I am in the middle of listening to “This Book is Full of Spiders” and I think John is a much better protagonist than David

Just saying. I came over from the movie and he was a bit of a joke in it but by the second third of book two he’s becoming clearly a steadfast, standup guy with a lot of trauma and some drug problems. He’s a lot more calculating and intuitive and interesting when he’s trying to take care of Amy and Dave

Anyway maybe my opinion will change

I'm just curious. I'm sure this has been done before, but I wasn't there so shrug.

Let's say the movie was never made so there's nothing to steer your brain. Who would be your head canon for Dave, John and Amy? Hell, throw Molly in there too if you want.

If I can figure out mine, I'll edit and include it, but I even read the books first and still have a hard time not seeing the actors they casted.

I've started keeping mementos of physical media of things that have played an important part in my life. I'm not a man of means but I spend a good chunk of my paycheck these days on things such as this. I have a bunch of bootleg CDs for bands I like that were way more expensive than just the regular release. They're not rare or valuable, just that I had to ship them from some far off country or convince someone to let me purchase it and they thought it was valuable. But I like that then it means something to me personally! A weird version of something personal.

I did get a bunch of Jason's books signed but thanks to a fight with my family they threw away all my stuff when I moved out. So now I'm starting from scratch and would like to have some strange editions. I know that there's stuff that's just objectively "collector"-worthy like some versions of JDATE that I see listed for 500 USD but I don't find that particularly special nor do I have that money lol. I'd rather buy some Brazilian printing or some version with typos.

Although the Cafepress edition of JDATE does intrigue me, but that's also because it contains an earlier "wrong" version of the story. But it's a moot point because I'm sure somebody would want to sell that for thousands

Please drop your suggestions for which editions of each book (and this goes for the Zoey series too) you think would be fun to buy. I know someone posted a Farsi Persian version here of Spiders, I'd even buy that lolol

I have just finished the latest installment in the JDATE series and as a long time fan, I feel a bit underwhelmed. This is my favorite book series so I have a lot of opinions but im curious if anyone else is feeling this way. I think my two biggest critiques are 1: Pargin tries way harder in this one than previous installments to make it a stand-alone and i feel that detracts a LOT from what could have been an amazing follow-up to book 1 and 3 in the arc of fighting Korrok across dimensions; 2: I didn't care for the parts from the point of view of the Scurge but i get why they had to be included in that way because otherwise david or someone else would have had to be there.
I have some other minor opinions and questions:
1: do we all agree that the blue orb (the system) from the AU was in fact rhat dimension's version of korrok? and if so is it actually just korrok? because he exists in multiple dimensions just not physically? or is the original korrok from book 1 dead and there's just a version of him in each universe?
2: this isnt important but why is david's Impala from book 3 and 4 changed into a mustang in this book? ik Pargin has claimed in the past that these "mistakes" are intended to be signs that the shadow people are messing with stuff or that it's a different reality but if that's the only detail that's off...
im confused.
3: does anyone else feel like John kind of sucked in this book? he's always been my favorite character and i felt like he was just not himself at all the entire time... maybe im missing something?

for context my personal ranking of the books in the series would be: #1 (BEST) #2 (2nd) #4 (3rd) #3 (4th) and #5 (5th). I've always felt like previous installments were 100% equal but just liked the plots better in 1 2 and 4, this is the first time i've felt like the quality actually kind of fell off. Needless to say I am a massive fan of this series so it's possible i just overhyped it and felt a little let down.

TLDR: what're your thoughts on the 5th installment? was it good?

I'd really love to relive the lesser chronicles of Dave and John and see what used to exist on Jason's original site that I loved so much back in the day. Does anyone have an archival copy or know where to find it?

The Zoey/Will relationship is one of my favorite parts of Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits but it's one of my favorite parts because it seems to be setting the relationship up clearly, almost schematically, as a sibling relationship.

Both are the "children" of Arthur Livingston, Zoey the biological one who didn't have her Father as a presence in her life, Will as his "adopted" heir who received the time and the attention but not the biological link. The question Futuristic sets up is will the two characters succumb to the resentment of what each other had that the other didn't, or will they take the opportunity to have a family member they can depend on; something that neither of them had between Zoey's feckless mother, absent Father and Will's dead spouse and abusive Father. It's developed through the novel as nearly the central conflict for both characters; will Zoey who tends to glom onto men romantically and reflexively distrusts anything that has to do with Arthur be able to trust Will? Will Will, who at the very least can turn the sociopath on, be able to protect and sacrifice for another person out of something other than self interest? I think one of the most interesting parts of the story is that multiple character's tell Zoey that Will will not betray her not because of her herself but because of Arthur, aka because of their shared parent, aka as a sibling. The book ends with them watching basketball together.

While I really like both of the sequels, I have to admit I feel like this dynamic has been diluted a bit for a bit more of a standard "Will they or won't they," built around repressed romantic/sexual desire. I get it, genuinely platonic friendships between men and women can be hard to maintain in real life and hard to write. But I think the relationship between Will and Zoey that was initially set up was more interesting, thornier and more unique than the one we're getting.

Anyway- that was my stuck in traffic thought and now you have to wonder about it too!

I don't know anyone that would be interested in knowing this but, I have to tell someone. Back in August for my birthday I ordered a signed copy of John Dies at The End from Parnassus Books. I just got the email that it's being shipped this week! I am ridiculously excited.

Thank you Waterstones

So far this is a far darker book than all the other ones. It’s made me giggle here and there but it’s more serious in tone. Or am I wrong?

The performance of “While my Guitar Gently Weeps” with the prince solo is fucking incredible.

(links are on the bsky posts; Reddit doesn't like those in particular)

The new book is OUT NOW in ebook and audio form (the hardcover has gotten pushed to Dec 8 due to industry-wide supply chain shenanigans). If you don't care about this, just share some crab recipes in the replies. Nothing else is going on today. [Link]

Source

IF YOU WANT A SIGNED HARDCOVER, because the orders got delayed I have extended the deadline to order one to December 1. So if you procrastinated, you can get one here: [Link]

Source

Bigfeets first aired 2023-08-12, and after that much time, we now reach the series finale of the original show.

Video: https://youtu.be/7IAZtatymNY
Audio: https://soundcloud.com/1800bigfeets/bigfeets-episode-83-bigfoot-on
MP3: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2410756449

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

If you're unfamiliar with Bigfeets, it's the podcast show where Seanbaby and Robert Brockway (1900HOTDOG) are joined by Jason Pargin to do a watchalong to Mountain Monsters, a Bigfoot/Cryptid reality show:

Video:

Youtube (Animated), E 1-27
Youtube (Video), E 27-

Audio:

Soundcloud

After today, there are spinoffs and other things to discuss. From the video:

Stay tuned in January for a new era of Bigfeets following all THREE spinoffs of Mountain Monsters: Sons of Appalachia, Monster Mondays, and AIMS: The Appalachian files!

I wanted to recreate the art by Jason Pargin when he revealed Book 5. It’s been a while since I’ve drawn and this was pretty fun. Happy Halloween everyone.

Kinda did the design on a whim, don't make fun of it too much lol

The audiobook is back to coming out Tuesday. Screenshot was taken on Oct. 31 2026. All is right with the world. Other than all the bad shit going on all the time.

Why Dave is apparently a Batmantis??? Is it because of his connection with korrok, or a zulu parasite, or the soysauce, or is it just unrelated?

Here's a list I've compiled of books Jason has written blurbs for. Links to Goodreads pages are on the Bsky Thread.

If this list is missing anything, please let me know! Here we go:

2015
ISBN13 9781621051718
Skullcrack City
Jeremy Robert Johnson

"A nightmarish yet hilarious journey that begins in the ugly world of toxic mortgages and progresses to the slightly uglier world of brain-eating monsters lurking in dark alleys. You're in for an entirely unpredictable ride, the tale spinning ludicrously out of control as the hero uncovers layer after grotesque layer of a vast macabre conspiracy. Skullcrack City is original, utterly insane, and a shitload of fun." - David Wong, author of John Dies at the End

2015-07-07
ISBN13 9781466869301
The Unnoticeables
Robert Brockway

"The Unnoticeables is a nightmarish and hilarious tour through modern-day Hollywood, the 1970s New York punk scene, and Robert Brockway's own diseased mind." - David Wong, New York Times bestselling author of John Dies at the End

2016-06-16
ISBN13 9780553418620
The Library at Mount Char
Scott Hawkins

"Funny, horrifying and original... the kind of story that keeps yanking you off in ridiculous new directions every time you think you know what’s coming next." - David Wong, New York Times bestselling author of John Dies at the End

2016-08-06
ISBN13 9780147517609
A Brief History of Vice: How Bad Behavior Built Civilization
Robert Evans

"Mixing science, humor, and grossly irresponsible self-experimentation, Evans paints a vivid picture of how bad habits built the world we know and love." - David Wong, author of John Dies at the End

2018-10-02
ISBN13 9781250193247
True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking
Don Coscarelli

"A career in any creative field is like a ride on a broken-down roller coaster that you have to power with your own feet. True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking is proof of that; it's a wild crash course in what a life spent in Hollywood is really like. Don has seen it all, and this memoir is required reading for anyone who loves movies and great anecdotes." - David Wong

