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Saamaanthaa
Something’s been eating Samantha’s friends, and she’s more than a little afraid that it might be her. The 28-year-old dilettante lives in Chicago with her hipster chums, staging artistic happenings in a state of prolonged scenester semi-adolescence, wanting to create a sensation with her artwork, and to earn the esteem of her peers. One night, she runs into Ansel Rupino, a tortured, enigmatic artist who infects her with lycanthropy during a one-night stand, devouring Sam’s world in one stray bite. As her infection consumes her, Sam’s creative and destructive expression intensifies exponentially—people’s lives become her ever-bloodier canvas, their lifestyles her tattered tapestry.
“Saamaanthaa” pursues Sam’s struggle to define herself as a woman, as an artist, and even as a human being within a distinctly Middle American urban landscape. Can she save her soul and keep from losing her mind as she confronts the leering face of her own ever-growing monstrosity?
“Saamaanthaa” pursues Sam’s struggle to define herself as a woman, as an artist, and even as a human being within a distinctly Middle American urban landscape. Can she save her soul and keep from losing her mind as she confronts the leering face of her own ever-growing monstrosity?
380 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2011
2 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
D.T. Neal
18 books35 followersBorn in Missouri, growing up in Ohio, living for decades in Chicago, and now residing in Pittsburgh, D. T. Neal has always written fiction, but only got really serious about it in the late 90s. He brings a strong Rust Belt perspective to his writing, a kind of "Northern Gothic" aesthetic reflective of his background.
Writing his first novel at 29, he then devoted time to his craft and worked on short stories, occupying a space between genre and literary fiction, with an emphasis on horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He has seen some of his short stories published in “Albedo 1,” Ireland's premier magazine of speculative fiction, and he won second place in their Aeon Award in 2008 for his short story, “Aegis.” He has lived in Chicago since 1993, and is a passionate fan of music, a student of pop culture, an avid photographer and bicycler, and enjoys cooking.
He has published numerous novels, SAAMAANTHAA, THE HAPPENING, and NORM—collectively known as The Wolfshadow Trilogy—CHOSEN, SUCKAGE, and the cosmic folk horror-comedy thriller, THE CURSED EARTH.
He has also published the superhero thriller novel, BRIGHTEYES and the short story collections, THE THING IN YELLOW and SINGULARITIES.
Additionally, he has published three eco horror novellas—“Relict,” “Summerville,” and “The Day of the Nightfish.”
AWARDS:
• 2008 Aeon Award, Second Place for “Aegis”
• 2009 Honorable Mention, “Best Horror of the Year,” edited by Ellen Datlow for “Aegis” and “Rotgut.”
• Runner-up, 2013 Best New Novel by a Chicagoan, Chicago Reader, for “Suckage”
• Shortlisted for the 2012 Aeon Award for “Day of the Nightfish.”
Writing his first novel at 29, he then devoted time to his craft and worked on short stories, occupying a space between genre and literary fiction, with an emphasis on horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He has seen some of his short stories published in “Albedo 1,” Ireland's premier magazine of speculative fiction, and he won second place in their Aeon Award in 2008 for his short story, “Aegis.” He has lived in Chicago since 1993, and is a passionate fan of music, a student of pop culture, an avid photographer and bicycler, and enjoys cooking.
He has published numerous novels, SAAMAANTHAA, THE HAPPENING, and NORM—collectively known as The Wolfshadow Trilogy—CHOSEN, SUCKAGE, and the cosmic folk horror-comedy thriller, THE CURSED EARTH.
He has also published the superhero thriller novel, BRIGHTEYES and the short story collections, THE THING IN YELLOW and SINGULARITIES.
Additionally, he has published three eco horror novellas—“Relict,” “Summerville,” and “The Day of the Nightfish.”
AWARDS:
• 2008 Aeon Award, Second Place for “Aegis”
• 2009 Honorable Mention, “Best Horror of the Year,” edited by Ellen Datlow for “Aegis” and “Rotgut.”
