Fear for the Flesh by A.J. Thompson #BookReview

When Silent Hill came on the scene, it was unlike anything that had come before. The game redefined horror in the gaming industry and cemented a legacy that lasts today, (in spite of Konami, of course).

This book discusses the story and symbolism of the first game, from start to finish. Ever wondered why the game names items after characters from Alice in Wonderland? Or what the Key of Ophiel, or the Seal of Metatron means? Do you want to learn more about the mythical origins of the monsters and the symbolic aspects of the story? Fear for the Flesh explores all this and more, including seven chapters exploring the themes of the series as a whole.

Title: Fear for the Flesh – The Story and Symbolism of Silent Hill | Author: AJ Thompson | Series: Silent Hill Symbolism | Publisher: Self-Published | Pub. Date: July 4th, 2019 | Pages: 116 | ASIN: B07TVVKWHS | Genre: Non-Fiction | Language: English | Source: Self-Purchased | Starred

Fear for the Flesh: The Story and Symbolism of Silent Hill Review

“The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh”

Silent Hill

I don’t usually buy books by YouTubers because, frankly, most of them don’t look very good. I was interested in Fear for the Flesh because I watch The Gaming Muse’s series on the Silent Hill games. I always love their thoughts and they dig in really deep into the lore, names, everything.

So I was very excited to receive Fear for the Flesh and it did not disappoint. It was kind of a strange experience while reading because it was almost like a mental audiobook. The words are written so perfectly in their style that I could hear their voice kind of layered over my internal reading voice. I’m probably not explaining it well but it was interesting. Has anyone ever experienced that?

I did not expect the book to open with me getting a bit teary-eyed at the opening foreword about the game and its current status. We keep hearing rumours that always get our hopes up, only to be dashed gain. And, as it stands now, to quote the author:

“I would love to see Silent Hill’s return. I’d love to see new titles by new developers, eastern or western or otherwise. Anything is better than going quiet and being forgotten.”

AJ Thompson in Fear for the Flesh

I did really like the book. The content was a bit similar to their videos but I like having the content offline and accessible, as well. It was well put together and clearly laid out, it doesn’t jump around and get confusing. It flows well and is laid out in a tandem progression throughout the game.

Fear for the Flesh would be a perfect recommendation and essay-wise and facts it’s a hundred percent recommended. There are a few typos, however. Nothing to really ruin the reading experience but if I could make a suggestion to the author I would ask them to give it another look over or have a friend do so as there were a few and another proofread through would improve it and make it look more professional.

I would suggest Fear for the Flesh if you’ve played the game and want a more thorough look at them. The Gaming Muse puts a lot of time and effort into their research and while I don’t always a hundred percent agree with everything it always puts things in a different light, at least. It gives me a different point of view to look at. And they’re always very transparent about differentiating between their opinion, what’s been confirmed by Team Silent and what is a generally accepted fan theory. I like that because I watch a lot of theory videos and it always rubs me the wrong way when a creator presents their opinion and theory as total and absolute fact.

So, while it might not be a good one to get if you’re totally unfamiliar with the series I highly suggest it for someone who might like more background and depth to the story, themes, and symbolism. I also have the author’s book on Silent Hill 3, You’re Not Here. I’m currently waiting for Waiting for You to be back in stock so hopefully I’ll get the chance to review that soon, as well.

You can find Fear for the Flesh and other AJ Thompson books at The Muse Store – https://themusestore.bigcartel.com/
And you can find their channel, The Gaming Muse here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thegamingmuse/videos