Producer Nik vs I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200

Nikolas learns an important lesson: imaginary friends can be horrifying. His tutor in this lesson is Robert Brockway.

To bright an anxious eight-year-old Kay Washington, the worst thing in the world is being alone with the quiet. That’s why Eddie Video makes the perfect imaginary friend: He’s smart, he’s loud, he loves pulling pranks, and he’s always there to chase away the silence.

To mid-forties, down-on-his-luck Ivan, the worst thing in the world happened when he lost his imaginary friend. Now cursed with the ability to see everyone else’s, Ivan makes a living by killing the imaginary friends of adults who couldn’t let go. But when one of Eddie Video’s “pranks” goes too far, Ivan agrees to make an exception and help Kay.

Only Ivan will soon learn that Eddie Video is nothing like the talking ostriches, star bears, and goblin princesses he’s encountered in the past, and it’s going to take a lot more than clumsy haymakers and steak knives to bring him down. A balance of comedy and catharsis, this dual-narrative tackles both the fear of growing up and the scars our childhood leaves behind.

Title: I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200

Author: Robert Brockway

Genre: Horror / Comedy / Fantasy

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover / eBook / Audiobook

I became a fan of Robert Brockway’s wit and style of writing back when he was still writing regular columns for Cracked. I’ve continued being a fan of Brockway’s work since he began writing novels around a decade ago, and this latest title reaffirms my appreciation of his uniquely irreverent yet poignant literary voice. It’s fun and funny, but it’s so much more than that.

Despite the story being rich in imagination—which makes sense, considering the focus of the book—it’s truly the characters that make this novel great. Ivan and Kay are both such fantastic characters, and it’s fascinating to experience the narrative unfolding around the two of them, from their vastly different perspectives. Similarly, it’s captivating to delve into Eddie Video, what he really is, and how terrifying he’s capable of being.

Ivan may start off being a bit more difficult to relate to, but he perfectly showcases the sort of arrested development one might exhibit after going through a trauma like what he experienced in his adolescence. It’s even more reasonable if we take the time to imagine what life is like for someone who can see and hear the imaginary friends of children and adults wherever he goes. That alone would probably be sufficient to drive most of us out of our minds. It’s far worse, knowing he’s in serious danger if they discover that he can see them. Sure, he’s fine if we’re just talking about something silly and cute, but not all imaginary friends are born of a need for companionship…some are born out of fear, and a need for protection.

But no amount of experience with other people’s imaginary friends—no matter how terrifying they might be—could prepare Ivan for what he encounters when he meets Kay Washington and the increasingly dangerous, manipulative, and malicious Eddie Video.

Prepare to question the nature of reality as you explore the impact of grief and childhood trauma, the importance of connection for both children and adults, and the power of imagination.

If you enjoy movies like Drop Dead Fred or the series Happy!, you’re almost certainly going to enjoy the hell out of this one.

Nikolas P. Robinson is an avid consumer of books, movies, and television, especially where horror, science fiction, and fantasy are concerned. When he isn’t consuming media, he’s creating it as an author, photographer, videographer, and news producer in Portland, Oregon.

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