Tag Archives: Warner Holme

Warner Holme Review: The Future Is Female! Volume Two: The 1970s

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The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories By Women Volume Two: The 1970s. Edited by Lisa Yaszek (Library of America, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Lisa Yaszek’s The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories By Women Volume Two: The 1970s is a continuation of the previous volume from the same editor. Putting together a selection of stories from a more condensed period of time, this volume focused on a single decade nonetheless includes a fascinating assortment of material.

A very nice introduction by the editor provides context for the pieces in the collection as well as thoughts from individuals for working at the time. In addition there are a number of unadvertised pieces by women involved. Specifically, as early as page xiv there are illustrations from various SF publications which were created by women of the time. The first of these is a very nice figure originally in Galaxy magazine circa June 1975 which is by the well-known artist Wendy Pini. While these are a major surprise, they are all carefully credited and appreciated, although a few that definitely appeared in color are rendered in black and white.

“Bitching It” by Sonya Dorman Hess opens the volume with real action. While many think of the early 1970s as still a time when science fiction was clean and aspirational about the future, this piece is dark and twisted and grotesque in a way that seems well matching horror or dystopia of the time. Featuring everything from spousal abuse to dog attacks, it’s a strangely disturbing story that actually has a lot to say.

Another interesting piece is Elinor Busby’s “Time to Kill.” Featuring a mixture of disturbing thematic ideas for time travel and a strange look at the idea of time evening itself out, it begins with a woman running back to her time machine before flashing back to her decision to commit a very specific murder. Really it is extremely short and doesn’t do much that hadn’t been done before with the concept of time travel, however it does so in a very in your face way that addresses a problem of both rejecting the past and taking drastic action to make matters worse. On the other hand the fact a number of less severe solutions are offered and rejected in favor of a religious version of child murder could be seen as making the entire story at metaphor for avoiding extremism.

Wrapping up the book are a variety of nice biographical pieces on the offers as well as a very detailed selection of notes which occasionally include single commentaries lasting for multiple pages. 

The biographies leave the reader in a strange position of remembering that this is one of the rare collections by Library of America in which a large percentage of the authors have passed on. This doesn’t so much affect the quality of the book as make it a very different read than one might have expected, at least with that little detail in the back of a reader’s mind.

The Future is Female! Volume Two represents a very nice companion.to the first book. While we mentioned stories each represent fascinating moments in the history of the genre, other included pieces are often brilliant and well-known, including the science fiction horror piece “The Screwfly Solution” by Raccoona Sheldon and Kate Wilhelm’s “The Funeral.” While not every story appeals to every taste, it does represent a fascinating book at that decade for women working in the field.

Warner Holme Review: Heather Webber’s At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities

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At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber (Forge, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Heather Webber’s At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is the latest from an author who has made quite a name in the small town story genre. Weber has become known for such stories, and both they and she have gained a certain amount of following as a result.

While the title might evoke a cozy mystery or oddball fantasy novel, neither genre fits this volume very well. A murder is not a major driving force for the story, nor the investigation of a very specific crime. And while there are happenings in the book that might seem beyond normal, it does not at any point turn into a story focusing on these strange aspects.

That said the book is quite likely to fit the tastes of fans of both. Featuring quirky characters, a strange assortment of happenings which don’t seem quite natural, and a variety of complicated relationships and family secrets the story has hallmarks that will feel familiar to readers.

Aca Harrison gets a letter and chooses to rush at the chance to serve as a caretaker. Having suffered years with lost friends and medical issues, she is surprised that the letter from an old flame seems to contain a crumpled old job advertisement. In spite of the oddity and her own problems, some instinct tells her that this job offer in Driftwood, Alabama is the best hope she has.

Maggie May Brightwell is a single mother trying to run the same coffee place that her mother ran. The titular one in fact, and her father seems to be moving on and considering selling the facility. In response she has toyed with the idea of getting someone to take care of him. They reside in Driftwood, Alabama. 

The way that these two lives interact is a definite major catalyst for the story as a whole. Sadly the book does not involve the pair finding love together, but instead with a pair of men from the story. Each of their personal journeys is entertaining and involves forming friendships and looking into the information quite readily. fire, declining health, recurring medical issues, and difficult interpersonal relationships remain the largest obstacles the characters have to face.

Make no mistake, the implications that the book is genre are rather undeniable. Individuals living beyond their span, prophetic dreams and enhanced senses are just some of the subtle uses of the world beyond the normal in the book. Some of them are given partially or completely mundane explanations throughout the story, and these are varying levels of believable as the actual cause. Others never really receive such an explanation, except perhaps by proxy, and as a result leave this just a little more Supernatural than a book that would fit into the “maybe magic maybe mundane” category.

At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a slightly unusual turn on small town fiction. While certainly over idealized, this is less an endorsement of any particular region or its mores. Highly recommended to any fan of her work, this book definitely continues with many of the best traditions of Heather Webber’s work. As it is a standalone, this book would also serve as a perfectly acceptable introduction to pieces by the author, a little comfort reading for a cold day.

Warner Holme Review: The Circumference of the World

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The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon, 2023) 

Review by Warner Holme: Lavie Tidhar’s The Circumference of the World is a book about a book, at least in part. But people associated with the book seem to disappear, either mysteriously or via outright kidnapping. While all connecting together, the book really can be divided into a number of major portions including the initial chapters which deal with people searching for it, portions of the volume, and a look at the life of the somewhat fictitious author.

The volume spends some entertaining time with a crime boss and his obsession with the author and his book, and at least as enjoyable time with Daniel Chase. Chase is a dealer in rare books. He is also an individual with the known difficulty of being functionally or completely facial blind, unable to recall or distinguish facial features. Most of the best writing in the book relates back to him, in no small part because of the care the author takes in creating descriptions that don’t rely on facial features in most ways. Instead everything from height and build and hair all the way to smells like cigarette smoke are used to identify specific individuals when they interact with Chase.

A large portion of the book is given over to text from, if not supposed to leave a complete text of, the missing book Lode Star. The text of it is entertaining, arguably better than the author it imitates, and it does well at attempting to reflect some of the ideas embedded in the book as a whole.

Unfortunately a lot of the book feels like apologia. John W. Campbell appears via correspondence and dreams, and is treated as forward thinking generally for his time on gender and sexuality. He claims for a fact that “readers would never stand for” a potential lesbian relationship implied on page 208, and suggests a male lead, but his story never quite reaches the levels of fascist intervention that he was known for. He is treated lightly, but his mania for strange theories and conspiracies is well known and touched on as well. 

The author who marks as a major target, Eugene Charles Hartley, is a coded version of another figure, and given far too much sympathy as a result. He is a mid 20th century author of mediocre science fiction, including a lost book that is the subject of the hunt, and at the suggestion of Heinlein he starts a religion that makes him uber rich. His struggles and difficulties are treated sympathetically, and a reader may feel disgusted when this part of the story occurs. As even in his afterward Lavie Tidhar refuses to name the individual, this reviewer will do likewise.

The ideas of simulationism and echoes of reality as reality are nothing new to science fiction or the theoretical sciences. They are used, overall, quite well in this book both to accent the various difficulties and proving their own concepts and also which they could provide to a person or public trying to understand them. It’s interesting to note that recent releases by other successful authors have been touching on these ideas as well, albeit in such different fashion they barely feel like the same genre.

There are a lot of good ideas and clever thoughts in this book, but in other ways it tries to cut too close to certain realities and the result is instead a mix of apologia and occasional interesting ideas packed into a well-written volume. How well someone will react to what is going to depend heavily upon their tolerance for the former.

Warner Holme Review: Brandon Sanderson’s The Frugal Wizard’s Guide For Surviving Medieval England

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The Frugal Wizard’s Guide For Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Brandon Sanderson’s The Frugal Wizard’s Guide For Surviving Medieval England is one of those hilarious titles that was just begging to be used. Initially published as part of the record-breaking Kickstarter campaign run by Sanderson, this volume has now come into a wider release. Outside of his normal settings, this book deals with transportational fantasy and the setup starts with the lead awakening without his memories in a burning building and making a desperate dash out while attempting in vain to figure out what is happening. He finds a couple small pages from the book and initially tries to hide when armed individuals start moving through the land. While his memories do start to slowly return he has bigger issues fighting an encroaching force of raiders and a possible connection to his past as he attempts to build his own future.

A very cute introduction by the author explains that the title came to him first, and who can blame him for that fact. It’s a very entertaining title and, taking a page from Douglas Adams, a book with that title is referenced within the pages of this one. While it’s a brave move to remind readers, even quite indirectly, of a classic in your own story it is also nothing to be ashamed of to take inspiration from the best. A similar piece is in place at the end which provides more details on the author’s inspiration as it relates to certain plot developments.

Clarke’s Law, and derivatives of it, come into play heavily in this book and are directly referenced in the book within a book. They are played with in some amusing ways, right down to the question of how existing superstitions might interfere and interact with attempts to use technology to claim supernatural ability amongst a people. It’s an interesting idea of that, while not quite virgin territory, is rarely used to such a meaningful degree.

Pain and suffering are the major elements of the story on a thematic level. The way that some could have things go right, and that others find life repeatedly getting harder as they seemed to have events turn against them. While there is humor found in many of these situations, the basic concept is more than treated seriously. Indeed given the wild success that the author has gone on to achieve, the multifaceted look at failure is an impressive piece of work within the book.

Also included are a number of gorgeous illustrations by one Steve Argyle. These range in style and purpose from detailed in universe book illustrations and quirky cartoons to sketches made by a character and a gorgeous color piece towards the front. While not universal in their purpose within the story, all of them do a great deal to expand it and provide the necessary mood at appropriate moments. 

The Frugal Wizards Handbook For Surviving Medieval England is a delightful read overall. Filled with unexpected twists and turns, as well as those which are satisfyingly predictable, it has much to recommend it. Fans of most of the works it references directly are likely to appreciate it, but are hardly the only audience. The more deep thinking and clever sense of humor which Sanderson often expresses both find strong homes here, in a story that drifts far away from the previous heavily detailed worlds he has spent most of his career on.

Warner Holme Review: Ursula K Le Guin’s Collected Poems

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Ursula K Le Guin’s Collected Poems, Edited by Harold Bloom (Library of America, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Ursula K Le Guin’s Collected Poems represents a look at a wide swath of the career of a fine storyteller in an artform she often practiced but wasn’t nearly as well known for. Given that the Library of America has already provided a number of excellent releases of her work, this collection of poetry is definitely going to continue that trend.

Poems in this book come from as early as the author’s 1975 collection Wild Angels, and move forward to pieces composed and published very shortly before her death. In the context of a single volume on a poet, that is in many ways as comprehensive as a reader could hope for.

One early piece, and probably one of the smallest in terms of word count in the collection, is “Drums”. Totaling at 16 words, with two words a line it is a simple playful piece connecting different types of dance. Providing some of the simplest language and broadest imagery it nonetheless works solidly. Even with occasionally macabre imagery, this represents a piece that can easily feel more hopeful than many others she produced.

“Extinction” is a short and dark piece, depressing in its implications and apocalyptic in its scope. With each line having five or fewer syllables, the text would often move quickly yet the context and words make one take their time and slowly observe and absorb each piece of imagery.

This is, however, far from structurally common for the poetry of Le Guin. Another piece using much longer lines would be “Merlin.” This poem is a two stanza piece that is, amusingly, decidedly not in the Arthurian category. Instead it is a careful and majestic depiction of the familiar bird. short, observational and yet beautiful it provides a quick look at the author’s thoughts of the time with only its last line pushing directly to remind a reader of the fantastical with a note about “hearing the dragon speak” on page 597. While this will be comfortable territory for fans of her fantasy work, it’s hard not to look at it as a fan of poetry and think that the association with her literature is altogether unnecessary to appreciate the piece as is.

Students of her work will find this volume an invaluable collection of not only her poetry, but thoughts upon the art form as well. This includes a variety of forward, introductions, and afterwards as well as a detailed interview/conversation with one David Naimon. This is truly quite an in-depth piece, featuring her opinions and examinations of them in rather more detail than a simple interview to promote a book might have incorporated.

Le Guin Collected Poems is another wonderful example of the work of a master being treated with respect and academic rigor by the Library of America. With examples of her work ranging over a matter of decades the reader gets to experience the growth and change not only of the author but the world that influenced her. Short of already owning her complete poetry, it is unmissable for the interested party with a focus on the work of Ursula K. Le Guin.

