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Edge of the Known Bus Line
A woman's daily commute takes an abrupt turn when she's dropped off in a grotesque shantytown in Edge of the Known Bus Line . The townsfolk live in huts and tents scavenged from broken trinkets. They eat dead rats and human flesh. They've developed cult-like religions about miracle bus routes that will someday set them free. The narrator searches for a way out of this surreal hellscape while dredging up a few nightmares of her own.
134 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2018
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1165 people want to read
About the author
James R. Gapinski
12books54followersJames R. Gapinski is the author of the novella Edge of the Known Bus Line (Etchings Press; University of Indianapolis), named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018 and a finalist for the 2019 Montaigne Medal. They are also the author of three chapbooks: The Last Dinosaurs of Portland (Bottlecap Press), Fruit Rot (Etchings Press), and Messiah Tortoise (Red Bird Chapbooks). Their short fiction has previously appeared in Heavy Feather Review, Juked, Monkeybicycle, Paper Darts, Psychopomp, SmokeLong Quarterly, and other publications. James is managing editor of Conium Press, director of Portland Community College's TRIO SSS program, and a professor for Southern New Hampshire University's MFA program.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews
October 16, 2018
The last time I rode the bus, I was on Jury duty. Traffic court to be exact. The court parking lot was being repaved so we were all given a bus pass. The trial concerned a car accident case where this person rear ended another car in front of a car dealership. So on the bus, the second day of the trial, our city bus was rear ended by this guy in a brand new gold Cadillac, claiming he hadn’t noticed the bus stop at a bus stop.
The previous time involves both my wife and I on a bus at three A. M., on vacation, in Toronto. There were five or six passengers on the bus along with us. This old(er) guy and his younger friend were a few rows in front of us. All of a sudden the old guy, at the top of his voice, begins shouting “Montgomery of Alaimein, now he was a damn fine soldier� over and over. The younger guy next to him stood up and began running up and down the length of the bus, with his arms upheld, shouting “Look I’m a U.F.O.� repeatedly. After a few minutes the bus driver looks in his rearview mirror and yells “Shut up, and sit down�.
I’m sure most of us have interesting bus stories, but none as strange as “Edge of the Known Bus Line�, James R. Gapinski amazingly brilliant book . To try and categorize the book, I would say cross Franz Kafka’s writing with Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick�, ingest a certain amount of hallucinogenic stimulant, It would not begin to describe this book.
This should not be considered a family friendly book, unless cannibalism, rat eating and random acts of violence run in the family. I was so taken by this book I could not stop reading, then still wanted more. The story begins as our female main character boards her bus early one morning to make the commute to her mundane and menial job behind a deli butcher’s counter. Taking some abnormal turns along the bus route she is forced to exit the bus in a shanty town surrounded by an expanse of mud and wilderness.
The book contains some of the darkest humor, boundless optimism framed in bleak nihilism, one is apt to find. Mr. Grapinski is a brilliant genius while at the same time offering the complexities of human interactions, and the ability to elucidate the ease of which society is capable of complete decay.
If there is anyone interested in reading an amazing book and discovering an author to keep an eye on then this is it. Perhaps “Edge of the Known Bus Line� is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The book deserves more than five stars.
This copy is signed by the author James R. Gapinski.
The previous time involves both my wife and I on a bus at three A. M., on vacation, in Toronto. There were five or six passengers on the bus along with us. This old(er) guy and his younger friend were a few rows in front of us. All of a sudden the old guy, at the top of his voice, begins shouting “Montgomery of Alaimein, now he was a damn fine soldier� over and over. The younger guy next to him stood up and began running up and down the length of the bus, with his arms upheld, shouting “Look I’m a U.F.O.� repeatedly. After a few minutes the bus driver looks in his rearview mirror and yells “Shut up, and sit down�.
I’m sure most of us have interesting bus stories, but none as strange as “Edge of the Known Bus Line�, James R. Gapinski amazingly brilliant book . To try and categorize the book, I would say cross Franz Kafka’s writing with Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick�, ingest a certain amount of hallucinogenic stimulant, It would not begin to describe this book.
This should not be considered a family friendly book, unless cannibalism, rat eating and random acts of violence run in the family. I was so taken by this book I could not stop reading, then still wanted more. The story begins as our female main character boards her bus early one morning to make the commute to her mundane and menial job behind a deli butcher’s counter. Taking some abnormal turns along the bus route she is forced to exit the bus in a shanty town surrounded by an expanse of mud and wilderness.
The book contains some of the darkest humor, boundless optimism framed in bleak nihilism, one is apt to find. Mr. Grapinski is a brilliant genius while at the same time offering the complexities of human interactions, and the ability to elucidate the ease of which society is capable of complete decay.
If there is anyone interested in reading an amazing book and discovering an author to keep an eye on then this is it. Perhaps “Edge of the Known Bus Line� is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The book deserves more than five stars.
This copy is signed by the author James R. Gapinski.
August 24, 2018
Wow... Just. WOW!
Edge of the Known Bus Line is anovella about a woman who's been going through her days just kind of floating through life. She rides the same bus to work everyday with the same people, but she doesn't know any of their names. (Well, I guess that isn't entirely true...she gives them her own made up names, but I'm not sure that really counts.)
One morning she goes to get on the bus and the marquee reads "Out of Service." Since it's the same bus with the same passengers as every other morning, she thinks it's obvious the marquee is some funny mistake. SPOILER ALERT: She's wrong.
She ends up in a super twisted place, but she's kinda twisted herself. Anyone else who got off of that bus would have freaked out but she seems almost unfazed!
Edge of the Known Bus Lineis one of those reads that sticks with you long after you're finished reading. And when you're done, all you can think is "What the heck did I just read?"
I don't mean that in a bad way. I really enjoyed the book, but...
It's disturbing.
There's cannibalism, murder, cults...it's crazy. And gruesome. And a little scary. And somehow funny at the same time...
I've never laughed so much at a book filled with so much darkness.
This is definitely NOT a family-friendly read, but I recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting the creepy crawlies with their laughs!
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. This in no way influenced my review.
Full review at
Edge of the Known Bus Line is anovella about a woman who's been going through her days just kind of floating through life. She rides the same bus to work everyday with the same people, but she doesn't know any of their names. (Well, I guess that isn't entirely true...she gives them her own made up names, but I'm not sure that really counts.)
One morning she goes to get on the bus and the marquee reads "Out of Service." Since it's the same bus with the same passengers as every other morning, she thinks it's obvious the marquee is some funny mistake. SPOILER ALERT: She's wrong.
She ends up in a super twisted place, but she's kinda twisted herself. Anyone else who got off of that bus would have freaked out but she seems almost unfazed!
Edge of the Known Bus Lineis one of those reads that sticks with you long after you're finished reading. And when you're done, all you can think is "What the heck did I just read?"
I don't mean that in a bad way. I really enjoyed the book, but...
It's disturbing.
There's cannibalism, murder, cults...it's crazy. And gruesome. And a little scary. And somehow funny at the same time...
I've never laughed so much at a book filled with so much darkness.
This is definitely NOT a family-friendly read, but I recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting the creepy crawlies with their laughs!
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. This in no way influenced my review.
Full review at
July 29, 2018
This book mixes a sort of surreal survival story with a healthy dose of dark humor and wit. It was extremely well-crafted, and I loved how the female lead was such a badass. The book’s world was gritty and bizarre, with some pretty jolting scenes, but it never felt forced or gratuitous. I was completely engaged through the end.
August 9, 2018
4.5/5 stars
I have been trying to figure out how to describe this book without the expletive that kept coming to mind as I read it, but I can't really so I'll just censor myself and say it----Edge of the Known Bus Line is a total mind-f***.....but in a good way (if that's possible!). This novella captured me from the beginning, dragging me to that stark Out of Service world full of violence and hopelessness. The straight-forward narrative was brutal and sardonic, yet there were still glimmers of humanity and hope that kept the narrator and myself going (and believe me, there were a few times I questioned my sanity for reading on and enjoying it). Fair warning----if you are at all squeamish with scenes of disembowelment, cannibalism, or bleeding gums then this book is probably not for you. Otherwise, I recommend this very twisted dystopian tale....board the bus (exact change only) and enjoy the ride.
I received this book through librarything early reviewer giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I have been trying to figure out how to describe this book without the expletive that kept coming to mind as I read it, but I can't really so I'll just censor myself and say it----Edge of the Known Bus Line is a total mind-f***.....but in a good way (if that's possible!). This novella captured me from the beginning, dragging me to that stark Out of Service world full of violence and hopelessness. The straight-forward narrative was brutal and sardonic, yet there were still glimmers of humanity and hope that kept the narrator and myself going (and believe me, there were a few times I questioned my sanity for reading on and enjoying it). Fair warning----if you are at all squeamish with scenes of disembowelment, cannibalism, or bleeding gums then this book is probably not for you. Otherwise, I recommend this very twisted dystopian tale....board the bus (exact change only) and enjoy the ride.
