Michael Cisco's "Black Brane" is undeniably a work of intense originality and intellectual ambition, pushing the boundaries of Weird Fiction in ways few authors attempt. Reading it involves immersion in a dense, often hallucinatory prose style and a narrative that deliberately eschews convention, looping and fracturing perception. It's clear, I think, that Cisco aims to challenge the reader fundamentally and explore complex philosophical territory regarding consciousness and reality through this unconventional approach.

For me, the central question during the reading experience became whether this intense experimentalism consistently felt effective in serving the novel's overall impact. While I deeply appreciated the unique vision and the moments of profound, unsettling insight the book undoubtedly generated, there were also stretches where I felt the deliberate obscurity or the sheer density of the surreal imagery perhaps became less impactful, bordering on feeling somewhat excessive or like it might be 'trying too hard' solely to maintain its extreme weirdness. At those points, it occasionally lessened my engagement rather than deepening my connection to the core ideas.

That's certainly not to detract from the novel's genuine moments of brilliance or its success in crafting a truly singular, thought-provoking atmosphere unlike almost anything else I've encountered.

Ultimately, "Black Brane" is a formidable piece of experimental writing that I respect immensely for its ambition and uncompromising vision. However, my personal reading experience involved grappling not just with its complex ideas (which I enjoy), but with whether its relentless challenging of conventions always translated into a fully resonant or consistently effective narrative for me.

Reading Black Brane feels like sleepwalking through a fever dream, where each page is a riddle written on smoke. It’s less a book you read than one you experience — or perhaps survive. I went in knowing I liked weird lit. I came out unsure if I liked anything anymore. And I mean that as a compliment.

At its surface (if it has one), the story follows a man once employed by an institute that investigates holes — literal and metaphysical. His boss is a homeless lottery-winner-turned-philosopher with a pencil-shaped hole in her brain. That sounds like nonsense. It is nonsense. But in the hands of Michael Cisco, it’s also the kind of nonsense that makes you think you might be the one who's out of alignment with reality.

The narrator — plagued constantly by foot pain — spirals through fragmented memories, philosophical musings, and cryptic conversations with colleagues who may or may not be figments of his decaying sanity. The story (if that word still applies) bends like gravity around the Black Brane itself: dark, dense, and inescapably strange. The deeper you read, the more every sentence seems loaded with secret meaning, though that meaning keeps slipping just out of reach.

His prose is thick with imagery that made me flinch and reread — not because I didn’t understand, but because I wanted to understand. There’s beauty buried in the grotesque here.

This book asks a lot of you. It doesn't explain itself. It doesn’t hold your hand. It offers no easy takeaways. But if you’re willing to give yourself to it — if you’re open to feeling lost and exhilarated and occasionally frustrated — Black Brane is one of the most memorable, unnerving, and strangely moving reading experiences you’ll ever have.

Not for the faint of heart. But definitely for the weird at heart.

A smart, sharp addition to the publisher's growing weird fiction catalogue. It's great to see Clash committing further to artful genre books

This book was far too confusing - I'm all for dreamlike narration but this was well beyond that. It stopped me from getting into the story.

**Review: *Black Brane* by Michael Cisco – A Fever Dream of Pain, Science, and the Unknowable**

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

Michael Cisco’s *Black Brane* is an undeniably ambitious entry into the realm of weird fiction, blending surrealism, philosophy, and experimental horror into a disorienting, hallucinatory experience. However, while its prose is often hypnotic and its ideas fascinating, the book’s lack of narrative cohesion and its often impenetrable abstractions make it a challenging read that will likely divide audiences.

At the heart of the novel is Gross, a man suffering from an agonizing foot pain that seems to exist beyond conventional explanation. His recollections pull readers into the bizarre world of the Temporary Institute for the Study of Holes, where physics, mysticism, and the unknown merge in unsettling ways. Through shifting memories and fragmented scenes, we meet a cast of eccentric scientists and occultists whose work on black branes—the cosmic phenomena linked to black holes—unravels reality itself. The result is a novel that feels like both a fever dream and a puzzle missing half its pieces.

There’s no denying Cisco’s talent for crafting immersive and unsettling prose. His descriptions of pain, time distortion, and existential dread are striking, often evoking the work of Ligotti or Burroughs. However, *Black Brane* is not a novel that offers easy rewards. Its structure is elusive, its concepts layered in dense, often cryptic passages, and its plot—if it can even be called that—refuses to conform to traditional storytelling. While this works to create an atmosphere of profound unease, it also makes for an exhausting read, one that requires patience and a willingness to accept ambiguity.

For those who enjoy challenging, experimental fiction, *Black Brane* offers a unique, mind-bending experience. However, for readers seeking a clear narrative or a satisfying emotional payoff, the book’s fragmented nature and cerebral approach may feel more frustrating than rewarding. It’s an interesting exploration of pain, perception, and scientific horror, but one that often feels like an intellectual exercise rather than a fully realized novel.

