Other Sliced Up Press Titles I’ve Reviewed
Synopsis:
Menopause can be hell. With Bodies Full of Burning, Nicole M. Wolverton has selected 16 stories which show how deadly the change of life can be. From state-sanctioned surgeries to transformative encounters with mythical creatures; strained relationships to fiery vengeance, these tales offer thoughtful insights into a topic rarely viewed through the lens of horror.
Featuring all-new fiction from: Joanna Koch, Marsheila Rockwell, Monique Quintana, Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, Carman Webb, D.A. Jobe, Dr Bunny McFadden, Julie Ann Rees, Victory Witherkeigh, B.J. Thrower and Karen Thrower, E.F. Schraeder, Jennifer D. Adams, Ali Seay, Jude Reid, Shelby Dollar and Max Turner.
Edition:
Paperback ARC
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of Bodies Full of Burning from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way impact the content of my review.
Trigger Warnings:
The publisher does include a list of potential triggers at the back of the book, but I will provide them for you here as well.
Hover for Trigger WarningsMy Thoughts:
I’m going to try to do this a little bit differently yet again – I’m sorry. I just can’t settle on what I think is the most effective way to review collections like this. If you have thoughts on that, please PLEASE let me know! Instead of listing every single story, what it’s about, and what I liked/didn’t like, I’m going to look at the book as a whole. And then I’ll call out a few to talk specifically about. Maybe that will work better?
I was instantly intrigued by the idea of Menopause Horror when I first saw Sliced Up Press and editor Nicole M. Wolverton talking about putting this collection together. I thought about subbing, but then I remembered I barely manage to keep this blog updated, so how the hell was I going to make the time to write a whole-ass story? But that is neither here nor there. I was still very hyped to see what actual writers would make of the concept.
And you know what? Bodies Full of Burning is wonderful. Truly. Menopause seems very frightening (says me, who has not yet experienced it for myself, but isn’t terribly far removed from it). This book actually helped me feel a little less frightened of it, strangely. You might think that all you’d find here would be terrifying, squishy stories, but it’s not at all. Yes, there is some horrific body horror (there kind of HAS to be, you know). But there are also some very empowering-type tales of menopausal horror. Frankly, I’d highly recommend Bodies Full of Burning to the Peri-menopausal or menopausal folks in my life. I think that even in the not-necessarily-overtly-empowering stories there could still be some valuable takeaways to be had.
Some of my favorites were:
It Will Have Blood, They Say by Marsheila Rockwell
It Will Have Blood, They Say is about an archaeologist who finds the diaries of Erzsebet Bathory. Within the book she discovers that the truth of Bathory’s life is a bit different than what history has made of her, and she is able to change her own life because of it.
Here There Are Dragons by Megan M. Davies-Ostrom
A woman finds unexpected power after her menses stops, where she expected to find only death.
This one was so imaginative and powerful. I really, really loved it.
Nobody Warns You by D.A. Jobe
A group of women were signed up by their families (or in one case, by herself) for a “wilderness therapy” retreat for menopausal women and meet with disaster. An agent investigates.
I just love scary wilderness stories, and this one was not at all what I expected.
Becoming by Ali Seay
Ruby learns to embrace The Change.
Look, everything Ali Seay writes is gold, okay? Remember Go Down Hard? Yeah, we (speaking of the Royal We, naturally) just love her here.
Rating:
Bodies Full of Burning is well worth checking out. There wasn’t a story among the bunch that I didn’t enjoy. And with 16 stories included I’d say that’s pretty damned impressive, wouldn’t you?
Bodies Full of Burning Edited by Nicole M. Wolverton Sliced Up Press Published: September 1, 2021 ISBN: 979-8536828199 Paperback, E-book 150 Pages Publisher's Website Editor's Website
