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She Said Destroy
Word Horde presents the debut collection from critically-acclaimed Weird Fiction author Nadia Bulkin. Dreamlike, poignant, and unabashedly socio-political, She Said Destroy includes three stories nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award, four included in Year’s Best anthologies, and one original tale.
258 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 10, 2023
What I'm about to say may or may not be true but it's truth to me from my perspective, so I'm willing to say this with confidence: Horror is a man's world. I find that most horror books are written by men. Earlier this year, I found Ania Ahlborn and I was just beside myself with enthusiasm for her books. It felt good to get behind the sisterhood in this genre.
Now, full on into my own, personal Season of Horror (#seasonofhorror on Twitter & Instagram) I have discovered more female authors!
Enter: Nadia Bulkin.
This is my first time reading Bulkin's writing and I will tell you, she has chops. BIG TIME.
Some of these stories had TEETH! They ripped and gnashed and shredded! They were dangerous! These stories are dangerous and it was so exciting and unpredictable to me--I absolutely enjoyed getting to know Nadia as an author.
There's a great introduction written by Paul Tremblay that I recommend reading--it made me really excited to jump into the collection (especially the first story).
Some standouts in the collection for me:
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Only Unity Saves the Damned
Red Goat, Black Goat
Violet is the Color of Your Energy
and Absolute Zero
But that's not to say all of these stories were not engaging or compelling-they all were in some way or another. Some were chilling, shocking and macabre.
Some were violent.
Others were strange, weird and wonderful--even beautiful in their haunting details like the story Girl, I Love You.
I totally recommend this collection and I'm very excited to read more from Nadia--I'd love to read a full length novel. New instabuy author, you guys!
Now, full on into my own, personal Season of Horror (#seasonofhorror on Twitter & Instagram) I have discovered more female authors!
Enter: Nadia Bulkin.
This is my first time reading Bulkin's writing and I will tell you, she has chops. BIG TIME.
Some of these stories had TEETH! They ripped and gnashed and shredded! They were dangerous! These stories are dangerous and it was so exciting and unpredictable to me--I absolutely enjoyed getting to know Nadia as an author.
There's a great introduction written by Paul Tremblay that I recommend reading--it made me really excited to jump into the collection (especially the first story).
Some standouts in the collection for me:
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Only Unity Saves the Damned
Red Goat, Black Goat
Violet is the Color of Your Energy
and Absolute Zero
But that's not to say all of these stories were not engaging or compelling-they all were in some way or another. Some were chilling, shocking and macabre.
Some were violent.
Others were strange, weird and wonderful--even beautiful in their haunting details like the story Girl, I Love You.
I totally recommend this collection and I'm very excited to read more from Nadia--I'd love to read a full length novel. New instabuy author, you guys!
August 30, 2017
I had the honor of writing an introduction to this book. It's one of the best collections of this any other year. There is no other writer like Nadia working today and her socio-political horror stories will knock you on your butt. I would not steer you wrong. Well, I might, but not this time, I promise.
March 10, 2023
No sé explicar muy bien la razón de que me haya gustado tanto esta antología de terror. Tiene mérito porque yo no soy muy de terror y menos de relatos, y aún así aquí estoy, porque hay historias que trascienden el género en la que están escritos y simplemente son para ti.
La voz de Nadia Bulkin me ha resultado tan viva y original, cada relato tan especial y diferente, que siempre estaba ansiosa por leer el siguiente. Sus historias están contadas con un terror tan cotidiano que resulta completamente real, pero por suerte para mi estuvieron más próximos al escalofrío que al verdadero miedo.
Sea como sea son historias difíciles de olvidar.
Ojalá poder seguir leyendo a la autora pronto.
La voz de Nadia Bulkin me ha resultado tan viva y original, cada relato tan especial y diferente, que siempre estaba ansiosa por leer el siguiente. Sus historias están contadas con un terror tan cotidiano que resulta completamente real, pero por suerte para mi estuvieron más próximos al escalofrío que al verdadero miedo.
Sea como sea son historias difíciles de olvidar.
Ojalá poder seguir leyendo a la autora pronto.
Want to read
August 13, 2017This book came with a signed book plate signed by Nadia Bulkin.
July 11, 2018
Only Unity Saves the Damned ★★★★☆
"Roz was kneeling by then, in deference and fear. When Lark’s screams finally stopped, she knew that it was her turn."
Feels like Nadia Bulkin is as big a fan of The Fountain as I.
Here she’s domesticated it, added a little Blair Witch Project mockumentary and an urban legend that sounds like the Cut Wife from Penny Dreadful.
It would have been better with three to five pages of domestic doldrums and disappointments cut and maybe an additional page of the otherworldly, immortal exotic.
If you’ve never seen The Fountain (2006) you should, it’s beautiful, emotional, intelligent filmmaking: https://youtu.be/F0yxCLznEqs
Girl I Love You ★★★★☆
“Asami did the sort of stuff you wouldn’t do to anyone unless you knew they couldn’t stick you with a visit from Hanako-san.”
The vicious bully at a paranormal Japanese high school gets what’s coming to her at a high cost.
I liked the afterward examination of the bully state of mind.
Intertropical Convergence Zone ★★★★☆
A hard look at the autocrat Suharto through the lens of dark fantasy.
Red Goat, Black Goat ★★★★☆
“...the days when she didn’t fear the dark were gone.”
Scary story about a nanny in the middle of nowhere facing creepy kids and goat gods.
You should always find out what it means to be loved by your goat god before committing to its worship.
Absolute Zero ★★★★☆
“...everyone in the Creeker’s presence thought it was staring them in the eye, holding them rapt.”
Monster story! Freaky small town story of a man born from his mothers woodland misadventures.
The Five Stages of Grief ★★★☆☆
A tale of lingering grief and violent ghosts.
And When She Was Bad ★★★☆☆
"All night she dreams of fists. Every time they are her own."
The final girl drags the disabled murdering monster for days down a lonely road yelling at it.
Then talking to it.
Then commiserating.
Then, what, deciding to be it?
Seven Minutes in Heaven ★★★☆☆
“Christ the divine scarab... God bestows the gift of life unto those who have faith...”
Girl grows up in strange town with strange customs next to a dead town. This was set up to be great but just whimpered to nothing.
Pugelbone ★★★☆☆
I can almost see this as an edgy episode of The Outer Limits.
A little girl in unfortunate circumstances makes friends with a cute little monster... and completely forgets the whole monster part until it’s too late. Her mistake haunts her life.
Endless Life ★★★☆☆
The ghost of a maid who died in the same room as a mass murderer haunts it in his name. The story illustrates that it’s the victims, and not the perpetrators, that are haunted by violent crimes.
Truth is the Order and the Order is Truth ★★★☆☆
“You live in a monster’s empire. You’re only upset because you’re not the biggest monster, anymore.”
This was Southeast Asian folklore that morphed into Cthulhu mythos.
That could have been epic but it was too choppy and abrupt. The point of the story, or even where it ended up, was lost on me.
No Gods, No Masters ★★★☆☆
“Man proposes. Witch disposes.”
A demon curse runs through a line of women who hold the end of the world in their wombs. A bit choppy but the ideas were there.
Violet is the Color of Your Energy ★★☆☆☆
Similar to Lovecraft’s A Color Out of Space set in Nebraska and not as good.
January 19, 2022
Relatos de absoluto terror que no me han impactado en profundidad. Estes deberían ser leídos para experimentar todas las emociones que ofrecen.
Mis favoritos son Las cinco etapas del duelo y Solo la unión salva a los condenados. El primero de ellos es una especie de distopía en la que los espíritus se distinguen entre benignos y sangrantes. Y el segundo nos cuentan una broma que hacen unos muchachos burlándose de la leyenda urbana de Annie la Andrajosa y no sabrán lo que les viene encima.
.
Stories of absolute terror that have not impacted me in depth. These should be read to experience all the thrills they offer.
My favorites are The Five Stages of Grief and Only Unity Saves the Damned. The first of them is a kind of dystopia in which the spirits are distinguished between benign and bleeding. And the second tells us a joke made by some boys making fun of the urban legend of Ragged Annie and they will not know what is coming at them.
Mis favoritos son Las cinco etapas del duelo y Solo la unión salva a los condenados. El primero de ellos es una especie de distopía en la que los espíritus se distinguen entre benignos y sangrantes. Y el segundo nos cuentan una broma que hacen unos muchachos burlándose de la leyenda urbana de Annie la Andrajosa y no sabrán lo que les viene encima.
.
Stories of absolute terror that have not impacted me in depth. These should be read to experience all the thrills they offer.
My favorites are The Five Stages of Grief and Only Unity Saves the Damned. The first of them is a kind of dystopia in which the spirits are distinguished between benign and bleeding. And the second tells us a joke made by some boys making fun of the urban legend of Ragged Annie and they will not know what is coming at them.
January 12, 2021
El miedo a lo desconocido. Esa sensación extraña que tan bien nos describía Lovecraft en su tratado acerca del horror y que acierta de lleno en cuanto a las emociones que te puede proporcionar una buena novela de terror o, como es en este caso, una recopilación de relatos. Esa perturbación que causa en ti el hecho de no terminar de comprender qué es eso a lo que te enfrentas pero del que tienes claro su peligrosidad.
Supongo que será por el exotismo de la propuesta, por adentrarte en una mitología, en una forma de enfocar el horror que es ajena a lo que estás acostumbrado o que, simplemente, Nadia Bulkin han conseguido en este libro algo mucho más sencillo que es apelar a ese miedo universal que todos llevamos dentro.
Y es que, a lo largo de estos trece relatos, alguno de los cuales suponen un pequeño esfuerzo por parte del lector para entender la profundidad de los temas a tratar, la escritora nos presenta una serie de cuestiones a abordar en las que te puedes sentir perfectamente identificado. Desde el miedo a la muerte, o su aceptación, a el temor que produce mirar a la cara a tus propios fantasmas. A partir de ahí, todo lo que quieras. Criaturas de ultratumba, maldiciones, encuentros con entidades, poderosas energías y hasta pequeños pasajes a lugares acuáticos que son reconocidos por los amantes del género.
Pero claro, dicho así no es más que otra recopilación de relatos de terror de tantas. Y podría pasar desapercibida entre el amplio abanico de propuestas que hay en el mercado. Pero todo en este libro es diferente, se siente fresco, está lleno de ideas y miedos que para el público occidental suenan ajenos pero que se sienten igual de cercanos que los vampiros, hombres lobos y cualquier criatura de nuestras habituales pesadillas.
Y es que el catálogo de monstruosidades que hacen acto de presencia en cada uno de los relatos que contiene esta recopilación es digna de reseñar, aunque es mejor que lo descubra el lector. Seres mitológicos llenos de exotismo y espiritualidad, a los que no te gustaría enfrentarte cara a cara, acompañan en estas historias a otros que nos llevan de lleno a la pura mitogia lovecraftiana.
Por si eso no fuera suficiente, a lo largo de estas historias Bulkin se dedica a diseccionar la actualidad e historia política de su país de origen, entrando a trapo en todo tipo de atrocidades dictatoriales y sociales que aterran aun más que toda la fantasía que acompaña a esta obra. Y es que pone patas arriba todo el mundo que la rodea, poniendo especial atención en la figura femenina y su estoica capacidad de aguante ante la hostilidad del mundo y la fuerza de su empoderamiento para enfrentarse a él.
En definitiva, es un libro diferente a lo que estamos acostumbrados y eso ya merece toda la atención. Aunque son relatos complicados de entender, llenos de mitología y de maneras de enfocar la vida que resultan chocantes en esta parte del globo, cada una de estas historias te dejan su impronta. Y eso, no es sencillo de conseguir.
Supongo que será por el exotismo de la propuesta, por adentrarte en una mitología, en una forma de enfocar el horror que es ajena a lo que estás acostumbrado o que, simplemente, Nadia Bulkin han conseguido en este libro algo mucho más sencillo que es apelar a ese miedo universal que todos llevamos dentro.
Y es que, a lo largo de estos trece relatos, alguno de los cuales suponen un pequeño esfuerzo por parte del lector para entender la profundidad de los temas a tratar, la escritora nos presenta una serie de cuestiones a abordar en las que te puedes sentir perfectamente identificado. Desde el miedo a la muerte, o su aceptación, a el temor que produce mirar a la cara a tus propios fantasmas. A partir de ahí, todo lo que quieras. Criaturas de ultratumba, maldiciones, encuentros con entidades, poderosas energías y hasta pequeños pasajes a lugares acuáticos que son reconocidos por los amantes del género.
Pero claro, dicho así no es más que otra recopilación de relatos de terror de tantas. Y podría pasar desapercibida entre el amplio abanico de propuestas que hay en el mercado. Pero todo en este libro es diferente, se siente fresco, está lleno de ideas y miedos que para el público occidental suenan ajenos pero que se sienten igual de cercanos que los vampiros, hombres lobos y cualquier criatura de nuestras habituales pesadillas.
Y es que el catálogo de monstruosidades que hacen acto de presencia en cada uno de los relatos que contiene esta recopilación es digna de reseñar, aunque es mejor que lo descubra el lector. Seres mitológicos llenos de exotismo y espiritualidad, a los que no te gustaría enfrentarte cara a cara, acompañan en estas historias a otros que nos llevan de lleno a la pura mitogia lovecraftiana.
