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Published Apr 2023
296 pages
Genre: Short Stories
Publication Information
In her first new book in seven years, Tananarive Due further cements her status as a leading innovator in Black horror and Afrofuturism
American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due's second collection of stories includes offerings of horror, science fiction, and suspense―all genres she wields masterfully. From the mysterious, magical town of Gracetown to the aftermath of a pandemic to the reaches of the far future, Due's stories all share a sense of dread and fear balanced with heart and hope.
In some of these stories, the monster is racism itself; others address the monster within, each set against the supernatural or surreal. All are written with Due's trademark attention to detail and deeply drawn characters.
In addition to previously published work, this collection contains brand-new stories, including "Rumpus Room," a supernatural horror novelette set in Florida about a woman's struggle against both outer and inner demons.
"Holy hell: These 14 stories from author and film historian Due might scare even the most dauntless horror fans to death. These tales of fright are both intellectually keen and psychologically bloodcurdling, no surprise from an award-winning writer whose command of the Black horror aesthetic rivals Jordan Peele's in originality and sheer bravado ... The hairbreadth between acute tragedy and the blackest of humor are child's play for the author in 'Haint in the Window,' which masterfully nods to Octavia E. Butler in the story of a bookseller facing elements out of his control. The five tales in The Gracetown Stories give a sense of Stephen King's fictional Derry or Jerusalem's Lot ... A patchwork of stories that somehow manages to be both graceful and alarming, putting fresh eyes to the unspeakable."
―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In these 14 powerhouse stories, Due probes history, the grim present moment, and not so far-flung futures, delivering an expansive collection that still hits close to home ... There are no false notes; every piece is a study in tension, showcasing Due's mastery at balancing action, suspense, and emotion. Centering Black characters and often Black experiences, this is a standout in both Black horror and the genre more broadly."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Threads of connection weave throughout Due's new collection, which will leave readers wanting more ... Though the stories include a wide range of supernatural and more Earth-bound horrors, racism and anti-Blackness shadow all of the characters and drive much of the volume's terror."
―Booklist
"The latest story collection from Due (Ghost Summer) displays her skills at creating tales both sinister and magical ... These stories come together to create an excellent jumping-off point for discovering Due's body of work."
―Library Journal
"I make no secret of the fact that I am both a lover of short fiction as well as a huge Tananarive Due fan. Her writing never fails to remind me that some of the most deliciously twisted imaginations in literature are possessed by some of the sweetest humans on the planet."
―LeVar Burton
"These stories are absolute gold ... Reading Tananarive Due is like putting your hand on a power cable carrying high voltage; her fiction hums with an electrifying mix of joy and violence. She's a virtuoso of genre and an oldschool scholar of suspense, and every new book is a cause for excitement."
―Joe Hill, author of The Black Phone
This information about The Wishing Pool and Other Stories was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Tananarive Due is an American Book Award–winning, Essence bestselling author of sixteen books, including Blood Colony, The Living Blood, The Good House, Joplin's Ghost, and Devil's Wake. She was also a contributor to Jonathan Maberry's middle grade anthology, Don't Turn Out the Lights. She has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award. She teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Link to Tananarive Due's Website
Name Pronunciation
Tananarive Due: tah-nah-nah-REEVE doo
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