**spoiler alert** This was my first foray into Michael Clark’s writing and it was an enjoyable one. The story mainly deals with Tim, man who buys a ha**spoiler alert** This was my first foray into Michael Clark’s writing and it was an enjoyable one. The story mainly deals with Tim, man who buys a haunted farmstead with a particularly bloody history in the hopes of flipping it for profit after being left on economically shaky ground post-divorce & the woman whose fury won’t leave this place. I appreciate stories that focus on entities that haven’t been done completely to death and this one features revenants.
From what I can gather, this story was originally published as several books rather than the contained binding we now find it in and I can’t exclude the possibility that some of the things that I had hangups about are linked to that; the pacing seems off in places ,the main characters a bit simplistic and the story could do with some editing to make it flow better and flesh out the characters (some seem introduced solely as canon fodder). I also found the beginning a bit too generous with sayings & the voices and setting a bit muddled; the story’s set in the 70s and this line stuck out to me: “Sheila was the queen of gaslighting, even though gaslighting hadn’t been invented yet” - stuff like this has a tendency to jolt some readers out of the setting and I wish they’d gone for something more era-appropriate, be it “manipulation” or “mental warfare”. There’s also an unfortunate mixup between descendants vs ancestors which I wish had been picked up before publication. I’m left with a enjoyable vengeance story but with enough issues to warrant a 3 rather than 4 for the time being. Oddly enough, Andrew (who’s mainly introduced towards the tail end) stands out as the only character I found particularly engaging while in left somewhat indifferent to the plight of the others. I’ll point out that the 1st part contains the main issues for me and that it improves a lot after this and is well worth a read especially if you happen to feel nostalgia for old school pulp. ...more
This was a frustrating read, and for those looking for the tl;dr: a thoroughly disappointing reading experience wheThe 11th read from my Filipino TBR.
This was a frustrating read, and for those looking for the tl;dr: a thoroughly disappointing reading experience where the highlight might just be a massive printing error where at least 6 pages of the story were left blank.
I really wanted to like this one and the premise sounded good: A journalist finds himself back in his childhood town where people and livestock are disappearing at an alarming rate. Even some of the thematics could have lent themselves to a great story: eco-horror, real political friction, the weird and an infusion of folk horror. Alas, I’m left with a confused mess due to a combination of factors:
-the author’s style: The characterizations of parts of the lgbtq community are at best cartoonish and leaning awfully close to outright offensive, the MC is a massive creep with *the worst* internal monologues I’ve had the misfortune of reading for many years (the closest comparisons can be drawn to some of the most inane 80s pulp characters of yore) & repetitive language (which I’ll admit might also be partly due to the translator). A particularly egregious example includes this scene (where his love interest is bawling her eyes out while worrying for her grandma):
“Lumen’s breasts were deadly weapons, sticking into Mong’s chest. They seemed to say, “This is a stickup!” Instead of him raising his hand, something else stood at attention. Warmth spread over Mong’s shoulders as Lumen’s tears and saliva drenched his shirt. He was possessed by the spirit of lust. Conflicting thoughts wrestled in his mind. “You sumbitch, have a little pity for the poor girl. Well, have a little pity for the old trouser serpent! He hasn’t eaten in weeks! Asshole, your mom just died! What the hell does your mom have to do with your dick?” ………….
-the translation: the English translation is not the best and it’s glaringly obvious that the translator wasn’t a native speaker and seems to draw a lot from dated American movies. There’s a running theme of “hot damn” & “sumbitch” repeated throughout the story ad nauseam. I don’t know who to blame more; it might boil down to the author leaning towards the repetitive in his native language, lack of editing services or lack of experience on the translator’s part (it is fine to leave out some of these entries without the story suffering if you can’t find an alternative term).
-Editor: I refuse to believe this has seen any form of editing; at least after its translation into English.
-Printing: at least 6 pages (possibly even more, I can’t be arsed to double check) of the story were left blank due to a massive printing error. Honestly, at this point it might very well be that those missing pages ended up being a blessing for me.
I’ve been gifted a great number of fantastic Filipino stories but this might just be the worst of the lot by a long shot....more
**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this by the publisher but it has not had any bearing on my thoughts on the **spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this by the publisher but it has not had any bearing on my thoughts on the book.
This was my gateway to Ivy Grimes’ writing and what I was left with was a thoroughly odd and delightfully quirky Amish gothic fairytale about two sisters (one of whom marries a man of Bluebeardian ancestry), a nephew of God & a talking possum bound for resurrection. -There’s nothing conventional about this story; no firm red line guiding you through the tale. On the other hand you get lots of strange metaphors, slightly batty ex-wife ghosts and an interesting fairytale with social commentary barely hidden beneath the surface of a story that is ultimately about sisterhood (with all its complexities). Great intro to Grimes (I will definitely be back for more).
**spoiler alert** This marks the 8th read from my Filipino TBR.
It’s close, but I think I might like this one even better than Seek Ye Whore. Seems Tan**spoiler alert** This marks the 8th read from my Filipino TBR.
It’s close, but I think I might like this one even better than Seek Ye Whore. Seems Tan goes from strength to strength for every book of hers I pick up, so I’ll just have to make sure I keep buying them. It’s becoming abundantly clear that Tan has a way of effortlessly bridging the gap between the fantastic and our own world and I’m left feeling closer to my mother’s home country than I ever have. There’s some absolute stunners in this collection that will stay with me for a long time to come.
An overview of the stories can be found below and I’ve marked my favorites with an “*”
-The Child Abandoned: A grandmother’s tale of about her younger sister who became obsessed with the river & whose death ushered in a great change. Eco-fantasy merges with saints & Filipino folklore.
-The Bridge: A gifted child, the ruthless politician’s wife and a creature of the water out for revenge. The descriptions of the lady brought a certain ex president’s wife to mind.
-Delivering the Goods: A courier catering to criminals has seen most of what the shadowy parts of society is willing to do but even he isn’t left unmoved by his latest task. There’s no supernatural aspects in this story, making it all the more harrowing.
-Boss, Ex?: Futuristic adult movie sales leads a man down memory lane a bit too close for comfort.
-Waking the Dead:* Bereavement and grief has made Gorio desperate. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to get his loved one back even if it has been 57 years.
-Stella for Star: * Someone leaves a baby by the door of a gay couple who’ve been wanting to adopt a child. As is often the case, gifts don’t come for free and there’s more to this baby girl that meets the eye.
-Kulog:* A kapre who doesn’t like human neighbors tries to scare them away by making them think the place is haunted. That is, until he makes an unlikely friend. Merging societal issues of abuse and alcoholism with old beliefs, this is another great Tan story that sets folklore in our current day and age and has them interact in new and interesting ways.
-Fade to Nothing: Muralist David has a deeply complicated relationship with his roommate Felicia. Part muse, part love interest and part possession (obsession), this toxic relationship walks deftly on a line of ambiguity. How much (and who) is real and how much is rooted in someone’s imagination.
-Daddy: Yvette Tan herself steps into this touching story where she starts receiving calls from her deceased father who has something to tell her. Inconclusive ending, it ends up being strangely relatable to me (although I haven’t received any calls, I did lose my father less than a year ago)
-Stars: Something has been making islands disappear and torturing the tourists who used to be at this specific resort; both by a mysterious bleeding illness and deadly dreams. Fast forward to the members of an ill-fated para-scientific group and their fight against what rises from the waters of this island. Filipino cosmic horror done well.
-Sidhi: We’re back in the town of the saintly Child Abandoned. The magical world and ours has long since merged and a festival is taking place. Drug fueled hazes combines with the god-touched in this story where a woman gets a type of salvation she wasn’t aware she needed. There’s a line of toxic relationships and manipulation that runs just beneath the current of the more overt supernatural aspects of this one....more
**spoiler alert** The 6th read from my Filipino TBR. -It’s taken me a long time to get here, but I finally found someone who was able to source a coupl**spoiler alert** The 6th read from my Filipino TBR. -It’s taken me a long time to get here, but I finally found someone who was able to source a couple of Yvette Tan’s books for me in the Philippines. These books are surprisingly difficult to get overseas. After the long wait I was a little bit worried I’d hyped these books (this + Waking the Dead) to myself so much that I’d ended up doing them a disservice; but I’m glad to say I was wrong. Some of these stories are absolute stunners and Tan is a master of taking the mundane, quintessential Filipino experiences and lore and turning them in a way that evokes a sense of deep feeling or contemplation that transcends borders. I can only hope that these books will soon make their way into the international markets for more people to get to know her writing.
The collection features stories of love, lust, loss & absolution. All written with a deep rooted understanding of what makes people tick and one that brings out some of the very best in Filipino writing. Tan knows mankind, including the parts we’d prefer to keep hidden.
You’ll find an overview of the stories below (and I’ve marked the ones that resonated with me the most with an “*”)
1st half/Demon Summoning Made Easy: Introduction: -Fresh Fruit for Rotting Corpses: In a world currently overrun by zombies, two friends set out to make the closest thing to a perfect meal. A task far easier said than done. Although I’ve yet to come across any undead, the single mindedness re:food felt oddly relatable (like the BF of my Filipino-Norwegian friend once said: “you haven’t even finished your meal and you’re already thinking about what you’re going to eat later”)
-The Last Moon: A girl is accidentally whisked away on a quest to stop a dragon from devouring the last of 7 moons. Rich in Filipino folklore and a reminder of how much of a difference small acts (and smaller beings) can make.
-Lost Girl: A coming-of-age-tale about a girl who keeps disappearing into the abandoned hallway of a school in her mind. Epileptic seizures or something more? Highlights the transient nature of all things.
-Fold Up Boy:* A school girl finds herself haunted by a ghost from her locker. This made me look up The Sangley Rebellion and I almost wish I hadn’t. This + the real event it draws on still lingers in my mind days later.
-Ronnie Joins the Band: A short and comforting vignette about what heaven might look like for a musician.
2nd half/Advanced Demonology Booster Pack: -All the Birds:* Avery’s friend Anne is dying and she’s there to tend to her. A tale of lost loves, birds and maybe, just possibly, the hint of an aswang hidden between the pages of this bittersweet story
-The Club: A business man drops by a seedy club that offers something quite more than just a regular peep show.
-Dead Season:* Alon finds himself searching for his GF in an odd secluded village only to be told that she died when she didn’t listen and ventured out at night. Unable to make his way back to civilization before dark, he’s forced to spend the night with voices beckoning him. Great and unsettling folk horror at its best
-Her Room Was Her Temple:* A man expecting his first child finds himself unable to resist a sex worker at a particular brothel. As the obsession deepens, there’s nothing he won’t sacrifice for more time with her. Genuinely gnarly.
-Seek Ye Whore:* In what might just be my favorite story of the lot, we’re acquainted with Foster who (inspired by his colleague) opts in for a Filipina mail order bride named Luli. Delivered in installments, Luli is far from your run-of-the-mill traditional demure Asian wife escaping poverty. Clever, as disconcerting as it is humorous: this is definitely one to read and a tale that is at least neck and neck with the Stepford Wives....more
**spoiler alert** Having spent her life under the thumb of her domineering father, Violet is hoping to get control over her own life now that he’s dea**spoiler alert** Having spent her life under the thumb of her domineering father, Violet is hoping to get control over her own life now that he’s dead. Unfortunately for her, he had other plans & she won’t get anything unless she goes to land of the Leech Lords. As it turns out, all the unconventional training was for a reason, and although it comes in handy when assassins start showing up at her door it also means her father more than suspected that she’d need these skills. 13 years have also passed since her newborn brother died and his corpse was whisked away to the dark lands and she is now tasked with stopping the events set in motion by her dad lest everything they know fall into darkness and the leech lords make it across the borders that have previously kept them safe.
It was nice finding myself back in Slatter’s fascinating world and getting reacquainted with familiar characters as well as getting to know some new. The Leech Lords have been mentioned in passing many a time and reading this was such a nice and refreshing take on vampire lore. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of these interconnected gothic fantasy novels featuring capable heroines fighting the good fight. ...more
**spoiler alert** This marks the 7th read from my Filipino TBR, and a great one at that. I fell in love with Eliza Victoria’s writing through ‘Ascensi**spoiler alert** This marks the 7th read from my Filipino TBR, and a great one at that. I fell in love with Eliza Victoria’s writing through ‘Ascension’ and went on to pick up everything else I could find of hers including this & I have not regretted it. Victoria showcases her craft in a wide range of genres & topics in this collection but common to them all is an element of longing. Although firmly rooted in the Filipino experience and culture, these stories transcend borders and most of us will be able to find something that will resonate with our own lives.
An overview of the stories can be found below (I’ve marked the ones that stood out to me with an “*”)
——————-
-Carpe Noctem: An disappointing job interview in Hong Kong leads Michelle to a transcendental experience. A story about transient nature of the things that way us down.
-The Missing: Harold goes on a vacation to Thailand, suffers from odd recurrent dreams about someone not entirely unfamiliar. He can’t seem to shake this feeling that someone’s missing. This one has a dreamlike/ déjà vu-esque quality to it and deals with the way we perceive time; and more specifically loss in the way we perceive time.
-A Prayer to the Many-Eyed Mother: A woman and her two companions search out her witchy cousin in order to have their greatest wishes fulfilled. As is often the case, it comes at a steep price: blood offering.
-The Seventh: Julia thinks she’s just arrived at her late grandmother’s house until she’s told she’s already been there 7 days. Unsettled, she still decides to stay the night. What follows is screams from a well, a mysterious woman talking about suffering and ‘versions of yourself’. It might be short but manages to tackle some hefty topics; dementia, theological perspectives on suffering/redemption, loss, identity & timelines. Merging psychological horror with philosophy.
-Ayani: A vignette with its feet firmly planted within isolation/psychological horror intersects with deities in this tale about a lone survivor trapped on an isolated island
-Queen Midnight: A creature has risen and inadvertently taken out a country or so in the process (Norway!) Musicians are on their way to a Make-a-Wish-like gig encounter something more than the boy with cancer they’d expected to play for. Reads partly like a melancholy Filipino take on Cthulhu and a clever reimagining of Bakunawa.
-After the Crash: A man struggles with feelings of guilt after loosing one of his sisters in the car he was driving. Still reeling from the loss and planning a funeral, he’s visited by an odd couple wanting him to alleviate them of a favour they somehow owe him. A bittersweet tale about loss, grief and letting go; one where the engkanto play a minor role in the end.
-The Impossible Place: Two kids find each other in an impossible room with nearly as impossible task ahead of them; finding their way out. Barely able to make it, 20 years have passed and they’re about to find each other once more. A short tale encompassing a lot more than its scant pages would lead to you to believe; sexuality, bullying, identity and acceptance.
-When I Die, I Want You to Have All of My Stuff: Someone’s life story + hints about something gone very wrong in the world as told through the items they want to leave them while they’re gone.
-Where You are Now is Better Than Where You Were Before: Lily’s trying to make a new life for herself in Australia with all of the difficulties that entails when her co-worker hints at a tragic event in the flat she lives in. An unsettling encounter with a woman leads her to consider what really matters.
-1:40 AM: A time-loop of a few minutes keeps repeating in a convenience store: a heartbroken girl, 2 men with different links to a shadowy agency, a cashier and an armed and angry man. Death follows in all scenarios until the cycle is broken; but by whom and how?
-Fortitude: Reads like a not-entirely impossible dystopian future in which we find people with android parts, derelict neighborhoods, jaded soldiers and those who dream of better places (that might, or might not be real).
-Premium:* Patients dying of a contagious illness hide out in a simulation to escape a miserable quarantine/death. Possibly the closest thing to living their lives in what time remains, the authorities aren’t just going to let that happen and one is going to have to sell the other out to keep their online half-life.
-Blessed are Those Who Suffer: * An injured Manananggal or is she just pretending in order to get her hands on young prey? - letter recounts from an aunt or uncle recounts the events of a terrifying night they experienced with their brother many years ago. Sometimes even kindness lead down dark paths.
-The Ghosts of Sinagtala:** Brilliant Filipino Gothic about two siblings who inherit an old mansion with a dark history. The past bleeds into the present as unsettling apparitions and nightmares haunt them and tensions rise.
-Fairy Tales: Diwata, or something akin to fairies, live among people under strict rules to not reveal themselves (their wings). A business dealing with the removal of their wings has sprouted among the oppressive regulations put on their existence. The story follows a girl who wants to risk come what may to get wings of her own in order to be with her love interest.
-Let Me Hold Your Hand: A woman tells the story about how she made a friend on a hike and how they found themselves in ‘the in-between’; a place separate from the time/space they’d been trekking in. Her friend focused on the magic of words and tried getting them back home only for the narrator to betray her. A story about regret and trying to right a wrong when the offended party has already passed away....more
**spoiler alert** This marks the 9th read from my Filipino TBR this year.
Eliza Victoria’s first collection (and my 3rd read of hers). Reading her earl**spoiler alert** This marks the 9th read from my Filipino TBR this year.
Eliza Victoria’s first collection (and my 3rd read of hers). Reading her earliest stories after having made my way through her more recent publications is an interesting way around her work. It’s interesting that Victoria underlines the ‘datedness’ of these stories with items very much of a specific era and that (as far as I’m concerned) the stories somehow still manage to retain their relevance. It points towards an author very much in touch with the human condition. -Isabella in ‘Salot’ experiences a sort of alienation from her town’s quirks not uncommon to many of us as we relocate to bigger cities. Still-current issues of gentrification and capitalism affecting Ana’s Little Pawnshop are also quite relatable. Themes of loss, grief, etc simply remain timeless and most people will be able to find something that resonates with them within the pages of this collection. It’s not hard to see that Victoria was still honing her craft while she was writing these tales but the signs of a great author to emerge were already present.
-Salot: A girl at the cusp of university life finds herself growing ever more distant from the old traditions and superstitions of her home town. Having turned more worldly and shooting down any mentions of supernatural encounters she’s soon visited by 2 mysterious men who might (or might not) be omens of things to come. This is an interesting one as I was strangely reminded of Pesta in Norway.
-Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St.: A young man takes a part time job in a pawnshop run by the goddess of lost things; everything from the more mundane to magical items. Prices vary and might range from cash to 6 months of your life or most treasured memories of the night sky. Albeit a deity, Anagolay is not to be left unbothered by the capitalism, gentrification and bureaucracy of the world in which she finds herself.
-Intersections: Portals have started popping up with the odd individual disappearing into them. Isaac & his friend Jacob have been tracking them when they’re inadvertently sucked into one and find themselves in an alternate dimension. Desperate to go back home they’re going to face some challenges.
-The Man on the Train: A man rides the train in this story told in an eerie dreamlike manner. We’re gradually made aware of the man as an unreliable narrator who’s repression includes both us and himself. A tale about brutal loss and repression.
-Night Out: A melancholic & dystopian scifi tale following the too-young sex workers Nala and Cyan.
-An Abduction by Mermaids: A missing sister, rumors of mermaids and other supernatural happenings and an ill-fated experiment to prove the afterlife intersects with the daily grind and bureaucracy an assistant editor is dealing with in this short story.
-Sand, Crushed Shells, Chicken Feathers:* A young man driven near-crazy with grief desperately tries to get his dead sister back and calls on someone else by mistake while his friend thinks he’s either mad or high.
-Sugar Pi: A boy’s friend tries to crack the code of Pi and eventually dreams about the last digits; but is it all it’s cracked up to be? A story that tries to offset nihilism through friendship.
-Earthset: A struggling author deals with the fallout after his wife was killed in a gas explosion. Partly told through his scifi WIP, it’s story about loss and regret.
-Parallel: Grief blinds the MC and his friend in this story where they visit an alternate dimension in the hopes of making something right again. As is often the case, this has its own associated issues and things rarely go to plan. Sidenote: mention of a certain institute; a tie-in to the 3rd story in this collection?
-Monsters:* A guilt-ridden father desperately trying to safeguard his daughter finds himself going back to the town where whatever event originally took place. A house with a dark reputation and which village kids throw rocks at. His arrival unmasks the events that led to his daughter’s struggle. An engaging story reimagining aswang in a modern setting and which leaves you questioning what’s moral vs survival
-The Just World of Helena Jimenez: A dreamlike tale of a dystopian world with wardens meting out justice & the surviving victims of a racially motivated mass murder.
-The Storyteller’s Curse:* A story told from two POVs: From a writer reeling from his family having left him and who’s unable to sleep (and who might have told off a deity in a fit of anger) and from the unfortunate characters he’s seemingly condemned to the whims of a bloodthirsty and bored god. Eventually they intersect. Writing as a godly endeavor; but ultimately as flawed as the person.
-Reunion: A man looks for his evasive brother through historic times of massive upheaval/unrest in. When they eventually meet in 2008 it’s revealed who they really are.
-Siren Song:* A town living side-by-side to magic and gifted because of it, find themselves cursed after the brutal killing of a mermaid. The newly arrived member of the community (and a known murderer) is blamed and lynched. Yet things remain bleak, did he kill the mermaid or was he a convenient scapegoat?
-Once, in a Small Town:* Dearly departed return as if they never died at all. What should be a happy reunion turns sour as the formerly dead don’t remember their deaths while their loved ones do and are driven near-mad by it....more
This marks the 5th read from my Filipino-TBR and is a genuinely nice showcasing of who’s who & what’s what in Filipino folklore in the setting of a moThis marks the 5th read from my Filipino-TBR and is a genuinely nice showcasing of who’s who & what’s what in Filipino folklore in the setting of a modern metro-Manila. You’ll encounter both supernatural villains as well as the more mundane (but no less evil) corrupt police officers, politicians and celebrities within these pages.
Trese might very well be my favorite introduction to Filipino folklore. I’ve spent the first couple of months of 2025 getting acquainted with it and this series does it exceedingly well. If you happen to be a fan of “Grimm” the tv show and/or “Something is Killing the Children” this will be right up your alley. The folklore is rich as hell and not one that has been overplayed in the western world. I’d even watched the Netflix series before cracking these open and it still felt fresh, simply great stuff and one that makes me proud of my mom’s native country. Sidenote: the chapter divisions highlighting the different creatures is a stroke of genius and the artwork is fabulous.
If you’ve ever had the slightest inclination of delving into Philippine folklore, let it be through this....more
**spoiler alert** This marks the 10th read from my Filipino TBR this year.
An epistolary novel as told through diary entries authored by the 16 y.o Gil**spoiler alert** This marks the 10th read from my Filipino TBR this year.
An epistolary novel as told through diary entries authored by the 16 y.o Gilberto (Galo) from 27 September 1998- 26th of March 1999. Initially part of a school assignment he just felt like continuing journaling after the semester ended and that’s where the odd happenings gradually unravel for us to see.
The buildup of the story goes from the more relatable and mundane dramas surrounding the MC, his family, living arrangements, useless parents, an ailing grandmother & school-related stress. The suspense builds as Galo reveals he’s been suffering from recurring nightmares featuring a dark presence who won’t leave him in peace for some reason or other. His grandmother’s condition soon worsens and he once again finds himself under his grandmothers roof in a backwards town (they’re averse to all things tech & means of modern living) and it becomes apparent that this is much more than just your run of the mill town quirks. It becomes even more unsettling as oddly dressed people keep showing up at his grandmas house to do rituals and he’s treated to cultish, discorporate sounds outside his door, creepy statues of saints, his own secrets coming home to roost and just a tiny bit of possession.
I loved how the story was told through a diary where the entries grow progressively more disconcerting (unhinged) and with entries the author himself can’t remember writing. Good experimental folk horror stories are few and far between and this one got close to being a very good one with its running theme of friction within families, disappointments, secrets and people trying to impose what they deem righteous living.
That being said, although I enjoyed this, it’s ending felt oddly safe in how oddly abrupt it was and I think it could have done with a few more pages to flesh the story out....more
**spoiler alert** Marvin believes himself to be Joan of Arc’s reincarnated executioner and that he’ll die before his birthday in a week. Vale is an al**spoiler alert** Marvin believes himself to be Joan of Arc’s reincarnated executioner and that he’ll die before his birthday in a week. Vale is an alcoholic enfant terrible of the art world & Casper is a young man who wants out of the sticks even if it means hiding out in the back of a van belonging to people he doesn’t know a thing about.
I was gifted a copy of this by Tricia Reeks and I’m forever grateful to her for it. I never imagined I’d be this emotionally invested in a book where you throw the reincarnated (and remorseful) executioner of Joan of Arc, an alcoholic artist and runaway into a van driving through places where ghosts suddenly appear. I’ve read a few fairly unconventional road trip stories these last few years, but none as nutty as this one. I don’t know what well of inspiration Rosson draws from; but I hope it never runs out because this story of redemption is up there with some of the most engaging (and odd) reads I’ve ever had the pleasure of crossing paths with. ...more
**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story: Written in a deeply empathetic manner, McCarthy’s late**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story: Written in a deeply empathetic manner, McCarthy’s latest offering deals with a young man who makes his living as a clown. 2 decades into his life and work, he now experiences a sudden bout of deep, and all-encompassing existential crisis. Knowing full well that his life as a clown is over, he’s not entirely sure what he means to do. That is, until a mysterious diary finds him. One that will lead him on an adventure to some of the most artistic cities of Europe.
It might present itself as a coming-of-age/finding-yourself sort of tale on face value, but in true McCarthy style it’s far more than that. Interspersed between Chester’s story is also the short stories he writes while on his travels. Said stories are all from the POVs of different (and seemingly unrelated) characters, yet common to them all is that they run an almost parallel course to Chester’s life and experiences, offering a deeper insight into his internal workings than he’s able to provide directly himself. It’s elegantly done and ultimately a touching tale tackling topics of alienation, self esteem issues, disenchantment & self realization. Sidenote: I’d love to learn more about the clown mythology only lightly touched upon in this story (e.g. Cholly).