Por si eso no fuera suficiente, a lo largo de estas historias Bulkin se dedica a diseccionar la actualidad e historia política de su país de origen, entrando a trapo en todo tipo de atrocidades dictatoriales y sociales que aterran aun más que toda la fantasía que acompaña a esta obra. Y es que pone patas arriba todo el mundo que la rodea, poniendo especial atención en la figura femenina y su estoica capacidad de aguante ante la hostilidad del mundo y la fuerza de su empoderamiento para enfrentarse a él.
En definitiva, es un libro diferente a lo que estamos acostumbrados y eso ya merece toda la atención. Aunque son relatos complicados de entender, llenos de mitología y de maneras de enfocar la vida que resultan chocantes en esta parte del globo, cada una de estas historias te dejan su impronta. Y eso, no es sencillo de conseguir.
May 19, 2018
4.0 Stars - Video Review: https://youtu.be/sJsx70JZknE
She Said Destroy is like nothing I have ever read before. This collection defies genre. Avoiding the usual conventions of the horror genre, many of the stories read like weird fiction. Bulkin identifies her work as socio-political horror, which is probably the best description for this unique collection. These are certainly not your typical horror stories.
This collection is a wonderful example of diverse horror fiction. As a female author, Bulkin brings another much needed voice in the genre. Furthermore, as a person of Indonesian descent, she offers a worldview that is underrepresented in North American fiction. This collection provides insight into the cultural, political and historical landscape of south Asia. These details are skillfully woven into the stories without ever feeling dry or cumbersome. Many of the stories prominently feature ghosts and familial relationships, which are representative of Indonesian culture.
Bulkin's writing is incredibly strong. She has a confidence on the page that gives her collection a literary quality. This collection is quite speculative, requiring careful reading. So many of the stories can be read on multiple levels, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. Admittedly, I did not fully understand all the ideas in all of the short stories. This collection really challenged me as a reader.
Each story is very different from the others, demonstrating the author's range. Bulkin does not shy away from difficult subject matter in her collection, tackling topics like bullying, illness and suicide. In terms of horror, these stories are not overtly scary or gory. Bulkin does not attempt to shock or gross-out the reader with cheap tricks. Instead, the horrors in this collection are subtle, playing on a more intellectual level. Bulkin is quite descriptive in her writing, weaving creepy details into each of her narratives.
The title of this collection, She Said Destory, is a fitting choice because so many of the stories have the potential to destroy the reader. Here are some of the standout stories in the collection:
Intertropical Convergence Zone
This is the story of a power-hungry military general who, following the advice of an Indonesian shaman, eats a bullet. Blending together horror and history, this story starts the collection off strong with a gripping and gut-twisting narrative.
The Five Stages of Grief
Following a girl dealing with the death of her sister, this is a fascinating take on the classic ghost story. Showing the poverty of the nation, the decrepit house becomes another character in the story. The haunting is somewhat ambiguous, allowing the story to be interpreted in several different ways.
And When She Was Bad
My personal favourite in the collection, this story tackles the horror trope of "The Final Girl". Bulkin takes this classic trope and twists it into something new. Told from the perspective of the lone female survivor, this story begins in the aftermath a horrific massacre. This story addresses how horror stories notoriously stigmatize female sexuality, killing off the non-virginal characters. The demonic monster was ambiguous, yet incredibly memorable with some fantastic gruesome imagery. Told from a strong, female perspective, this narrative in this one is absolutely cutthroat.
I would recommend this collection to readers looking for a fresh collection of intelligent short stories written from a powerful diverse voice in the horror community.
I requested this book from the Word Horde after reading her fantastic short story, May You Live in Interesting Times, found in the anthology collection, Tales from a Talking Board.
She Said Destroy is like nothing I have ever read before. This collection defies genre. Avoiding the usual conventions of the horror genre, many of the stories read like weird fiction. Bulkin identifies her work as socio-political horror, which is probably the best description for this unique collection. These are certainly not your typical horror stories.
This collection is a wonderful example of diverse horror fiction. As a female author, Bulkin brings another much needed voice in the genre. Furthermore, as a person of Indonesian descent, she offers a worldview that is underrepresented in North American fiction. This collection provides insight into the cultural, political and historical landscape of south Asia. These details are skillfully woven into the stories without ever feeling dry or cumbersome. Many of the stories prominently feature ghosts and familial relationships, which are representative of Indonesian culture.
Bulkin's writing is incredibly strong. She has a confidence on the page that gives her collection a literary quality. This collection is quite speculative, requiring careful reading. So many of the stories can be read on multiple levels, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. Admittedly, I did not fully understand all the ideas in all of the short stories. This collection really challenged me as a reader.
Each story is very different from the others, demonstrating the author's range. Bulkin does not shy away from difficult subject matter in her collection, tackling topics like bullying, illness and suicide. In terms of horror, these stories are not overtly scary or gory. Bulkin does not attempt to shock or gross-out the reader with cheap tricks. Instead, the horrors in this collection are subtle, playing on a more intellectual level. Bulkin is quite descriptive in her writing, weaving creepy details into each of her narratives.
The title of this collection, She Said Destory, is a fitting choice because so many of the stories have the potential to destroy the reader. Here are some of the standout stories in the collection:
Intertropical Convergence Zone
This is the story of a power-hungry military general who, following the advice of an Indonesian shaman, eats a bullet. Blending together horror and history, this story starts the collection off strong with a gripping and gut-twisting narrative.
The Five Stages of Grief
Following a girl dealing with the death of her sister, this is a fascinating take on the classic ghost story. Showing the poverty of the nation, the decrepit house becomes another character in the story. The haunting is somewhat ambiguous, allowing the story to be interpreted in several different ways.
And When She Was Bad
My personal favourite in the collection, this story tackles the horror trope of "The Final Girl". Bulkin takes this classic trope and twists it into something new. Told from the perspective of the lone female survivor, this story begins in the aftermath a horrific massacre. This story addresses how horror stories notoriously stigmatize female sexuality, killing off the non-virginal characters. The demonic monster was ambiguous, yet incredibly memorable with some fantastic gruesome imagery. Told from a strong, female perspective, this narrative in this one is absolutely cutthroat.
I would recommend this collection to readers looking for a fresh collection of intelligent short stories written from a powerful diverse voice in the horror community.
I requested this book from the Word Horde after reading her fantastic short story, May You Live in Interesting Times, found in the anthology collection, Tales from a Talking Board.
December 30, 2021
Notable colección de cuentos que se apoya sobre todo en tres virtudes: una personalidad marcada, caracterizada por la introducción de la historia o los mitos del sudeste asiático en gran parte del contenido; un uso contante de la tensión generacional o cultural como sustrato del drama, que tanto puede presentarse dentro de una familia, un pueblo, un país; y una escritura tremendamente evocadora, con fragmentos exuberantes sin perder por ello fuerza, ni pulcritud (fantástica traducción de Antonio Rivas). Me va a costar olvidar relatos como "Zona de convergencia intertropical", "Sólo la unión salva a los condenados", "La Verdad es el Orden. El Orden es la Verdad" o "Sin dioses ni amos". Obviamente no todas las historias rayan al mismo nivel, pero incluso las más flojillas (un homenajillo Lovecraftiano; algún final muy deslavazado) tienen algo que las hace meritorias.
