SuperGhost by Scott Cole #BookReview

Mad Science, Phantom Limbs, Giant Monsters, and Ice Cream! Darren Legend is a former construction worker who’s lost his right arm. Michelle Mayfair is a former Olympic runner who no longer has her legs. And Dr. Griffin Rains wants to talk with both of them. He’s a “phantom limb therapist”…who may also be a megalomaniacal mad scientist. 

When Dr. Rains assembles a giant ghost-monster from the phantom limbs he’s stolen from hundreds of amputees, the city is in for the most bizarre nightmare it’s ever seen. And it’s up to Darren and Michelle, with a few friends, to stop Rains and the strange terror of the SuperGhost! This newly-revised edition of Scott Cole’s bizarro/sci-fi/horror novella also features a brand-new prequel short story, “The Science Fair”.

Title: SuperGhost  | Author: Scott Cole | Publisher: Black T-Shirt Books | Pub. Date: 4 November 2019 |Pages: 148 | ISBN: 9780999451960 | Genre: Bizarro/Horror | Language: English |  Source: Received a copy from author for review consideration | Starred Review

SuperGhost Review

“Small trails of steam rose from him, and soon he was just a puddle of pink, foam-edged soup on the chair, dripping to the floor, dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top.” – Scott Cole, SuperGhost

Think Ghostbusters, but the ghosts are phantom limbs, and the villain is actually something akin to the wild-eyed criminal in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Add in some truly gory body horror, and that’s SuperGhost. It is a wild ride of junk science and experiments that went so right, they are wrong.

I really had a good time with this bizzaro novella. The premise is unique: a doctor, like a demented Rick Moranis in Honey I Shrunk the Kids, comes up with a machine to rid people of phantom limb pain by removing their phantom limbs. Of course, he has to DO something with these limbs to get the scientific community to take him seriously, and off we go. Cole really came up with something unique here. For me, bizarro has to have a little bit of a “oh, this could actually happen” before I can get invested, and Cole was able to do this successfully.

As a short book, there isn’t a whole lot of time for character development. Darren and Michelle (and a few others) were provided just enough depth for me to be able to cheer for them in the end as they take on one of the most ridiculous and HUGE monsters I have ever read about. This is what needed to happen, what fun is a chase and a fight and a wild solution if I’m not invested?

This book is definitely genre-bending as it includes elements of bizarro, sci-fi, and body horror. It is a spectacular mash-up and it just WORKS for this story. The elements of humor woven throughout worked with some truly disgusting body horror (especially at the end, urk) to make this a great experience. On screen, this could’ve been an episode of MST3K as far as the blend of humor, horror, and science fiction.

I will definitely read more from this author. Team member Nico has a great review up for Cole’s horror novella, Triple Axe, and you can check that out right here. Be sure to check out SuperGhost if you are new to bizarro or if you already love the genre; for fans of Danger Slater, Calton Mellick III, and more.

  You can find this book at many retailers via clicking on the appropriate link on Goodreads; however, in the spirit of supporting literacy programs, we would like to point out that you may be able to purchase this book through BetterWorldBooks.