• Runner-up, 2013 Best New Novel by a Chicagoan, Chicago Reader, for “Suckage”
• Shortlisted for the 2012 Aeon Award for “Day of the Nightfish.”
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2024
This is a great werewolf novel. And when I say that, I mean it's a werewolf story in the purest form: It's bloody, it's monstrous, it's depraved - and it's fun. It's as much a monster memoir as it is a satire on the absurdity of humanity. The unique setting - 2007 Chicago - and the fact that the main character is a female performance artist who enjoys dalliances with both men and women make for a fun twist on the werewolf genre, which tends to get kind of samey (they all ride motorcycles, they all hang out in '70s adult theaters, they only terrorize English moors, etc.)
The writing style was clever, original, and laugh-out-loud funny in some places. I loved all the details that D.T. Neal provided about Chicago, art culture, literature, philosophy, The Who, and the music of the times. Speaking of the times, it was fun to revisit the mid-aughts fashion and technology (blogs, cyberfriends, "the Net," primitive phones with mobile web, "kewl," Izod zip-ups, lip and bellybutton rings, old-school emoticons, the whole bit). It's a fun snapshot of life before the smartphone and social media takeover that I had forgotten about and it gave me unexpected nostalgia - something I didn't expect from a werewolf tale. That said, a lot of the social and political observations made throughout the story aged well and are, in many ways, even more relevant today.
The characters were extraordinarily fleshed out, flawed, sexy, compelling, and fun. You might not agree with all of their choices, but you feel for them, anyway (including Ansel). Even the side characters had distinct personalities and weren't just vessels for the plot. It's all here. You've got poser hipsters, Suicide Girl hopefuls, trust fund artists, and video-game-addicted middle managers. All of the details, setting descriptions, and character development made for a novel that felt shockingly realistic and, oddly enough, plausible. This is probably pretty close to how things would go down if there were werewolves out there.
This novel explores werewolfism in the same way that Anne Rice delved into her vampires in "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Vampire Lestat" in that it focuses on the firsthand experience of becoming what society deems a monster and eventually embracing it. It's a truly unique read - the only thing remotely similar is Glen Duncan's "The Last Werewolf" trilogy, particularly the second installment, "Tallula Rising," which is told from a female werewolf's perspective.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys werewolves in all their monstrous glory. This book should be WAY more popular than it is currently. It has quickly become one of my favorite books. It deserves an edgy, artsy show with a cool soundtrack and all the awards. It's honestly wild that I just now heard about it. I can't wait to see what the characters get up to in the next two books!
The writing style was clever, original, and laugh-out-loud funny in some places. I loved all the details that D.T. Neal provided about Chicago, art culture, literature, philosophy, The Who, and the music of the times. Speaking of the times, it was fun to revisit the mid-aughts fashion and technology (blogs, cyberfriends, "the Net," primitive phones with mobile web, "kewl," Izod zip-ups, lip and bellybutton rings, old-school emoticons, the whole bit). It's a fun snapshot of life before the smartphone and social media takeover that I had forgotten about and it gave me unexpected nostalgia - something I didn't expect from a werewolf tale. That said, a lot of the social and political observations made throughout the story aged well and are, in many ways, even more relevant today.
The characters were extraordinarily fleshed out, flawed, sexy, compelling, and fun. You might not agree with all of their choices, but you feel for them, anyway (including Ansel). Even the side characters had distinct personalities and weren't just vessels for the plot. It's all here. You've got poser hipsters, Suicide Girl hopefuls, trust fund artists, and video-game-addicted middle managers. All of the details, setting descriptions, and character development made for a novel that felt shockingly realistic and, oddly enough, plausible. This is probably pretty close to how things would go down if there were werewolves out there.
This novel explores werewolfism in the same way that Anne Rice delved into her vampires in "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Vampire Lestat" in that it focuses on the firsthand experience of becoming what society deems a monster and eventually embracing it. It's a truly unique read - the only thing remotely similar is Glen Duncan's "The Last Werewolf" trilogy, particularly the second installment, "Tallula Rising," which is told from a female werewolf's perspective.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys werewolves in all their monstrous glory. This book should be WAY more popular than it is currently. It has quickly become one of my favorite books. It deserves an edgy, artsy show with a cool soundtrack and all the awards. It's honestly wild that I just now heard about it. I can't wait to see what the characters get up to in the next two books!
August 25, 2021
My first read from D.T. Neal, and it won't be my last. A unique werewolf story, different from others I've read, which is a good thing! A fresh take. Great characters, the emotions are felt deeply. Overall, would highly recommend!
May 1, 2013
I loved this book! Admittedly, I was not a fan of werewolf stories prior to reading this book, but D. T. Neal managed to convince me with this novel, to make me a fan of werewolves, or at least the ones in this novel -- there is just something very visceral and powerful in these dual-natured beings that feels uncomfortably close to how maybe most people are, that sense of a friendly face and a smile concealing monstrosity underneath. Not that most people are monsters; I think most people aren't. But in this story, there is a powerful link to the animal roots of humanity in the werewolf, the beast within, and what it means for each of us. But I liked watching Samantha struggle with her identity, the before-and-after of her existence, and the very human issues she wrestles with, whether it's dealing with the body hair she's sprouting, or indigestion from having just eaten a neighbor's dog (!) -- that human aspect to the book actually managed to suspend my disbelief. Samantha is a flawed, very human character, and she has limited vision and, I think, difficulty coming to terms with just what she's got flowing in her blood. There is a real sense that she's bitten off far more than she can chew. And the other characters offer their own angles and edges to the story, either as accomplices, rivals, or victims of Samantha.
I was immediately drawn into the world of "Saamaanthaa." The well-drawn characters, the plot, the locale—everything. D.T. Neal's style of writing is modern, direct, enveloping and rich in detail without being baroque and cumbersome. Additionally, I am an artist myself, so the examination of art and artists that is inherent in the book was obviously of interest to me. Darkly funny, sociologically astute and at times utterly horrifying, D.T. Neal's "Saamaanthaa" held my interest intensely and satisfied me with its unforgettable, surprisingly touching and horrifying ending, and left me hungering for more stories from this author.
I was immediately drawn into the world of "Saamaanthaa." The well-drawn characters, the plot, the locale—everything. D.T. Neal's style of writing is modern, direct, enveloping and rich in detail without being baroque and cumbersome. Additionally, I am an artist myself, so the examination of art and artists that is inherent in the book was obviously of interest to me. Darkly funny, sociologically astute and at times utterly horrifying, D.T. Neal's "Saamaanthaa" held my interest intensely and satisfied me with its unforgettable, surprisingly touching and horrifying ending, and left me hungering for more stories from this author.
October 16, 2011
I was a little nervous going into this book as I have not read this genre in quite awhile, but I really ended up enjoying it. It was smartly written and actually made me a little nervous at times. I truly learned things about werewolves that I never knew and in an entertaining way. I look forward to reading future books from this author.
August 10, 2012
This is barely a 3...I want to support local authors and so when I saw this at Quimbys, I gave it the random passage test where I turn to a few places at different points in the book and stop arbitrarily to read to figure out if I would like the book. The first place I turned to was a great discussion about how The Who were a legendary rock band and why they were the best live band. The second passage was about theremins. I figured I had to read this book...plus, it had gotten a few 5 stars on Goodreads.
BUT...I think I had the odd luck of turning to two of the best passages in the whole book to be honest. Well, I liked some of the feelings of a graphic novel without the drawings. I liked the setting of Chicago as its where I call home but so much of this felt a little adolescent and even sometimes gratuitous. It's a fun book and it's amusing but I would have been much happier if there was less about werewolves and more about The Who.
Now, listen if you're really into erotic lesbian werewolves, this book is your jam. Seriously, pick it up straight away. I think my problem is I liked one of the characters who was killed/eaten more than the eater/werewolf. I found the idea of these performance artists, poets, blah totally full of artifice and I couldn't stand the main character who was written like a chick who just didn't get what the boys were discussing half the time which I REALLY RESENT. Hey, D.T. Neal, if you ever read this, I'm a lady who can understand and contribute a heck of a lot in music conversations even if they involve boys **rolls eyes**. Too stereotypical or what men seem to think is reality. I did like her record choices for her killings, thought. Those were a nice touch-a little American Psycho with relatively less gratuitous gore.
In the end, I think I also got very annoyed with the immaturity of it..it's a snap shot in time, of a city and a subculture for sure, but the idea of getting famous via blogs and youtube..well, if you've just turned into a werewolf, I'm pretty sure you'd have other problems than keeping up to date and impressing people on your blog. I don't know that for certain, though.
Oh well.
Memorable Quotes:
pg. 1 "Pop culture is an infection"
pg. 11 "Watch myself vanish in a sarcophagus of mirrors. If everything was reflecting everything else, then there'd be no ME. Nothing inside. God, if only I had the money for the projects in my head. Or access to a junkyard."
pg. 137 "You don't like werewolves?"
"They're so lame," she said. "1981 called, they want their monster back."
pg. 244-245 "There are fates worse than death, Samantha. Kitsch is one of them. The Spanish Anarchists had a saying during their civil war against the fascists-'Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.'-I respect that sentiment. Fascism is political kitsch; I think the Spanish Republicans understood that, even into their graves. The Falange had a saying too: 'Long Live Death!" Fitting, really"
BUT...I think I had the odd luck of turning to two of the best passages in the whole book to be honest. Well, I liked some of the feelings of a graphic novel without the drawings. I liked the setting of Chicago as its where I call home but so much of this felt a little adolescent and even sometimes gratuitous. It's a fun book and it's amusing but I would have been much happier if there was less about werewolves and more about The Who.
Now, listen if you're really into erotic lesbian werewolves, this book is your jam. Seriously, pick it up straight away. I think my problem is I liked one of the characters who was killed/eaten more than the eater/werewolf. I found the idea of these performance artists, poets, blah totally full of artifice and I couldn't stand the main character who was written like a chick who just didn't get what the boys were discussing half the time which I REALLY RESENT. Hey, D.T. Neal, if you ever read this, I'm a lady who can understand and contribute a heck of a lot in music conversations even if they involve boys **rolls eyes**. Too stereotypical or what men seem to think is reality. I did like her record choices for her killings, thought. Those were a nice touch-a little American Psycho with relatively less gratuitous gore.
In the end, I think I also got very annoyed with the immaturity of it..it's a snap shot in time, of a city and a subculture for sure, but the idea of getting famous via blogs and youtube..well, if you've just turned into a werewolf, I'm pretty sure you'd have other problems than keeping up to date and impressing people on your blog. I don't know that for certain, though.
Oh well.
Memorable Quotes:
pg. 1 "Pop culture is an infection"
pg. 11 "Watch myself vanish in a sarcophagus of mirrors. If everything was reflecting everything else, then there'd be no ME. Nothing inside. God, if only I had the money for the projects in my head. Or access to a junkyard."
pg. 137 "You don't like werewolves?"
"They're so lame," she said. "1981 called, they want their monster back."
pg. 244-245 "There are fates worse than death, Samantha. Kitsch is one of them. The Spanish Anarchists had a saying during their civil war against the fascists-'Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.'-I respect that sentiment. Fascism is political kitsch; I think the Spanish Republicans understood that, even into their graves. The Falange had a saying too: 'Long Live Death!" Fitting, really"
May 14, 2013
This was a book that I was unsure of the genre, but I have yet to be let down by Neal's writing. I was never much of a werewolf fan. This novel changed my mind. A real page turner and great story. I have heard rumblings of a sequel. I cannot wait. Even if you are not a horror or werewolf fan, give it a shot, it may just change your mind.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews