tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13517262570367282962024-03-12T21:19:41.953-07:00Gothic Readers Book ClubThe Gothic Readers Book Club is a gathering of like-minded souls who read Gothic literature. Our goal is promote the best in modern and classic Gothic literature from around the globe.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-81667194264343138242014-02-06T12:32:00.000-08:002014-02-06T12:32:04.624-08:00Saying goodbyeAfter ten years together, the Gothic Readers Book Club is disbanding. We started casually; a group of friends sharing book ideas. It grew more organized over the years, and then we decided to take it online. Families, careers, and many miles between us (continents in fact), and we decided to make it more formal with outside help. It just did not feel the same. We're maintaining the site for all authors to share, but there will be no new content. Thank you one and all for your support.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-42503227633478677022014-01-29T13:59:00.002-08:002014-01-29T14:01:11.877-08:00Rob Smales: Dead of WinterThis is the first book in a new series called <i>Seasons of the Dead</i> from Rob Smales.<i> The Dead of Winter </i>features three novella/ short stories. Each one is a ghost story, but the hauntings and outcomes are all very different. The first, "The Christmas Spirit," is a story about a protective ghost and the child-like belief in magic, Santa, and all things wondrous. "Fishing Hole" is a radical 180 about revenge, terror, and alpha male culture. "Snowbirds" examines that delicate line between the ghosts of our past and the unreality of our present as the two worlds collide. Smales is a fantastic writer. His stories capture the Gothic tone and atmosphere so well. The fear is real. It follows you into the dark night long after the last page.<br />
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If You Like: Mary Shelley, Ambrose Bierce, Sheridan Le Fenu<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-59923954811701137632014-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:002014-01-04T20:03:18.875-08:00 Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas (editors): Haunted Legends Urban legends have always been a bizarre idea. They can be found in every culture and in every city around the world. Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas have put together a great collection of stories based on these strange stories. The collection features stories from around the globe such as <span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385">"Tin Cans" by Ekaterina Sedia. Set in Stalinist Russia, it's a take on the Russian legend of </span></span><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385"><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385"> Beria, who was known as "Stalin's butcher." </span></span></span></span><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385">"As Red as Red" by Caitlín R. Kiernan has a distinct Lovecraft feel with its creepy, dream-like state. </span></span><br /><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385"><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer196500770"><span id="freeText11256259488083075385"> Carolyn Turgeon's </span></span>"La Llorona" is based on the Mexican legend of the weeping woman who steals children. The tales here are bizarre, creepy, and dark. Highly recommended.</span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText17740419231663965918"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-30731204652923357622014-01-02T14:26:00.001-08:002014-01-02T14:26:11.757-08:00Review: The Walls of the Castle by Tom Piccirilli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Walls of the Castle</i> is a haunting story of a soul trapped in guilt and loss. The castle is an old structure now serving a hospital, and it becomes the literal trap for a man struggling to deal with his son's death. The protagonist Kasteel is a man driven by dark impulses and his belief in life, the system, and happiness has been shattered. In desperation, he attempts to save others as a form of redemption, but there is more to the castle than doctors and medicine. As Kasteel seeks answers, he only finds more questions. Madness, fear of the unknown, and pain fill the pages. There were a few threads left dangling in the end, but this is a fine tale.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-39451963036793030972014-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:002014-01-02T13:54:03.237-08:00Andrew Barger (editor): The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Werewolf AnthologyAlthough lycanthropy and shapeshifting legends have existed for countless centuries, werewolves are not considered a staple of the Gothic literary tradition. Editor Andrew Barger gives us evidence to the contrary with his collection of the best of the wolf stories from the early modern period. Many of these stories have not been republished in over 150 years. There are more than just ghosts and vampires lurking in the 1800s!<br />
