Rhiannon
This peculiar collection of weird fiction is that of absurdism and the bizarre. It’s unsettling and disturbing in the vein of Brian Evenson, Thomas Ligotti or Caitlin Kiernan’s existential dread and horror-tinged dark fantasies. I enjoyed this compilation because of it’s experimental and esoteric style, an uncanny valley atmosphere where myth and folklore are juxtaposed in seemingly chaotic modern settings and decorated with twenty-first century objects…
The individual stories in this collection are much more about a feeling, a setting, an atmosphere, than strict plotlines. The stories mix classical elements of fantasy and mythology, unexpectedly injecting modern ideas, devices, speech or behaviours into them. I understand this can be jarring for those expecting a more traditional narrative with a solid conclusion to the stories, but for those looking for something more unpredictable and unconventional you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the choices the author makes. I know I was.
I found the stories quirky and fascinating and dimensionally out of sync with our known reality but just close enough to be discomfiting and uneasy. A very solid collection.
My thanks to NetGalley and University of Massachusetts Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
This peculiar collection of weird fiction is that of absurdism and the bizarre. It’s unsettling and disturbing in the vein of Brian Evenson, Thomas Ligotti or Caitlin Kiernan’s existential dread and horror-tinged dark fantasies. I enjoyed this compilation because of it’s experimental and esoteric style, an uncanny valley atmosphere where myth and folklore are juxtaposed in seemingly chaotic modern settings and decorated with twenty-first century objects…
The individual stories in this collection are much more about a feeling, a setting, an atmosphere, than strict plotlines. The stories mix classical elements of fantasy and mythology, unexpectedly injecting modern ideas, devices, speech or behaviours into them. I understand this can be jarring for those expecting a more traditional narrative with a solid conclusion to the stories, but for those looking for something more unpredictable and unconventional you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the choices the author makes. I know I was.
I found the stories quirky and fascinating and dimensionally out of sync with our known reality but just close enough to be discomfiting and uneasy. A very solid collection.
My thanks to NetGalley and University of Massachusetts Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.