A Novel Approach (To Me)

Vampire Stories Of The New Undead

Edited By: Nancy Kilpatrick

Genre: Horror

The short story anthology “Evolve” was released by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing on March 1st and is a collection of works (23 stories and 1 poem) by Canadian authors.

I was anxious to read it. Anyone who knows me will be surprised by that comment because I normally avoid anything that is labelled “horror”.  I have an exceptionally vivid imagination and I prefer sleep that is uninterrupted by nightmares.  Hence, I approached this collection with both interest and trepidation.

I was pleasantly surprised.  The works are clever, and often surprising.  Nancy Kilpatrick writes an introduction that must be read to entirely understand and enjoy this anthology. She provides some background on the evolution of the Vampire myth up to this point and invites us to consider the many ways that Vampires continue to evolve in our collective imagination.  The anthology contains a wide range of writing styles and no two authors approached the material in quite the same way.

Let The Night In by Sandra Kasturi is a lovely poem that echos with isolation and loneliness. The culmination of submitting to the  Vampire seduction in order to find eternal connection also permanently relegates the narrator to the ultimate isolation–from the human race. The imagery of the moon is skillfully used and the poem has a confident and easy rhythm that I enjoyed.

Learning Curve by Kelly Armstrong could more easily be classified in the Fantasy genre than horror.  I truly enjoyed this story of a self assured modern vampire being pursued by a stalker who wants to be a Vampire Slayer.  The story is fresh, engaging and humorous.

Chrysalis by Ronald Hore is an interesting spin on what could happen when a girl with a Vampire father and a human mother hits puberty.  She doesn’t just evolve from a girl to a woman, she evolves as a new kind of human with exceptional abilities.  It’s a very creative “coming of age” story.

Mother of Miscreants by Jennifer Greylyn is one of my favorite stories. What would happen if you found out that your entire mythology, everything you ever believed about yourself or your ancestors was proven wrong. Even humans build family mythologies based on stories passed down through generations–which become distorted or exaggerated over time. In this story the “Mother” of all Vampires sets out to find her children and tell them the surprising truth of their existence. I enjoyed the build of suspense and the creative way the resolution was handled.

Resonance by Mary E. Choo is a story about a society of Vampires ruled by “The Board” or the ruling class. The main character is subjected to an arbitrary ruling and must find her way out even if it means being involved in a revolt. I was easily drawn to the main character and the descriptions were fresh and often poignant. However, the pace and the structure of the story were, at times, troublesome and distracting.

The New Forty by Rebecca Bradley is a sharp commentary on our society’s attraction to youth and beauty.  The main character’s story unfolds for us while she watches “young” and beautiful Vampires being interviewed by Oprah. These same Vampires shunned her for being an ugly hag when she was changed long ago at the age of 64. This is a sort “coming of age” tale in which she eventually accepts who she is and fully embraces the benefits of being an older and wiser Vampire. The historical details that highlight the differences between how she was perceived at 64 versus how modern women are perceived at the same age, adds interest to this story.

Red Blues by Michael Skeet is an interesting story about a Vampire who realizes that the side effects of his current state are an incredible advantage as a musician. His long memory and unlimited time to hone his craft make him a brilliant jazz musician. To challenge himself, he seduces his prey only with his music rather than forcing his will on them. In the end, Vampire traditionalists will probably find this story to be one of their favorites–the ending is what you would expect.

The Drinker by Victoria Fisher is a story that skews the idea of Vampire completely. The story plays to concept of the Vampire as a parasite–draining humans, in this case, of their success and happiness rather than of their blood.  As the main character deteriorates, he eventually finds a way to pass this curse to another in a most gruesome manner. He is horrified at what he’s done and performs an act of true selflessness that offers hope of redemption in the end. It presents a definite twist on the theme but it works.

Sleepless in Calgary by Kevin Cockle was the most disturbing of the stories in my opinion. It progressed like a descent into madness and illustrates how perceptions can become skewed when you isolate yourself and allow work to consume you to the point of exhaustion. The main character’s final act of violence in his attempt to become a Vampire was truly disturbing and had a distinct ‘Hitchcock’ feel to it. The fact that the author evoked such a strong reaction in me is a testament to the power of his writing.

Come To Me by Heather Clitheroe is another of my favorites from this collection. It’s the tale of a “prairie girl” who moves to Japan and, even after becoming disillusioned with her life, refuses to leave for fear she will be seen as a failure. As she struggles emotionally, a mythical kitsune (fox demon) begins to enter her thoughts without her realizing it.  She is drawn to the Aikogahara forest at the base of Mount Fuji–renown as a place people come to commit suicide. Once there, the fox demon reveals herself in Vampire form, demands and receives unconditional surrender. I was moved by the profoundly sad last lines, as the main character’s soul reaches towards home.

An Ember Amongst the Fallen by Colleen Anderson was another troubling, yet clever story. In this version of reality, humans are relegated to the status of cattle and are harvested as such. It is ever so slightly reminiscent of Planet of the Apes in the role reversal it applies to humans as animals. If you are squeamish, you will find this story very disturbing. It was sometimes difficult to read but played interestingly to how we view our food.

Mamma’s Boy by Sandra Wickam is the shortest of the stories in this anthology. It is about a woman who is horrified to find out that she’s been tricked into conceiving a Vampire child. She is told that her life with her husband has been a lie. In a delightfully ironic and very surprising ending, the Vampire learns that his son truly is a mamma’s boy.

The Morning After by Claude Bolduc (translated by Sheryl Curtis) is a warped and very morbid tale about the consequences of signing your organ donor card before unexpectedly being transformed into a Vampire. It’s got all the gore to make a Vampire traditionalist happy, but the quality of the writing is what makes it work.

All You Can Eat, All The Time by Claude Lalumière is another story that distorts the Vampire concept.  The Vampire of this story believes himself to be the only one. Not only does he drink blood like a traditional vampire, but he’s also a shape shifter who can consume you to become you. Although I thought the story was very creative, I found the “valley girl” dialogue too distracting to be able to fully engage with the characters.

Alia’s Angel by Rhea Rose is a hauntingly beautiful tale of a woman who suffers as a Vampire in a world where the condition is transmitted like a disease.  She is found and saved by a little girl who views her, ironically, as an angel. The “angel’s” struggle to do no harm, especially to Alia, makes this a very touching story.

When I’m Armouring My Belly by Gemma Files is a disturbing story about a man who is the product of a Vampire father and an abusive human mother. He runs away as soon as he can, in order to find other Vampires. His hope is that they will agree to help change him. Instead they take violence and abuse to the extreme, only to give him away when they tire of him. In the end he finds a way to have what he wants.  This story is dark and violent with an edge of extreme abuse. It’s not for the faint of heart.

A Murder of Vampires by Bev Vincent is written in the tradition of good crime fiction. It’s set in a world where Vampires have been “outed” and live as a minority, relegated to slums and mostly ignored by the police. There are some interesting parrallels to our current society.  The narrator is a good solid cop, honestly committed to solving crimes–even if the victim is a Vampire. He teams up with a witness, who also happens to be a Vampire, to find the killer. The story is very well written, full of suspense and has a very satisfying ending.

The Greatest Trick by Steve Vernon is the story of a world where Vampires are a normal part of society and can even run for political office. There is no doubt that the author intends for you to see the similarity between the amoral nature of Vampires and the immoral behaviors commonly associated with politicians. This story has almost a Hitler-esque feel to it as the Vampire politician rises to power through his ability to ‘influence’ people. By the time his campaign manager understands the danger, it is too late to stop him. The story is laced with some very dark, and highly enjoyable, humour.

Soulfinger by Rio Youers is an excellent story of a Journalist who, in trying to get an interview with a legendary Blues singer, gets far more than he expects. It could be argued that there is an element of “magic realism” to this story and I enjoyed it. There were elements of the theme, but it was one of the most removed from the concept of “Vampire” of all the stories in the anthology. It reads as a creepy tale about the consequences of making a deal with the devil.

