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Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales Audiobook
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Publisher Description
Predatory kraken that sing with—and for—their kin; band members and betrayed friends who happen to be demonic; harpies as likely to attract as to repel. Welcome to a world where humans live side-by-side with monsters, from vampires both nostalgic and bumbling, to an eight-legged alien who makes tea. Here you'll find mercurial forms that burrow into warm fat, spectral boy toys, a Maori force of nature, a landform that claims lives, and an architect of hell on earth. Through these, and a few monsters that defy categorization, some of today's top young-adult authors explore ambition and sacrifice, loneliness and rage, love requited and avenged, and the boundless potential for connection, even across extreme borders.
As in their acclaimed and award-winning anthology Steampunk!, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant have brought together fifteen of the premier voices in speculative fiction to explore the intersection of fear and love—where the monsters within meet, and sometimes blur into, the monsters without—in a haunting, at times hilarious, darkly imaginative volume.
With stories by:
M. T. Anderson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Nathan Ballingrud, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, Nalo Hopkinson, Dylan Horrocks, Nik Houser, Kathleen Jennings, Alice Sola Kim, Joshua Lewis, Kelly Link, Patrick Ness, and G. Carl Purcell
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“Find a dark corner, light a candle, and wrap yourself in a blanket—theseare stories that beg to be read in the dark. Between these pages readers willfind entries by literary greats as well as new authors. Some of these tales aremoving, others terrifying, but they all have one thing in common: monsters…Fromvampires to ghosts and from strange creatures made of mercury to half-harpies,these beasts will broaden readers’ perspectives. Teens will never think aboutmonsters in the same way again. Long after the last page is turned, these taleswill linger in readers’ brains, in their closets, under their beds, and in theshadows.”
— School Library Journal
Quotes
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“Luminous…There are wonderful stories…M. T. Anderson’s ‘Quick Hill’ is a tour de force of contemporary short fiction. It does, as well as anything I’ve read recently, what scary stories are supposed to do: It says what we feel, but cannot say.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“An engrossing, morally complex anthology of fifteen stories centered on the seemingly antagonistic concepts of monsters and love…All of the entries are strong, and many are splendid.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Link and Grant clearly spent a lot of time building this collection…and consequently none of the stories disappoint. Authors such as Cassandra Clare and Patrick Ness—along with the monster dripping blood on the cover—will draw in readers eager for creepy, atmospheric tales.”
— Booklist -
“Short stories with otherworldly creatures may be a dime a dozen, but rarely do they offer such nuanced scope…An anthology of riches.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“What do you get when you mix love and monsters? A tasty collection of macabre short stories from fifteen writers of fantasy and gothic fiction…Teachers looking for accomplished writing, complex points of view, ambiguous plots, and rich themes will enjoy exploring these stories—if they dare.”
— VOYA -
“A delightful (often frightful) anthology of short fantasy fiction…The strong writing brims with misdirection, humor, horrors, and twisty endings…This substantial volume will provide older teens—and adults—with hours of thoroughly enjoyable reading. A monstrously entertaining anthology.”
— Shelf Awareness -
“Although there are a plethora of characters in the fifteen short stories that make up this audiobook, narrators Amy Rubinate and Nick Podehl seem to thrive on the challenge of coming up with all new voices—monstrous and human—for each story…Rubinate’s breathy, raspy narration conveys the sadness and otherworldliness of the monsters and the people they interact with. Podehl’s boyish speaking voice belies his ability to create harsh old men, middle-class moms, and terrifying monsters. These two talented performers make these extraordinary tales alien, strange, and moving.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week, September 2014
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About the Authors
Kelly Link is a firm believer in the do-it-yourself ethos that powers the steampunk movement. She has started a zine, founded an independent publishing house, owns two letterpresses, and edited the fantasy half of The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror for five years. She lives in Massachusetts.
Gavin J. Grant, along with his wife Kelly Link, edited the acclaimed anthology Steampunk! They also started a zine, founded an independent publishing house, own two letterpresses, and edited the fantasy half of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror for five years.
About the Narrators
Nick Podehl is a professional voice actor. He has narrated numerous audiobooks, many of which have won prestigious awards, including fourteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. He currently lives and works around Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife.
Amy Rubinate has narrated over 250 audiobooks and won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her books have been selected for AudioFile’s Best Romance of 2016 list; Booklist’s Top 10 Romance, Top 10 Historical Fiction, Editor’s Choice Media; and YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She has a degree in oral interpretation of literature and won state and national awards for poetry reading. A voice actor and singer for over a decade, Amy has narrated many interactive children’s books and provided character voices for toys and video games. Amy’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, AudioFile magazine, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal.