The prospect of a gruesome horror story set in the north pole, featuring cannibalism, the undead, and intense homoerotic yearning had me anticipating The prospect of a gruesome horror story set in the north pole, featuring cannibalism, the undead, and intense homoerotic yearning had me anticipating this novel with not a little enthusiasm. But turns out Ally Wilkes's zigging/zagging approach to storytelling and dense prose are just not my jam. I appreciate that she dealt her plot-cards out sparingly, one at a time, but I often found her narrative confusing and often found myself needing to check exactly *which* ship we were on here, and who exactly was this particular sailor, suddenly at the forefront, whom I only sort of remembered? A twisty split narrative slow burn is fine, but I would have appreciated a few more reader-friendly signposts along the way (a quick scan of other GR reviewers shows that I wasn't alone in getting temporarily lost here and there). Ultimately, you will want to take your time reading this, and maybe even jot a few notes down in between putting it down and picking it back up (I actually did that and it did help). This is more of a careful, dare-I-say literary read and not a pulp-fest (though there's some truly disgusting sequences to be found, which I mean as a total complement). Wilkes is also an assured wordsmith, and I ultimately found her story's denouement genuinely satisfying, which made it worth the struggle....more
Alonso Duralde writes the best and most fun LGBTQ+ film books. This one's a beaut—I read it cover to cover in like 2 days and now have a ton of titlesAlonso Duralde writes the best and most fun LGBTQ+ film books. This one's a beaut—I read it cover to cover in like 2 days and now have a ton of titles to visit (and revisit). A particularly perfect read for the month of June, for obvious reasons. ...more
Enjoyed this psychological thriller about Nella, a young black woman working at a major publishing house whose already fraught position in the nearly Enjoyed this psychological thriller about Nella, a young black woman working at a major publishing house whose already fraught position in the nearly all-white company becomes increasingly uneasy when another black woman named Hazel begins working there as well. Is Hazel deliberately undermining her or is it all in Nella's head? And what's with the ominous anonymous notes Nella's suddenly receiving? This is a well-written, prickly slow burn teeming with social subtext and rife with paranoia; along with the inevitable (but apt) Get Out comparisons, there's also a def Stepford Wives vibe here as well. After finishing this I checked out the miniseries adaptation on Hulu and it's also definitely worth your time. In fact I liked it even better, as it's more sharply plotted, with a stronger, more deliberate sense of humor laced throughout....more
Holly Gibney's best adventure yet. This time she's hired to look into the sudden disappearance of a young woman and runs afoul of a string of said disHolly Gibney's best adventure yet. This time she's hired to look into the sudden disappearance of a young woman and runs afoul of a string of said disappearances. I love how methodically Holly works, the way she puts things together little by little, slowly inching closer to the truth...while we readers, who have been made privy to most of what's been going on, inevitably begin to fear for her safety as the Venn diagram of her investigation and the villain's activities begin to intersect. I loved hating said villains, a pair of elderly professors with particularly nasty habits (deliberately leaving out any more details on them for the uninitiated). It all takes place at the height of the Covid era, and Holly's contempt for anti-vaxxers matches my own, so that's a bonus. I thoroughly enjoyed this (tore through the highly suspenseful final showdown) and will happily read any further Holly stories King wants to tell. ...more
I always enjoy Sergel's comics. These eight short stories pair his signature high contrast visuals with his darkly humorous interrogations of human beI always enjoy Sergel's comics. These eight short stories pair his signature high contrast visuals with his darkly humorous interrogations of human behavior. ...more
A real mind-bender indeed, this one had me worried for a bit there! The ever metastasizing storyline(s) had me occasionally needing to work extra hardA real mind-bender indeed, this one had me worried for a bit there! The ever metastasizing storyline(s) had me occasionally needing to work extra hard just to keep up, but Ward pulls it all together very satisfyingly by the end. Looking Glass Sound is a chilling, moving and thought-provoking read, with truly lovely prose. I'll be checking out past and future titles from Catriona Ward, to be sure. ...more
Suffused with death imagery, this is a dark and haunting graphic novel, set in 1943, examining the lasting damage of the holocaust. The last section iSuffused with death imagery, this is a dark and haunting graphic novel, set in 1943, examining the lasting damage of the holocaust. The last section in particular knocked me out....more
Pure reading pleasure from King. I like his novella collections perhaps best of all, as the stories tend to be more concise and focused. Plus getting Pure reading pleasure from King. I like his novella collections perhaps best of all, as the stories tend to be more concise and focused. Plus getting to read a quartet of short King novels in one volume is just something I look forward to.
