The Very Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan

by Caitlín R. Kiernan, Richard Kadrey (Introduction)

"Pure genius."—New York Times

“Lyrically compelling tales that are nearly impossible to stop reading...fans of weird writers like Carmen Maria Machado, Jeff VanderMeer, and China Mieville will be glad to find this volume and thereby discover a writer who inspired them all.”
—Booklist

Caitlín R. Kiernan is one of dark fantasy and horror’s most acclaimed and influential short fiction writers. Her powerful, unexpected stories shatter morality, gender, and sexuality: a reporter is goaded by her toxic girlfriend into visiting sadistic art exhibits; a countess in a decaying movie theater is sated by her servants; a collector offers his greatest achievement to ensnare a musician who grieves for her missing sister.

In this retrospective collection of her finest work—previously only available in limited editions—Kiernan cuts straight to the heart of the emotional truths we cannot ignore.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Weird Fiction, Collections

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2019

About the author

Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan is an Irish-born American published paleontologist and author of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including ten novels, series of comic books, and more than two hundred and fifty published short stories, novellas, and vignettes.

Reviews

[Sumit RK · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No story has a beginning, and no story has an end. Beginnings and endings may be conceived to serve a purpose, to serve a momentary and transient intent, but they are, in their truer nature, arbitrary and exist solely as a construct of the mind of men.”

Caitlín Kiernan is regarded as a master of dark fantasy and a collection of the ‘best’ of her stories sounded really interesting. The book is a collection of 20 short stories, each with different theme and setting. Though classified as horror, I would describe these stories more of dark fiction than horror. Let me warn you, these are not your usual horror stories. These stories are dark and often bizarre. It felt like being at a modern art collection; either you get the meaning what it’s trying to convey or you simply don’t.

The stories are dark and disturbing with a mixture of horror and fantasy. Every story is set in a strange and atmospheric world, every character is both fascinating and frightening and everything in this world is strange and unnatural.

Every story had some unique theme; Like Ann Darrow’s story after King Kong’s death, or the story about twins killing people, Art critics interviewing models of famous paintings. It’s like exploring a new world in each story. Kiernan’s style of writing is unique and her prose is dark, disturbing yet lyrical.

The stories, mostly told in the first person, are pretty heavy and most of them start and end abruptly (which was really frustrating, at times) and make you really wonder about what’s going on and draw your own conclusions for the endings. There were times when I had to re-read a story to get the real meaning. A little background or context for these stories may have really helped.

Almost every story asks for close attention, for serious and thoughtful engagement with the text. There are lovely turns of phrase, powerful images, and beautiful sentences but it’s all way too confusing to properly enjoy. In the end, it was a mixed bag for me. I really liked some stories, some stories were confusing and overall the collection was enjoyable but mentally exhausting to read.

Overall, if you approach this book as a collection of 20 horror stories, you may be confused or disappointed. This collection is not for everyone. These are stories of different styles and plots and will require some patience to enjoy. However, if you are looking to explore new genres and try something weird, dark and different, this collection might be a great place to start.

Many thanks to the publishers Tachyon Publications, the author Caitlin R. Kiernan and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror is certainly the right genre for many of these stories. Some really amazing ideas and writing within the 20 short stories compiled here. There is soo much lesbian representation in these stories; which isn't surprising if you know that Caitlin Kiernan is a transgender lesbian. My favourite part of most of the stories is that the f/f relationships are so well portrayed and have a beautiful depth to them.
A small note about each of the stories is below:
Story #1 - Andromeda Among the Stones
Well if this story is representative of the whole anthology then I’m guessing I’ll barely understand half of it... this was a very convoluted story. Thankfully that turned out to not be the case for all the stories
Story #2 - La Peau Verte
Translates to “Green Skin”. Ohh this one is both clever and horrifying. I’d love to read the whole story here as I think there’s a lot more to be said and done with the concept.
Story #3 - Houses Under the Sea
A very well revealed story told by a lesbian about her girlfriend who is obsessed with a deity at the bottom of the ocean.
Story #4 - Bradbury Weather
This felt like the longest short story ever. It went on and on describing and rambling from first person narrative. As I didn’t care about our leading lady, I also didn’t care about her ‘mission’.
Story #5 - A Child’s Guide to the Hollow Hills
Short, sweet and grotesque; but great.
Story #6 - The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)
This story triggered by hydrophobia (that's how you know the writing is amazing!):
“...all the young women he has murdered by suffocation, always by suffocation, for that is how the sea would kill...”
What an amazing serial killer book this would make!! A girl on the hunt for her sisters killer, that killer targeting certain ways... great story but could be so much more if a full length novel."
Story #7 - A Season of a Broken Dolls
Either I’m too tired or you need a PhD in English literature to understand this jumble of a mess. I did like the La Llorona quotes however.
Story #8 - The View of Nothing
A story given to us out of order and from a narrator that doesn’t know herself what is happening or where she is. Love the cyborg to female relations. A bit graphic on the sex side of things but there is a point so I’m good with it. I’d have to read this story 3-4 more times to really nail it down I think; but that's not a bad thing.
Story #9 - The Ape's Wife
Best King Kong story ever! Maybe because it has Kong but yet is not about him at all. This is a weird mind bending story (as all these seem to be) but I really liked it. I was able to follow it and it had a great ending. One of the best stories yet (and I'm not a big fan of the King Kong lore).
Story #10 - The Steam Dancer (1896)
I adored this story!! I believe there are so many disabled folks out there that would really appreciate this one.
It reminded me of a time my cousin with Cerebral Palsy (who cannot walk) told me he loved video games because in them he was a “whole person who could kick-ass”. ❤️
Story #11 - Galapagos
Another story feels like you might need a fancy degree to really understand it. I know there’s a huge realm of discussion that can come from a story such as this one; however, the question for me is whether anyone actually cares... I think the answer is primarily no.
Story #12 - Fish Bride (1970)
This is like forbidden love; although perhaps closer to the idea of impossible love. A sad little story set on the coast where land and sea meet.
Story #13 - The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean
Short and sweet. Not quite what I was expecting but still a lovely little bit of veiled writing.
Story #14 - Hydrarguros
I was really hoping this story was going somewhere and super curious what the silver stuff represented. Sadly it’s not all what I was hoping and instead is all metaphorical. 😕
Story #15 - The Maltese Unicorn
A fabulous story! Could easily be a full length novel as well; but had just enough content to be good as a short story, without having too much complexity. Lots of odd perversion and sex in this one. A line that really stuck out for me:
"And then she offered the unicorn one of her breasts, and I watched as it suckled."
Story #16 - Tidal Forces
An odd commentary on the size of the universe; or at least that’s what I think the point is. Best part, main characters are very much in love lesbians.
Story #17 - The Prayer of Ninety Cats
This is a story about a man watching a movie. We get his thoughts on the movie at the same time we get the main story of the film. It’s clever and I quite enjoyed it.
Story #18 - One Tree Hill
Not like the show. Lol.
I liked this one a lot. A man investigates an off “positive lightning” incident that hit a sole single tree isolated 25m all around from the rest of the trees on the hill. A very well written Goddess helps this story really sparkle.
Story #19 - Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No 8)
A gem of a story! Two ladies become the terror of the road; proving that these lesbians don’t need no men. They are scary enough on their own. I don’t want to say much about this for fear of spoiling it (as the surprises here are the best!). But I will say that it is not for the faint of heart. Lots of blood, gore, minder, sex and well more sex.
Story #20 - Fairy Tale Wood Street
A sweet little story. Given some of the horror, gore and sex in the other stories this one is tame and romantic. An interesting choice to end the collection on.

Overall
While a few stories were a bit blah or just not for more the large bulk of them were wonderful. I loved all the lesbian representation, the feminism (without being obnoxious) and the relationships (love, hate or otherwise) that are well portrayed. It's hard to do characters well in short stories (as they tend to focus on plot primarily) but Caitlin Kiernan hasn't left anything on the cutting room floor with page/word count here.
There are a few stories that would make amazing novels or movies if they were expanded; but that didn't detract from my love of them in the shorter form.
If you want horror, sex, lesbians and/or love, I believe, you'll find all of those here in abundance.

To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Emily Coffee and Commentary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bizarre, dreamy complication of Caitlín R. Kiernan’s dark fiction. Moody, seductive, and unique, these stories are genre bending peaks into dark minds and hearts, shadowy realms, and uncharted revelations. Exploring sexuality, gender identity, and the many shades of grey that morality inhabits, these tales walk the line between whimsical and horrific, quietly chipping away at the heart and burrowing in. From sadism to long held secrets, pining to controlling, this is a collection that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy, gothic reflections, and subtle horror alike. A fascinating, lyrical grouping.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars--amazing collection. I've been reading Caitlin Kiernan since her babygoth horror days in the '90s. Her early collection, Tales of Pain and Wonder, is one of my favorite books.

This collection contains 20 of Kiernan's short stories (and she's quite prolific as a short story writer--which is, in my opinion, her strongest form). About half of them I've read before in other places. Each story is fabulous, and it shows how far she's come as a writer. The threads of horror are still there, but she's fully embraced weird fiction and dark sci fi as well.

I especially enjoyed "The Prayer of Ninety Cats," which I hadn't read before, and "Fairy Tale of Wood Street." Both are (horror?) stories about movies, which is a genre I particularly enjoy. "The Ape's Wife" is like nothing you've ever read, and "Interstate Love Song" is disturbing and sad at the same time. Highly recommended for lovers of horror, sci fi, and dark fantasy.

The collection includes:
* Andromeda Among the Stones
* La Peau Verte
* Houses Under the Sea
* Bradbury Weather
* A Child’s Guide to the Hollow Hills
* The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)
* A Season of Broken Dolls
* In View of Nothing
* The Ape’s Wife
* The Steam Dancer (1896)
* Galápagos
* Fish Bride (1970)
* The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean
* Hydrarguros
* The Maltese Unicorn
* Tidal Forces
* The Prayer of Ninety Cats
* One Tree Hill (The World As Cataclysm)
* Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8)
* Fairy Tale of Wood Street

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

[Elli (Kindig Blog) · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘It’s just the way I tell stories, right. You know that. I start at the beginning. I don’t leave stuff out.’ If only, Caitlin R Kiernan, if only!

For me a good short story is still complete in some way, it’s a stripped-back story or a snapshot of one but it still needs to be coherent and immersive in its own right. Although it may not have all of the elements of a novel it still needs something to pull a reader in - whether that’s a compelling main character, an interesting situation, a definitive ending or an intriguing backstory. I felt that the vast majority of stories in this collection by Caitlin R Kiernan failed in this definition. They felt a lot less like short stories and more like jumbled excerpts of larger, more interesting books. I was crying out for some of them to have a short synopsis at the beginning to tell me what I’d missed and what was going on so I could enjoy what was presented in front of me without feeling so utterly lost.

There were some stories, such as Houses Under the Sea, Bradbury Weather and A Season of Broken Dolls that from beginning to end I had absolutely no clue what was going on. I found myself skimming them and hoping the next story might be a little clearer. I think perhaps if we had been given context for these stories they may have actually been really interesting – they seemed to sometimes give a flash of something intriguing but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

Even the ones I did like had their own problems. La Peau Verte for example, was a nice story with some great imagery and an interesting backstory, however it ended far too abruptly – as if the last chapter had been left out. In my humble opinion it would have tied much better together if her sister was sitting at the throne. Even the stories I would have rated 4/5 stars in the context of this anthology would only really have gotten 3 stars if I had read them standalone. The only story I actually enjoyed was the Ammonite Violin which had two interesting characters, told you enough about them to keep you engaged, had a sinister feel running all the way through it and a proper ending.

Overall if this is ‘The Very Best’ of Caitlin R Kiernan’s work then I’m afraid it’s not for me, there are some great ideas and imagery in here but it’s all way too confusing to properly enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley & Tachyon Publications for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a (very!) honest review.

For more of my reviews go to www.kindig.co.uk

[Baal Of · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently one of the things said about Kiernan's writing is that those who love it, and those who don't, describe it in the same terms. I have little to add to the already numerous reviews and descriptions: most of the stories don't really go anywhere, they are snapshots in time, out of sequence character studies, densely lyrical, the beautiful language is key, etc. So it comes down to personal preference. I have begun to realize that in addition to the phrase "examines the human condition" as one which translates to "is fucking boring, tedious, and dull", I may have to add "character study", with the admission that I am exaggerating to some extent with my translation. I didn't hate this book. I also didn't love it. There were a few standout stories for me, especially "The Prayer Of Ninety Cats" which contained sections that were presented like a movie script (apparently I really like the blending of film and prose) and created a weird, evocative atmosphere around Erzsebet Bathory.
I also quite liked "The Ammonite Violin" and I wonder how much that has to do with the fact that I'm playing an banshee bard in one of my D&D campaigns right now who is attempting to create her own instrument.
Another favorite was "La Peau Verte" which hit the sweet spot for me of just enough ambiguity to leave me wondering, but not so much left unexplained to leave me irritated. I still can't tell whether the sister dies, or was taken by the fairies. I should probably read it again some day.
I also liked "Interstate Love Song" which was probably the most brutal and gory of the tales, and had a nice whiplash turn at the end where I thought she was about to take it one direction, and then took it in an almost 180.
My dislike of a lot of the other stories was primarily because they would just end abruptly, nothing having happened. I understand that Kiernan is deliberately working against the expectation of genre stories being plot driven. I accept that there is room for different story telling styles, and I like the enrichment of the field. I guess I have to fall on the cliche that some of this stuff is just not for me.

Favorite quote: "The divine is always abominable"

[Alex Sarll]

I'd written Kiernan off after her Dreaming run, a comic which epitomised the way late nineties Vertigo had sagged from edgy, innovative storytelling into rote transgression for transgression's sake. But a friend's defence of her later work was impassioned and intriguing enough that I thought I might dip my toes in again, and the stories to which she directed me caught somehow in my memory, such that when I saw this on Netgalley, I thought 'why not?'

And then took nearly two years to finish it. Because these are stories for a very particular mood, and for me at least, not at all something I could profitably race through. Queer (in both senses) and grubby and apocalyptic (though not this dull apocalypse – there are new plagues here, but they're ones marked by trickles of mercury from the eyes or ears, not dry coughs). Bodies are modified and malleable, by choice or otherwise. Many of the settings are tatty, feverish futures; alternate pasts; presents with a chemical reek left by science, supernature or some lurid crossbreed of the two. Ultimately, though, it's all about that lowering mood, all gathering storms and febrile sex – a sort of overcast cousin to Tennessee Williams, but able to push well past gayness and into new and hitherto unimagined transgressions. They're not always even strictly genre pieces, so much as cult fiction, and if they are all from long after that Dreaming run which I bounced off so thoroughly, there's still a definite tang here of stuff I'd read in the nineties. Has Kiernan changed as a writer, or have I as a reader? Both, I suspect: some of the most awkward edges have rubbed off her interests (though there remains more of a fascination with serial killers than I can altogether share), but also at this distance, gods help me, I think I just miss nineties edginess. Albeit these days it definitely feels less dubious getting it from a female perspective. A story about a steampunk cyborg stripper who muses "Other women are only whole, she thinks. Other women are only born, not made. I have been crafted." ...that's always going to be an unsettling authorial gaze, deliberately so, but feels much more defensibly so here than it would from a guy.

I also appreciated how often the stories weren't structured as stories, more as vignettes – the moments of greatest emotional resonance strung like pearls, not set in the plod of connective tissue. This commendable willingness to kill everything that's not her darlings is probably why, even when a given tale is a reimagining or set in the margins of someone else's world, the same distinctive authorial sensibility is there. The Ape's Wife, for instance, is a tattered epilogue to King Kong; Tidal Forces recapitulates the Cthulhu Mythos' central horror in the context of a lesbian domestic drama – and even manages to find a happy ending which doesn't feel forced. And yet both of them feel emphatically Kiernan. I'm not sure how much further I'll venture into the nighted forests of her bibliography, but I'm very glad I was tempted back for at least this much of a visit.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not quite sure how to start with this review except to say this book was not for me. There were a few good stories but the rest had me wishing the book was over. They were strange or I just lacked interest. I’ll be giving this 2 stars because of the few good stories.

[Leif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff. Some over-written stuff.

I can see why people like this author but the style of writing she uses just isn't for me.

[Melise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me why I don’t like reading short stories; but I don’t mean that in a negative sense.

I have always tried to put my finger on why I don;t enjoy reading certain short stories, but love others. I have read and enjoyed all of Stephen King’s short story collections, love Shirley Jackson”s stories and one of my favorite books ever is I Robot, by Isaac Asimov. I have read countless other short story collections and enjoyed then immensely. But, hand me a copy of The New Yorker Short Story edition, and I will avert my eyes and start making finger motions to ward off the evil eye.

Kiernan’s collection of stories finally allowed me to put my finger on what I like and don’t like about the form. One of the things I enjoy most about short stories is that they tend to be quite direct and to the point. I can sometimes have difficulty with normal length novels that introduce a lot of plot lines, or extraneous detail, that can cause me to have a difficult time remaining focused on the main plot line. The short stories that I like don’t have any of that, and are often extremely well-written, as it seems like every word included in the story is supposed to be there.

But there is another type of short story that is slightly more abstract. I think of these type of stories as “slice of life” stories. They may have a beginning, middle and end, but after finishing the story, the reader is left to wonder why the author chose to tell about that particular event. These type of stories are often very evocative, both atmospherically, and in giving the reader a specific insight into the lives of the characters, but I often finish them and am left wondering “okay, but what happens next?” For me, its like when a new TV show that I am enjoying gets cancelled early—I am left with the feeling that I have been somehow cheated.

