Perfect for fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Carnivale. For years, Wilson has travelled with a carnival of oddities across 1940s America, a serial killer hidden among the workers and attractions. Working the carnival's photo booth, Wilson possesses a camera with the hidden ability to capture the secret dreams and desires of its subjects on film. However, in doing so, the camera carves a pathway into the person's mind that Wilson can traverse in their dreams. Transforming into a beast of incredible strength, cruelty, and insatiable hunger; Wilson hunts, rends, and devours his victims in their dreams, leaving their corporeal bodies little more than empty husks. He is the perfect serial killer. Undetectable. Untraceable. However, Wilson is losing control. He is killing more often and closer to home, incurring the ire of the carnival's proprietor and arousing the suspicions of the local police department. Despite endeavoring to curb his murderous desires, Wilson encounters Dahlia, a woman so flawless the camera only sees her as she is. Wilson becomes consumed with the thought of preying upon the woman, and defiling this living vision of perfection. The desire to kill Dahlia draws Wilson into a web of deception and terror that even the most vicious serial killer cannot escape. There is always a more skilled hunter.There is always a more lethal killer.There is always a more terrifying monster.
"Wilson" is a bad man. That much is apparent from almost the very beginning of this dark and quirky tale of supernatural terror.
Thus, the main questions I found myself pondering during the read were: exactly how bad is he and how might that be addressed? Is he a victim of sorts himself, being manipulated by circumstances, or other external forces? Is there hope for him to become something more than what he appears to be?
I won't spoil anything by answering those questions but I will say that I ultimately did enjoy how the story resolved, and the somewhat unexpected twists and turns it took along the way.
There were a few aspects of the experience I didn't love, or that I found to be a little rough around the edges in ways that were occasionally somewhat distracting, but overall, I was satisfied by my time with "Wilson" and the glimpse into his life in a dust-bowl-era carnival filled with "special" individuals. I also really enjoyed the ways certain animals interacted with the human characters, and how the significance of those interactions gradually became apparent throughout the story.
This one is definitely rather grim and twisted, so it may not work for everyone, but if you prefer your horror with a lot of punch and unflinching detail, you'll likely end up at least appreciating the pictures "Wilson" will almost certainly leave lingering in your mind.