I might be more familiar with McCarthy’s horror, but this quick read made for a nice change of pace at a time when the world seems to be burning. I enjoyed this a lot and I’m looking forward to reading more of her stories in the future. ...more
**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC by the author but it has no bearing on the following review. ————————————
Clifton Heights remains a**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC by the author but it has no bearing on the following review. ————————————
Clifton Heights remains an eerie town where the membrane separating worlds seems particularly thin & where things sometimes slip through. The town also seems to have a knack of stranding people and isn’t particularly keen to let them go once they’re there. Additionally, yet another mysterious book has appeared, this time detailing the stories of 4 unfortunate people who’ve stayed in cabin 14 of the Motor Lodge. The common denominator for these individuals is that they’ve all been looking for *something*, be it an abandoned spot to explore (company), something more fulfilling than the safe job you no longer burn for (a greater calling) , the perfect photo (freedom) or simply yourself/closure.
I loved all of the stories in this and particularly how town locations and inhabitants intersect with previous installments. If you’ve enjoyed Charles L. Grant’s work and also happen to have an affinity towards cosmic horror; this might just be something for you too.
——————————
An overview of the individual stories with descriptions can be found below (I’d stop reading here if you want to avoid any spoilers).
-Zoo Town: Jim O’Connell discovers an access road which appeals to his taste of urban (and not so-urban) exploring-leanings. As always, taking the access road in this town proves more eventful than expected and he soon stumbles upon odd piles of rocks arranged in the shape of cones. Then the appearance of a mysterious town in the middle of the woods. Then there’s the abandoned hamlet formerly inhabited by Irish carnies; a topic the townies treat as taboo. Unable to help himself (and in spite of his misgivings), he makes the ill-fated decision of returning. Old Celtic beliefs and a bittersweet take on the changeling/fairy myths culminate in an engagingly tense read. Sidenote: I’m coming to the conclusion that access roads are better left alone.
-The Man Who Sits in His Chair: Nightmares come home to roost in this tale of cosmic horror. An old man sits in his chair by his house. Nobody really knows anything about him and the stories are many. A traveler experiences car trouble and ends up stranded in Clifton Heights’ Motor Lodge. Going out with the intent to get pizza, he soon hightails it out of there after a creepy encounter with unsettling gibberish coming out of the place and discorporate footsteps coming towards him. Worse still, weird events keep finding him and his recurrent nightmares take a more malignant turn. It soon becomes apparent that things have conspired to trap and keep him here; but to what end? It seems he might find the answer with the old man in front of the yellow house.
-In the Court of the Spider King: Ras is spending his retirement turning his hobby into a new occupation. As a photographer, he’s been feeling increasingly pulled towards spiders in spite of his deep seated fear of them. A one-night stand with a woman, an unsettling feeling about a budding arachnologist & an disquieting outing photographing spiders soon follow. Worse still, he seems unable to resist visiting a spa with a dark history of cultish practices. Ras soon realizes that he’s being followed and that something/someone doesn’t want him to leave. One for those of you with arachnophobia (and a taste for the cosmic).
-To Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth: A jaded vlogger with a career consisting of riding supposedly haunted roller coasters & exploring haunted theme parks receives a mysterious comment under his latest video (or rather, a suggestion); take a look at Raedeker Park Amusements in Clifton Heights. Soon unable to stay away, he finds himself haunted by his recent and tragic past. Ultimately a story about finding yourself and facing your past.
**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC from the author but this didn’t have any bearing on my view on this story.
The story: Mitch is a co**spoiler alert** Full disclosure: I was sent an ARC from the author but this didn’t have any bearing on my view on this story.
The story: Mitch is a corrections officer with a specific phobia rooted in a misadventure he had with his childhood friends. Specifically, he has a profound fear of eternity and has now suffered a supposed panic attack at work. Forced to undergo mandatory therapy sessions, he’ll revisit things he believed long forgotten: What happened to him 20 years ago lies at the roots of his phobia and recurring nightmares? -Certainly not the story the police settled for; about them being so high they got lost in the woods. To make things worse, one of his friends has gone missing and events seem to conspire to bring him right back to where it all began.
I am a huge fan of Lucia’s Clifton Heights stories and this joins a long string of them that I’ve enjoyed. It works well as an amuse bouche for those of us who’ve visited this eerie town before, although I’m not sure I’d introduce new readers to this world via this particular story. Lucia is a clever writer and the concept is quite cerebral. Those with a love of coming of age-tales and cosmic horror will probably feel at home here. My only issue is that the story was a little bit too short for me to feel much of a connection with any of the characters. I still enjoyed it and found it a nice addition to the lore of Clifton Heights. It might be weaker than the previous stories I’ve read set in this world, but I’ll point out that it only pales a little because the other stories have been such a massive hit with me....more
**spoiler alert** First off/ full disclosure: I was sent an eARC by Patrick Barb for an honest review.
I came to this anthology completely ignorant of **spoiler alert** First off/ full disclosure: I was sent an eARC by Patrick Barb for an honest review.
