A man’s life falls apart after he wins the lottery. His huge lottery win should have been anyone’s idea of the good life calling, but when Abe Winters wakes up after a car crash, he has to wonder whether it was a dream or whether it was real. Each day becomes darker and darker with more hellish things occurring and later realizes that something is very wrong. Does Abe have time to get wise to what is going on or is his fate worse than death, already? Humor tempers the dark subject matter as he walks among the darkness and finds new horrors that is Hell’s Play. Readers will enjoy keeping one jump ahead of Abe, even when you can’t, as Hell’s Play unfolds its labyrinth of jolts and jeopardy.

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

4/5

Spooky Rating

2/5

Quick Take

Hell’s Play by Danny Dickerson is a wholly original horror novel that is confusing and enticing all at once. Split into four acts, each act forces the reader to dive deeper into a unique take on hell. Both dreadful and artistic, Hell’s Play is one hell of a ride!

Tell Me More

Concepts of hell in horror novels always intrigue me, which made me excited to read Hell’s Play by Danny Dickerson. The novel reads like a play that is split into four acts, with each act forcing the reader to plummet deeper into a fresh take on hell. Dickerson’s writing is enticing and not overly descriptive, which allows for the reader to use their imagination to fill in the scenic gaps.

I found the horror elements to be lighter in this novel, but it was written in such a way that the story gets under your skin before you know what is happening. The story itself was confusing, but it sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. It felt like entering a fever dream, and I am still trying to contemplate what I just read.

Dickerson is bound to be one of the horror greats, and that is not something that I say lightly. He knows how to write horror in a way that does not rely on gore for shock value, but instead focuses on creating an atmosphere of dread. Hell’s Play is one of the most unique horror novels I have read in quite some time, and I will not forget how it made me feel.

The only reason why I gave this novel four stars instead of five is because the dialogue at some points felt forced and awkward. I also found that there were some run-on sentences that made the writing feel wordy. But other than that, this novel was a pure joy to read.

If you are a fan of horror novels that focus on a new concept of hell, you will not want to miss Hell’s Play by Danny Dickerson. It is original and haunting. I will be thinking about this novel for quite some time!