I think this feeling is probably most acute when the short story that i am reading is a good one—the author successfully draws me into the world of the story, and then finishes it before i am ready to leave that world. And that is where I get back to my review of this book. I felt that exact feeling after reading the majority of these stories—I would read them, be excited to be within the world of the story, and learning about the characters and events, and then suddenly the story would end. I almost felt cheated when each story was over.

So, if you enjoy short stories in general, please don’t be put off by my only so-so rating of this book. Give it a try...you might well find yourself thinking about these stories for days after you finish reading them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley

actual rating: 3.5

You tell him, By your own words, mister, we see thou art an evil man, and we, too, are surely out and about and up to no good, as you'll have guessed, and we are no better than thee, and so there is balance.

I enjoyed this book but it is a LONG book and therefore took me about two weeks to read, and that was with me trying to hurry because I'd already missed the publishing date! Looking back I can't think of any stories here that I actively disliked, but most of them are pretty heavy so I think it's definitely a book that you should maybe pick up every few days and read a story out of or else you might get burned out. There is a good mix of pretty much all genres here, but I would say most of them definitely have horror elements [more specifically Lovecraftian elements] and there are quite a few sci-fi stories as well. And lesbians. Loads and loads of lesbians! I definitely approve on that front.

As I said before, the stories are pretty heavy and also most of them have a kind of rambling stream-of-conscious feel and make you really think about them and draw your own conclusions for the endings. Not a light read by any means, but definitely rewarding if you are in the right mood. People who have read Kiernan's work before will not be surprised, but for any newcomers I just wanted to mention that there are a whole host of trigger warnings that could go with this book: body horror, drug use, semi-graphic torture/murder descriptions, incest, bestiality, and probably several others that I've forgotten. All of these elements are not present in every story, but if you have certain things you'd like to avoid I would definitely proceed with caution.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this anthology. Took me nearly a month to and I’m reminded again never to do anthologies. This was mildly entertaining. Firstly the writing style, if memory serves me right, was entirely first person view for ALL the short stories. After awhile, it got monotonous and draggy, and persisting to read it requires an avalanche of will. Alot of the stories had deeper meanings embedded in them and having to always wonder why the story ended that way was also a little off putting. Perhaps I only felt this way because I wanted to finish the book at one shot. And perhaps the book would have been better enjoyed as a “side chick” while you read others. I don’t know. For the reasons above though, I’m giving it a 2.5 rounded to 3.

Finally, Caitlin seems to have a fascination with the sea. There were quite a handful of stories centered around the sea and when they weren’t, there were casual mentions of the sea and its creatures.


Andromeda Among the Stones
A family of gatekeepers battle against their fears to save mankind. Would have been nice to read this as a longer standalone


La Peau Verte
My second story and I think I already know Caitlin’s style. Stories with cryptic endings that makes you wonder about the meaning. Did Hannah die (like her sister did)? Or did she merely entered another world?


Houses Under The Sea
The writing style of this story almost bored me to death.


Bradbury Weather
Great start, kept me engrossed all the way till the mid point when Dorry met the Journalist. After that it got a tad too technical. This story setting would probably do better as a standalone? Heavy mention of the Fenrir but really mediocre explanation why.


A Child’s Guide to The Hollow Hills
A short unfortunate tale of the untimely demise of a fairy. I do agree when they say Caitlin Kieran is more of a dark fantasy writer than horror.


The Ammonite Violin
A fat man who supposedly isn’t human collects ammonites and strangles. One day he decides to kill himself for no reason. End of story


A Season Of Broken Dolls
I don’t get the point of this story, honestly. The only interesting part was Jane Darger’s bio.


In View Of Nothing
Ok so whats this another long drawn out technical scifi with main characters that have the same build up as Galapagos/Bradbury Weather/In View of nothing?


The Ape’s Wife
This was just downright boring.


The Steam Dancer
This one was slightly more interesting than the rest. I wonder if Missouri's account of how she lost her limbs was not in actual fact the reality.

Galapagos
Your classic sci fi short story. Lady flies to Mars to retrieve her colleagues or ex and to find out what happened to them and ends up finding all of them gone with one remaining crew presumably turned to a host for some sort of alien creature.


Fish Bride
Was actually looking forward to reading this one, I think I've seen it being raved somewhere. I usually like quick reading so I like my stories short, but this one was incredibly short and unsatisfying. I was looking forward to some jump scares, or at least some nice sweet fairytale. But for all it was there was only the mildest horror ever. Mentions of two rows of tiny shark teeth, scales, and webbings between fingers. There was nothing sinister or chilling or terrifying in the meaning of the book either.


Mermaid Of The Concrete Ocean
Here the author dropped another one of her "So is it or is it not" stunts again. You are left wondering if that ninety + year old lady is actually the mermaid in the painting, and if she was the one that created that masterpiece found on the beach that was half bitten off.


Hydraguros
A few people started leaking silvery streams from their orifices which may or may not have a life of its own depending on whether the main character is a person prone to hallucinations because of all the drugs he is taking.


The Maltese Unicorn
All I can think of is how much I want that unicorn tusk and how anti climax the ending is


Tidal Forces
This was such a strange story... a hole opened up in a girl’s body which led to the universe and it grew bigger everyday. It finally closed when her partner plunged her arm inside the hole

The Prayer Of Ninety Cats
I’m actually still wondering if this was in reality a movie because if it is I want to watch it. If it’s not, then this is an interesting writing style for a short story. Applause.


One Tree Hill
A science journalist travels to a village to debunk a myth and meets a supernatural being there. Said being warns her to leave or suffer the consequences, as well as the rest of the village, naturally, but journalist insists on staying. In the end, journalist stayed, slept with said being and decided to leave the village. In conclusion, always ignore a life threatening warning because not only do you get good sex but also you survive to tell the tale.


Interstate Love Song
Easily one of my favs in this book. What the twins had was macabre, it was bizarre, and it ended pitifully, ironically.


