If your October TBR is in need of one more scary story that you can finish before Halloween night, I’ve got one for you. Mason Coile’s William is a slim little creeper of a novel that builds quickly and packs a punch.
Here is the setup: Henry is a brilliant engineer who has achieved the breakthrough of his career — an artificially intelligent half-formed robot he has named William. No one knows about William — or Henry’s collection of other bizarre and ghoulish creations — because Henry can’t bring himself to leave the house. His agoraphobia keeps him locked inside, working in his attic lab, away from everyone, including his pregnant wife, Lily.
One Halloween afternoon, Lily brings two coworkers to the house to meet Henry and to see the new house, which is fitted with military-grade smart security. Henry decides to introduce the guests to William, and that’s where, as any horror reader will no doubt predict, things take a mysterious and terrifying turn.
The novel offers a Hitchcock-meets-cyber-noir level of intensity. It’s definitely one of those stories that, once you start, is impossible to put down. William’s legless body and fake rubber skin “the color of curdled milk” come to life with Coile’s vivid writing, and the author keeps the pace going at a thrilling clip.
Several surprises lead to a perfect ending that I never saw coming. If you’ve ever wondered or worried about what could happen when AI goes awry, this is one spooky-season thriller you don’t want to miss.