**Final Verdict:** *Black Brane* is a thought-provoking but difficult read—more of an experience than a conventional story. It will appeal to fans of the abstract and the avant-garde, but its dense, elusive nature might alienate those looking for a more structured narrative. A compelling but ultimately uneven work in the landscape of weird fiction.

In Michael Cisco’s Black Brane (Clash Books, July 22, 2025), readers are introduced to Gross, a man suffering from a mysterious, relentless pain in his foot. Gross has no idea why his foot hurts. There are no visual indications of what is wrong, no other people present in his dimly lit sick room to share insights. And yet, as Gross invites us into his world of writhing anguish, he begins to hint that his condition is connected to his job as a clerical assistant at a research institute devoted to the study of holes.

A word of warning right as we begin. If you’re looking for a straightforward horror story, Black Brane will not be for you. Cisco’s nightmarish narrative loops and circles back on itself in ways that go beyond demanding your full attention and into active interpretation. Scenes of Gross interacting with his colleagues as they work to comprehend the nature of holes slide into moments of hallucinogenic terror as Gross, still back in his room, tries to accomplish simple tasks like using the bathroom or telling time. Characters’ actions fragment mid-scene as past events overlay each other in dizzying tableaus that could be the key to Black Brane’s mystery. Or they could mean nothing.

And yet, if you’re willing to hold on tight, Black Brane will reward those who enjoy the chaotic absurdism of dreams. In this world, a researcher can put their head inside a hole in a copper sheet and strain to learn the secrets of the universe; an abacus directs its user to locations where something important might happen; black hole particles are not only transportable, they can also be misplaced. The result is a Lewis Carroll-style world where anything is possible as long as it adheres to the logic of the lunatic. “… what makes the message a message is that you can notice it while you can’t notice where it’s from,” one character explains to Gross while they work. “You have to get the message first to know the from-ness is there.”
But Black Brane’s story is almost beside the point. Cisco’s talent with prose is undeniable and consistently worth the price of admission. Whether he is describing chronic pain (“It gathers its force for a new assault and likes to give me a bit of respite to sharpen the despair when it gets bad again”) or the experience of waking from a nap to discover its night (“I drifted into it without moving”), readers will be delighted with just how perfectly Cisco has captured the strange experience of being alive (“... there’s always the unfolding boom and rustle of my nervous system”).

Michael Cisco’s Black Brane is a cold plunge into a wonderful word of weird fiction. Go ahead and dive in.

This book felt a little too complicated for me to understand what was happening. Will maybe try another of this authors work but I just didn’t connect with this particular book. Thanks so much for the E-Arc

Thank you to Clash and NetGalley for the ARc in exchange for an honest review.

Black Brane is a Weird, hallucinatory blurring of time and space (room?), that plays around with jagon and theories of quantum mechanics, eastern mysticism and esoteric linguistics all in service of ultimately a quiet story about loss and death. How emotional and physical trauma transcend linear time and space. It's a hugely ambitious undertaking for such a short novella, but the sense of weirdness and unease is definitely sustained and enhanced by the progression from physics into magics. There's a larger world in Black Brane that we and the protagonist Gross can only briefly glimpse, and be equally fearful and amazed by.

This is a novel that I came to with little foreknowledge and maybe that was to this reader's detriment. It is experimental fiction and it doesn't necessarily work for me here. There are moments of incandescent prose, and other times where I am not sure what the intent was. Some of the dark fantastical themes and images are haunting and engaging, but it is ultimately frustrating as they aren't tied together in a cohesive manner. Now that is also the author's intent, and so recognizing that as I plodded along allowed me to respect it a little more than I would have if it was unintentional. It feels like an attempt to honor or pay homage to "House of Leaves" without the sprawling and more entangling aspects of that titan. It's a good book but it's not one I imagine I'll revisit.

Had to take some time to sit with this. It's a fun read but one that requires your focus. A lot of the psychological and metaphysical aspects flew over my head, but Cisco's prose kept pulling me in and I found myself lulled by the cadence of the writing and the pacing of the story. A good read for fans of weird fiction and sci-fi!

This book is ambitious and fun but for me I found it very hard to stay the course. I was often struggling to understand what was going on And while I believe that's largely the point I was starting to feel left behind and couldn't continue

"Black Brane" by Michael Cisco is an intriguing blend of psychological science fiction and eerie, almost paranormal undertones. Set in a contemporary world, the novel follows Gross, the protagonist, whose life takes a dramatic turn while working at an unconventional institute. The institute is led by a scientist with an obsession for studying mysterious "holes." Now mostly bedridden, Gross recounts his story entirely from his own perspective, which amplifies the sense of isolation and depth that permeates the narrative.

The novel delves deep into complex physics and metaphysical concepts, which left me reflecting long after I’d put the book down. To be honest, the experience of reading "Black Brane" can feel almost maddening at times. Its exploration of abstract, intangible ideas is both disorienting and fascinating. This approach, while overwhelming at times, is part of what makes the book so compelling. The characters are diverse and quirky, from the eccentric scientist to a psychic medium, each adding their unique flavor to the story.

While I found the characters intriguing, I was more captivated by the narrative itself than by individual relationships. The narrative's smooth pacing and meticulous editing contributed significantly to its readability, making even the most complex themes easier to follow. What truly drew me in was the book’s exploration of deep and often uncomfortable themes—pain, solitude, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. Despite the book’s surreal tone, some of its moments are surprisingly poignant, particularly when Gross reflects on his inner struggles.

Where the novel fell a bit short for me was its ending. It left me grappling with a sense of confusion, as I struggled to fully grasp the conclusion. Still, the journey itself was fascinating enough to keep me hooked.

Overall, I enjoyed "Black Brane" and would recommend it to fans of science fiction who appreciate stories that venture into the strange and surreal. It's definitely not a book for everyone, but if you enjoy weird fiction, "Black Brane" is worth checking out.

A widower seeking to forget his painful past, Mr. Gross finds employment at the TISH Institute, established by Dr. Shitansky to study holes. During his tenure, Gross finds himself mired in a quantum entanglement with the black hole NGC 1313 X-2.

He is a prisoner, a ghost, suffering constant pain in the unrelenting void of the black brane.

With elements of occultism, science fiction, horror, and philosophy, this bizarre, stream-of-consciousness manuscript is at best Lynchian and disorienting, and at worst punishingly incoherent. Quite possibly a triumph of “weird lit”, this is definitely for somebody, I’m just not entirely convinced that that somebody is me.

Thank you to CLASH Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

“Black Brane” by Michael Cisco is a wild, disorienting ride that can be overwhelming, especially for first-time readers of his work. The novel’s dense, abstract prose and hallucinatory narrative make for an intense reading experience that demands full immersion. While Cisco’s signature blend of horror, philosophy, and the surreal is intriguing, the book’s complexity and lack of clear structure made it difficult to fully grasp at times. I can see why some reviewers have said this isn’t the best entry point into his work. That said, I appreciate his unique style and will give another of his books a try in the future.

big thanks to CLASH and Netgalley for the arc.
I’m not saying I enjoyed this book as a piece of literature, but I enjoyed it as an experience in twisting my brain every which way it would go.
Two things I like thinking about it:
⁃ what this book is saying about the limits of knowledge, sanity and understanding
⁃ what this book is doing with plot. it’s not that the plot is difficult to grasp — no matter how long you take there just is no Fragrant Thread to grasp.

A poetic mindf*ck of a tale. At times reminded me of that poster which simulates what someone suffering from a stroke would visualize. I’ll have to admit my understanding of zero-point particles and string theory perhaps hindered my understanding of what transpired the second half but the flowery prose kept me following along, if not truly knowing the path.

Hi! This is my review of Black Brane by Michael Cisco.

I try not to do this very often, but I was not able to finish this book. I was captivated at the beginning by the flowery words and well-executed storytelling through the stream-of-thought format. As it went on, however, the plot seemed to halt and the book was filled with long descriptions of science that didn’t seem to pay off in any way. The mystery that has been built up since the beginning does not feel compelling or suspenseful. It has started to feel like a chore to read. I only got roughly halfway through.

I’m not sure if it picks up in the second half or if I didn’t like it because I’m not as accustomed to more unconventional weird fiction like this. I’m sure there is an appeal for books like this, but the plot didn’t seem to be moving very well.

Thanks!

If a fever dream were written down, it might feel something like this story. It’s surreal, abstract, and often disorienting, blurring the lines between pain, memory, and speculative science. The narrative doesn’t follow a traditional path, instead pulling the reader into a fragmented, dreamlike reality where meaning ebbs and flows.

The themes—existential dread, the limits of understanding, and the interplay of science and the occult—are fascinating and layered. The writing style mirrors these ideas, looping and spiraling in ways that feel deeply tied to the protagonist’s experience of pain. At times, this approach feels immersive and intentional, almost like an invitation to step into their fevered state of mind. But the repetition of phrases and ideas can dull their impact over time, making the narrative feel less dynamic in places.

This is a story that leans heavily on atmosphere and abstraction, encouraging readers to surrender their need for clarity and simply experience its strange, unsettling world. It’s a bold, unconventional style that might not work for everyone, but for those who enjoy experimental, thought-provoking fiction, it’s an experience worth exploring.

A wonderful stream of consciousness story of science pain and black bane. I thoroughly enjoyed this brief deep dive into these odd and focused characters!

Black Brane
Michael Cisco

Ok, so ...

Thomas Ligotti is one of my favorite literary horror authors.
Michael Cisco has now taken that spot.

Nihilistic, hallucinatory, poetic, horrific, absurd.

If you're in to "weird fiction" trust me when I say just read it.
Thank me later.

5 / 5