February 9, 2026

Review for The Face of Pain!

The Face of Pain is the weirdest book of Tim Waggoner’s that I’ve read so far, and I mean that in the absolute best possible way. The depth of imagination that was poured into this short volume was astounding, not to mention chilling. It is a nightmare come true, and you will not be able to put the book down…at least, I couldn’t.

This short book is so tightly written that it’s nothing less than unnaturally excellent. The intricate plot moves along at a pace that never quits, and the characters are so well-drawn and plausible that they jump off the pages at you. One gets so immersed in the story that even the most lunatic situations somehow make complete sense—and that is the magic of Tim Waggoner—molding the surreal into something that seems eerily normal. I can see this book becoming a classic and being taught alongside Orwell, Huxley, and Bradbury. The Face of Pain is a “must-have” for any horror fan worthy of the title, or for anyone who just enjoys plain old exemplary writing.

— Carson Buckingham