The New Weird
★★★★★
Is the new weird a movement, or just an ill-defined label? This collection showcases stories from some of the most recognised new weird authors. The tone is strongly macabre, transgressive, leaning into the body horror, rather than the Mieville-esque baroque fantasy I had expected.
There were a couple of standouts for me, but most were too heavy on the shock tactics or fairy-tale influences for my taste. The essays at the end failed to say much, mostly ranting about the meaninglessness of labels and were instantly forgettable.
In the Hills, the Cities, Clive Barker (1984) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The standout story - Clive Barker goes straight on my wishlist. Two tourists stumble upon an ancient ceremony they should have never witnessed - a deadly fight between two cities’ golems constructed from the bodies of their residents. The surreal horror and the slow reveal is done so well that you believe the premise even though it’s bonkers.
Jack, China Miéville (2005) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An atmospheric reverie to the crepuscular mood of Miéville’s New Crobuzon.
The Lizard of Ooze, Jay Lake (2005) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A shadow man is called to defend his dark town of Ooze against a feral clown. Lake expertly lays out his dark continuum in very few pages - the line about young folks on the communal privy with their robes hitched around their waists holding hands and kissing, evoked a perfect cringe of disgust.
Watson’s Boy, Brian Evenson (2000) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A surrealist Sisyphean nightmare where a boy endlessly walks a labyrinthine maze of doors collecting his bodyweight in keys but unable to escape. The sparseness of his life draws intense focus to the details of the few objects in his life and the dysfunctional relationship with his parents. A narrative snowglobe, pretty to look at, but with no explanation or resolution to take it to five stars.
The Luck in the Head, M John Harrison (1984) ⭐⭐⭐ Crossing into Cambodia, Michael Moorcock (1979) ⭐ The Braining of Mother Lamprey, Simon D. Ings (1990) ⭐⭐⭐ A Soft Voice Whispers Nothing, Thomas Ligotti (1997) ⭐ The Neglected Garden, Kathe Koja (1991) ⭐⭐⭐ Immolation, Jeffrey Thomas (2000) ⭐⭐⭐ The Art of Dying, K J Bishop (1997) ⭐⭐⭐ At Reparata, Jeffrey Ford (1999) ⭐⭐ Letters from Tainaron, Lee a Krohn (2004) ⭐ The Ride of the Gabbleratchet, Steph Swainston (2007) ⭐⭐ The Gutter Sees the Light That Never Shines, Alistair Rennie (2008) ⭐⭐
About this book
The New Weird , first published in 2008.
Genres: New Weird
Nominated for: Locus Award for Best Anthology (2009) .
More information: Wikidata ↗ · ISFDB ↗ · Open Library ↗
