Four new books featured in BookTrib's Bites push the boundaries of conventional storytelling, exploring themes of psychosis, horror, and family resilience. The releases include experimental novellas by Louis Gale, a collection of bizarre horror tales by Alex Grass, and a multigenerational saga by Michael Weiner.
Louis Gale's 'a written self-portrait: 'On Psychosis' a Novella Vol. I' plunges readers into the restless mind of Amstel, a man navigating psychotic breaks, travel, and drug experiences. Written in nonlinear stream of consciousness, the novella uses repetition, abrupt shifts, and unconventional typography to place readers inside Amstel's unstable reality. The book is described as strange, darkly funny, and unsettling, asking readers to follow the protagonist without usual narrative guideposts. It is available at tinyurl.com/written-self-portrait1.
The second volume, 'a written self-portrait: 'On Tragedy' Volume II,' continues Amstel's journey into imagined realms and philosophical speculation, exploring higher consciousness and human potential. Gale, who draws on personal experiences including a year of silence, homelessness, and psychiatric hospitalization, holds a master's degree in consciousness studies and is pursuing a PhD in international psychology. This installment deepens the mystery around Amstel while showing how the mind can create and question even within confinement. It can be purchased at tinyurl.com/written-self-portrait2.
For horror enthusiasts, Alex Grass's 'Infernal Tramps: Tales of Weird Terror' offers 17 stories that blend elaborate grotesqueness with dark humor. Tales include a forgotten video game with a terrifying past and a spiked dog collar that converts a city to worship a dead dog. The collection keeps one-upping itself in strangeness, with some stories brief and brutal, others delving into obsession, grief, and loneliness. Black-and-white images enhance the disquieting atmosphere. The book is available at tinyurl.com/infernal-tramps.
Michael Weiner's 'The Future Is Not Yet Written' continues the story of interconnected families from his previous work, 'Both Sides of the Same Coin.' Spanning from the aftermath of 9/11 to the COVID era, the novel follows the Klein, Carbone, Doyle, Roth and Bartell families through grief, growth, and change. Weiner's richly detailed saga traces how love, illness, ambition, and chance redirect lives, building resilience through choices and relationships. It is available at tinyurl.com/the-future-is-not-yet-written.
These releases offer readers unconventional approaches to storytelling, whether through experimental depictions of psychosis, unapologetically bizarre horror, or compassionate multigenerational drama. The works challenge traditional narrative forms and explore the depths of human experience, from mental health struggles to family bonds.
