Halloween Tales: Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, and Old Zipper Neck
by Larry Cox on Oct. 21, 2009, under UncategorizedAs Halloween approaches, this caldron of thrills and chills is served up for those brave enough to sample these little literary shockers. Keep the lights on, glance over your shoulder, and enjoy.
The Original Frankenstein (Or, The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Shelley with Percy Shelley and edited by Charles E. Robinson (Vintage, $14)
Nothing is more appropriate than Frankenstein during the month of Halloween. This terrific new edition of, perhaps, the greatest horror novel ever written, features Mary Shelley’s earliest draft, Percy Shelley’s revised text, and the final version published in 1818. With exceptional scholarship and remarkable literary detection, Robinson has painstakingly traced the evolution of this incredible story revealing both the colloquial and fast-paced narrative of the original edition. If you think an almost 200 year old story lacks emotional punch and shock, take my challenge and pick up this timeless masterpiece.
The Book of Illumination: A Novel from the Ghost Files by Mary Ann Winkowski & Maureen Foley (Three Rivers Press, $14)
In this novel based on real experiences with the spiritual underworld, readers are introduced to Anza, a single mother raising her five-year-old son, Henry, in Massachusetts. Anza has inherited an unusual talent from her Italian grandmother: She can communicate with ghosts. This captivating, completely engrossing story provides a glimpse into the realm of the paranormal. Winkowski, a paranormal investigator, is a consultant for CBS’s Ghost Whisperer. Her website, MaryAnnWinjowski.com, receives more than two million hits per month.
Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures by Bill Schutt with illustrations by Patricia J. Wynne (Three Rivers Press, $15)
A critic for the San Francisco Chronicle called this fascinating little book “a witty, scientifically accurate, and often intensely creepy exploration of sanguivorous creatures.” Dark Banquet is all that and more. For centuries, blood feeders have inhabited our nightmares and horror stories. Schutt, an associate professor of biology at C.W. Post College of Long Island University, builds a convincing case that blood feeders have gotten a bad rap and that they are as deserving of our curiosity as many of the warmer and fuzzier species are – and that some are even worthy of conservation.
Frostbite: A Werewolf Tale by David Wellington (Three Rivers Press, $14)
In this chilling tale of horror, the hunter becomes the hunted. Cheyenne, a young woman, is on the hunt for a killer in the uninhabited woods of Canada’s Northwest Territory. It is not an ordinary killer but a werewolf that murdered Chey’s father before her eyes when she was a child. When Cheyenne finally tracks down and confronts the werewolf, she is bitten. With each moonrise, she begins to morph into a you-know-what. Skillfully written and brimming with unexpected twists, this spooky little tale will have you glancing over your shoulder each time the sun begins to set.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks (Three Rivers Press, $17)
Brooks, the Los Angeles-based author of the international bestseller, World War Z, which sold two million copies and told an oral history of the great conflict between humans and zombies, returns with yet another gripping, graphic story told in a cartoon format. In his new collection, he reveals such tales as the ones about the French Foreign Legion attack in North Africa, Frances Drake and his encounter with zombies on the seas, and how the Soviet Union concocted a secret plot to create their own undead army for World War III.
The Werewolf’s Guide to Life: A Manual for the Newly Bitten by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers (Broadway Books, $13.99)
For the first time, a new book is available to help those newly bitten by a werewolf so that they can adjust and navigate the transition period. Complete with fifty line-drawings, side-bars, and lists, this manual is full of tips and basic information. For example, there is a list of workable lycanthrope career paths for the newly evolved werewolf, the best ways to break the news to your spouse and, most important of all, how to avoid government abduction. As the authors point out, life doesn’t necessary end if you’ve become a werewolf. There’s no reason why a lycanthrope cannot enjoy healthy romantic and sexual relationships. As with everyone else, being honest with your partner is essential. Just go easy on those neck nibbles.
Tempted: A House of Night Novel by P.C. & Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Press, $17.99)
P.C. Cast is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author. Her daughter, Kristin, has won numerous awards for her poetry and journalism. In their new novel, Zoey Redbird, the fallen High Priestess, is having a bad hair day. Dark secrets and unspoken suspicions are coming between Zoey and her friend, Stevie Rae, putting their relationship — and the House of Night School — at risk. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and even her soul? The answers are to be found in the latest installment in the wildly popular House of Night series.
A Monster’s Notes by Laurie Sheck (Knopf, $30)
This was one of the more fascinating novels of the summer. Imagine, if you will, that Mary Shelley had not invented Frankenstein’s monster but rather had met him when she was a girl of eight while sitting at her mother’s grave. Laurie Sheck’s fascinating novel explodes in a bold, genre-defying story that, much like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is cobbled from fragments of notes, journal entries and letters. Some are fictitious, others are not. Readers are confronted by the “monster” in a completely new way, namely through his own musings. Mary Shelley’s life, from her childhood through her elopement with Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the other various milestones including the publication of “Frankenstein,” the births and deaths of her children, and finally her death from a brain tumor at the age of fifty-four are examined and become part of the fabric of this amazing textile of a story. This is a marvelously crafted, imaginative book that is haunting, multi-layered, and destined to become a classic.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (Quirk, $24.95)
The Pride and Prejudice you read in high school was nothing like this. Elizabeth Bennet remains the central character and the setting the English village of Meryton. The story remains close to the original except for an addition of zombies. Yes, zombies. As Elizabeth attempts to rid her village of “unmentionables,” the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy arrives and she soon finds herself distracted. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two lovers as an even more serious situation unfolds as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating zombies. In this new “heirloom” edition, additional bone-crunch scenes of zombie mayhem have been added to the text along with a special preface from living author Seth Grahame-Smith about his experiences blending his fertile imagination with this classic story.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austin and Ben H. Winters (Quirk, $12.95)
Quirk Books is an independent book publisher based in Philadelphia that has begun to build a solid reputation for “literary monster-mash ups” and “remixed classics.” The latest target is this Jane Austin novel. The Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. Elinor, the sensible one, falls in love with Edward Ferrars. Her romantic sister is courted by the handsome Willoughby — and wait for it – the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Featuring fifteen black-and-white illustrations and “A Reader’s Discussion Guide” for book club and student use, this new addition is a delight.
The Year of Disappearances: An Ethical Vampire Novel by Susan Hubbard (Simon & Schuster, $14)
Susan Hubbard continues her vampire series that began with The Society of S, with yet another gothic chiller. Picking up the story of 14-year-old Ariella Montero just after the chemical fire that almost killed her and her father, the dashing, intellectual vampire, Raphael, Ari is living with her mother in Florida. Over the course of a year, Ari encounters abduction and murder, leaves for college, and is immersed in a new world of political engagement with international implications. This is a spellbinding, supernatural story with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists. Hubbard proves once again that she is a master of creepy fiction that is cloaked in a heart-thumping narrative.
Ghost Stories Deck: 50 Spine[Tingling Tales to Tell After Dark by S.E. Schlosser with illustrations by Paul Hoffman (Potter Style, $13.95)
These bone-chilling stories are full of things that go bump in the night. Each tale is printed on card stock with “scare ratings” on the corner of each card. “Axe Murder Hollow,” “The Old Bridge,” and “The Figure in the Window” are just three in this spooky collection.