I received this book through librarything early reviewer giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2018
I very nearly quit part way through; the fact that it's short, aided with some sort of morbid fascination with what was happening in the book, prompted me to pick it up again. It got slightly better, but not much... a full-length novel would not have reached the finish line.
So, the goods:
The ideas here are pretty fascinating. I liked the pig-naming theme idea, it has potential. And the horror of it all, the factions, the wanton slaughtering (and the cannibalism) easily parallel the dysfunctional goings-on in our culture right now. We maybe just lack the dark tunnel.
But, there are some bads:
I felt like this book was just slapping me in the face. Not with ideas (I'm cool with that!), but with execution. The writing just didn't meet the power of the possibilities here. I never believed in the main character. It felt more of a chance to talk about panties and, at the end, (surprise!) her seriously mis-matched boobs (barely a A cup, and a D cup... suddenly coming up in the second act, for reasons I'm not sure I understand)... She irritated me more than intrigued me.
In the end, it was worth a couple days' reading time, and somewhere in there my brain is chewing on some pretty cool ideas. It just wasn't a pleasure to read - and that's not just because the setting is so foul.
So, the goods:
The ideas here are pretty fascinating. I liked the pig-naming theme idea, it has potential. And the horror of it all, the factions, the wanton slaughtering (and the cannibalism) easily parallel the dysfunctional goings-on in our culture right now. We maybe just lack the dark tunnel.
But, there are some bads:
I felt like this book was just slapping me in the face. Not with ideas (I'm cool with that!), but with execution. The writing just didn't meet the power of the possibilities here. I never believed in the main character. It felt more of a chance to talk about panties and, at the end, (surprise!) her seriously mis-matched boobs (barely a A cup, and a D cup... suddenly coming up in the second act, for reasons I'm not sure I understand)... She irritated me more than intrigued me.
In the end, it was worth a couple days' reading time, and somewhere in there my brain is chewing on some pretty cool ideas. It just wasn't a pleasure to read - and that's not just because the setting is so foul.
August 27, 2018
Warning: Not for the faint of heart! Grotesque imagery, violence and cannibalism
Which if you are a lover of horror, make this book a fantastical, dark journey for readers. I for one, was so disappointed when I got to the “end of the line� because I enjoyed it so much!
This is such an original story and I was completely gripped right from page one. Yes it’s gross and at times cringe-worthy, but that’s what makes it so great. Imagine starting your day just like any other, only to end up in the middle of the most horrific nightmare, one you will not wake up from.
Excellent writing, wonderfully twisted plot, and completely enthralling! My only complaint is that it’s a novella and not a full-length novel.
Seriously, can’t recommend it enough!
Rating� A
Which if you are a lover of horror, make this book a fantastical, dark journey for readers. I for one, was so disappointed when I got to the “end of the line� because I enjoyed it so much!
This is such an original story and I was completely gripped right from page one. Yes it’s gross and at times cringe-worthy, but that’s what makes it so great. Imagine starting your day just like any other, only to end up in the middle of the most horrific nightmare, one you will not wake up from.
Excellent writing, wonderfully twisted plot, and completely enthralling! My only complaint is that it’s a novella and not a full-length novel.
Seriously, can’t recommend it enough!
Rating� A
August 22, 2018
Absolutely brilliant. My only complaint is that this is a novella instead of a novel. I need more!
The characters are multi-faceted and mostly believable. The world built is dark, mysterious, and deeply satisfying. The storytelling is crisp and fascinating. Everything flows together beautifully.
We're given this wonderfully messed up world and follow one person's attempt at not only survival, but escape. In the meantime, there's a cast of outlandish characters that have been stripped of basic human dignity and are living in their basest form. Even though there are several horrific scenes, they're presented in a vague way that almost inhumanizes you to it.
In the future, I'll gladly devour any Gapinski that is within reach.
The characters are multi-faceted and mostly believable. The world built is dark, mysterious, and deeply satisfying. The storytelling is crisp and fascinating. Everything flows together beautifully.
We're given this wonderfully messed up world and follow one person's attempt at not only survival, but escape. In the meantime, there's a cast of outlandish characters that have been stripped of basic human dignity and are living in their basest form. Even though there are several horrific scenes, they're presented in a vague way that almost inhumanizes you to it.
In the future, I'll gladly devour any Gapinski that is within reach.
December 2, 2018
I won this novella in a ŷ drawing and wow…what a strange, disturbing little book it was.
This is a dystopian/apocalyptic novel that follows a woman � I don’t think we ever even learn her name � whose daily bus commute takes an abrupt detour one day, ending up in the town of “Not in Service,� population 66.
She and her fellow passengers are forced off the bus via gunpoint, and she learns pretty quickly that the town is brutal, gruesome and horrifying. The townsfolk, who were all at one time passengers like herself, are dressed in rags, appear sickly, live in tattered tents or huts and in order to survive, they eat bugs, rats…and each other.
They’ve developed a strange sort of surreal society divided into two main factions: the Chicago Faction and the Pittsburg Faction, and if you want to survive, you need to join one of them. The people in the town, who for the most part have been stripped of any human dignity (though they convince themselves otherwise), have created a crazy religion around the idea that someday a bus will arrive with the destination of Chicago or Pittsburg � somewhere other than Out of Service.
So from the moment our main character arrives, we follow her as she desperately searches for a way out of the hellhole, refusing to believe that there is no way to escape, as the other townspeople have claimed. Fearless and hopeful, she makes one failed attempt after another to escape which renders the story all the more horrifying. So in this way, the book was sort of a survival story. What’s interesting is that our main character ends up being kind of an anti-hero as she’s harboring some pretty serious secrets of her own.
This truly messed up world was also fascinating in a morbid kind of way � it was gross, disturbing and super cringe-worthy. Yet, this story with its twisted plot was also a page-turner as we want to see if our heroine would finally manage to escape the nightmare in which she’d been unwillingly placed. It’s like the morbid fascination one has with a car accident: I can’t bear to look yet I can’t look away.
It’s also interesting that no matter how dark and twisted the story was, there was a good peppering of humor thrown in. Dark humor, mind you but humor nonetheless, and I actually did catch myself laughing out loud several times. But still, you’ll want to keep in mind that the book was filled with grotesque scenes of violence and cannibalism and is definitely not for the faint of heart.
All in all, a great read! I found this a dark, compelling and mesmerizing story with rich, multi-faceted characters with an enthralling storyline. The world-building is phenomenal, and the delightfully twisted and chilling plot sucked me right in so much so that I read the entire novella in one go. This unsettling story certainly provides a lot of think about well after the last page has been turned.
I don’t think I’m going to be taking a bus anytime soon.
In the spirit of disclosure, I won this book in a giveaway and was under no obligation to write a review.
This review originally posted on my book review blog at .
This is a dystopian/apocalyptic novel that follows a woman � I don’t think we ever even learn her name � whose daily bus commute takes an abrupt detour one day, ending up in the town of “Not in Service,� population 66.
She and her fellow passengers are forced off the bus via gunpoint, and she learns pretty quickly that the town is brutal, gruesome and horrifying. The townsfolk, who were all at one time passengers like herself, are dressed in rags, appear sickly, live in tattered tents or huts and in order to survive, they eat bugs, rats…and each other.
They’ve developed a strange sort of surreal society divided into two main factions: the Chicago Faction and the Pittsburg Faction, and if you want to survive, you need to join one of them. The people in the town, who for the most part have been stripped of any human dignity (though they convince themselves otherwise), have created a crazy religion around the idea that someday a bus will arrive with the destination of Chicago or Pittsburg � somewhere other than Out of Service.
So from the moment our main character arrives, we follow her as she desperately searches for a way out of the hellhole, refusing to believe that there is no way to escape, as the other townspeople have claimed. Fearless and hopeful, she makes one failed attempt after another to escape which renders the story all the more horrifying. So in this way, the book was sort of a survival story. What’s interesting is that our main character ends up being kind of an anti-hero as she’s harboring some pretty serious secrets of her own.
This truly messed up world was also fascinating in a morbid kind of way � it was gross, disturbing and super cringe-worthy. Yet, this story with its twisted plot was also a page-turner as we want to see if our heroine would finally manage to escape the nightmare in which she’d been unwillingly placed. It’s like the morbid fascination one has with a car accident: I can’t bear to look yet I can’t look away.
It’s also interesting that no matter how dark and twisted the story was, there was a good peppering of humor thrown in. Dark humor, mind you but humor nonetheless, and I actually did catch myself laughing out loud several times. But still, you’ll want to keep in mind that the book was filled with grotesque scenes of violence and cannibalism and is definitely not for the faint of heart.
All in all, a great read! I found this a dark, compelling and mesmerizing story with rich, multi-faceted characters with an enthralling storyline. The world-building is phenomenal, and the delightfully twisted and chilling plot sucked me right in so much so that I read the entire novella in one go. This unsettling story certainly provides a lot of think about well after the last page has been turned.
I don’t think I’m going to be taking a bus anytime soon.
In the spirit of disclosure, I won this book in a giveaway and was under no obligation to write a review.
This review originally posted on my book review blog at .
January 21, 2019
I am somewhat amazed by all the seemingly sadistic readers out there that truly enjoyed this book. I guess I am just not into dark humor - if that’s what it was. The storyline could have been believable and I suppose if I looked real hard I could have discovered some deeper hidden messages, but I just couldn’t get past the never ending spew of grotesque imagery, violence and horror. The author seemed more intent on grossing the reader out that telling a story and the plot got about as far as the bus did - in circles.
December 12, 2020
Excellent!
I absolutely loved this book. Unique in plot. The depth of world building held me in awe as the storyline unfolded. I was enraptured by every sick twist and turn. The ending was not an ending. Excellent read.
I absolutely loved this book. Unique in plot. The depth of world building held me in awe as the storyline unfolded. I was enraptured by every sick twist and turn. The ending was not an ending. Excellent read.
December 24, 2018
---Full disclosure: I received this book for free from ŷ. --- The most unique thing I have read in a very long time. It's not for the faint of heart, or easily grossed out. It's like a Tarantino survival story w/ a sci-fi feel. (Not techy sci-fi. More Philip. K. Dick fucked up sci-fi.) Perfect length, too. I just freaking loved it!
November 6, 2018
This book is truly a gem. Bear with the beginning, if it’s difficult for you to get into. My rule of thumb is if I can clearly imagine the scenes in the book in my head as a movie of sorts, the book gets at least 4 stars. I imagined this book with a “Walking Dead� aesthetic. And it’s a short read! Highly recommended. Wish there was more backstory, because there’s a massive amount of potential here.
August 8, 2022
***I won a free copy to review***
This definitely drew me in right away and I wanted to know what happened. It was a quick read, although I am not too sure that I know what happened. I think it purposefully leaves the reader wondering, unless I missed something profound.
This definitely drew me in right away and I wanted to know what happened. It was a quick read, although I am not too sure that I know what happened. I think it purposefully leaves the reader wondering, unless I missed something profound.
October 15, 2018
This book is nothing like I have ever read. The author has quite an imagination and is able to write with beautiful details. Will recommend this read
September 14, 2018
[NOTE: My longer review with spoilers is available here: ]
In 1972, horror master Kazuo Umezu created one of the strangest horror manga of all time: The Drifting Classroom. This manga follows a group of school children as their school is suddenly transported to a terrifying dystopia. Everything quickly devolves into shit as the kids find themselves trying to build a new society in what is basically hell. It is one of my favorite series, and I haven’t read anything like it until now.
My latest eARC from LibraryThing, James R. Gapinski’s Edge of the Known Bus Line, takes a very similar “thrust into dystopia� route. Our unnamed narrator is taking the morning bus to her deli job when her bus driver takes a strange, off-course turn. When questioned about this, the bus driver pulls out a gun. After much confusion, she and the other passengers are dropped off in Out of Service, a creepy shanty town in the middle of nowhere with no clean water or anything else other than rats, venomous spiders, and very unsanitary people.
This novella is a quick-paced surreal horror with a dash of dark humor. The narrator’s foul, sarcastic voice makes the visuals of Out of Service both more visceral and less boring; these are people living in their own filth, with nothing to fill their days. The way she describes the situation makes it feel significantly less dull (but still super bleak).
There are plenty of issues with this novella, largely revolving around the characters. The narrator intentionally distances herself from those around her, which means we don’t get to learn much about them. But we also don’t learn much about the main character (What we do learn is...ugh. I talk about it in much more detail in the review at MissMacross.com). I don't think the solid pacing of the book would have been hurt by developing the characters a bit. I understand that these are humans in survival mode...but they're still human, right?
In 1972, horror master Kazuo Umezu created one of the strangest horror manga of all time: The Drifting Classroom. This manga follows a group of school children as their school is suddenly transported to a terrifying dystopia. Everything quickly devolves into shit as the kids find themselves trying to build a new society in what is basically hell. It is one of my favorite series, and I haven’t read anything like it until now.
My latest eARC from LibraryThing, James R. Gapinski’s Edge of the Known Bus Line, takes a very similar “thrust into dystopia� route. Our unnamed narrator is taking the morning bus to her deli job when her bus driver takes a strange, off-course turn. When questioned about this, the bus driver pulls out a gun. After much confusion, she and the other passengers are dropped off in Out of Service, a creepy shanty town in the middle of nowhere with no clean water or anything else other than rats, venomous spiders, and very unsanitary people.
This novella is a quick-paced surreal horror with a dash of dark humor. The narrator’s foul, sarcastic voice makes the visuals of Out of Service both more visceral and less boring; these are people living in their own filth, with nothing to fill their days. The way she describes the situation makes it feel significantly less dull (but still super bleak).
There are plenty of issues with this novella, largely revolving around the characters. The narrator intentionally distances herself from those around her, which means we don’t get to learn much about them. But we also don’t learn much about the main character (What we do learn is...ugh. I talk about it in much more detail in the review at MissMacross.com). I don't think the solid pacing of the book would have been hurt by developing the characters a bit. I understand that these are humans in survival mode...but they're still human, right?
April 28, 2019
When I stumbled on this at my library I had to take it home, I just cannot pass up a Bizarro Horror novel, I don't know what my librarians were on when they decided to order this in but I am on board . My library doesn't usually display things like this so I gotta support!
Maybe this is a big, violent, nihilistic and extremely bizarre allegory of capitalistic, urban life or it was just written by someone who had a really bad time when they recently used a public bus.... Either way it was kind of good. Grotesque and way out there and containing a lot of chopping up human bodies as part of food preparation and I am very certain I did not fully understand all the ins and outs here, but yeah, I liked this. I liked this. It punches you in that "Lord of the Flies" spot, which is a good spot to be punched. I was also fond of the dark, humorous undertone, I think without that this novella could have gotten pretty unbearable very fast, the tone puts you more inline with our plucky and no-nonsense protagonist who will not die today. I think my favorite part was when she taught a kid how to play "Go Fish" with credit cards. Her naming of the other characters was also pretty epic. All around, epic and mean little tale that should make you wary of where the next bus will take you...
Maybe this is a big, violent, nihilistic and extremely bizarre allegory of capitalistic, urban life or it was just written by someone who had a really bad time when they recently used a public bus.... Either way it was kind of good. Grotesque and way out there and containing a lot of chopping up human bodies as part of food preparation and I am very certain I did not fully understand all the ins and outs here, but yeah, I liked this. I liked this. It punches you in that "Lord of the Flies" spot, which is a good spot to be punched. I was also fond of the dark, humorous undertone, I think without that this novella could have gotten pretty unbearable very fast, the tone puts you more inline with our plucky and no-nonsense protagonist who will not die today. I think my favorite part was when she taught a kid how to play "Go Fish" with credit cards. Her naming of the other characters was also pretty epic. All around, epic and mean little tale that should make you wary of where the next bus will take you...
August 16, 2018
Our passenger gets on a bus to go to work. The banner on the bus says Out of Service, but she does not really think too much about that. She is on the bus with a man who stares at her ass, a man who carries a newspaper, and a woman who naps. The bus proceeds on its normal route, but then takes turns that are NOT normal. The passengers are then taken into a very dark tunnel and end up in a very strange world. No sunshine, people attacking the passengers as they are let off the bus.
While the people who are attacking are not really going for the individuals, but the items that they have with them. They use these items for strange things. Our main passenger is now in a town of zombie-ish individuals who eat rats, ravens, spiders, and any human remains that exist.
There are separate "factions" of this new world, each with their own beliefs on eternity and getting out of this place.
Our passenger is tough, doesn't really give in too much, and becomes an explorer, trying to get out of this place.
Well written and fun to read. Makes you think. If you were to end up in a place like this, would you give in or try to escape?
While the people who are attacking are not really going for the individuals, but the items that they have with them. They use these items for strange things. Our main passenger is now in a town of zombie-ish individuals who eat rats, ravens, spiders, and any human remains that exist.
There are separate "factions" of this new world, each with their own beliefs on eternity and getting out of this place.
Our passenger is tough, doesn't really give in too much, and becomes an explorer, trying to get out of this place.
Well written and fun to read. Makes you think. If you were to end up in a place like this, would you give in or try to escape?
August 22, 2018
This was such an odd read that I found myself unable to put the book down. After our main character's bus takes a bizarre turn she's dropped into a town called Out of Service. There she meets other wayward former passengers who have sorted themselves into bizarre factions, based off random paraphernalia that I am guessing was found on previous busses. They are dressed in nothing but rags, and the occasional pieces of tarp that have been found and they feed off whatever they can get their hands on, which really isn't much. They're a very sickly bunch. Refusing to join a faction, she's intent on surviving and eventually leaving this town to go on home. But in this world, surviving isn't easy and escaping near impossible.