Fairy Tale Of Wood Street
The book ended with a supposedly heartwarming fairy tale of a human in a relationship with an otherworldly being. The human doesn’t know at first, and the being tried to reveal it to her gradually

[Micah Castle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up until reading The Very Best of Caitlín R. Keirnan, I’ve only read Keirnan’s book, Black Helicopters, and her short stories “Fish Brides,” “On the Reef,” and “The Transition of Elizabeth Haskings” in the anthology Weirder Shadows over Innsmouth. I enjoyed them all, but as I read and finished The Very Best, I became entirely engrossed by Kiernan’s prose and her work.


Every story in The Very Best is as good as the last: “Andromeda Among the Stones,” “A Child’s Guide to the Hollow Hills,” “In View of Nothing,” “The Steam Dancer (1896),” “The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean,” etc. I could list every story in this book, because they’re all fantastic. It’s truly rare to find a collection of stories like this. It’s even rarer to find an author who can craft such uniquely weird and deeply emotional and humanistic tales such as these.

Kerinan’s prose is provocative, mysterious, soothing, decadent, flowery without being flowery. It’s seeing a master at her best. It’s inspiring, mystifying, indescribable. I could try to describe how much I enjoy her prose, but it would only come out wrong. It would be like a child trying to describe the vastness and mystery of the cosmos.

If it’s not clear already, I cannot recommend and praise this book enough. If you’re a fan of Keirnan, then there shouldn’t be any hesitation to purchase this book; if you’re not a fan, then there still shouldn’t be any hesitation to purchase this book.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most collections this runs from the mediocre to the sublime. The extremely introspective story of a film critic watching a horror film would make a good insomnia cure while the delightful The Maltese Unicorn with its obscene MacGuffin is a wonderful horror homage to Hammett with Natalie Beaumont replacing Ned Beaumont from The Glass Key. An extremely varied collection, even if I think some aren't that good, others may disagree. If you enjoy dark fantasies, you'll find some stories worth reading.

[David Thirteen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible selection of stories. Some resonated more strongly with me than others, but everyone was expertly crafted and held my interest. Kiernan has a way of writing that makes me believe she’s operating on a higher frequency than most. The ideas are acutely cerebral but the prose never becomes ponderous or difficult to follow. Some writers invoke jealousy, crafting stories I wish I was able to equal. Kiernan just holds me in awe, achieving heights I can’t imagine ever attempting. This collection is a must for lovers of literary horror and sure to become essential reading in any study of the genre.

[Skylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautiful prose throughout. A wonderful mixture of fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, urban fantasy, and horror. However at times, it very much feels like a literary version of edging and I finished several of the stories with a lingering feeling of frustration. I wanted to give it three stars for that but the stories are all so well-written, even the ones that left me unsatisfied, that I couldn’t do it. And I suppose, in keeping with my metaphor, it made the stories I felt were more complete tales that much better.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, where to even begin? I believe Kiernan is changing the way I read fiction, and I really appreciate the lesson. The absence of a plot-focus and the heavy emphasis on character and atmosphere is something that is hard to get into at first, but I think can be incredibly rewarding. Kiernan is a master, that’s to be sure, and their work is something I would like to read more than once because I know I’ve missed things as I actively try to puzzle out each story. Some things I’ve picked up that Kiernan prefers in their storytelling (I also just read The Red Tree): the ocean, fossils (Kiernan is a paleontologist, because of course they are), grumpy middle aged lesbians with a soft spot, hardcore sex, creative women, referencing other fiction, cult leaders that are women, and falling in love with otherworldly beings that may not love you back. Best stories, in my opinion, are “Houses Under the Sea”, “The Ammonite Violin” (my fav), “The Ape’s Wife”, “Galapagos,” “Fish Bride,” “The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean,” “Tidal Forces,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Interstate Love Song” (my second favorite and extremely, EXTREMELY disturbing in a good way). I only take a star off because there are two stories in this collection I really did not enjoy, but like I said, I will re read this book in the future, hopefully. Amazing work!

[isolde · Rating 2 out of 5]

The majority of these stories are two lesbians, sweaty sheets, one leaves tragically or can never return to previous life, and then she dies/leaves. Most of the stories follow a similar half-baked narrative that tries to be Lovecraftian but falls short. Some of the stories I really enjoyed (The Prayer of Ninety Cats, La Peau Verte), others were a slog to get through. Kiernan’s works would benefit so much more if they stopped being the same mold over and over again. Making your lesbian characters act like stereotypical males is not the flex you think it is.

[Mommacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Copy

If you're looking for the fantastic, the strange, something out of the ordinary, stop right here. Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of the very best and this is volume collects just some of the very of her short stories stories.

She will drop you into a scene, guide you around and then exit. Was that stage left? Who knows? And best of all, none of her stories seem alike. That's what sets her apart from the pack. Did I mention she's smart?

She's a gifted author as well.

If you've never read Caitlin Kiernan before this would be an excellent place to begin.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is the type of writing that is a complete pleasure to read as the author is obviously talented. She has the same knack that Stephen King does of creating believable worlds while maintaining tightly controlled tension in the storyline. I added her other books to TBR list for 2020, and I am looking forward to reading them.

[Irene Well Worth A Read]

My first DNF of the year

[chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finally went to bed, the nightmares found me, as they almost always do, and for a while, at least, I wasn’t alone.
— Bradbury Weather

Last year I stumbled upon Agents of Dreamland while scrolling through my book shop's website and really just downloaded it on a whim. I loved this novella, it was trippy and weird and I knew I had to read more by Caitlín R. Kiernan. When I saw that this collection of twenty previously published stories was available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it and crossed my fingers - and here we are!

Because I never know how to rate short story collections, I decided to immaculately track my reading experience this time around and here are the individual ratings:

• Andromeda Among the Stones - 2/5
• La Peau Verte - 3/5
• Houses Under the Sea - 5/5
• Bradbury Weather - 3/5
• A Child's Guide to Hollow Hills - 2/5
• The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) - 5/5
• A Season of Broken Dolls - 1.5/5
• In View of Nothing - 2.75/5
• The Ape's Wife - 1/5
• The Steam Dancer (1896) - 4.5/5
• Galápagos - 4.25/5
• Fish Bride (1970) - 3.5/5
• The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean - 3.25/5
• Hydraguros - 2/5
• The Maltese Unicorn - 3.25/5
• Tidal Forces - 4/5
• The Prayer of Ninety Cats - 1/5
• One Tree Hill (The World as Cataclysm) - 2.75/5
• Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8) - 3/5
• Fairy Tale of Wood Street - 2.25/5

It's really hard to summarize what these stories entail, but I would the overall genre consider to be Speculative Fiction. There are character and relationship studies, stories with mythical, fantastical, paranormal or supernatural elements and Caitlín R. Kiernan's writing is incredible throughout; she creates these dark, errie and dense atmospheres, that have a sensory texture to it. Even when I didn't really have a clue, what was going on, I was deeply immersed because of the writing.

It took me almost two months to get through The Very Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan (and another month to finally write this review) but it was definitely worth it! It's an interesting collection but I'm not sure I would recommend it to first time readers, simply because twenty such different stories could be a bit overwhelming. But if you are interested in Caitlín R. Kiernan's work, you may do a little research to find out, which stories you could start with, based on your reading taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. The quote is taken from an eARC and may be edited before publication.

[GracieKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caitlin R. Kiernan gets recommended to me a lot. Probably because her stories seem to be mostly Lovecraftian weird fiction and I typically love that style of fiction. I've read her books The Red Tree and Agents of Dreamland and somewhat enjoyed them...until the end. I have yet to read a book by this author that feels like it has an actual ending. They just kind of end. I have enjoyed her short fiction so I was excited to try The Very Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan.

First of all I want to say that I do love the way Caitlin Kiernan writes. She has a wonderful sense of wordplay and poetic writing. If you don't like meandering plots then you might not like it but I don't mind as long as they're interesting and hers are. The only problem is that very rarely are the subplots and main plots finished.

Such as the story La Peau Verte. It had a very interesting story and subplot about fairies and Hannah's sister. But it kind of ends oddly.

Houses Under the Sea was very good. I really liked the story. It built the suspense well and had a payoff that felt rewarding.

Another that I didn't care for was A Child's Guide to the Hollow Hills. It might just be my preference, however, as I don't usually get that interested in fairie stories.

One of my favorites was The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) because it had a Twa Sisters feel to it and the story was very good. I had read it before in an anthology book (damned if I can remember which one) but was very happy to find it again.

Another that was really good was Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8). The imagery was creepy and the writing was beautiful and lyrical.

Even though it's very easy to get lost in the writing the characters themselves are fairly hard to get lost in. They all seem kind of cold with condescending attitudes. Maybe that's just my interpretation, though.

In all it is a very good collection if you're a fan of the writing style. I will probably end up giving another book by Caitlin R. Kiernan's a try because I keep hoping that one will end with a satisfying conclusion and I do really love her writing. The stories themselves are very well-written and I would recommend her short fiction if you're new to the author. It feels less meandering and more to the point than her longer fiction. Let me know what you guys think!

Received from Netgalley for review

[Amy (Other Amy)]

It is not the task of the writer to “tell all,” or even to decide what to leave in, but to decide what to leave out. Whatever remains, that meager sum of this profane division, that’s the bastard chimera we call a “story.” I am not building, but cutting away. And all stories, whether advertised as truth or admitted falsehoods, are fictions, cleft from any objective facts by the aforementioned action of cutting away. A pound of flesh. A pile of sawdust. Discarded chips of Carrara marble. And what’s left over.

A damned man in an empty warehouse.

Reviewing as I go:

Andromeda Among the Stones ★★★☆☆. This has so much to recommend it: a family twisted by their guardianship of a prophecy, the shuttle back and forth in time, the amazing Meredith Dandridge and her feisty relationship with her parents and brother, Kiernan's raw ability to write; just, so much going right here. But at the end of the day, it's cosmic horror, and cosmic horror is boring. (Yes, I said what I said.)

La Peau Verte ★★★★☆. Look, this story is a mess. The broken narrative jumping back and forth in time really doesn't work as well here as it did for the last story. I don't really enjoy it when I can't decide on my definite opinion of an ending. I do enjoy multiple hints in references to other works of art and literature that may or may not be real, but I don't like it when I suspect I would have to track them all down to really get the story. But at the end of the day, it's a genuine fairy tale, and I loved it.

Houses Under the Sea ★★★★★. Did I say cosmic horror was boring? WHOOPS! This story has everything I adore about Kiernan. Gorgeous lyrism, call outs to songs I know, references to the invisible library, obsession masquerading as love, the terrors of the ocean, just all of it. And on top of that, the magnificent Jacova Angevine, priestess of the Open Door of Night.

[aden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andromeda Among the Stones - 3.5/5

La Peau Verte - 4.75/5
The dreams, or the day from which the dreams would arise and, half-forgotten, seek always to return. The dreams or the day itself, the one or the other, it makes very little difference. The mind exists only in a moment, always, a single flickering moment, remembered or actual, dreaming or awake or something liminal between the two, the precious, treacherous illusion of Present floundering in the crack between Past and Future.

I loved it, but I'm confused and need to reread it. Were the people she was dressed up for the same tiny beings she encountered in her childhood? What was that thing on the throne, was it the same bear-like creature she saw when her sister fell down the well?
The switching back and forth from present to past was excellent, interweaving the whole story, but never confusing. This past-to-present rotation turns out to be common in her tales, and she is a master of it.

Houses Under the Sea - 3.5/5
Orpheus’ mistake wasn’t that he turned and looked back towards Eurydice and Hell, but that he ever thought he could escape. Same with Lot’s wife. Averting our eyes does not change the fact that we are marked.

Bradbury Weather - 4.5/5
Mars, an all female society, anglerfish and alien symbiotic (-parasitic?) relationships, a Lovecraftian cult.... What more could you ask for in a sci-fi tale?
Excellent worldbuilding for a short story, and a likably unlikable main character; I loved what she did to priest in the climax, it was so fitting.

