Black Feathers

October 31, 2016
In this collection of 14 original tales and two reprints, Datlow (Children of Lovecraft) taps into the spooky and sometimes unsettling aspects of the bird kingdom. She makes a solid selection of dark fantasy and horror pieces, many of which possess a more literary tone, opting for psychological and subtle terror over blood and gore. As the stories unfold, several motifs unfold. Death and transformation feature in Jeffrey Ford’s “The Murmurations of Vienna Von Drome,” in which a detective tracks a serial killer by following a victim’s daughter, and Pat Cadigan’s “A Little Bird Told Me,” in which a woman tasked with investigating those who cheat death discovers a bizarre connection with the local birds. Seanan McGuire’s wonderful “The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids” features a teen girl whose obsession with crows and numbers helps her deal with a world perpetually on the brink of disaster. Paul Tremblay’s “Something About Birds” is an interview with a fictional acclaimed horror writer that gradually takes a creepy turn. This collection isn’t for those with delicate sensibilities; awful things happen to just about everyone, and open-ended or ambiguous conclusions may frustrate some readers. Still, it’s a thought-provoking exploration of the theme.

December 1, 2016

Birds have long served as symbols and omens to many cultures. In this collection of 16 stories, noted horror anthologist Datlow (Nightmares) reveals the darker side of avian myths and their meanings. In Seanan McGuire's "The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids," a young girl understands that counting birds portends the future. A widow dreams of the power of her winged neighbors in Joyce Carol Oates's "Great Blue Heron." Stephen Graham Jones highlights how tragic mistakes cannot be hidden away in "Pigeon from Hell." These stories reveal that having wings does not always mean you get to soar. VERDICT This haunting anthology presents an amazing array of writers who use avian tales to touch upon the shadows and light that exist in human lives. Aficionados of dark fantasy and horror will appreciate.--KC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017

Datlow's latest collection could be the one to engage teens in the short story format. Fans of Edgar Allan Poe's work or Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (based on Daphne du Maurier's classic short story) will find these more contemporary tales equally compelling. With their uncanny ability to mimic human speech and their reputation as portents and swallowers of human souls, the cold-blooded avian descendants of dinosaurs figure in some bone-chilling fashion in each story. These entries are more psychologically unsettling than scary, and many will prompt teens to recognize their own primal tendencies. The volume as a whole is a creative writing teacher's dream, with its varied approaches to the format. While Joyce Carol Oates's beautifully written "Great Blue Heron" is more traditional, Nicholas Royle's "The Obscure Bird" is so spare that what is left out is more thought provoking than what's included, and Pat Cadigan's amusing "A Little Bird Told Me" waits until the last line to pack its psychological punch. Seanan McGuire's "The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids," however, which focuses on a teenage girl with Asperger's syndrome who is goaded into violence, may not sit well with some readers. VERDICT Though it may require a sales pitch, this riveting anthology should amply reward those who love eerie fare.-Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.