blend of sci-fi and horror, mixed with 90s nostalgia, metal and a decent amount of gore and violence, in a style that could be pitched as Stranger Things meets Metal.
1995. Grafting, Michigan. Barry and Lich, best friends, bandmates, and social outcasts, do what they can to enjoy life with the little they have; both coming from broken families and suffering the bullying from their high-school mates. Things might be difficult, but they still have their two member band, her weekly DnD games with her friend and master Sammy and Barry's van, the Wolfmobile; that's until an earthquake hits Grafting, a mysterious organization comes to the area, and creatures from other universe infiltrate, bringing with them death and mayhem. And the worst part is that all the hints are pointing towards our two friends; they will have to evade capture and prove their innocence, while trying to save their hometown.
Despite being a fast-paced story, Schreffler takes a sweet time to introduce and flesh out our pair of main characters; this group of friends also gives me vibes of the Losers from IT, but more mature, especially as a consequence of the responsibilities they have been forced to take for their families. Barry and Lich make an excellent duo to follow, but you can also empathize with Sammy and her film-making dreams, and the new weird guy that joins the group (and I agree with him, Nirvana is not so bad).
Additional to the main narration, The Bleed also follows the substory of the sheriff, a plot that is intimately tied with Barry's life; a man that, in reality, cares about others and that still feels guilty of what happened in the past, but whose rude aspect makes people not trust in him.
The vibes are absolutely nailed in this novel; not only that 90s nostalgia, but also in the conspirative aspect of the narration, with a super secret organization investigating the strange phenomena. In the horror terrain, we have an excellent blend of cosmic horror with some more visceral scenes.
The Bleed is a really solid debut novel, a great horror piece that I totally recommend reading if you prefer high-octane stories, with some touches of friendship and metal; a really enjoyable read and perfect to fill that itch of the 90s!
The Author/s
Stephen S. Schreffler
Stephen S. Schreffler is an author focused on the realms of science fiction and horror. His imaginative stories feature unique worlds, complex characters and unsettling settings, exploring themes of loneliness, loss, identity, and growth. His debut novel, The Bleed, will publish with Dark Matter INK.
Stephen lives in Bend, Oregon, with his Boston-Frenchie, Huxley, and spends his non-writing time exploring the Pacific Northwest, or working for a marketing company and playing guitar for rock bands, The Chaw and Bad Bad Blood.