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If You Like: <span id="freeText17740419231663965918">Edgar Allan Poe, Honor de Balzac, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Prosper Mrime, James Hogg</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-28130045618117629162013-12-27T19:30:00.000-08:002013-12-27T19:30:58.286-08:00Review: Where Darkness Dwells by Glen KrischGlen Krisch's novel is a complex story of good and evil, both literally and symbolically. The town of Coal Hollow sits atop a dark and evil secret. When Cooper, an outsider, arrives in town, he's met with suspicion. Things go from bad to worse when two boys disappear. As Cooper tries to clear his name, the sinister underbelly of the town emerges. This is part zombie, part ghost story, part just plain scary. Krisch's narrative is dark and intense. He doesn't offer explanation or answers. Evil just exists and likely always will. A few of the characters didn't seem to have a home in the action of the story and there are a few slow parts where it gets overly descriptive. Minor flaws in a great story.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-17814779614183901482013-12-27T19:10:00.000-08:002013-12-27T19:10:43.816-08:00Review: A Carnivale of HorrorThe anthology<span style="font-size: small;"><i> <span style="font-weight: normal;">A Carnivale of Horror </span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">is an eclectic collection of circus-themed stories. Ray Bradbury's famous (or infamous) "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is the lead story and sets a great tone. There are freak shows, clowns, big tops, and plenty of horrors here. Stories like Tom Reamy's "Blind Voices" capture that strange, sinister edge that lurks around the circus and the old freak shows. Younger readers might not get the freak show concept entirely, but the fear is definitely there. John Connolly's story, "Some Children Wander by Mistake," is just plain disturbing. You will never look at clowns the same (if you don't already fear them). The big top theme does get a little repetitive and a few of the more experimental stories (Joe Hill's lack of narrative, for example) don't always work. The quality stories here are well worth the read and Bradbury's classic ties the whole thing together nicely.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-13318205939132013122013-12-12T13:01:00.000-08:002013-12-12T13:01:07.169-08:00P.J. Hodge: Ghosts and Other Supernatural GuestsP.J. Hodge's <i>Ghosts and Other Supernatural Guests</i> is a fantastic Gothic collection. The writing style is reminiscent of the Victorian classics, but it's adapted to a modern audience. The crisp pacing reads well, and the archaic touches make a great framework to give the stories a very authentic air. The stories focus on Victorian ghosts, hauntings, manifestations, and psychological fear. Hodge is skilled at building tension rather than using gore and violence as a narrative tool. Very well done.<br />
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If You Like: M.R. James, Henry James, Guy de Maupassant<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-22602710600345785132013-12-10T12:27:00.001-08:002013-12-10T12:27:51.497-08:00Cellar Door: Words of Beauty, Tales of Terror Edited by Shawna L. Bernard,<i> Cellar Door: Words of Beauty, Tales of Terror</i> is a unique collection. The stories are linked by title to create a loose thread between the tales. A simulation of opening doors, passing through, never to return to your point of origin. The poetry, flash fiction, and short stories take the reader down shadowy corridors and through haunted cold spots to reveal monstrous horrors hidden in the darkness. The works here are eclectic and terrifying.<br />
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If You Like: Algernon Blackwood, H.P. Lovecraft, Sheridan Le Fanu, <span class="st">Guy de Maupassant</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-19769249388420489842013-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:002013-12-10T12:07:00.631-08:00Gary Fry: Shades of NothingnessFry's horror is the most powerful of all. Understated, tense, and disturbing, he doesn't fall back on guts, violence, and grossing out his readers. Like the Gothic classics, he explores death, mortality, inner fears, and that fine line we all dance with insanity. He focuses on that most frightening question of all. What is real and what do we create in our own head? This collection lurks in the shadows and darkness of our worst fears.<br />
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If You Like: H.P. Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood, Sherwood Anderson<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-4118270181703934742013-11-05T13:45:00.001-08:002013-11-05T13:45:15.360-08:00Garry Kilworth and Robert Holdstock: Poems, Peoms and Other Atrocities Garry Kilworth has put together a fantastic collection of poetry in <i> Poems, Peoms and Other Atrocities. </i>The collection features the work of both Garry Kilworth and Robert Holdstock. While not all of the selections are dark poetry, most touch on some of the most powerful shadows in our lives. The collection's divided into sections. Life and Death and War naturally reach into the darkest places in our souls. Even the section on Love touches on the haunting strains of Gothic. In "Shield Man," the author promises to take "the first blow" and "never fail at the task" of protecting those he loves. A powerful sentiment, but one that lingers with the hint of the impossible. "Letter to Lavinia" has the essence of the Poe infused in every line. Gothic poetry is not lost. Find it here.<br />