Bend To Beautiful by Bradley Sommer is a story I really struggled with.The concept was interesting and the descriptions were evocative, but neither the main character or the Vampire seemed to have any redeeming qualities. As a result, I found it difficult to like either character and to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the story. In fairness, I rarely enjoy a story containing an anti-hero, so this is not a reflection on the quality of the author’s writing.

Evolving by Natash Beaulieu is another story I truly struggled with.  This is a story of a young man who aspires to be a Vampire and who later finds out that he may already be one after he inadvertantly drains all the blood from a girl he encounters. The concept is good, but I struggled with portrayal of the victim’s father. I could understand the father being suicidal, but not that he would be absent of the desire for revenge. As a reader, I found this made it difficult for me to stay with the story.

How Magnificent Is The Universal Donor Jerome Stueart is another of my favorite stories from this collection. It resonates as a result of the sheer number of epidemics (SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu) over the past few years. In this reality Vampires have found a way to be extremely useful in the medical profession helping to clean the blood of BBD (Bejing Blood Disease) victims to keep them alive. The problem is that the Vampire “doctors” are starting to succumb to the disease after doing so many transfusions.  They need a donor with perfectly clean blood to help them cope. In fact, they need all his blood. A donor is found but is not asked for consent. His partner finds him and tries to save him.  I love the use of suspense in this story and I truly enjoyed the ending. This was a great read.

The Sun Also Shines On The Wicked by Kevin Nunn is a story of two, seemingly Victorian, gentlemen who happen to be Vampires in a world modern enough to include skylights.  One has created a contraption reminiscent of something Captain Nemo might build were he in need of a such a device. The story is decidedly sad, but rich in detail and description.

Quid Pro Quo by Tanya Huff is another story with a “crime novel” feel to it. Vicki who happens to be a Vampire, lives with her partner Mike, who is a detective. He is kidnapped by a rich and powerful man in order to force Vicki to make him immortal. Her partner is collateral to ensure she does his bidding. In a surprise twist she outwits the villan, unleashes the inner creature, and saves the day. This is a very enjoyable and well written story.

Overall this is a collection that should not be ignored. Each story stands on it’s own as a solid piece of fiction, but together you begin to see the nature of the modern Vampire myth.

The anthology is interesting as much for the similarity of theme as it is for the diversity of interpretation of that same theme. It’s well worth your time.

For more information on this anthology and the authors, you can visit their official website.

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Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the world around us that we miss the beauty that is contained in the smallest of details. It can be calming to let go of all the craziness and really look closely at our environment.

You may be surprised by what you see…

I’m a fan of short fiction.  At any point in time, I am reading at least one novel (fiction), one book on writing (non-fiction), and one anthology of short fiction.  There is method to my madness.  This allows me to read based on my moods. Novels allow me to escape when I need to wind down and get away from the stress of work and life.  There are other times when I am in the mood to learn something and find that non-fiction is quite satisfying.  However, most often I’m incredibly time starved and that’s where short fiction comes in.  A short story gives the satisfaction of a story arc without the time investment of a novel.

The reality is that the two–short stories and novels–fill different reading needs. There is a time and place for both. In fact, there is more of a market for short stories than most people think.  They are being published–sometimes as anthologies of multiple authors work on a single theme, other times they may be a group of stories by a single established author.  You can also find short fiction published in many literary magazines.

Even so, most people when given the choice will purchase a novel rather than a collection of short stories. There is a wonderful quote in “Too Much Happiness” by Alice Munro that sums up a perception that exists about short fiction:

“A collection of short stories, not a novel.  This in itself is a disappointment.  It seems to diminish the book’s authority, making the author seem like somebody who is just hanging on to the gates of Literature, rather than safely settled inside.”

There is a myth or perception that short fiction somehow does not hold the same authority or weight as a novel.  I would argue that both are extremely valid forms of writing and that they both serve different purposes.

I stumbled onto an interesting blog that is dedicated to the subject of short fiction and thought I would share it with you.  You can have a look here.

Hiking in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada

This is the kind of view that keeps me visiting Provincial and National Parks.

These views have an amazing ability to provide me with perspective on how small I really am in the world. The effect is that I have a tendancy to use that perspective to re-focus myself on the things that are truly important to me.

The Toronto Library is up to something!  They are releasing 99 journals into local neighborhoods in the hopes that residents of Toronto will use them to write comments and thoughts about their favorite books. The journals will be left in public places to be picked up and passed on from person to person. The journals will then (hopefully) make their way back to the library by April 20th to become part of the Library’s permanent collection. It’s a stunt they hope will go viral in order to bring attention to the “Keep Toronto Reading” festival that takes place in April.  I think it’s brilliant and I’ll definitely be on the look out for one of the red covered journals!

If you don’t happen to find one of the journals, you can still participate. You can create a 30 to 60 second book review video and post it to You Tube with the tag Keep Toronto Reading for a chance to have your video added to the library’s You Tube Channel.  Check the video above for an example of a celebrity review–or look here for some great examples posted already by people just like you.  Now where did I leave my flip camera??

Island, Driftwood Provincial Park, Canada

Oddly, I think of the mythical island of Tír na nÓg when I look at this picture. It was fully shrouded in mist early in the mornings and invisible to us. The mist would lift and reveal the island almost as if we had Nimh (a mythical guide) allowing us to see that which was meant to be hidden from mortals.

Author: Lindon MacIntyre

Genre: Literary Fiction

I’ll be perfectly honest.  Of all the books I’ve read lately, this is one that I truly hesitated to open. My concern was the heavy subject matter–the sexual scandals of Catholic Priests.  When I read fiction I’m not interested in a lecture. Nor am I interested in reading an author’s political agenda–especially when thinly disguised as a novel. Rather, I’m looking for an escape. I’m looking for descriptions that move me and language that surprises me. I want a great story. After having read this novel, I can now admit that I was wrong to hesitate. There is no political agenda here.  Only a story that will surprise and engage you.

The narrator of this novel is Father Duncan MacAskill and it is his relationship with the Bishop that is referenced in the title. Father MacAskill is valued by the Bishop for his ability to clean up potentially scandalous situations with way-ward priests. As a result, he is shunned and even feared by the other priests who refer to him as the “Exorcist” behind his back. Increasingly, Duncan finds it difficult to balance his duty to the Bishop and the church, with the work he must do to protect them–including cleaning up loose ends with the victims, whom the Bishop coldly refuses to acknowlege:

“Victim, for God’s sake. Don’t make me sick. … They’ll get over it. … We can’t let a bunch of misfits and complainers undermine the Sacraments.”

As a new and potentially very damaging scandal quickly approaches, the Bishop sends Father MacAskill away–primarily to hide him from the media because he knows too much about the priest in question.  MacAskill is assigned to a remote parish in Creignish, Cape Breton very near to where he grew up.  It is his arrival at the parish that brings the narrator to a spiritual crossroad. This is not the first time he’s been sent away by the Bishop as the result of a potential scandal. A secondary story about his first exile, told through exerpts from his journals and filled with his own guilt, is revealed bit by bit. It is the narrator’s internal struggle that truly begins to drives this story forward. As MacAskill spirals downward into depression and alcohol, the edges of his conviction begin to blur and the story of the real man behind the cloth emerges. In true Canadian fashion, strong themes of isolation, confession and contrition weave the fabric of this story.

Some will certainly find the structure challenging as it moves back and forth between past and present. I found the time shifts to be distracting at times. Even so, the novel is well-written and does an excellent job drawing us into the character’s lives and the rich scenery of Cape Breton. That alone, makes this novel a worthy read.

Note: The Bishop’s Man is the winner of the 2009 Giller Prize for fiction. For more information on this novel or on Linden MacIntyre, you can visit his page on the Random House Canada website.

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“Thomas Listen. Listen. There are times when life calls out for a change. A transition. Like the seasons. Our spring was wonderful, but summer is over now and we missed out on autumn. And now all of a sudden, it’s cold, so cold that everything is freezing over. Our love fell asleep, and the snow took it by surprise. But if you fall asleep in the snow, you don’t feel death coming.” Francine from the movie Paris Je T’Aime

Ok, I agree. That quote is a bit over the top, but that’s why I like it.  The mystique of Paris is one of extremes and exaggeration, both in romance and in reputation. Some day I will experience it for myself.

I’m a hopeless dreamer, it’s true. I want to write fulltime, I want to travel fulltime, I want to have enough cash to do both. As a result, I work very hard and I occassionally buy lottery tickets.  If I ever get the chance I will visit Paris. I have a vision of sitting in a cafe in Paris people-watching and making notes. (Doesn’t everyone?)

In the meantime, I can visit Paris online here. You can too. It’s my favorite web link from this week. Thanks to @DavySunshine on twitter-he gets the credit for this find.

Just a quick update for now.

I’m happy to say that I figured out how to move my blog to a new platform this weekend.  I sorted out (what I think to be) a relatively clever domain name and then wrangled WordPress into submission. I even created and installed my own favicon. Note the stack of books beside the domain name. Yes, yes…I am a geek.

Overall, I am actually very impressed with how well WP works for me and am pleased to have gotten my first book review online.  That’s enough for one day.

For tonight, I will celebrate work well done. Tomorrow I post…

Author: Kevin Patterson

Genre: Literary Fiction

I picked up this novel because it appealed to both my passion for Canadian literature and my curiosity about life in the Arctic. Similar to one of the characters in the book, I have been guilty of romanticizing the life of the Inuit. If you have done the same, this book will slap you in the face with its honest and stark portrayal of life in the North.

On its surface, Consumption is an interesting tale depicting the life of an Inuit girl named Victoria. We meet her at the age of 10 in the late 1960’s only shortly before she is diagnosed with TB and whisked away to a Sanitarium in Manitoba for treatment. During the time she lives in the “south”, Victoria’s identity fundamentally changes from a child born on the tundra aware of nothing beyond the nomadic hunting life of her family, to a young woman very accustomed to modern conveniences. She returns to her family six years later, unable to speak their language and a stranger in her own community. She is surprised to find that her family has settled into government housing. We soon see that they are utterly and irrevocably changed by coming off the land. This is a haunting and tragic story that will leave you heartbroken.

True to the title, the concept of “consumption” echos in this book on many levels. Consumption is, in its most literal, an alternate term for Tuberculosis and the wasting effect it has on the human body. However, as we peel back the layers of the story we see modern life consuming an ancient culture and its traditions, a doctor consumed by addiction, daughters consumed by the future, and a son by the past. We also find the story of a mine that consumes the natural resources highlighting the ongoing tension between the government and the desire of the Inuit for autonomy. In the end, strong themes around parent-child relationships and isolation are the bones that support this story.

Although the characters are purely fictional, their stories resonate with an honesty that being based on true life events can afford. The author, Dr. Kevin Patterson, travels frequently to the Arctic to practice medicine and is all too familiar with an episode in the 1950’s and 60’s where up to 1/3 of Inuit children were evacuated south to be treated for TB. He uses uses stories told to him by his patients as a jumping off point and makes no effort to soften the edges.  The characters that we meet in this novel are unflinchingly and unapologetically human.

Along with the narrative of the story, this novel contains translated Inuit poetry, and the unpublished manuscript of one of the characters. This “manuscript” is, in essence, a series of essays designed to bridge the gap between the changes to the Inuit culture and lifestyle portrayed in the novel, and their relevance to society as a whole. Although this structure adds interest to the novel, at certain points “the manuscript” begins to feel like a somewhat clumsy attempt by the author to include certain thoughts that he couldn’t quite fit into the narrative.

There is no question that there is an element of social commentary to this novel. However, he manages to fold this gently into a haunting tale that is a rich and satisfying read.

Note: for more information on author Kevin Patterson you can visit his author page on the Random House Canada website.