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All My Colors
by David Quantick
What it is: a satirical, self-referential novel that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, humor and horror; a disturbing successor to The Twilight Zone, Charlie Kaufman, and Franz Kafka.
The premise: At a party in 1979, arrogant wannabe author Todd Milstead drunkenly recalls passages from a popular novel called All My Colors -- but he's the only one who knows it exists.
What happens next: After deciding to "write" the novel himself (which becomes a bestseller, of course), Todd is plagued by surreal events, and All My Colors starts to take on a vengeful life of its own...
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| The Poison Thread by Laura PurcellStarring: imprisoned seamstress Ruth Butterham, who is convinced her stitches have the power to kill; and phrenology-obsessed heiress Dorothea Truelove, who hopes Ruth will be a useful object of study.
Why you might like it: Featuring a pair of unreliable narrators and an evocative Victorian-era setting, this creepy Gothic novel will keep readers guessing about its characters' motivations and the secrets they keep.
Want a taste? "The more she picked at the rope, the more it seemed to resemble a pile of human hair in her lap." |
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Adaptations and Retellings |
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The girl in red by Christina HenryThe woman in the jacket has no choice but to trek through the woods alone in the aftermath of the Crisis in this postapocalyptic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood from the author of Alice. Henry's first retelling is Alice.
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Dracul
by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
Then: As a boy, Bram Stoker was on death's door when his strange nanny, Ellen Crone, saved him with a bite before vanishing from his life.
Now: Years later, the seemingly ageless Ellen is spotted, sending Bram and his compatriots across Europe to investigate her connection to a sinister creature who has her in his thrall...and who wants Bram, too.
Why you might like it: Co-written by Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew, this atmospheric "prequel" to Dracula reimagines the origins of the 1897 classic -- and of Stoker himself.
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
by Ahmed Saadawi
What it's about: In an effort to honor the dead in U.S.-occupied Baghdad, scavenger Hadi collects body parts from bombing victims, stitching them together to form a new body. But then the body disappears and begins wreaking terrifying vengeance upon the city.
Is it for you? If you like your horror to skew more literary, this visceral allegory offers a moving exploration of life in war-torn Iraq.
Book buzz: Frankenstein in Baghdad is the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and a Man Booker International Prize finalist.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7223rvalibrary.org/ |
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