Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination (The Book of the Juke Ser...

At the dawn of the twentieth century in the Idaho logging town of Eliada, orphaned farm boy Jason Thistledown and black physician Andrew Waggoner came face to face with monsters: the human sort, in the form of American eugenicists seeking to perfect the human race through breeding and culls; and the inhuman, a parasitic species named Juke, that lived off the hopes, dreams, and faith of humanity, even as it consumed it from within.The year is 1931 . . .In a remote valley in the Bavarian Alps, the Germanic students of those eugenicists seek to uncover the secret of the Juke and the promise of the Übermensch. In Paris, Dr. Andrew Waggoner enters his third decade of unravelling the mystery of the elusive organism. Jason Thistledown, now a veteran pilot of World War I, gets ready to embark on a new career flying mail and passengers in North Africa and, he hopes, forget the profound horrors that have shaped him.Soon, they will all have to reckon with one other: a terrible synthesis of those horrors, which moves among humanity with an inexorable and terrible purpose—obliterating and reshaping that humanity until there is only one thing left:Volk.

Cemetery Dance

“Nickle has carved a path for himself as a pre-eminent author of speculative fiction. He covers a vast literary cross-section, but does so free of clutter. While this work is certainly a political treatise against oppressive entities and their dreadful acts, Nickle never loses sight of the dark poetry inherent in the genre, nor does he overlook simply spinning a good yarn. For all the expanded scope and complexity of ideas and story structure, Volk remains accessible.”

BoingBoing

“[Volk is] a nailbiter of an action novel that is spooky as hell, a critical and sharp demolition of Lovecraft’s own romanticization of eugenics, a notion that Nickle demolishes with Lovecraft’s own tools―very satisfying indeed.”

Hamilton Spectator

“[Volk is a] political, psychological and philosophical allegory of depth and ambition.”

Hellnotes

“[Volk is] a bold, but natural progression for the story, with an ending that hints at much more to come.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In a frightening sequel with prescient undertones, Nickle triumphantly returns to the world of Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism for another dive into the horrific. . . . [Volk] is a dazzling horror novel that’s unafraid to ask questions and leave some of them unanswered.”

Toronto Star

“[Volk is] the most intellectually provocative horror novel of the twenty-first century.”

The Elephant Magazine

“Volk is technically and intellectually very ambitious, and it succeeds on almost every level, including as good, intelligent entertainment.”

Alex Good, The Toronto Star

“[Volk is] a political, psychological and philosophical allegory of remarkable depth and ambition: the most intellectually provocative horror novel of the twenty-first century.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Loves Means Forever.” When it comes to this book, only two things are certain; the stories never travel where you expect, and David Nickle is a monumental talent.”

The Globe and Mail

“Believe the hype: David Nickle is very good.”

Nathan Ballingrud, author of North American Lake Monsters

“David Nickle is my favorite kind of writer. His stories are dark, wildly imaginative, and deeply compassionate―even when they’re laced with righteous anger. He’s at the top of his game in this new book of short stories, and that’s about as good as it gets.”

Helen Marshall, author of Hair Side, Flesh Side and Gifts for the One Who Comes After

“David Nickle is Canada’s answer to Stephen King. His writing charms even as it slices like a blade between the ribs: sharp, subtle, and never less than devastating.”

The Winnipeg Review

“Rasputin’s Bastards is a testament to the fact Nickle can write anything.”

Chris Hallock, All Things Horror

“Eutopia is the kind of book I’d recommend to literary snobs who badmouth the horror genre while completely ignoring the multitudes of splendid books on the shelves. Nickle comes from a different cut of cloth than a lot of current horror authors. He’s created a unique world that’s a far cry from any of the current trends in horror fiction. In fact, his style seems generations removed from all the apocalyptic zombie and vampire novels on the market. Thankfully, he understands that the most important ingredients are strong characters, originality, and a compelling story. That his novel is also dark, frightening, and beautifully written is just icing on the cake.”

The Toronto Star

“Few writers do psychosexual horror as well as Toronto’s David Nickle, and with The ’Geisters he’s back with another tale of voluptuous terror and the supernatural.”

Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother

“David Nickle writes ’em damned weird and damned good and damned dark. He is bourbon-rough, poetic and vivid. Don’t miss this one.”

About the Author

David Nickle is the author of several novels, including Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism (which precedes Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination), and numerous short stories, some of which have been collected in Knife Fight and Other Struggles and Monstrous Affections. He lives and works in Toronto as a journalist, with his wife, the author and futurist Madeline Ashby.

Reviews

News