Intensely engaging fantasy about two species of humans at war. The Wolf is the young heir to the throne in the invaded northern country; he faces Bellamus, a canny Suthdal general on the make, as well as powerful internal enemies who don’t think he can lead the Black Kingdom against the Suthdal invasion. Dark, imaginative and propulsive. Can’t wait for the sequel. Kirkus calls it “an action-packed and blood-splattered tour de force.” The author says, “Our current age is unusual, in that we are the only species of human on earth.”
Tag: dark fantasy
A Scary Good Author You Need to Read…
October 28, 2016
With Halloween lurking right around the darkened corner, now is a frighteningly good time to talk about authors who will scare you right out of your reading glasses. We know you know about horror heavy hitters like Peter Straub, Stephen King, and Ramsey Campbell, but how about Laird Barron? Already a favorite among horror and dark fantasy aficionados, Barron mixes cosmic horror, supernatural noir, and the occult into terrifying tales that should be topping your Halloween reading list. Strikingly original and expertly crafted, his novels and story collections have already won three Shirley Jackson Awards, received multiple Bram Stoker and Locus nominations, and been favorably compared to the work of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. So if you’re in the mood for a good scare, try to be brave and check out one of the following Laird Barron books. They’re guaranteed to give you the creeps if you give them the chance. Happy Halloween!
Barron’s latest story collection was declared an “instant classic” by author John Langan and is sure to make Barron a household name in horror. Combining “psychological horror, slasher fiction, and earthy weirdness,” these 12 spine-tingling stories are set in far-future dystopias and a hellish Alaskan wilderness where a cyborg war dog, a modern day Jack the Ripper, and a psycho sorority girl all roam wild. The first book in a planned “Alaska” cycle, this collection is a nightmarish must read.
The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us and Other Stories
This cosmic horror gem is the final book of a “loose trilogy” that includes the award-winning story collections The Imago Sequence and Occultation. Featuring eight interlinking tales and the World Fantasy Award nominated novella Hand of Glory, these chilling stories are so well crafted author Kelly Link insists you’ll forgive Barron for the sleepless nights they cause.
Barron’s debut novel tells the story of 80-year-old Donald Miller, a geologist whose sanity is tested as he unearths dark secrets about his wife and their adult twins. Filled with black magic, weird cults, and unspeakable things looming in the shadows, Barron’s book is a “disturbing imagining of a modern day Rumpelstiltskin” that is by turns touching and terrifying.
Book Trailer of the Week
June 11, 2011
Our latest Book Trailer of the Week is for Dash Shaw’s darkly fantastical graphic novel BodyWorld. The year is 2060 and America is reeling from a devastating civil war when Professor Paulie Panther rambles into the small town of Boney Borough. An experimental botanist by trade, he soon stumbles upon a mysterious two-lobed plant of possible alien origin growing back behind the high school. The strange flora’s telepathic powers are unwelcomed by the humorously quirky townsfolk, however, and the eccentric Panther quickly finds himself chafing against Boney Borough’s rigid conformist attitude. Funny and fearless, BodyWorld is a mind-blowing blend of sci-fi, offbeat romance, and futuristic what-if that will challenge your imagination with its visionary artwork. Don’t miss it.
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