Hello all! I am back for the third time to talk about Tales From the Gas Station Volume Three.
I have a love hate relationship with this entry, but I’m excited to talk about it. I’m also really curious to know if anyone feels the same way or had similar thoughts going in, so if this is one you’ve read I would truly love to hear what your experience with it was.
But for now, we have to get into my thoughts.
My Pitch
This is a great continuation of Jack’s story. If you’ve read the first two, I would definitely recommend continuing, but I would also proceed with some caution. The tone in this one is darker, and undeniably more horror-based than the other two.
While there are still plenty of laughs to be found, it’s also the most emotionally trying of the three entries thus far.
A Brief Synopsis
Volume Three sees Jack put into a situation where he struggles more than ever to tell what is real from his sleep-deprived fantasies. This, combined with the fear of being unwanted and ending up entirely alone, makes for a harrowing albeit not humorless experience. The gas station, the town, and all of its residents are threatened with stakes that feel higher than ever.
What Worked For Me
I was terrified to start this one the first time I read it. I remember this section of the online updates being very tragic for a comfort listen, and I was in sort of a dark place when the book came out.
While it is the darkest of the three books by far, I think the book format balances the serious topics and the compromised mental health of the narrator in a way that feels more even than its original, online counterpart. Expanding certain sections and changing the pacing truly did help the third volume feel like less of an outlier.
There were, as always, several elements that really worked for me about this book, but I’ve tried to choose ones that are localized to this particular volume, and not the series as a whole.
Unreliable Narrator
Every installation has hit the “unreliable narrator” trope a little bit harder. This is established in the first book when we learn about Jack’s terminal insomnia causing vivid hallucinations, time loss, and issues with his long term memory. It’s furthered by the visits to his therapist in the second volume, where we were reminded to doubt even Jack’s account of events in the book.
This volume dials that plot thread up to eleven.
Even as events are unfolding Jack is struggling to tell who is themselves, what all is influencing his brain, and who/what he can trust with his life and the future of the town. It was very isolating, tense, and impeccably well executed.
Horror
Continuing on that note, I think this is the easiest volume to categorize as straight horror. While I would classify any creepypasta era r/nosleep story as inherently a horror story by association, Tales From the Gas Station plays with subgenres as a series. The first two volumes border on horror comedy or even dark fantasy.
This one plays with more horror subgenres. There’s the eldritch horror, the zombie horror, and the medical horror which have all been staples that loom over the series. This also touches on psychological horror and isolation horror in a way that feels much darker than what we had seen from Townsend previously.
As a fan of horror, I would be very curious to see what he is capable of in regards to writing darker fiction.
Ending
I think that Townsend is great at knowing when to end a book. Volumes One and Two ended on more hopeful and lighter notes respectively. Volume Three ends on an absolute bombshell of a twist that completely re-contextualizes everything we thought we knew.
It got me so excited to read Volume Four, and I can’t believe I’ll finally be getting that chance soon.
The Audiobook
Since I only have the physical edition of Tales From the Gas Station Volume Four, this is the last one of these reviews I’ll say this in, but the audiobook is fantastic. MrCreepyPasta does a great job capturing the tone and characters once again, and if you like listening to your stories this is a necessity for your Audible library.
Conclusion
While this is a darker book, it is true to the series in spirit. I know I had a blast with it, even on this third re-read, and I’m grateful to have had this opportunity to revisit the series before moving into the latest volume.
I cannot wait for my next review where I finally get to move into new territory for me and bring you all along for the ride.
Until then, happy reading!
Cat Voleur is a published writer of dark, speculative fiction and full-time horror journalist. In addition to freelancing scripts and articles on the genre, you can find her co-hosting the Slasher Radio podcast. She currently resides in a house with her army of rescue felines. When she isn’t writing, gaming, or consuming horror content, she will undoubtedly be pursuing her passion for fictional languages. You can find Cat’s work on her website, and don’t forget to follow her on Twitter. If you’re interested in learning more about Cat, check out her origin story.
