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A review by motherhorror
The New Black by Benjamin Percy, Brian Evenson
4.0
I suppose Neo-Noir fiction can best be defined as "dark fiction". This anthology edited by Richard Thomas collects stories from amazing authors blurring genre lines.
I think most of these stories take that delicious horror tension and use it in a new way.
Rebecca Jones-Howe's story, BLUE HAWAII is the perfect example of this. The unreliable protagonist has someone else's infant in her care and this creates this overwhelming sense of dread throughout the entire story. Every turned page feels like YOU the reader are responsible for remembering the baby but the character is attending to her own selfish needs.
FATHER, SON, HOLY RABBIT by Stephen Graham Jones is one of those stories where the reader feels the truth of what's happening nipping at the edges of your mind but the author keeps it hidden until just the right moment. It's a soul crusher.
There are some compelling tales about killers...DIAL TONE by Benjamin Percy & THE ETIQUETTE OF HOMICIDE by Tara Laskowski.
This is an older anthology that I decided to pick up on a whim so I had already read Paul Tremblay's story, IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO FEED THE DUCKS (this one is in GROWING THINGS) which I loved and also Craig Davidson's RUST & BONE (also found in Davidson's short story collection with the same title)-a haunting, gripping story that is rough on the feels.
There were some stories I didn't read all the way--I just skipped to the next but there were only a few. Overall, this anthology is one for the collectors. The cover is great and the interior design is beautiful; little illustrations accompanying each story. I'm glad I own this one.
I think most of these stories take that delicious horror tension and use it in a new way.
Rebecca Jones-Howe's story, BLUE HAWAII is the perfect example of this. The unreliable protagonist has someone else's infant in her care and this creates this overwhelming sense of dread throughout the entire story. Every turned page feels like YOU the reader are responsible for remembering the baby but the character is attending to her own selfish needs.
FATHER, SON, HOLY RABBIT by Stephen Graham Jones is one of those stories where the reader feels the truth of what's happening nipping at the edges of your mind but the author keeps it hidden until just the right moment. It's a soul crusher.
There are some compelling tales about killers...DIAL TONE by Benjamin Percy & THE ETIQUETTE OF HOMICIDE by Tara Laskowski.
This is an older anthology that I decided to pick up on a whim so I had already read Paul Tremblay's story, IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO FEED THE DUCKS (this one is in GROWING THINGS) which I loved and also Craig Davidson's RUST & BONE (also found in Davidson's short story collection with the same title)-a haunting, gripping story that is rough on the feels.
There were some stories I didn't read all the way--I just skipped to the next but there were only a few. Overall, this anthology is one for the collectors. The cover is great and the interior design is beautiful; little illustrations accompanying each story. I'm glad I own this one.