I came to this anthology completely ignorant of the band whose music these stories are built upon. I would listen to the songs through the course of reading this; sometimes before starting the stories,other times after. Either way worked well, although it is a little bit easier understanding the basis of the tale if you recognize some of the references. As such, I can thank the tales for having introduced me to neat music as well as some new (to me) authors. The songs are often ambiguous enough to lend themselves well to this project but I can’t imagine it being easy writing with this kind of framework; so kudos for that. Although some stories hit harder for me than others, there are no weak links and Barb has done an impressive job curating his first anthology. Firmly steeped in the weird, the authors vary widely in how they chose to fulfill the brief: You’ll find everything set in the darkness of the (possibly near) future, others in the past, stories dealing with cosmic horrors as well as those focused on frights more firmly rooted in our daily existence; or existence itself. Other stories reimagine historic events and ask “what if”. I struggled to connect with some of the stories but I’d expect that from an anthology which is pushing the envelope of the weird. Readers of Undertow Publications might want to give this one a go as I couldn’t stop thinking ‘I can easily imagine some of these in Weird Horror’).
An overview with short notes of the stories can be found below (I’ve marked those that now live rent free in my head with an “*”). I’d also recommend stop reading this review if you don’t want any spoilers.
-Untitled by Lillah Lawson (inspired by “Ghost”): A woman goes to a seaside hill to avoid the city and to ‘become a ghost’ when something odd appears. Sometimes you find yourself back right where you started. Reads like an elegant handling of the topic suicide.
-“Argyria (Progress Review) by Helen Victoria Murray (inspired by “where you’ll find me now”):* About the people behind a historic photography firm told through the thesis written years later. The author of the thesis finds themself ever increasingly haunted the further into research they delve; both figuratively and possibly beyond that. Deliciously ambiguous and a story that crept up on me.
-The Polyamorous Heart of Death by M. Lopes Da Silva (inspired by Holland 1945): The subject of a painting suffers a sudden death and inspiration strikes as the painter descends into his work and paints the fresh corpse. Reads like a love story of sorts.
-Twins by Camila Hamel (inspired by ‘A Baby for Pree’):* A woman spots twins walking down the road and gets a feeling that they are the twins grown of the ‘unborn’ ones she was pregnant 20 years ago. She decides to follow and sits down for a bite to eat and drink with them. What ensues is a thoroughly odd encounter. At first led to believe that the MC is going through trauma or dealing with delusions, the ambiguous ending has me doubting it more. There’s layers to this story; what exactly happened to the twins she was carrying; MC doesn’t seem entirely sure (or able to deal with it) Furthermore, the story touches on some terrible event which has people locking down for particles in the wind and talk about how how few babies are born and AI bots for the elderly. Clever & disconcerting short story that encompasses a lot more than the few pages would lead you to believe. Postapocalyptic and dystopian leanings without it being the salient part of the creepiness. One which I suspect people who’ve found themselves having to choose to proceed with a pregnancy will find hitting hard. Masterful writing and possibly my favorite of the lot along with “Mirrorboy” mentioned further down.
-Her Reflection by Briar Ripley Page (inspired by “My Dream Girl Don’t Exist”):* A boy has a special invisible friend; a girl & is advised as to how to see her. A gentle, nostalgic and oddly comforting coming-of-age tale. There’s a sweet longing to this.
-The Clown King in Yellow by Joe Koch (inspired by “The Fool”):* Jeremy is going to their eldest brother’s funeral: a masquerade funeral; no mask; no entry. The early premise itself had me expecting I’d like this, and I was not wrong. An engaging trans-inclusive cosmic story about betrayal, madness & the masks we wear. My first time reading Koch = 10/10
-Not Even the Ghosts, Not Even the Birds by Tiffany Morris (inspired by “The King of Carrot Flowers Part 1”): Mechanical castle with its creepy automatons and a lonely man waiting for visitors as something has descended and he hasn’t heard a living voice for days; that is, until Nia arrives. There’s an expectant quality to this; a waiting for salvation, company, or hope itself.
-Just the Motion by D. Matthew Urban (inspired by “Little Birds”): A man grapples with traumatizing memories of his father on a beach where he has now taken his daughter. Something beckons him to join them in the water. Hallucinations or something more? Taps well into parental fears and unknowable creatures of the sea which gave me vague Lovecraftian vibes (without the bigotry). Ultimately a melancholy story of when the voices; be they internal or external, manage to separate you from your loved ones.
-The Project by Christi Nogle (inspired by “Oh, Comely”): Kay has retreated to a shack to finish a project she’s hoping will bring her closer to her late mother without distractions. A town cut off from the rest of the world she’s been forbidden to visit, odd local customs like not being able to move out from parents’ homes until marriage A foreboding dream of violence and rage, an unsettling vision of her mother warning her of things to come. All of the above set in the scheme of a world where VR-like experiences draw masses of people and large parts of the populations have had augmentations done in order to take part in it. Abrupt ending; wish I’d be able to follow Kay further through the woods. That being said; love how Nogle has managed to merge folk horror with sci-fi.
-Transmission by Tim Major (inspired by “Two-Headed Boy”): Louis is cooped up inside an apartment while under siege and building a companion of sorts. Thoughts about a boy, either real or a result of paranoia rattling around his head. A reminder that sometimes even our creations are beyond our control and wishes. And that sometimes in making them we’re undone (or maybe re-done)
-Terminus by Dan Coxon (inspired by “Two-Headed Boy, Pt. 2”): Andrej works in the line of transport for radioactive material for in a world that went to hell after decades of nuclear war where no one seems to be the winners. He’s experiencing the effects of radiation sickness when he has a precognitive dream heralding a box with mysterious marks. The box holds something echoing the previous story.
