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Book Review: The Invention of Ghosts by Gwendolyn Kiste

The Invention of Ghosts

The Invention Of Ghosts by Gwendolyn Kiste

Nightscape Press, 2019

Available: Chapbook, pre-order direct from Nightscape Press

Yes, this is a chapbook. Yes, it’s something you can finish reading in an hour or so. But this is something special, something worth investing in and savoring the story from one of the best new writers of the decade.

Just like Kiste’s collection and her stunning debut, The Rust Maidens, The Invention of Ghosts is a reading experience that seldom occurs. Kiste’s writing is what makes the stories transcend most of what the genre holds these days: the author is that special.

The less said. the better about this story.  It reminded me a bit of both The Haunting of Hill House and Ghost Story, a mix between Shirley Jackson and Peter Straub. Yet, Gwendolyn Kiste is her own person, and her style deftly dances between the words, carving out sentences that alternate between razors and velvet.

Everly is fascinated with the occult and all things ghostly. She’s a bit eccentric, odd, different, and cool. Kiste seduces the reader with her second person point of view, speaking to her friend who may or may not be dead, in a manner that evokes the best of Gillian Flynn and Nathan Ballingrud. The main character searches for the answers to a mystery she might already know, something others don’t want her to explore. The adventure of her missing childhood friend and college roommate who followed her passion for the occult consumes her, digging a rabbit hole for Everly to escape into, bury her sanity, or seek salvation. It’s a trip that begs exploration.

In addition to supporting a great author, forty percent of the proceeds from the sale of this chapbook goes to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, which houses over 150 species of birds from around the world, many of them endangered. Help a great cause while reading something special.

Posted on November 21, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: A New York State of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State edited by James Chambers, April Grey, and Robert Masterson

A New York State Of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State edited by James Chambers, April Grey, and Robert Masterson

Hippocampus Press, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1-61498-237-1

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

Horror writers, both established and new, live all over New York State, from the Big Apple to Upstate.  Each has their own take on the macabre.   In this anthology of frightening tales set in their home state, they put their talents and imaginations to good use: the writers, editors, and publisher pledged to donate the proceeds to Girls Write Now, a New York City nonprofit that matches at-risk teen girls with mentor writers, to help create and benefit a new generation of New York writers.

From the beginning, A New York State of Fright promised to give a great variety of tales, and it did.  There is something for everyone here. A woman addicted to fashion gets her shoe fix with an unknown designer.  The incredible heels demand to be worn, no matter the cost. A collection agent for a Latino mob runs the neighborhood handing out beatings to death at will… until the victims decide they’ve had enough.  People trapped in the subway while a hurricane bears down on the city discover that when rain floods the tunnels, the water washes more than rats up out of its darkness.  A visit to the old abandoned lighthouse in New York Sound is said to let you reach out to lost loved ones…  but maybe they will reach back.  A psychopath is recreating the past in murders: a crime reporter has a tip for the lead detective that will break the case wide open.  A man buys an estate and recounts to his realtor how he met his wife, an incredible story filled with werewolves… or is it?  During the dog days of summer three drinking buddies sit in their favorite bar and ogle the hottie outside.  The game is simple: is she alive or dead?

Some stories worked better than others for me.  My favorites were: “Eyes Left“ by Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee; “Everybody Wins” by Lisa Mannetti; “Blood Will Tell” by JG Faherty; “The Grim” by Allan Burd; and “Heels” by Alps Beck.  Each of these used enough realistic elements to give an authentic feel to their stories, and also had a unique twist.  The pacing and flow was good in them, the descriptions were descriptive without being overdone, and the characters were believable.  The stories drew me in, and wouldn’t let go.  The other tales were okay: some worked better than others for me.  However, this entire collection suffered to one degree or another with a variety of grammar issues.  Spelling, run-ons, telling vs. showing, garbled phrases, and punctuation issues all reared their ugly heads.  Due to this, I had trouble following some works.  The only work that I have read previously by an author with a story in this volume is Lucifer’s Lottery by Edward Lee.

Contains: Sexual situations, Sexism

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Editor’s note: A New York State of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State is a nominee on the final ballot of the Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology. 

 

Posted on May 5, 2019 by , Reply

Tell-Tale Art– Spooky Illustrations with the Power to Change Lives

How cool is this? I learned about it from a tweet from Jon Scieszka, the mind behind Guys Read. All kinds of well known children’s book illustrators are participating in an art auction that you’ll want to be sure to check out, called Tell Tale Art. It’s all original spooky art from these illustrators, and if you’ve ever picked up a children’s picture book some of these names ought to sound familiar. Maybe you’ve heard of Lane Smith, David Shannon, Brett Helquist, Mo Willems, Paul O. Zelinsky, Dav Pilkey, Adam Rex, or Tony DiTerlizzi? All of them have donated their own scary illustrations to this auction, which is a fundraiser for an organization called 826NYC.

826nyc.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write, structured around the belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this in mind we provide free drop-in tutoring, field trips, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications, intended to ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice (Most of that is straight from their mission statement)

Even if you can’t afford to participate, go look! It’s a great opportunity to see what children’s authors and illustrators can do with a spooky theme.

Posted on November 16, 2012 by , Reply
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