What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories
In The Bone Chime Song & Other Stories, Joanne Anderton explores the darkness and the beauty of humans caught on the fringes and pushed to the very edge of the abyss.
Enter worlds where terrible secrets are hidden in a wind chime's song, where crippled witches forge magic from scrap, and the beautiful dead dance for eternity. With deities built from circuits and wires, sacrificial drought-ridden towns, and artists who dabble in bone and decay, every story plots a course from the gothic to the fantastic and winds its way back again.
Whether charting bleak futures or delving into the darkest of horrors, Anderton’s extraordinary talent weaves magic into every tale, presenting stories guaranteed to draw you in—and never let you go. Winner of both The Australian Shadows Award and Aurealis Award for best collection, The Bone Chime Song & Other Stories returns to entice a new generation of readers.
Enter worlds where terrible secrets are hidden in a wind chime's song, where crippled witches forge magic from scrap, and the beautiful dead dance for eternity. With deities built from circuits and wires, sacrificial drought-ridden towns, and artists who dabble in bone and decay, every story plots a course from the gothic to the fantastic and winds its way back again.
Whether charting bleak futures or delving into the darkest of horrors, Anderton’s extraordinary talent weaves magic into every tale, presenting stories guaranteed to draw you in—and never let you go. Winner of both The Australian Shadows Award and Aurealis Award for best collection, The Bone Chime Song & Other Stories returns to entice a new generation of readers.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Jo Anderton
20 books64 followersJoanne Anderton lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and too many pets. By day she is a mild-mannered marketing coordinator for an Australian book distributor. By night, weekends and lunchtimes she writes dark fantasy, horror a little bit of science fiction and a whole lot of weird stuff in between.
Her short fiction has been published in a variety of places, including Aurealis, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and Midnight Echo. She was shortlisted for the 2009 Aurealis Award for best young adult short story.
Her debut novel, Debris (Book One the Veiled Worlds Series) will be published by Angry Robot Books in 2011, followed by Suited in 2012.
Her short fiction has been published in a variety of places, including Aurealis, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and Midnight Echo. She was shortlisted for the 2009 Aurealis Award for best young adult short story.
Her debut novel, Debris (Book One the Veiled Worlds Series) will be published by Angry Robot Books in 2011, followed by Suited in 2012.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 13, 2016
Joanne Anderton’s award-winning collection, The Bone Chime Song, is alive with gnarled, unusual stories, with weird, memorable worlds, every one rendered in spare, vivid prose.
The organic and the mechanical, the mundane and the magical, intersect and interweave throughout these darkly vibrant tales, told with an urgent visual clarity that evokes the baroque sci-fi of Manga as confidently as the stark simplicity of the Australian bush. Anderton paints the worlds of each story with deft strokes, leaving just enough to the imagination to bring both the mysteries and the horrors to vivid life.
From Casimir’s buried atrocities in The Bone Chime Song, to Mah Song, with its Akira-like tech-gods and the painful bodily modifications of its chosen ones, from the life-giving properties of art in Sanaa’s Army, to the covert self-mutilations of the narrator in Always A Price, the stories explore transcendence through the body and its transformation, and the inseparability of magic and sacrifice.
Reading this collection you can’t help but feel that, while the world may be filled with horror and darkness, and though events will likely not work out the way we want them too, there is a core of goodness at the heart of things.
The organic and the mechanical, the mundane and the magical, intersect and interweave throughout these darkly vibrant tales, told with an urgent visual clarity that evokes the baroque sci-fi of Manga as confidently as the stark simplicity of the Australian bush. Anderton paints the worlds of each story with deft strokes, leaving just enough to the imagination to bring both the mysteries and the horrors to vivid life.
From Casimir’s buried atrocities in The Bone Chime Song, to Mah Song, with its Akira-like tech-gods and the painful bodily modifications of its chosen ones, from the life-giving properties of art in Sanaa’s Army, to the covert self-mutilations of the narrator in Always A Price, the stories explore transcendence through the body and its transformation, and the inseparability of magic and sacrifice.
Reading this collection you can’t help but feel that, while the world may be filled with horror and darkness, and though events will likely not work out the way we want them too, there is a core of goodness at the heart of things.
September 9, 2013
Joanne Anderton is one of those criminally under-appreciated writers, who don't get enough attention and credit for their work. I adored the first two books in her The Veiled Worlds series and I'm still hoping Angry Robot will pick up the final volume, as I really want to know how it ends. I also really enjoyed her story in the anthology
Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear
. So I was excited to be offered a review copy of her first collection and to discover more of her writing.
Anderton has a strong and distinctive voice. Her stories are recognisably hers and frequently cover similar themes, though often from different angles. Or as Kaaron Warren puts it in her foreword to the collection:
And it is a beautiful dystopia. There are the usual elements of post-apocalyptic stories – zombies, death, fire and brimstone – but also less common ones, such as abandoned places and creepy, assimilating tech. There is also a clear influence from Anderton's homeland, Australia, in the book, with drought making an appearance again and again, with sweeping vistas, desert-settings, and isolated villages and farmsteads. But what each story has in common is emotions and connections; between siblings, friends, parents and children, strangers, humans and androids; whether it's a connection of love, hate, or loss, in some way, shape, or form they are at the heart of the stories. I enjoyed almost all of them, the following ones were my favourites.
Joanne Anderton – The Bone Chime Song
Having previously read this in the Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear anthology, I knew I liked this story, but this reread only confirmed its quiet strength. Dealing with a murder mystery, this story explores the cost of war to those who have to perform unspeakable acts in its fighting, the way it leaves them damaged and hurting. It’s also a story of quiet love, constant in the face of societal disapproval. I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice for this story, he’s interesting and seems a man given to deep emotion and devotion, both to his craft and to those he loves.
Mah Song
I loved this far future story, where drought has taken over and only the incremental sacrifice of chosen children can entreat the Mah Song to provide the life-giving rain. I loved this story with its weird, almost alien, technology and the deep bond between the protagonist and her brother. The lengths she'll go through – she's even willing to sacrifice her own future – to save him are both touching and frightening.
Sanaa’s Army
In this story, where Sanaa, our recluse protagonist creates life from death and refuse, the poignant is married to the creepy. The art and the creatures Sanaa creates to keep herself whole and alive is at once creepy, icky, and beautiful. The story manages to be uncomfortable and creepy without straying into the outright horrific.
Flowers in the Shadow of the Garden
The visuals of this story were stunning; the huge magical gardens, the desert setting, Asfar and Darii's Threaded nature and the magic contained in the crocuses. I liked that the story focused on the conflict between cultural and societal progress and traditional values and beliefs. It shows that to live is to change or to perish and Asfar's ability to go with that change and to follow a new path.
A Memory Trapped in Light
Another story about the bond between siblings. But this time we also see that sometimes those we love betray our trust in order to keep us safe. But Ruby, the younger sister of our set of protagonists also has some growing up to do and she learns to take responsibility for her own well-being. In addition, there were also some echoes of elements from The Veiled Worlds books, especially the Pionic power, which made me think that this might be set in the same universe, which would be rather awesome.
Fence Lines
I loved this weirdly apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic (it's not quite clear which of the two it is) and the sense of desperation that came from the family we meet at its beginning. There is a profound sense of death and loss, which is juxtaposed with the feeling of safety and renewal. Our main characters find a family in the unlikeliest of places and we are left with a sense of hope not just for them, but for all the lost souls that found refuge on this strange and ghost-ridden farmstead, even if we know they'll never leave it again.
I've come to realise that what I love most about Anderton's story-telling is its blending of science fiction. fantasy, and horror in a way that it's hard to pick these elements apart. She has an easily recognisable style and returning themes, without her stories feeling same-y. This collection shows an author that has developed her voice, but is still growing and getting better and better. If you're not yet acquainted with Anderton's writing, this is the perfect introduction to her work.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
Anderton has a strong and distinctive voice. Her stories are recognisably hers and frequently cover similar themes, though often from different angles. Or as Kaaron Warren puts it in her foreword to the collection:
“At the heart of every story is caring. I call Anderton-world a beautiful dystopia, because even in nightmare scenarios, like “Out Hunting for Teeth”, there is still that belief in the triumph of human nature” (p. 11)
And it is a beautiful dystopia. There are the usual elements of post-apocalyptic stories – zombies, death, fire and brimstone – but also less common ones, such as abandoned places and creepy, assimilating tech. There is also a clear influence from Anderton's homeland, Australia, in the book, with drought making an appearance again and again, with sweeping vistas, desert-settings, and isolated villages and farmsteads. But what each story has in common is emotions and connections; between siblings, friends, parents and children, strangers, humans and androids; whether it's a connection of love, hate, or loss, in some way, shape, or form they are at the heart of the stories. I enjoyed almost all of them, the following ones were my favourites.
Joanne Anderton – The Bone Chime Song
Having previously read this in the Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear anthology, I knew I liked this story, but this reread only confirmed its quiet strength. Dealing with a murder mystery, this story explores the cost of war to those who have to perform unspeakable acts in its fighting, the way it leaves them damaged and hurting. It’s also a story of quiet love, constant in the face of societal disapproval. I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice for this story, he’s interesting and seems a man given to deep emotion and devotion, both to his craft and to those he loves.
Mah Song
I loved this far future story, where drought has taken over and only the incremental sacrifice of chosen children can entreat the Mah Song to provide the life-giving rain. I loved this story with its weird, almost alien, technology and the deep bond between the protagonist and her brother. The lengths she'll go through – she's even willing to sacrifice her own future – to save him are both touching and frightening.
Sanaa’s Army
In this story, where Sanaa, our recluse protagonist creates life from death and refuse, the poignant is married to the creepy. The art and the creatures Sanaa creates to keep herself whole and alive is at once creepy, icky, and beautiful. The story manages to be uncomfortable and creepy without straying into the outright horrific.
Flowers in the Shadow of the Garden
The visuals of this story were stunning; the huge magical gardens, the desert setting, Asfar and Darii's Threaded nature and the magic contained in the crocuses. I liked that the story focused on the conflict between cultural and societal progress and traditional values and beliefs. It shows that to live is to change or to perish and Asfar's ability to go with that change and to follow a new path.
A Memory Trapped in Light
Another story about the bond between siblings. But this time we also see that sometimes those we love betray our trust in order to keep us safe. But Ruby, the younger sister of our set of protagonists also has some growing up to do and she learns to take responsibility for her own well-being. In addition, there were also some echoes of elements from The Veiled Worlds books, especially the Pionic power, which made me think that this might be set in the same universe, which would be rather awesome.
Fence Lines
I loved this weirdly apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic (it's not quite clear which of the two it is) and the sense of desperation that came from the family we meet at its beginning. There is a profound sense of death and loss, which is juxtaposed with the feeling of safety and renewal. Our main characters find a family in the unlikeliest of places and we are left with a sense of hope not just for them, but for all the lost souls that found refuge on this strange and ghost-ridden farmstead, even if we know they'll never leave it again.
I've come to realise that what I love most about Anderton's story-telling is its blending of science fiction. fantasy, and horror in a way that it's hard to pick these elements apart. She has an easily recognisable style and returning themes, without her stories feeling same-y. This collection shows an author that has developed her voice, but is still growing and getting better and better. If you're not yet acquainted with Anderton's writing, this is the perfect introduction to her work.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
April 14, 2013
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories by Joanne Anderton is, as the title suggests, a collection of short stories. For those of you who've read Debris and/or Suited, these stories were very different in tone, surprising me a little with just how macabre they were.
Overall, I was very impressed with Anderton's worldbuilding in all the stories. Each story read like a glimpse into a complete and carefully constructed world. Just because the stories are short, Anderton in no way skimped on the thought put into them. Even for the stories set in some approximation of the modern world, careful details made them stand out.
I've included some thoughts on each story below, but I'm afraid they're not as coherent as I'd like them to be. Each story blew me away and, quite frankly, I think we're lucky I managed to say anything coherent at all, immediately after reading.
Anderton's stories in this collection can be loosely grouped into three categories: macabre fantasy world stories, macabre more-or-less real world stories, and macabre post-technological science-flavoured stories. (There may be a common thread running through them.) All the stories involve dead things and/or death, and often constructions from dead things. My favourite of the bunch, "Sanaa's Army", falls into the latter category and has my favourite cat of the bunch in them.
I've said, repeatedly, that the stories are macabre and deal with death, but I didn't find it to be in a depressing way. Well, OK, some of them were a bit depressing. But generally, there were many stories about life coming out of death. Or art or solace something else constructive.
The more futuristic stories generally dealt with the struggle to live on in a world become more hostile. "Mah Song" deifies the vestiges of advanced technology in a world that's all but forgotten how it works. These stories brought to mind Arthur C Clarke's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Anderton takes it a step further at times, calling one of the AIs in "Out Hunting For Teeth" the Witch and her cyborg constructs Spells. (That was another of my favourite stories, in part for the ending.)
Ultimately,I was glad I didn't have a cat watching me while I read I really enjoyed this collection. Not all the stories were the kind of thing I would usually read, but it was mostly those which I ended up enjoying most. I'm not at all surprised that two of the stories have picked up award nominations and I wouldn't be surprised to see the collection itself shortlisted for next year's awards.
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is being launched at Conflux in Canberra on April 26, but in the meantime, you can already pre-order a copy from the publisher. I highly recommend this collection to spec fic fans who like their fantasy dark or who might want to venture out of their comfort zone and become a little more acquainted with dead things. But really, if any of the above or below piqued you're interest, I urge you to give it a go; it really is an excellent collection.
~
Some very brief reactions/descriptions of each story which I jotted down immediately after reading it:
The Bone Chime Song — (Ditmar shortlisted) Eerie, well imagined. A complete world glimpsed through a short story.
Mah Song — Cyborg technology, a future world where computers are alive and revered as gods and people depend on them for food and heeling. The main character desperate to take her brother's place as cyborg sacrifice. Technology mixed with mysticism.
Shadow of Drought — Nothing like the first two stories. A story of modern rural teenagers in a horror movie scenario who are aware of the fact.
Sanaa's Army — (Aurealis and Ditmar shortlisted) Another set in the real world. Another about bones, in a different way to "The Bone Chime Song", but not that different. Interesting that these two should be the Ditmar shortlisted stories.
From the Dry Heat to the Sea — A strange story of drought, of industrial poison, of water, of being an outsider.
Always a Price — Short, contemporary, magic and a cat.
Out Hunting for Teeth — Not what I expected from the title, although making things our of human remains comes up again. A science fiction story of the "sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic" variety, somewhat literally.
Death Masque — Eternity in an afterlife or a final death? This is the choice a grieving father makes for his son.
Flowers in the Shadow of the Garden — Floating gardens in a desert. This is another story that particularly impressed me with its worldbuilding.
A Memory Trapped In Light — Another post technological world with scraps if technology left behind. A girl protecting her younger sister from dystopian forces.
Trail of Dead — Zombies, the ones who fight them and the one who summoned them.
Fence Lines — Post-apocalyptic, but that wasn't the point. A sugarcane plantation as a safe outpost, guarded by ghosts.
Tied to the Waste — Post-apocalyptic, making things out of dead things. Cats.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Overall, I was very impressed with Anderton's worldbuilding in all the stories. Each story read like a glimpse into a complete and carefully constructed world. Just because the stories are short, Anderton in no way skimped on the thought put into them. Even for the stories set in some approximation of the modern world, careful details made them stand out.
I've included some thoughts on each story below, but I'm afraid they're not as coherent as I'd like them to be. Each story blew me away and, quite frankly, I think we're lucky I managed to say anything coherent at all, immediately after reading.
Anderton's stories in this collection can be loosely grouped into three categories: macabre fantasy world stories, macabre more-or-less real world stories, and macabre post-technological science-flavoured stories. (There may be a common thread running through them.) All the stories involve dead things and/or death, and often constructions from dead things. My favourite of the bunch, "Sanaa's Army", falls into the latter category and has my favourite cat of the bunch in them.
I've said, repeatedly, that the stories are macabre and deal with death, but I didn't find it to be in a depressing way. Well, OK, some of them were a bit depressing. But generally, there were many stories about life coming out of death. Or art or solace something else constructive.
The more futuristic stories generally dealt with the struggle to live on in a world become more hostile. "Mah Song" deifies the vestiges of advanced technology in a world that's all but forgotten how it works. These stories brought to mind Arthur C Clarke's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Anderton takes it a step further at times, calling one of the AIs in "Out Hunting For Teeth" the Witch and her cyborg constructs Spells. (That was another of my favourite stories, in part for the ending.)
Ultimately,
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is being launched at Conflux in Canberra on April 26, but in the meantime, you can already pre-order a copy from the publisher. I highly recommend this collection to spec fic fans who like their fantasy dark or who might want to venture out of their comfort zone and become a little more acquainted with dead things. But really, if any of the above or below piqued you're interest, I urge you to give it a go; it really is an excellent collection.
