It’s Friday, and you know what that means—I’m back with another doozy of an indie horror book for you to check out. This time, we’re taking a look at Scanlines, a slender tome by Bram Stoker Award nominated author Todd Keisling that packs a significant punch.
How can something this short be scary, you ask? You’ll have to take my word for it. Of course, if you work up the courage to read it, I’m sure you’ll see for yourself.
Here’s the book’s back cover summary:
In 1987, Congressman Benjamin Hardy III died by suicide on live television amidst accusations of political corruption. Years later, rumors of a recording surfaced among VHS trading groups and urban legend chat rooms. Dubbed the “Duncan Tape,” after the deceased cameraman who attempted to sell the video, the rumors allege that anyone who watches the tape is driven to suicide.
Or so the story goes. In truth, no one has ever seen the supposed Duncan Tape, presumably because it doesn’t exist. It’s a ghost story perpetuated on the forums and chat rooms of the internet, another handful of bytes scattered across the Information Superhighway at blistering 56K modem speeds.
For Robby and his friends, an urban legend is the last thing on their minds when a boring Friday night presents a chance to download porn. But the short clip they watch turns out to be something far more graphic and disturbing, and in the coming days, they’ll learn even the most outlandish urban legends possess a shred of truth…
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Once Robby and his friends see the clip, it digs its claws into their minds. It haunts them as they try to go about their everyday lives. No matter how they try to distract themselves or move on, they can’t shake the Duncan Tape’s influence.
Since this is such a short book, I don’t want to give away too much more. This book has recently been reprinted by Perpetual Motion Publishing with a chilling new cover that hints at the violence within. This book is not for the faint of heart.
Author, Todd Keisling
Scanlines feels like a LiveLeak video queued up at three a.m., just for the hell of it. It hits like a grainy crime scene photo you wish you’d never seen. Once you start reading, this book is an itch you can’t scratch that makes you consider peeling off your own skin.
I mean that in the best way if you can believe it. This book has realistic characters, a gripping plot, and imagery that will likely repulse me forever.
Todd Keisling’s Scanlines gets five shaking, terrified stars from me. If you love horror that isn’t afraid to push limits and scare you in brand-new ways, grab it from PMM’s website. You can also follow Todd on Twitter and support him via Patreon.
What did you think about Scanlines?
Briana Morgan (she/her) is a horror author and playwright of books such as THE TRICKER-TREATER AND OTHER STORIES, UNBOXED, and BLOOD AND WATER. She is also a proud member of the Horror Writers Association. Briana lives with her partner and two cats in Atlanta, GA.
