bbqrplanting's review
3.0
Even though the subtitle was 'tales of fear and queer desire" I didn't realize that the book was mostly erotica. Some stories were better than others, as one might guess. Most of the stories were perhaps horror stories but not necessarily scary. However, "In Circles" by Aurelia T. Evans scared the shit out of me.
afalos's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tynathereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
parasolcrafter's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
i wish i could give negative reviews. let me give this negative 5 stars!!!!!!!!!
had i known it was going to focus on badly written porn i simply would not have read it. genuinely what the fuck was any of this!!!!! there were maybe 2 stories in here that were bearable. good fucking lord. i wanted queer horror and got none of it; unless, of course, you count the writing as horrific.
had i known it was going to focus on badly written porn i simply would not have read it. genuinely what the fuck was any of this!!!!! there were maybe 2 stories in here that were bearable. good fucking lord. i wanted queer horror and got none of it; unless, of course, you count the writing as horrific.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Blood, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Transphobia, Death of parent, Rape, Torture, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, and Sexual content
kirstinreviews's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This anthology reminds me a lot of the show Love, Death and Robots. If you've never seen it, the show is an anthology of short films, having to do with at least one element of the title (so it either has the themes of Love, Death, and/or Robots in it). Like that show, some are better than others.
In this anthology, all of the stories have to do with being queer and fear. The majority of the stories does include descriptive sex, so if that's not your style you might want to stay away from this book.
My favourite stories of this collection are Homeland, In Circles, Crabby, Shark, and Here Lies the Last Lesbian Rental in East Vancouver. I'm keeping these books because of those stories.
In this anthology, all of the stories have to do with being queer and fear. The majority of the stories does include descriptive sex, so if that's not your style you might want to stay away from this book.
My favourite stories of this collection are Homeland, In Circles, Crabby, Shark, and Here Lies the Last Lesbian Rental in East Vancouver. I'm keeping these books because of those stories.
nausicaa_requiem's review
Far too gross for me. Body horror and dark sexual fantasies are fine but the stories had nothing more than that. They weren't bad. I enjoyed them but I really don't care about finishing them.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review
5.0
Gorgeous, twisted, and erotic: it’s a strange but tantalizing combination that is the collection Fist of the Spider Woman. Edited by the ever-fabulous Vancouver-based writer, filmmaker, and performance artist Amber Dawn, this book of “tales of fear and queer desire” is probably the most unique anthology I’ve ever read. It’s queer not just in the LGBTQ sense, but also in that older, more fundamental meaning: strange, odd, unsettling. With over half of the contributors hailing from Canada (nine out of fifteen), the book also represents a diverse group of queer Canadian women writers, who impressed me to no end about how far their imaginations could venture, both in the direction of the terrifying and the erotic. Actually, probably the most remarkable thing about this collection is how all of its contributors show that travel toward that which is frightening and that which is sexy just might be in the same direction...
See the rest of my review on my website: http://caseythecanadianlesbrarian.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/gorgeous-twisted-and-erotic-a-review-of-fist-of-the-spider-woman-edited-by-amber-dawn/
See the rest of my review on my website: http://caseythecanadianlesbrarian.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/gorgeous-twisted-and-erotic-a-review-of-fist-of-the-spider-woman-edited-by-amber-dawn/