The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter

I had seen Theodora Goss' The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter around for a while but was on the fence about whether I wanted to read it or not. I used to really love new stories with historically or fictionally-based characters but, recently, I've found many of them to be annoyingly inaccurate or badly constructed. But then I saw a glowing mention of this and decided to give it a shot anyway.

The story starts with Mary Jekyll, simultaneously mourning the death of her mother and also finding out a huge secret that her mother had been keeping. The secret leads her to meet Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and other daughters of famous, well, mad scientists. They join forces to try and figure out what motives joined their fathers and to discover whether they can trust each other as they have each been betrayed by their "creators". Oh, and did I mention Holmes and Watson are there too?!

So, basically this was a Wilkie Collins novel of orphaned women trying to keep their heads above water, but with the wonderful added elements of horror and science fiction that other Victorians did so well. I really cared about these characters and loved the reminders of each of their original stories. The sequel, European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, is out today and I can't wait to dive into it. I wouldn't even mind rereading this one so soon!

Avoiding madness,
K

The Broken Lands

I can't even begin to find a way to explain Kate Milford's The Broken Lands to you. It's a prequel to Boneshaker and has a minor character from that book in a medium-sized role. It happens in late-19th century New York City and has card sharps, Chinese fireworks experts, devils, demons, and magic. It's such an amazing and perilous world and I absolutely loved it. There are also real cultural issues and complex war musings. It's another one of those books that has no target age group. It has elements of the fantasy, horror, adventure, and coming-of-age genres and is simply another amazing Milford story.

The coolest news this week was that Bluecrowne, an early Kickstarted story by Milford, has been updated and is being rereleased this October. It's a bridge between the Greenglass House world and the Boneshaker one and I cannot wait for it. I will be more than happy to reread everything this summer before this new adventure comes out.

All about this world,

K

New Release: Jane, Unlimited

Jane, Unlimited is the latest by Kristin Cashore, of Graceling fame. Although she spells her name wrong, she sure knows how to tell a compelling story.

The beginning: Jane is an uber-orphan, first losing her parents when she was two and then losing her aunt/guardian recently during her first year of college. She is grieving and adrift so, when invited to a unique island home by a former tutor, Jane leaves her life behind and heads to Tu Reviens. Almost from the first moment they arrive, she begins to sense (and investigate) the mysteries unfurling around her.

The twist: What follows are five different stories stemming from a single choice, a full set of alternate realities.

I don't think I can even begin to tell you anything else about this book because my brain hurts when I try to put it into a nice little pigeonhole in my mental library. This is a story with many genres and I found them all equally strong. The only thing I hoped for as I read was more romance because I liked Jane best when she was considering love and/or attraction. I wrote a little bit after I finished Bitterblue, the final book in the Graceling trilogy, and one sentence just stood out to me as I looked back: "It was harder to side with Bitterblue when she was being irrational or petulant but then a learning experience would happen and she would win me over again." This is almost EXACTLY how I felt about Jane too! She had a tendency to blurt without thinking first, to ask impertinent questions, or to be downright rude and I would get annoyed by her only to have a personal revelation or a discovery bring me right back to her side as an ally. Also, her hobby was making umbrellas which I couldn't get enough of for some reason. Anyway, if you aren't sure about genre fiction and need a unique story that lets you dip your toes in it, pick this one up!

Ready to reread already,
K

New Release: Meddling Kids

I rarely preorder new books anymore but, because this was supposedly based on Mystery Inc./Scooby-Doo and because I *loved* Edgar Cantero's first novel, The Supernatural Enhancements, I knew that Meddling Kids was a no-risk buy and I also didn't want to wait to read it. Based on the descriptions (a mix of Scooby-Doo and The Goonies was the last one I saw), I was expecting a light-hearted, funny pastiche. But this is an actual horror book with damaged characters. The young detective friends have grown up, had various problems based on what they experienced in their last case, and have reunited in Oregon to face those demons -- some of them literal. It's not all bleak though -- there's friendship, unrequited love, and yes, a dog.

I was just reading my post about The Supernatural Enhancements and I said that I had written "holy crap" in a tweet and that the author asked if it was good crap or bad. This time I tweeted right at him -- "Wow, @punkahoy. Just wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. #readthisbook". And yes, they were good wows. I had so much fun reading this story, so many things happened that I never saw coming. The story had nods to those previously mentioned shows and found its creatures in Lovecraftian lore, but it was purposeful, never heavy-handed, and all arranged in an exciting, original way. Also, check out the awesome neon cover! This was a great summer read but would also be perfect during the upcoming RIP season. (Not that I'm already thinking about reading stacks for that because that would be crazy ... er ...)

Unearthing a gem,

K

Comics February - Edward Scissorhands

Since everyone else was reading comics and graphic novels this month for Comics February, I picked up the one trade book that I had sitting on my TBR shelf, Edward Scissorhands, Volume 1: Parts Unknown, written by Kate Leth and drawn by Drew Rausch. The story in this takes place after Kim dies of old age. Her granddaughter has always believed her version of things, namely that Edward was a gentle soul and not a murderer. She finds Edward up in his home having a bit of a crisis -- he has brought back to life one of the Professor's failed experiments and it has turned out to be quite evil.

I really liked the story in this volume. Edward's innocence and tentativeness came through even in this format. I also liked the artwork for the most part except that I don't quite like how Rausch draws faces (everyone is ugly and/or making ugly faces) and a few of the panels were hard to decipher. But he has just enough Tim Burton in there to make it appealing and I did like his artwork more than almost all of the alternate covers that were included in the back.

Volume 2 came out last October so I'll be picking it up sometime soon!

Sharpening my comics reading skills,
K

RIP X: 6, Beautiful Darkness

I am honestly traumatized after reading Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët. It pairs cuteness and horror into one really uncomfortable read. I am not usually a big fan of horror but dislike it even more when it involves children or toys or anything similar. This had it all.

I mean, this is the heroine, Aurora -- wearing a bloody mouse skin. You don't even want to know where she came from. And the others who came with her aren't exactly paragons of virtue and kindness. Nope.

I'll leave the rest for you to discover ... if you want to.

Or you could look at this instead ...

Photo by @amivitale #onassignment for @natgeo. Even pandas have Monday mornings! A day at the "office" for a newborn giant panda means being weighed every day at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Sichuan Province, China. Baby pandas grow fast and their keepers work hard to ensure they are healthy and happy. @ipandacam @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa #pandas #bifengxia #sichuan #conservation #natureisspeaking #china #animals #wildlife #photooftheday #photography #nature #seetheworld #nikonnofilter #nofilter #nikon #d4s #nikonambassador #photojournalism #amivitale #🐼

A photo posted by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on Sep 28, 2015 at 3:13pm PDT

Cleansing the palate,
K

#DWJMarch: The Time of the Ghost

My first read for DWJ March is one I have only read once before, The Time of the Ghost. I remembered being uncomfortable while reading the book the first time but not much more about it. Well, it turns out that I was uncomfortable reading it again. It's a strange, disorienting story that has strengths but also a couple of weaknesses (like the fact that I still can't place the sisters in age order). It is probably my least favorite DWJ but, considering that I love, love, love so many of the others, "least favorite" isn't that bad.

Charlotte (Cart), Selina (Sally), Fenella, and Imogen are sisters that live with their mother and father at a boys' school. They're woefully neglected, even to the point of the parents not noticing that one of their daughters isn't there anymore. When a ghost shows up at the house/school, it's not sure who it is or why it's there -- except she thinks that she is one of the sisters, that there has been an accident, and that an evil and ancient entity is responsible for it.

I'm not a huge fan of horror and, though this story is a mix of fantasy and horror, there are parts of this story that are violent and/or bloody enough to make me squeamish. And yet, the real horror comes from the terrible parents, especially their father, Himself. He calls his daughters bitches, hits them repeatedly, and can't even tell the four of them apart (even when there are only three of them present). Diana revealed that the book was based on her own childhood with her two sisters and her negligent parents. Neglect and abuse are two different things though and I hope that she didn't suffer quite as much as these girls did.

