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greatcolorsalad's review
4.0
3 and 1/2 stars. Enjoyed these short stories a lot at first, I love human-/emotion-focused fiction but the super long (space) adventure, very sci-fi and traditional good vs evil stories towards the end
howlinglibraries's review
4.0
Three underrated things I love in horror: subversive Lovecraftian themes, tough ladies, and diversity.
Luckily, Garden of Eldritch Delights offers each of those themes in spades. Throughout the collection, there are endless themes that feel inspired by Lovecraft without seeming too familiar, and most of the protagonists are angry, feisty women who have a bone to pick with something or something. There’s a delightful amount of diversity woven into the stories, and each story is just as feminist as the last.
The collection kicks off with my favorite, That Which Does Not Kill You: a story about a woman waking up to find that her girlfriend has ripped her heart clean out of her chest. It starts off gory and morbid, but quickly reveals itself to carry a much more real-world experience of abuse and gaslighting that was so well written and authentic.
A few other notable favorite mentions go to The Yellow Death, a fascinating new take on vampires (major trigger warnings for rape here, though!), and Executive Functions, in which any of my fellow “raging feminist” horror readers can get a fix of watching a heartless, misogynistic rapist undergo a little karmic justice. Though the three I’ve named here were the ones I loved the most, I actually gave almost every story 4 or more stars, which is something I can rarely say about a collection!
The only reason Garden is getting 4 stars instead of 5 from me is because the last few stories, sadly, totally lost me. The collection began to go downhill with A Noble Endeavor, a story with a black slave as a narrator, which had an ending that made me feel vaguely uncomfortable in a way I don’t quite know how to explain. Things picked back up with the next story, but the final two felt very lacking and didn’t fit the collection as a whole to me—I honestly think I would have rated the whole book higher if they’d been left out.
Still, this is a very positive 4-star rating from me, and I absolutely recommend checking out Garden of Eldritch Delights if you are at all interested in feminist or Lovecraftian horror! I think Snyder did an amazing job with the majority of these stories and I’ll absolutely be checking out more of her work in the future.
Content warnings for misogyny, rape, ableism, abuse, extreme racism (all challenged in text), body horror, gratuitous violence/murder/torture/etc.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
There’s a trail of blood on the carpet leading out of the bedroom, and your only thought is that if you can just find your heart, maybe everything will be okay. Maybe the pain will stop.
Luckily, Garden of Eldritch Delights offers each of those themes in spades. Throughout the collection, there are endless themes that feel inspired by Lovecraft without seeming too familiar, and most of the protagonists are angry, feisty women who have a bone to pick with something or something. There’s a delightful amount of diversity woven into the stories, and each story is just as feminist as the last.
The collection kicks off with my favorite, That Which Does Not Kill You: a story about a woman waking up to find that her girlfriend has ripped her heart clean out of her chest. It starts off gory and morbid, but quickly reveals itself to carry a much more real-world experience of abuse and gaslighting that was so well written and authentic.
Collateral damage. Your lover was not exercising a surgeon’s precision last night.
A few other notable favorite mentions go to The Yellow Death, a fascinating new take on vampires (major trigger warnings for rape here, though!), and Executive Functions, in which any of my fellow “raging feminist” horror readers can get a fix of watching a heartless, misogynistic rapist undergo a little karmic justice. Though the three I’ve named here were the ones I loved the most, I actually gave almost every story 4 or more stars, which is something I can rarely say about a collection!
The only reason Garden is getting 4 stars instead of 5 from me is because the last few stories, sadly, totally lost me. The collection began to go downhill with A Noble Endeavor, a story with a black slave as a narrator, which had an ending that made me feel vaguely uncomfortable in a way I don’t quite know how to explain. Things picked back up with the next story, but the final two felt very lacking and didn’t fit the collection as a whole to me—I honestly think I would have rated the whole book higher if they’d been left out.
Still, this is a very positive 4-star rating from me, and I absolutely recommend checking out Garden of Eldritch Delights if you are at all interested in feminist or Lovecraftian horror! I think Snyder did an amazing job with the majority of these stories and I’ll absolutely be checking out more of her work in the future.
Content warnings for misogyny, rape, ableism, abuse, extreme racism (all challenged in text), body horror, gratuitous violence/murder/torture/etc.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
evavroslin's review
5.0
“That Which Does Not Kill You” reveals a protagonist who wakes up with her chest carved out. It would be difficult to describe the rest of this story except to say that this isn’t the first time the protagonist has faced such a plight, and although I was not quite sure what to expect from the ending, it ended a lot differently and on a more uplifting note than I would have predicted. This story was an excellent way to start off this collection.
Next, we move on to “Sunset on Mott Island,” which I remembered reading in another anthology, and remembered that it left me reeling from the impact the first time. It is a great story.
“The Gentleman Caller” is a fantastic story as well, telling the tale of a character with a disability who is wheelchair-bound. Without giving away the shock of her profession, let’s just say it’s pretty much the last thing you’d expect from someone like her. The story only gets more interesting as it goes on, and it takes so many unexpected and inventive directions that you’ll be breathless by the end. The protagonist has some very interesting pathways to face, and the story’s message seems a testament to that old saying about how just because the grass seems greener on the other side, does not always mean that is true. Meanwhile, “Executive Functions” is a wonderful Lovecraftian revenge fantasy for anyone who has ever had a horrid, testosterone-fueled boss.
My favourite short story of this collection is, without a doubt, “The Yellow Death.” While it’s true that we’ve very much more than been there and done that with apocalyptic horror short stories, and even more so with vampires, Snyder manages to make both seem fresh in this story that originally appeared in the phenomenally good vampire anthology, Seize the Night, edited by horror legend Christopher Golden. A sinister twist starts off this alternating timeline story, flashing forward between past and present, and basically, if you miss Theo from The Haunting of Hill House, you’ll love this compelling tale.
The next stories, including “Santa Muerte,” “Dark of the Moon,” “Fraeternal,” and “Blossoms Blackened Like Dead Stars” take on a decidedly more science fiction bent to their horror for those who enjoy that in their short stories, while “A Noble Endeavour” marked another standout in the collection for me, chronicling the story of a female slave with an artificial leg whose owner demands that she assist Doctor Bronson, only he’s not the kind of doctor you might think. Things get creepier and more unsettling as the story goes on until we veer into an innovative Lovecraftian direction.
Overall, this marks another strong offering from Lucy Snyder on the short fiction spectrum with a horror collection that more than delivers on a quality of unparalleled excellence. There’s something in here for readers with diverging tastes, and even a high fantasy tale that demonstrates the breadth of the author’s talents. Do yourself a favour and pick up Garden of Eldritch Delights.
Next, we move on to “Sunset on Mott Island,” which I remembered reading in another anthology, and remembered that it left me reeling from the impact the first time. It is a great story.
“The Gentleman Caller” is a fantastic story as well, telling the tale of a character with a disability who is wheelchair-bound. Without giving away the shock of her profession, let’s just say it’s pretty much the last thing you’d expect from someone like her. The story only gets more interesting as it goes on, and it takes so many unexpected and inventive directions that you’ll be breathless by the end. The protagonist has some very interesting pathways to face, and the story’s message seems a testament to that old saying about how just because the grass seems greener on the other side, does not always mean that is true. Meanwhile, “Executive Functions” is a wonderful Lovecraftian revenge fantasy for anyone who has ever had a horrid, testosterone-fueled boss.
My favourite short story of this collection is, without a doubt, “The Yellow Death.” While it’s true that we’ve very much more than been there and done that with apocalyptic horror short stories, and even more so with vampires, Snyder manages to make both seem fresh in this story that originally appeared in the phenomenally good vampire anthology, Seize the Night, edited by horror legend Christopher Golden. A sinister twist starts off this alternating timeline story, flashing forward between past and present, and basically, if you miss Theo from The Haunting of Hill House, you’ll love this compelling tale.
The next stories, including “Santa Muerte,” “Dark of the Moon,” “Fraeternal,” and “Blossoms Blackened Like Dead Stars” take on a decidedly more science fiction bent to their horror for those who enjoy that in their short stories, while “A Noble Endeavour” marked another standout in the collection for me, chronicling the story of a female slave with an artificial leg whose owner demands that she assist Doctor Bronson, only he’s not the kind of doctor you might think. Things get creepier and more unsettling as the story goes on until we veer into an innovative Lovecraftian direction.
Overall, this marks another strong offering from Lucy Snyder on the short fiction spectrum with a horror collection that more than delivers on a quality of unparalleled excellence. There’s something in here for readers with diverging tastes, and even a high fantasy tale that demonstrates the breadth of the author’s talents. Do yourself a favour and pick up Garden of Eldritch Delights.
jroberts3456's review
5.0
Actual stars: 5
Original review from Nightmarish Conjurings: http://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/book-reviews/2018/10/24/book-review-garden-of-eldritch-delights
The please don’t make me click your link version:
A wonderful, varied collection of horror and genre written in a unique and impactful voice that begs for revisits. The worst part about any of the stories is that they end after 20 pages instead of going on to novella or novel length. Perfect Halloween reading.
Original review from Nightmarish Conjurings: http://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/book-reviews/2018/10/24/book-review-garden-of-eldritch-delights
The please don’t make me click your link version:
A wonderful, varied collection of horror and genre written in a unique and impactful voice that begs for revisits. The worst part about any of the stories is that they end after 20 pages instead of going on to novella or novel length. Perfect Halloween reading.
motherhorror's review
4.0
read in order to diversify my cosmic horror reading for a Lit Reactor article. Coming soon!
Review, soon!
Review, soon!
exorcismofemilyreed's review
3.0
"Madness and misery always affect the flesh."
Garden of Eldritch Delights is a collection of 12 stories by Lucy A. Snyder, and this was my introduction to her work. I was a little bit concerned about this one going in because I'm not a huge Lovecraft person, but it's still easy to grasp what's going on. I was happy about that.
This was a bit of an uneven collection. It starts off really well, and I was so excited to dig into the rest. I feel like it got a little shaky after the first third of the book, and then never really recovered.
Garden of Eldritch Delights has a strange attitude toward disabled people, and it really threw me off. This book had attempts at diversity, but they didn't seem to be fleshed out very well. There was also a story about slavery that took some weird turns.
My top three stories in this collection were That Which Does Not Kill You, Sunset on Mott Island, and Executive Functions. I had so much fun reading all of these, and I wish that the rest of the collection would have reflected the style of these ones a bit more.
Thank you to Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi & Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy to review!
Garden of Eldritch Delights is a collection of 12 stories by Lucy A. Snyder, and this was my introduction to her work. I was a little bit concerned about this one going in because I'm not a huge Lovecraft person, but it's still easy to grasp what's going on. I was happy about that.
This was a bit of an uneven collection. It starts off really well, and I was so excited to dig into the rest. I feel like it got a little shaky after the first third of the book, and then never really recovered.
Garden of Eldritch Delights has a strange attitude toward disabled people, and it really threw me off. This book had attempts at diversity, but they didn't seem to be fleshed out very well. There was also a story about slavery that took some weird turns.
My top three stories in this collection were That Which Does Not Kill You, Sunset on Mott Island, and Executive Functions. I had so much fun reading all of these, and I wish that the rest of the collection would have reflected the style of these ones a bit more.
Thank you to Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi & Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy to review!
0hfortheloveofbooks's review
3.0
The Garden of Eldritch Delights - the name conjures up images of grotesque Alice in Wonderland flowers; a weird yet oddly beautiful selection of stories. This collection of 12 short stories were definitely weird. These imaginative tales ran the gamut from a tongue in cheek love story with a macabre twist, to Lovecraftian horror, science fiction, to dark fantasy. That being said, it felt as if the author tried to cram too much into each petite story. If the stories had been 500+ pages, perhaps the swirling array of ideas would have had sufficient time to be fleshed out. As they stood at 13 pages (give or take) there was just not enough time to fully develop each of the crazy twists some of these stories took. Due to the fact that novel length ideas were being packed into short stories, there was too much telling and not enough showing as there just wasn't time for the descriptive, eldritch, language I craved.
Admittedly, I do not read fantasy, it is just not a genre that speaks to me, so I had a hard time with a few of the stories. The last two in the collection were straight fantasy so ending with two stories that didn't capture me felt lackluster. Obviously if fantasy is your jam, that fact won't bother you! My favorite story was Blossoms Blackened like Dead Stars. It was a surprise to find this gem in the middle of the book. I felt there was some very powerful imagery and was the closest to living up to the collection's title.
I do find Snyder's ability to write across so many genres admirable and I will be checking out her other works in the future. Maybe I'll start to enjoy fantasy more, who knows?!
Admittedly, I do not read fantasy, it is just not a genre that speaks to me, so I had a hard time with a few of the stories. The last two in the collection were straight fantasy so ending with two stories that didn't capture me felt lackluster. Obviously if fantasy is your jam, that fact won't bother you! My favorite story was Blossoms Blackened like Dead Stars. It was a surprise to find this gem in the middle of the book. I felt there was some very powerful imagery and was the closest to living up to the collection's title.
I do find Snyder's ability to write across so many genres admirable and I will be checking out her other works in the future. Maybe I'll start to enjoy fantasy more, who knows?!
whatmeworry's review
3.0
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com. I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
‘Garden of Eldritch Delights’ is packed with stories that are nearly great. It contains more of a mix than I was expecting. Horror is definitely at the forefront, but science fiction and fantasy are also represented here, with mixed results.
I think that in many ways short stories are more difficult for a writer to pull off than novels. The requirement to establish characters, convey ideas and weave a compelling story around it all in a limited number of pages presents challenges and constraints that writers of longer form fiction don’t have to worry about. Balancing those three elements is the key to a great short story, and in too many of these tales Snyder only manages one or two out of three. That’s a real shame, as there are flashes of brilliance here.
My favourites of the collection were the first two stories. ‘That Which Does Not Kill You’ is a weird, effective, horrific musing on love. It’s packed with great imagery and has a couple of moments that had my skin crawling. The second story, ‘Sunset on Mott Island’ is Lovecraftian and wonderfully creepy. What makes it brilliant is the weaving of emotion and modern sensibilities into the tale. It really does feel like eldritch horror for the 21st century.
It was with the third story that things started to slip. ‘Gentleman Caller’ has a great heroine in Janie, a disabled woman who works on a phone sex line. The story’s central concept is interesting too, but the execution in the last third of the story didn’t work for me at all. As with many of the other stories I ended up with a “so what” feeling at the end.
That’s not to say all of the other stories don’t work, they just don’t work as well. ‘Executive Functions’ is a creepy and often effective dissection of workplace misogyny with a nightmarishly fantastic twist. ‘Blossoms Blackened Like Dead Stars’ is a bite sized sci fi/horror epic about humanity’s last effort to defeat a terrible alien foe. It swept me along right up until the ending, which was interesting but felt rushed. ‘Dark of the Moon’ was similar, a cyberpunk heist romp that’s great fun until it falls apart at the end.
The other seven stories are various shades of “not as good as the above”. Most of them have either a good concept, or great characters, or a rousing story, but none of them achieve that elusive perfect blend of all three elements. So as a collection ‘Garden of Eldritch Delights’ is very much a mixed bag. It’s often enjoyable, is creepy and exciting at times and has a humanity woven into many of its stories that is really engaging. Too often though, the stories end up being unsatisfying. This is made even more of a shame by the fact that when Snyder is good, she’s very good indeed.
‘Garden of Eldritch Delights’ is packed with stories that are nearly great. It contains more of a mix than I was expecting. Horror is definitely at the forefront, but science fiction and fantasy are also represented here, with mixed results.
I think that in many ways short stories are more difficult for a writer to pull off than novels. The requirement to establish characters, convey ideas and weave a compelling story around it all in a limited number of pages presents challenges and constraints that writers of longer form fiction don’t have to worry about. Balancing those three elements is the key to a great short story, and in too many of these tales Snyder only manages one or two out of three. That’s a real shame, as there are flashes of brilliance here.
My favourites of the collection were the first two stories. ‘That Which Does Not Kill You’ is a weird, effective, horrific musing on love. It’s packed with great imagery and has a couple of moments that had my skin crawling. The second story, ‘Sunset on Mott Island’ is Lovecraftian and wonderfully creepy. What makes it brilliant is the weaving of emotion and modern sensibilities into the tale. It really does feel like eldritch horror for the 21st century.
It was with the third story that things started to slip. ‘Gentleman Caller’ has a great heroine in Janie, a disabled woman who works on a phone sex line. The story’s central concept is interesting too, but the execution in the last third of the story didn’t work for me at all. As with many of the other stories I ended up with a “so what” feeling at the end.
That’s not to say all of the other stories don’t work, they just don’t work as well. ‘Executive Functions’ is a creepy and often effective dissection of workplace misogyny with a nightmarishly fantastic twist. ‘Blossoms Blackened Like Dead Stars’ is a bite sized sci fi/horror epic about humanity’s last effort to defeat a terrible alien foe. It swept me along right up until the ending, which was interesting but felt rushed. ‘Dark of the Moon’ was similar, a cyberpunk heist romp that’s great fun until it falls apart at the end.
The other seven stories are various shades of “not as good as the above”. Most of them have either a good concept, or great characters, or a rousing story, but none of them achieve that elusive perfect blend of all three elements. So as a collection ‘Garden of Eldritch Delights’ is very much a mixed bag. It’s often enjoyable, is creepy and exciting at times and has a humanity woven into many of its stories that is really engaging. Too often though, the stories end up being unsatisfying. This is made even more of a shame by the fact that when Snyder is good, she’s very good indeed.
tracyreads's review
4.0
Lucy Snyder is an author I will definitely seek out more from. This collection houses a wide array of horror/dark fantasy sub genres and I’m confident that a wide array of people will be able to find something to enjoy within these 12 tales.
My three absolute favorites are: That Which Does Not Kill You, Sunset on Mott Island (my top pick if I have to choose), and The Yellow Death. Executive Functions was also a fun one for me - take THAT corporate America.
There were a few misses for me - keep in mind (as always) that reading is subjective. I’m looking forward to reading through the reviews of other bookish friends to see what everyone else thought.
My three absolute favorites are: That Which Does Not Kill You, Sunset on Mott Island (my top pick if I have to choose), and The Yellow Death. Executive Functions was also a fun one for me - take THAT corporate America.
There were a few misses for me - keep in mind (as always) that reading is subjective. I’m looking forward to reading through the reviews of other bookish friends to see what everyone else thought.
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