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Horror in a snow-bound medieval fortress.
Former soldier Hemming spends his days drinking and avoiding his companions at the isolated border keep where he has been posted. But his world is turned upside down when a naked, bloody woman shows up outside the walls of the keep. Soon a monster is hiding among them, and it’s up to Hemming to figure out which one of them is the monster before it kills them all.
Former soldier Hemming spends his days drinking and avoiding his companions at the isolated border keep where he has been posted. But his world is turned upside down when a naked, bloody woman shows up outside the walls of the keep. Soon a monster is hiding among them, and it’s up to Hemming to figure out which one of them is the monster before it kills them all.
87 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2018
22 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Peter Fugazzotto
21 books28 followersPeter Fugazzotto is a writer of horror, fantasy and science fiction. His short stories have been published in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Grimdark Magazine and Siren's Call. He is an espresso lover and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
More information about Peter and his writing, including free stories, can be found at www.peterfugazzotto.com
More information about Peter and his writing, including free stories, can be found at www.peterfugazzotto.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 9, 2021
Review to come, at Grimdark Magazine
November 2, 2018
Peter Fugazzoto's "Skin" is a short, neat little horror story that borrows heavily from John Carpenter's "The Thing" in which a creature-in-human-disguise haunts an isolated location in the snowy wilds. Instead of Antarctica, the story takes place in a keep, buried in the mountains near a seldom-used border. A few soldiers, a cook, a witch (?!), a hunter, and a political hostage are holed up for what appears to be a brutal winter. Hemming, our POV war vet who just wants to be alone with his thoughts, asked to be sent here to try and escape his sordid and violent past. Well, Hemming, I have news for ya...
The book starts when a patrol sees a naked, bloody figure stumbling towards the keep from the northern border. This figure turns out to be a woman, and she is being hunted by a pack of dogs. The soldiers recognize her as a political prisoner once held by their enemies across the border, about half a day's hike away. Somehow she's still alive when she's brought into the keep, but seems to have been driven mad by her injuries. Hemming and a companion are assigned to trek over to the enemy's station to see what happened, and things start to go awry.
If you’ve seen the film, the story hits a lot of familiar beats. The monster flays its victims, then steals and wears their skin to pass itself off as human. Nobody can be trusted, accusations fly, and men are driven to extreme actions out of fear and hate. Dogs seem to know how to track the monster, so utilizing them correctly plays a key role. The horror here is atmospheric, and although we see the aftermath of some of the victims, we really don't engage in much "on-screen" violence; most of the action occurs off the page. In one instance, the characters all go to sleep, fully aware there's a monster on the premises, and surprise!, not everyone survives the night.
One issue that stood out was the author's tendency to be redundant in his descriptions. It felt like 20% of the text is used to describe how cold it was. The prose consisted of generally sharp, clipped phrases, which felt a bit mundane after a while. And Hemming's constant grimacing about his past, about how he just wants to get away, but instead found "madness" was repeated quite a few times beyond what was necessary.
Although this book is billed by the author as "'The Thing' with swords," it felt less like a horror, and more of a whodunit murder mystery. I wish it leaned a bit heavier into the horror aspect of things. The ending is somewhat satisfactory - being a horror story, you'll likely know how this one is going to end. But an important scene was left out before the final chapter, so it is up to the reader to decide what actually happened. I'm not so sure that was the best decision, as there could have been several outcomes to get to where the story needed to be, and we strangely don't get any answers -- just the consequences of its fallout. This may all sound vague, as I don't want to spoil anything, but it'll become clearer once you get there.
All things considered, this could be a fun, quick read for those who are fans of "The Thing," or a mystery/horror hybrid with some axes and swordplay mixed in.
6.0 / 10
The book starts when a patrol sees a naked, bloody figure stumbling towards the keep from the northern border. This figure turns out to be a woman, and she is being hunted by a pack of dogs. The soldiers recognize her as a political prisoner once held by their enemies across the border, about half a day's hike away. Somehow she's still alive when she's brought into the keep, but seems to have been driven mad by her injuries. Hemming and a companion are assigned to trek over to the enemy's station to see what happened, and things start to go awry.
If you’ve seen the film, the story hits a lot of familiar beats. The monster flays its victims, then steals and wears their skin to pass itself off as human. Nobody can be trusted, accusations fly, and men are driven to extreme actions out of fear and hate. Dogs seem to know how to track the monster, so utilizing them correctly plays a key role. The horror here is atmospheric, and although we see the aftermath of some of the victims, we really don't engage in much "on-screen" violence; most of the action occurs off the page. In one instance, the characters all go to sleep, fully aware there's a monster on the premises, and surprise!, not everyone survives the night.
One issue that stood out was the author's tendency to be redundant in his descriptions. It felt like 20% of the text is used to describe how cold it was. The prose consisted of generally sharp, clipped phrases, which felt a bit mundane after a while. And Hemming's constant grimacing about his past, about how he just wants to get away, but instead found "madness" was repeated quite a few times beyond what was necessary.
Although this book is billed by the author as "'The Thing' with swords," it felt less like a horror, and more of a whodunit murder mystery. I wish it leaned a bit heavier into the horror aspect of things. The ending is somewhat satisfactory - being a horror story, you'll likely know how this one is going to end. But an important scene was left out before the final chapter, so it is up to the reader to decide what actually happened. I'm not so sure that was the best decision, as there could have been several outcomes to get to where the story needed to be, and we strangely don't get any answers -- just the consequences of its fallout. This may all sound vague, as I don't want to spoil anything, but it'll become clearer once you get there.
All things considered, this could be a fun, quick read for those who are fans of "The Thing," or a mystery/horror hybrid with some axes and swordplay mixed in.
6.0 / 10
October 17, 2018
Just in time for Halloween.
Isolated far from the nearest settlement, a garrison is posted to watch the border. This is supposed to be a quiet, action free posting; at least, that's what Hemming thought when he volunteered. You see, Hemming is a grizzled veteran sick of bloodshed and war. His idyll is shattered when a woman from the fort across the border comes hounded by blood crazed dogs. Offering her succor, residents of the garrison begin dying and are found skinned. Who and what have they brought into their wintry keep?
Fans of Witch of the Sands are in for a treat.
Mr. Fugazzotto really shines with his short fiction.
Once you begin, it will be hard to put it down. The mystery of what is really going on, the fear and paranoia that ensues, and the ultimate ending that leaves you wanting more.
Highly recommended!!
Isolated far from the nearest settlement, a garrison is posted to watch the border. This is supposed to be a quiet, action free posting; at least, that's what Hemming thought when he volunteered. You see, Hemming is a grizzled veteran sick of bloodshed and war. His idyll is shattered when a woman from the fort across the border comes hounded by blood crazed dogs. Offering her succor, residents of the garrison begin dying and are found skinned. Who and what have they brought into their wintry keep?
Fans of Witch of the Sands are in for a treat.
Mr. Fugazzotto really shines with his short fiction.
Once you begin, it will be hard to put it down. The mystery of what is really going on, the fear and paranoia that ensues, and the ultimate ending that leaves you wanting more.
Highly recommended!!
October 17, 2018
Read this as an ARC offered from the author.
A dense, atmospheric and self-conscious pastishe of John Carpenter's "The Thing" in a medieval/gothic setting.
Enjoyed the characters, setting and pace. The otherwordly menace remains a bit vague but that is part of it's appeal and the ending offers a satisfactory closure.
Recommended for any grimdark reader looking for a fast paced body horror yarn.
A dense, atmospheric and self-conscious pastishe of John Carpenter's "The Thing" in a medieval/gothic setting.
Enjoyed the characters, setting and pace. The otherwordly menace remains a bit vague but that is part of it's appeal and the ending offers a satisfactory closure.
Recommended for any grimdark reader looking for a fast paced body horror yarn.
October 16, 2018
All Hemming had wanted after the war was to go as far away as possible from the madness of men, he thought that the distant keep would be his sanctuary but he was so mistaken! There was a killer on the loose who was flaying its victims and wearing their skin, but whose skin was he wearing? Who could the last remaining survivors in the keep trust? Comrades were turning against one another and more dead bodies were turning up, yet not a sign of the killer. This was a typical Fugazzotto scary thriller, enough to give one nightmares and the ending to the story was the scariest of all!! So if you enjoy gritty, edge of the seat, horror and gore this is surely a novel for you!
October 28, 2018
Was in the mood for a short horror story (well, maybe a short novella) and had already enjoyed Peter Fugazzotto's The Witch of the Sands. So when Skin released with an Andreas Vesalius cover--I knew I had to track it down (Vesalius was a 16th French Anatomist famous for posing his dissected subjects in his Fabrica).
Fugazzotto explains in an afterword that he intended to write a "Thing with swords," the call-out being to the 1982 movie (novelized by Alan Dean Foster: The Thing). He succeeded. This short story is well polished Sword & Sorcery novel, fully in the Grimdark flavor with tons of grittiness filling in a military milieu. The book blurb is pretty accurate, so I'll just copy it here to summarize.
Book Blurb: "SKIN: Horror in a snow-bound medieval fortress.
Former soldier Hemming spends his days drinking and avoiding his companions at the isolated border keep where he has been posted. But his world is turned upside down when a naked, bloody woman shows up outside the walls of the keep. Soon a monster is hiding among them, and it’s up to Hemming to figure out which one of them is the monster before it kills them all.
Skin by author Peter Fugazzotto blends fantasy with horror in a way you’ve never seen before. If you enjoy horror movies like The Thing and the medieval world of the Game of Thrones, then you’ll love this novella as you race along on a terrifying journey of fear and paranoia in a medieval world right up to the shocking ending.
Buy this book today to begin a terrifying journey of horror set in a medieval world."
Fugazzotto explains in an afterword that he intended to write a "Thing with swords," the call-out being to the 1982 movie (novelized by Alan Dean Foster: The Thing). He succeeded. This short story is well polished Sword & Sorcery novel, fully in the Grimdark flavor with tons of grittiness filling in a military milieu. The book blurb is pretty accurate, so I'll just copy it here to summarize.
Book Blurb: "SKIN: Horror in a snow-bound medieval fortress.
Former soldier Hemming spends his days drinking and avoiding his companions at the isolated border keep where he has been posted. But his world is turned upside down when a naked, bloody woman shows up outside the walls of the keep. Soon a monster is hiding among them, and it’s up to Hemming to figure out which one of them is the monster before it kills them all.
Skin by author Peter Fugazzotto blends fantasy with horror in a way you’ve never seen before. If you enjoy horror movies like The Thing and the medieval world of the Game of Thrones, then you’ll love this novella as you race along on a terrifying journey of fear and paranoia in a medieval world right up to the shocking ending.
Buy this book today to begin a terrifying journey of horror set in a medieval world."
October 17, 2018
ONE WILD RIDE!!!!
Talk about hitting the ground running. This bad boy shows no mercy and takes no prisoners. All the twists and turns, the drama and danger walk hand-in-hand skating through as strong as possible. The suspense rides high and tension soar throughout this little gem. The characters are well developed and believable. Their personalities are unique with qualities and traits that balance out perfectly. The scenes are descriptive and detailed it makes it easy to picture each scenario as it plays out. Peter did an excellent job bringing this read to life flawlessly. Thanks Peter for sharing this awesome read with us.
Talk about hitting the ground running. This bad boy shows no mercy and takes no prisoners. All the twists and turns, the drama and danger walk hand-in-hand skating through as strong as possible. The suspense rides high and tension soar throughout this little gem. The characters are well developed and believable. Their personalities are unique with qualities and traits that balance out perfectly. The scenes are descriptive and detailed it makes it easy to picture each scenario as it plays out. Peter did an excellent job bringing this read to life flawlessly. Thanks Peter for sharing this awesome read with us.
October 17, 2018
A fast paced gripping tale or terror and horror like no other Peter Fugazzotto has done it once again in this tale excellence by far. I loved it!!!
April 15, 2019
Generally novellas aren't my speed, but Skin was a fantastic mashup of my favourite genre in movies, and my favourite genre in reading - monsters vs men in an epic fantasy setting. It was like spending a couple of hours in the cinema of the mind where there was just enough horror, action, and otherworldliness to keep me glued to my seat.
