Horror Book Review: Episode Thirteen
Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost-hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost-hunting experts.
Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter’s holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It’s also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high-tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen—and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.
Episode Thirteen: Horror Book Reviews
Disclaimer: I started reading the book but changed to listening to the audiobook version on my commute to and from work.
Episode Thirteen is the book version of a found footage film much like Richard Chizmar’s novel, Widow’s Point. Widow’s Point and Episode Thirteen shared something else – they both dealt with seeking answers to the paranormal and whether or not ghosts exist. While Widow’s Point revolves around a lone protagonist searching for material for a new book, Episode Thirteen takes a different approach where we follow a television team, Fade to Black, of ghost hunters in the vein of Ghost Hunters or any of the dozen television shows in the same category.
Team leader, Matt Kirklin, is hellbent on proving the existence of ghosts after an encounter with the ghost of a child when he too was just a kid. He regretted never asking this ghost child pertinent questions about the afterlife and what happens when our time on Earth comes to pass. Now, as an adult, he yearns to have another opportunity to speak to a specter to ask burning questions. His wife, Claire Kirklin, is also part of the team as she indulges her husband and tries to understand paranormal phenomena not from a spiritual or religious perspective but, rather through a scientific lens. Claire is the logical one and the skeptic on the team; the yin to Matt’s yang. Jessica, whose real name is Rashida, is an actress who is a person of color who is trying to make a name for herself and is banking on the success of Fade to Black. She is also a single mother who, while not believing in what the crew is doing, plays along and does her duty as an actress to reel in viewership and convince them of her emotions of dread and fear as the team embarks on the seemingly neverending search of the unknown. Kevin, an ex-cop who quit the force after an eerie encounter with a criminal who he believed was possessed by a demon hopes that the Fade to Black can prove the existence of ghosts and things that go bump in the night with the hopes that he can prove, to himself, that he is not insane and that what he experienced was not a figment of a demented mind. Jake, the camera and tech guy, is part of the production company whose task is to shoot everything. He adds an air of sarcasm in his tone and demeanor, much to the demise of Kevin who despises Jake.
Of all the characters, I would have to say that both Claire and Jake were reminiscent of myself. Claire because she yearns for proof that gives a concrete scientific explanation or, if no reason can be given, witnessing with one’s own eyes -that would be (possibly) all the proof I would need. Jake, because he is sarcastic and despite his shortcomings, portrays himself as having it all together and finds humor in the mundane. He doesn’t care what others think of him, yet yearns for acceptance. I often describe myself as a skeptic-believer in that I want to believe that there are things beyond our realm of understanding, but I don’t believe because there is no evidence to date. I have one foot in and one foot out a mere step away from either direction.
For the thirteenth episode, Fade to Black will investigate the famed Paranormal Research Foundation mansion where unorthodox experiments took place in the 1970s that led to the eventual and mysterious disappearance of scientists and researchers which harkens back to a time when little was understood about the paranormal and understanding was inquisitive and compulsive. Afraid of plummeting ratings, the Fade to Black team is allowed to spend time at the mansion to “prove” the existence of ghosts and to uncover what happened to the team in the 1970s. Of course, every team’s goal is to prove the existence of another realm beyond our own but, as is the case in reality, while the idea is tantalizing, for the most part, these shows exist because of the public’s interest and the producers of said shows know this and will milk everything they can from the viewing audience for one sole purpose – money. Except for Matt and Kevin, the other team members know this and are just riding the wave of the show’s success. Much to the detriment of the other team members, Foundation House is awakened and the team is faced with questions about their own sanity and life itself.
The opening of Episode Thirteen is very entertaining as we get more background information about each of the team members presented in a documentary-style format. It is very engaging and upbeat, a stark contrast to the book’s conclusion. Each member is, as you will see, unique. I was not annoyed by anyone as they contributed to the story in their own ways as they all seemed to represent various types of people and how they would react to the situation they were in. The book peaks really fast so as one would expect, there is a slight dip as it progresses before again revamping itself and garnering my interest and intrigue much like the first quarter. This is not to say that it was bad, it was just something I noticed. I was 100% intrigued with what was happening in the book and with the stories of the characters shortly after a pivotal moment in the book, there was a slight dip in the action and the pacing slowed a bit but for the climax, it picks right back up to lead into a very interesting, and thought-provoking conclusion.
While there are some frights and scares in Episode Thirteen, I can’t say that it was very scary as there are a lot of philosophical thoughts and input about ghosts and hauntings that may take some readers out of the narrative. To me, this aspect of the book was very intriguing and was like having a conversation between a believer and a skeptic which makes for great conversation or a debate. I was also fascinated by the transformation of some characters and their beliefs, not because of faith but, rather because of what was witnessed and experienced. The audiobook version of Episode Thirteen is top-notch and I recommend giving it a listen if you are inclined to do so. The book itself is also excellent and I found it to be a breath of fresh air and slightly different than reading what would be deemed as traditional fiction writing where, here, we get production notes, journal entries, and even vlog entries. There is little left to the imagination as the. investigation and what happens in the investigation is explained in full detail which leaves little to speculate and everything is told to the reader. In the end, there was no ambiguity and little to try and figure out on your own. Still, I enjoyed the book, especially the audiobook which features a great cast of voice actors and even an original song which, if I’m being honest, was a little obnoxious.