Kathe Koja

Where do I start with attempting to convey what an amazing collection of short stories this is? I hadn’t previously read any of Kathe’s writing but I now feel that I want to devour her backlist … as well as to keep an eye out for any future stories from her!
Different as each of theses stories is, the consistent thread which links them is the author’s eloquent and elegant prose. I loved the myriad ways in which she used language to create a variably-paced rhythmic cadence to her show more narrative, something which made reading feel like a seamless pleasure rather than something I needed to work hard at. I enjoyed the fact that the stories covered a wide range of genres and that there was such an unpredictable quality to each of them. Although some appealed more than others, inevitable I think with any short-story collection, each of them felt idiosyncratically imaginative, unsettling, thought-provoking and memorable.
As there had been a gap of three weeks between when I first read them and when I could find time to write this review, I decided to re-read them. I was delighted to find that not only did they feel just as fresh, meaning that I was able to re-experience their powerful impact, but that I also found myself discovering new layers of meaning within each of them. I really enjoyed the fact that the author was prepared to explore some very dark themes and to unnerve her readers by taking her stories in totally unexpected, sometimes bizarre, directions whilst at the same time managing to make each one psychologically credible … quite a literary feat!
If I attempted to comment on each of the stories not only would that result in a very long review, but it would run a real risk of introducing spoilers. However, although each was memorable in its own way, there were four which really stood out for me – “The Marble Lily, “La Reine D’Enfer”, “Far and Wee” and “Velocity”. I wonder what your favourites would be … I urge you to read this wonderful collection and find out!
With huge thanks to Tricia Reeks at Meerkat Press for sending me this ARC … yet another gem from this wonderful indie publisher! show less

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: "Black. Pure black and the sense of pulsation, especially when you look at it too closely, the sense of something not living but alive."

When a strange hole materializes in a storage room, would-be poet Nicholas and his feral lover Nakota allow their curiosity to lead them into the depths of terror. "Wouldn't it be wild to go down there?" says Nakota. Nicholas says, "We're not." But no one is in control, and their experiments lead to obsession, violence, show more and a very final transformation for everyone who gets too close to the Funhole.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Republished thirty years on, this debut horror novel far exceeds my memory of it; when it came out, I wasn't interested in its eldritch overtones and dismissed its literary charms far too readily for that reason. Still not that interested in cosmic horror, as horror anyway, since the crap people do to each other every day scares me a lot more than some Evil Force somehow making people do awful stuff or, sillier still, does awful stuff to them despite being disembodied...possession and so forth come under the heading of mental illness untreated or undiagnosed in my materialist worldview.

But honestly, so what. This is a story, fiction with all that implies. Author Koja's been at this gig for decades now, and it's clear she started strong with this debut. Like all well-made fiction, this novel tells us truths about ourselves and our world. Self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, all come into the story and are treated with due respect. This being thirty years ago, maybe not the way we'd talk about them now, but they aren't presented as reasons to become a victim.

The power dynamics of this book are very intricate. Upper hands slip. Control falters. People don't behave in reasonable ways, ever! The story unspools at a fairly brisk clip and rewards your attention to its details. Since this is a body horror novel, you know violent changes will be wrought on humans. It's part of our culture to revel in this strange obsession with involuntary body modification and/or death. Not always to my personal taste. This story's main appeal isn't its physical violence but its quieter, less obtrusive dealings with the power within a relationship, how it's used, what it does to the parties involved...and, on that level, this story *rocks*! Can't recommend it unreservedly, see the CWs, but recommend it I do to my fellow #Deathtober fans. show less

What is reality? A party?
"maybe all life is a party,
is it a dance party, a surprise party—"

As I read along it became very clear to me. Reality has to be mycelium.
Or "a red t-shirt that reads FOREVER WAS
YESTERDAY"?

Mycelium?

Well, call it Dark Factory, "a culty and lawless party community", and think of "Birds of Paradise", a completely new virtual reality gaming experience.

--> Dark Factory + Birds of Paradise --> ???

Sounds strange?
This book is!
And what a TRIP it is!
Here literature is a show more RAVE!

I have to admit I never liked the slightly or highly narcotic party guys in my youth days.
But reading this in my older man's clothes I must say Goddam, that kicks!
Five stars! show less

The Basics

Nicholas and Nakota have found a hole in the storage room of Nicholas’s apartment building. It’s far from normal, holds some mysterious power, and compels them to play with fire again and again. Unluckily for Nicholas, Nakota is just the sort of person that could become entirely obsessed with the “Funhole”, as they’ve dubbed it. And he’s just the sort of guy who could become a pawn in a very complicated and existential game.

My Thoughts

Horror is rarely poetry. A lot of show more authors who try to be scary don’t see a need to do it beautifully, but Kathe Koja obviously does. Moreover they often don’t even reach scary, but Kathe Koja does that, too. This book is physical and metaphysical in its terror. It invites you in, sits you down, and proceeds to tear off layer after layer of safety until you feel as exposed as Nicholas does. And she keeps going until she determinedly finds something that will unnerve, and she will.

This book doesn’t have likeable characters really. Even the likeable ones are clearly flawed. The situation escalates in ways that reek of human nature, and even with this cosmic horror staring you in the face, it winds up feeling depressingly real, because it expresses a great deal about the worst in people. Everything from the mundane things thoughtless people do that are irritating and insulting, all the way up to mob mentality. None of this is a criticism, as these are some of the novel’s greatest strengths, shedding light on dark places and forcing you to look.

The poetry of Koja’s words is really astounding. I don’t think I’ve ever read prose quite like this. It’s half fever dream, half free verse poem. It reads like a nightmare, to the point that I struggled to write “The Basics”. That’s not to say it’s incomprehensible. It doesn’t suffer from that at all. Nor does it feel pretentious, like other works that aspire to such heights might. It is one of the best horror novels I’ve ever read, dancing hand-in-hand with Kafka and giving the finger to convention and banality. It’s making me use words that cost at least ten dollars, and shouldn’t that be recommendation enough?

Final Rating

5/5 Stars show less