John Dies at the End
Cover of the Permuted Press edition, now out of print
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| Author | David Wong |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror, comedy |
| Publisher | Permuted Press |
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Publication date
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August 15, 2007 |
| Media type | e-Book, print |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 186537812 |
| Followed by | This Book Is Full of Spiders |
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 a sequel, This Book Is Full of Spiders, in 2012.
The main characters, John and Dave, are friends from an undisclosed town in the Midwestern United States.
The story opens as Dave is discussing, with a reporter named Arnie, the unusual events he has experienced. The first story opens as Dave goes to help John's band play at a local party, just outside town at a lake. At the party, Dave finds Molly, the dog, and meets a strange faux-Jamaican person dealing a drug called "Soy Sauce". After taking the drug, John begins to see things. Thinking John is having a bad trip, Dave contemplates bringing John to a hospital. Dave pockets the syringe containing the remains of John's dose of the Soy Sauce (carefully removing the needle at the end so as to avoid being pricked) and begins to drive. However, after receiving a phone call from "John" (who is clearly present, and not on the phone), the two end up at the home of "Big Jim" Sullivan and his sister Amy, trying to return Molly to its owner. Amy tells Dave that she's afraid that Jim is dead, and he didn't come home after the party. Not knowing what else to do, and wanting to put the whole episode behind them, the two go to work at the local video store.
At work, Dave is "bitten" by the Soy Sauce in his pocket (which is described as having a will of its own) and begins having unusual experiences as well. Dave and John are brought down to the police station for questioning regarding others who have taken the drug, and are now missing or dead. While they are being questioned, John mysteriously collapses and is taken to the hospital. Dave receives another strange phone call, telling him to go to the pseudo-Jamaican's trailer. Dave finds the fake Jamaican's stash of 'Soy Sauce', but is interrupted by the police, getting shot in the process. However, due to a miraculous occurrence, he survives relatively unharmed. Molly rescues him from the burning trailer and leads him to John's comatose body, which has been kidnapped by an evil force on its way to Las Vegas. The evil leads them to the Luxor Hotel, where Dr. Albert Marconi is having a conference on the paranormal. The conference descends into chaos as the evil attacks, and Dr. Marconi helps in sending it back to where it came from.
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