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A review by noelles_shelves
A Darker Shade of Noir: New Stories of Body Horror by Women Writers by Joyce Carol Oates
3.0
Overall, this is a solid body horror anthology. There were some standout stories, but there were also some that I didn't really like. After spending some time reflecting, I would rate each story as follows:
1. Frank Jones by Aimee Bender - 5 stars - so bizarre it's memorable! I enjoyed it.
2. Dancing by Tananarive Due - 4 stars - really scary if you think about it. I like Due's style.
3. Scarlet Ribbons by Megan Abbott - 2 stars - too vague for me. Not too horrific.
4. Malena by Joanna Margaret - 5 stars - emotional and unpleasant. Definitely body horror.
5. Dancing with Mirrors by Lisa Lim - 2 stars - I liked the illustrations, but it fell flat compared to the others.
6. Metempsychosis, or The Journey of the Soul by Margaret Atwood - 5 stars - body horror but not in the expected way. This was a great story.
7. Concealed Carry by Lisa Tuttle - 5 stars - current and terrifying! The ending shocked me.
8. Gross Anatomy by Aimee LaBrie - 5 stars - by far the most disgusting in this book. She understood the assignment.
9. Breathing Exercise by Raven Leilani - 1 star - among the other stories, this feels out of place. I'm unsure how this is really "body horror."
10. Muzzle by Cassandra Khaw - 1 star - I've tried SO hard to like Khaw's writing, but I just don't. Interesting concept but its muddled by pretentious vocabulary.
11. Her Heart May Fail Her by Yumi Dineen Shiroma - 1 star - I vaguely understand what the author was going for here, but it didn't work.
12. The Chair of Tranquility (from the Diary of Mrs. Thomas Peele, Trenton, New Jersey, 1853) by Joyce Carol Oates - 3 stars - really scary that this is a real "treatment" plan. It was good, but tame.
13. The Seventh Bride, or Female Curiosity by Elizabeth Hand - 4 stars -
14. Nemesis by Valerie Martin - 5 stars - gotta love it when narcissistic men get what they deserve. I loved it.
15. Sydney by Sheila Kohler - 4 stars - strong story to end the collection. This is the only story to really focus on body horror combined with technology.
1. Frank Jones by Aimee Bender - 5 stars - so bizarre it's memorable! I enjoyed it.
2. Dancing by Tananarive Due - 4 stars - really scary if you think about it. I like Due's style.
3. Scarlet Ribbons by Megan Abbott - 2 stars - too vague for me. Not too horrific.
4. Malena by Joanna Margaret - 5 stars - emotional and unpleasant. Definitely body horror.
5. Dancing with Mirrors by Lisa Lim - 2 stars - I liked the illustrations, but it fell flat compared to the others.
6. Metempsychosis, or The Journey of the Soul by Margaret Atwood - 5 stars - body horror but not in the expected way. This was a great story.
7. Concealed Carry by Lisa Tuttle - 5 stars - current and terrifying! The ending shocked me.
8. Gross Anatomy by Aimee LaBrie - 5 stars - by far the most disgusting in this book. She understood the assignment.
9. Breathing Exercise by Raven Leilani - 1 star - among the other stories, this feels out of place. I'm unsure how this is really "body horror."
10. Muzzle by Cassandra Khaw - 1 star - I've tried SO hard to like Khaw's writing, but I just don't. Interesting concept but its muddled by pretentious vocabulary.
11. Her Heart May Fail Her by Yumi Dineen Shiroma - 1 star - I vaguely understand what the author was going for here, but it didn't work.
12. The Chair of Tranquility (from the Diary of Mrs. Thomas Peele, Trenton, New Jersey, 1853) by Joyce Carol Oates - 3 stars - really scary that this is a real "treatment" plan. It was good, but tame.
13. The Seventh Bride, or Female Curiosity by Elizabeth Hand - 4 stars -
14. Nemesis by Valerie Martin - 5 stars - gotta love it when narcissistic men get what they deserve. I loved it.
15. Sydney by Sheila Kohler - 4 stars - strong story to end the collection. This is the only story to really focus on body horror combined with technology.