Sara Tantlinger | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Book Review: Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger

Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger

Rooster Republic, 2020

ISBN-13 : 978-1946335395

Available: ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Sara Tantlinger has infected many horror fans with a burning passion for poetry, not an easy feat, and the exquisite entries into her newest collection are damn impressive. I first encountered her work in Devil’s Dreamland, a book devoted to the unimaginable horrors of serial killer H.H. Holmes, both his murders and the monstrous, puzzle box house he created to feed the evil within him, and found myself falling back in love with the form. It is a difficult task to imbue a reader with true dread and wonder for a single poem, let alone an entire collection. Only a few other poets I have read have riled up the beast within me repeatedly, to accomplish that dark grasp into the soul.

Tantlinger has now done it twice.

Readers of Cradleland of Parasites might draw some parallels to Poe’s “Masque of The Red Death” for obvious reasons, or recognize the nihilism of Thomas Ligotti, but Tantlinger delves deep beyond these influences to create a surreal, yet beautiful nightmare in this 104 page part examination, part love letter to the plague. Yet there’s life in these poems that transcends that macabre mindset and raises it to the art form it aims to be. Imagine Kathe Koja, Gwendolyn Kiste, or Catherynne Valente if they dove soul first into poetry. That image may not be adequate but it’s what is painted in my psyche upon slipping from one piece to the next.

The author treats disease as immortal, untouchable, and unbeatable, which in this world, obviously has plenty of merit. The poems that speak to the reader from the point of view of the plague doctors and victims are fierce, yet touching, but it is the ones in which the disease itself speaks its mind and sings its song where the full impact strikes, and pierces the soul.

It’s bittersweet that Sara Tantlinger released this during the pandemic of our times but it might just serve as a talisman of hope for life, or salve for the lingering doom that Covid brings.

That it is a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award speaks to the horror it evokes in readers’ minds. During this tumultous time, it serves as a fitting reminder of our own mortality, both special and irrelevant in the vast cosmos. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Simms

Editor’s note: Cradleland of Parasites is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in Poetry.

Book Review: Not All Monsters: A Strangehouse Anthology of Women in Horror

Not All Monsters: A Strangehouse Anthology of Women in Horror edited by Sara Tantlinger

Rooster Republic Press, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781946335319

Available: Paperback ( Bookshop.org )

Not All Monsters, a new anthology of horror fiction edited by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Sara Tantlinger, contains twenty-one tales of terror and darkness by women authors. Tantlinger had the privilege and challenge of scouring hundreds of entries for the anthology. Her introduction provides an overview of why she decided to embark on this project, and it is well worth the read.

I loved all the stories in this anthology, although some tales stood out more than others. In “Portrait of a Girl in Red and Yellow” by Joanna Roye, set in the Victorian era, the narrator discovers a hereditary skin condition that turns out to reveal a family secret has been passed on to her. “The Miraculous Ones” by G.G. Silverman tells the story of conjoined twins developing their own personalities and the deep desire to live different lives. In “Black Feathered Phlogiston” by K. P. Kulski, sisters tend to a flock of harpies that live in their attic. As their bodies grow, so do their appetites, and the new woman in their father’s life knows more about the creatures than the girls think she does. “Leather”, a particularly delicious tale by S. M. Ketcham, reveals what can happen to an incel when he takes things too far. “Pretty Little Vampires” by Sam Fleming tells a dark tale about a woman who wants to attract fairies to her dwelling, but gets more than she bargains for. Joanna Koch’s “The Revenge of Madeline Usher” is wonderful, and keeps with the tone of Poe’s original “The Fall of the House of Usher.” This reimagining of the story of the Usher twins told from the perspective of Madeline gives the original story more grotesque content, a deeper story about what goes on in the House of Usher, and what happens, or could happen, when the house finally falls. Could Madeline finally be free of the house and her brother? It is a brilliant short story.

I would recommend this volume to libraries or individuals who want to expand their collections of women-led horror projects. This is a great book, and I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. Each story has its own unique feel. I look forward to reading more by the contributors! Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Editor’s note: Not All Monsters: A Strangehouse Anthology of Women in Horror is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology.