CERN ZOO
Another Nemonymous anthology, meaning another weird and fascinating compendium of horror, science fiction and general oddness.
CATASTROPHE
The most famous collection by Italy’s late Dino Buzzati
CANDY IN THE DUMPSTER
A terrific horror anthology, attractively packaged and running an economical 151 pages
A Book of Bargains
The premiere work of fiction by an author who seems destined to be known forevermore as a “friend of Oscar Wilde.” The Wilde connection is evident in the Aubrey Beardsley illustration that graces the first page of A BOOK OF BARGAINS, a collection of highly decadent minded stories in which murder and madness are constants. As the title indicates, bargains (of various sorts) are further constants of this short but resonant book whose opulent prose still resonates.
Open Grave: The Book of Horror
This new book is stronger, executed with much greater confidence and originality–indeed, stories like “Monday Night Dive” and “Cold Spot,” with their unpredictable narratives and wildly off-kilter yet satisfying conclusions, really aren’t like anything else I can think of, heralding the development of an altogether fresh and distinct voice.
BLOOD & GRISTLE
Having read Michael Louis Calvillo’s two previous books, the novels I WILL RISE and AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, I know to expect the unexpected from this defiantly individual talent. BLOOD & GRISTLE is Calvillo’s first collection, showcasing 20 short pieces distinguished by Calvillo’s tightly controlled, sensory-inflected prose and brilliantly disturbed imagination. I already knew those attributes worked well in novel form, but it turns out they make for equally vital short stories
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
I’ll confess I’m not as fanatic about the work of Japan’s Haruki Murakami as many mainstream critics–note this book’s blurb page, filled with adjectives like “masterly,” “virtuosic,” “extraordinary” and so forth. I do, however, appreciate Murakami’s gift for the odd and oft-kilter. That gift is in abundant evidence in the 24 stories collected in BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN, which also showcases Murakami’s unfortunate penchants for overwriting and self indulgence.
Blanket of White
Another rough and uncompromising collection of stories by Amy Grech, following 2006’s APPLE OF MY EYE. Many of the stories from that book recur in this one–including goodies like “Damp Wind and Leaves,” “Rampart,” “Cold Comfort” and “EV 2000”–making this the lesser of the two volumes.
Biogenesis
Readers familiar with the medically informed horror fiction of Michael Blumlein will find a most welcome equivalent in this collection by Japan’s Tatsuaki Ishiguro. That Ishiguro has an extensive medical background is evident in these tales, which are nearly all presented in the form of medical journals, complete with relentlessly clinical syntax, yet with vivid portrayals of desperation, obsession and madness.
AROUND A DARK CORNER
The third volume of stories by Jeani Rector follows fast on the heels of her previous collection OPEN GRAVE, which appeared in mid-2008.