Come Knocking - by Mike Bockoven (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

When Come Knocking came to Los Angeles, the interactive theater production that took over six floors of an abandoned building was met with raves, lines for tickets, and reviews calling it the "must-see experience of a generation." But after dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured on a bloody night of chaos during the show's run, the nation was captured by one inescapable question: How could this happen?

As the dust settles, investigative reporter Adam Jakes is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the massacre. Through a series of gripping interviews with survivors, cast members, and witnesses, Jakes pieces together the chilling reality behind what was supposed to be the ultimate theatrical experience.

In Come Knocking, the enthralling and terrifying exploration of human nature under extreme conditions poses unsettling questions about the grotesque underbelly of immersive experiences and the true nature of reality.

Review Quotes

"Mike Bockoven's Come Knocking is a chilling, mind-bending triumph that cements his place among the most daring horror novelists of his generation. The novel unfolds through a kaleidoscope of fractured, unforgettable voices--each recounting their experience with a mysterious theatrical event that promised transcendence and delivered terror. Evoking works like Max Brooks's World War Z, Come Knocking assembles a haunting oral history of disaster. Bockoven's dark wit and existential dread also bring to mind the satirical despair of works like George Saunders' "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" and the visceral, surreal horror of Clive Barker. It's a cornucopia of dread and revelation--a daring, unforgettable novel that asks if readers have the courage to attend a mystifying and dangerous performance that may leave them forever changed." --Scott Kenemore, author of Edge of the Wire and Lake of Darkness

"Bockoven seems to have modern civilization's capacity to devolve into chaos and carnage on speed dial, weaving together another twisted, macabre and multilayered horror tale with Come Knocking. If you dug FantasticLand, you'll love this one!"--Duncan Ralston, author of Woom

"Mike Bockoven is back with another clever, heinously violent tale of immersive theater gone horribly wrong. Come Knocking strikes deep in the readers soul with a hyper-violent psychological tale that examines the lines between theater and reality and what happens when those lines begin to blur."--Dr. Rebekah McKendry, director, writer, producer.

PRAISE FOR MIKE BOCKOVEN

"With FantasticLand, Mike Bockoven wrote a propulsive page-turner filled with expertly plotted twists and turns, while simultaneously telling a story about emotionally complex characters and the fragility of society. His work is clever, suspenseful, and beautiful, sometimes all at the same time. Anything he writes is something I consider a must-read."--Justin Halpern, author of Shit My Dad Says

"In clear, conversational prose, Fantasticland creates its world--and then carefully, horribly dismantles it. Mike Bockoven has made something at once merciless, terrifying, and curiously humane; but you should probably not go there after dark." --Zack Handlen, the AV Club

"Utterly horrifying and impossible to put down--for a dozen reasons, but most of all, for how plausible the whole thing feels. Do not read this book after eating." --Rob Hart, author of the Anthony Award-nominated NEW YORKED

"Fantasticland is one wild ride! Disaster and isolation ratchet up the tension, and a theme park descends into mayhem that is both engaging and thrilling. Put your hands up and plunge in!" --Scott Seeke, author of Uncle Bush's Live Funeral, writer of the Sony film Get Low

"In the FantasticLand park itself, already a surreal mix of historical and pop-cultural structures, characters, and imagery, then mostly flooded and empty under rainy skies, what happens when less-than-fully-formed identities are forced to endure a month with no external contact?
This grim, but not hopeless, novel is the answer." --William Grabowski, Hellnotes.com

"FantasticLand [is] totally up our alley. And with its setting of a theme park that's been ravaged by a hurricane, it couldn't be more timely." --Dread Central

About the Author