Tag Archives: Monsters

Unnatural Creatures – stories chosen by Neil Gaiman

03 Monday Feb 2014

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Neil Gaiman can do no wrong in my opinion, and this anthology of beastly stories chosen by him is a real treat. The theme is encounters with creatures beyond reality, and is a varied mix of the humorous, the scary and the literary. It introduces us to manticores, cockatoucans, griffins and mermaids galore, in a rich tapestry of imagination from the finest short story writers.  It includes favourites such as Diana Wynne Jones and E. Nesbit alongside those who will be new to many readers, including Gahan Wilson and Nnedi Okorafor, who I’m definitely going to look out for. My favourite stories in this collection was the (unnamed) story by Wilson, in which a black blob moves around a stately home, gaining in size and menace; Sunbird by Neil himself, in which a group of gastronomic adventurers bite off more than they can chew; The Compleat Werewolf by Anthony Boucher, originally published in 1942 and still a powerful exploration of lycanthropy; and Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle, in which vain Lady Neville rashly invites Death to one of her society balls. It’s a strong collection of tales which will reward the reader who returns time and time again to dip into the magical world of these miraculous beasts, and is definitely a keeper on my bookshelves! Rating: ****

Bloomsbury, 2014, ISBN 9781408845462 (out in paperback on February 13th)

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review

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Let The Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist

09 Monday Dec 2013

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As the nights close in, I’m inevitably drawn to the darker side of nature again…

Let the Old Dreams Die is a collection of short stories by the author of Let the Right One In, and here Lindqvist shows himself to be master of the form. From trolls to vampires, he weaves terrifying tales of horror. The title story picks up the pieces from his celebrated vampire novel, and The Final Processing follows the events after his unusual zombie novel Handling the Undead; both of which are very satisfying if you’re a fan of his books, but they stand alone perfectly well. But he also explores new territory – in Border, a customs officer stops a mysterious traveller only to discover that she herself is not quite human. Village on the Hill includes some startling imagery which will make you nervous of tower blocks and toilets, and the secret of defying death extracts a terrible price in Eternal / Love. But my favourite is the short Paper Walls, which captures perfectly the imagination and terror of childhood.

Lindqvist is definitely my favourite horror writer; his prose is beautiful, which makes the gruesomeness of his tales more shocking, but never gratuitous. He has the ability to make his worlds absolutely real, so the most bizarre events feel plausible, and even his most depraved characters inspire sympathy in the reader. His is real literary horror, and the comparisons with Stephen King which litter covers and reviews don’t do him justice – he’s a far more skillful writer, and there is a sense of something much deeper in his characters and worlds. Thoughtful, intelligent horror indeed, and thoroughly recommended. *****

Quercus, 2013, ISBN 9780857385512

Terror Scribes edited by Adam Lowe and Chris Kelso

31 Thursday Oct 2013

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Merry Samhain!

In the spirit of the eve here’s an excellent collection of horror stories to thrill you. It’s a wonderfully diverse collection, with something to suit all tastes; I’ve been dipping into it for a while and some of tales within have genuinely disturbed me. There’s everything creepy within these pages, showing just how the imagination can conjure horror from the most ordinary aspects of life to the most bizarre and fantastical. Welcome to the jungle by John Palisano is true monster gore – a crazy tale, but one that leaves you chilled; Scarred by Deb Hoag is a human horror, in which the will to survive unimaginable evil is turned into good; Hairy palms by A.J Kirby is a great twist on a werewolf tale; Play time by Marie O’Regan is a ghostly tale with such a sad ending; and Life-like by Paul Kane mixes horror and sci-fi to creepy effect. Each story takes a very different aspect of the weird and grotesque, and each has its own distinct style. Twenty-four tales which will delight and devour you indeed!

Available from http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/, ISBN 9781907133343

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School by Charles Gilman

18 Monday Mar 2013

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Reproduced with kind permission of Quirk Books

Reproduced with kind permission of Quirk Books

This is a new series for young readers of 8+, which is great fun. Any child who has fantasised about their school having a secret magical gateway from which monsters may emerge to cause chaos (I know I was one of those daydreamers!) will really enjoy these tales based around Lovecraft Middle School. There are definite echoes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and lots of humour to balance the action and the really rather scary moments. When shy Robert Arthur starts at his new school, he’s only worried about the school bully, but soon discovers that the school harbours scarier creatures than his tormentor Glenn Torkells. It’s really a gateway to the alternaverse, where an evil genius plots to take over the world, starting with his classmates. Can he outwit the hamster-gobbling Professor Goyle, and beat the snake-like Sarah Price to become school president? The fate of the school hangs in Robert’s hands, aided by his unlikely ally Glenn, ghost Karina, a two-headed rat and the mysterious school librarian… Lots of nods to the adult horror genre which made me smile, but the fast-paced action will keep kids enthralled, and Robert is a good hero. The hologrammatic covers are great too, and will catch kids’ attention. The third in the series, Teacher’s Pest, is out in May. Rating: ***

Professor Gargoyle, Quirk Books, 2012, ISBN 9781594745911

The Slither Sisters, Quirk Books, 2013, ISBN 9781594745935

Copies of the books were provided for review by the publisher.