A Child's Guide to the Hollow Hills - 4.5/5

The Ape's Wife - 3.75/5

The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) - 4/5
“The way I see it, language is language is language,” he says. “Words or music, bird songs or all the fancy, flashing colors made by chemoluminescent squids, what’s the difference?"

A Season of Broken Dolls - 3/5
Darger writes (none of the “entries” are dated): “I would not tell a child that it isn’t going to hurt. I wouldn’t lie. It is going to hurt, and it is going to hurt forever or as long as human consciousness may endure. It is going to hurt until it doesn’t hurt anymore. That is what I would tell a child. That is what I tell myself, and what am I but my own child? So, I will not lie to any of you. Yes, there will be pain, and at times the pain will seem unbearable. But the pain will open doorways. The pain is a doorway, as is the scalpel and as are the sutures and each and every incision. Pain is to be thrown open wide that all may gaze at the wonders which lie beyond. Why is it assumed this flesh must not be cut? Why is it assumed this is my final corporeal form? What is it we cannot yet see for all our fear of pain and ugliness and disfiguration? I would not tell a child that it isn’t going to hurt. I would teach a child to live in pain.”

In View of Nothing - 4.5/5
Such incredibly imagery, but it left me wanting more, left me wanting answers. Many of these stories feel like puzzles or something with a whole backdrop only the author knows about, and I think this one I felt most unsatisfied and curious about. But not unsatisfied in a way that left me thinking the story was bad, because in a way, all the untold answers made the story as surreal as it was, but I still wish it was just a little bit more, wish the picture book and the infectious rot was explained more. But then again, I guess I don't. The strangeness made the story as captivating as it was.
The atmosphere was grossly beautiful, I loved the biotech world on the outside, and I loved the mundane, white and moldy world on the inside, where most the story takes place. The utilization of amnesia was well done - is this city really an alien landscape, or is it just alien to her? And what is going on in the world outside? Where is she, and what year is it?

The Steam Dancer (1896) - 4.25/5

Galapagos - 2.5/5
Annoying. Yeah, like all the rest of the stories, the prose is top-notch, but it's also longer than (most of?) the previous stories, and it promises something grander that it doesn't deliver on. There's a whole lot of Words cannot describe..., there's a whole lot of build up, a truth to eventually be untangled from a side-stepping, mentally ill POV, but the end result is disappointing. So, again, the writing was beautiful, but lacking CRK's prose, the story told here would be forgettable and frustrating. As it stands, it's forgettable and frustrating and beautifully written.

Fish Bride (1970) - 3.75/5

The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean - 3.5/5

The Maltese Unicorn - 4.25/5

Hydrarguros - 3/5
Weird. Needs a reread. Is it all metaphorical, or is it about aliens?

Tidal Forces - 3.5/5
I’m stacking days, building a house of cards made from nothing but days. Monday is the Ace of Hearts. Saturday is the Four of Spades. Wednesday is the Seven of Clubs. Thursday night is, I suspect, the Seven of Diamonds, and it might be heavy enough to bring the whole precarious thing tumbling down around my ears. I would spend an entire hour watching cards fall, because time would stretch, the same way it stretches out to fill in awkward pauses, the way time is stretched thin in that thundering moment of a car crash. Or at the edges of a wound.

The Prayer of Ninety Cats - 4.5/5
This story painted such a vivid picture in my mind, it was like I was sitting beside the narrator watching the movie he is describing.

One Tree Hill (The World As Cataclysm) - 3.5/5
I had a lover once. Only once, but it was a long relationship. It died a slow and protracted death, borne as much of my disappointment in myself as my partner’s disappointment in my disappointment in myself. I suppose you can only watch someone you love mourn for so long before your love becomes disgust.

Great imagery, but most of it felt cliche.

Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8) - 4.5/5

Fairy Tale of Wood Street - 4.25/5

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is detailed, strange, and atmospheric.  Nothing in these stories remain unquestioned.  Romance is questioned, as is knowledge and power.  Art suggests ambiguity, as do films and tomes.  Nothing exists within a vacuum, and everything is strange and unnatural.

These stories are perfect for those who enjoy the creepy, weird, and strange.  These stories are smart, written with great detail and observation.  Not to mention, of course, the style and voice!  Each character was so starkly different and viewed the universe in their own way.  Kiernan is truly a talented writer.

Review cross-listed here!

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I began reading this collection for a book club but I just couldn't get through it. I read the first 3 stories and I liked them fine, especially "Houses Under the Sea," but then I started "Bradbury Weather" and found myself skimming through it, not a good sign.

Ms. Kiernan is great at evoking mood and atmosphere but there just isn't enough going on to keep my attention.

I should also note that I'm more of a fan of straight-up horror, as opposed to dark fantasy. This book just wasn't my thing.

[Joe Karpierz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I've tried to do in recent years is expand my reading horizons. Yes, the bulk of my reading is science fiction, but even within that genre I've been branching out to works that in the past I would not have had an interest in reading. Many of these works are much more literary in nature, and while I don't necessarily seek them out, I don't shy away from them either (It could be argued that science fiction has been heading in a literary direction for years, and I don't
disagree).

And while I prefer science fiction, I've discovered that every now and again I like to stick my toes in the water of horror and dark fiction. A few years ago one of the stories in this collection, "Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8) appeared in one of Jonathan Strahan's Best of the Year anthologies, so when I was presented with the opportunity to read this collection of Kiernan's work I decided it was time to dive in (rather than just stick my toes in the water).

Kiernan's work is...stunning. It is dark and disturbing. It is horrifying and frightening. The characters are at once both repulsive and fascinating. And the stories are unconventional, in the sense that there isn't always a traditional story structure. Some of the stories are just scenes out of people's lives, a snapshot if you will. And they are all beautifully written and intensely compelling. And they *all* make you want to know just what it is that is going on inside Kiernan's head.

It took a while for the book to percolate within me before I wrote this review. I can tell you that I knew only that one story, so I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Once I finished, I wasn't sure what I'd just read, or whether I liked it or not. So it took a week or so to gestate. And after all that, I realized that I had been blown away.

"The Prayer of Ninety Cats" tells the tale of a movie critic watching an art house movie about the infamous Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. I was completely unaware, until I'd read the story, that Bathory was an actual historical figure. Apparently the movie told us things about her that aren't in any of the official accounts of Bathory's life. The previously mentioned "Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8)" follows a pair of twins as they travel the country, leaving butchered people in their wake. And yet, there is a sadness to it that makes the reader almost want to feel for the characters. "One Tree Hill (The World as Cataclysm)" follows a science journalist to a remote section of New Hampshire (as with "The Prayer of Ninety Cats", there is an element of realism with this story, as Kiernan provides latitude and longitude coordinates that actually exist in New Hampshire - I checked) who is investigating a weird occurrence of a lightning strike on a cloudless night up on a hill. What she finds is unsettling.

Those are three of the last four stories in the book, and they're all terrific. But outstanding stories are scattered throughout the rest of the book as well. "The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean", one of the non-horror stories in the book, follows an art critic as he interviews an elderly woman who was a model for a series of mermaid paintings. "A Season of Broken Dolls" is one of the most disturbing stories (to me, anyway) in the collection. A reporter, at the urging of her
girlfriend, goes to an "art" display of disturbing and grotesque pieces made of living humans. "The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) (which leads me to wonder if Murder Ballads 1 through 3 and 5 through 7 have been written as well) is a fascinating look at a demented serial killer who creates violins from the remains of his victims. The collection leads off with "Andromeda Among the Stones", a Lovecraftian tale of what can best be described as a dysfunctional family. And
"The Ape's Wife" just possibly gives you the answer to "whatever happened to Fay Wray?". "Galapagos" is a science fiction tale of a woman sent to investigate what happened to the ship Pilgrimage after it abandoned its mission and stopped responding to communications efforts. It is a combination of Alien and The Expanse that I found fascinating.

As I go through the collection I find that I want to summarize all the stories. "The Maltese Unicorn", "Fairy Tale of Wood Street", and "Hydrarguros" are fascinating tales - and quite frankly, I just love the titles. There are 20 stories here, and each one of them has something has something different to offer the reader. One thing that's true is that every last one of them is compelling and thought provoking.

However, I would state that it is clear from reading this book that Caitlin R. Kiernan's work is not for every one. It's very different in tone, style, and substance. Readers looking for traditional horror or dark fiction probably won't find what they're looking for here. However, if you're willing to stay with this stuff (and it isn't necessarily easy to do so), I'm pretty sure you'll come out the other side as a changed reader, a reader who will never be the same.

[Logan Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review from highfeverbooks.com
A best of collection is a wonderful concept. Especially if you’re writer Caitlín R. Kiernan, who has published over two hundred and fifty short stories. This is her third ‘Best of’ collection, which speaks to the absolute wealth of her bibliography. For The Very Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan, Tachyon and the author decided to draw stories from her limited-edition publications. This is great, because it gives us an opportunity to experience works that we may have missed in the past. The stories within this collection are powerful and diverse, each one polished to perfection. You can see the hours of work poured into every page. I expected an incredible collection (Caitlín R. Kiernan never disappoints), and she truly delivered.

The TOC is 20 stories deep. Each of them is its own little monster, with a patchwork of different genres and influences. You can see Caitlín’s own brew of Lovecraftian horror in stories like Andromeda Among the Stones or Houses Under the Sea. There are tales of dark fantasy, fantasy noir and more traditional weird fiction. Not all of them would be considered horror, but a thread of darkness is almost always present. Each story is well-written, packed with fibrous prose and rich description at every turn of the page. As you work your way through this stacked book, you can see what makes for an essential Caitlín R. Kiernan story. They are often about loss and the murky power of the sea. The narratives are usually fractured and then sewed back into something emotional and monstrous. The endings are quieter than most short fiction in the genre, but there is always something lurking beneath the silence.

While I loved nearly every story in the collection, a few stood out for me. The Ape’s Wife is a sorrowful version of a story we know very well. La Peau Verte is a piece about the truth of fairy tales that ends with a gut punch. The Prayer of Ninety Cats is a horror tale told with a vivid cinematic flair.

‘The Very Best of’ is not hyperbole. This is a collection released by a multiple award winner at the top of her game. Each story is a testament to the power of fiction and the versatility of genre fiction as a whole.

[Benny Madden · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first step into Kiernan's work and in the end, I'm left wondering if this is Kiernan's "very best", how far does it drop down? Not to say it was all bad, but I find these stories to be mediocre twists on Lovecraft's work for the most part, with a trans and lesbian spin that appears, at best, as meaningless inclusion or, at worst, autogynephilia.

This was marketed to me as "horror", but it is, more accurately dark fantasy. I think this expectation made me more disappointed since I was reading for Halloween.

Kiernan's prose is rather flowery, which comes off well written sometimes:

"The music is a typhoon gale flaying rocky shores to gravel and sand, and the violinist lets it spin and rage"

Other times, the prose comes out unintentionally(?) goofy:

"She reached into the box and lifted out the phallus, handling it as gingerly as somebody might handle a sweaty stick of dynamite."

My issues come down to their writing being far too vague and ending these stories rushed, as if Kiernan was bored and decided to move on. The stories invoke a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere that seem like an excuse for scatterbrained ideas with no plan. The worst coming from the scifi and noir mystery stories: Season of Broken Dolls, Maltese Unicorn, and Bradbury Weather.

I found the best story to be Prayer of Ninety Cats, which even then had its issues. The story is written like a screenplay and in between as a third person viewer of said film, which was very refreshing. However, towards the end the format shifted towards regular paragraphs as if Kiernan or the editor got lazy of the screenplay style.

Other good stories were Interstate Love Song, and Ammonite Violin. I actually liked The Ape's Wife as an interesting continuation of King Kong and look at Anne Darrow after the adventure, but Kiernan still finds ways to include sexual imagery that comes off pointlessly edgy. Having Anne masturbate with the blood of a chicken for a sentence is throwaway shock value.

Overall, this is a 2.5 for me rounded down to 2 stars on Goodreads. Not particularly good, not the worst, but there are some stinkers in this anthology.