Fugazzotto's writing is nicely paced, easy to read, and evokes exactly the right amount of atmosphere, both in terms of the environment as well as the inherent paranoia and the sense of the unavoidable required for a really good monster slasher film. If he leaves acknowledgement to John Carpenter's The Thing in his Afterword, that's definitely not a point against him. This novella borrows a little of the suspicious claustrophobia in that masterpiece of monster cinema in the jaded, post-traumatic Hemming trapped in a snowed-in keep with a bunch of macho morons and something that clearly hasn't had a decent meal in a while, as much as it borrows a little of the early Nordic tones of something like 13th Warrior.
I think if there were any criticisms to be made, it would be length. As it stands, a novella is just long enough to give you that 90's monster movie vibe: you'll know it when you get there, and again, this isn't exactly a point against it. But a longer story might have taken it all the way to a more comprehensive conclusion which answered the kinds of questions most people would probably want to know. For me personally, that fact that it was a novella prepared me for the likely conclusion well ahead of time.
Fugazzotto's writing is nicely paced, easy to read, and evokes exactly the right amount of atmosphere, both in terms of the environment as well as the inherent paranoia and the sense of the unavoidable required for a really good monster slasher film. If he leaves acknowledgement to John Carpenter's The Thing in his Afterword, that's definitely not a point against him. This novella borrows a little of the suspicious claustrophobia in that masterpiece of monster cinema in the jaded, post-traumatic Hemming trapped in a snowed-in keep with a bunch of macho morons and something that clearly hasn't had a decent meal in a while, as much as it borrows a little of the early Nordic tones of something like 13th Warrior.
I think if there were any criticisms to be made, it would be length. As it stands, a novella is just long enough to give you that 90's monster movie vibe: you'll know it when you get there, and again, this isn't exactly a point against it. But a longer story might have taken it all the way to a more comprehensive conclusion which answered the kinds of questions most people would probably want to know. For me personally, that fact that it was a novella prepared me for the likely conclusion well ahead of time.
February 27, 2025
"Let the rest of the world deal with its own problems for a while. I'm tired of fighting for others. I'm tired of being the hero."
Henning is fed up with how the war has altered everything and everyone around him. He's tired of the cruelty the war has bred, on both sides, turning men into monsters. So he takes a post on the northern border, as far from conflict as possible, hoping to spend his days relaxing while getting drunk. Then, one day, a naked woman shows up outside the fort with hunting dogs at her heels.
He has prepared all his life for war and protection, but he isn't remotely prepared for what threatens them now. He knows how to defend against an army, but against a monster that can change their skin to become anyone, he is overwhelmed. That's one scenario he never expected to encounter.
Man, what a fun little novella and extremely interesting series debut! Fugazzotto does a remarkable job at bringing Henning's emotions to life, giving the reader a true sense of anxiety and paranoia, which is imperative for a proper 'scary' scene. Personally, I feel like horror/paranormal is one of, if not the, hardest genres to write successfully. It takes considerable talent to properly convey some of the most intense emotions a human can experience, all with just a few words on paper. Fugazzotto has what it takes and has spawned a new obsession for me.
Henning is fed up with how the war has altered everything and everyone around him. He's tired of the cruelty the war has bred, on both sides, turning men into monsters. So he takes a post on the northern border, as far from conflict as possible, hoping to spend his days relaxing while getting drunk. Then, one day, a naked woman shows up outside the fort with hunting dogs at her heels.
He has prepared all his life for war and protection, but he isn't remotely prepared for what threatens them now. He knows how to defend against an army, but against a monster that can change their skin to become anyone, he is overwhelmed. That's one scenario he never expected to encounter.
Man, what a fun little novella and extremely interesting series debut! Fugazzotto does a remarkable job at bringing Henning's emotions to life, giving the reader a true sense of anxiety and paranoia, which is imperative for a proper 'scary' scene. Personally, I feel like horror/paranormal is one of, if not the, hardest genres to write successfully. It takes considerable talent to properly convey some of the most intense emotions a human can experience, all with just a few words on paper. Fugazzotto has what it takes and has spawned a new obsession for me.
