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Angel Meat
These nine prime cuts of Angel Meat feed the soul in a collection precisely crafted for connoisseur and newcomer alike. Taste the "Grade A" stick-to-your-ribs psychological horror of "The Liar," the dark love magic cast by "Rat-Head," the bold blend of sci-fi and noir in "The Cause," and the naked truth revealed "In the Desert."
Laura Lee Bahr's distinctive flavors linger on the tongue long after the reading's done. Her transcendent servings of flesh, wings, and heart are yours to savor for years to come.
Laura Lee Bahr's distinctive flavors linger on the tongue long after the reading's done. Her transcendent servings of flesh, wings, and heart are yours to savor for years to come.
146 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 22, 2017
Author Laura Lee Bahr takes that big, luscious heart on the cover of her book and evenly divides it between nine short and delectable stories. Each story is a brave new experience. Some of them are disturbing while others are whimsical, but they all have emotional strength. A young girl is terrified by her older sister's capricious attraction to danger. Human beings are physically drawn to their android work associates, willing to risk extreme consequences for a touch of power. Mirrors reflect the true essences of those who look into them, sometimes too late. One story is pure noir, old-fashioned yet perfect in circumstance and dialogue. My two favorite stories are Happy Hour and In the Desert. The former is legitimately menacing, while the latter adds warmth and bright sparks to that beautiful, oversized cupcake. I really liked this collection. Because it is bittersweet, and because it is borne of a dynamic heart.
June 25, 2017
So listen, I know Laura Lee Bahr personally, and this collection of short stories is about as ‘Laura’ as you can get without removing her skin and wearing her like a suit. There are moments of creepiness, of sadness, of drama and tension, of existentialism - but mostly, there is a feeling of ebullience that radiates from every sentence, and every word. This is no more apparent than in the books centerpiece “In The Desert” a hauntingly sweet yet deceptively vicious meta-commentary that could serve as the thesis statement of all humanity. Am I biased? You bet I am! I’m a fan! This is really, really great stuff here, and I love it so.
June 26, 2017
Angel Meat’s strength is the range it shows within it’s lively and heartfelt stories. We get a short taste of heartfelt coming of age with “Tangerine,” horror of the psychological kind with “The Liar,” a futuristic sci-fi love story in “Blackout in Upper Moosejaw” and a fantastic meta piece with the closer “In the Desert.” I could go on...my favorite was “The Cause,” a powerful and memorable sci-fi noir hybrid. Not a bad one in the bunch here. A skillfully crafted and thought-provoking collection that I highly recommend.
December 9, 2024
"Angel Meat" is a collection of nine short stories by Laura Lee Bahr, exploring themes of psychological horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. The stories delve into the complexities of human nature, relationships, and the unsettling aspects of the world around us. Some of the notable stories include "The Liar," a chilling tale about a woman who discovers her husband's dark secret, and "Rat-Head," a disturbing story about a young woman who falls under the spell of a mysterious creature.
The nine short stories in the collection "Angel Meat" are:
* In the Desert: This story explores themes of isolation, survival, and the human psyche when faced with extreme circumstances.
* Blackout in Upper Moosejaw: A dark and humorous tale set in a small town during a power outage, where strange and unsettling events unfold.
* Lost Dog: A poignant story about a woman's search for her lost dog, which delves into themes of grief, loss, and the power of memory.
* Rat-Head: A disturbing and unsettling story about a young woman who becomes obsessed with a mysterious creature, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
* Tangerine: A chilling story about a woman who discovers a hidden side to her husband, leading to a terrifying confrontation with the unknown.
* The Cause: A science fiction tale that explores the complexities of human relationships and the impact of technology on our lives.
* The Liar: A psychological horror story about a woman who uncovers her husband's dark secret, leading to a terrifying descent into madness.
* The Book of Names: A supernatural story about a young woman who discovers a mysterious book that holds the power to control others.
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A dark and twisted fairy tale reimagining of the classic story, exploring themes of power, betrayal, and revenge.
The nine short stories in the collection "Angel Meat" are:
* In the Desert: This story explores themes of isolation, survival, and the human psyche when faced with extreme circumstances.
* Blackout in Upper Moosejaw: A dark and humorous tale set in a small town during a power outage, where strange and unsettling events unfold.
* Lost Dog: A poignant story about a woman's search for her lost dog, which delves into themes of grief, loss, and the power of memory.
* Rat-Head: A disturbing and unsettling story about a young woman who becomes obsessed with a mysterious creature, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
* Tangerine: A chilling story about a woman who discovers a hidden side to her husband, leading to a terrifying confrontation with the unknown.
* The Cause: A science fiction tale that explores the complexities of human relationships and the impact of technology on our lives.
