Furnace

Horror fiction has long celebrated and explored the twin engines driving human existence. Call them what you like: Sex and Death, Love and Destruction, Temptation and Terror. While many may strive to reach the extremes, few authors manage to find the beauty that rests in the liminal space between these polar forces, the shuddering ecstasy encased within the shock. And then there's Livia Llewellyn, an author praised for her dark, stirring, evocative prose and disturbing, personal narratives. Lush, layered, multifaceted, and elegant, the thirteen tales comprising Furnace showcase why Livia Llewellyn has been lauded by scholars and fans of weird fiction alike, and why she has been nominated multiple times for the Shirley Jackson Award and included in year's best anthologies. These are exquisite stories, of beauty and cruelty, of pleasure and pain, of hunger, and of sharp teeth sinking into tender flesh.

From Publishers Weekly

Llewellyn's second short story collection (after Engines of Desire) showcases her assured writing with compelling and involving tales of horror, often concerning the particular horrors of being female. Llewellyn skillfully incorporates Lovecraft, science fantasy, and classic Greek and Celtic mythology into fresh new narratives. "In the Court of King Cupressaceae, 1982," original to the collection, displays her talent for folding the deeply weird into contemporary culture as college student Severin tests the boundaries of her connection to the world of the fey. Other standouts are "It Feels Better Biting Down," a stellar exploration of the relationship shared by uncanny twins that's full of lush language and an unnerving use of pronouns, and "The Last, Clean, Bright Summer," chronicling unhappy teens unwillingly accompanying their family to the seaside. Her descriptives can sometimes be repetitive when the stories are read close together, but Llewellyn's lush vocabulary and sense of place combine with her ability to imbue her characters with distinctive voices and make her a notable contributor to the field. (Feb.)\n

About the Author

Livia Llewellyn is an award-nominated writer of horror, darkfantasy and erotica, whose fiction has appeared in ChiZine, Subterranean, Apex Magazine, Postscripts, NightmareMagazine, as well as numerousanthologies. Engines of Desire: Tales of Love &Other Horrors received a 2011 Shirley Jackson Award nomination for BestCollection, "Omphalos received a 2011 SJA for Best Novelette, and "Furnace" receiveda 2013 SJA nomination for Best Short Fiction. You can find her online atliviallewellyn.com.

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