Reviews

Winter, 1999. While the rest of the world fretted about the impending chaos of the Y2K bug, I had far more pressing concerns. Namely: the impressively moody marketing for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. My strict parents had a history of quietly vetoing Christmas wish list items they found too dark, too violent, or… Read more: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: A Mystery Worth Repeating

Welcome to the first “Long View Review,” where I tackle a large body of work using the most reliable of information delivery formats: the listicle. Our first Long View Review focuses on Rogues, an anthology curated by George R. R. Martin (you know, the A Game of Thrones guy), and Gardner Dozois (the less known… Read more: All 21 Stories of the Massive ROGUES anthology, Ranked

I picked up The Invisible World knowing only that it was a debut novel playing with point of view, paranormal elements, and the friction between corporate ambition and human need—three things I am perpetually hungry for. (Truly, everyone should write more spooky books about living and dying inside systems; please and thank you.) My early… Read more: The Invisible World: Ghost Hunting Reveals Unseen Conflicts

A universe-hopping thriller that explores the depths of its subject without losing its breakneck pace. The Plot Bridget “Bridge” loses her mother, Jo, first to a psychotic break, then finally to the brain cancer that’s plagued her for years. As she tries to make sense of the things her mother left behind, she finds a… Read more: Bridge: Grieving Daughter Faces Parallel Worlds

I discovered Cherie Priest through her supernatural neo-noir short story “Heavy Metal” in the Rogues anthology. Dazzled by her spare, gripping prose, perfectly delivered by narrator Scott Brick, I decided to give some of her longer works a shot. Grave Reservations blends elements of supernatural intrigue with detective noir, a combination that caught my attention… Read more: Grave Reservations: Plucky Psychic Takes on Murder Cold Case

I believe I read an interview with Garth Nix in the early 2000s in which the reporter claimed that his new series, The Keys to the Kingdom, was destined to supplant the Harry Potter series. I can’t find any evidence of this interview anywhere, but the name and the claim quietly filed itself in the… Read more: Mister Monday: Kid Hero Saves Magical World