William Pauley III

When electricity hangs in the air so thick the moon and stars fizzle and drown in a sea of light, the people living within it, breathing it in, can never be "normal." From disfigured mutants accidentally murdering God to men falling in love with blood-thirsty VCRs, we promise you've never read anything as bizarre as this! In these six tales, Pauley explores the lives of those living in the darkest corners of the world, those living electric: GODDAMN ELECTRIC NIGHTS.

Goddamn Electric Nights

Jordan Layne

"Goddamn Electric Nights" is a collection of wacky short stories by William Pauley III. I decided to receive the audiobook version of this book, and it was narrated by Connor Brannigan. There are six short stories in this collection, each full of strange, eccentric characters and wild situations. There are some stories that are more comedic in nature, while there is one in particular that is more focused on horror. 

I really enjoyed this short story collection. William Pauley III has a rather unique writing style. He writes with a blunt, almost vulgar narrative voice. However, this isn't a bad thing. He revels in this vulgarity and uses it to elevate the stories and bring his eccentric group of characters to life. His writing style also tends to be sardonic and cynical. There are mostly no happy endings, and when there are, they're from the perspectives of deeply disturbed characters. This made each story darkly funny and, most importantly, deeply enjoyable.

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection. Each one was unique, weird, darkly funny, and interesting. My favorite story was "$5 Electric Suzie." This tells the tale of Suzie, a demonic VCR, and the man who takes care of her and feeds her. It is the perfect mix of bizarre and horrific. It's graphic, it's shocking, and it's awesome. A close second was "Killing Teddy," a story so bizarre, it would be a disservice for me to explain it. I would recommend going into these stories blind, especially this one. I even enjoyed "Slime Night" and "Hypnagogia," despite them being my least favorite stories of the bunch. 

One of my favorite aspects of this audiobook was the narrator, Connor Brannigan. With a voice deep and booming, he was the first thing that caught my attention when I started listening to "Goddamn Electric Nights." His voice is very versatile, and it is perfect for both comedic moments and horrific moments. Connor is very charismatic, and he is able to bring the characters to life in all their weird, hilarious glory. I will certainly be looking out for more audiobooks narrated by him in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. The tales within were scary, crazy, funny, and engaging. They won't be for everyone, but they were certainly for me. Despite some pacing and narrative issues in a couple of the stories, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of them. I loved the writing style and the narration, too. I can't recommend this audiobook enough. If you're looking for a wild ride, definitely check out "Goddamn Electric Nights!" You won't be disappointed!

Goddamn Electric Nights

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