by Barbara the Bibliophage | Nov 8, 2022 | RELAX: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
I read Dark Celebrations during the Halloween spooky season, but Calvin Demmer’s flash fiction collection is appropriate for horror fans to celebrate all year long. He takes typical holidays and events and turns them into extraordinary—and gory—celebrations. Honestly,...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Jul 27, 2022 | RELAX: Historical Fiction
Dandelion Wine is a masterwork in the art of connected stories or vignettes. In the hands of Ray Bradbury, small-town America in the summer of 1928 comes alive. Kids run free and adults sip glasses of dandelion wine on their porches. But there’s also an unsettling...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | May 5, 2022 | RESIST: Politics, RESIST: Social Justice
The essays in The 1619 Project, created and edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times Magazine, are more vital reading than ever. This week’s events at the Supreme Court have proven that. We’re watching the dismantling of privacy and human rights here in...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Nov 30, 2021 | RELAX: Memoir
David Sedaris is a new author for me, and his 2020 compilation, The Best of Me, was the perfect place to start. He introduced me to his family, his outlook on life, his writing style, and the general ethos of his audience. And yes, I laughed plenty. A few tears fell...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 19, 2020 | RELAX: Mystery-Thriller
The Lottery and Other Stories proves that Shirley Jackson was a master storyteller. Everyone knows this, so I’m not saying anything new. I’m behind on reading Jackson’s work, having only read We Have Always Lived in a Castle previously. But I figured October was a...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 28, 2019 | RELAX: Historical Fiction
Phil Growick conceived and curated The Art of Sherlock Holmes – USA Edition. The premise is simple. Collect a group of Sherlockian tales by accomplished writers familiar with the genre. Then ask world-class artists to each create a work of art that reflects one...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 16, 2019 | RELAX: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Joe Hill published his Full Throttle story collection just in time for the haunting season. And haunt me it did! Hill begins and ends with some lovely notes on his craft, growing up with Stephen King, and story inspirations. Everything between those two chapters is...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Sep 25, 2019 | RELAX: Other Relaxation
Editor and publisher Michelle Halket showcases work from ten poets in [Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume 2. Each of the ten poets submitted three poems, which are interspersed between short stories from the same writers. Halket...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Sep 21, 2019 | RELAX: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Calvin Demmer writes intense horror stories. Part of a series called Short Sharp Shocks!, this one is a ghost story. Journalist Sylvia Bernstein is looking for that “big story,” which will boost her career into hyperspace. She should be careful what she wishes for....
by Barbara the Bibliophage | May 3, 2019 | RELAX: Other Relaxation
R.L. Maizes tells stories of discovery, haunting, and the everyday rhythms of life. Her writing is by turns eloquent, poignant, and groaningly funny. And her characters are as unique as you’ll find in contemporary short stories.Maizes’ tales feature teenagers, grown...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Dec 18, 2017 | RELAX: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
In his introduction to the collection Just After Sunset, Stephen King lays out his track record with short stories. As with many authors of his generation, he got his start publishing short stories in genre magazines. And then he started writing novels, and the...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Nov 8, 2017 | RELAX: Other Relaxation
I’m late to the George Saunders party, having read the short stories in Tenth of December some months after his recent novel Lincoln in the Bardo. Nevertheless, I’m glad to have read them in this order. I think it helped me to have a sense for the way...
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