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If You Like: Shelley, Poe, Keats<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-35969286711898210202013-11-03T15:59:00.001-08:002013-11-03T15:59:52.781-08:00Alexandra Sokoloff: Book of ShadowsSokoloff creates a fantastic balance between reality and the supernatural in <i>Book of Shadows</i>. Part detective story and part supernatural, the narrative is a slippery slope of magic, murder, and trust. How far can a detective seeped in a culture of 'just-the-facts' step outside his comfort zone to <i>believe</i> in the occult? Can he trust this strange woman luring him farther and farther into a world of darkness and mystery? Can he afford <i>not</i> to trust her considering the stakes? Sokoloff's work is a compelling, chilling tale.<br />
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If you like: Ann Radcliffe, Matthew Gregory Lewis, E.T.A. Hoffmann<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-85971969713596496952013-11-03T15:38:00.001-08:002013-11-03T15:38:24.232-08:00Andrew Barger (editor): The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology Ghosts were the staple of the Gothic tradition and editor Andrew Barger has compiled a collection featuring the highlights of the early modern era. As with his other anthologies, he also provides excellent resources for readers who want to investigate beyond his pages. Featuring stories from Edgar Allen Poe, <span id="freeText14967519320565416562">Nathaniel Hawthorne, and other famous names, he also includes a few readers might not immediately know. This is a fantastic introduction to the supernatural and paranormal of the 1800s.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText14967519320565416562">If You Like: Edgar Allen Poe, </span><span id="freeText14967519320565416562">Nathaniel Hawthorne, </span><span id="freeText14967519320565416562">Wilhelm Hauff</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-78603778704315125962013-10-08T13:26:00.001-07:002013-10-08T13:26:28.521-07:00William Beckford: Vathek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-46066869444037038682013-09-12T15:06:00.000-07:002013-09-12T15:06:45.008-07:00Bruce Boston: Dark Roads: Selected Long Poems 1971-2012 This collection from Bruce Boston spans his entire career, and the selections are amazing for their depth and diversity. This is not cheap horror poetry about monsters and the apocalypse. Boston's vivid imagery and elegant style captures the long, dark shadows of twilight and the haunting fear of midnight. Decay, terror, fear, hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, madness, nightmares, and dreams. Bruce Boston is the Byron of our age.<br />
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If You Like: Keats, Shelley, Byron, Coleridge<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-43962925971798509452013-09-12T14:55:00.001-07:002013-09-12T14:55:11.311-07:00Ambrose Bierce: Terror by Night <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-69682515652893393332013-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:002013-09-08T18:28:10.927-07:00Greg Herren (editor): Shadows of the NightGreg Herren has produced a fantastic collection of gay-themed Gothic tales here! The Richard Hall story "Country People" is worth it alone, but the rest of the authors really rise to the occasion, too. <span class="a-color-base">Marshall Moore's "Sic Gloria Transit" is a dark, brooding piece with haunting prose. </span>"The Troll in the Basement" by Quentin Harrington and "Waiting for the Vampire" by William J. Mann are also two standouts here. The anthology closes with a novella, "Fever" by Victoria A. Brownworth, bringing the collection to just as intense an ending as Hall's opening tale.<br />
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If You Like: Sheridan Le Fenu, Algernon Blackwood, Edith Wharton<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-52110375033637254662013-08-29T12:52:00.000-07:002013-08-29T12:52:22.216-07:00Michael Sims (editor): Dracula's Guest and Other Victorian Vampire Stories Michael Sims gives us a fantastic look into the Victorian love of the vampire. Spanning the entire century, Sims has collected the best of the vampire tales, including <span id="freeText9372417571951605458">Sheridan Le Fanu, </span><br />
<span id="freeText9372417571951605458">Mary Elizabeth Braddon, and the lost chapter from the infamous <i>Dracula </i>by Bram Stoker. These tales reflect the early origins of the vampire myth and vary greatly in tone, depiction, and characteristics. A must for any well-read vampire fan.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText9372417571951605458">If You Like: </span><span id="freeText9372417571951605458">Sheridan Le Fanu, </span><span id="freeText9372417571951605458">Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Bram Stoker</span><br />
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<span id="freeText9372417571951605458"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-48612915004904665422013-08-16T01:54:00.000-07:002013-08-16T01:58:11.242-07:00Iain Rowan: Ice AgeIain Rowan is more well known to most people for his crime writing, but he's brilliant at the gothic as well! His short story collection titled <i>Ice Age</i> is one of the most superb collections of dark fiction since Henry James. The stories here all reflect a creeping sense of doom. Hence the title. The cold chill of the grave is reaching out in every line, every paragraph, and every story. Things are wrong, but what? Why? Rowan takes us down very dark, sinister roads of our own making. There are no serial killers, no supernatural beings, and no spell to make things better in the morning. Rowan reminds us that we make our own evil.<br />