December 19, 2017
H Nadia Bulking πρέπει να παρείσφρησε στις αναγνωστικές μου λίστες πρόσφατα, μέσα από κάποιον έγκριτο λογοτεχνικό τόπο. Η εισαγωγή από τον literary horror Paul Trelmblay που λέει πως είναι ό,τι καλύτερο μπορεί να διαβάσει κανείς τη σήμερον ημέρα στον τρόμο, καθώς και το "πολύ" Shirley Jackson βραβείο που πήρε το βιβλίο - όλα αυτά συνηγορούν σε ένα επιβεβλημένο ανάγνωσμα. Ωστόσο, όπως πολύ συχνά διαπιστώνω, τα πράματα δεν είναι έτσι αλλά και λίγο αλλιώς.
Η γραφής της είναι ένα πράμα που εγώ εντάσσω στις πειραματικές γραφές οι οποίες αποτελούν μια καλή άσκηση γραφής και μια υπόσχεση για το μελλόν. Συνήθως τέτοια άνθρωποι είτε χάνονται διαπαντώς στους λαβύριθνους του ψαγμένου μυθοπλαστικού τόπου είτε αποβάλλουν τα περιττά τα λίπη, και παραδίδουν κάτι ευανάγνωστο αλλά και με φινέτσα. Εγώ, πάντως, τούτο το εγκατέλειψα στα μισά. Είχα κάθε καλή διάθεση, παρότι η πρώτη ιστορία είναι μια βίαιη επίθεση στον απλό αναγνώστη που κρύβα μέσα μου. Η συνέχεια ήταν λίγο πιο ομαλή, αλλά Η Bulkin έχει την τάση πολύ γρήγορα να λοξοδρομεί εκεί που εγώ έχω χαράξει πορεία ευθεία.
Λίγο μεγαλομανής και φιλόδοξη εκείνη, λίγο απλοϊκός εγώ - ήταν, τελικά, καταδικασμένη αυτή η γνωριμία μας. Πάντως, κάποια επόμενή της δουλειά θα την δοκιμάσω, αν πιστέψω πως θα είναι πιο στρωτή και συμβατική.
Η γραφής της είναι ένα πράμα που εγώ εντάσσω στις πειραματικές γραφές οι οποίες αποτελούν μια καλή άσκηση γραφής και μια υπόσχεση για το μελλόν. Συνήθως τέτοια άνθρωποι είτε χάνονται διαπαντώς στους λαβύριθνους του ψαγμένου μυθοπλαστικού τόπου είτε αποβάλλουν τα περιττά τα λίπη, και παραδίδουν κάτι ευανάγνωστο αλλά και με φινέτσα. Εγώ, πάντως, τούτο το εγκατέλειψα στα μισά. Είχα κάθε καλή διάθεση, παρότι η πρώτη ιστορία είναι μια βίαιη επίθεση στον απλό αναγνώστη που κρύβα μέσα μου. Η συνέχεια ήταν λίγο πιο ομαλή, αλλά Η Bulkin έχει την τάση πολύ γρήγορα να λοξοδρομεί εκεί που εγώ έχω χαράξει πορεία ευθεία.
Λίγο μεγαλομανής και φιλόδοξη εκείνη, λίγο απλοϊκός εγώ - ήταν, τελικά, καταδικασμένη αυτή η γνωριμία μας. Πάντως, κάποια επόμενή της δουλειά θα την δοκιμάσω, αν πιστέψω πως θα είναι πιο στρωτή και συμβατική.
October 9, 2018
Generals eating bullets to increase their power. Accidents turning towns into cemeteries. Anonymous dead maids impersonating ghosts of war criminals.
All this and more is in She Said Destroy, the remarkable debut collection of Nadia Bulkin brought by Word Horde. Even if Bulkin stays in the weird horror territory, she uses it frequently to deal with social and political issues, as in the striking opener “Intertropical Convergence Zone”, the ironic take on the haunted house narrative in “Endless life”, or the crude tale on bullying and suicide in “Girl, I Love You”.
Other common drive in these stories is the strong presence of female voices, something that gets very interesting when she addresses lovecraftian themes like in “Violet Is the Color of Your Energy” (clearly inspired in “The Color Out of Space”), the Deep-One flavored “Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth”, or the interesting “Red Goat, Black Goat”. As John Langan highlighted in his Locus review, Bulkin takes known tropes from the genre and de-centers them, either by taking them to different time and places (like the stories set in Indonesia, where Bulkin is original from), or by twisting them with unusual points of view.
Another new author to follow.
All this and more is in She Said Destroy, the remarkable debut collection of Nadia Bulkin brought by Word Horde. Even if Bulkin stays in the weird horror territory, she uses it frequently to deal with social and political issues, as in the striking opener “Intertropical Convergence Zone”, the ironic take on the haunted house narrative in “Endless life”, or the crude tale on bullying and suicide in “Girl, I Love You”.
Other common drive in these stories is the strong presence of female voices, something that gets very interesting when she addresses lovecraftian themes like in “Violet Is the Color of Your Energy” (clearly inspired in “The Color Out of Space”), the Deep-One flavored “Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth”, or the interesting “Red Goat, Black Goat”. As John Langan highlighted in his Locus review, Bulkin takes known tropes from the genre and de-centers them, either by taking them to different time and places (like the stories set in Indonesia, where Bulkin is original from), or by twisting them with unusual points of view.
Another new author to follow.
February 28, 2018
Finished re-read today—review stands :D
This collection kicks aaaaasss!!
I will definitely be returning to a handful of these stories to learn how Bulkin did it.
(FUCK: There's not a lot of reviews for this book yet. Ms Bulkin, if you find this, I LOVED your book. It's excellent. Please don't read my review. I batter them out SOC style mostly for my own records, and potential readers are welcome to read them, but I don't write them for authors. They're rarely even about the books themselves—maybe enough so that Goodreads doesn't delete them, but that's about it. It's just that, if I were the author of a book and I read a review I'd written of it, I don't think I'd take it well. You may then argue, "Well then you shouldn't write them like that." But, as a wee tiny version of a writer myself, I afford readers the courtesy of not reading their reviews unless requested to do so. I don't believe that they're writing them for me, and I also think that if they thought I was going to read them, they'd be less honest.
You ever see that show, "How to Look Ten Years Younger" or something? They had someone stand in the street and ask strangers how old they looked. They had the person stand out of earshot for the initial age guess, so passersby were willing to guess as old as they liked. Then, they'd dress the person up, maybe even botox them, and parade them right up to people and ask again: "How old do you think this guy is?" What are they going to say right to his face? Something more flattering. That's a biased experiment right there!