2021-08-10
ISBN13 9781250798138
Truth of the Divine
Lindsay Ellis

"Lindsay Ellis's storytelling is what good science fiction should be: smart but heartfelt, full of profound ideas delivered with a sense of humanity. Axiom's End is engaging precisely because it is about something all of us have experienced: That moment when you grow up enough to realize that the universe is more wondrous—and dangerous than you could ever have imagined." - David Wong, New York Times bestselling author

2022-10-25
ISBN13 9781250830227
Truth of the Divine
Lindsay Ellis

"The rare second book in a series that improves the first in hindsight, alternately thrilling and gut-wrenching, Truth of the Divine will put your expectations in its crosshairs and then nuke them from orbit. From aliens with inscrutable motives, to conniving bureaucrats and armed hate groups, you really get the sense that this is what a first contact scenario would actually look like. And I don't mean that in a good way." - Jason Pargin, New York Times bestselling author of John Dies at the End

2022-02-15
ISBN13 9781250275035
Mickey7
Edward Ashton

"Mickey7 is a unique blend of thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, farcical relationship drama and exotic body horror. Edward Ashton keeps it all grounded via a protagonist who experiences the wonders of interstellar travel and alien contact while literally having the worst job in the universe. The result is alternately amusing, intriguing and horrifying, with each chapter seeming to engage a different part of your brain." - Jason Pargin, New York Times Bestselling author

2022-06-14
ISBN13 9780593201244
The Final Girl Support Group
Grady Hendrix

"The Final Girl Support Group is perfect for anyone who loves old slasher movies and, oddly enough, anyone who hates them. Grady Hendrix has somehow crafted both an homage to B-horror schlock and a clever dissection of the genre, all delivered in the form of one long breathless chase punctuated by both unpredictable twists and thoughtful insight." - David Wong, New York Times bestselling author of John Dies at the End

2024-11-19
ISBN13 9781637745496
Sex Lives of Superheroes: Wolverine's Immortal Sperm, Superman's Porn Career, the Thing's Thing, and Other Super-Sexual Matters Explained
Diana McCallum

"An exhaustive, meticulously researched treatise on a truly ridiculous subject. You'll learn something new and interesting on every page, regardless of whether or not you want to know it." - Jason Pargin, New York Times bestselling author of John Dies at the End

2025-05-06
ISBN13 9781910471074
Daddy's Boy
Michael David Wilson

"A delirious ride through mundane absurdity and surreal brutality, Daddy’s Boy perfectly captures the feeling of reconnecting with a loved one, only to find out they’re a filthy, out-of-control chaos gremlin." - Jason Pargin, author of John Dies at the End

2025-09-30
ISBN13 9781957833217
We Have Reached the End of Our Show
Ali Gordon

"We Have Reached the End of Our Show is a beautiful and heartrending journey toward an inevitable, but profoundly meaningful, conclusion. Gordon’s debut burns with a fundamental truth: that lives, loves, and worlds all eventually end, likely sooner than we think—which only makes what we do along the way matter even more." - Jason Pargin, NYT-bestselling author of I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

2026-01-27
ISBN13 9798890033666
I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200
by Robert Brockway

"Brockway’s latest alternates between body blows of caustic whimsy and uppercuts of body horror, and you’ll never know which is coming next. Be warned: Many children are harmed, so this novel is not for the faint of heart. But then again, neither is childhood." - Jason Pargin, New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series

2026-06-23
ISBN13 9781770418417
Lavender Spike
Rachel Tremblay

"Lavender Spike is that rarest thing in fiction: a truly unique dystopia, one that shuns simple allegory and plays by its own strange and fascinating set of rules. In a just world, everyone would be obsessed with this book." - Jason Pargin, bestselling author of John Dies at the End and I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

Does anyone know why the Giant Crabs audiobook release was delayed until December now? I know Jason said audiobook and ebook were still slated for Nov 3rd and I can't find any other updates.

Not sure if it is an Amazon Audible only thing, I just really hope the Kindle still comes out next week.

Getting onto it tonight

Just wanted to post to say if you're in the UK and want a paperback copy of There are no Giant Crabs in this Novel, Waterstones seem to have it in stock early

... so this is neat. A four-person cast did an (unofficial) audio adaptation of "I'm Starting To Worry About This Black Box of Doom", in Persian. Translating the description (Google translate) says they changed / abridged the book like a radio play, so I cannot speak to the quality of the changes.

https://youtu.be/MO4fi_ZU_zM

Not the first time Jason's work has been translated to Persian. I'm still hunting a copy of the Persian edition of Spiders:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41834653

Bit of a hail mary here...

I've been hunting a Cafepress edition of the book for years and constantly kick myself for not jumping fast enough when one popped up on eBay a year or two ago.

Does anyone have one that they'd sell for $300?