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If You Like: Henry James, Ambrose Bierce, H.P. Lovecraft<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-59853116648711517762013-08-16T01:37:00.002-07:002013-08-16T01:37:18.490-07:00Andrew Barger (editor): The Best Vampire Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Vampire AnthologyIn another from Gothic horror editor Andrew Barger, this collection explores the more specific tales of the vampire from early modern period. Ghosts were a popular theme of the Gothic literary tradition, but the undead make plenty of appearances! These stories reflect the foundation of the vampire mythos and many differ greatly from what we know as the blood-sucking monster/ lover of today. Some of these tales have not been published for over two centuries and give a fascinating insight into the beginning of the vampire legend in modern Western Europe.<br />
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If You Like: <span id="freeText5077813498271603826">Alexander Dumas, Théophile Gautier, Joseph le Fanu.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kceXE-E-VN8/Uc29DEJ6ZSI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KRs24FbhA_4/s475/13501465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kceXE-E-VN8/Uc29DEJ6ZSI/AAAAAAAAAJE/KRs24FbhA_4/s640/13501465.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-45138776841424380042013-08-05T09:34:00.001-07:002013-08-05T09:34:34.742-07:00Paula Cappa The Dazzling DarknessDazzling sums up Paula Cappa's paranormal/ supernatural novel. Set in Concord Massachusetts, the the
spirits of transcendentalists Emerson, Thoreau, and Alcott wander the woods near an old cemetery. Elias Hatch,
the cemetery keeper, is the last of the transcendentalists in our age. There are also secrets, guilt, and pain hidden among the old tombstones. The straightforward narrative is about a kidnapping, the clues, and a family suffering from their loss. Poetry's woven among the plot to give the prose an elegance and grace that seduces you. The metaphorical elements bring a fascinating dimension to the supernatural elements.<br />
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If You Like: Algernon Blackwood, Henry James, Ralph Waldo Emerson<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-4892744866279510862013-07-23T10:29:00.000-07:002013-07-23T10:29:41.602-07:00Sandy DeLuca: Messages from the DeadSandy DeLuca's new novella is a classic example of modern Gothic literature. Her protagonist Donna was raised in a strange and mystic household, but she flees from her bizarre upbringing into the 'normal' world of kids, a job, and a marriage. But like many a Gothic tale, she cannot escape the long, dark shadows that lurk just out of sight. Horrors and terror will not remain buried, and Donna must confront her own nightmares as well as those of the distant past. Complete with a hospital and its sinister past, <i>Messages from the Dead</i> is a frightening tale.<br />
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If You Like: Henry James, Algernon Blackwood, Sheridan Le Fanu<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-24553921071467220882013-07-12T00:58:00.000-07:002013-07-12T00:58:11.262-07:00Guy de Mauppassant: Complete Original Short Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eN1_kNFuAQI/Ud-2ttIpewI/AAAAAAAAAKg/hJP-NZmDgh0/s1600/51lZ+cgtS3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eN1_kNFuAQI/Ud-2ttIpewI/AAAAAAAAAKg/hJP-NZmDgh0/s640/51lZ+cgtS3L.jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-86348604395952787722013-07-08T13:57:00.002-07:002013-07-08T14:01:01.848-07:00Sarah Waters: AffinityIn her novel <i>Affinity</i>, Sarah Waters takes us to Victorian England. Exploring a dual system of oppression, the prison system and the social condition of women, Waters weaves a master multi-layered tale. Imprisoned for a seance gone terribly wrong, Selina Dawes sits festering in horrific conditions in a women's prison. Margaret Prior, recovering from a suicide attempt, tends to the women and their needs as charity. These two women's lives collide, changing both forever. <i>Affinity</i> is a tale of forbidden arts, forbidden love, and forbidden social rights. The story unfolds in dense, complex layers, leaving the reader questioning motivations, actions, and the reality of the supernatural. The prose is elegant, drawing us into a tangled web of ghosts, fear, and ever-increasing tension. Hints of madness creep around the edges in classic Gothic tradition and the uncertainty builds to a feverish pitch.<br />
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If You Like: Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1351726257036728296.post-67491499412772350732013-07-01T14:05:00.001-07:002013-07-01T14:05:52.421-07:00Andrew Barger (editor): The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology Andrew Barger is well-known for his horror anthologies and this is one of the best. He has compiled twelve of the best short stories from the early modern Gothic period. He also includes a wonderful list of the over 300 tales he read for this collection, giving the reader an excellent reference source to continue.<br />
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If You Like: Dickens, Poe, Balzac<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08157839406886229809noreply@blogger.com0