Also if ANY of my reviews EVER inspired a thinkpiece on Tor or whatever, I would be SO fucked off. )
Check out "Girl, I Love You", (can anyone tell me if the comma is supposed to go outside the inverted commas in this context?!) published by The DARK Magazine, to see if you like her too. It was one of my favourites. I have to imagine it was inspired by the Massive Attack song of the same name (I love that album but not many do!) I just googled the title of the book and see that it's the same as a song by a group called Death in June, so I guess music is an influence here :)
I don't have the book with me but there were other cool stories, like "Pugelbone" about bones that wander around if they're not buried properly, and the opening one, "Intertropical Convergence Zone", about the witchcraft used to keep a dictator alive. "And When She Was Bad", about a final girl dragging a demon, was super cool—straddles that difficult line between badass and non-preachy!
The style is readable and occasionally poetic where allowed, and Bulkin isn't afraid to swear or get grotesque where it's needed.
It's not a perfect collection, at least for me. There's a Lovecraft-nodding story for one (uuuugh but also again you could accuse me of having written maybe even more than one of these!)
Also, and this is probably just me: I used to complain of Spanish love/pop songs that they all had the word "corazon", heart, in them. Nobody really shared my frustration though, because they were just like, "What do you expect? It's a pop/love song. They're gonna sing about their heart." What a limited view of the genre though, I thought! Same goes for literary horror. There are many noveaux tropes, but what is it with eeeeveryone romanticising bones all the time! (This from the author of a sorta horror book called "Bonespin Slipspace" but to be fair I didn't name it :P) Bones, glistening in the moonlight. Licking the shimmering orb of her hyaline humerus ball and fucking the socket joint or whatever. I don't remember if it's in here, but there's also that notion of cutting off your skin/arm etc and giving it to someone because it's like "giving a piece of yourself." Lol how about don't. (See but I'm nervous about calling out these tropes in case I ever want to use them! You may even argue that I already have. Oh well. I change my mind about stuff all the time :D)
It's a good and a bad thing that we all read the best writers out there in order to refine our own crafts: in one sense you see how great literary storytelling can be, and aspire to replicate that greatness in your own way—but there's also an overemphasis on certain symbols/techniques/themes etc. as being "better than others", because people (myself included) tend to misinterpret to a certain degree exactly what it is about good writing that's working and what isn't. The golden rule here is to improve while not compromising on authenticity. That's about as deep as we can go there, though, as only your soul knows how that's accomplished. Just listen to it, I guess :)
Also, I think evidenced by the above, I haven't yet learned how to both be a writer and to read great contemporary writing without desire to find fault with it. That I've read of Will Self though, he stays away from the new material of others for this very reason. I think you just have to hold in your mind that everyone—apart from maybe Norman Mailer—wants you to experience joy, catharsis and a break from suffering when you enter the realm of literature, either as a reader or writer. [And even as a submitter or editor: everyone, in most instances, resents rejection being part of the process.] But it takes us work to convince ourselves of that, and what kind of a loser likes work?! Oh, and as a personal tip, NEVER ask yourself if there's a point in continuing to write or to produce new stories. Just don't even ask. It's like alcohol for alcoholics: you can't beat this thing, so just stay away from it.
AAAAnyway! All that said, Bulkin's work is still cream of the cream of the crop, and this isn't one to be missed!
This collection kicks aaaaasss!!
I will definitely be returning to a handful of these stories to learn how Bulkin did it.
(FUCK: There's not a lot of reviews for this book yet. Ms Bulkin, if you find this, I LOVED your book. It's excellent. Please don't read my review. I batter them out SOC style mostly for my own records, and potential readers are welcome to read them, but I don't write them for authors. They're rarely even about the books themselves—maybe enough so that Goodreads doesn't delete them, but that's about it. It's just that, if I were the author of a book and I read a review I'd written of it, I don't think I'd take it well. You may then argue, "Well then you shouldn't write them like that." But, as a wee tiny version of a writer myself, I afford readers the courtesy of not reading their reviews unless requested to do so. I don't believe that they're writing them for me, and I also think that if they thought I was going to read them, they'd be less honest.
You ever see that show, "How to Look Ten Years Younger" or something? They had someone stand in the street and ask strangers how old they looked. They had the person stand out of earshot for the initial age guess, so passersby were willing to guess as old as they liked. Then, they'd dress the person up, maybe even botox them, and parade them right up to people and ask again: "How old do you think this guy is?" What are they going to say right to his face? Something more flattering. That's a biased experiment right there!
Also if ANY of my reviews EVER inspired a thinkpiece on Tor or whatever, I would be SO fucked off. )
Check out "Girl, I Love You", (can anyone tell me if the comma is supposed to go outside the inverted commas in this context?!) published by The DARK Magazine, to see if you like her too. It was one of my favourites. I have to imagine it was inspired by the Massive Attack song of the same name (I love that album but not many do!) I just googled the title of the book and see that it's the same as a song by a group called Death in June, so I guess music is an influence here :)
I don't have the book with me but there were other cool stories, like "Pugelbone" about bones that wander around if they're not buried properly, and the opening one, "Intertropical Convergence Zone", about the witchcraft used to keep a dictator alive. "And When She Was Bad", about a final girl dragging a demon, was super cool—straddles that difficult line between badass and non-preachy!
The style is readable and occasionally poetic where allowed, and Bulkin isn't afraid to swear or get grotesque where it's needed.
It's not a perfect collection, at least for me. There's a Lovecraft-nodding story for one (uuuugh but also again you could accuse me of having written maybe even more than one of these!)
Also, and this is probably just me: I used to complain of Spanish love/pop songs that they all had the word "corazon", heart, in them. Nobody really shared my frustration though, because they were just like, "What do you expect? It's a pop/love song. They're gonna sing about their heart." What a limited view of the genre though, I thought! Same goes for literary horror. There are many noveaux tropes, but what is it with eeeeveryone romanticising bones all the time! (This from the author of a sorta horror book called "Bonespin Slipspace" but to be fair I didn't name it :P) Bones, glistening in the moonlight. Licking the shimmering orb of her hyaline humerus ball and fucking the socket joint or whatever. I don't remember if it's in here, but there's also that notion of cutting off your skin/arm etc and giving it to someone because it's like "giving a piece of yourself." Lol how about don't. (See but I'm nervous about calling out these tropes in case I ever want to use them! You may even argue that I already have. Oh well. I change my mind about stuff all the time :D)
It's a good and a bad thing that we all read the best writers out there in order to refine our own crafts: in one sense you see how great literary storytelling can be, and aspire to replicate that greatness in your own way—but there's also an overemphasis on certain symbols/techniques/themes etc. as being "better than others", because people (myself included) tend to misinterpret to a certain degree exactly what it is about good writing that's working and what isn't. The golden rule here is to improve while not compromising on authenticity. That's about as deep as we can go there, though, as only your soul knows how that's accomplished. Just listen to it, I guess :)
Also, I think evidenced by the above, I haven't yet learned how to both be a writer and to read great contemporary writing without desire to find fault with it. That I've read of Will Self though, he stays away from the new material of others for this very reason. I think you just have to hold in your mind that everyone—apart from maybe Norman Mailer—wants you to experience joy, catharsis and a break from suffering when you enter the realm of literature, either as a reader or writer. [And even as a submitter or editor: everyone, in most instances, resents rejection being part of the process.] But it takes us work to convince ourselves of that, and what kind of a loser likes work?! Oh, and as a personal tip, NEVER ask yourself if there's a point in continuing to write or to produce new stories. Just don't even ask. It's like alcohol for alcoholics: you can't beat this thing, so just stay away from it.
AAAAnyway! All that said, Bulkin's work is still cream of the cream of the crop, and this isn't one to be missed!
October 29, 2021
3.5
¿Alguna vez os ha pasado con algún libro el no saber casi nada de él y que aún así os llame mucho la atención? Eso me pasaba a mi con esta antología. Ni siquiera sabía que era una antología hasta que comencé a leerlo, lo único que sabía es que pertenecía al género de terror y que un par de personas me lo habían recomendado.
Me parecía una época muy acorde, así que me lo dejé para la semana de Halloween y creo que ha sido un acierto. En este recopilatorio de relatos Nadia Bulkin nos narra historias que se van mucho hacia el terror paranormal. Espíritus atormentados, demonios que hacen pactos con familias, criaturas mitológicas siniestras... La mayoría tienen en común ese componente sobrenatural, algunos de ellos mezclados con una sutil crítica social. También se nota en algunos de ellos la influencia de H. P. Lovecraft, con ciertas referencias directas al autor.
Ha sido una buena lectura en general, aunque sí tengo que decir yo he notado bastante diferencia entre los relatos. Algunos me han gustado muchísimo más que otros. Mis favoritos han sido "Las cinco etapas del duelo", "Violeta es el color de tu energía", "Te quiero, chica", "Vida eterna" y "Sin dioses ni amos", siendo este último mi preferido y el que cierra la antología de una forma magistral.
Muy recomendado, el formato de los relatos creo que le viene genial al género de terror, pudiendo encontrar historias tan variadas y escalofriantes en un mismo tomo.
¿Alguna vez os ha pasado con algún libro el no saber casi nada de él y que aún así os llame mucho la atención? Eso me pasaba a mi con esta antología. Ni siquiera sabía que era una antología hasta que comencé a leerlo, lo único que sabía es que pertenecía al género de terror y que un par de personas me lo habían recomendado.
Me parecía una época muy acorde, así que me lo dejé para la semana de Halloween y creo que ha sido un acierto. En este recopilatorio de relatos Nadia Bulkin nos narra historias que se van mucho hacia el terror paranormal. Espíritus atormentados, demonios que hacen pactos con familias, criaturas mitológicas siniestras... La mayoría tienen en común ese componente sobrenatural, algunos de ellos mezclados con una sutil crítica social. También se nota en algunos de ellos la influencia de H. P. Lovecraft, con ciertas referencias directas al autor.
Ha sido una buena lectura en general, aunque sí tengo que decir yo he notado bastante diferencia entre los relatos. Algunos me han gustado muchísimo más que otros. Mis favoritos han sido "Las cinco etapas del duelo", "Violeta es el color de tu energía", "Te quiero, chica", "Vida eterna" y "Sin dioses ni amos", siendo este último mi preferido y el que cierra la antología de una forma magistral.
Muy recomendado, el formato de los relatos creo que le viene genial al género de terror, pudiendo encontrar historias tan variadas y escalofriantes en un mismo tomo.
September 26, 2017
SHE SAID DESTROY is a singular and fantastic collection. Nadia Bulkin’s stories are equally at home in Southeast Asia and Midwest America, and all bring a cogent sociopolitical bite of one sort or another. Some are movingly strange, some are deeply sad, all are spellbinding. Go to Amazon and do the Look Inside and see for yourself. You can read the first story and part of the second, and if that doesn’t convince you, nothing I say will either. Highly recommended for enthusiasts of original and weird fiction.
Read
May 11, 2021Confieso que siempre he sido más lectora de terror clásico que moderno, quizá porque, dentro de su oscuridad, me ofrece un entorno seguro. Un escalofrío placentero, sin miedo a que la experiencia, aún satisfactoria literariamente, resulte demasiado atosigante. Sin embargo, entre mis lecturas favoritas de los últimos meses brillan dos maravillas del horror moderno. Una es The Twisted Ones, genial novela de T. Kingfisher que ojalá un día llegue a editarse en español. La otra es la presente Ella dijo Destruye, una nueva joya editada por La Biblioteca de Carfax con su habitual cuidado.
No había leído a Nadia Bulkin antes de sumergirme en esta antología, pero la experiencia me ha dejado claro que es una de las voces más interesantes del terror contemporáneo. Sus relatos no eluden los elementos clásicos del género, desde los muertos vivientes, a los terrores primigenios, pasando por un homenaje al slasher o a los bosques poblados de siniestros habitantes o habitaciones de hotel encantadas. Pero también poseen una fuerte personalidad propia que los dota de un sabor muy diferente. Cada historia está impregnada de las inquietudes de la autora y, en muchos casos, del poso que le habrán dejado sus vivencias.
Sobre un fondo azul aparece una mujer joven en color amarillo, parece que se pone un vendaje en las manos como si fuera a boxear. Tras ella se cierne una figura amenazante de rostro rojo.
Bulkin es hija de padre javanés y madre estadounidense, vivió su infancia en Indonesia y más tarde se trasladaría a Nebraska. También es licenciada en Ciencias Políticas. En la antología nos encontramos tanto relatos ambientados en su país natal, como otras narraciones con sabor al Estados Unidos más rural. En un caso y otro, la historia, la política, las consecuencias de las desigualdades sociales o el retrato de los rincones más oscuros de nuestra sociedad impregnan sus narraciones. Y lo hacen para conferirles solidez, volver más interesante el escenario e invitarnos a reflexionar. La autora dota cada historia de una complejidad que va más allá de los sucesos que en ella se narran, pero integrando todos los elementos con tal maestría y solidez que ni el mayor purista de la absurda premisa de que la ficción no debe ser política (toda ficción es política) tendría resquicio alguno para tildar de panfleto ninguno de los relatos.
Buenos ejemplos de esto serían «Zona de convergencia intertropical» y «Solo la unión salva a los condenados», por citar dos historias muy diferentes en ambientación y desarrollo.
El primero, un retrato magistral de cómo se va construyendo la figura de un futuro tirano (y de la fidelidad ciega que genera en seguidores como el propio narrador de la historia), en el que la magia más siniestra juega un papel clave en la historia. Sin el elemento político no habría historia; sin la magia, perderíamos todo aquello que la hace tan fascinante como sutilmente demoledora.
Continua en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2021/03/1...
No había leído a Nadia Bulkin antes de sumergirme en esta antología, pero la experiencia me ha dejado claro que es una de las voces más interesantes del terror contemporáneo. Sus relatos no eluden los elementos clásicos del género, desde los muertos vivientes, a los terrores primigenios, pasando por un homenaje al slasher o a los bosques poblados de siniestros habitantes o habitaciones de hotel encantadas. Pero también poseen una fuerte personalidad propia que los dota de un sabor muy diferente. Cada historia está impregnada de las inquietudes de la autora y, en muchos casos, del poso que le habrán dejado sus vivencias.
Sobre un fondo azul aparece una mujer joven en color amarillo, parece que se pone un vendaje en las manos como si fuera a boxear. Tras ella se cierne una figura amenazante de rostro rojo.
Bulkin es hija de padre javanés y madre estadounidense, vivió su infancia en Indonesia y más tarde se trasladaría a Nebraska. También es licenciada en Ciencias Políticas. En la antología nos encontramos tanto relatos ambientados en su país natal, como otras narraciones con sabor al Estados Unidos más rural. En un caso y otro, la historia, la política, las consecuencias de las desigualdades sociales o el retrato de los rincones más oscuros de nuestra sociedad impregnan sus narraciones. Y lo hacen para conferirles solidez, volver más interesante el escenario e invitarnos a reflexionar. La autora dota cada historia de una complejidad que va más allá de los sucesos que en ella se narran, pero integrando todos los elementos con tal maestría y solidez que ni el mayor purista de la absurda premisa de que la ficción no debe ser política (toda ficción es política) tendría resquicio alguno para tildar de panfleto ninguno de los relatos.
Buenos ejemplos de esto serían «Zona de convergencia intertropical» y «Solo la unión salva a los condenados», por citar dos historias muy diferentes en ambientación y desarrollo.
El primero, un retrato magistral de cómo se va construyendo la figura de un futuro tirano (y de la fidelidad ciega que genera en seguidores como el propio narrador de la historia), en el que la magia más siniestra juega un papel clave en la historia. Sin el elemento político no habría historia; sin la magia, perderíamos todo aquello que la hace tan fascinante como sutilmente demoledora.
Continua en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2021/03/1...
August 30, 2017
Hands down one of the best collections I have read this year. An incredibly creative and dark set of stories that I think could be classified as weird fiction with monsters, both supernatural and human monsters. There is just a tad of whimsy in Bulkin's writing that makes every story more grotesque and original than others you may have read in the genre. The stories are very accessible but contain a depth surrounding culture, folklore, family, and international politics. I honestly don't have any complaints about the book.
Every story in this collection is great. Every story is creative and contain bizarre twists that I doubt you will see coming. I can compare the reading experience to that of when I read North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud, which is a collection that took weird fiction to the next level for me as a reader. The incredible, Paul Tremblay lauded, initial story Intertropical Convergence zone will suck you right in, and lays the foundation for Bulkin's style. That is only the beginning though, the collection just gets better as it goes along. It is hard for me to pick a favorite but one of the strongest stories for me is Absolute Zero, a totally Barronian style tale following a boy coming to terms with being the son of a half man half stag creature that has haunted a town for many years. Another favorite is the ghost story Girl, I Love You which deals with bullying, revenge, and friendship in apocalyptic Japan. There are 13 awesome stories in the collection, that run about 15-25 pages each that make the collection feel robust and complete.
Again, this is a great collection particularly for those fans of quote unquote weird fiction. I think it will also appeal to sci-fi fans as well as the diehard readers of Lovecraft (atleast those that don't hate female writers). I have never read Bulkin before but checked this book out because I am a big fan of the publisher, Word Horde. I plan to read future Bulkin though, she definitely has my attention now. I truly look forward to reading more of her work. Pick up She Said Destroy and get one of the best collections out this year.
Every story in this collection is great. Every story is creative and contain bizarre twists that I doubt you will see coming. I can compare the reading experience to that of when I read North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud, which is a collection that took weird fiction to the next level for me as a reader. The incredible, Paul Tremblay lauded, initial story Intertropical Convergence zone will suck you right in, and lays the foundation for Bulkin's style. That is only the beginning though, the collection just gets better as it goes along. It is hard for me to pick a favorite but one of the strongest stories for me is Absolute Zero, a totally Barronian style tale following a boy coming to terms with being the son of a half man half stag creature that has haunted a town for many years. Another favorite is the ghost story Girl, I Love You which deals with bullying, revenge, and friendship in apocalyptic Japan. There are 13 awesome stories in the collection, that run about 15-25 pages each that make the collection feel robust and complete.
Again, this is a great collection particularly for those fans of quote unquote weird fiction. I think it will also appeal to sci-fi fans as well as the diehard readers of Lovecraft (atleast those that don't hate female writers). I have never read Bulkin before but checked this book out because I am a big fan of the publisher, Word Horde. I plan to read future Bulkin though, she definitely has my attention now. I truly look forward to reading more of her work. Pick up She Said Destroy and get one of the best collections out this year.
October 2, 2020
La reseña completa en http://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/2...
“Aquella era la diferencia entre Yurie y yo: yo había aceptado que la vida era una mierda, no solo en la escuela sino después; Yurie aún conservaba aquella expectativa perversa de alcanzar la felicidad”.
Monstruos, dictadores, genocidas, brujas, fantasmas, leyendas, venganzas… Ella dijo Destruye, de Nadia Bulkin, es una antología que deberían todos estar leyendo. Terroríficos, asombrosos, incómodos y duros, los relatos no solo están muy bien escritos, sino que tratan tantos temas que es imposible enumerarlos todos. Hay tanta crítica social, como seres sobrenaturales. Aunque quizás los monstruos que terminan por ser más aterradores son los humanos.
“Aquella era la diferencia entre Yurie y yo: yo había aceptado que la vida era una mierda, no solo en la escuela sino después; Yurie aún conservaba aquella expectativa perversa de alcanzar la felicidad”.
Monstruos, dictadores, genocidas, brujas, fantasmas, leyendas, venganzas… Ella dijo Destruye, de Nadia Bulkin, es una antología que deberían todos estar leyendo. Terroríficos, asombrosos, incómodos y duros, los relatos no solo están muy bien escritos, sino que tratan tantos temas que es imposible enumerarlos todos. Hay tanta crítica social, como seres sobrenaturales. Aunque quizás los monstruos que terminan por ser más aterradores son los humanos.
July 10, 2018
Nadia Bulkin has immense talent, which is on full display here. The stories range from Lovecraftian mythologies to entirely more modern offerings, but they all drop you into a world that's just off to some degree. Once there, it's sink or swim - the worldbuilding is impressive, but these are short stories and there's no time for infodumps!
