Merry: A Horror Novel

Abstract

Merry is a rural horror novel set in contemporary Saskatchewan. The fictional town of Merry, set about forty miles south-southwest of Saskatoon, is slowly being occupied by a satanic-like cult which is trying to gain power over a magic rock called the Shebbea, buried underneath Merry’s church. The novel opens with the arrival of Lou, the leader of the cult and satanic figure arriving at the gas station of Richard Walsh and his son Chad, located on the edges of Merry. Lou hands Chad a box of matches, convinced Chad will figure out what to do with them. Over time, the lines between those in the know about Lou’s undertaking and those unaware become more and more clear. Among others, Lou gains influence over Stan, a somewhat developmentally disabled man who lives with his mother. Other followers arrive and gather at Merry’s hotel. Eventually, Chad finds out about what is happening but as he returns home, his father grounds him and takes away his phone, disregarding Chad’s story. Chad has to find a way to escape the gas station and let people know what is happening. The novel is an allegory on the modern trend of political division and the struggle for “truth” in the post-truth era. It cuts through the simplistic dichotomy of good and evil by establishing a web of relationships between the two opposing sides. The setting of a small, dying rural community provides the perfect backdrop for the clash of these contrastive, macrocosmic forces while maintaining the image of a close-knit, interconnected community.