Tag: short stories

My Thoughts on Werewolves and Shape Shifters

Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beasts Within, edited by John Skipp
Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beast Within, edited by John Skipp

Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beast Within is not a mere book, but a thick tome of wonderful, frightful shapeshifter stories. Editor John Skipp lovingly collected 30-plus pieces, introducing each with a remarkable photo-realistic illustration and brief insightful commentary. My hat’s off to his masterful effort. Continue reading “My Thoughts on Werewolves and Shape Shifters”

Finished Reading Vampires in the Lemon Grove

Cover of Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

Vampires in the Lemon Grove is a collection of eight short stories written by Karen Russell. Each story takes the reader to a different time and a different place. All are vivid and touched with magical realism, though Russell’s own writing borders on otherworldly – effortlessly drawing you into these fantastical, sometimes funny, stories.

  • “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” features vampires seeking to slake their thirst on something other than blood.
  • “Reeling for the Empire” is about captive girls made into silkworms.
  • “The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach” is where a boy discovers these birds are hoarding stolen bits of the future.
  • “Proving Up” is a ghostly tale set during the homesteading period of U.S. history.
  • “The Barn at the End of Our Term” is my favorite (perhaps due to my fondness for U.S. presidential history). A funny speculation about what happened to some of these presidents after they died.
  • “Dougbert Shackleton’s Rules for Antarctic Tailgating” is a no-nonsense primer for hard core fans of Team Krill who trek to the bottom of the world for the annual competition.
  • “The New Veterans” is about a massage therapist whose patient has an unusual tattoo that changes beneath her hands.
  • “The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis” is about a group of bullies who discover a scarecrow that has an unsettling likeness to that of their victim.