John is having some trouble. 

His father is a preacher, but his own faith is failing. He is angry with God, angry with the church, and angry at his own weakness. He hates his job. His friends are few, and they make him angry too. His brother is funnier than him, his sister is smarter than him, his parents are more pious than him, and he is struggling to see what value his own life even has. 

Maybe it’s useless. Maybe nothing matters at all. Maybe his perception of reality has been false the whole time. Certainly, some strange things have started happening to him: troubling dreams and harrowing visions, flying sea turtles, deep and inescapable caves, curious people bringing him weird and threatening messages, lightning, fire, shadow. Maybe it’s all really happening. Maybe it’s all in his mind. Maybe there’s no difference.

But when John encounters four abused and abandoned little girls and tries to save them, he will be propelled on a harrowing journey through realms unknowable. He has questions to ask of God. But will he receive any answers? Does he really want to?

PURCHASE
AMAZON
GOODREADS

    • Exploring deconstruction of religion

    • Questioning faith

    • Surrealism and metaphors

    • Existential dread

    • Hidden world

    • Unreliable narrator

    • Intergenerational conflict

    • Unrequited love

    • Intense character study

    • A study in despair (warning: this is not an optimistic story)

    • depression and suicidal ideation 

    • child abuse, neglect, trafficking

    • descriptions of graphic violence

    • VALIS by Phillip K Dick

    • Good Omens by Terry Pratchett

    • Stephen King

    • David Lynch

Reviews for John the Cynic

  • 4 STARS

    What a mind bending debut by Cory Clark! This novel will make you feel like you’re in a (fever) dream with incredibly vivid imagery. It’s very obvious the author has immense knowledge of christianity and has deconstructed from the cult-like behavior taught by some churches… Overall though - fantastic writing, great imagery, important arguments posed, and a thought provoking, surreal story of trying to understanding one’s place in the world. I would recommend for people who also enjoyed Good Omens by Terry Prachett, A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, or anyone who enjoyed mind & time bending experiences!

  • 5 STARS

    Cory did a fantastic job with John the Cynic. His artful descriptions and storytelling had me hooked from page one. I related a lot to John’s character, dismantling religion, and not knowing what to say at the right times. This book was beautifully written and I can’t wait to read more from Cory!

Cosmic Soup: A Collection of
Short Stories

Stories for everyone. The weird, the ordinary, and everything in between. Alien invasions. Schoolyard detectives in pursuit of chocolate milk thieves. Whales on a journey across the entire ocean. Love stories that span continents. Barbarians with large axes. Houseplants. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking. Just like life itself.

AMAZON
GOODREADS

Reviews for Cosmic Soup

  • 5 STARS

    I found that the author made the short stories feel unique, and felt that they never overstayed their welcome. Some of the stories were just fun reads. Some of the narratives I’m still thinking about. I would wholeheartedly recommend these to people looking for something new.

  • 5 STARS

    Such a fun read! There is so much variety within the stories in this collection. It was always interesting, never predictable. Thoroughly recommend it!

  • 5 STARS

    Such a great read! Each story is so well developed that even though they are brief, you get such full, well-rounded characters that you really empathize with! I typically read solely fantasy, but I found myself really enjoying branching out into different genres. The stories are all so unique, you'll never get bored!

  • 4 STARS

    A fabulous collection of short stories with something for everyone. There’s sci-fi, fantasy, crime, humour, flash fiction, and much more; even a couple of clever stories narrated by non-human subjects. This is what I love about a short story collection. Not everything will be to a reader’s taste, but there are always treasures within, and an opportunity to read outside of your genre and discover something special.

    For me, the stand-outs were ‘The Perfect Cup of Coffee’, ‘A Short Love Story’, and ‘The Sheriff Round These Parts’.