Mr. Harrigan's Phone: a nice though minor ghost story, featuring a familiar Kingian trope: a piece of technology which serves as the agent of a haunting. His character work here is warmly engaging and the story provides a chill or two. ***
The Life of Chuck: Easily the highlight of the collection. A genuinely lovely piece of speculative fiction (presented in three parts) that swings high and comes up aces. Come to it w/o any prior knowledge and you'll be amply rewarded. Super impressed with this, it really showcases the breadth of King's vision. ****
If It Bleeds: the fifth story featuring the neurodivergent detective Holly Gibney, only this time she is truly center stage. This is simply a fun, fast-paced detective chiller diller which also provides some good background info on Holly's life and relatives (her mother is still awful but King deftly humanizes her so that we--and Holly--understand her better and hate her less). Now that I've read this tale I can finally read King's latest novel, Holly (featuring guess who). Feels good to be all caught up. ***
Rat: This one reminded me of "Fair Exchange," from King's 2010 collection, Full Dark, No Stars collection. Like that story, it features another evil Faustian bargain in parable-like fashion. It is very well done and creepy AF. ***1/2...more
Another page-turner from King, featuring a scary, inventive and diabolical villain, and the welcome return of Holly Gibney, the neurodivergent heroineAnother page-turner from King, featuring a scary, inventive and diabolical villain, and the welcome return of Holly Gibney, the neurodivergent heroine who graced the Bill Hodges trilogy and lives to fight evil once again. This one's a banger, folks. ...more
A "Bad Place" ghost story with an intriguing setup and complex, believable characters whose fates I immediately became invested in. I did feel a bit lA "Bad Place" ghost story with an intriguing setup and complex, believable characters whose fates I immediately became invested in. I did feel a bit let down with the narrative's scattered focus (I personally only needed to see things from the perspective of the three main characters & the old woman antagonist and no one else), which diluted the tension and minimized the chills as the story went along. I also found the denouement a perhaps bit convoluted. But this is worth a read: Compton writes with confidence and heart, and his theme of murder and injustice and the lasting evil they leave behind is a potent one. I note from some other readers some dissatisfaction with a major plot twist that goes unexplained, but I actually enjoyed it as a little mystery left behind to ponder. Ambiguity is a good thing!...more
November Garcia is a really fun autobio cartoonist in the rough and tumble, warts-is-all tradition of Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Dori Seda, and Julia WertzNovember Garcia is a really fun autobio cartoonist in the rough and tumble, warts-is-all tradition of Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Dori Seda, and Julia Wertz. This is a comprehensive collection of her career thus far. The "My Weepy Ex" comics threaded throughout the book in particular made me laugh out loud. ...more
Felt it was time to take a brief break from my current genre fiction binge to read a little contemporary literary fiction and this little Irish gem fiFelt it was time to take a brief break from my current genre fiction binge to read a little contemporary literary fiction and this little Irish gem fit the bill. Barry is a lyrical (but never precious) wordsmith and there's a big reveal near the end that I didn't see coming. If you like Irish lit would recommend. 3.5 outta 5...more
As Neil McRobert, host of the gr8 horror lit podcast Talking Scared put it, this collection of stories is "Not nice." Things start off with a bang witAs Neil McRobert, host of the gr8 horror lit podcast Talking Scared put it, this collection of stories is "Not nice." Things start off with a bang with the novella-length "Indiana Death Song", which, to be honest, none of the other stories--while all good to varying degrees--quite live up to, but Max Booth III is a true original, with a smooth, confident style, a dark midwestern sensibility, and an unflinching approach to the macabre. Recommend this to horror fans and look forward to reading more from Booth in the future, particularly something long form....more
A satisfying wrap-up to the trilogy—I gulped the final 200 or so pages down in one day (more than anything else, I wanted to see the villain, the irreA satisfying wrap-up to the trilogy—I gulped the final 200 or so pages down in one day (more than anything else, I wanted to see the villain, the irredeemably evil Brady Hartsfield, destroyed once and for all). Each one of the three books sucked me in quickly and efficiently, and were a lot of fun. Now with the Bill Hodges books wrapped up, I'm at last ready to read the Holly Gibney series and I'm looking forward to it....more
This second entry of King's Bill Hodges trilogy continues with the characters introduced in Mister Mercedes, with a healthy dash of Misery's obsessed This second entry of King's Bill Hodges trilogy continues with the characters introduced in Mister Mercedes, with a healthy dash of Misery's obsessed fandom mixed in. It's all highly readable and very entertaining but with a bit of a been-there-done-that feel, especially in the climax. But I love the set up for the final entry, which I immediately began after this. This is minor King but still fun....more
Really appreciate Cassidy's talent for writing convincingly and empathically from a middle-aged woman's perspective in this unique horror tale. The naReally appreciate Cassidy's talent for writing convincingly and empathically from a middle-aged woman's perspective in this unique horror tale. The narrative is wildly imaginative and always lively, but honestly I think it got bogged down somewhat in the second half, with one too many character revelations and two or three too many climaxes. It's overstuffed and it got a little exhausting for me. But this is def worth the time, esp as it paved the way for Cassidy's excellent second novel, Nestlings (published in 2023). I've recently heard Cassidy guesting on several literary horror podcasts and he's charismatic as all get out. Even if this book wasn't fully successful for me, I'm an official fan and look forward to whatever he produces next....more
Kyle Winkler does his Kyle Winkler thing again with this wild, weird and wonderful dark fantasy tale of librarians battling an ages-old menace that usKyle Winkler does his Kyle Winkler thing again with this wild, weird and wonderful dark fantasy tale of librarians battling an ages-old menace that uses books in a very specific way to spread its hungry hungry influence. Trust me, you will never guess all the odd-ass places this story will take you, and you may not be prepared for all of the ideas that Winkler stuffs the narrative with, but you'll always appreciate the ride....more
Human monsters vs actual monsters in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, with an innocent 9-year-old boy (with psychic powers!) trapped in thHuman monsters vs actual monsters in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, with an innocent 9-year-old boy (with psychic powers!) trapped in the middle of it all. This page-turner has the same propulsive power as Fracassi's Boys in the Valley as well as that book's quality of horror with heart—I actually misted up a couple of times. All in all, it's a terrific read and I'm surprised this hasn't been more widely discussed....more
A southern gothic / cosmic horror mashup with a good dose of Stephen Kingian flair but a beautiful poetic bent that is all Davidson's own. I thought iA southern gothic / cosmic horror mashup with a good dose of Stephen Kingian flair but a beautiful poetic bent that is all Davidson's own. I thought it was perhaps a little overlong (with the climax being particularly protracted) but its horrifying supernatural antagonist is one I won't soon forget. ...more
Interesting, thoughtful, anxiety-ridden tale of a misanthropic African American film critic and his ill-fated family trip to one of those family amuseInteresting, thoughtful, anxiety-ridden tale of a misanthropic African American film critic and his ill-fated family trip to one of those family amusement resort places that would fill most anyone with at least a little bit of hate. Wondering about some of the nasty reviews for this below that basically refuse to take this story or the (admittedly unpleasant) lead character on their own terms, choosing instead to be gatekeepers ("this isn't horror!" - oh yeah? Says *you*) and deciding that a highly-flawed, unlikeable protagonist should be judged and immediately dismissed rather than examined and placed within the context of what the author might be trying to say. I deem this worth reading at any rate, and I have to say I'm loving this series of read-in-one-to-two sittings stories now available for kindle owners. They're a good way to scratch that dark fiction itch....more
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