bookwyrm55's review
5.0
From the first few pages of “The Aneurytic" by Andrew Wilmot, I knew that I’d opened a book that was a step above. The prose is bold and out on that cutting edge you hear about, but seldom experience. A new savior, tearing down art to save the world. It wasn’t the plot that caught my attention, it was the intensity, and the quality of the prose. It might have been a fluke, and I’ll admit, I was ready for that to be the case. Very seldom do anthologies even manage to hold a theme in more than tentative fingers, let alone maintain a level of style and creativity that makes the entire book feel like a creation, rather than a collection of creations.
There is an elegance to this anthology that speaks to a vision, something more than a showcase for individual talents. There are standouts. There are a few that fall slightly short of the pinnacle set by the whole, but even in those you feel a striving, a sense that the author is reaching beyond the bonds of comfort for something – something that will hurt and touch and scar, so that even while forming slightly weaker links, that inner tension bridges story to story.
I’ll mention a few stories that (in particular) worked on all levels for me. Hailey Piper’s The Deep end of You, “ “I’m the Last Person I’d Want to be,” by Ira Rat, “In Thrall to Your Cathode Star,” by Matt Neil Hill (My favorite of the entire collection ), and “All the Rapes in the Museum,” by Joe Koch. These are stories I will remember, and think about, and remember lines and scenes from, for years to come.
What I am trying to say is that this is a very literary, very exotic book. None of these authors failed to push their limits, to try and create something beyond monsters and serial killers and the standard fare of horror. Their visions of what it might be like to be the model, the inspiration, the catalyst of stories, or art, or film, are remarkable. You will not find a lot of collections like this because reading this book requires almost as much commitment as went into the writing. You have to love words, and images. You have to love style and deeper thought. You have to be willing to be enticed and disgusted in the same sentence.
This is the best anthology that I read in 2022 without even a close second.
Highly Recommended.
There is an elegance to this anthology that speaks to a vision, something more than a showcase for individual talents. There are standouts. There are a few that fall slightly short of the pinnacle set by the whole, but even in those you feel a striving, a sense that the author is reaching beyond the bonds of comfort for something – something that will hurt and touch and scar, so that even while forming slightly weaker links, that inner tension bridges story to story.
I’ll mention a few stories that (in particular) worked on all levels for me. Hailey Piper’s The Deep end of You, “ “I’m the Last Person I’d Want to be,” by Ira Rat, “In Thrall to Your Cathode Star,” by Matt Neil Hill (My favorite of the entire collection ), and “All the Rapes in the Museum,” by Joe Koch. These are stories I will remember, and think about, and remember lines and scenes from, for years to come.
What I am trying to say is that this is a very literary, very exotic book. None of these authors failed to push their limits, to try and create something beyond monsters and serial killers and the standard fare of horror. Their visions of what it might be like to be the model, the inspiration, the catalyst of stories, or art, or film, are remarkable. You will not find a lot of collections like this because reading this book requires almost as much commitment as went into the writing. You have to love words, and images. You have to love style and deeper thought. You have to be willing to be enticed and disgusted in the same sentence.
This is the best anthology that I read in 2022 without even a close second.
Highly Recommended.
sharron_joy_reads's review
5.0
Short story anthology delving into the animalistic connection between art and artist, this brilliantly portrays creative madness and the darkness of the soul. This book is not for the faint hearted but if you like your horror on the more extreme side you will love this.
lshull's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
biblio_kel's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
I know it's too early to say this but I may have found my favourite read of the year.
It's been ages since an anthology of short stories, or any story, has made me feel this level of genuine unease.
I felt such a perverse fascination with the stories inside and couldn't stop myself from reading them all in one go.
It's been twenty-four hours since I finished it and I'm still constantly thinking about the imagery involved.
Each of the tales stands alone but they are all connected by a common theme - the artistic eye. The worlds it can see and the worlds it can shape.
The imagery within the stories is both beautiful and terrifying. Fascinating and unnerving. And above all, queer.
I personally enjoyed the amount of cosmic horror sprinkled throughout the collection.
I would definitely recommend this anthology to both dedicated and casual fans of the horror genre.
I would like to thank Weirdpunk Books and Sam Richards for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's been ages since an anthology of short stories, or any story, has made me feel this level of genuine unease.
I felt such a perverse fascination with the stories inside and couldn't stop myself from reading them all in one go.
It's been twenty-four hours since I finished it and I'm still constantly thinking about the imagery involved.
Each of the tales stands alone but they are all connected by a common theme - the artistic eye. The worlds it can see and the worlds it can shape.
The imagery within the stories is both beautiful and terrifying. Fascinating and unnerving. And above all, queer.
I personally enjoyed the amount of cosmic horror sprinkled throughout the collection.
I would definitely recommend this anthology to both dedicated and casual fans of the horror genre.
I would like to thank Weirdpunk Books and Sam Richards for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Body horror
More...