-White Roses in Their Eyes by Matthew Kressel (inspired by “Untitled (‘Ghost Coda’)”:* “You’re right, Jeff. Time isn’t linear. The world is an incredibly blurry, crazy dream we’re all sort of stumbling through. I’m both alive and dead(…)” Epistolary Story told through letters rich in references to “Jeff” (directly referencing a certain band linked to the collection) from the ghost’s POV. Letters from a grandmother; she is dreaming she’s a ghost in her father’s old office in The Netherlands and that the ghost is trying to tell her something. Alternative and well written histfic heartbreaking in it’s handling of what could have been.
-Styx and Stones by Lindz McLeod (inspired by: “Someone is Waiting”) A love story on the River Styx as told from Charon’s POV. Sweet and sentimental.
-Mirrorboy by Erin Brown (inspired by: “Avery Island/April 1st”):* A coming of age-tale about a boy in the matter of mirror working/living in the mirror hall of a funfair. Hours away from what he believes is his 1st date, his expectations (and literally him) are shattered. First time reading about teenage angst in the shape of a sentient mirror. Odd, touching and clever; this one gave me SGJ-vibes and one of my two favorite stories (along with “Twins” mentioned above)
-The Garden Head by Brian Evenson (inspired by: “Gardenhead/Leave me Alone”):* A mysterious garden and the person who steals their way into it only to be confronted by an otherworldly and sentient plant (or something vaguely similar to a plant). Ambiguous and quite unsettling. I’ll be avoiding the garden for a while.
-The Oxygen Thief by Edward Barnfield (inspired by: “I Hear You Breathe”): The air’s gone sour, black market sales of oxygen siphoned from less well to do parts of the world are doing well & we’re acquainted with a girl working at a futuristic bordello when a angry and mysterious man walks in. Scary imagining of a road we might very well be headed down. Zeitgeist in its handling of themes of climate change, inaction and contagious illnesses.
-Crungus & Loeb: An Unpublished Review by Dale Light (inspired by: “I Will Bury You in Time”): An audience member is harrowed by a polarizing Traveling performance of violence, atrocities & natural disaster.
-The Church of Our Lords, The Church of Dogs by Corey Farrenkopf (inspired by: “The King of Carrot Flowers, part 2 & 3”): Deals with religious hypocrisy and secrecy as we follow two altar boys down a basement to see what their priest has kept hidden. The idea of finding myself in a cellar with a fervously muttering old priest made for a claustrophobic and unsettling read. A good coming of age-story I suspect a lot of readers will enjoy.
-On the Bridge Above the River by Ai Jiang (inspired by “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”): An ambiguous and lyrical tale about obsession, identity, façades and dashed dreams.
-Perfect Dream by Michael Horita (inspired by: “Engine”): Someone’s dreams of their mom as she was before their demon-ridden (possibly personal; or something more) father broke them; full of hope, longing and inevitable heartbreak.
-Naomi Ascending by Richard Thomas (inspired by: “Naomi”): A man and the rumored witch or prophet /shapeshifter (the ‘what’ depending on the townie) he offers a ride out of pity. The act of kindness leads him to a revelation unlike those most bear witness to. Blood moon is coming and with it so will bad things. Then the elders arrive in classic witch hunt-style although what ensues is far from what most readers will expect from stories with similar outsets.
-For the Rest of Our Lives, We Will Wait in You: A Record by John Langan (inspired by: “You’ve Passed”): Georgie is enamored (obsessed) with an older band and pleasantly surprised when a member of the band replies to her email. Interested in both the music, she’s also curious about its greater lore; like the mysterious woman referred to as ‘Cranberry’ who no one really knows anything about. Nothing except that she had an important role. Now that Cranberry’s dying, Georgie joins one band member to the house which serves as the band’s hub and has an unsettling, dreamlike experience she won’t entirely be able to make sense of nor forget.
**spoiler alert** We follow Gina in Parker’s latest offering; a writer trying to uncover the truth behind the 6 gorily murdered members of a tradwife-**spoiler alert** We follow Gina in Parker’s latest offering; a writer trying to uncover the truth behind the 6 gorily murdered members of a tradwife-community years before.
The Stepford wives merges with true crime in this engaging (and enraging) read handling topics of the day like: trad-lifestyle, cult-think and christofascism . Possibly the most zeitgeist epistolary novel I’ve come across -and a deeply cathartic one in the world we currently find ourselves in. Although there’s a palpable rage running through this novel, I was also greatly pleased to see the inclusivity of it (do *not* mess around with old ladies nor assume that the marginalized can’t partake in evil acts) and it’s empathetic handling of what is ultimately a very complicated societal issue.
If you’re looking to connect with a solid dose of justified female rage that manages to paint an eerily true-to life picture of the result of christofascism then look no further. In the meantime, I’ll try to soothe myself. Few people are able to elicit feelings in me like Parker is. If you haven’t read any of her stuff yet, you really should rectify that. Saltblood might still be my personal favorite, but this is also *bloody good* and possibly an even better starting point for new readers due to the political climate....more