A number of years ago I decided it would be fun to have a look at some of the classic horror novels from the 1980s: to revisit Dean Koontz, Clive Barker Peter Straub, V.C. Andrews and, inevitably, Stephen King. I loved King as a teen, and I chose this particular book because It has the hallmarks of a master work while, simultaneously, being deeply problematic. My difficulties with It are the same ones every other feminist critic, pretty much, has voiced. Here’s a bit of my take on this novel.
Category Archives: Reviews
Review Repost: Peter Straub’s Shadowland (from @tordotcom)
A number of years ago I decided it would be fun to have a look at some of the classic horror novels from the 1980s: something by Stephen King, a Dean Koontz novel, a taste of Clive Barker and, of course, a novel by Peter Straub. Ghost Story was published in 1979, and I was adhering strictly to the idea of an Eighties horror rewatch, so I went with Shadowland, which was less overtly horrific, in many ways. It was, though, the first Straub book I read.
Here’s a snippet of the essay:
Review Repost: Hild, by Nicola Griffith @tordotcom @nicolaz
It has been a few years since I reviewed Hild, by Nicola Griffith, for the simple reason that it’s been a few years since it came out. But as gift-giving season breathes down (some of) our collective necks, I offer this: if you do December giftage and are trying to figure out what to get a beloved fan of historical novels, someone who’s going absolutely mad waiting for Hilary Mantel’s third Cromwell novel, this is exactly the ticket. If you are that person… you’ll have a completely wonderful distraction, at least until you’re left dividing your time between pining for two sequels–the next Hild book is on my OMG, OMG, when, when? list, for sure!–instead of one.
Here’s a snip of my review:
And here’s the cover:
Review Repost: Kingfisher, by Patricia McKillip @tordotcom
Early this year I reviewed a Patricia McKillip novel, Kingfisher, a contemporary other-world fantasy with kings, knights, princesses, jousting, water-priestesses… and also social media, foodie culture, and cell phones.
It had been a long while since I read a McKillip book and I thought it was time I looked in on what she’d been writing lately. Here’s a snip of what I found in this book:
Here’s the cover:
Review Repost: Crosstalk, by Connie Willis
One of the other books I reviewed this year was the newest by Connie Willis, Crosstalk, a light screwball comedy about the dangers of too much human contact, whether it comes in the form of pushy family, social media, or telepathy.
Kelly introduced me to Connie’s writing when we were first married, so this isn’t the first time I’ve written about her work. Another Tor essay of mine tells new-to-Willis readers how to get started. And here’s a snip of the current review:
Don’t get me wrong, I’d lie and avoid these people, too.
Here’s the cover: