Review: Poe’s Children - The New Horror - An Anthology

About The Book

From the incomparable master of horror and suspense comes an electrifying collection of contemporary literary horror, with stories from twenty-five writers representing today’s most talented voices in the genre.

Horror writing is usually associated with formulaic gore, but New Wave horror writers have more in common with the wildly inventive, evocative spookiness of Edgar Allan Poe than with the sometimes predictable hallmarks of their peers. Showcasing this cutting-edge talent, Poe’s Children now brings the best of the genre’s stories to a wider audience. Featuring tales from such writers as Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Carroll, Poe’s Children is Peter Straub’s tribute to the imaginative power of story-telling. Each previously published story has been selected by Straub to represent what he thinks is the most interesting development in our literature during the last two decades.

Crossing boundaries and packed with imaginative chills, Poe’s Children bears all the telltale signs of fearless, addictive fiction.

My Thoughts On The Stories (some may contain spoilers) 

♦ The Bees ♦ Dan Chaon
©2003 Originally published in McSweeney’s #10
Well-written psychological tale of how guilt can come back and haunt you.

♦ Cleopatra Brimstone ♦ Elizabeth Hand
©2001 Originally published in Redshift
Butterfly collecting woman moves to London, and goes through a very strange metamorphosis. We all know how collections can get out of control.

♦ The Man On The Ceiling ♦ MelanieTem and Steve Rasnic Tem 
  ©2000 Originally published as chapbook from American Fantasy
This story is narrated by a husband and wife writing team – the actual concept is very interesting with them taking turns telling about what scares them, but a few pages in it began to feel disjointed and it became hard to tell who was doing the telling. On my second read through this story the narrative came together much easier, so I would say this one is worth a read or two.

(photo – Closet Sounds by smacshop – check out this Etsy shop for amazing art)

♦ The Great God Pan ♦ M. John Harrison
©1988 Originally published in Prime Evil
I was not crazy about this story at all. But if you come across a novella of the same name by Arthur Machen – read it! It’s available online to read for free, just google the title.

♦ The Voice Of The Beach ♦ Ramsey Campbell
©1982 Originally published in Fantasy Tales 10
This one is perhaps the creepiest story of the bunch. A couple guys, a deserted beach, hints of Lovecraft mythos.

♦ Body ♦ Brian Evenson
©2004 Originally published in The Wavering Knife
Of all the stories this one has completely grabbed my attention. I cannot wrap my mind around the meaning of it – seriously I felt dumb after reading it, so I read it a few times. And I’ll probably keep going back to it again and again – which is exactly why I liked this story so much. It’s told from the perspective of someone being forced to undergo a change in order to better fit/follow what society demands/expects. There are the Brothers who lead this being through the process, but there is also a voice (subconscious?) that rebels against everything it hears. Something about shoes? And in the end I’m left wondering what the Brothers were trying to create/change and what the society is like that they come from. Were they actually trying to create their own monster or is this what passes for normal? Is this story meant to provoke a misogynistic feeling, is it only a metaphor or is it just a way of showing hatred of Manolo Blanhiks – lol yes this story has my mind begging for explanation.
(photo - Kamil Vojnar / Getty Images – found at Newsweek.com)

♦ Louise’s Ghost ♦ Kelly Link
©2001 Originally published in Strangers Things Happen
At first, I thought that Louise’s ghost was actually one of the Louises’. But then it becomes obvious that it isn’t. The two Louises’ are close friends, drawn together by their shared name, and when one Louise dies, the Louise left behind must learn to mourn and live with herself as just one Louise. A little too long, the story starts off well enough, but doesn’t seem to have the oomph it needs. I think if this story were lengthened into a novella with more space for development it would be amazing.

♦ The Sadness Of Detail ♦ Jonathan Carroll
©1990 Originally published in Omni
Only 11 pages of writing, but this story is full of power and potential. I would loved it to have been the prequel to a series of books. It seems God has grown old, he’s basically useless. There are people however, that can help by creating transcendental artwork to remind God of what he created. A female artist is approached and shown that her drawings hold power to change the world. But is she willing to assist the mysterious people who want her help? And if there are good uses for her art, doesn’t that also mean that it could be used for evil?  Quite thought-provoking.

♦ Leda ♦ M. Rickert
©2002 Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
This one is pretty strange, but not a bad little story. Leda appears to be a modern re-telling or interpretation of a famous tale from Greek Mythology. In this story of Leda, a woman lays an egg after being raped by a swan. The story then goes on to describe how her husband and her deal with this. In mythology, there is the story of Leda And The Swan, where Zeus goes to Leda in the form of a swan and seduces her. Leda ends up giving birth to two sets of twins, with a child from each set belonging to Zeus (as swan) and King Tyndareus (her husband). Many artists have portrayed Leda and a swan together, some say it was a more acceptable way to present eroticism than having a man in the paintings/sculptures. 

(photo – ‘Leda And Swan’ by Cesare Sesto, reproduction of lost original by Leonardo da Vinci)

♦ In Praise Of Folly ♦ Thomas Tessier
©1992 Originally published in Metahorror
The word folly has two definitions and both are relevant to this story. First, Folly in Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, found especially in England in the 18th century. And the more widely known, Folly as a lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight, an act or instance of foolishness, a costly undertaking having an absurd or ruinous outcome, or a perilously or criminally foolish action. So in the story, we have a man who is obsessed with finding the most extravagant folly ever, which will make him extremely well known in this field. But he goes about it in a very foolish way and ends up a little too involved in a folly.

♦ Plot Twist ♦ David J. Schow
©2002 Originally published in Dark Terrors 6
Perfect example of a story that should have been on Twilight Zone. Three people traveling through the desert, are stranded when their car breaks down. They decide to start walking and along the way they begin to think the desert isn’t exactly as it should be, they have just entered their own personal Twilight Zone. All three have certain ideas of what’s going on and they discuss these as the reader is offered a more in-depth glimpse into the three character’s personalities and the complexities of their relationships. Then out of nowhere BAM! an amazing plot twist. I love these things!

(photo – ‘Road, Nevada Desert’ by Ansel Adams)

♦ The Two Sams ♦  Glen Hirshberg
©2002 Originally published in Dark Terrors 6
This could be classified as a ghost story or it could be an investigation into how a father may deal with the loss of his children before they are born. Raises the thoughts of what type of ethereal existence a miscarried child may be capable of having. Not my kind of story, but well written regardless of personal preference.

♦ Notes On The Writing Of Horror: A Story ♦ Thomas Ligotti
©1991 Originally published in Dark Horizons #28
Interesting use of fiction as non-fiction, or non-fiction as fiction, where a writer of horror shows the many various ways in which a horror story may be presented to change the overall tone.

♦ Unearthed ♦ Benjamin Percy
©2006 Originally published in The Language Of Elk
The characters and relationships in this story were great, but haven’t we read a thousand different stories about digging up things that don’t belong to us?

♦ Gardener Of Heart ♦ Bradford Morrow
©2005 Originally published in Conjunctions 44: An Anatomy Of Roads
Huge spoiler alert! This story is about a male twin’s return home to attend his twin sister’s funeral. Along the way he reminisces about their shared lives, only to arrive at the church and find out that it’s his sister who is attending his funeral. Sorry, but this was too predictable and I’ve read far too many versions of this plot to even think of what makes this one stand out.

 

♦ Little Red’s Tango ♦ Peter Straub
©2002 Originally published in Conjunctions 39: The New Wave Fabulists
I don’t remember much specific about this story and my copy of the book was a library loaner.

♦ The Ballad Of The Flexible Bullet ♦ Stephen King
©1984 Originally published in The Magazine Of Fantasy & Science Fiction
This is a terrific story, paranoia abounds and the writing is classic King. Just as good as when I read it in King’s collection Skeleton Crew in the late 80’s.

♦ 20th Century Ghost ♦ Joe Hill
©2002 Originally published in The High Plains Literary Review
Not my favourite of Hill’s stories, this one concerns a haunted theatre that is facing demolition.

♦ The Green Glass Sea ♦ Ellen Klages
©2004 Originally published in Strange Horizons
This story takes place in the 1950’s and is about a little girl whose father is involved in and dies during the development of military weapons. It tells of how she goes to see what is left after the first test blast of a nuclear weapon which would later be used to bomb Hiroshima. After detonation, this weapon leaves behind a solid vista of green glass called Trinitite. Before leaving she gathers a piece of the green glass and keeps it as the last gift her father gave her. Not exactly horror, but it is slightly disturbing to see how a child’s innocence may make something horrible seem magical. 

(photo – Trinity test explosion in New Mexico, USA)

♦ The Kiss ♦ Tia V. Travis
©1999 Originally published in Subterranean Gallery
Again I cannot recall too much about this and didn’t get a chance to make any notes.

♦ Black Dust ♦ Graham Joyce
©2002 Originally published in Black Dust
This story centers around two boys who are best friends and their fathers both work the coal mines. Set during a particular dark time as one father is trapped in the mine and the other father is part of the rescue. Narrated by the son of the trapped coal miner, he struggles with his emotions over his father’s situation and looks back on the relationships that the four males have. I love Joyce’s writing style, another author whose horror stories are the quietly dark sort.

(photo - ‘children living in Company House’ found at West Virginia Pics)

♦ October In The Chair ♦ Neil Gaiman
©2002 Originally published in Conjunctions 39: The New Wave Fabulists
One of my favourite short stories by Gaiman, more of a story within a story. The main story begins with a peek at a meeting of the twelve months personified. Sitting in a circle, around a blazing fire they are there for a story, and it is October’s turn to tell. This is where the second story comes in. For me, the main story of the months was fantastic enough. Gaimans given each month a particular personality and it’s awesome to see how they interact with one another. I would love to see a story for each month!

(photo – October in the chair… by steeringfornorth – check out this artist’s amazing photostream)

♦ Missolonghi 1824 ♦ John Crowley
©1990 Originally published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
Another story within a story. This time Lord Byron is telling a young boy about his supposed run-in with some sort of creature in the woods.

♦ Insect Dreams ♦ Rosalind Palermo Stevenson
©2003 Originally published in Trampoline
A fictionalized account of an expedition by the naturalist, painter and scientist Maria Sibylla Merian. You can read the entire text of the story here.  

 

About The Editor

Peter Straub is the author of seventeen novels, including Ghost Story and Koko, as well as two collaborations with Stephen King. Winner of eight Bram Stoker Awards, two International Horror Guild Awards, two World Fantasy Awards, and both a Lifetime Achievement Award and election as a Grand Master from the Horror Writers Association, he lives in New York City.

(photo of Peter Straub found at Time Entertainment – great interview found there too)

Title:	Poe’s Children
Editor:	Peter Straub
Book Genre:	Horror Anthology
Book Type:	Hardcover 534 pages
Publisher:	Random House / Doubleday
Publication Date:	October 2008

Other Reviews

Un-Mainstream Mom

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Review: The Girl In The Castle Inside The Museum

Synopsis

Once there was a small castle on display in a museum. When children visited, they’d press close to the glass globe in which the castle sat. For they’d heard that if they looked hard enough, they’d see a tiny girl inside…

Can you see her?

Here is an original fairy tale that feels like a dream – haunting, beautiful, and completely unforgettable.

 

 

 

Review 
It’s not too often that I have the chance or reason to pick up a picture book. But after reading about this book over at Nymeth’s I knew I had to take a look. And so off to the children’s section of our local library I headed. Amongst all the tiny little chairs, tiny little tables and waist-high shelves I discovered this magical picture book for myself. However, taking just 5 minutes to read through this story, while sitting in a tiny little chair, with my knees nearly touching my chin, wasn’t enough for me. Into my library bag this treasure went, so that I could spend some more time with it.

The story is a very simple, yet beautiful tale that tells about the magical world of the title character – a young girl who lives inside a castle, inside a glass globe, inside a museum. Many children who visit this museum spend their time searching for just a glance of the little girl living inside this castle, and it is while they are searching for her that the reader is given the chance to learn about the world inside the globe. Or perhaps the world as the children imagine it would be, for they’ve always been told to look closely and maybe, just maybe, they will discover her secrets.

As I mentioned it’s a simple story, but put together with the illustrations, there is many ways that a reader could enhance the story with their own suggestions of who the girl may be, how she ended up in the castle and what her life is like. The power of this story is greatly amplified by the artwork, with it’s many details. It seemed like something new popped out at me every time I looked at a page again. These are gorgeous pictures that contain a certain depth that makes the mind want to feel the textures they depict.

Best of all is that there are so many smaller stories hidden within the main one. A great example is the page depicting the girls bedroom – if you glance to the right you see a tiny little critter peeking his head out a hole in the wall, connected to a tiny staircase down to the floor. It’s picture books like these that are a true pleasure to share with children, as they are terrific for inspiring a child to do some creative thinking and make up their own stories … and for sharing some fun reading time.

Nicoletta Ceccoli has become one of my favourite artists, and I would highly recommend dropping by Stainless Steel Droppings and see Carl’s gorgeous spotlight of her work.

About The Author
Kate Bernheimer is the author of two novels for adults, including The Complete Tales of Merry Gold, and the editor of two essay collections about fairy tales, including Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales. An assistant professor in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, she also edits Fairy Tale Review. Ms. Bernheimer lives in Tuscaloosa with her husband, and their dog, Penelope. This is Kate Bernheimer’s first children’s book.

About The Illustrator 
Nicoletta Ceccoli is the illustrator of many acclaimed picture books published around the world. She was awarded the Silver Medal in 2006 by the Society of Illustrators in New York, and in 2001 she won the Andersen Prize, honouring her as the best children’s book illustrator in Italy. Ms. Ceccoli has illustrated, among other titles, An Island in the Sun, written by Stella Blackstone; Horns and Wrinkles, written by Joseph Helgerson; and The Barefoot Book of Fairy Tales, written by Malachy Doyle. She lives in the town where she was born – San Marino, Italy.

Title:	Girl In The Castle In The Museum
Author:	Kate Bernheimer
Illustrator:	Nicoletta Ceccoli
Book Genre:	Children’s Picture Book
Book Type:	Hardcover 40 pages
Publisher:	Schwartz & Wade / Kids@Random
Publication Date:	February 2008

Other Reviews

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Valentina's Room

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Review: Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Synopsis 
Since the dawn of time, the Faerie have taken….

For seventeen-year-old Kelley Winslow, faeries are just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery, whose steel-gray eyes mask an equally steely determination to protect her.
Sonny guards the Samhain Gate, which connects the mortal realm with the Faerie’s enchanted, dangerous Otherworld. Usually kept shut by order of icy King Auberon, the Gate stands open but once a year. This year, as the time approaches when the Samhain Gate will spring wide and nightmarish Fae will fight their way into an unsuspecting human world, something is happening … something wondrous and strange. And Kelley’s eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her but to the heritage that awaits her. Now Kelley must navigate deadly Faerie treachery – and her growing feelings for Sonny – in this dazzling page-turner filled with luminous romance. Wondrous Strange is a richly layered tale of love between Faerie and mortal, betrayal between kings and queens, and magic … between author and reader.

Review  
I picked this book up and started reading it one afternoon, by that night I was done, it was just that good. Except for a brief break to refill my cup of tea, nothing could break through my concentration and complete story-lust with this book.

It begins by introducing Kelley, a quite average girl whose living in New York city and performing in an off-off-off Broadway production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She’d been hired as an understudy to the actress playing Queen Titania, while earning some extra money as an all-around gopher, but due to a broken ankle, Kelley gets promoted to the lead role as the Queen of the Faeries.

This is what you’ve wanted all your life, she told herself sternly. All those years of putting on one-woman shows for the household pets, and all the months of begging Aunt Emma to let her move to Manhattan to try and make a go of it. This is it. Get out there and show them what you’ve got!

On her way home from the theatre one night, Kelley stops off in Central Park to practice her lines in the place she finds both magical and perfect for the setting of the play. While going through her lines she is spotted by a strange young man, who hands her a flower and then disappears after a brief dialogue.

And this would be Sonny Flannery, mortal much like her, but with ties to the King of Faerie that mark him as so very different from her in many ways. But Sonny seems to think there is more to this mortal girl than meets the eye. Because of course, the Fey are known for their ability to mask what they don’t want seen.

A nimbus of light flared up all around her like diamond-bright wings. He wanted to beg forgiveness. Offer up his life for his grievous offense. Grovel. The creature that stood before him, glorious as the stars, was to be worshipped and feared. His chest ached as though he’d been kicked with stone boots, and tears of remorse welled in his eyes. It was as though he was a small boy again, running through the halls of Auberon’s palace, knowing that he would never be one of the Fair Folk – a toy, a pet, but never truly loved by them. Her light poured down on him, and he knew that he was massively unworthy … And then, just as suddenly as the starburst had shone, everything went dim again. “Jackass.”

Together, Kelley and Sonny, are the narrators of this story. Which provides for an extremely interesting look at both the mortal and the Faerie worlds … and how they are connected. With wonderful writing these characters really jump off the pages, Kelley is a very smart character who displays the perfect mixture of smart-ass, single young girl and complete disbelief. Her actions and thoughts are so believable, and this is what gives her voice such strength. Sonny on the other hand, comes across as slightly naive. Although he has been raised among the Fey and has seen the worst they have to offer, he still appears a bit hesitant in matters relating to the mortal world and his feelings about Kelley.

Aside from Kelley and Sonny, there is also a huge supporting cast, but never too large to be confusing. Every character is introduced with the right amount of information to make them a solid part of the story. Although everyone is not exactly what or whom they may at first glance appear to be. But that’s half the fun of this book.

Another absolutely amazing aspect of Wondrous Strange is the mesh of factual and fictional Faerie history. The author clearly has quite an education in the study of Faerie and the way she has included such mythical creatures as Kelpies, Boucca, Black Shucks, Redcaps and a ton of different minor faeries makes this story truly magical. But my absolute favourite part of the story was the inclusion of The Wild Hunt. The attention and detail given to the history of this particular myth is fantastic! What I previously knew of The Wild Hunt placed Odin as the lead huntsman, but in Wondrous Strange we are presented with Herne The Hunter, who I later learned on Wikipedia is also known in folklore as a Wild Huntsman.

So, Wondrous Strange, not only an enthralling story (which is actually the beginning of a series!) but also a terrific way to learn more about the mythology and folklore associated with the Fey, and some Shakespeare along the way. I can’t say for sure how true this book is to the generally accepted history of Faerie – but I can say that this book has prompted me to do some research on my own. And that, in my opinion, is what an awesome book should do :)

About The Author 
Lesley Livingston is a writer and actor living in Toronto. She has a master’s degree in English – specializing in Arthurian Literature and Shakespeare – which does not, however, interfere with her love of shoes and shiny things. She is a principal performer and founding member of the Tempest Theatre Group. Wondrous Strange is her first novel.

Title:	Wondrous Strange
Author:	Lesley Livingston
Book Genre:	Young Adult Fiction
Book Type:	Trade PB 327 pages
Publisher:	HarperTeen
Publication Date:	December 2008

Other Reviews
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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Weekly Geeks 2009-09 Quotable Part 3

For my third instalment of geeky book to film quotes I’ve chosen my very favourite children’s book to be adapted for the big screen – Alice In Wonderland!  And it will focus on one of the best parts from both the movie and book. Can you tell yet that my taste in movies and books is across the board genre wise? So far I’ve had quotes from a twisted/comedy-noir/slasher/social-satire and a socio-political/dystopian/sci-fi/thriller.

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Book Title Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland  Author Lewis Carroll

Movie Title Alice In Wonderland Producer Walt Disney

‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ ‘I don't know where. . .’ ‘Then it doesn't matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.

(I found this artwork on the website of artist Barnaby Ward. You should definitely check out the gorgeous Alice interpretations found there - somefield.com)

‘But I don't want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can't help that,’ said the Cat: ‘We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.’ ‘How do you know I'm mad?’ said Alice. ‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘otherwise you wouldn't have come here.’

Alice didn't think that proved it at all: however she went on. ‘And how do you know that you're mad?’ ‘To begin with,’ said the Cat, ‘a dog's not mad. You grant that?’ ‘I suppose so," said Alice. ‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.’

‘Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,’ thought Alice; ‘but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!’

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Review: Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan

A fascinating portrait of a timeless, consuming love.

It’s Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding day, and the journey is just beginning as Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice characters embark on the greatest adventure of all: marriage and a life together filled with surprising passion, tender self-discovery, and the simple joys of everyday life. As their love story unfolds in this most romantic of Jane Austen sequels, Darcy and Elizabeth reveal to each other how their relationship blossomed. From misunderstanding to perfect understanding and harmony, theirs is a marriage filled with romance, sensuality and the beauty of a deep, abiding love.

 

Review  
The first thing I would like to mention is about how Mr & Mrs Darcy came to be written.  In 2005 Sharon Lathan went to the theatre to see the movie Pride & Prejudice featuring Keira Knightly and Matthew MacFadyen. This film touched her so deeply that she couldn’t get it out of her mind. After months of reading and researching everything she could get her hands on about Jane Austen, Sharon Lathan began writing stories in the fashion of what is known as ‘fan-fiction’ and from there it continued to this, the first of a series of Pride & Prejudice inspired stories. It’s a cool little story, I’ve left out quite a bit but if you click here you can visit the author’s website and read the whole story in her own words.

Since, Two Shall Become One, was inspired by the 2005 film version of the novel rather than the Austen novel, the characters are more comparable to the parts played by Knightly and MacFadyen. The story begins as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy return as newlyweds to Pemberley, after a brief honeymoon stay along the way. What follows is an new introduction to one another for the couple, as they essentially learn how to behave and interact in their new roles of husband and wife. This is also a time for Elizabeth to discover what it means to become the lady of an estate, while Mr. Darcy must become more comfortable with sharing his home and his life with his new partner. And of course we get to be witness to the very first social events hosted by the pair. Family, friends and familiar characters appear from time to time but it’s Mr and Mrs Darcy who steal the spotlight as the perfect pair of newlyweds.

The characters in this story are slightly different from the original Austen creations, but by keeping in mind that this is more of a continuation of the film version, it is very accurate. Lathan states on her website that she has done much research into not only the Austen novel, but also the time period and location of Pride and Prejudice. This is very clear to the reader as her descriptive writing is outstanding in it’s detail. Overall the writing is terrific, and the author shows a great talent at both dialogue, narrative and description.

My only complaint about the novel would be the repetitive dialogue between Elizabeth and Darcy, in terms of vowing their love to one another. A plus to some readers may be the inclusion of many quite heated love scenes, however the drawn out talk between the two lovers can put a bit of a damper on the mood of the moment. The main plotline of the story was basically to do with how the couple come together as a married couple, and there wasn’t very much else going on action-wise outside the bedroom. It’s only toward the end of the book that conflict in introduced.

However, even though I was not into the overly romantic tone of this book, I am very much interested in reading Sharon Lathan’s upcoming Pride and Prejudice books. The next volume Loving Mr Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley, looks to be interesting. According to the author’s website, this book will focus on the societal introduction of Elizabeth as Mrs Darcy, with balls, opera, travel and shopping trips. With the author’s obvious attention to historical detail, this should be quite a fascinating read.

About The Author 
Sharon Lathan is a native Californian currently residing amid the orchards, corn, cotton, and cows in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. She divides her time between being a homemaker nurturing her own Mr. Darcy and two teenaged children and working as a registered nurse in a neonatal ICU. Throw in the cat, dog, and a ton of fish to complete the picture. When not at the hospital or attending to the often dreary tasks of homemaking, she is generally found reposing in her comfy recliner with her faithful laptop.

Title:	Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One
Author:	Sharon Lathan
Book Genre:	Regency Romance (Austen)
Book Type:	Trade Paperback 320 pages
Publisher:	Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date:	March 2009

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Weekly Geeks 2009-09 Quotable Part 2

This weeks Geekly assignment handed out by Terri/teelgee is to post a quote a day. There’s no rules, the theme is completely up to us. I’ve decided to post some quotes from film adaptations that I enjoy. Yesterday, I wrote about American Psycho, one of my favourite sick and twisted stories. Today I’m going to go with something a little less bleak. PD James wrote a fascinating dystopian book called Children Of Men which was adapted for the big screen in 2006. While it does start off darkly with humanity at it’s lowest, there is an underlying message to be found of the power of hope and human goodness. I would highly recommend both the novel and the movie.

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Book Title  Children Of Men  Author  PD James

Movie Title  Children Of Men  Director Alfonso Cuarón

 

 

"Early this morning, 1 January 2021, three minutes after midnight, the last human being to be born on earth was killed in a pub brawl in a suburb of Buenos Aires, aged twenty-five years, two months and twelve days."

 

"But what do you believe? I don't just mean religion. What are you sure of?"

“That once I was not and that now I am. That one day I shall no longer be."

 

“As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices.”

 

Kee: Froley.  Theodore: Froley? Kee: Name my baby Froley. Theodore: It's the first baby in 18 years. You can't call it Froley. Kee: Says who?

 

"We can experience nothing but the present moment, live in no other second of time, and to understand this is as close as we can get to eternal life."

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Weekly Geeks 2009-09 … Quotable

This week's WG brought to us by Terri/teelgee:
“One of my favourite Weekly Geeks last year was: A Quote a Day. This will have you pulling books off your shelves and Googling for your favourites. It also means a post a day for the next week - or as many as you can do.” Quoth Dewey:

You may want to come up with a theme, such as favourite passages from books, author quotes, political quotes, quotes about books or reading, humorous quotes, whatever. Or you may not want a theme at all; maybe you just want to gather up seven assorted quotes that appeal to you. You may want to start each of your posts of the week with a quote, or you may want to give quotes posts of their own in addition to your regular posts. It’s all up to you!

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Quotes are awesome, and I really enjoyed this one last time when I chose to do quotes related to my dogs. This time I am going with a theme of quotes from some of my favourite book to film translations. My sense of humor is morbid at best, so let’s start off with a really black comedy. And here we go:

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Book Title American Psycho Author Bret Easton Ellis

Movie Title  American Psycho Director Mary Harron

Patrick Bateman: Do you know what Ed Gein said about women?

David Van Patten: The maitre 'd at Canal Bar?

Patrick Bateman: No, serial killer, Wisconsin, the '50s

Craig McDermott: So what did he say?

Patrick Bateman: "When I see a pretty girl walking down the street, I think two things. One part wants me to take her out, talk to her, be real nice and sweet and treat her right."

David Van Patten: And what did the other part think?

Patrick Bateman: "What her head would look like on a stick... ”

Bateman: [laughs]                                Craig: [laughs]                                    David: [laughs]

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

American Born Chinese

Synopsis
All Jin Wang wants is to fit in...When his family moves to a new neighbourhood, he suddenly finds that he's the only Chinese-American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, and he has hardly any friends. Then, to make matters worse, he falls in love with an all-American girl...born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey King doesn't want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god...Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he's ruining his cousin Danny's life. Danny's a basketball player, a popular kid at school, but every year Chin-Kee comes to visit, and every year Danny has to transfer to a new school to escape the shame. This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse...These three apparently unrelated tales come together with an unexpected twist, in a modern fable that is hilarious, poignant, and action-packed. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax - and confirms what a growing number of readers already know: Gene Yang is a major talent. (Product description from FirstSecondBooks)

Review  
I’m going to toss the traditional review style out the window for this one. I decided to read American Born Chinese as part of the Dewey’s Books Challenge, and as part of the main challenge Softdrink is hosting a March Mini-Challenge. (Gotta love these challenges within a challenge, I’m sure Dewey would love them too!) So the rules and regulations that make up Softdrinks challenge are as follows: Do your review list style. Umm, yeah 1 rule that’s it, otherwise go nuts. Hah, I love lists!

•	First things first, here is where I first heard about this graphic novel:
	• Hidden Side Of A Leaf … Dewey’s review.

•	Next, here’s linkage to some wonderful reviews of American Born Chinese:
	• An Adventure In Reading • BermudaOnion • Book Nut • Everyday Reads • So Many Books, So Little Time • Stuff As Dreams Are Made On • Things Mean A Lot • Tripping Toward Lucidity • Worducopia • The Written World

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Take a look at the amazing awards and nominations these books received:

• 2006 CYBIL Graphic Novel Award Winner • 2006 National Book Award Finalist • 2006 NPR Holiday Pick • 2006 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year • 2006 Publisher's Weekly Comics Week Best Comic of the Year • 2006 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year • 2007 American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults • 2007 Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library • 2007 Eisner Award Winner • 2007 Harvey Award, Best Colorist to Lark Pien • 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Winner • 2007 YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, Top Ten List • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year • Booklist Editors' Choice • Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novel for Youth • Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award • Library Media Editor's Choice • Reuben Award Winner • San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year

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How about some blurbs found around the book news world:

