Books of Blood: Volume 2 (Books of Blood #2) | 
pickBarker's second volume of Books of Blood is book ended by Dread, a story that EA Poe would have written if he was writing today, & New Murders in the Rue Morgue. Aside from the noticable Poe influences, there's the cautionary tale for democracy Hell's Event (with midterms approaching one should read this & vote), & several stories where the humans turn out to be the real monsters. Barker's an incredible prose stylist. At the end of one of the 👇
vivastory bloodier & bittersweet tales (earlier someone is literally rearranged into a suitcase), he writes, "Outside, the hard world mourned on, the chatter of buyers and sellers continuing through the night. Eventually indifference and fatigue claimed even the eagerest merchant. Inside and out there was a healing silence: an end to losses and to gains." Good stuff! 2y
Aimeesue I haven't read Barker in years. My dad was a big fan. I should dip in to another one. Thanks for the enthusiastic review! 2y
vivastory @Aimeesue I read the first vol. earlier this year, but prior to that it had been years since I had read him. It's been nice revisiting these works. 2y
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