The Story: There are ten actually, all a little bit quirky and more than a little unsettling. Giants steal children from their beds, toys come to life, all-powerful spirits possess the bodies of birds and school bullies take the form of terrifying monsters in this collection of stories that ventures beyond the ordinary, right down to the very gates of hell.
And Why is it Brilliant? You have to twist your thinking to get inside these stories. You also need to pay attention. It can be difficult to ‘get’ some of Lanagan’s tales, but when you do, it’s worth the work. They’re incredibly imaginative, and, more often than not, deeply disturbing. There’s not a word wasted, and none of the dull passages of exposition you get from so many fantasy authors, just sharp dialogue and blow-your-mind-up images.
More Like this? This is the first thing of Langan’s I’ve read, but I hear her first collection of stories, Black Juice and her latest novel, Tender Morsels are pretty specky.
Lanagan was recommended to me by L. L. Hannett, who writes some of the most chilling short stories I’ve ever read. They’ve mostly appeared in literary mags, and there’s a lot of them. Check them out on her website: www.lisahannett.com
Angela Carter has also has a similar style. I particularly love The Magic Toyshop.
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