John Dies at the End

by David Wong

480 pages

English language

Published June 1, 2011 by Titan Publishing Company.

ISBN:: 978-0-85768-483-7

John Dies at the End is a comic horror novel written by David Wong that was first published online as a webserial beginning in 2001, then as an edited manuscript in 2004, and a printed paperback in 2007, published by Permuted Press. An estimated 70,000 people read the free online versions before they were removed in September 2008. Thomas Dunne Books published the story with additional material as a hardcover on September 29, 2009. The book was followed by three sequels, This Book Is Full of Spiders in 2012, What The Hell Did I Just Read in 2017, and If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe, in 2022. A film adaptation by Don Coscarelli was released in 2012.

12 editions

Trae reviewed John Dies at the End by David Wong (John Dies at the End, #1)

Review of 'John Dies at the End' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Not good. Find it boring with only slightly enjoyable sections. Just a bunch of loosely connected stories than felt like it didn't go together. He's a much better writer in Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits.

KevSaund reviewed John Dies at the End by David Wong (John Dies at the End, #1)

Review of 'John Dies at the End' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A little too meandering.

John Kelly reviewed John Dies at the End by David Wong (John Dies at the End, #1)

Review of 'John Dies at the End' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Is this some experiment in allowing a first-time writer to publish a book without ever sending it through the traditional editing process? A blisteringly entertaining opening gives way to a glacial middle third, and then the book just fizzles to a close without any sense of any sort of through-line or cohesion. I guess the through-line and cohesion would appear if you read the follow-up, but honestly, after slogging my way through this, I don't think I'll return for seconds, thanks.