I’ve had ghost stories on the mind lately, and in honor of Women’s History Month, I want to highlight some of the contributions that women have made to this particular genre. Ghost stories in one form or another have been a part of the literary tradition—both oral and written—going back centuries. But the period between the beginning of the Victorian era in the 1830s and the onset of World War I is considered the Golden Age of the ghost story as we know it today. Short fictional accounts of encounters with ghosts abounded in literary magazines and in the form of collected anthologies. Big name novelists and more obscure authors alike turned to writing ghost stories as a fun and reliable source of income in these years, and more than a few of those authors were women. Below are four of my favorites: Continue reading Women and the Golden Age of Ghost Stories
Category: Genre
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 Miss Violet and the Great War—A Strangely Beautiful Ending
It’s the end of an era. Leanna Renee Hieber’s newest release, Miss Violet and the Great War represents both the end of the Victorian era and the conclusion to her debut gaslamp fantasy series, the Strangely Beautiful Saga. Over the years, I’ve reviewed the rereleased versions of Strangely Beautiful and Perilous Prophecy. Now, after much trial and tribulation, the never-before-published final book has arrived. Miss Violet and the Great War comes out tomorrow, February 26. If you’re in the New York City area, be sure to join us at the release party at WORD in Brooklyn on Thursday. Continue reading Review of Miss Violet and the Great War—A Strangely Beautiful Ending
The Kingdom of Copper Review–Heroes and Villains
Everyone’s the hero of their own story … but that usually means they’re the villain of someone else’s. S. A. Chakraborty ramps up the moral ambiguity and political tensions in book 2 of The Daevabad Trilogy, The Kingdom of Copper. Just over a year ago, I reviewed book 1, The City of Brass, after it impressed me with its intricate world-building and nuanced characters. Now those characters are back and they have to make increasingly tough decisions about where they stand and whose side they’re on in a millennia-old conflict between factions of the djinn society, and between the djinn and magical forces even older and more powerful. Continue reading The Kingdom of Copper Review–Heroes and Villains
Review of Peeps–Unsexy Vampires
These days, we have a tendency to want a scientific explanation for everything—even in our most outlandish fantasy stories. Writers of vampire fiction, in particular, have come up with myriad explanations for how vampires come into existence, whether it’s a genetic mutation or some blood-borne disease. In Peeps, Scott Westerfeld has a particularly unsexy explanation: parasites. Through the eyes of teenage protagonist Cal, Peeps gives us the scoop on being a vampire, including the good, the bad, the awkward, and the gross. Continue reading Review of Peeps–Unsexy Vampires
Beneath the Sugar Sky—A Colorful Tale of Resurrecting the Dead
A real-life Candy Land may seem like paradise, but all the sugar in the world can’t cover up the taste of corruption, war, and murder…. Beneath the Sugar Sky is the third book in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. Last year, I reviewed Every Heart a Doorway, in which McGuire introduces the boarding school full of misfit children who have returned from various fantasy lands. I also reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones, a prequel of sorts that depicts the adventures of twin sisters Jack and Jill in a land of vampires and mad scientists. With the third book in the series, which came out back at the beginning of 2018, McGuire shifts gears rather dramatically. Continue reading Beneath the Sugar Sky—A Colorful Tale of Resurrecting the Dead
Christmas Ghost Stories
It’s the spookiest time of the year. No, not Halloween … Christmas! In centuries past, one of the most popular traditions of this holiday season was the telling of ghost stories. If you think about it, it makes sense—what better way to spend the longest, coldest nights of the year than to get your blood pumping with some tales of terror? It’s unclear how long this custom has been around, but it saw a significant resurgence during the Victorian era, due in large part to Charles Dickens and his famous ghost story, A Christmas Carol (1843). In this British classic, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, which scare him into changing his selfish ways. In the wake of Dickens, may other authors picked up their pens to write tales of seasonal ghosts. Below are a few of my favorites:
Melmoth: Literary Fiction Meets the Gothic
It’s not often you hear that a classic Gothic novel (other than Frankenstein or Dracula) is getting freshly reimagined by a modern author. That’s why it immediately caught my eye when I saw that a novel called Melmoth just came out in October. Melmoth is the newest book by British writer Sarah Perry (author of The Essex Serpent). As the title suggests, Melmoth borrows heavily from Charles Maturin’s 1820 novel Melmoth the Wanderer, but Perry’s version is not a straightforward re-telling. Instead, stylistic and story elements of the classic Gothic work are woven into a new, original story to create a unique hybrid of genres. Continue reading Melmoth: Literary Fiction Meets the Gothic
Review of The Spectral City—A New Generation of Gothic Heroines
Nothing gets me more excited than learning that my favorite author is starting a brand new series. That’s right, Leanna Renee Hieber is back with more Gothic gaslamp fantasy! The first book that I ever reviewed on this blog over three years ago was Leanna’s Darker Still, a thrilling love story about a young woman named Natalie who saves the dashing Lord Denbury from demonic forces. Now, nineteen years after their happily ever after, it’s time for the next generation to join the fight against evil. The Spectral City is the first book in a new series starring Eve Whitby, Natalie and Lord Denbury’s daughter. The book comes out tomorrow, November 27. If you’re in the area, join me at the Spectral City Launch Party at WORD bookstore in Brooklyn on November 29! Continue reading Review of The Spectral City—A New Generation of Gothic Heroines
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns Review—Rooting for the Villains
As a lover of the dark side, I often find myself more intrigued by the villains of a story than by the heroes. Villains have such complexity of character and face the hardest decisions—not to mention that they tend to have a vastly superior wardrobe and aesthetic. I was delighted, then, when it slowly dawned on me while reading Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao that this book is the origin story of a villain—of one of the most classic of villains, in fact. Set in a fantasy world resembling ancient China, this novel re-imagines the tale of Snow White and gives it a new spin by focusing on the ascent of the woman who will ultimately become the “Evil Queen.” Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is the first book in the Rise of the Empress series. Its sequel, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, comes out tomorrow, November 6, so now is the perfect time to hop on the bandwagon! Continue reading Forest of a Thousand Lanterns Review—Rooting for the Villains