Review: Books of Blood: Volumes 1-3

5 stars. As expected, this was excellent. Foundational. Really fun, and funny, and full of writing that is original and captivating. It’s like a box of wonders - each story is distinctively Barker but totally unique. I didn’t expect to close it feeling like I’d read the mothertext for so many horror stories that have come along since. The influence of this one is strong!!

Leaning towards dark fantasy at times, and with what now feels like classic eighties flair, Volume 1 explores themes of death, desire, sin, darkness, art, and more. “The Book of Blood” (admittedly not my fave) sets us up nicely, followed by:

• “The Midnight Meat Train” (a more New Yorkish horror story does not exist)

• “The Yattering and Jack” (superb, satisfying)

• “Pig Blood Blues” (dark, surprising, scary)

• “Sex, Death and Starshine” (cutting but very warm)

• “In the Hills, the Cities” (famous for a reason - the hype is real, very strange but mind blowing)

I’ve only read the Abarat books by Clive Barker, but I’ve been obsessed with them my whole life, so I guess it makes sense this would click with me. But it clicks with a lot of readers, and if you enjoy horror that drives a sense of gleeful fun alongside the scares, it will click with you too. Barker definitely has his… kinks, for lack of a better word (actually that might be the perfect word for it), but they come across beautifully here. There’s some really lovely writing, for a book so brutal and gory and disturbing.

From saviors to “villains” to every unfathomable creature in between that tries to deal with things like betrayal, true nature, injustice, evil, death itself, there really is only one path: madness. I really enjoyed this journey and can’t wait to continue it in the next book of volumes.

Books of Blood: Volumes 1-3 on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: North American Lake Monsters

4 stars. I love the entire spectrum of horror - from light to dark, from fun to bleak, from intense to agonizing to academic, refreshing or comedic. I just went from a pretty lighthearted, trope-y collection to an absolutely devastating one, and found deep satisfaction in each. Of course everybody has their limits - and I almost DNF'd this after hitting mine (my fault - I didn't check TWs) - but I was glad I powered through my personal resentments because this is the type of thought-provoking book that will stay with me for a long time. It's disturbing, reflective, and creative.

Featuring unique takes on werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and aliens, this collection's 9 stories guarantee a gut punch (or two, or many). While maybe not scary in the traditional sense, there is plenty of intensity to go around. I know it's kind of cliche at this point to say things like "the real horror is the economic anxiety" or "the supernatural elements reflect the dark nature of humanity," but Ballingrud's stories here are the very, very best examples of these ideas. 

North American Lake Monsters is cleverly titled, because it chews on America in some truly fascinating ways. Masculinity, especially, is on display here, as is that particular American odor of racism, otherness, paranoia... our treatment of others. There is so much to unpack and far more intelligent reviewers than I will do it happily - just know going in that this is different, very different from Wounds; very well-written; very dark; and very uncomfortable, in a good way.

North American Lake Monsters on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Rules of the Road

5 stars. OF COURSE, after a long reading slump, I went into this with low expectations, thinking it would be a solid 3 star read at best. OF COURSE it would be this one to snap me out of it, a debut with a long list of mediocre reviews from readers who didn't even finish it AND a kind of gimmicky premise. I just really enjoyed it. I found it to be fun and funny and mean and nasty in all the right ways. 

It's late at night, you're on the road. You've been on the road for awhile, with nothing but headlights to guide you. Maybe you're in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you're getting sleepy, so you turn on the radio. Maybe, instead of Top 40 or Classic Rock, you hear the voice of a DJ, a voice that seems to suck you in. Maybe he drops some specific details, and seems to know a little too much about you. As you listen, he preaches to you a rule: a rule of the road. Hopefully, you listen. Maybe, you don't. 

The book is presented as a collection of stories submitted by folks who have supposedly heard versions of this special, spooky broadcast. Each individual hears a different rule, and acts accordingly - sometimes in compliance, sometimes with defiance. Either way, each of them faces consequences beyond belief. Why are some people punished, others spared, others forced into loss or terrible tragedy? What's the system? Who is the DJ? Where are the answers?

It's addicting, this one. The writing flows and the fast pace really keeps you engaged. The stories are - as many reviewers have pointed out - a little repetitive, but I didn't mind at all, and they were ultimately very distinct - distinct enough to keep me guessing. It's also not just premise, or gimmick. There are some super dark, meaty themes here - really it's partly a book about America, just as it's partly a book about music, and partly a book about love, and partly a book about death. The quest to find the meaning of life is certainly not a new one, nor is a bleak resolution to the quest. But the author here infuses enough heart and soul and warm creativity that you sense some deep, meaningful shit between these pages. I would like to read it again.

Of course I loved the superficial surface-level stuff too. The tropes, the monsters, the cosmic lore, the cheesy moments. The twists! So many fun twists. The clever details. I just really loved it, and would've been happy to sink my teeth into a few more episodes/stories. Adapt this immediately as a podcast or an anthology film! I've used the word "fun" like 50 times but I'd use it again! Loved it.

The Rules of the Road on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil

3 stars. Very, very interesting piece of literary horror here. It's extremely meta - writing for writers, I think - and references current events, politics, cultural touchpoints, etc. But even at its most proselytizing / sanctimonious, I kind of dug it. Horror is not a new lens through which to examine very real-life things like racism, immigration, sexism, injustice, politics, etc., but this felt really fresh all the same. Would be great on a college syllabus.

Craft is a collection of short stories woven together by a writer who slept with the Devil one Halloween night decades ago. These stories feature a wide range of premises, concepts and formats - from magical realism to body horror to hauntings to surrealism - and they are all incredibly captivating in their own ways. I wouldn't exactly call it subtle or particularly groundbreaking, but it is fascinating, eye-opening and unique.

And what a week I picked to read something like this. My American bones ache these days and I am grateful for brilliant stories to help me process. They are surprisingly warm for taking place in such a cold, dark world. I recommend.

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Dark Tales

4 stars. Proud of myself for finishing a book, although it probably took me twice as long as it normally would have to get through these wonderful stories. Nobody needs me to talk about why Shirley Jackson is an icon - truly, there isn't a single word out of place in any of these bangers - and now that I'm sort of used to her cadence, I'm going to miss being able to rely on her satisfying twists. 

There's an assortment of delights here, some focused on the spooky and supernatural, others dark fantasy, still others the disturbingly dark side of humanity. Some of these stories are predictable - telegraphed by the title - and others sneak up on you, landing with a heart-thumping jolt. Some will really stick with me. I woke up one morning thinking about Louisa, Please Come Home, and The Bus - my favorite - will probably dance around in my head for weeks. I'll defend the perfect end of The Summer People to anyone who asks.

As always, Shirley explores - I would maybe even say, turns upside down - themes such as family, memory, small towns, marriage, friendship, and seems to delight in painting for us the many faces of evil. Each story is like an episode of The Twilight Zone, with slightly different levels of noise and flavor and tone. Not all of them are accessible (The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith is kind of opaque), but all of them are a joy to read. She's a master at distracting you - immersing you - before pulling out the rug.

Dark Tales is a classic that belongs as part of the horror curriculum. I look forward to slowly making my way through all of the Shirley classics, because it's nice to gulp down her crunchy prose, but also, it's fun to see how her legacy lives on in the horror it has inspired. Don't make my mistake - this is not meant for April/May. Read this in October.

Dark Tales on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Howls from the Dark Ages

3 stars. This book is a super disgusting, bloody fun time. It seems to me like Between Two Fires sparked a huge interest in medieval horror - but nothing has lived up to its success since (not surprising, considering it's one of the best books I've ever read). Howls from the Dark Ages makes a valiant attempt. And I kind of want more.

While some of these stories are standouts, there isn't really a bad one in the bunch. Each one was the perfect length for my commute on the train. From a medieval perspective, there's a lot to enjoy: castles, dusty manuscripts, flickering candles, shining armor, bloody swords, heavy crowns. And from a horror perspective, there's something for everyone: creeping dread, extreme revenge, body horror, religious fear and trauma, monsters, creatures, evil in every shape and form - fungi, even. And as with all great horror each story explores how humanity fits into it all - its temptations and capacity to embrace darkness the scariest thing of all.

My favorites included In Thrall to This Good Earth, The Final Book of Sainte Foy's Miracles, A Dowry For Your Hand, and The Fourth Scene. Many of the images from these will stick with me for a while. Putting together an anthology like this must have been a ridiculous challenge: everyone involved deserves applause for including such variety considering the common threads plus the tropes we all know, love, and expect. The central narrator/tour guide was a clever touch and while kind of gimmicky I couldn't help but smile at it. 

I'm not typically a short story girly but I'm learning to enjoy and appreciate their value. I'll be checking out many of these author's additional works and keeping an eye out for more medieval horror to come. Absolutely worth your time, especially during spooky season, if you dare...

Howls from the Dark Ages on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Willows

5 stars. I found this terrifying. Everything about it: its familiar premise, the fresh path it carves, its tidy, concise plot, its words and sentences and sequences, its ending... it really spooked me. I would have loved to study this in a class and dissect it until I know what makes it tick, or until I discover that it bloomed from the magic of right time, right place, right idea, right author. The word that comes to mind is masterpiece.

It's a simple predicament: our unnamed narrator and his Swedish companion, after having traveled many miles via canoe on the Danube, stop for the night on an isolated island absent of life except for many crowded willows. They set up camp, gather some driftwood and settle in for the night. Soon it becomes clear, quite predictably, that something isn't quite right with the island - the river is rising, the wind is deafening, the willow branches sway, and something else... something otherworldly... doesn't want them to leave. 

It does sound a bit cheesy. In fact I think I went into this expecting cheesy. Or maybe I was expecting cliches. It's so much more than that. "There was a suggestion here of personal agency, of deliberate intention, of aggressive hostility, and it terrified me into a sort of rigidity." I was not ready for the crazy cosmic twists and turns this story takes - and yes, I know some folks argue that it isn't horror, it's weird, but often I find weird horrifying, so I'll say it's both. It's deeply unsettling, disturbing, creative in a way I haven't encountered before. It's very, very obvious that the author maybe... wanted to believe, or wanted to be open, or was sort of... daydreaming up the situation as though fantasizing. It almost felt personal. Which gives it that extra disturbing edge.

I find it really fascinating that packed into this short story is so much psychological self-analysis. The narrator is telling us the story from the future, recalling a memory, and he details almost every twist or shift of emotion he experiences, sometimes in the length of a second or a moment. From awe to disbelief to dread to confusion to "curious excitement" to mistrust to fear to deep, existential terror - we are along for every step of the ride. "Yet what I felt of dread was no ordinary ghostly fear. It was infinitely greater, stranger, and seemed to arise from some dim ancestral sense of terror more profoundly disturbing than anything I had known or dreamed of."

What I also admire is that, for all the atmospheric detail included, there's very little context about the characters. They are virtually without identity. We're told again and again to include context around characters - especially in horror - so the emotional stakes feel high. This proves that technique less required. The author peppered in just enough clues, but really it's his insane adeptness at writing terror that makes it irrelevant.

That ending!

The Willows on: Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org