XCRMNTMNTN, a body horror novella about art and poop, is out now through Ghoulish Books

THE GREASY STRANGLER meets AMERICAN MOVIE

Mar 7

Ghouls,

Andrew Hilbert's new novella, XCRMNTMNTN, is finally available wherever books are sold. We are pitching it as The Greasy Strangler meets American Movie. If you happen to enjoy both of those films, then a) we should be friends and b) you are going to love XCRMNTMNTN (pronounced "Excrement Mountain").

THIS IS NOT A PORNOGRAPHY
When a pile of shit from space lands near a renowned filmmaker’s set, inspiration strikes. Take a journey up a cosmic mountain of excrement with the director and his film crew as they ascend into madness led only by their own vanity and obsession. This is a nightmare about creation. This is a dream about poop. This is a call to arms against vowels.
This is XCRMNTMNTN.

Here is what Danger Slater had to say about the novella:

"Puerile. Psychedelic. Profound. This book is an all-out assault on good taste while still managing to be a screamingly hilarious commentary on art and artists and the forces that drive them. My mind has melted right out of my butt. I loved it."

And here's another review I'd like to share from Horror Bookworm Reviews:

"This deeply intellectual fortuity reads like an intoxicating low budget film enhanced with cum, blood, sweat and queef dust. Providing breathtaking illustrations and some of the most odd characters you will ever read, Hilbert takes the reader on a soiled magic mountain ride made entirely of outlandish excretions. [...]What John Waters did for movies and Mr. Bungle did for music, Andrew Hilbert has done for books. Published by Ghoulish Books this enviro-horror inhabits the sights, sounds and smells of…well…shit…but it’s a good smelling shit. As cum showers bring May flowers, Hilbert allows the readers to see his world through shit colored lenses. Chernobyl ain’t got nothin on XCRMNTMNTN."

Read the full review HERE.

We are really excited with how Andrew's book turned out. It's one of the more...experimental books we've published in years, I think, and we are looking forward to seeing what people think of it. Once you finish reading, consider reviewing it on Goodreads and/or Storygraph.

Here is a brief introduction from Andrew Hilbert himself about the writing of XCRMNTMNTN...

It's hard to believe that a book titled XCRMNTMNTN (Excrement Mountain) is my most personal work but it sure as hell is. It was conceived at the height of the pandemic and at the valley of my own depression. I was chatting with friends and everyone had something going on. My mind was blank and I hadn't finished writing anything in a long time. I was jealous. So, I lied.
I told them I was working on a book about a cosmic pile of shit that falls in the middle of Austin and a film crew climbs up to see what is at the top. That's all I said. Everyone stood up and cheered. They told me it would be my masterpiece. They said, "Oh, brilliant creator Andrew Hilbert what dare you call this brilliant fecal art?" and I said, "Excrement Mountain but it will be spelled without vowels for some reason or other I will figure out later." They cooed at the mystery.
Well, it took a pretty long time to finish the book that started out as a way to look like I wasn't a total slob in front of my more-creative and more-fulfilled friends. But finishing took me out of my slump and what came out was a very personal book about art and life and poop. I'm glad you supported Ghoulish Books because they truly push the envelope for books and they support the creative direction of their authors and they respect their readers. From my heart-bowels to yours, thank you for getting this book.
—Andrew

BUY THE DANG BOOK

You can order XCRMNTMNTN directly from our webstore HERE. (Note: I am driving up to Austin later tonight to make Andrew flat-sign every single webstore order. So, if you'd like one of these, order now!)

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY ON MARCH 28TH IN AUSTIN, TX

We will be celebrating the release of both Andrew Hilbert's XCRMNTMNTN (Ghoulish Books) and Max Booth III's ABNORMAL STATISTICS (Apocalypse Party) by performing fun, ghoulish material on stage on March 28th, in Austin, TX at Radio Coffee & Beer. Special guests will be joining us (to be announced later)! Come down, grab a drink, buy a book, and celebrate all things spooky!!!

RSVP at either the Facebook event page or the Eventbrite page.

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE EVENT ON MARCH 24TH IN KATY, TX

In addition to the book launch on the 28th, we are doing another event a few days before on the 24th in Katy, TX at the Alamo Drafthouse.

A DOUBLE FEATURE DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM SHOCK, HOSTED BY TWO TEXAS HORROR AUTHORS
Join guest programmers and Texas authors Max Booth III (WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, the upcoming ABNORMAL STATISTICS) and Andrew Hilbert (XCRMNTMNTN) for a double feature where the films have nothing to do with each other, besides the fact they will entertain the hell out of you.
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991)
Wes Craven, the director of The Serpent and the Rainbow and Shocker, locks you inside the most terrifying house on the street. Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare. The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house's homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden deep within the house.
THE GREASY STRANGLER (2016)
Ronnie runs a Disco walking tour with his son, Brayden. When a sexy woman takes the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her love. It also signals the arrival of an oily strangler who stalks the streets at night.

Buy tickets HERE.

INFORMATION FOR OUR KICKSTARTER BACKERS

If you backed our most-recent Kickstarter and chose either the $30 digital bundle, or the $300/$500 physical media bundles, we have already posted a link to the digital files of XCRMNTMNTN as a KS update. Check it out HERE.

We will be sending paperbacks of both this novella and Shelly Lyons's Like Real throughout the month for those who backed us at a physical media level.

Okay, that’s it! Thank you for tolerating this Tuesday afternoon infiltration of your inbox. I hope you pick up the book and I hope you have a fun time.

Stay ghoulish out there!

—max

The Ghoulish Times