Djsturbia

DJSturbia is home to monsters.All kinds of monsters, from skyscraper-sized Godzilla (twice!) to the microscopic space germ known as the Andromeda Strain. Monsters human and inhuman, from fictional psycho killers to the real-life terrorists of 9/11. Lovecraftian horrors. Extraterrestrial insects. Giant serpents. Gargoyles and ghosts. Gunfighters and assassins. The battlefield monstrosities known as Warbirds, the alien invaders called Black Widowers, and—oh, yes—a little critter named Bob.Classic monsters lurk here, too: That Creature from That Lagoon. That Thing from Another World. Monsters living, monsters dead…and in-between.David J. Schow's newest collection features his usual lucky thirteen short stories—shoot 'em ups, horror noir, and surprises aplenty—plus, for the first time, a poison-candy sampler of thirteen additional essays covering everything from The Crow to live snake-handling.A World Fantasy Award winner for short fiction, DJS has come to escort you into the dark suburbs of his imagination—DJSturbia.

From School Library Journal

Schow, winner of the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, pairs 13 short stories with 13 essays in his newest collection, which circles around the idea of monsters, both real and fictional. The essays range in topic from the dangers of censorship after 9/11 to the history of science fiction conventions. Fans of the cult movie The Crow will relish reading about some of the extra features from the movie that are still unavailable. However, there is considerable time devoted to what Schow sees as a dumbing down of society and even a mention of "digital natives" not being interested in erudite literary pursuits, so any teens who are insulted by this argument will be turned off by the general attitude behind some of the essays. Teens will be more drawn to the content of the short stories, which are mostly modern horror with a classic feel: a revenge-seeking entity goes on a murdering spree in "The Finger"; "Blue Amber," a tale about killer bugs, would be a good read-alike for Andrew Smith's Grasshopper Jungle; and "The Chili Hunters" details the dangers of losing one's virginity under the stars. VERDICT A quirky selection of short stories and essays that will appeal to fans of imaginative horror tales, especially those with an interest in classic films such as Godzilla and The Thing.—Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ

From the Inside Flap

'DJSturbia' is home to monsters. All kinds of monsters, from skyscraper-sized Godzilla (twice!) to the microscopic space germ known as the Andromeda Strain. Monsters human and inhuman, from fictional psycho killers to the real-life terrorists of 9/11. Lovecraftian horrors. Extraterrestrial insects. Giant serpents. Gargoyles and ghosts. Gunfighters and assassins. The battlefield monstrosities known as Warbirds, the alien invaders called Black Widowers, and--oh, yes--a little critter named Bob. Classic monsters lurk here, too: That Creature from That Lagoon. That Thing from Another World. Monsters living, monsters dead...and in-between. David J. Schow's newest collection features his usual lucky thirteen short stories--shoot 'em ups, horror noir, and surprises aplenty--plus, for the first time, a poison-candy sampler of thirteen additional essays covering everything from The Crow to live snake-handling. A World Fantasy Award winner for short fiction, DJS has come to escort you into the dark suburbs of his imagination--DJSturbia

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