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| Dracula's Child by J.S. BarnesWhat it's about: Years after they vanquished Count Dracula in Transylvania, Jonathan and Mina Harker discover their old foe is plotting his return -- and he's got nefarious plans involving their teenage son, Quincy.
Why you might like it: This fast-paced "sequel" to Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic classic unfolds via diary entries, newspaper clippings, and letters, offering a clever epistolary homage to the original. |
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| Ring Shout by P. Djèlí ClarkThe premise: In 1920s Macon, Georgia, sorcerer D.W. Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation has unleashed an army of racist demonic monsters known as Ku Kluxes.
Starring: a trio of battle-hardened Black women ready to protect their town from the cosmic horrors lying in wait: sword-wielding Maryse; sharpshooter Sadie; and World War I veteran Chef.
Who it's for: This gruesome and darkly humorous alternate history will appeal to fans of Black-authored stories that interrogate the racist tropes of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction, like Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom. |
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| Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth; illustrated by Sara LautmanThen: In early 20th-century Massachusetts, a series of mysterious deaths at a girls' boarding school are linked to the provocative (and real) 1902 queer memoir The Story of Mary MacLane.
Now: On the set of a high-profile horror film about the incident, creepy phenomena begin plaguing the cast and crew.
Read it for: a sardonic metafictional storyline that blurs the lines between past and present; evocative black-and-white illustrations that capture the novel's eerie gothic tone. |
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| The Loop by Jeremy Robert JohnsonWhat it is: a fast-paced techno-thriller set in the small Oregon town of Turner Falls, where a biotech company loses control of an experiment with devastating potential fallout for the town and the entire human race.
For fans of: apocalyptic stories that combine elements of horror with social satire, such as Wanderers by Chuck Wendig or Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.
Reviewers say: "unputdownable" (Publishers Weekly); "heart-pounding and deeply unsettling" (Booklist). |
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Books You Might Have Missed
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| Stake by Kevin J. AndersonVampire slayer...or serial killer? Bosnian War vet turned vampire hunter David Grundy captures the attention of strait-laced detective Todd Carrow, who believes the man is actually killing humans. Meanwhile, freelance journalist Alexis Tarada believes Grundy is the real deal.
Who it's for: Readers who prefer their vampire stories with less bite will enjoy this witty mystery/horror hybrid told from multiple perspectives.
Want a taste? "The only way to stop a bad guy with fangs, is a good guy with a stake." |
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| Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles by Ellen Datlow (editor)What it is: a collection of 18 short stories exploring the sinister side of the film and TV industry.
Featuring: original tales from genre heavyweights Josh Malerman, Kelley Armstrong, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix, and more; new stories from up-and-comers including Cassandra Khaw and A.C. Wise.
Don't miss: Gemma Files' epistolary "Cut Frame," which uses interview transcripts and emails to investigate the fate of a 1950s B-movie actress. |
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| The Unsuitable by Molly PohligStarring: Iseult Wince, a young Victorian woman who communicates with her dead mother; Iseult's cruel father Edward, who is determined to marry off his "old maid" daughter at any cost; and Jacob Vinke, a damaged young man and Iseult's most likely marriage prospect -- if Iseult can quiet her mother's increasingly worried voice.
For fans of: darkly humorous gothic fiction such as Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye or Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy.
Reviewers say: "Bloody and bizarre" (Kirkus). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Boca Raton Public Library 400 NW 2nd Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33432
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