This was well-written, the premise was interesting, and I liked the nuances of today's topics, mainly religion. Of how we try to fit ourselves into a box or mold in order to belong. Another reviewer compared it to Kafka and I would say that is fairly apt. Nicely done.
This was well-written, the premise was interesting, and I liked the nuances of today's topics, mainly religion. Of how we try to fit ourselves into a box or mold in order to belong. Another reviewer compared it to Kafka and I would say that is fairly apt. Nicely done.
July 1, 2021
The Review
A truly brilliant and memorable read, this short yet powerful novel does a great job of exploring the horror genre to the fullest. The fast-paced nature of the narrative is perfectly balanced with story development and horror-specific mythology that really draws the reader in.
The atmosphere was really the biggest selling point of this novella. The book quickly thrusts the protagonist into the hell she has found herself in, allowing the reader to feel the shock and terror that the protagonist feels in this shocking situation. The author paints a grim and terrifying image to the reader, using imagery to really sell the spine-chilling nature of the world in which the author has created.
The Verdict
A gripping, entertaining, and at times even humorous read, author James R. Gapinski’s “The End of the Known Bus Line� is a must-read short novel horror story. A captivating and engaging story of trying to find hope in a sea of nightmares and horror, this is a fantastic story that is not to be missed. Be sure to grab your copy today!
A truly brilliant and memorable read, this short yet powerful novel does a great job of exploring the horror genre to the fullest. The fast-paced nature of the narrative is perfectly balanced with story development and horror-specific mythology that really draws the reader in.
The atmosphere was really the biggest selling point of this novella. The book quickly thrusts the protagonist into the hell she has found herself in, allowing the reader to feel the shock and terror that the protagonist feels in this shocking situation. The author paints a grim and terrifying image to the reader, using imagery to really sell the spine-chilling nature of the world in which the author has created.
The Verdict
A gripping, entertaining, and at times even humorous read, author James R. Gapinski’s “The End of the Known Bus Line� is a must-read short novel horror story. A captivating and engaging story of trying to find hope in a sea of nightmares and horror, this is a fantastic story that is not to be missed. Be sure to grab your copy today!
April 22, 2019
Dark snark at its best. Creepy as Stephen King’s Desperation but closer. Closer to home. Sounds too messed up to be reality, but it is. Value is arbitrary, uselessness is arbitrary, to be useless is to be thrown away, Out of Service, and to be out of service doesn’t mean to disappear. It means to hang around, ignored, long after you don’t want to anymore, like plastic bottles in the ocean. In Out of Service, all you’re good for is your meat, which doesn’t do anybody any good. Like all a plastic bag is good for in the ocean is poisoning animals who don’t deserve to be poisoned. Reality. And if only it wasn’t so easy to enjoy. Gapinski’s prose has the funny-creepy air of the too-familiar, the cynic’s way of being so indifferent that you have to laugh, only of course nobody’s perfectly indifferent. Out of Service is where hopelessness falls through its own cracks and keeps on falling.
A favorite bit: “…hardened surfaces always reveal themselves to be illusions…�
A favorite bit: “…hardened surfaces always reveal themselves to be illusions…�
March 14, 2019
A woman's normal bus journey transports her into a grotesque shantytown where the inhabitants mug newcomers for food, trinkets and anything else they can find. With little to eat but dead rats and human flesh, the stranger’s work experience on a deli counter soon finds her cast in the role of butcher, but all she wants is to find a way out�
This novella by James R. Gapinski is a sort of dystopian horror story that’s cleverly written and thought-provoking. Having said that, tales of this sort always leave me feeling like I’ve missed something, or haven’t grasped what the author was getting at, and yet, though I still have no clue what it was about, I couldn’t stop reading.
If, like Winona Ryder’s character in Beetlejuice, you consider yourself to be strange and unusual, this book is for you.
April 8, 2019
Short and sweet!
And by sweet I mean disgustingly delicious!
I really enjoyed this quick read.
I liked how the character's enocuntered throughout were never known by any real names, but moreso their characteristics or items/actions (EX: Purrel-Guy, Ass-Starer. etc).
The scenario laid out is extremely grim, yet our main character still keeps her wits about her, and does what she to get through it if possible.
One major thing I like so much about this story was the mystery.
Where/what is this place? Why is it here? How does one get selected to be sent here, if there even is a process at all?
I wouldn't say there is a major twist at the end, but enough to make me satisfied and happy with the end result.
I would suggest this book if 1 is a fan of disturbing scenarios.
I enjoyed it quite a bit and will keep an eye out for more work from this author!
And by sweet I mean disgustingly delicious!
I really enjoyed this quick read.
I liked how the character's enocuntered throughout were never known by any real names, but moreso their characteristics or items/actions (EX: Purrel-Guy, Ass-Starer. etc).
The scenario laid out is extremely grim, yet our main character still keeps her wits about her, and does what she to get through it if possible.
One major thing I like so much about this story was the mystery.
Where/what is this place? Why is it here? How does one get selected to be sent here, if there even is a process at all?
I wouldn't say there is a major twist at the end, but enough to make me satisfied and happy with the end result.
I would suggest this book if 1 is a fan of disturbing scenarios.
I enjoyed it quite a bit and will keep an eye out for more work from this author!
November 11, 2018
Please Do Not Disturb Driver
An everyday bus ride turns into something sinister. This reader was pulled in once I read "Please Do Not Disturb Driver." Then, it just went on from there. It is an interesting take in first person as the narrator expects to be on her normal bus trip home, letting passengers off. I like her perception of each of the remaining passengers on the bus, such as "ass-starer" or "Napping-woman", as she gave each person a label, since she didn't know their names. The end of the road leads to terror and a nightmare she needs to try to escape. The buildup for the fear and intensity of the terrifying trip is just the beginning as they reach "the end of the line."
An everyday bus ride turns into something sinister. This reader was pulled in once I read "Please Do Not Disturb Driver." Then, it just went on from there. It is an interesting take in first person as the narrator expects to be on her normal bus trip home, letting passengers off. I like her perception of each of the remaining passengers on the bus, such as "ass-starer" or "Napping-woman", as she gave each person a label, since she didn't know their names. The end of the road leads to terror and a nightmare she needs to try to escape. The buildup for the fear and intensity of the terrifying trip is just the beginning as they reach "the end of the line."
July 16, 2018
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I got a copy of this from the author and I was not ready for what was with this novella. It is just so twisted and dark. I am stilling have a little trouble wrapping my read around what took place. It is the things nightmares and horror stories are made and that creep into your brain and you will never forget them. The description is so vivid and dark that one can't help to be drawn to wonder how this all happened and not sure I want to ride any buses for a while. Only took about an hour to read. It is still giving me the chills.
August 22, 2018
Well. I’m having a rough time knowing what to say. I’m an original Stephen king follower. From day 1 when Carrie released I’ve read all his known works and now his sons as well. Also dean Koontz they are hands down my favorite authors. But I also read many genres.
This little book tho is one of the strangest I’ve read.
Dont read it if expletives offend. It is quite a ride it did hook me tho and that’s why I gave it a four. Still just not sure what the author was trying to get across
This little book tho is one of the strangest I’ve read.
Dont read it if expletives offend. It is quite a ride it did hook me tho and that’s why I gave it a four. Still just not sure what the author was trying to get across
December 31, 2018
I received a copy of this book in a ŷ giveaway.
At the edge of the known bus line is a town called Out of Service. Population 66.
This book was all kinds of awesome. It’s kind of hard to describe. It’s a story that shows the lengths that people will go to survive. It also shows how quick they are to devolve from social norms when all hope is lost.
The book is dark, funny and gruesome in spots. But it is always entertaining. Highly recommended.
At the edge of the known bus line is a town called Out of Service. Population 66.
This book was all kinds of awesome. It’s kind of hard to describe. It’s a story that shows the lengths that people will go to survive. It also shows how quick they are to devolve from social norms when all hope is lost.
The book is dark, funny and gruesome in spots. But it is always entertaining. Highly recommended.
January 15, 2019
This was definitely an interesting read. It went from "normal" to crazy in the first few pages but was a crazy worth reading. The story is way out there but I think that's what adds to the appeal. I found myself not wanting to put it down and once it was over, I wasn't sure if I was ready to get off the bus! If you're looking for something out in left field this is probably a good choice. Just prepared for the wild ride.
December 23, 2018
Won a copy of this. It's a short (129 page) novel. It's kinda funny, but disturbing at times. Not
usual kind of read, but did finish the book. Ones that like something different, might enjoy it.
usual kind of read, but did finish the book. Ones that like something different, might enjoy it.
January 6, 2019
Ha! What a ride (pun intended). Entertaining, original, horrific, darkly comedic, quite gross... and lots of fun! Thank you ŷ for choosing me as a winner in this giveaway and thank you James Gapinski for send me the book! I really enjoyed it! 👍
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