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Book Review: Hear Us Scream: The Voices of Horror edited by Catherine Benstead, S.C. Parris, and Violet Burns

cover art for Hear Us Scream: The Voices of Horror

Hear Us Scream: The Voices of Horror edited by Catherine Benstead, S.C. Parris, and Violet Burns

Hear Us Scream, 2021

ISBN: 9780645235500

Available:  Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition  ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

 

Vivid and intimate, these nonfiction reflections examine how and why folks find homes in the horror genre.

 

The women and nonbinary contributors’ offer personal horror journeys that blend and balance scholarly insights with intensely personal revelations for a unique and powerful reading experience. Despite considerable diversity in contributors’ backgrounds, some common threads emerge in the essays. Authors address themes like life lessons from horror’s surviving characters; horror as a place of self- recognition, community, and discovery; first experiences with horror; the connection between histories of trauma and horror enthusiasm; and the (mis)representations of marginalized identities. The result of the converging themes from distinct perspectives delivers a smart celebration that find pleasure and critical engagement with the genre. The inclusive potential of horror is centered, while raising incisive questions about future directions, and the pathways presented reflect the dynamic value of horror’s diverse voices. Horror lovers will find an enthusiastic appreciation of horror’s many worlds, interesting entry points, and room for emerging conversations. Much like the genre itself, I suspect this book will feel like home to many readers, who recognize and revere similar moments and remembrances.

 

Hear Us Scream is a welcome addition that will find enthusiastic readers across the community of horror lovers. Both horror content creators and fans will find much to enjoy and relate to in this empowering set of reflections about all types of horror, from B-movies to mainstream features, and more. Some individual essays include trigger warnings for a range of topics, and complex topics are handled with candor and care. Libraries with strong horror collections and pop culture sections will benefit from adding this title. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by E.F. Schraeder

Posted on February 5, 2022 by , Reply

Book Review: Anoka: A Collection of Indigenous Horror by Shane Hawk

Cover art for Anoka by Shane Hawk

Anoka: A Collection of Indigenous Horror by Shane Hawk

Black Hills Press, 2020

ISBN-13: 9798674225195

Available: Paperback, Kindle, Audible ( Amazon.com )

The titular Anoka, Minnesota is a small town outside of the Twin Cities with the title of “The Halloween Capital of the World”, a title held since 1937. Cheyenne and Arapaho author Shane Hawk presents his debut horror collection of six short stories exploring themes of family, grief, loneliness, and identity in indigenous life.

In “Soilborne”, a couple’s fussy child Roland is not what the tiny thing seems.

“Wounded” addresses missing and murdered indigenous women. Philip Wounded’s sister 12-year old sister, Pippa, was kidnapped and murdered after he shirked his responsibility in picking her up from school. After that, he took up the bottle, pills, and anything else that could bury his guilt. When he finds an old book in his grandfather’s shed, his problems get worse.

“Orange”, a powerful piece of flash fiction, tells the story of a man who is haunted by the death of his wife and unborn child after a drunk driving accident.

In “Imitate”, a father believes his young son is not who he claims to be. I love creepy kid stories, so this one was right up my alley. Hawk’s descriptions of the son, Tate, are spooky, and a scene where the father comes face to face with…something… in a small enclosed space, was intense.

It would be hard to follow “Imitate” with more scares, but Hawk manages to do just that with “Dead America”. An award-winning author struggling with severe writers block begins to have nightmares about a giant spider and her babies, who accuses him of stealing tales from his people and claiming them as his own. This one has a good dose of body horror for those of us who appreciate it.

In “Transfigured”, Hawk weaves a tale of a werewolf who just wants to belong, to be a part of something that they never could as a child: Halloween.

At the end of each story, Hawk provides story notes that gives the reader some history or inspiration behind these tales of horror. It is a nice touch, especially for people unfamiliar with the legends Hawk refers to. I recommend this collection to horror readers who are interested in genre literature by indigenous authors. The first story I read from Hawk was in Howls From Hell, which I also reviewed for Monster Librarian. I will be keeping this author on my radar. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on December 5, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

cover art for The Other Black Girl

 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Atria Books, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982160135

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook (  Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

 

Nella is an editorial assistant at Wagner Books, and the only Black woman on the editorial staff.  Editorial assistants are poorly paid, and most of the editors have been there for years and aren’t going anywhere, so there isn’t a lot of likelihood of moving up. Most editorial assistants are young white women with a financial cushion that allows them to afford the job, and there is a lot of turnover.  Nella faces frequent microaggressions from the lily-white staff. There has been a token effort at diversity and inclusion, but most staff have tuned it out.

 

Nella is struggling with her supervising editor over the latest book of a well-known author, which includes a racist stereotype, while hoping to bring in a manuscript by a controversial Black activist. As she attempts to balance keeping her job with staying true to herself, she is pleased to discover that Wagner has hired another Black woman as editorial assistant, Hazel. At first Nella is relieved and excited to have someone to vent with, but Hazel comes across as more “genuine” and is an expert code-switcher. Soon Nella finds that Hazel is undermining her and going behind her back to take on what had previously been Nella’s assignments and roles. It’s almost like Nella is becoming invisible. Something ominous is going on. There are occasionally interruptions from other narrators, which is a little confusing, but eventually helps to create an understanding of the larger picture in which Nella’s story exists.

 

The Other Black Girl is slow to begin, but it is worth it to see the development of the office environment in which Nella and Hazel find themselves competing. Readers who don’t follow publishing news will need this background. As the story progresses, it draws the reader in, and the suspense and growing dread make it impossible to put down. It critiques the whiteness of publishing, the performativity of diversity initiatives, the necessity for code-switching, and stereotypes like the “strong black woman” in the midst of a conspiracy that couldn’t exist in another context. It is a compelling story that pulls back the curtains on the publishing world, showing that there is much more that needs to occur for real diversity and change.  Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on September 27, 2021 by , Reply
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