What really stood out to me, though, were the relationships between the sisters. They bickered, they complained, they shouted and threw things, but, in the end, they all were there for each other. They represented a range of body types, a range of personalities and faults, and a range of talents, but their differences all became trivial when they needed to focus on something bigger together. Some very unbelievable things happened in the story and yet they believed each other and immediately stepped up to support each other. I'm sure this was the message that Diana intended to deliver, one that she learned in her youth.

Side note: I meant to re-read this earlier because Neil Gaiman cited it as an influence on The Ocean at the End of the Lane and I definitely saw that. BUT, I also thought there were some connections with The Graveyard Book (specifically, The Sleer) that I'll have to ask him about someday!

Invoking nothing and nobody,
K

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black

If you're a fan of freak shows or mad scientists, or even just a fan of unique and detailed art, The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth might be for you! I don't usually post book trailers but this one perfectly introduces Dr. Spencer Black, his life's work and, well, his madness.


This book is gorgeous and creepy. The story itself is heartbreaking. The first half is a biography, supported with letters, journal entries and drawings. The second half is The Codex Extinct Animalia, Black's own work detailing the species that he believes came before and between humans, the ones that one could catch glimpses of in the freak shows of the late 1800s. This is a unique book that horror aficionados will definitely want on their shelves. Closing the cover on the stuff of nightmares, K
p.s. Quirk Books was kind enough to provide me with a copy of this book for review.

RIP IX: New Release: Jackaby

I knew had to get my hands on Jackaby by William Ritter as soon as I heard about it. And my enthusiasm was not misplaced because this turned out to be one of my favorite books of the season!

Abigail Rook is a twenty-one year old Englishwoman who can't stand the idea of the quiet life she is expected to lead -- so she absconds with her college tuition and goes to Eastern Europe to "hunt dinosaurs". After an unsatisfying stint there, she travels to America to keep searching for something she's not sure exists for a late-Victorian woman. However, very soon after she arrives in New Fiddleham, she ends up working for R.F. Jackaby, scientist and paranormal investigator. Though she's not a believer, she needs a job and she doesn't half mind all of the old biddies around town that try to warn her off Jackaby. And really, what is most unbelievable to Abigail is that she just might have found her place in the world.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It has some of everything and it is all brought together in an interesting and fun way. Jackaby is smart and amusing and Abigail is brave and also intelligent. But what I loved most is that they still needed each other. Their world views are very different but they are definitely complementary. I'm so excited to see that there is a sequel to Jackaby already in the works. There is a lot of "creature" territory available to explore as well as room for these characters to grow.

Unearthing a treasure,
K

RIP IX: New Release: The Supernatural Enhancements

The second I saw Edgar Cantero's The Supernatural Enhancements, I knew I had to read it. I managed to avoid all mention of what it was about (because who needs any more impetus than that cover, right?!) and only took in the praises of various readers that I respect. I put in my hold at the library and thankfully it came in quite quickly (I can only assume because everyone who picks it up speeds through it without being able to put it down).

I'm going to be a bit secretive about the plot because, as I was tweeting with Becca about it (she was reading it at the same time), I realized "I like the way it reveals things slowly, after you've already assumed something else". I think this is definitely part of the genius of Cantero's writing. The story is told through letters, journal entries, and audio and video recordings. It incorporates literature, puzzles and cyphers, and nameless things that are only to be found in dreams and nightmares. The two main characters, A. and Niamh, are young and slightly mysterious and likable. And Axton House with its supernatural enhancements is a place of history and mystery.

As soon as I finished the book, I went to my reading spreadsheet where I usually record a couple of brief thoughts. All I could come up with was "holy crap". I tweeted this thought and the author himself found my tweet. He asked if it was the sort of crap he should retweet or not. I chuckled and said that it was absolutely the kind to retweet because I loved the book and the end was simply mind-blowing. I didn't see it coming at all. I would love a sequel that just expands the Epilogue.

