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Book List: 21st Century Lovecraftian Fiction

A lot of people have had limited (or no) exposure to the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Maybe they’ve seen those memes that go around at election time that say “Cthulhu for President: Choose The Lesser of Two Evils”, or have an adorable tentacled plushie, but that doesn’t mean they have ever actually read his stuff (and in addition to being creepy and terrifying, his writing can get pretty cumbersome). And once you toss in the really problematic aspects to his work, those people are probably not going to seek it out.

But you do not have to be a fan of the man to appreciate the imaginative worlds he created. Way before the Internet made fanfiction communities possible, people took his words and ran with them to create their own stories, and they are still doing it. I think he’d truly be astonished to see what people today have done with what little he wrote.

I will admit that I am not his biggest fan, mainly because his work gave me the heebie-jeebies in high school and I’ve never been able to get past that. But as an adult, I have read books that are grounded in the universe he imagined, and some of them have been really, really good. Books that are outstanding on their own merits, but that would never have existed if he hadn’t written down his own stories first.  Also, there are many authors that have approached his work in different ways, some more inventive than others. It makes me curious as to what will come next!  I’m going to share a few titles with you here that either I have read and enjoyed or that our reviewers have recommended. If you’re ready to move on from the past,  here are a few books you can try to check out what’s new in the world of Lovecraftian fiction.

 

 

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys

 

Emrys flips Lovecraft’s view completely, by giving the narrative voice to Aphra Marsh, one of the “people of the water” who inhabited Innsmouth until the government destroyed it and took the survivors to an internment camp in the desert in 1928. Aphra and her brother Caleb are the only survivors, and are adopted by the Koto family, Japanese-Americans interned there during World War II. After the war is over, Aphra is contacted by a Jewish FBI agent, Ron Spector, who has reason to believe that the Russians may have learned the dangerous ability to body-switch, a power possessed by the Yith, long-lived time travelers who archive as much of history as they can. Spector wants Aphra to visit Miskatonic University as part of a research delegation and attempt to discover who at Miskatonic might have presented the Russians with the information. Aphra and Caleb jump at the opportunity to visit the Miskatonic library, where all books and documents remaining after the destruction of Innsmouth are stored. All this is just the beginning of a suspenseful and creepy mystery with more than its fair share of terror. A second team of FBI agents working at cross-purposes with Spector, a mysterious Yith, and an unexpected family reunion all feed into the chaos and pain, but there’s also love and loyalty, coming from unlikely places. With survivors of Innsmouth, formerly interned Japanese-Americans, a Jewish FBI agent, and an African-American informant, as central characters, genocide and racism must be faced head-on, but Emrys handles it without ever getting didactic. From Aphra’s point of view, we are all monsters, and it’s the choices we make that matter.

 

Dreams from the Witch-House: Female Voices of Lovecraft edited by Lynne Jamneck

 

This feminist anthology of Lovecraft-inspired horror received a rave review from Monster Librarian reviewer Lizzy Walker. Read her review here.

 

The Dream-Quest of Vellit Boe by Kij Johnson

 

This novella by Kij Johnson is her response to Lovecraft’s The Dream-Quest of  Unknown Kadath. It has an unreal, dreamlike feel to it, reminiscent in places of Ursula K. Le Guin, and draws the reader in to that dimension where uncaring, destructive, and capricious gods determine the fate not just of individuals but of entire communities. Vellitt Boe is a professor of mathematics who goes on a nightmare quest to retrieve one of her students, who has escaped to the waking world, before her grandfather, an insane god now deep in sleep, awakes and destroys the women’s college Vellitt works at, out of vengeance. An  adventurous traveler earlier in her life, Vellitt, now middle-aged, sets out again to find her student, a rare woman traveling through dangerous places, forced to face her regrets and past decisions as she moves closer to her goal. In a note at the end of the novella, Johnson writes that her first experience with Lovecraft was with The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and that while she was uncomfortable with the racism, it was only later that she noticed the absence of women. Even though there are women in Johnson’s story, that absence is notably obvious. It’s also rare to see an adventure story with a middle-aged woman as protagonist, and it’s pretty cool that Johnson chose to center her in this novella.

 

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle

 

This is Lavalle’s response to Lovecraft’s “The Horror at Red Hook”. It’s been featured in many major review sources and has won multiple awards. Read our review here.

 

Maplecroft: The Lizzie Borden Dispatches by Cherie Priest

 

Lizzie Borden lives with her sister Emma, a disabled, brilliant, mad scientist, near the town of Fall River, Massachusetts, in the remote estate of Maplecroft. Although she’s been found innocent of the crime of murdering her parents with an ax, she can see malevolent entities from the ocean infecting the people of her community with nightmares and insanity, and she is not afraid to take them on, with every resource at her disposal. This is an epistolary novel, made up of journal entries and letters, and it’s easy for a story told using this method to drag. In this case, though, the plot is fast-paced, descriptions are vivid and horrific, and characters are revealed as in the peeling of an onion. Priest climbs inside the minds of characters who are slowly going insane, and we see through their eyes– it is a riveting, disturbing, trainwreck of a book. Priest does a great job of integrating historical details and Lovecraftian elements into her story. In addition to being ruthless and brutal with an ax, Lizzie also has a lover, Nance, who adds to the tension of the story. With complex women at its center, Maplecroft is a take on Lovecraft that would blow him away. A second volume, Chapelwood, is also available.

 

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

 

This is a series of interlocking stories taking place during the Jim Crow era,  about two African-American families threatened by cultists. Some critics have said it’s short on the existential dread and wiggly creatures, but an argument can be made that African-Americans in segregated America had more immediate terrors as part of their daily lives. This book is being made into an HBO series produced by Jordan Peele, the individual responsible for the excellent movie Get Out. 

 

 

Book Review: High Moon, Volume 1: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis

High Moon Volume 1: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis

Super Genius, 2017

ISBN: 9781629918419

Available: print

High Moon, the horror adventure webcomic from Zudacomics.com, full of werewolves, hoodoo, and supernatural mystery, is now in graphic novel form. In the first chapter, set in the Old West, bounty hunter Matthew Macgregor investigates the strange occurrences in Blest, Texas. Plagued by drought, famine, and hardship, Blest’s townspeople are suspicious of newcomers, especially when they are acting as the hand of the law. However, Matthew’s unwanted presence is the least of the town’s worries. Matthew discovers unnatural creatures stalk to town in the dark of night. Not one to cower from a fight, he pushes to bring light to the darkness, and chase the monsters out, while he tries to bury his own supernaturally driven past.

The second chapter centers on outlaw Eddie Conroy, who happens to be under the curse of the werewolf. The story opens with a train robbery in Ragged Rock, Oklahoma that yields mysterious cargo. A series of grisly murders follows in its wake. Things get even weirder when Tristan Macgregor, Matthew’s brother, arrives in town, with a mechanical arm, and hid face obscured by goggles and a mask. What does this mysterious figure want in this town? Another key part of the story is a violent love triangle between brothers, August and Frederick Kittel, and the beautiful Vivian. Conroy, while attempting to make amends for his past, discovers a dark secret about the strained relationship in the small town of Ragged Rock.

I am not normally a fan of Westerns, or of werewolf tales, but this is a great combination of the two genres. Ellis’ artwork provides the perfect atmosphere and tone for Gallaher’s well-crafted story of the supernatural in the Old West. If you want to read another amazing title by this team, pick up The Only Living Boy, the survival story of 12-year old Erik Farrell, who finds himself in an unknown, dangerous world where nothing is as it seems.

 

 

Contains: some blood, violence in the Old West

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Highly recommended

Interview with David Gallaher, Author of High Moon

Reviewer Lizzy Walker had the opportunity to interview David Gallaher, author of  the werewolf Western graphic novel series High Moon, just in time for the full moon…

Look for our review of volume 1 of High Moon, coming soon! You’ll definitely want to check it out after you read what David has to say!

 

LW: I’m familiar with and enjoy The Only Living Boy immensely. In fact, I recommended it for my academic library’s juvenile collection.High Moon has a very different feel to the tale of a lost boy in a strange world not his own, yet it feels familiar all the same. How different were these two worlds for you to write?

David: THE ONLY LIVING BOY comes from a place of innocence, wonder and exploration. It’s an emotionally complex story, but set against a background of High Adventure. It’s about fighting the good fight because it’s the right thing to do. HIGH MOON is a little more cynical and far more visceral. It explores man’s inhumanity and cruelty. It’s about fighting the good fight because nobody else will.

THE ONLY LIVING BOY is about finding yourself amid very challenge and adverse circumstances. It’s playful and defiant in the way I think great children’s literature is.

HIGH MOON by its nature is more violent, mythical, mysterious and savage. I don’t really enjoy violence or horror, so that’s a real challenge for me, but I do enjoy writing about the heroes sworn to uphold justice and protect those that can’t protect themselves.

 

LW: You have an excellent grasp on writing a Western horror. How rooted in actual American history is High Moon and how much research did you have to do in order to get a solid footing in this time period? What made you decide to write in such a specific time period and genre?

David: I was never much a fan of Westerns, but there were a few old radio westerns that I loved — HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, GUNSMOKE, and THE LONE RANGER — so I challenged myself to write the sort of western that I would want to read. As a big fan of American history, I through I’d approach the story from that angle first. I really tried to find moments to pin the story against.

I wanted to be authentic, down to the architecture, the weaponry, the costuming, and the other flourishes. I didn’t want HIGH MOON to be a generic western, I wanted it to align with the economic anxieties, troubles and tribulations that were experienced on the frontier.

The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was a United States federal law enacted on July 14, 1890. Farmers were straining under growing debt and sharply falling silver prices. It created a lot of economic instability in the country. Given werewolves own aversion to silver, this seemed like a good place to story telling the story of HIGH MOON. Combining that event with the stories of Jim Bowie’s botched expedition to the San Saba Silver Mines and well… it all seemed to fit.

 

LW: One of the most interesting characters in the book was the mysterious Tristan Macgregor. Is this a character you want to explore further at some point? Would you consider writing an arc devoted to him?

I love writing Tristan. He’s this crazy throwback character, basically an Arthurian knight in a world of cowboys, armed with this Tesla-made prosthetic arm. Steve and I have an outline for a Tristan spin-off that covers his adventures, his loves, and his loses. We’d love an opportunity to tell it.

 

LW: Which part of the first volume proved to be the most challenging to write?

David: There’s one scene about slavery during the Civil War that was particularly challenging to research and write about concerning black slave owners. It’s a cruel aspect of American history and was eye-opening for me.

One of the things I love about working on the series is that teaches me things that I never learned in history class. There are heroes like Bass Reeves, for instance, that have yet to really receive their due in the annals of history.

 

LW: Is there something in particular about the Macgregor storyline that you were the most invested in when you were writing it?

David: The foundation for the Macgregor storyline is based in Irish Mythology and Scottish History. It’s endlessly appealing to splatter those elements across a western landscape. Macgregor, for instance, is named after the Scottish outlaw, folk-hero and cattleman. It’s fun to tease all of our mysteries out on the pages, especially when they are illustrated by Steve Ellis.

 

LW: If you could add anything else to this Wild West world, what would it be? Unless that would be giving up too many mysteries you want to keep hidden for now!

I can say this… one of the things that I’d love to have included, but it didn’t quite mesh with our timeline, were the Bald Knobbers, a group of masked vigilantes in southwest Missouri. They began as group dedicated to protecting life and property, aiding law enforcement officials. They have a remarkably fascinating history, but didn’t mesh with the timeline we’ve established.

 

LW: Tell the Monster Librarian readers a little about yourself.

I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. I traveled a lot as a kid, before my family settled down in Maryland. I spent my formative years in an old Civil War town littered with racists, mysterious military bases, and a twenty-five acre forest in my backyard. Those pieces of my childhood eventually became the basis for HIGH MOON, BOX 13, and THE ONLY LIVING BOY that I write from my studio, BOTTLED LIGHTNING.

Aside the projects I write for our studio, I’ve had the opportunity to write for Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics and Amazon Studios. I also had the great fortune of being the editor of ATTACK ON TITAN and SAILOR MOON for Kodansha Comics. As a writer and as an editor, I love being involved in bringing great stories to reader of all ages.

 

LW:  Why bring back this particular book? What’s its history that makes it a cult classic?

David: Convention after convention, HIGH MOON is the one story that our fans consistently ask us about. I think they like the rough and tumble cinematic presentation of it all. As a webcomic, under DC Comics’ Zuda imprint, it build quite a following week after week, where it was notable for its cliffhangers. When the imprint folded, fans were left with all of the lingering questions. Brining the series back allows us to answer those questions and bring in a whole new audience of readers. I don’t know what makes it a ‘cult classic’ but Steve and I put a tremendous amount of passion into every page. We hope it shows.

 

LW: What are some of your favorite books/graphic novels?
David: I was deeply influenced by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Rudyard Kipling. Madeleine L’Engle’s work on A WRINKLE IN TIME was also deeply influential. I tend to read much more classic literature than modern literature, but I recently enjoyed NO GOOD DEED by Goldy Moldavsky.

 

LW: Why should libraries be interested in High Moon?
David: I think HIGH MOON presents an interesting opportunity to remind readers that American history is wild, rich, and wonderful. If we can use monsters to help new readers discover more about the American frontier, well… that’s great teachable opportunity for libraries.

 

LW: What else would you like librarians and readers to know about your work?
David: Steve Ellis and I travel the country speaking at libraries. We frequently give talks about making graphic novels, participate in library conventions, and give readings. We adore how much the graphic novel has become an important piece of library collections around the country. We hope that conversation continues and we love being a part of it.