Friday, December 04, 2020

Five books about the horror of winter

Evie Green is a pseudonym for a British author who has written professionally for her entire adult life. She lives by the sea in England with her husband, children, and guinea pigs, and loves writing in the very early morning, fueled by coffee.

Her new novel is We Hear Voices.

At Tor.com, Green tagged five favorite horror books set in snow, including:
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Blood looks incredible against snow. This vampire story is set in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the winter, and the aesthetics are amazing. Oskar is horrifically bullied at school. He makes friends with a girl who lives in the next apartment, though oddly he can only meet her outside after dark. Of course, as he finds out, there is a reason for that. This book is utterly gripping, and mixes the reality of life in a recently constructed Swedish suburb (settings include the lackluster playground, municipal swimming pool, a local Chinese restaurant) with vampiric horror in a darkly funny way, with a vivid ensemble cast. Without any spoilers, let’s just say Oskar’s bullies get their comeuppance.
Read about another entry on the list.

Let the Right One In is among Kevin Jackson's top ten vampire novels.

--Marshal Zeringue