Black Juice (GOLLANCZ S.F.) - Hardcover

Lanagan, Margo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0575077816 ISBN 13: 9780575077812

Publisher: Gollancz, 2006

Synopsis

These are stories of immense confidence, the faith they have in the believability of the worlds they describe is such that they explain nothing, concede nothing but still leave you entranced because of the beauty of the writing and the intense clarity of the characters.

Whether a family singing their daughter to her death, a young boy braving pestilential angels to give his grandmother the death she deserves and himself the freedom he deserves, or clowns on a sniper spree at a clown convention these are people you believe in, peopling stories of quite extraordinary power.

About this title

Review:

"Her imagination is a powerful beast, encompassing clowns and angels, dreams and nightmares - mostly nightmares. She writes with wit and detachment, and a certain exuberant ruthlessness. It cries out for a sticker - 'If you like Angela Carter...'" (KATE SAUNDERS THE TIMES)

A delicate light suffuses . . . the remarkable, luminous, mysterious short stories of Margo Lanagan. Each story delineates with startling intimacy a decisive event in a world which is not our own, or not quite. In Lanagan¿s hands the implications of words and phrases, the meanings folded into them, balloon out into landscapes as complex and interrelated and hence indeterminate as life itself. (Colin Greenland GUARDIAN)

"These simple tales are far more than they seem. Lanagan's work deals at once in charming inventions and overwhelming sadness." (Roz Kaveney TLS)

"Coming across like a punky version of Angela Carter crossed with Geoff Ryman, Lanagan conjures up a series of bizarre and arcane worlds. It's all described with rich, detailed prose and a wonderfully strange approach to language. All we need now from her is a full length fantasy novel that maintains this level of eye-opening quality, and we'll know for sure that a seriously talented new voice has arrived." (Saxon Bullock SFX)

"An outstanding collection of stories. Every single story in it is, quite simply, perfect. A landmark collection from one of the most talented authors you are ever likely to have had the pleasure of reading." (Steve Robinson OUTLAND)

"A collection heady with emotion and atmosphere. Magic realism merges its hard and humorous edges in this dreamy selection of vignettes." (EDGE)

"Margo Lanagan has crafted a great collection of stories that entertain the reader throughout, her cast of characters benefiting from an outstanding and unique set of situations. The relation to our own world is sometimes tentative, but even when there are glimpses of our own society the timeframe or point of history is never openly discussed. That uncertainty of time and place only adds to the joy of tales where the characters burn brightly at the expense of unnecessary exposition.¿ (DREAMWATCH)

"The opening story, Singing My Sister Down, is both eerie and horrible and guaranteed to give nightmares. This one alone is a brilliant example of a great horror story. Black Juice deserves to be picked up and read." (David Howe SHIVERS)

Book Description:

A uniquely powerful collection of short stories from a visionary writer; the most acclaimed short story collection in years.

About this edition

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0575077816
• ISBN 13: 9780575077812
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240