I've already got Chris reading this book (and the last time I talked to him about it he was loving it). Have I convinced you to pick it up?

Cherishing my quiet dreams,
K

RIP IX: Twelve Minutes to Midnight and Shadows of the Silver Screen

I'm not entirely sure where I first heard of Christopher Edge's Penelope Tredwell books but when I was making my RIP list, I remembered them and decided to get the first two books from the library.

Twelve Minutes to Midnight introduces us to Penelope Tredwell, a young orphan who has inherited the running of a literary magazine, the Penny Dreadful, from her father. What was once a barely successful business has become an immensely popular publication due to the macabre stories written by Montgomery Flinch -- who is secretly Penelope herself. However, in the Victorian society she lives in, it would never be acceptable for a girl to be the author of these stories so she has created the Flinch persona, even going as far as hiring an actor to portray the author in public. When the Penny Dreadful and Flinch are contacted by the head of the Bedlam Asylum and asked to help solve a mystery, Penelope is the one secretly tasked with unmasking the villain.

In Shadows of the Silver Screen, Penelope has the chance to see one of Montgomery Flinch's (her) stories, The Daughter of Darkness, brought to life by a man who claims to have created the first motion picture camera to capture both color and sound. But what this camera actually captures is what Penelope must find out -- before it's too late.

I read these two books with just one other in between. I was excited to embark on another adventure with Penelope Tredwell so soon because these stories are truly terrifying. I thought they would be typical middle grade fantasy mysteries but they're really horror stories. Penelope's life is seriously in jeopardy more than once and the villains are terrible people, but not in a cartoony, Count Olaf sort of way. Luckily, Penelope is a strong character who is able to defeat these villains and the writing is such that you really feel her angst at being marginalized and ignored. I found myself rooting for her to get her due, even when I knew it wasn't likely.

The third book in the series, The Black Crow Conspiracy, has recently come out and I'm just waiting for my library system to get it (presumably after it is released in the U.S.).

Caught up by the dreadful,
K

New Releases: The Eye of Zoltar and Marina

Even though I bought The Eye of Zoltar a couple of months ago from the UK (it doesn't release in the US until October), I didn't read it immediately because, once again, it would leave me without an unread Jasper Fforde book on my shelves. But I recently needed a comfort read and nothing works better for that than Fforde so I had to give in. This is the third Last Dragonslayer book and it was surprisingly sad in parts. It was also surprisingly good, possibly the best of the series -- despite not having the Quarkbeast in most of the story. The development of the characters (especially Jennifer Strange) is coming along nicely and there was a great addition who I hope will at least have a minor role in the next story. I look forward to rereading all three when the fourth (and the last, according to Fforde) book comes out. I don't know how long I will have to wait though. His website also mentions a "standalone thriller of some sort" as his next book.

I also didn't want to read Marina right away, mostly because Carlos Ruiz Zafón's books are perfect fall reads and we're so close to RIP season -- but then I couldn't leave this gem sitting on my review shelf. It has a gorgeous cover and it is the final book in a loose collection of YA horror tales, following The Prince of Mist, The Midnight Palace and The Watcher in the Shadows. He wrote all of these books in the 1990s, before he wrote Shadow of the Wind.

I could actually see some of the seeds of Shadow in Marina. It was creepy and quite gothic and was another of CRZ's love letters to Barcelona, a city that I'm now equally excited and frightened to visit. It's the story of fifteen-year old Oscar, who is drawn to what he believes is an abandoned house, only to then be drawn into the quiet, mysterious lives of Marina and her father. Marina and Oscar are also dragged into a much more sinister mystery that begins in a graveyard and ends in flames. This book had a heartbreaking ending but the journey was well worth it. It had a slightly slow start but then it picked up and I couldn't put it down until I was done. I'm sad that this is the last of CRZ's early books to be translated to English.

I promised Trish that I would suggest which of these CRZ books to read first (they are all stand-alones). After finishing all four, I honestly can't decide. They are all equally good but different, so choose whatever you're in the mood for -- a ghost in Bombay, a monster in Barcelona, or one of two seaside terrors. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Back to waiting,

K

p.s. I received an ARC of Marina from the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

New Release: The Quick

In late-Victorian London, there are all sorts of people -- scholars, shopkeepers, beggars, and, well, vampires. The Quick by Lauren Owen explores the stories of both the hunters and the hunted, the Quick (live people) and the un-dead.

I wanted to love this book based on the published summary but that summary didn't mention one main thing -- that it was a vampire story. This wasn't bad on its own but it made the book sound quirkier and more mysterious than it ended up being. Vampires aren't exactly mysterious anymore. I thought it was a good story but not a stellar one. Owen's love of all things Victorian and her scholarship certainly came through and I do hope that she decides to write about this time period again -- just not about vampires.

Hanging out in the sun,
K

Book v. Movie: The Woman in Black

This will be a pretty short post because I read the book and watched the film a month and a half ago and, to be honest, neither was especially memorable. The book was satisfactory but not mind-blowing and the film was bad but in a totally predictable way.

Susan Hill's The Woman in Black has been on my TBR list for years but I didn't get around to reading it until December, mostly because I also wanted to watch the recent film version. It turned out to be an acceptably spooky story with good pacing and a haunted house that I hope never to get caught in at night. But while the story also had a deep feeling of melancholy and loss, the film went for the cheap thrills, inventing horrors that were obvious and, to be honest, rather lame. I knew from the moment that I saw it was a Hammer film that it would be over the top but, when the entire mystery of the book was given away in the first few minutes of the film and then was just exploited for stereotypical horror scenarios, it was really frustrating. And I really don't believe this interview with Susan Hill where she says

And now, 30 years after I wrote it, The Woman in Black has made it to the big screen. Jane Goldman, one of the hottest screenwriting talents around, has done a marvellous adaptation, which is just that — not a copy but a screen interpretation which remains faithful to the spirit of the book but, like the play, is true to its own medium.

The film was not at all faithful to the spirit of the book nor was it, by any stretch of the imagination "marvellous". It was like a knock-off of The Ring or some other schlocky horror film.

Verdict: Read the book, skip the movie ... unless you really need to see Daniel Radcliffe looking handsome at a legal age, then go ahead and watch it but don't expect anything but a standard horror flick.

Disappointed once more,
K

RIP VII Read #12: The Midnight Palace

When I met Carlos Ruiz Zafón this summer, I told him that I thought his books were best when read in the fall and that I was saving one especially for this season. It seemed to be an interesting thought for him so he signed my copy of The Prisoner of Heaven with "For Kristen, a reader of the fall". And really, it's true that I am a reader of the fall. It's the only season where I am deliberate in my book choices, the only time that I will set aside a book that I am dying to read for months and months just to have the right atmosphere while I read it. So, it was during read-a-thon this year, on a bleak and rainy day where I was huddled up near the fireplace, that I finally got to dive into The Midnight Palace. It was my read at the end of the night and I got through about a third of it before giving in to my tired eyes and body. And yet, the day after read-a-thon, I sat down for another reading session and finished the book! This book was not as terrifying as The Prince of Mist but it was compelling and sad and definitely shocking in parts.

I didn't realize until right before I started reading that the book was set in India. That's a change from other CRZ novels but I thought his Calcutta was as lively as his Barcelona always is. And the young adults in this story--residents of St. Patrick's Orphanage--who are on the cusp of being released into the world, are interesting characters who show remarkable bravery and friendship throughout the story. And simply, this is the story of a past which has literally come to haunt two children, sixteen years after they were orphaned.

This was indeed a perfect fall read, a ghost story with heat that made me forget the chilly gloom outside. But now I'm in the sad position again that I have no unread CRZ books in the house -- until April when The Watcher in the Shadows is released! And yes, I will buy it as soon as it comes out but will probably wait until fall to read it.

Admitting a penchant for spooks,
K

RIP VII Reads #10 & 11: The Sandman Volumes 1 & 2

During Read-a-Thon, I decided to finally start one of the few Neil Gaiman works that I hadn't read yet -- The Sandman graphic novels. It's somewhat strange to experience the work of a beloved artist in another medium. I mean, I've seen Mirrormask, Stardust and Coraline but those were interpreted and fleshed out by other people. I'm not sure if I'm making sense but these collections, even with various artists through the different issues, felt more like the essence of Gaiman -- his pacing, his words.

So far, Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes and Volume 2: The Doll's House are part of a continuing story -- the story of Morpheus' capture, confinement, escape and restoration to power as Lord of the Dream World. As you can expect from Gaiman, some parts of the story are beautiful and lyrical, others are shockingly dark and demented. The graphic aspect of some of it was quite uncomfortable to read but then, quick as a flash, the scene would be over and done with, Gaiman and The Dream King leading you on to another more pleasant illusion.

I'm definitely curious enough to keep reading this series. I've heard that it gets better and better as it goes along and I'm already entranced by Morpheus and intrigued by his sister, Death. Also, I feel like I won't fully "know" one of my favorite authors without reading it all. I'll probably only make it through once but it will be a journey worth taking.

Hoping the bedbugs don't bite,

K

RIP VII Read #9: The Infernals

Though there are only two books in John Connolly's Samuel Johnson Tales so far, I think that it's one of my favorite series ever. And, before I go on, The Gates and The Infernals (Hell's Bells in the U.K.) are listed in some places as YA books, but I'm not convinced that they really are except for having a young protagonist. In my review of The Gates from two years ago, I apparently took issue with this same YA labeling so at least I'm consistent.

With copious (hilarious) footnotes about science and religion, this story picks up soon after the first when scientists are about to do the same thing again that caused demons to be able to cross over to our realm because, well, they never learn ... or they always want to learn or something like that. And, as in the first tale, poor little Samuel Johnson is about to be caught up in the middle of it all. But this time, he gets pulled through into Aitch-Eee-Double-Hockey-Sticks and, with the help of his trusty dachshund Boswell and some other unwitting travelers, he's going to have to stop the domination of the world by the forces of evil all over again.

I'm not kidding when I mention hilarity. I decided to start this book the night before Read-a-Thon so that I wasn't starting fresh on a book first thing in the morning and, just during the first chapter, I laughed out loud twice and the husband made the mistake of asking what was so funny and then had to sit while I recited a footnote out of context which I still found funny but him ... not so much. Now, if you're not a fan of Douglas Adams or Monty Python or Terry Pratchett, you probably won't find this book as side-splitting as I did. But if you like your humor dark and British (insert Idris Elba joke here -- side note, did you hear he could possibly be the next James Bond?!), you'll likely adore these books as well.

Getting the hell out of here,
K

RIP VII Read #5: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Book v. Movie)

Well, I kept my promise that I would finally read some Ray Bradbury after enjoying Shadow Show in July. And I didn't just read any old Bradbury work but I chose the story that spawned the movie that terrified me the most in my admittedly sheltered childhood -- Something Wicked This Way Comes. I had a lingering fear of carousels for years after seeing that film. But, for some reason, while looking through my many RIP reads, I had a strong desire to get this one from the library. Before I chickened out, I put in my request and set out on this literary adventure.

Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway are boys on the cusp of becoming men, with Jim more enthusiastic about it than Will. When a strange storm blows into Green Town just before Halloween, bringing Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show with it, the boys soon find that living a quiet, normal life isn't as overrated as it seemed just the day before. But once events are set in motion, it's a race against time and the forces of evil for Jim and Will.

With somewhat strange language and cadence, this is a difficult book to get into at first. But once you get used to it, the story sweeps you away into the clutches of the supernatural carnival and its devilish inhabitants. At first I found the story to be atmospheric but not scary but that soon changed and I was quite tense by the end of the tale. I can't explain exactly why this story works but it does. It never won any awards but its influence on other modern authors is undeniable.

