2023 Summer Scares Picks (2/15/23)

For five years now, the Horror Writers Association has shared an annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes a selection of titles chosen by authors and librarians. This list is designed to promote Horror as an accessible and enticing genre for readers of all ages and at any time of year. Yesterday’s picks included two Macmillan titles–one that takes a speculative approach to Black history in America and another that puts a new twist on the fairytales you think you know and love.

RING SHOUT BY P. DJÈLÍ CLARK

4 starred reviews!

“Clark expertly uses fantasy to highlight the mysticism underlying the nation’s darkest moments. Lyrical interludes, mythicized ‘oral histories’ of Gullah traditions, and haunting retellings of African American folklore add rich texture throughout. Readers will be both captivated and entertained by this fast-paced alternate history, which doubles as a meditation on the all-consuming power of hate and violence.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Clark’s novel is at once rousing, boisterous, and clever. He channels the kitschy motifs of early-20th-century pulp horror into a narrative that both spoofs and exalts that flamboyant tradition. In the process, he cunningly and pithily weaves in African folklore, American history, and sociopolitical tropes that resonate with our present-day racial upheaval.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This fantastical horror tale, set in early 1920s Georgia, has considerable resonance for the present-day United States…[it] is set in a visceral world, steeped in historical detail and full of engaging characters, that asks the question, ‘Who is to blame for the hate that hate made?'”–Booklist, starred review

“This is a story of Black female power, drawn from both the old and new worlds, a tale that honors the Black American experience in all its complexity, and yet also delivers in its Lovercraftian delight. Readers will gasp at the visceral horrors, both real and otherworldly, cringe at the destruction and carnage, and ultimately cheer for Maryse to keep fighting for herself and her people, wherever the Ku Kluxes’ evil surfaces next.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE MERRY SPINSTER: TALES OF EVERYDAY HORROR BY DANIEL M. LAVERY

2 starred reviews!

“The book brings the shock of the new and the shock of recognition into play at the same time; it’s a tour de force of skill, daring, and hard-earned bravura.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A wholly satisfying blend of silliness, feminist critique, and deft prose makes this a collection of bedtime stories that will keep you up at night for all the right reasons.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark; 9781250767028; available now
THE MERRY SPINSTER: TALES OF EVERYDAY HORROR by Daniel M. Lavery; 9781250113429; available now