Words In: The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud

On September 2, 2016September 2, 2016 By griffinwordsIn Words In

Nathan Ballingrud’s novella The Visible Filth was published as a standalone novella by This is Horror, and was a finalist for the 2015 Shirley Jackson Award. It tells of Will, a likable but somewhat burned-out bartender who, in the aftermath of a brawl in the bar where he works nights, finds a cell phone. The calls he receives on that phone change him, at once repelling him and drawing him in. Frightening, disturbing, and always confidently written, The Visible Filth exerts a visceral, almost physical impact upon the reader. This is one of the best things I’ve read in years! Memorable, and strongly recommended.