And, since I overcame some of my SWTWC fears, I decided it was finally time to rewatch the 1983 film. In fact, Z sat down to watch it with me. And? It was pretty bad. Though the casting of Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Dark was inspired and Jason Robards as Will's dad was pretty good, the boys were terrible actors. There's one scene where they sneak onto the closed carousel and hop on some horses and do this weird maniacal fake laughing. It was awful. There were unnecessary changes in the story and much of the mystery was taken out. It was too obvious in most parts and had bizarre orchestration and cheap special effects. I'm surprised that I paid attention enough to the movie when I was a kid to be scared by it. Z was bored pretty much from the start. He ended up reading books instead of watching and kept asking when it was going to be over.

Verdict: Read the book and skip the movie. Bradbury should never have been Disney-fied.

Happy to age at a normal pace,
K

New Release: The Diamond Lens and Other Stories

Hesperus Press, dedicated to reviving forgotten authors and stories, has recently published this collection of three stories by Irish-American author Fitz-James O'Brien -- The Diamond Lens and Other Stories. Written in 1858 and 1859, these science fiction and horror tales have a unique feel of derangement and madness to them. Fans of Poe and of classic horror films will find something to enjoy in them. Even O'Brien's short life reads like an improbable story.

As I was reading The Diamond Lens, I couldn't help but mentally cast Vincent Price as the microscopist who will go to any lengths to further his craft and discover something nobody has yet seen. The story read like the script of an old Roger Corman film and I found myself laughing out loud in disbelief at the insanity of it. The influence of Poe was definitely felt in the unreliable first-person narration. The only drawback was the passing racism in the story as our narrator expounds on the qualities of his Jewish neighbor.

The Wondersmith is a different kettle of fish altogether as it falls squarely in the realm of horror and is also a big ball of racism. With both passing remarks denigrating Jews and Italians and actual racist themes regarding gypsies and the physically handicapped, this story was a bit harder to stomach. With malicious wooden mannikins, brought to life by a fortune teller who has collected evil souls in a black bottle, who are meant to murder Christian children on New Years' Day, this seems more like a story that was meant to enforce the stereotypes of the time. The introduction mentions this story as a possible precursor to the modern robot tale but I'm not sure it should be given so much weight. I can only hope that some of its original readers were put off by the over-the-top gypsy stereotypes.

What Was It? is labeled as "A Mystery" when it is actually one of the first invisibility stories. It is a bit of a rollercoaster ride as our narrator is also an opium smoker and, for a while, one isn't quite sure if his invisible attacker is real. Once the "mystery" is solved, the remainder of the story is strangely straightforward. It left me feeling a bit sad for the fate of the unknown creature.

There's a great discussion going on over at The Project Gutenberg Project about racism in classic novels that seemed especially timely since I had just finished trying to read these tales with an awareness of their place and time. I think this collection has its strengths and weaknesses and, though a bit distasteful, also has its place as early science fiction and horror.

Taking the good with the bad,
K

RIP Read 1: The Devil in the White City

I spent most of September trying to get through The Mysteries of Udolpho but when I was only one third of the way through after almost three weeks, I threw up my hands and threw down the book. I needed something to get me back on track and so I picked up The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Thank you to everyone who recommended that I finally read this one! It was just what I needed.

I'm not going to write much about this book because many of you have already read it and others will probably be at least a bit familiar with it. For those who aren't, the long and short of it is that it tells the parallel stories of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago at the end of the nineteenth century and the exploits of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer and all-around creep in sheep's clothing. Larson takes a little bit of liberty and really creates a narrative with the facts that he unearthed to make it a compelling read. (He explains why he did so in the end notes and I accepted his reasoning even though it bugged me a bit while reading.)

My only complaint (and why I gave it 4.5 stars on LibraryThing instead of 5) is that I love science and wanted to read more about Tesla and less about architecture. I know that it would have been a heftier tome if Larson had included everything possible about the fair but I was just a bit sad that the amazing things that were happening at the Exposition were glossed over. Even the first electric chair (thanks a lot, Edison) was only given one sentence.

But, of course, I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested and it certainly made a chilling RIP read. The evil that men do is always worse than any fiction.

Avoiding life insurance policies that benefit relative strangers,
K