Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh [Paperback]

D. A. Stern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2005

In September of 2004, Dr. Charles Marsh arrived at the Kriegmoor Psychiatric Institute in Bayfield, Wisconsin, anxious to take on his new duties, eager to distance himself from the scandal that had forced him to resign his previous post. Among the patients assigned to Marsh at this time was a young woman named Kari Hansen, a college student who had suffered a nervous collapse during a school-sponsored anthropology dig a year previously. Subsequently, Ms. Hansen began experiencing what hospital records referred to as “a series of vivid hallucinations;” her own words described visions of an “alien” intelligence, a heretofore unknown kind of life form which appeared to her as shadows, often of indeterminate shape, occasionally taking on the form of man. Dr. Marsh came to believe these shadows were real.

Shadows in the Asylum collects, for the first time anywhere, Ms. Hansen's patient records, as well as records belonging to a number of Dr. Marsh's other patients and the related historical evidence that led the doctor to his astonishing conclusions to present a bizarre story of insanity that blurs the line between fact and fiction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...calls to mind the best of Poe...in a startlingly graphic way that turns reader into voyeur." -- John Miller, California Book Award-Winner, Jackson Street and Other Soldier Stories

"Creepy as hell." -- Eduardo Sanchez, Director of The Blair Witch Project

"Part horror, part mystery, Shadows is a brilliant tale told like no other you'll read in this or any year." -- William Kent Krueger, Edgar-Award nominated author of Blood Hollow

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clerisy Press (December 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578602041
• ISBN-13: 978-1578602049
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original and engrossing - Twilight Zone-esque, January 24, 2006

By 

Hukilau Boy (Conn., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh (Paperback)

I'm not a big fan of horror books, but if you liked the Twilight Zone, you will love this book. It has the single most important ingredient for a horror book: believabilty. You don't have to believe in the supernatural to enjoy this book; you just have to believe that there are those who do. The author does the rest, moving the plot and the characters along beautifully. The mystery and tension build quickly as Dr. Charles Marsh learns about his young patient. Does he begin to believe her because he is scientifically convinced that she is not hallucinating, or is his judgment impaired by his growing love for her (not to mention the drugs)?

The format of the book is a big part of the fun. This is not a straight narrative, but a collection of "documents;" some are handwritten notes, some transcripts of patient therapy sessions, some strange and oddly realistic excerpts from other "books". We get to know the characters quickly and easily through these documents, and the plot barrels along to the surprising and satisfying conclusion.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Innovative Addition to the Horror Genre, May 23, 2006

By 

Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine (Alexandria, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh (Paperback)

When any given publisher releases a book with a theme in which it specializes, such a work does not necessarily warrant attention; chaff gets pretty thoroughly mixed with palatable morsels in many cases, and this is as true with horror -- more true, perhaps -- than with many other genres. But when a reputable regional publisher releases a bona fide horror title, it makes a conscientious fan wonder whether it might not be worth a closer look.

This is certainly the case with Emmis Books' Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh, an innovative work written by D.A. Stern, bestselling author of a number of Blair Witch Project adaptations and spinoffs. Not only does it warrant a closer look, its innovative structure both encourages and compels one.

Unlike more traditional books, Shadows in the Asylum's story unfolds in the form of a variety of documents, including medical records, newspaper clippings, historical documents, journal entries, email messages, and even the scribbled notes of its central character. This makes a passive reading of the book difficult and challenges the reader to glean the information that will reveal the secrets contained within its pages.

Events in the book revolve around the title Dr. Charles Marsh, a man with a dark past who has recently assumed a position as a psychologist at an asylum in Wisconsin. Marsh soon develops an interest in one of the institution's patients, a woman who suffered a mental breakdown while on an archaeological dig in northern Wisconsin and now claims to be haunted by spectral monsters. From that point onward, the lines between patient and healer begin to blur, and Marsh is inexorably drawn into a struggle with his uncertainty about what is real and what is imaginary, and what can be addressed with the tools of science and what cannot.

While the works of horror master H.P. Lovecraft are evoked by the contents of this book -- and, along with the Blair Witch Project, invoked by the publisher in its promotional and backflap materials -- discerning readers will also detect the influence of an earlier by equally seminal father of the genre: Bram Stoker, whose Dracula is a compilation of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, phonograph transcripts, and the like. Shadows in the Asylum takes this concept a step further by presenting it graphically as well as textually. (A technique, by the way, that would make this book an ideal prop for live-action horror roleplaying games like Cthulhu Live.)

It would not be right to include any spoilers or give away any surprises here, and so this review will forgo providing too many details of the horror that lurks at the roots of this compelling story (although the most fanatic horror aficionados already know what sort of creatures lurk in the cold wastes of the upper Midwest ...). For those looking for that exceptional work that transcends what they have come to expect from an often dissatisfying genre, however, suffice it to say that Shadows in the Asylum will not disappoint.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Above average thriller..., December 31, 2009

By 

HEF (PHILLY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh (Paperback)

I changed my review of this book about 3 times before removing most of it. I initially had some spoilers, but decided against including them. I'd really love to discuss this book with someone, to see if I interpreted things correctly while it is all fresh in my head. Not much left of my review after removing the spoilers... I thought the book's content/plot was better than average. The manner in which the content was delivered was superb! As someone with slight ADHD, the book pulled me in, and kept my mind from wandering. That had a lot to do with the way the material was presented. One page would be a patient/doctor session transcript and the next page would be a copy of an email sent from someone to the main character. I'd love to read more books presented in this manner. If you buy this and find you are one of the rare few who finds the first couple dozen or so pages boring, please hang in there. I promise that when the storyline kicks into overdrive, you will not be able to put the book down. I was up till 3:00 AM this morning finishing the book. FYI, I am somewhat of a slow reader and it took me about 5 hours to get through the book.