Tales from the Gas Station: Volume 1

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However, certainly a unique and original storyline with twists and turns that will leave the reader pondering on the eventual outcome and where it might all just possibly lead. Unfortunate for him that the universe wants to spin the Rubiks cube of reality around him whenever he gets behind the counter. I determinate to read his next books but want to wait a cooler season – I think it’s more proper vibes for reading The Tales. Besides, he already has his hands full attempting to manage all those mysterious lawn gnomes, the mutant raccoons, and the charming phantom cowboy who lives in the bathroom. A couple gnomes showed up right outside the back door, and I left them where I found them because one of them was holding a steak knife and I don’t need that kind of crazy in my life.

Perhaps this was simply because the ending was not what I was expecting that left me feeling a little disappointed and maybe I might get more answers to my questions if I decide to delve and explore further into part 2 of this series. When you walk into the bar, and this beautiful girl gives you this big, welcoming smile, and you think to yourself ‘This girl digs me! Many things were also not properly explained or tied in which left me feeling more confused than anything else when finishing the book.I do read his other stories online, however this is a more in-depth look at those stories starting at the beginning, so reading them is not necessary. The protagonist is dying from a neurological condition that causes permanent insomnia and we see the strange things he witnesses working the nightshift at a run-down petrol station in the rural American South. His body and brain slowly broke down as the repairs to both which occur during sleep were absent for him. In a gas station in the middle of nowhere, for instance, positioned above an eldritch god living underground.

This was exactly what I expected from a Tales from the Gas Station story, was definitely not disappointed. It’s not like he’s getting paid enough to wage battle against the nightmarish aberrations plaguing his community. The storyline itself was a bit all over the place, jumping from one strange occurrence to the next so quickly that I had a hard time keeping track of what the heck was going on.But all through this novel, I couldn't help but imagine him as the protagonist/narrator of this novel and it made me smile. From his psychiatrist to the local police, to his bosses, everyone is convinced that Jack is going insane, and maybe the reader thinks so too? A lot of times I was cringing while reading this and quickly skipped every other word just to get through some parts, which is a shame because when it came to some of the creepy aspects of this book, Townsend actually did a pretty good job. This didn't have much of a throughline plot, but what there was intrigued me - I would like to know more since it wasn't remotely wrapped up in this volume.

Finding out the missing pieces of the free stories (the Halloween incident, whatever happend to certain characters, deeper character motivations) just tied things together. At times it was a case of lighthearted comic horror but occasionally things became dark and sinister and all without any deliberate explanation or direction. With the body count steadily on the rise and a dark, ancient force infecting the dreams of everyone around him, Jack will do everything in his power to stay out of the way and mind his own business.This will resonate with anyone who ever had a crummy job that left them bored for hours, dreaming of battling other-worldly phenomena, shadow agencies, and raccoons (yes, raccoons). Moreover, he suffers from a mysterious illness that will eventually kill him and attends therapy sessions that are included in his treatment package. the feeling of not finding a satisfactory level of closure for at least some of the plotlines that keep getting allusions.