Let’s begin with my Booklist review of a title that was a part of yesterday’s Lovecraft giveaway. [You still have until Thursday to enter, but you need to follow the directions here.]
What the #@&% Is That: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre
Edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen
Sept. 2016. 368p. Saga, hardcover, $26.99 (9781481434997). First published September 1, 2016 (Booklist).
When a regular person sees a funny Internet meme, they forward it on to their friends and colleagues through social media, but when two award winning speculative fiction editors stumble upon a Lovecraft inspired one that used artwork by legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, this amazing collection is the result. Bestselling authors like Seanan McGuire, Scott Sigler, Jonathan Maberry, Grady Hendrix and more were asked to contribute a story about a monster with the only catch that at some point in their tale, a character had to exclaim, “ What the #@&% Is That!” With twenty stories, ranging from hilarious to truly terrifying, this is a great option to hand to patrons. Have them read their favorite authors first and then skip around to try someone new. It is also fun to predict who and when the title will be used in each story, and what word will be substituted for the symbols (which if you read the introduction, you learn is called a grawlix). In particular, Laird Barron’s story which opens the collection not only showcases his talent to a more mainstream audience, but also perfectly sets the tone for what is to come throughout the volume. A great choice for those who enjoyed the popular collection Rogues edited by George RR Martin and Gardner R Dozios.
Three Words That Describe This Book: best selling authors, monsters, varied tone
Next is another review, but unlike the new stories above, this collection is only of classic stories.
This Way to the End Times: Classic Tales of the Apocalypse
Silverberg, Robert (editor).
Oct. 2016. 456p. Three Rooms, paperback, $19.95 (9781941110478); e-book (9781941110485). First published October 1, 2016 (Booklist).
Apocalyptic fiction is still a very hot trend, but as award winning science fiction writer and editor of this collection, Robert Silverberg notes in the introduction, it’s hardly a new one: “...humankind seems to take a certain grisly delight in stories about the end of the world, and the market in apocalyptic prophecy has been bullish for thousands, or, more likely, millions of years.” Silverberg emphatically proves this statement with the twenty-one stories he has gathered by a variety of modern authors, living and dead, from Jules Verne to Brian Aldiss and Ursula Le Guin to Connie Willis. Each story begins with a detailed and engaging introduction by Silverberg that sets each tale in context, both its own historical one and how it holds up to readers today. All are intriguing examples of the popular trope, but of particular note is the viscerally chilling and highly original 1977 story “The Screwfly Solution” by James Tiptree, Jr. [born Alice Bradley] the oft forgotten author whose name graces a prestigious genre award. With its range of contributors from today’s best sellers to genre giants, this is a much needed volume that will both satisfy the high demand for apocalyptic tales and remind readers of the actual breadth and depth of this literature of the end of the world.
YA: This collection is perfect for teen readers who have either exhausted the YA supply of apocalyptic tales or are beginning to outgrow them. This book will open their eyes to many “new to them” authors.
Three Words That Describe This Book: apocalypse, classics, thought provoking
Get your hands on both of these anthologies for your libraries. They will have a wide readership.
But I am about more than just reviews here on RA for All: Horror. My main goal is to teach you to be better at serving your horror readers. So, to help show you how great horror stories can be, I want to give you some to read for yourself.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Included in this giveaway are two story collections by a single author:
- A Natural History of Hell by Jeffrey Ford
- Otherworld Chills by Kelley Armstrong [review to appear in a future issue of Booklist]
And two anthologies:
- This Way to the End Times edited by Robert Silverberg [reviewed above]
- Nightmares: A New Decade of Modern Horror edited by Ellen Datlow [review appearing in a future issue of Booklist]
Together, these four volumes represent a very wide range of horror, and each is short so you don’t have to invest a lot of time on each author. If you don’t like an author or a particular story, skip it.
If you want to enter, send an email with “Stories” as the subject heading to zombiegrl75 at gmail dot com. In the body simply include your name and that you want to enter. No need to send me your address unless you win.
I must receive your email to enter by 5pm Central Time on Friday 10/7. I will use Random.org to pick a winner and contact you on Friday.
One entry per email address.
Good luck.
Please remember, these are Advanced Reader Copies I read for review. You cannot add them to your collection or sell them. You can pass them on to as many readers as you wish, however.
Back tomorrow with our first guest post. Hmmm, who could it be..... You’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out.
No comments:
Post a Comment