You are getting very, very sleepy … and also a bit murderous. Mesmerism, also called animal magnetism and later hypnosis, spread in popularity throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries as doctors, hobbyists, and stage performers demonstrated their ability to control the actions of others through mere suggestion. The Victorians and Edwardians were fascinated by this new discipline, but also, understandably, quite anxious. Without knowing what the limitations were of this power, they imagined scenarios in which one could be mesmerized to commit crimes, betray loved ones, and even kill. Death by Suggestion: An Anthology of 19th and Early 20th-Century Tales of Hypnotically Induced Murder, Suicide, and Accidental Death edited by Donald K. Hartman brings together twenty-two tales by authors both well-known and obscure that explore the darker side of suggestion. Continue reading Review of Death by Suggestion–A Hypnotic Anthology
Category: Horror
Review of Zone One by Colson Whitehead—Literary Zombies
How many Pulitzer Prize–winning authors have written zombie novels? Generally, the sort of literary prestige that gets one nominated for such awards is not given to authors who write in a genre inspired by B-grade horror films. But good writing is good writing, whether it’s in a tale of the zombie apocalypse or the next Great American Novel. And at least one American author has managed to pull off both: Colson Whitehead. You’ve most likely heard his name in the context of his 2016 novel The Underground Railroad, which won him the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, and numerous other prizes. But fewer people are talking about the zombie novel that preceded his biggest hit: Zone One. Continue reading Review of Zone One by Colson Whitehead—Literary Zombies
Review of The Invited—Helpful Hauntings
Would you intentionally invite spirits into your home? What about if you knew they had an important message for you? Jennifer McMahon explores these questions in her latest horror novel, The Invited, which comes out tomorrow, April 30. If you’re a fan of haunted houses, historic ghosts, and women who defy expectations, you won’t want to miss this one! Continue reading Review of The Invited—Helpful Hauntings
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Review
As much as I love reviewing recent releases, it’s just as important to go back and spend some time on the classics. This month, I finally picked up a book that I’d been meaning to read for years: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Jackson is one of the most prominent authors of twentieth-century Gothic. Her novel The Haunting of Hill House is a staple of the haunted house and psychological horror genres, while her short story “The Lottery,” is one of the most terrifying things I remember reading for school. However, it is her final novel—We Have Always Lived in the Castle, published in 1962—that really explores the Gothic in depth. Continue reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle Review
Review of Into the Drowning Deep–Mermaid Horror
Killer mermaids. That’s all you really need to know. If you didn’t think mermaids could be scary, Mira Grant is here to prove you wrong with Into the Drowning Deep. A few months ago, I’d shared with you all a whole list of Tales of Monstrous Mermaids. This week I want to take the plunge and explore the scariest of those books in depth. Seanan McGuire (who uses the pseudonym Mira Grant for some of her novels) has been one of my favorite authors since I read her spectacular Wayward Children fantasy series and came across a few of her short stories in Ellen Datlow’s horror anthologies. But Into the Drowning Deep was the first time I read one of her full-length works or horror, and nothing could have prepared me. Continue reading Review of Into the Drowning Deep–Mermaid Horror
Dead Girls Don’t Love Review
There’s nothing I love more than a haunting little horror anthology—especially when it introduces me to an author with whom I was previously unfamiliar! Dead Girls Don’t Love by Sarah Hans surprised and delighted me from the first story onward. The collection brings together a dozen different tales that show an impressive range of style, genre, and source material. If you’re already looking for some reading material to get you into the Halloween spirit, Dead Girls Don’t Love would be a great place to start! Continue reading Dead Girls Don’t Love Review
The Overlap of Sci-fi and Horror
Gothic literature—and thus the more modern horror genre that grew out of it—was initially created as a reaction against the Age of Reason. Over the course of the 18th century, an intellectual and philosophical movement swept across Europe that emphasized logic, rationality, and scientific advancement. Enlightened thinkers sought to banish outdated superstition and believed that all of life’s great questions could be answered through the use of experimentation, observation, and reason. You can see how this philosophy would give rise to science fiction—a genre of literature which predicts scientific advances not yet achieved and imagines how they might change or shape society. But first something else was born: a genre that would look back to a time before the Enlightenment and revel in unexplained mysteries, heightened emotions, and a disconcerting dearth of logic or reason. These two genres at first seem fundamentally incompatible, and yet they are not so separate as you might think. To understand why, we’ll need to take a look at the history of how they overlap. Continue reading The Overlap of Sci-fi and Horror
Review of The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea
I can never resist a new anthology by Ellen Datlow. If you’re unfamiliar, Datlow has put together about ninety different anthologies of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, including The Best Horror of the Year, The Doll Collection, and Children of Lovecraft. Earlier this year, I reviewed a Halloween collection she did with Lisa Morton called Haunted Nights. When I heard that she had just put out a horror anthology themed entirely around the ocean, I knew I had to add it to my list. The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea came out in March and contains a fantastic collection of all-new short horror fiction by authors both well-known and unfamiliar. Continue reading Review of The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea
Review of “The Gown”–Emilie Autumn’s Short Story
It’s the little things that will drive you mad.… “The Gown” is a brand new short story by musician-cum-author Emilie Autumn that explores the concepts of madness and obsession. Over the past couple of years, Emilie Autumn revamped and re-released her pseudo-autobiographical novel The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, which combines an account of her experiences in the psychiatric ward of a hospital with a dark tale of her fictional Victorian alter-ego trapped in an abusive asylum. (I reviewed the interactive ebook of TAFWVG back in August.) In February, Emilie Autumn surprised her fans by releasing a new short story that presents similar themes. “The Gown” is available now on Amazon as either an ebook or paperback. Continue reading Review of “The Gown”–Emilie Autumn’s Short Story
Subscription-Based Web Comic: Mr. Valdemar and Other Gothic Tales
I love new adaptations of classic works of Gothic literature, especially those that bring the stories into a new medium. Mr. Valdemar and Other Gothic Tales does exactly that by adapting short horror stories into webcomic form. The title of this webcomic series takes its name from an Edgar Allan Poe story, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,” and will feature stories by Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, W. W. Jacobs, and many more. The project aims to adapt as many classic short stories as possible, posting one new page per week. The scripts are written by Jose Luis Bueno Piña, and each story has a different artist. These days, many webcomic creators are moving to a subscription-based model, and Mr. Valdemar and Other Gothic Tales is no different. The only way to get full access to these stories is to support the project on Patreon. Continue reading Subscription-Based Web Comic: Mr. Valdemar and Other Gothic Tales