June 13, 2021
It took me a while to figure out why I couldn’t put Peters’ novella down. The story of a small squad of soldiers stationed at a remote outpost begins with the life they are trying to make for themselves in the gloom of this uneventful posting. There are enough quirks and ticks in the men and women to convince you that they can probably just about make it through the bleak winter only amused and not disgusted with each other.
Then it happens.
Then the story finishes. But the curse goes on.
Then I realize that Peter has found a way to make the most mundane details into chilling hints of something more. I feel like I’m reading Poe. I’ve got two more of Peter’s novellas on my reading table, unopened...but not for long…
Then it happens.
Then the story finishes. But the curse goes on.
Then I realize that Peter has found a way to make the most mundane details into chilling hints of something more. I feel like I’m reading Poe. I’ve got two more of Peter’s novellas on my reading table, unopened...but not for long…
November 26, 2018
A good novella from horror/grim-dark fantasy author Peter Fugazzotto.
A group of men guarding a border outpost find that they have invited some creature into their keep. The creature can mimic any person. And it is killing them off one by one.
Well constructed story. Compelling characters and decent world building.
As the author readily admits, this story seems to be a close parallel with John Carpenter's movie "The Thing". That was apparent to me early on in reading the story. But the writing was compelling enough to keep me interested in seeing how Peter would reveal his version of the story.
A group of men guarding a border outpost find that they have invited some creature into their keep. The creature can mimic any person. And it is killing them off one by one.
Well constructed story. Compelling characters and decent world building.
As the author readily admits, this story seems to be a close parallel with John Carpenter's movie "The Thing". That was apparent to me early on in reading the story. But the writing was compelling enough to keep me interested in seeing how Peter would reveal his version of the story.
December 20, 2021
amazing and unexpected
This type of monster creature feature is not normally my type of story but I thought I’d give it a go. It was amazing I finished it in half a day and will immediately be starting the next book in the series called blood. The pacing, the tension and the plot, everything was just perfect. Cannot recommend enough.
This type of monster creature feature is not normally my type of story but I thought I’d give it a go. It was amazing I finished it in half a day and will immediately be starting the next book in the series called blood. The pacing, the tension and the plot, everything was just perfect. Cannot recommend enough.
March 10, 2024
A quick read. And all the better for it. From the blurb you know what you're getting and it doesn't disappoint. Fugazzotto has already given you the lay of the land and it is up to the reader to traverse. The moments of horror are descriptive, nuanced, its characters -considering its length- layered. The Thing, in a medieval setting. Go for it.
December 21, 2025
An absolute banger of a book! The Thing in a low-fantasy setting... that's a novella-length read?
Yes, please!
The Thing is one of my favourite films, but I've always struggled with the scientific jargon of Who Goes There, the book the movie is based on.
Now, I don't have to bother with WGT; I can just re-read this book instead.
Yes, please!
The Thing is one of my favourite films, but I've always struggled with the scientific jargon of Who Goes There, the book the movie is based on.
Now, I don't have to bother with WGT; I can just re-read this book instead.
December 12, 2020
Good read!
I really enjoyed this. It's like GoT meets The Thing. The book could have used a good proof reader. My biggest complaint is the ending. It ended too quickly. I would have loved a detailed fight scene. Recommended!
I really enjoyed this. It's like GoT meets The Thing. The book could have used a good proof reader. My biggest complaint is the ending. It ended too quickly. I would have loved a detailed fight scene. Recommended!
January 17, 2021
Nice nod to The Thing
Good story. Although i wish it could have been longer. Maybe another thirty or forty pages of character development and scene descriptions would have added more depth.
Good story. Although i wish it could have been longer. Maybe another thirty or forty pages of character development and scene descriptions would have added more depth.
February 28, 2025
Skin
I really like this story. I would recommend to any body who horror stories,especially based on the movie The Thing.
I really like this story. I would recommend to any body who horror stories,especially based on the movie The Thing.
March 1, 2025
This is a fast paced horror thriller that is basically "The Thing" in a medieval keep. It was well done, but it lost a star because some of the writing was a little repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews