Because I’m writing a horror novella at the moment, I've deliberately been reading a lot of horror fiction at that length recently (and, uh, Crime And Punishment). I've read far too many to review, so I was going to do a blog post on my five favourites. But then SP Miskowski had the nerve to release another brilliant book, so it's now my favourite six.
I've not applied any strict criteria on what word length is a novella, I've just loosely applied it to anything in that grey-area between a short story and a novel. As I've already given away the name of one of the authors, I may as well start with:
Astoria - SP Miskowski
Astoria is a book in SP Miskowski's
Skillute Cycle, which started with the impressive novel
Knock Knock (
Astoria works as a standalone tale though.) It takes as its starting point one of the incidents of
Knock Knock, when Ethel Sanders flees her home town after her daughter's funeral, and is never mentioned again in that book -
Astoria tells what happened to Ethel afterwards, and it might just be Miskowski's best work to date. It's a hauntingly ambiguous story of doubles and dream-like imagery - dreams as in what we wish for, as well as what wakes us at night. The ending immediately made me want to reread it all over again. I can't recommend this one highly enough, folks.
![](data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBhQSERUUEhQUFRUVGBUYFxcXFxgXFRwYGBcXGhcWFhgYHScfFxkjGRgVHy8gJScpLCwsFx4xNTAqNSYrLCkBCQoKDgwOGg8PGiwkHCQsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsKSwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLCwsLP/AABEIAR4AsAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAACAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBQMGAAIHAQj/xABHEAABAwIDBQUECAMECQUAAAABAgMRACEEEjEFBkFRYRMicYGhMpGxwQcUQlJi0eHwIzNyCJKy8RUkQ1RjgpOiwhclRFNz/8QAGQEAAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAF/8QAKBEAAgICAgEEAgIDAQAAAAAAAAECEQMhEjFBBBMiUTJhcbFCkfAU/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCbZ/0UYAkDs1K5kuK08iBThX0O7LuOxV4hxfpenuzUQATyoxT82FY4zddmhxVlMV9DezDo26PB1Xzrxz6DNnLFvrCP6XAf8STVxz5bqtwqTBY1CjAVeJi4Mc8pvHWmU2BxRzfG/wBnRs3Yxak8g4gH/uSR8Kiwn9m0/wC1xo8ENH4qV8q699Y6UY09arqRJo4ziP7N6fsYsjqpsH0BFRNf2bFR3scJ/CySPVYruAWK9Jp7FODYj+za8P5eMaV/U2pPwJqBH9nHFccThwOgWfkK78F0m3r3rZwLPavE3MJSm6lHkJ+NCw0cZd/s8vD/AOU1/cV+dQn6A3Rrim/+mo/+VP8AG/TmCf4eHt+Nd/ckfOoGvpsk/wATDiPwrM+oNRc34KrG/oSp+gw/axQ8mj81UXh/oXYSZcfdWOSQlHr3qtezt/sLiYCFZFH7K4SfAHQ0e9i+FZ55pLVlI40UzEfRFgyO6p5J55wfQpqFH0O4UC7j580D/wAauiXTUpXU/en9j+3H6Ofu/Q9h4s88PEII+Amhf/RpP+9H/pDT+/XSVCvEprven9ne3H6OVbV+iVTYKkP5kgEwWzmtwEGD6VQ8ThFtmFpUk6gKBSY5wa+kc1RrYSv2kpVGkgH41SPqGu9iSwp9HzphtnOufy21r/pSVfAUxZ3OxitMM75py/4or6Abbtaw5CocQIpn6l+EBYV9jxg2FT5xQzCSAK2diw6/KkQxXt69qvA5WS2E5CVFQUo94qEQCABCdZOpqnbub1qwrqEOHMsZsqlK7uQkKKQo3ygZrdbVtvPvCvtFBpILZSBYJkxdSZKoABVrHOq2xj05yF2UlJgFUWKVCUqsCIKYjlStu/0GlR3XZG8beJRmQFABYR3hF7adbi3Wm5xUVSt28WyltKGELbBKSWzFzmRmUFKOZVrzJGUCrRg2FQAULGtjfUk6gq+NaEmR0Mm8TRTaswqLC4QATW+PxzbDanHVBKEgkk8ABVoxJtle3v34Y2ekdoSpxQJQ2NTeJJ4JmR5GuBbx73vYt/tnwlwJnK2rN2YHIBCknrrwvNQb0bxKxeJdfcPtqMDglAshA6BMep40mU6OdSlJt6NmPFFK32W17Asu49GGQyy0hTOYFOcHO5gu1SVqKz3UuEHyvNSbC3caKGc68O6VPYlKlJJcQB9TK2wuU/ZWkq0PnpVcRtpztkv93OlCWxYxlSz2IkTc5Nb6+6s2XtdxlIS2UgBZcEpB73ZqbOvAoURFCxeEjfaWLJWB2mHcAFlMMhlEk3BHZIKjYagi9uNW/c7e0yll420Qo8OSSeXWqXjMWXMv8NlGWf5TYQTPMjWtEqqc0mVjB0dwz1sHKrm6G2u3ayrMrbgHmU/ZV8j4daeTWRqjgkuV6lyhg7WwcoWdQXkmpMkVEh8V4p+msFEwVSfFYok0wcdPSI85/c0nxbJB6GhJhRahjkiAc2YicqULUqOcJBpJvBvf2SFBKMqkxd1SURImQlOZcx+EVz7H72gM9mhZcsSpThcUoOTICSFCOU/imJ0WsbbGIdbGNfKmCUFeUAE5BAEATJ9mbHvTrW1RM9k2IxanyrEhDYKShtpuTqQZcy6KAyRfUkfdimH1ZrFJgpbQ4lLikpAX2kKAOVSybka3HPnd1u5sr620pSIZw7jycqAkEkoCkAzwSJUI6VZsJuOw0VGM4AFlwVTFpPKdBECaD09HEmxN38MzKvrTYkgFKC2EnQGMylKSL6T1PCLtgMY0AEocQoDkoKPvkzVVOwkFAIQkFXQd0TbXWl219goSkgJnKEGRlEkn7Q43A4fCm5tC8bLxi9vpSlSgFZE5pWBIGUkKJGsW1AIrmX0o75F3FYfBIjJ2zPa8lErT3D0jUflQmKbxDaD2Achaj3SopSRm+0lSSnhynz153itoqXjUOqMqLyFk9e0BPlRjkcgrGkWjefdhOzu2xSglSnHVpwzYALaM5Ue0UIiUo9lOgMHhSLAtj6vs5cCRjHEKMC4zYdQBPHU1Zt5d5TisZidnuQG1qU20oxCHkQWlTwzKGVX9XjVRQ7kwTIVZbOOWVJtmEttTbxQRXLoZgu12QjE4hIEBLzoA4ABaoAox0f8AtzB4jFYhPvbZMelH7w7sYlzF4h1CEBDjri053mEHKpRIJBctrQ+BwqnsCWUlpK28UpZLjzTaYLQRbMuVXGoEdaBS+hJM1JNb43ZqmIzrZXmn+U6h2Ij2shMa1oOFI1RaLtDjdvapZfQqbTlV/SrX5HyrqKjXGUV1TYWM7XDtq1OUA+Isaz5F5Ol2FOKqVhXOoHqjS5UTg5xfKtA9UGepECa4AUh2oMSZFROORUK366zqPNu7q4bFjOtACzHeT3VRI4jW3Oqod038E4jEYZYdU1OVK0jOJBBjgqJNjFHtb5qZEYphxv8A4ie+3E68/WpsZt9C21KaWhdzdJmxPEai3PnWjnOCvwR4xk6H+5GNU8wgqCgoKIUm4VIJn2ibacfjTnEbbbQ4pDjqE+JEwLHNwF5HlXPt2dnrxQ/iOqQ0FrAQlUSMxJ01PG866Va8JuFhkWLedcXUSYB0EARMC972FVECsfvayAlLb7EpMn+IIjl3Sec+VDvb34VTyynEIIKW0QTbuqWSY4xI4DXWiMZu7hksqGREd3vK1AnvXUDlsCffVLxG6yASFBANiEgSYm5zyItB/M0G0dRcmH+0ZsoLgKPdIInUC3vrhuPRDihyUoe4mukYHdPJC2lKbMD2VEEnMdLiRGUgkniD059tpP8AHc//AEVPvM+tNAePYHknWtCi9TIQVEJQCpSiEpSBJJNgAKandF3tSyHsMXkpBDQdlZVeWk2ylwR7M8RVENKkKBh08hWz7YjSjtm7FLjfbOPNsNhwtKUsLJCwjPBShJNxI8RRbm6iirD9k+081iHAyl5IUEpcMSlaVAKBgg9aG77DyjXQlbSIqZCrUSMBhUpOfFOhwSFIThiQFDVOYuCRNpqDGYVTKGlqIKXmw4kiY9pSVJM8UqSQfLnQcbDHIjwmrzuHju4psnTvDzsflVT27sB3CNsLdEB9BVERlUDdJ4HulKgfxdKO2U59WxLYKpltlS7RHaoSsp8goVOcPiHkmdFeVQwBmvXF14VViGJJopJsKERzo5sWooDF2KdpS8+Z1pntFEGlLgoMZD7AEdikqi6QfeL/ADqoby7Iw61lSUdmo/aR3TMDgLelFK2RjGEDsX0OoiezdFxN4Cv1FVzam31gw+0ppfDik+B4+Imr8Z38GRuP+R0P6Otnq+p3OaVu94kiYOUGB1BF+WlW3sFJSqFAFQJkgqhR4wSLaWqp7l44JwLS8yUoJeJKiEg/xV/e604e31wadcS0eiVFf+CarsnoPxWEzoUhSpCvH1vpQOJ2AlRlRzXSQFSQCmI+1zFAv7+4Q+yXVixlLbkeoFRp+kXBmAVqSTI7ySIjnNCn9BtBr2wsxnSMuUJPdtEAiNLda5HvRh8mKeHJfDSYE+s12DAbxYd1X8N5pckWSoTfpXHd4n8+IeVzcV8TTQ0NHs03PcjaOEP/AB2h71AfOla1qbfKkEhaHSUkahSV90xzkCvcJi1NOodRGZtaVpkSJSQRPS1N1bUwRxIxHZ4mZLqmZRk7XMFBIc9rsycx0kWFaEJLsY7v4VD2zsSnEOFvLi21KVkKzmU2sEFAgzIPvo3tGsK/gsEgrXlxbOIWtaQgQsISgNiTKSnvSTy61WFbfUtnFoWnvYp5t4kWSClTilCNblYjwrDttRGGKky5hVDKubltKgpDah+E5oPIxwFCtgXQTt9eF7V5LbL6Xu0XmWp5JRIWc3c7Oef2vfTXd7Y317Ctt2KsNiQmLz2OIKfQLSo/8xpS7tTDLWpa8IsrWta1EYlQTKllUABuwAMa1DsbbruFLpZOUuoyzJlMLSpKgeJEEX1k0H0PWui+qxKdrDGYYZVKbfDjXRvN2asp4wkJ6Saqm9Cgdo4rKZCXMg8G0pR/40s2Ftd3Buh1kjNlWkzMEKEXjkYI6gVEw4TJUSVEkqJuSSZJPUmpyVLRTHH5bOjbKxXaMoVxiD4i1TZr0k3UxPcUnwI87H5e+nJXJrDJbKUGN0UyqgmTRSF0AEWNbmq/tjGJaTzUfZTxP5Cmm2tsIYTKrqIOVPE/kOvxNUzvuOZld5xWieAA+0rkgcuPmZvjx8tvoSU+Ol2CYb6RX0jK6hCwBGmRXvFvSt8bvk26nKUFOhIUAoU+c3LbeSHG4KDcR4CRGusiOBFIMduKUiR18Ks3hb2qZJKa6dlj3A2Rg3UAudk6sFYShasxAzWytkwBEnSZM1e8KQlRQhtLceyEBIMAAmUi4BvExxrgGI2Q42rTTiKNwe9OMw9g6uCBZcLEDSy59Ko8fLalZPlx7R9AtOAWkcVAcbG5jpIqN8pVrBN9fOK5Ts36WXvZfSkZj/MSIyzH2YMj93q8o3jaeQvsXELjSFAkyJ9mJF6hOEo9lIyUuhb/AKFS6pf1hhBAW6Q5YKyjQSmCNOP3q51jTYxxJ1ueknjauo/WkqLpSdUAZYKTOZQzTN5J9Koqt2X1ASEoA+8qToLwmfiKVZEu2XxxfaRVl161hlESBbnwprjNk9moD2pPKB7qbJQSnKoAEWqks6STQ8cPJ7Ku21UyGqn7IA1mHTJoufkZQWkDpR3q3Si9Eu4cTah0mDQUrC412Y63ArRCa3cXUjKa66QONvQ13dxOVwCdbe/9Yq2pNULCOQau+z3+0QFC8i/jxrPkWzmq2HIVUO0trJYTJuo+ykak/IdaG2ltRLCZN1GyUjUn5DrVUxWLObtHSFLV7KbhPnyQL6am3M02LE57fRCc+JpjccvtS45BUu4HhYADgnl4HjenGx05WyVDvkmSbkxp5RwpFhsODLrpzTonmesaAWgcPi02djApKgYBCojTgnQHQdBVs341HoTH3bBcBtRTWZkqztrKTaQlQBEKANwYGUg9QdAacbV3x7IoKk50uFRsrKUi0RaCYOh41T0KChBsdR48a8xzCnEhM95MxyUDFvG1Fwi5KztqNoZbc3lQtQW2nuwBBgKMEzMTlsaW7SUHktuJETmBHIjhPH9aWqwWXLmJEm9rjnTfFvMobbQ2SqMxUTrJ6enlVOEYtcexE5P8uiz7sMJCQkgEETcW9asCth4ZxJCmGjrcJCVf3kwfWqhsLbaAoTxEceFWvC4sEESJk8eEyKwTcoNs0qKnSCdnbLbanswoA8Ctah7lEgVO4qeQr1ipksiZrHbbtm5JRVIqm8WAIGYcL0G22MQkZe66nlxgTMeVXZ/DgpI8aqW0djqYcD2HsRcp4HnbkRqPnWjHJVViSbKxiiQSCIIN60wiwFweNP8AethDrbeJaGXMnvjqDB8YNvKqrmIrbH5RIObTTC+1IXFRuIvPjXi7wedShMij0N+QOaKZNjQ60RUqK6XQI6ZjKu8aaYDbSmhlEHkL68un6UicdM21ozDkN3UMy1aDhHWLx8Y8SD7d7ZKeRVx8h72KiXXCFuKnKOHj0QNOtwOJAuEw5cWVr4XUTYAaAmNBoAkdAK9a2eVnMtQHEk2AA6DRIA0A4ADhRbrXaJCEyhszB+2ogQVngLSByEgakmnKKX6Mzi7/AGB47HIJtlFoEKSFcbq5noLAWGklL26Qo6dL9AP1vRbWxEFKLmVZ55CCfypZk1zcI9LflTx4u9iu1Whli8WhbhU2lSJuUqvfjB5HX31I27IvV1Owm1m6R41Uts7L+rvFEyNUnjEAweokeNZ4ZIz0jQk49guLZKxb2h7lD86A2fgi65k0ME6XtwvTNKpo7AbLUpXbBMZQZUTlCrR3bd49dOtUWTjFoSeK2qI39hNImHHVFJTOUZAcwmxIjTrw60RiNhLbSlxlSyUiTJlXiPyoHGYtZSTAy85hVoAkfvjV3wV4keNZsuScUmVw44ybI92d5EvQhZCXOWgPVP5Va+ztNUnbW5ilntMOBm1KZiSOKTwVRGyN9QphTb3debEXtnix8FjiPPwhLGpLlD/X0WU2nxkWRT00FiXRlM9ahweLzCedDbVdhBHFfdHiazJbo0iRY/1QJPEqPkSTVeWzarbi2QEdEg+gqtlM1txTu2K4LohfbhCT0rRpyL0w2mzDTfUH4mkjpITWiHyRCUuOwl8+6o1OHQVoh7MiDqKMCQkJJuYED5npT9dk2+StEDTfZiTdR0H59P3zgnB4cklSpJ1PMdfCvMNhiolSpVz5jrRbz+SyT3vvDikjQ0JzvSJwhWwl7HZEKbACjfvJvmSBMdALyf2USca4ct9CoVe91dkocwrsXcczoJPAASlKeQgg9T4COdglC8pBlKlAjrehjSdr6DN00etOaSq2ZXrND4ldh4H5VE6Lm3E1ooGBWuMd2ZZT1R1RG1GzotJ8xVQ29tsLcVYpzCO+nT+WQeP3D76rYeI4mt/rFuPjx4H5Vnx+l4O7seWZSVDnA4VS1ISP9pEHkOJ8gCadby4gpKW0d0Rw5AAAURuxkW0hcSsZhJuRc2tWu9GHBRm4pIPkbH99KySmnlpro3RjWLlfYkTKwlIgKzp1AIgkA6jwPlV6whiqFs4ZnED8Q9L1eWVd4eVJ6ntIPp12yzbOFUrfnYyUuqWBClkEEc+M/GavOzE2qvb/ACf5Z/FHoaTE2noM1b2VrYu2+zV2T/dNgFH5/nTPai5faHILV8hQuM2Sl1AnXgeIpZh8ScO4A9JAGUHWEkz4xbSjUZ/KPf0G3HUuhxtF2Gj1B9aSJatPIE+ophtx8ZEgXBIgjQiJ/KgVO5W1zxCEj+8Cr/CKbGtFZS1o32vH1do/1D/uNVnEkmAKbbQxMtNN8bk+ZJHxoQM5b6qOg5VrxfFWYsvy0iHDs5TfXjR6G8ypOlRsMXvrx6UagRmvCWwFLUIJylSU2BIlUqAAmuk3J6OXwVM2cJSkqEAIiV85+wB9pcSY6EkgXrPqaVsEsuB1SFlwpylDobKQFkpNlAFKD3VKgZjYTWbNfZclOWyDmZddSAhLix/LxGUlJSVDuqPFIzDLIATTASUwolY9pST3RI9lJFyReTpwEi5alFE03Jlu3Axn8TLzj4Ln99ar30g4T6vizAgLPaJ5XkH5URuziOyxbZj7Uf3gUj1IqwfS7s+WWnhqhRBPQxHrU8esn8jZr4v9HLi6Sk24zPXlXjg7o8/lXgxFiDxINbLfkARz9a300YrTXZCI4zWyljgI9T+VR1uEaUxNFm3Gx5DpbUbKuPH9xVq21s+UEi/PwrnexMTkfQrrB87V1FD8pg3mvJ9YuGRSXk9X0j543H6KdsHBRiCPugx5kD4TV1wjUqFKEtNtPwD3nBIH9Pw1/cU7wRvWbLLnK/0acceMaLFg0WqmfSliIbaA1zk+4Gr5gk92uZ/So530CfvGtOCPyRmyy0yptbxPAWWfQ/KtX9qrc9tRNvnNLgbVsDW72oLaRk92XTYcxilRBJgaCsd2kpQyzYGRQwNoFM8HgUoT2jtgNBxJ5D92oOK7of3JJVZjTWUdo55c/AVjWKJnKmT0HChzmxC9IHADQDlTJLPcytqbbRmCC44vIkqtKEmJNokxYESRIlXFdAjNrZGcSnJmHtVZGdnsfVm8UhQYCm0ocLhLmHdX7LrLjYlaSVJzZkyAMqgEkTVedwCTmZKOwxDRIQlREOCZDaiLdrB7qxZYjjBIuK7qOxSoLAUVqIgpCyMp7M8UwEgnQlIIsASFFILbkSYpxtIcQwFhK7LzKSsQlQUlKFJAlOYA5jcwNLzpgRUaW+74/KvEuRelltUXguLsZbOkONr4l1Mf8q0fM10zfPCdts90AScuYeRmuf7AY7R9kC4R3ifAkj1yDyrqoaltSdQQR7xUHKpIMldnzfW54dB8zReKwhS+tAGijr4moMQIOkfvpXqXs8zjqyCpCbDxPyqOpVjup8/jRYF5IwavOK2+Rh2ij+Y4kaaiIBjqTYedUamuFxCghtQ1R7PkomfefSoZ8anTfgv6fI4NpeTfGFSHCM0qBgn8Q9qD4zemWyN5HGlDMSpPIm/lSV0kmTrWA0jgmqZRTaejsGy98mFo/mJSY9lXdPrr5TXNN8Ns/WHiUzlEgTxvrS0PdaHfdmhjxKLsOTLyVEQNStsFWlSYTClZgCrBhcNkTA149aeeRRJxg3sGwGzUITncNh+4HWh3XVYhdrJFgOAHTmetMnWc4j9j9K8bZShtayVdmiEqLYlRUqcqATZEgE5lcjAJqcZN/wAjNUaIYUQptgBSwkqIB7xA9oIH2lASSBeAeVC7PdQ6jsXiExJadi6CblK4uWlHXik3HEFu4hlAz4c5cQGm3Gyo5D2ZSSVhOgxKQOBhQ76RmMVX8fju0WHMqUqI7+WwUrivLokkRIFpk2mKZKjgja2IzJZTJV2SAgqI9rvKVA45EhWQTwTwmKEQ9bSpjiElN6EzSaCt9lJVF6ZOp4xIBOlhRLQCrH/KpcDhcyb8amVshSe8i8aj5ipuS6Kq3sc7v7GAUCVK8jHvrpezldyOVc92Ao2mrvs56srk29leOjk2+eB7HaLgGioVz9qq7tCM1vhHCrV9KT3+vW/+tPzqnnEHnXp402lL9Hm5Glcf2HIbw6/tLaPXvJ/OvMXstaUiMi03hSVT101p+3sBAT31ISfxWnwIXEeXlQ7uwmgD/Gb6XgD/ALzNTWZXpje0yrmmWEMoHSRRzexm1auo+PqFa9KmOy0tiy0GToLH1Jmmlli9Ahjadgam+dQLY5UU6q8GhXlQYoRY7RE6iKzDYQrNbMNlaop7gsMEi2vOulPigRjyZthGAgW1NThVRqVWqgmB2jvYpXIQSkrkgwVEJuEg8fcCQYzpWyzdImCB3FuApaUrLnUD2c3AzlPeykiCRcX4iKhS8/hsX9hxxSZfaKR9X7OxCCfZKAkA5h3U93KTrU+02yp5bjWHBcSEdql3s1sNpyggt37zakpJCyIAUIvBpPtTaBWVNtqV2CSQ2Dr2ebMlBJ7xQDJCTpPOrxVEG7Bdq4kOvuOJKyFqKgVxng6BUWkaeXDSoc1YGqzJTgPKkZbkgcyK0IozZDWdxIEazcwLcPGg9I5dljwmGAAFNcEzFCtoi1EObRbaTLi0p8Tf3a15zTkz0k0kNcLhUg2FM23Qi5MeNUjFb4d3+AnP1NvQ1WsdjsS6cy1AdCtKfdJqkMMn26JTzRXWzbe7aBfxLiwRE5Rfgm1V+inmSn2gifET6Gojljr429a9KFJUjzZ7dm7ePcScwWoHnJpmxvSsDvIbWeakj5CklZRlCMu0KpyXTLInexHHDN+UH0Iogb2Mf7vb/l+EVU6yp+xD/mP70h25tVkqJShaAeBIUB4aED31CrKs91QJPCD+VKqabJbjvETPw40ZRUVY0JOToa7PwmQTxPwokKvXiHgdPdWrrkRAmf3NZds06SI8dicg4FR0FoHU8/CiXgy8wCs9mAYFiotLXmVljVzDuQojVSFA6g95a5sxZkghWYzxBv40btFtbhACEITYkIGUKUAQFKExIBMRAEmBenTSJu2CYwpWG0CVIZSUpUbFQK1KmPsiVWTw86gYwqTmsbCbH99KL+oOAewT4Qfga8YbKe0kEGAIIj3z5V3I6gJGCmvVYMjjRbaa9yV3JhpAIwc5r6CaiwTmVXgZ9aZpYMOq5JT6mkYUQo06+SaAnxaY/wB6HlFtpxJIF0qAMCdQY9/upCNru/e9B+VMGsUVoLaz3CDqbBQBg++kdHDjSjxkugepycp8o+Q0bXd+96D8qjc2gtWqvcAPhQ1ZV1CK8GblL7PSa8rKymFMrKysrjjKysrK443bRJAp9hmLelK8Azxp/h7J6CsuaXhGzBGlbISnL48qhMkzefWi2dnFw5pi/pTljZqWwVKkxH761G6KPYPhWlQJCvcaNSmoF4sk3sm9ptHXyodzGNnVRnmBNTqzuhh2RrV7DylVgSQeF+lKVbVJMJkp66n8qaNvlBg+YP7tXU0d2LMtpiimFthIC2kGJ70d6CZuRrHwqNRF72kx77eNTL2e6m5bUkaSshPlrJPQCmO0FbR3cX2aiyECRcZlEqF7CbA+Yqj4jDlCjIIIJBB1kGDV3w28/YN5MpWpJN5hIHACRJA8BVY2kvtFqWRGZSlQNO8ZgVWDa7JtWG7ruJ7VOYenjaqvjGMji0fdUpPuJFWDYiFBxMJJki40tr4aE35UPvjgMmIUsRkcuCOcDMD1m/mK7Fccr+mv6KZ+MsMa7T/sQ1lZWVtPPMrKysrjjKysrK44ypGWCo299S4HC5z0pyGrW0FRyZeOi+LDz2zzDMjTlajcUQlKRpmk+6o8PRG2cLKWjwIWmeoVPqFelZlt7NMtEuExaALTw0HKtMftw2SkExr7+nKhXXykAC1v0qEGgkuwGjmKUs94mOQ0rdp5ANwT4mtlOwOtRIJUYFyaYAwZSj2oEJv+lF4XEdoslagEIiZ1MkwOtxQTrAQjqY+M0OlVJVhYc9jB2xWmSApJ5cBPhxpltDaJxDYTmCgLlJgLkaHypVgsEHM0qgAC45kwJ6a+8VI3u+uYKgBzFz5C0eddpAIWGQpJkd4Ei+nSh1okxA5Wpm7spTbhUkEoi/E2GvUzWmQAykRPGusKEeHxCkLACiMp/wA7da92uCtCldQrpy08DXuPGRwEx5fOpFpzJI5girJ7TJtaaK7WV6a8rWZDKysrK44yt2WiowK8QgkwKcYHCZfGpznxRXFjc2TYRjKKLAtWoRRbaRYVgk7ez1oxUUCONlHGp040rbyR9oKHQixjxBIobbBJICZPhROFYgDwp1pWZ5u3QG7c1iUUYdlKPskHxkVD2XBViKNkyB9uwNeMEi4tRfY8KKwOwErBJeCYnuxJgCZ1BNuVdYGAFebXWtOxVBIuBr0o7EbLgEoWlQAnvSg2v3dQelxWuz3iFEHQj4fpNd/B3Y23ZVlzkhKkqCUkcCDmkdDT1vZYMELPZm4gSodJM/A1TsO6WilI4rJieEgJE+FW1t0tJKAZXJJVeB+EA1ORwaNjtpErcWRwuE+XdEk1XNq4dDLkJPcV3ka2+8gzyMG/BQpuH1K9oz40v29h87J5o7w52mR7iaCfgPWyp7wpuCOVQYYykHpW20IKBPAn9KhwRtFaF+Ij7FeLRC1Dr8ahozaiIXPMD8qDrVF2jJJUzKysrKYA2wGDjXWmTaa1bRFEIFedklb2exjhwVIkabqQLCQTWzVCbQfSClBJGadNdDHrA86SCt0NkkoqxcceQo8RU7W141TNRI2fmNtOdGN4UI86u+Jj+TDcBtRK1BMHy8KEW5mWTxk/lW+HxIQuYlPuJ/esUVtDDJJ7RvRV/wA/Op6QbB2094TpRjauX61q22DYyCBoQQfca17ODYzQYUEDQydf3NJ1mD1HI6+6mGKbzQJIpftNjIgEKMk/50Y9gZu8sE2M5YAJ+NP/AK2FHOD7Wo6x+Q9KqGFcIFW3B41P1ZCVDN5xF+f5V01QEw9p4HjUk5iE/et5cSegE0Ey9IA0jT9KJS5AVzVAJ4xxT4GpDFOx+GyoEXtNL8IqDFMtqEwOVKEKvatUdonI92umyT1I/frSynO0Ey2ekH9++k1aMb0Z8iqRlZWVlUJllaM0UDVY/wBIORGY1Et0nUk+JmsnsN9s3/8ArS6RdWyIJ5VWMZjM2ICuAUAPI0E3iFJ0UR52rQmqY8PBshlz80P23SlZg2GtbvOqWADprSpvaUap9f0rf/SY0g0jxv6GWSP2NGmoF7ga16rGqbUQDY6jhcUuf2iPs5gPLX31K9jUFKfanKJJA1k9fCl4PyHmi3P7QOILeVAJUkJgKsVgX1iJAFAvNkapUk8jNVvC7XKD3cw09ND41YXPpCBRC2AtXEkhI+BvSvFLwjuaXkLZWhYAWLiwIMeANL94sAW8uYEC4EmTMJN+hvFz7KqWu70AqkMJSPwrUD79PSoNo7yqcQEBICQZEnMR6AelPHFJMV5ERfXEixJprhNsN9nBVeaq5NeVV4UxFlaL1hNooOi0++mZxXcmQYHOuZVKjFrGi1DwJqb9P9MZZ/0WXbz+ak7eGJ0oFzEKUZKlHxJrO3V94++njjaVAeRPwOnUSCnmLef60hqTt1fePvNR1SEeJOcuRlZWVlOIf//Z)
Books about survivors of a zombe-esque apocalypse have, I know, been done to death. This, though, was really well crafted and went off in a different direction than you might expect. To give an example of how it stands out from its crowded sub-genre, the ‘zombies’ in this book are described like this:
They stare at you and their eyes plead. They can't speak but they can wail. They can sob.... If you let them touch you they'll drag you away... and you'll come back mute save for your tears. There's a similar originality throughout this impressive novella, not just of plot but of tone. I've not read any Joseph D’Lacey before, but on this showing I’ll be reading some more.
![](data:image/jpeg;base64,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)
Genre-chameleon Iain Rowan turns his hand to a YA horror novella here, and in doing so produces yet another book that puts the rest of us to shame. A young boy arrives in a village on the Yorkshire coast, fleeing from a tragedy at his school… and encounters something darker in the misty streets and caves there. The location and characters are beautifully detailed in Rowan’s readable yet evocative prose, and despite being ostensibly a YA book there’s a real sense of mounting tension, another Rowan trademark. Superb.
![](data:image/jpeg;base64,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)
By coincidence, the title story of this collection of three novellas takes place on the same coastline as the Iain Rowan book above. It concerns a man ruined by the global recession, living in a caravan park on the Yorkshire coast with his teenage daughter, who starts to see strange things out the corner of his eye... There’s a distinctly Ramsey Campbell flavour here (no bad thing) and an ambitious attempt to juggle themes of economic and biological collapse. The other two novellas in this collection are equally impressive.
‘Dark fiction’ – it’s a term that’s casually chucked around nowadays, but this novella from Dark Fuse really deserves the term. Both literally – it concerns children living in a maze which is completely dark – and thematically. It’s an original concept too, with an original bad guy (part James Bond villain, part Samuel Beckett’s even stranger brother). There’s nothing supernatural here, and the story seemed to me to be about the crazy justifications people make for doing something evil. (Not sure about the phonetic English accent of one character though!)
![](data:image/jpeg;base64,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)
Three stories linked to Bestwick’s wonderful novel
The Faceless, which regular readers will know was one of my favourites of last year. If you haven’t read
The Faceless, start there. If you have, then this is a wonderful opportunity to revisit Bestwick’s grim, twisted world of haunted military hospitals, ‘spindly-men’, and real-world evil. Utterly compelling. I tried to pick a favourite of the three, and failed; damn you, Bestwick.
1 comment:
Great post James. I must admit the "novella" is a concept I've never really come to terms with; I really enjoyed your novella The Shelter, but there are clearly many others to be explored. Thanks for broadening my horizons!
Post a Comment