In its essence it is a horror novel, but also so much more than that. There are still a lot of actual horror elements within the book, and it can be quite gruesome and gory. A darkness that becomes an obsession for everyone around it. To me, the Funhole is almost a metaphor for the darkness of depression. The entire setting of The Cipher is bleak and dark. As we read the novel, we see a lot of unused talent and lack of ambition from all “players” within. I think a big counterpart to his artistic abilities is depression. But certain powers keep him from achieving his goals.

Nicholas knows he could be a poet, if he only tried hard enough. To me, The Cipher, is a powerful story about an artist who struggles with his own identity. I personally believe that books are art, and any art form can be interpreted in different ways. This is why I want to advise you, that my interpretation might not be correct per se, but just my thoughts on the topic. Reading it for the second time still left me with questions, which might never be answered. It is complex, and can be interpreted a lot of ways. This book is so much more than just a simple horror story. There are no physical demons or monsters to fight. There are different kinds of horror, and if you are expecting ghosts or murderers to pop out around every corner, then this isn’t for you. I have to be honest and say, this book might not be for everyone.

Since reading the book for the second time, I have read several reviews and opinions on it. It stayed with me ever since, and I was so excited to find out that Meerkat Press was publishing it again. I first read The Cipher about ten years ago. Nicholas says, “We’re not.” But no one is in control, and their experiments lead to obsession, violence, and a very final transformation for everyone who gets too close to the Funhole. “Wouldn’t it be wild to go down there?” says Nakota. Pure black and the sense of pulsation, especially when you look at it too closely, the sense of something not living but alive.” When a strange hole materializes in a storage room, would-be poet Nicholas and his feral lover Nakota allow their curiosity to lead them into the depths of terror. Dick Award, and named one of io9.com’s “Top 10 Debut Science Fiction Novels That Took the World By Storm.” With a new afterword by Maryse Meijer, author of Heartbreaker and Rag. Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and Locus Awards, finalist for the Philip K.

The cipher kathe koja cover art