Warner Holme Review: The Last House on Needless Street

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The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (Nightfire, 2021)

Review by Warner Holme: Catriona Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street represents an interesting variation on the psychological horror story. There are a few viewpoints, interesting ones, as well as an increasing fear as various alarming details are slowly piled atop one another to paint an increasingly disturbing picture.

One of the main viewpoints, and first really sympathetic ones, is Olivia. Olivia is a cat with a fairly strong Christian faith who thinks of every human she encounters as one type of “ted” or another. It is very much the mental image which could be put forth of a cat in a certain type of person.

One ostensible human lead is then known as Ted. The similarity in name to the way Olivia looks at people is no surprise to the reader, as she is the owner who lives in his house. At the same time the chances seemed high that something is desperately wrong with him. There are moments he seems to see a therapist of some sort, and at one point complains that his cat (Olivia) might be gay. He fails to feel pain when he should, and keeps first his cat and then a child indoors against their will.

The child in question is Lauren, a girl who seems to be in the strange position, of finding the situation weird and disturbing, while at the same time having acclimated to it more than a little. It is a strange point of view, yet quite disturbing in its way for the mixture of Stockholm syndrome symptoms and outright terrified moments.

There is also Dee. Dee is a relatively developed woman who suspects Ted of kidnapping her little sister. This is a very delicate line, and the fact that she doesn’t get much help from the police lends understanding to her actions as she moves into Ted’s life in an effort to find her sister.

These and other viewpoints steadily rotate, often repeating the same scene with subtle differences to illustrate the strangeness of the situation. The attempts by Ted to hide a host of details about himself, and the attempts of Dee and Olivia to understand their situations and improve them or right wrongs, each serve to advance respective narratives while moving the overall story forward. 

Following the narrative, afterward, and acknowledgements, the author is good enough to include a bibliography of useful topics related to the bulk of the story. This is, under the circumstances, greatly appreciated. There is, of course, the risk that this material will become dated as research methods evolve and so does knowledge of certain psychological phenomena. It nonetheless speaks well to her that she took the time to research and consider the topic so carefully in writing this piece.

Overall The Last House on Needless Street is a strange and disturbing read. There is, as is often the case, a risk that the psychology in it will become dated, however that cannot be held against a current work which is clearly trying to stay up and accurate. The chills and disgusting moments are quite visceral, and even if a reader successfully determines the nature of some of the biggest “twists” in the book, it remains a cleverly constructed and thought-out piece.

Warner Holme Review: Light From Uncommon Stars 

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Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (Tor, 2021)

Review by Warner Holme: Ryka Aoki’s Light From Uncommon Stars is a fascinating example of comic science fantasy, and represents a wonderful bit of storytelling in any part of its genre. It is also a massively queer story, and a story, in its way, about baking and music. This is a delightful combination, and the resulting novel is fascinating.

One is a group of refugees, a family with scientists and fleeing something called Endplague and trying to make quality doughnuts. The other is a young trans woman suffering through a great ordeal and offered an opportunity by a legendary woman searching for a way out of a diabolical situation.

The aforementioned trans woman is Katrina Nguyen. When the story starts readers discover her in an extremely difficult situation, learning that she has an abusive father, is likely trans, and is terrified. Paragraphs later they learn she loves the violin. It is a good and very swift introduction to the character, allowing readers the basic in a condensed form. Victims of abuse may find it a little hard to read, and the overall relatively light tone of the book makes this opening scene especially disturbing. Nonetheless it is both necessary and well-written.

Trans issues are a delicate matter. A well-intentioned individual can easily make mistakes while writing such stories, and cause a great deal of unintended offense. This volume deals with problems ranging from outing, to healthcare, to problematic allies extremely well. The idea of a science-fiction transition is brought up at a certain point in the book, which feels fairly appropriate. Were such a matter not mentioned, the fact it would seem entirely possible with the technology would have driven the reader slightly mad. The way it is resolved is interesting as well, feeling appropriate and in character (particularly to those familiar with any artform which requires physicality) and stays appropriate in tone all the same. Such a matter is a very difficult balancing act for any offer, and proves Aoki’s skill.

There is also an entertaining lesbian relationship in the book, featuring two major characters. At least one of them is bisexual, although this fact is downplayed. Bigotry against such relationships comes into play, and serves as an instigating point to a character having a major crisis. The use of a musical analogy in an attempt to explain difficulties with acceptance is unexpected yet beautifully written.

Music and baking are both arts that seem to require an unusual amount of science. The discussion of these very arts within this volume managed to be interesting on a literal as well as a metaphorical level. The ways these words come will make any music fan hear melodies, and a fan of donuts more than a little hungry.

The jacket copy compares this volume to Good Omens and The Long Way To a Small, Angry Planet. While each of those comparisons is appropriate in its way, they also deny Ryka Aoki has such a singular voice as an author. Throughout this volume, the individuality of a violin and the violinist are discussed multiple times. Such is also the case with authors, and Aoki is a rare and unique voice.

Many readers will not be familiar with the work of Ryka Aoki when they first find this volume. This is an excellent way to start looking at her material. It is a wonderful and deeply felt book, the kind that will make a reader laugh and cry without a second thought. Heartily recommended.

Warner Holme Review: Redwood and Wildfire 

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Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston (Tor.com, 2022)

Review by Warner Holme: Andrea Hairston’s Redwood and Wildfire is a fascinating and strange piece of historical fantasy. While the concept of a fantasy relating to the early twentieth century entertainment world is not unusual, nor is the portrayal of the situations of marginalized people, this book represents an excellent mixing of both concepts.

The title refers to two of the lead characters. The first is a strong woman with a family history of magic as well as a burning desire to move beyond her starting place in life. She is literate, indeed a volume by Pauline Hopkins is a recurring point within this tale. There is strength and desire, as well as an ongoing fear of the overall situation, a knowledge of the difficulty of the world around them which does not stop her as she continues to struggle towards what she wants.

The other half of this pair is Wildfire, also called Aiden. He is an alcoholic, from a family that claims its own magic and is white or light skinned, which further complicates matters, especially considering the early 20th century setting and that most of the other characters are dark skinned; the problems of antimiscegenation laws and general bigotry are obvious.

In a simultaneously rough and believable struggle, Redwood moves north while planning to make a living one way or another, perhaps as a performer. After some time Aiden sobers up and follows after her. Hairston subverts the obvious cliché by making this only a sliver of the story, as the tale simultaneously shows Redwood and her living situation. In addition it manages to continue on long after their reunion, with a more effective and heart moving conclusion following as the reader sees them attempt to make a place in the allegedly tolerant Chicago area.

There are many little notes which show great research by the author, particularly related to the movements made into the arts by marginalized peoples. While much of this takes the form of specific namedropping, there is also a delightful feeling of the general situations that they found themselves in. 

While a romance is definitely key to the story, a secondary element involving one of the characters could easily upset the story. Aiden heads to look for Redwood, and throughout the middle portion spends time travelling with Redwood’s younger sister, and she makes semi frequent attempts at romance with him for a while. The reading could be uncomfortable for some, although the fact that Aiden seems more bemused than serious about the situation does a great deal to make it clear that nothing sexual will occur.

There is a delightful afterword that helps to explain the process that led an author known for her Afrofuturism to write a relatively low key historical piece, and how that motivation in turn led to the final product. While not strictly necessary to appreciate the book, this afterword is a delight for anyone who wants to understand the writing process.

Overall, Redwood and Wildfire is easy to recommend. While not perfect to a current sensibility, it nonetheless provides an excellent look at what the world was like for certain people in a certain time and place. At the same time there is a delightful bit of added wonder, a strange and delightful magic that feels entirely appropriate. Heartily recommended.

Warner Holme Review: Nightmare Fuel

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Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth (Tor Nightfire, 2022)

Review by Warner Holme: Nina Nesseth’s Nightmare Fuel has the tagline “The Science of Horror Films” and it is a very appropriate title. It is a chapter-by-chapter look at the genre indicated from a sociological, psychological, psychiatric, and biological point of view.

Structured very carefully, the book takes eight chapters, in addition to an introduction and afterward, to go from discussing the history of the genre and its effects on the brain in a strictly moment-by-moment way, through visual and audio cues that affect a reader, all the way to sociological arguments related to the genre and beyond. Each chapter makes its argument fairly clearly, although anyone not familiar with or used to reading from the most scientific point of view would do well to take their time.

The chapters are subdivided with segments that include reviews of specific films, discussing their influence on the genre as a whole and connection to the subject matter of that chapter in particular.  This serves as a nice way to zero in on individual films without changing the structure of the book away from the scientific neurological approach that was chosen. Each of these sections tends to be called a “Scare Spotlight” and features among others 2018’s Hereditary, 1974’s Black Christmas, and 1991’s Child’s Play 3 and incorporates them well into the subject matter of each chapter. While genre aficionados are likely to name other films they might find preferable in each chapter as an example, they are not likely to be disappointed with what is discussed about each.  

For the most part this works quite well as a way to separate out long discussions of particular films, ensuring a chapter doesn’t become about them. However verification is where films, even ones that are not horror such as Reservoir Dogs, can be referenced repeatedly in a chapter. This is somewhat justified early in chapter 8, when the author notes that “my main gateway into horror was crime procedurals… and psychological thrillers” helping to explain the references a little, as well as once again reinforcing the personal aspect in an overall somewhat technical book.

Another aspect to that helps to personalize the content of the book comes in the form of occasional back and forth “In Conversation With” sections. These are multipage brief interviews with individuals associated with the genre. Some of them are enthusiastic fans and critics such as Mary Beth McAndrews and Terry Messnard, others are academics and analysts like Alexandra West, and still others are professionals within the industry like Ronen Landa. The interview is very in quality, but managed to stay pretty well on topic and often illuminate the particular subject matter of a chapter further.

There is a very nice list of “Movies Watched” for the book at the end, as well as a detailed bibliography in the form of a “Further Reading” section. Both are very useful to anyone who wishes to dive deeper into the genre, or understand better the ideas that the author puts forth.

Nina Nesseth’s Nightmare Fuel is a fascinating read for the fan of horror films, or a student of the genre as a whole. At times a little technical for those not interested in neuroscience, it remains a consistently interesting examination of the phenomenon. While probably not the only book one should read when studying horror films, it is easy to recommend.

Warner Holme Review: The Flaw in the Crystal and Other Uncanny Stories

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The Flaw in the Crystal and Other Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair (British Library Publishing, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: The Flaw in the Crystal and Other Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair represents a wonderful author-specific collection from the British Library Tales of the Weird series.

“The Flaw in the Crystal” is long enough that it could have been published as a standalone volume with little complaint. Dealing with questions of psychic and mystical influence, there is a building oddity and atmosphere to this tale. Agatha Verrall allegedly has a certain level of mystical gift, something undefinable, which she claims to be treating a young man who is at the center of the story with. The debates over the wisdom of this, the more mundane attempts to solve his psychological issues versus her supernaturalist ones, are the keys to the text.

With the use of magic circles and protective wards, there is much about this book that will remind readers of a current urban fantasy. On the other hand the layers of ambiguity lend away from this, and instead to a critique of alternative medicine. A slightly uneven read by today’s standards, the slow start might put a few off.

“The Villa Déserée” is one of the shorter pieces in the collection, and an excellent example of both the author’s style and ability to imbue tails with both supernatural and metaphorical significance. In it a young woman is going to visit friends and staying at a villa belonging to her fiancé, a widower. Her friends discourage her from staying in the place, not the least because the man’s previous wife had died there. While in many ways the plot could be seen as an exquisitely condensed version of a gothic novel, the basics of it feel fresh and well written.

The turn on this story, exactly what the disturbing manifestation is and what caused the death of the first wife, help to remind the reader that May Sinclair was a feminist first and foremost. The idea of a man’s sexual desire preceding him to the bedroom and resulting in death is, in a way, absurd. At the same time supernatural ideas of astral and personal projection are nothing new, even at the time of the writing. Furthermore the basic idea of a man’s sexual desire destroying a woman, even without his exact presence, would be something not only possible but unfortunately familiar to many people.

Unlike collections with short stories by multiple authors in the series, this volume does not feature a brief introduction to each story about the author. Instead there is a nice detailed introduction at the beginning of several pages, written by the editor and discussing May Sinclair’s life and her particular connection to the Supernatural and stories related to it. Indeed there is a wonderful anecdote about her use of the word “uncanny” as well as specific Freudian interpretation thereof.

This is another wonderful collection, and one of very few ways a current reader is going to get the collected supernatural stories by one of the premier feminists of her era. Ranging from short and clever to more ponderous and novella length, the contents will entertain anyone who likes a good old spooky yarn.