• “With vibrant colors and visual panache, indie writer-illustrator Yang focuses on three characters in tales that touch on facets of Chinese American life.” --- Booklist Online • “Kids fighting an uphill battle to convince parents and teachers of the literary merit of graphic novels will do well to share this title.” --- The Bulletin Of The Center For Children’s Books • “The art blends the clean lines of anime with a bold American palette. Yang is equally adept at depicting a high school cafeteria and the Monkey King’s fantastical realm.” --- The New York Times Book Reviews • “Yang accomplishes the remarkable feat of practicing what he preaches with this book: accept who you are and you'll already have reached out to others.” --- Publisher's Weekly • “Like Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Laurence Yep's Dragonwings, this novel explores the impact of the American dream on those outside the dominant culture in a finely wrought story that is an effective combination of humor and drama.” --- School Library Journal • “This graphic novel could be especially cathartic for teens and adults of Asian descent, but people of any ethnicity would find themselves reflected in the universal themes of self-acceptance, peer pressure, and racial tensions.” --- VOYA

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This graphic novel uses three separate plot-lines to create one full story. Here are the details on each of them:

• The first story introduces us to the Monkey King, who is indeed King of the Monkeys. But when he goes to a party the Gods/Deities gathered there basically make a joke of the Monkey King’s appearance. This pisses him off majorly and he decides that being King isn’t enough – he wants the power and greatness to rule everything, which he doesn’t realize at the time means completely recreating himself and losing his true self in the process. This story arc is used very well in creating a framework for the other two tales  to rest. It is also based upon a traditional folk-tale (more info can be found here.)    • The second story is the main story and centers around Jin Wang, a Chinese boy living in present day USA. Jin experiences some problems due to his ethnic background and feels like he doesn’t fit in. Later he becomes friends with a boy from Taiwan who displays no awkwardness about his Asian heritage, but this  bothers Jin Wang sometimes. I found this part of the book the most compelling as we get to experience some of the emotional and intellectual arguments Jin goes through while trying to get a clear idea of just who he really is, regardless of what he appears to be on the outside. It brings up a lot of thoughts on the subject of acceptance – not from others, but from yourself.  • In the final part we are introduced to Danny, a middle-class white boy who lives in dread of the yearly visits from his cousin Chin-Kee. This third of the story uses Chin-Kee to embody every racial misconception that has probably ever been mentioned about the Chinese race. It’s almost painful to read, Chin-Kee is presented as a buck-toothed, cat-eating, karaoke-singing moron. And it really makes a person wonder how in this day and age we could ever be so cruel to other human beings, or so stupid.

•

A really sad example of how horrible racial misconceptions can spread:

• A few years back I was sitting enjoying some drinks with a group of friends, (not all of us were white) and we were talking about where in the city would be a nice place to rent. A certain building was mentioned that is both gorgeous and affordable, it also happens to be next door to a popular Chinese food restaurant that we all agreed has delicious food. It was at that moment that one of the people said something that I couldn’t believe I was hearing - “Yeah it would be a awesome place to live, just make sure you keep your cat indoors or she’ll end up as take-out.” I was completely blown away, not only by the fact that a well-educated, socially aware person would say this, but also by the fact that more than half the people there laughed. A couple sitting a few tables over didn’t laugh and when I glanced them leaving I realized they were both Asian. I’ll be the first to admit that yes I have taken part in my fair share of off-colour jokes, but after that I began to see how things we say have an impact on those around us. That couple in the bar that night were treated unfairly by having to hear that joke. And if a person is willing to say these things around strangers, what’s stopping them from making racial jokes around their kids – and that in my opinion is how these racial stereo-types maintain their strength in our society. It may be a joke to some, but to others it’s not, especially to children who only see that something makes people laugh and don’t fully understand what exactly the laughs are implying.

About The Author
Gene Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade.  In 1997, he received the Xeric Grant, a prestigious comics industry grant, for Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks, his first comics work as an adult.  He has since written and drawn a number of titles, including Duncan's Kingdom (with art by Derek Kirk Kim) and The Rosary Comic Book.   He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his lovely wife, Theresa, and son, Kolbe, and teaches computer science at a Roman Catholic high school.

 

Title: American Born Chinese	Book Type: Hardcover 240 pages
Author: Gene Luen Yang	Publisher: First Second
Book Genre: Graphic Novel / YA	Publication: October 2007

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© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.