* The Liar: A psychological horror story about a woman who uncovers her husband's dark secret, leading to a terrifying descent into madness.
* The Book of Names: A supernatural story about a young woman who discovers a mysterious book that holds the power to control others.
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A dark and twisted fairy tale reimagining of the classic story, exploring themes of power, betrayal, and revenge.
April 22, 2017
I'm not usually a fan of short story collections, but this book blew me away. The tales in Angel Meat reminded me of the best short stories of Shirley Jackson. Scary without monsters, real and surreal at the same time. Dark, twisted, and thought provoking. Beautiful nightmares that you don't want to end.
June 10, 2017
This book has a lot of heart, only it's Laura's heart, so in addition to bitterness, there is a special sort of beauty and a strong taste of sweetness.
Like all collections, this one had some stories that were, well, much better than others (I'm thinking specifically "Tangerine," Rat-Head," "Lost Dog," "Blackout in Upper Moosejaw," and "In the Desert" are absolutely amazing). But despite that, they are all enjoyable.
And thus, with Angel Meat, Laura Lee Bahr proves she can write essentially anything: novels, screenplays, and now, short stories. The question remains, which will she write next, and how long will she make us wait until we can savor it?
Like all collections, this one had some stories that were, well, much better than others (I'm thinking specifically "Tangerine," Rat-Head," "Lost Dog," "Blackout in Upper Moosejaw," and "In the Desert" are absolutely amazing). But despite that, they are all enjoyable.
And thus, with Angel Meat, Laura Lee Bahr proves she can write essentially anything: novels, screenplays, and now, short stories. The question remains, which will she write next, and how long will she make us wait until we can savor it?
September 9, 2023
Favourites- The Liar, Lost Dog, Happy Hour
January 5, 2025
when the book u read so niche and obscure u cant even find explanation posts for ur dumbass self bc the fandom is non existent 😭👍
September 21, 2022
3,25/5.
Conjunt de relats de Laura Lee Bahr que recull històries que, tret de dues, ja havien aparegut en diferents antologies en anglès. En castellà, tret d'una, totes inèdites. Les que més m'han agradat són "Pastel de terciopelo azul", curiosament l'única del llibre traduïda per l'Hugo Camacho i que ja havia llegit a Bienvenidos al bizarro, i l'altra, un dels dos únics relats escrits expressament per aquest recull: "En el desierto", amb elements metaliteraris molt ben travats. A la resta hi ha de tot: una mica de ciència-ficció, unes gotes de gòtic, unes de terror, i sempre l'inevitable sentit del WTF? propi de l'autora. La majoria plantegen idees molt interessants amb desenvolupaments prometedors que t'atrapen, però pel meu gust acaben de manera massa sobtada o críptica. En qualsevol cas, un llibre recomanable, com tot el que he llegit de l'autora.
Conjunt de relats de Laura Lee Bahr que recull històries que, tret de dues, ja havien aparegut en diferents antologies en anglès. En castellà, tret d'una, totes inèdites. Les que més m'han agradat són "Pastel de terciopelo azul", curiosament l'única del llibre traduïda per l'Hugo Camacho i que ja havia llegit a Bienvenidos al bizarro, i l'altra, un dels dos únics relats escrits expressament per aquest recull: "En el desierto", amb elements metaliteraris molt ben travats. A la resta hi ha de tot: una mica de ciència-ficció, unes gotes de gòtic, unes de terror, i sempre l'inevitable sentit del WTF? propi de l'autora. La majoria plantegen idees molt interessants amb desenvolupaments prometedors que t'atrapen, però pel meu gust acaben de manera massa sobtada o críptica. En qualsevol cas, un llibre recomanable, com tot el que he llegit de l'autora.
November 10, 2017
My wife and I met Laura Lee Bahr at Vermin on the Mount (a quarterly event you should check out if you like books and live in/near LA) a few weeks ago. Her story 'Rat Head' was my favourite thing anyone read that night and is also in this really great, collection of short stories which is often as disturbing, yet beautiful, as it's cover art. Also she was really nice and talked for us about cats for much too long. I can't wait to read more of her work.
February 11, 2025
my english is great but not THAT great😭 didnt know what was going on 70% of the time
June 4, 2023
3,75/5
August 4, 2020
I picked this up on a friend's recommendation, expecting more of a collection of horror stories. This isn't that, exactly, though there's certainly some horror here. Instead, it's a collection of stories that strain the bounds of genre, offering intriguing ideas and bizarre visions that are likely to haunt the reader even after finishing.
To be sure, I liked some of the stories more than others, but they all feature a richness of prose that holds the reader's attention even when, as is occasionally true, one isn't quite sure where the story is going. And sometimes where it's going isn't nearly as important as the journey itself, and these stories certainly provide for interesting journeys.
This is a short collection, so it's entirely possible to read in a single sitting, as you may be tempted to do. Though the stories are good enough to justify that choice, I recommend against it. I think these are perhaps best enjoyed one at a time, with a pause in between to reflect and digest. But whether you heed my advice or not, I think you'll be pleased with this collection.
To be sure, I liked some of the stories more than others, but they all feature a richness of prose that holds the reader's attention even when, as is occasionally true, one isn't quite sure where the story is going. And sometimes where it's going isn't nearly as important as the journey itself, and these stories certainly provide for interesting journeys.
This is a short collection, so it's entirely possible to read in a single sitting, as you may be tempted to do. Though the stories are good enough to justify that choice, I recommend against it. I think these are perhaps best enjoyed one at a time, with a pause in between to reflect and digest. But whether you heed my advice or not, I think you'll be pleased with this collection.
May 2, 2017
A beautiful collection of stories. Some haunting, some hilarious, some heartbreaking. Each is written with an incredible level of craftsmanship and a keen understanding of the human heart. The characters feel alive and nuanced; they are messy, they get mean, act spiteful, but they also care, and love, and do tender, thoughtful things for one another, just like people do everyday all over the world. I definitely recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys short stories, not just for those interested in spec-lit, though that it here too. We get little glimpses into alternate worlds, and supernatural horrors, and possible futures, but these elements are rarely the central point of the story, the experience always takes center stage here, and these are all human experiences told remarkably well.
October 15, 2022
Varios relatos, todos muy diferentes, todos muy intensos que te llegan muy hondo.
Impactante, intenso y brutal. Casi no me salen los adjetivos para describir este libro. Hace pocos días decía que no me gustan los relatos demasiado, que me encuentra entrar y se me alargan las antologías. Y en tres paginas la autora me ha volado la cabeza y todas mis creencias, a partir de eso ha excavando más y más sin parar. A veces me ha dejado sin aliento, otras consternado, mudo, horrorizado, feliz, triste, contento, conmovido, todo un baile de emociones casi como un viaje por el desierto.
Impactante, intenso y brutal. Casi no me salen los adjetivos para describir este libro. Hace pocos días decía que no me gustan los relatos demasiado, que me encuentra entrar y se me alargan las antologías. Y en tres paginas la autora me ha volado la cabeza y todas mis creencias, a partir de eso ha excavando más y más sin parar. A veces me ha dejado sin aliento, otras consternado, mudo, horrorizado, feliz, triste, contento, conmovido, todo un baile de emociones casi como un viaje por el desierto.
March 21, 2025
i was expecting some cannibalism so a little disappointed on that front, but that's entirely my fault anyways
March 1, 2019
Okay so check it out: I'm NOT a writer in any way and I get tangled up in self-doubt when I focus too hard on composing the thing I'm trying to say. I hope this review is good enough to convey my meaning.
I was loaned this book by a friend who is also an author in the Bizarro scene. I've been reading a lot of short story compilations by women recently, and it's doing me a lot of good. Angel Meat has for me so far in my perusal of short story comps struck the balance between familiar and Strange that has suited me best. I read it all in one sitting, swaddled in blankets and snacking. Imagine that as an act of self-care.
Laura's book of course contains strange fictions. I enjoyed them all though the one that was sort of Noir style was hard for me to focus on for whatever reason.
My point in this totally bloated review I guess is to say that I really enjoyed reading this book (duh) and felt something like Honored to be able to do so. It was like an awesome close friend intimating stories that of course contain a lot of herself, and I felt maybe she is a bit like me, too. I don't find that very often.
Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.
Thankyou, Laura.
I was loaned this book by a friend who is also an author in the Bizarro scene. I've been reading a lot of short story compilations by women recently, and it's doing me a lot of good. Angel Meat has for me so far in my perusal of short story comps struck the balance between familiar and Strange that has suited me best. I read it all in one sitting, swaddled in blankets and snacking. Imagine that as an act of self-care.
Laura's book of course contains strange fictions. I enjoyed them all though the one that was sort of Noir style was hard for me to focus on for whatever reason.
My point in this totally bloated review I guess is to say that I really enjoyed reading this book (duh) and felt something like Honored to be able to do so. It was like an awesome close friend intimating stories that of course contain a lot of herself, and I felt maybe she is a bit like me, too. I don't find that very often.
Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.
Thankyou, Laura.
September 5, 2024
-Manejo de múltiples sentimientos y sensaciones.-
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Carne de ángel (publicación original: Angel Meat, 2017) es una recopilación de relatos de la autora que nos presentan, entre otros asuntos, la búsqueda de un perro extraviado, una conversación privada con una mujer que fue poseída, la relación incómoda entre una niña y su hermana mayor, escenas de la convivencia diaria con androides en nuestro entorno y un viaje familiar por carretera.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Carne de ángel (publicación original: Angel Meat, 2017) es una recopilación de relatos de la autora que nos presentan, entre otros asuntos, la búsqueda de un perro extraviado, una conversación privada con una mujer que fue poseída, la relación incómoda entre una niña y su hermana mayor, escenas de la convivencia diaria con androides en nuestro entorno y un viaje familiar por carretera.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
September 18, 2025
”And then he slept in her arms, and she looked down at his sleeping face. Yes, she would that that inside her too. He had the head of a rat, but she had the kind of a snake. She dislocated her jaw and took his Rat-Head into her mouth. And then she slowly swallowed him whole.”
This was an odd/uncanny collection of stories! The cover really fooled me because I thought I was going to dive into some real gore/horror but that wasn’t really the situation. I wanna say I maybe enjoyed like 3/4 stories out of the 9 in the book. The rest were sometimes confusing and I was like “what the heck is going on?!”
This was an odd/uncanny collection of stories! The cover really fooled me because I thought I was going to dive into some real gore/horror but that wasn’t really the situation. I wanna say I maybe enjoyed like 3/4 stories out of the 9 in the book. The rest were sometimes confusing and I was like “what the heck is going on?!”
August 30, 2023
I adored Bahr's red velvet heart to the very last crumb. As a horror fan who sometimes wants something to break up my reading, short story collections have become my favorite reading buddy.
Bahr's stories range from spoooky, mildly unsettling, to full on disturbing. Her versatility wowed me, and I am looking forward to reading more from her. I have lots of friends who love to read but don't love intense horror, this book is the perfect intro I can suggest to venture into the literary world of creepy crawlies.
Bahr's stories range from spoooky, mildly unsettling, to full on disturbing. Her versatility wowed me, and I am looking forward to reading more from her. I have lots of friends who love to read but don't love intense horror, this book is the perfect intro I can suggest to venture into the literary world of creepy crawlies.
June 6, 2022
Met Bahr at Chicago's Lit Fest years ago. She was very lovely and signed my book with a sweet message. With most short story collections there were some stories I enjoyed more than others. Standouts in the collection include "The Liar", "Blackout in Upper Moosejaw", "Rat-Head", and "In the Desert." I could have read full length novels of each of these stories, but I suppose that's the mark of a good short story: always leaving the reader wanting more.
May 28, 2024
Me han gustado bastante todos los relatos de esta colección. Curiosamente el que más me ha gustado y el que seguramente recordaré más tiempo es el último de ellos.
Digo curiosamente porque dentro de una antologia como esta, bizarra, lo que más me ha llamado la atención es la crónica de un viaje familiar con todo lo costumbrista y "anodino" que puede ser eso. Pero es que tiene una fuerza brutal. Tiene corazón, alma y me ha hecho sentir complice de su viaje por la vida.
Digo curiosamente porque dentro de una antologia como esta, bizarra, lo que más me ha llamado la atención es la crónica de un viaje familiar con todo lo costumbrista y "anodino" que puede ser eso. Pero es que tiene una fuerza brutal. Tiene corazón, alma y me ha hecho sentir complice de su viaje por la vida.
November 14, 2022
I think the most appropriate word I could use to describe Miss Bahr's style of writing, is 'unique'. These stories, written by a different author, would have definitely lacked a certain description and take on things, that makes each one of these tails so very interesting. She definitely has a voice that makes her stand out from her peers. I loved this book!
July 7, 2025
Some of these stories were wild and some were pretty tame though no less effective. Each story was so different they almost feel like they were written by a different author! My favorite stores were The Liar and Happy Hour. Horrible religious themes do it for me every time.
June 25, 2017
More in depth review to come. Long story, short. This is a great collection of versatile stories from the fractured mind of Laura Lee Bahr.
June 21, 2018
4/5❤️. I liked the short stories in this collection. My favorite story was Blackout in upper moosejaw. Two mid level paper pushers fall for their droid co-workers. Blackout occurs....hilarious 🤣
January 2, 2025
Never has a collection of short stories entranced me like this book did. I want to reread these odd stories over again and analyze the little details I missed the first go around. Such a good read
February 1, 2025
Nowhere near as gorey and horror-oriented as the cover had initially led me to believe, these stories instead are very heartfelt! There's a great variety of settings; from cyberpunk noir to religious rural small towns, almost all of them felt interesting. I felt the last story was the weakest, whilst: 'Blackout in Upper Moosejaw' was my favourite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews