On Earth as It Is Beneath
by Ana Paula Maia; translated by Padma Viswanathan
Maia’s ON EARTH AS IT IS BENEATH (Charco Press, 101 pp., paperback, $17.95) is a short nightmare that’s hard to shake.
A ruthless man named Melquíades lords over a penal colony in a remote, haunted land. The government abandoned the place and in its absence, Melquíades, who has spent his entire career “containing the evil behind the walls,” took over. But Melquíades is evil himself. He enjoys hunting and killing the men imprisoned in the colony. Between the unremitting violence of the feral prison and its inmates, and death’s constant presence, survival is a challenge.
This novella is so short that saying more or breaking down its characters would start spoiling things, but what matters is that it all works. It is inventive and unflinching. And while the atmosphere is heavy with brutality and murder, Maia’s prose offers the perfect counterbalance — it is beautiful and gripping. Here, a morning isn’t just bright, it shines “with an impenetrable whiteness that dissolved the boundaries between heaven and earth.” That balance makes this a standout. “On Earth As It Is Beneath” is a must read for those who like their poetry written in blood.
Secret Lives of the Dead
by Tim Lebbon
Fast and tense like a psychological thriller, and full of folk horror and supernatural violence, Lebbon’s SECRET LIVES OF THE DEAD (Titan Books, 335 pp., paperback, $18.99) is a genre hybrid that has something for everyone.
At the start of the novel, Jodi persuades her friends BB and Matt to join her and break into an old, abandoned country home rumored to contain valuables. But Jodi doesn’t care about the jewelry or other conventional treasures. She wants a relic — the same one that Lem, the man who murdered her father, is looking for. Lem is convinced the artifact, along with another he has already collected, will help him end the curse that haunts his bloodline. Jodi gets to the relic first, but then they run into Lem, and a deadly spiral of chaos ensues.
This is an effective blend of crime and horror with a side of trauma and magic. The narrative goes back and forth in time to tell the story of each character and contextualize the long history between Jodi and Lem. Lebbon further enriches the story with plenty of fascinating details, including the lore behind the wood used to make the coveted relics at the center of the tale.
Robust characters with unique back stories and personalities, and nonstop action, make this another great addition to Lebbon’s already impressive oeuvre.
This Is My Body
by Lindsay King-Miller
The line between homage and pastiche is sharp and dangerous, but King-Miller walks it with grace in THIS IS MY BODY (Quirk Books, 315 pp., paperback, $17.99), a demonic possession story in the vein of “The Exorcist.” But this book is no mere imitation — it is unique, unexpectedly tender, surprisingly sensual and full of queer love.
Brigid is a single mom, and she’s convinced her teenage daughter, Dylan, is possessed. It’s not the first time she has encountered a possessed person — she remembers that when she was a child, a girl she knew was possessed and her Catholic priest uncle, Father Angus, was the one who performed an exorcism. In the intervening years, Brigid has estranged herself from her family, but, desperate to help Dylan, she reconnects with Father Angus. Things don’t go as planned.
Demonic possession is an important element to the story, but that’s not what this book is about. This is a novel about navigating motherhood, about autonomy, about the lingering effects and treacherous cycles of trauma and abuse, and about angry homophobia bathed in religion. Effective, straightforward storytelling and great attention to emotions make this sad and often horrific (a levitating/tongue-splitting scene is worth the price of admission) novel King-Miller’s finest work to date.
Lost in the Dark and Other Excursions
by John Langan
Langan’s LOST IN THE DARK AND OTHER EXCURSIONS (Word Horde, 292 pp., paperback, $21.99) serves 13 tales of cosmic horror that each breathe fresh air into tired tropes.
While all the stories here are entertaining, and some are unforgettable, the strength of this collection is the way Langan presents each narrative. The title story, which explores obsession and a spooky legend, is presented as a nonfiction piece about the truth behind a cult classic horror film. “My Father, Dr. Frankenstein” is told through a critic’s endnotes to his editor for a book review assignment. The notes grow progressively stranger, ultimately discussing horrible experiments carried out in hopes of surviving climate change. In “Madame Painte: For Sale,” you learn the story of a deadly doll from a shopkeeper who knows that you, the reader, have dark thoughts and will be back.
Together, the tales in this collection showcase an author at the top of his game. The horrors Langan imagines linger in the brain, the soul; his storytelling sings. This one cements Langan as one of the finest purveyors of (longish) speculative short fiction.
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