~
Some very brief reactions/descriptions of each story which I jotted down immediately after reading it:
The Bone Chime Song — (Ditmar shortlisted) Eerie, well imagined. A complete world glimpsed through a short story.
Mah Song — Cyborg technology, a future world where computers are alive and revered as gods and people depend on them for food and heeling. The main character desperate to take her brother's place as cyborg sacrifice. Technology mixed with mysticism.
Shadow of Drought — Nothing like the first two stories. A story of modern rural teenagers in a horror movie scenario who are aware of the fact.
Sanaa's Army — (Aurealis and Ditmar shortlisted) Another set in the real world. Another about bones, in a different way to "The Bone Chime Song", but not that different. Interesting that these two should be the Ditmar shortlisted stories.
From the Dry Heat to the Sea — A strange story of drought, of industrial poison, of water, of being an outsider.
Always a Price — Short, contemporary, magic and a cat.
Out Hunting for Teeth — Not what I expected from the title, although making things our of human remains comes up again. A science fiction story of the "sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic" variety, somewhat literally.
Death Masque — Eternity in an afterlife or a final death? This is the choice a grieving father makes for his son.
Flowers in the Shadow of the Garden — Floating gardens in a desert. This is another story that particularly impressed me with its worldbuilding.
A Memory Trapped In Light — Another post technological world with scraps if technology left behind. A girl protecting her younger sister from dystopian forces.
Trail of Dead — Zombies, the ones who fight them and the one who summoned them.
Fence Lines — Post-apocalyptic, but that wasn't the point. A sugarcane plantation as a safe outpost, guarded by ghosts.
Tied to the Waste — Post-apocalyptic, making things out of dead things. Cats.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
July 22, 2013
http://www.vilutheril.com/?p=1531
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is the debut short story collection by talented upcoming author, Joanne Anderton. It contains thirteen stories in all, eleven of which have been previously published and two of which are brand new. All considered, it is an extremely impressive collection, and it did not contain a single story that I didn’t enjoy.
While I have enjoyed Anderton’s novels, in my personal opinion, her short stories have their own unique magic. They offer tantalizing glimpses into strange yet familiar worlds occupied by deeply and undeniably human characters. Without the need for elaborate explanation, Anderton draws you in and makes you believe in places where statues move, machines rule, or a wind chime made of bones tells its own tale. At times you can almost hear the crunch of desiccated grass underfoot or the rustle of skeleton animals stirring.
Most of the stories in The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories lean towards the darker side. Nevertheless, Anderton does not always paint a bleak picture, and as often as not the stories retain a strong sense of hope.
While each and every story in the collection is unique, all are consistently imaginative and compelling. I can’t help but agree with Kaaron Warren who, in her introduction to the collection, describes these stories as ‘transformative’
Many of Anderton’s stories defy categorisation into a single discreet genre mould. She expertly weaves genres together to produce what could be described as dark science fiction laced with horror, or psychological horror with a dash of fantasy, or any number of other things.
While I almost never reread books or stories (I have a very good memory for text which often makes it pointless past a few pages) I found myself rereading the stories I had encountered elsewhere purely for the beauty of the language. Doing so merely uncovered new layers and increased my admiration for the author’s skill. I could go on to describe the stories themselves, but in doing so I risk breaking the spell and ruining the experience for new readers. Furthermore, I cannot really pick a favourite story. By the time I finish writing this review it will probably have changed again.
For transparency’s sake I will admit that I have met Jo a number of times and very much like her. I think it would be hard not to. However, that is not the reason why I love this book so very much, nor why I’ve chosen to review it now. The simple fact is that these stories are good. Much more than good, in fact. Anderton has a beautiful way with words and an almost preternatural ability to draw the reader into her strange, wonderful and often disturbing imaginings.
All in all, I urge anyone who loves dark, strange and beautifully written stories to read this collection. You won’t regret it. Furthermore, I imagine this collection and the previously unpublished stories within it will be hot contenders for the Ditmar and Aurealis awards next year. Personally, I can’t wait to read whatever Joanne writes next.
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is published by Fablecroft Press and can be purchased here.
Note: As an added recommendation, my partner, who doesn’t read much fantasy, picked up the book while I was in the shower and read Sanaa’s Army. Then he wouldn’t give it back or stop reading until he’d finished it. He really enjoyed it and now we both want a ‘Cat Box’ for a pet (read the story for that to make sense).
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is the debut short story collection by talented upcoming author, Joanne Anderton. It contains thirteen stories in all, eleven of which have been previously published and two of which are brand new. All considered, it is an extremely impressive collection, and it did not contain a single story that I didn’t enjoy.
While I have enjoyed Anderton’s novels, in my personal opinion, her short stories have their own unique magic. They offer tantalizing glimpses into strange yet familiar worlds occupied by deeply and undeniably human characters. Without the need for elaborate explanation, Anderton draws you in and makes you believe in places where statues move, machines rule, or a wind chime made of bones tells its own tale. At times you can almost hear the crunch of desiccated grass underfoot or the rustle of skeleton animals stirring.
Most of the stories in The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories lean towards the darker side. Nevertheless, Anderton does not always paint a bleak picture, and as often as not the stories retain a strong sense of hope.
While each and every story in the collection is unique, all are consistently imaginative and compelling. I can’t help but agree with Kaaron Warren who, in her introduction to the collection, describes these stories as ‘transformative’
Many of Anderton’s stories defy categorisation into a single discreet genre mould. She expertly weaves genres together to produce what could be described as dark science fiction laced with horror, or psychological horror with a dash of fantasy, or any number of other things.
While I almost never reread books or stories (I have a very good memory for text which often makes it pointless past a few pages) I found myself rereading the stories I had encountered elsewhere purely for the beauty of the language. Doing so merely uncovered new layers and increased my admiration for the author’s skill. I could go on to describe the stories themselves, but in doing so I risk breaking the spell and ruining the experience for new readers. Furthermore, I cannot really pick a favourite story. By the time I finish writing this review it will probably have changed again.
For transparency’s sake I will admit that I have met Jo a number of times and very much like her. I think it would be hard not to. However, that is not the reason why I love this book so very much, nor why I’ve chosen to review it now. The simple fact is that these stories are good. Much more than good, in fact. Anderton has a beautiful way with words and an almost preternatural ability to draw the reader into her strange, wonderful and often disturbing imaginings.
All in all, I urge anyone who loves dark, strange and beautifully written stories to read this collection. You won’t regret it. Furthermore, I imagine this collection and the previously unpublished stories within it will be hot contenders for the Ditmar and Aurealis awards next year. Personally, I can’t wait to read whatever Joanne writes next.
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories is published by Fablecroft Press and can be purchased here.
Note: As an added recommendation, my partner, who doesn’t read much fantasy, picked up the book while I was in the shower and read Sanaa’s Army. Then he wouldn’t give it back or stop reading until he’d finished it. He really enjoyed it and now we both want a ‘Cat Box’ for a pet (read the story for that to make sense).
April 2, 2014
Beautiful, dark stories of humanity on the fringes of normality or the verge of extinction. Jo Anderton's characters occupy the most tenuous corners of vivid, imaginative and often terrible worlds, struggling to hold on to their past as calamity approaches (or recedes into dim memory). These are stories about living in the wake of great calamity – fighting to survive, hunting for meaning in dying worlds, coming to the acceptance that things will never return to what they were. But Anderton’s stories are far from fatalistic. Despite the horrors that she visits upon her poor characters, they have cores of steel; beaten down and tormented by their arduous circumstances, they go on regardless. Weary but resolved.
The title story is one of the first pieces of Joanne Anderton’s that I read, and it’s still among my favourites. The story of Zvonimir the chime-maker, who is called upon by an estranged friend to turn the gruesome evidence from a massacre into a magical windchime, is a strange and sad one, a small personal tale in the midst of a much larger story barely hinted at. It’s an intricately textured story that stays with you.
“The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories” is made up almost entirely of stories that would be highlights in any collection: ‘Sanaa’s Army’ recounts a creepy , beautiful encounter between Sanaa, an artist who works in taxidermy-magic, and something that preys on the children who bring her new bones; ‘Mah Song’ is a sweet tale of sibling loyalty in the face of bleak survivalist exploitation; ‘From the Dry Heart to the Sea’ explores the social fragility of the outsider; “Out Hunting for Teeth” and “A Memory Trapped in Light” are about micro-societies developing after disaster, and the horrors that highly constrained communities can inflict on their members.
This is a collection of thirteen amazing stories; all fantastic, many horrific, all imaginative and disturbing. Of all the many short story collections I read in 2013, “The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories” stands out as one of the best.
The title story is one of the first pieces of Joanne Anderton’s that I read, and it’s still among my favourites. The story of Zvonimir the chime-maker, who is called upon by an estranged friend to turn the gruesome evidence from a massacre into a magical windchime, is a strange and sad one, a small personal tale in the midst of a much larger story barely hinted at. It’s an intricately textured story that stays with you.
“The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories” is made up almost entirely of stories that would be highlights in any collection: ‘Sanaa’s Army’ recounts a creepy , beautiful encounter between Sanaa, an artist who works in taxidermy-magic, and something that preys on the children who bring her new bones; ‘Mah Song’ is a sweet tale of sibling loyalty in the face of bleak survivalist exploitation; ‘From the Dry Heart to the Sea’ explores the social fragility of the outsider; “Out Hunting for Teeth” and “A Memory Trapped in Light” are about micro-societies developing after disaster, and the horrors that highly constrained communities can inflict on their members.
This is a collection of thirteen amazing stories; all fantastic, many horrific, all imaginative and disturbing. Of all the many short story collections I read in 2013, “The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories” stands out as one of the best.
April 21, 2013
The first Jo Anderton short story I ever read was "From the Dry Heart to the Sea," originally published in "After The Rain," and I remember thinking it was the stand-out story of that collection. Wonderful characterisation, intense grounding in vivid settings, and that sense of being carried away by story.
This wasn't a fluke. These aspects recur here in this, Jo's first collection. If her outlook is a little more cynical than mine, if she chooses vivisection where I might have chosen a less invasive disagnostic, well, that's what makes her so appealing to the horror reader, right?
To some of my existing favourites, the Ditmar-shortlisted "Bone Chime Song" (from "Light Touch Paper: Stand Clear") and "Sanaa's Army" ("Bloodstones"), I'm adding new favourites, original to this collection, "Mah Song" and "Fence Lines."
If you are interested in the end of the world, the meshing of man with machine or plain old taking bodies apart, this book is for you!
This wasn't a fluke. These aspects recur here in this, Jo's first collection. If her outlook is a little more cynical than mine, if she chooses vivisection where I might have chosen a less invasive disagnostic, well, that's what makes her so appealing to the horror reader, right?
To some of my existing favourites, the Ditmar-shortlisted "Bone Chime Song" (from "Light Touch Paper: Stand Clear") and "Sanaa's Army" ("Bloodstones"), I'm adding new favourites, original to this collection, "Mah Song" and "Fence Lines."
If you are interested in the end of the world, the meshing of man with machine or plain old taking bodies apart, this book is for you!
June 16, 2013
After reading Jo's excellent novels, I approached this more horror-oriented short-story collection with some trepidation. Reading this only by day was a good decision; not only did it prevent nightmares, but it also prolonged my reading experience. There's good writing all the way down in this collection; wonderful, creepy characters, unusual settings and intriguing tech. Top notch.
July 26, 2017
A fantastic collection from one of Australia's best writers. This is dark, surreal and wonderful from start to finish.
July 1, 2024
Jo Anderton has long been one of my favourite Australian speculative authors, and this new edition of her 2013 collection is an excellent showcase of her talents. Her writing, which extends across different speculative genres, consistently has the quality of a dream laid out in prose, lending her fantasies an hallucinatory flavour while imbuing her horror tales with truly nightmarish imagery. There wasn't a single dud in this collection, although there were a few major standouts for me, which included 'Shadow of Drought', in which freaky statues become harbingers of death; 'Always a Price', featuring a cat with terrifying supernatural powers; 'Out Hunting for Teeth', which presents an horrific vision of the far future in which humans have become raw material for the mechanicals fighting interstellar war, and; 'Trail of Dead', which puts a fantastical spin on the zombie apocalypse. If you love literary genre fiction, in my opinion you're doing yourself a major disservice in not familiarising yourself with the work of Jo Anderton.
Read
October 14, 2022This was a remarkable collection of short stories. Some of the most gripping, dark and lovely I've ever read. I love how chilling some of the stories were, enough to make me look over my shoulder late at night, but with enough hope to make me smile.
March 31, 2013
Review to come shortly.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews