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I think his short stories shine brighter than his longer stuff. His essay “The lucky dog pet store“ is also very impactful. I revisit that one when I need to hype myself up/prepare to sacrifice. That’s really the one I recommend. But “the hanging stranger” is fun and spooky. It covers my greatest fear (loved ones being replaced) but adds another really sinister element. It’s unexpectedly biblical.
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Like 10-13 short stories. Some of my faves of his.
Apr 20, 2024
My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic.
Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with.
Carmen Maria Machado’s The Husband Stitch continued Carter’s legacy
I’m a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialist’s hat or Skinder’s Veil
Shirley Jackson‘s The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection “When Things Get Dark”, a collection inspired by the tone of Jackson’s work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
May 22, 2024
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Short-form weird, my favorite kind, blending sc-fi, dark fantasy, horror, and Kafka. Evenson’s stories are a treat, I start each with a twinge of dread, not knowing if it’ll be one of the nastier ones or funnier ones or more poignant ones, sometimes it’s all three
Good for fans of Barker and Ligotti
Aug 1, 2024
Top Recs from @shane
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I’ve been doing this instead of running. Makes me feel like a citizen. But it takes a few hours a day to really get the walker’s high.
Jun 15, 2023
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Killer. Makes me feel less alone. Recorded live at a queer bookstore in Taipei. I only know this because he talks a lot between songs. He also explains what some of the songs are about in his stage banter. I usually don’t like that but Cool Fire is absolutely the exception.
Jun 15, 2023