The Five Stages of Grief and Girl, I Love You are my standout favourites, but altogether it's a fantastically impressive collection.
Buddy read with the fantastic folks over at Spells, Space and Screams!
The Five Stages of Grief and Girl, I Love You are my standout favourites, but altogether it's a fantastically impressive collection.
Buddy read with the fantastic folks over at Spells, Space and Screams!
October 21, 2024
A veces tomas libros de la biblioteca por puro azar, por el pálpito que te ha dado en ese momento, y resulta que te llevas una sorpresa agradable, el descubrimiento que esperabas se hace realidad. Otras sucede lo mismo que con este Ella dijo destruye, que te das cuenta que de no ser por ese acto arbitrario nada habría cruzado ese libro en tu camino y eso habría estado bien porque nada tiene que aportarte ni nada tiene que ver contigo.
Por un lado hay que reconocerla a la autora que se atreve y prueba diferentes palos. Desde una historia con espíritu maldito a un relato de fantasía con seres milenarios subacuáticos, parece que no le gusta centrar demasiado su mundo narrativo en un terreno demasiado específico. Pero da igual, porque cualquier tema que toque acaba contrarrestando su potencial gracias a su escritura grasienta y desmañada, llena de información superficial y trivial, su falta de pericia para componer personajes con un mínimo de relieve o salpicarlo con su juvenil sentido del humor, sus ironías de mesa del comedor del instituto.
En verdad me parece que el público potencial es gente joven y a ser posible gente joven que consume literatura como quien consume hamburguesas de carne de rata en la cadena norteamericana de turno. Digo esto porque en su día, cuando leí La biblia de neón, escrita cuando John Kennedy Tool tenía 16 años, sorprende por su madurez, seguro que porque su autor cultivó intereses más sustanciosos y elevados. No es un problema de edad, en todo caso no haber aprovechado demasiado el tiempo para que te impacten con poca cosa.
A todo esto hay que sumarle que la traducción es de alguien que tiene el first certificate y poco más. El traductor es capaz de traducir un hell, no por infiernos, no o heart of the city por el corazón de la ciudad en vez de el centro de la ciudad, ni quiero pensar el resto de decisiones de traducción que no he sabido detectar. Pero da igual porque tras la cortina de la traducción zopenca se nota que los párrafos de la autora están demasiado recargados y que sus digresiones son tan torpes como una sardina a tocando el harpa. Ha ganado premios en su país, lo cual ya nos puede dar una idea hasta qué nivel bochornoso deben estar los escritores que se presentan a esos premios, pues desde luego lo de Bulkin es escritura amateur.
Por un lado hay que reconocerla a la autora que se atreve y prueba diferentes palos. Desde una historia con espíritu maldito a un relato de fantasía con seres milenarios subacuáticos, parece que no le gusta centrar demasiado su mundo narrativo en un terreno demasiado específico. Pero da igual, porque cualquier tema que toque acaba contrarrestando su potencial gracias a su escritura grasienta y desmañada, llena de información superficial y trivial, su falta de pericia para componer personajes con un mínimo de relieve o salpicarlo con su juvenil sentido del humor, sus ironías de mesa del comedor del instituto.
En verdad me parece que el público potencial es gente joven y a ser posible gente joven que consume literatura como quien consume hamburguesas de carne de rata en la cadena norteamericana de turno. Digo esto porque en su día, cuando leí La biblia de neón, escrita cuando John Kennedy Tool tenía 16 años, sorprende por su madurez, seguro que porque su autor cultivó intereses más sustanciosos y elevados. No es un problema de edad, en todo caso no haber aprovechado demasiado el tiempo para que te impacten con poca cosa.
A todo esto hay que sumarle que la traducción es de alguien que tiene el first certificate y poco más. El traductor es capaz de traducir un hell, no por infiernos, no o heart of the city por el corazón de la ciudad en vez de el centro de la ciudad, ni quiero pensar el resto de decisiones de traducción que no he sabido detectar. Pero da igual porque tras la cortina de la traducción zopenca se nota que los párrafos de la autora están demasiado recargados y que sus digresiones son tan torpes como una sardina a tocando el harpa. Ha ganado premios en su país, lo cual ya nos puede dar una idea hasta qué nivel bochornoso deben estar los escritores que se presentan a esos premios, pues desde luego lo de Bulkin es escritura amateur.
February 28, 2021
WOW. I've been reading a ton of horror over the past year, but this debut collection is my new favorite. Dark, hard-hitting, inventive literary horror twined around feminist and postcolonial themes--as literary as Mariana Enriquez and Brian Evenson, and scarier than both combined. All of these stories were riveting, and half of them felt like they were slicing the top of my head clean off. Several border on cosmic horror and one directly hat-tips Lovecraft, but in a way so startlingly original that you can't really call it an homage. And really, why would you? This is an author whose work deserves its own homage.
October 30, 2023
Una excelente colección de relatos que combinan lo político, lo personal y un terror visceral e íntimo. El nivel promedio es altísimo, con historias de dictadores con poderes chamánicos, familias que no logran despedirse de seres queridos, fantasmas que no son lo que la gente piensa y chicas finales con una inusual relación con el monstruo que ha asesinado a todos sus amigos.
Donde quizá raya a menos altura es precisamente cuando transita por los tropos lovecraftianos más conocidos, aunque su versión de El color surgido del espacio enmarcado en una relación de maltrato es tremendamente desasosegante y los escenarios inspirados por la ascendencia indonesia de la autora los elevan.
Se presenta todo ello con un lenguaje deslumbrante que hurga en lugares incómodos y finales y una excelente edición de La biblioteca de Carfax. Muy recomendado para el que busque una colección de relatos que aspira a retorcer más que a impactar.
Donde quizá raya a menos altura es precisamente cuando transita por los tropos lovecraftianos más conocidos, aunque su versión de El color surgido del espacio enmarcado en una relación de maltrato es tremendamente desasosegante y los escenarios inspirados por la ascendencia indonesia de la autora los elevan.
Se presenta todo ello con un lenguaje deslumbrante que hurga en lugares incómodos y finales y una excelente edición de La biblioteca de Carfax. Muy recomendado para el que busque una colección de relatos que aspira a retorcer más que a impactar.
December 20, 2020
Primero es de destacar el gran trabajo que hizo la biblioteca de Carfax con este compendio; tanto traducción como edición son espléndidas.
No es mi intención abundar en la sinopsis de cada relato por precaución al spoiler. Una cosa es cierta, merece por completo la pena, cada relato tiene una temática original, breves pero muy inmersivos. Sin más...
Zona de convergencia intertropical.
⅕
Las cinco etapas del duelo.
⅗
Y cuando fue mala.
⅗
Solo la unión salva a los condenados. ⭐
5/5
Pugelhueso.
⅖
Cabra roja, cabra negra.
3/5
Siete minutos en el cielo.
⅖
Te quiero, chica. 💎
5/5
Vida eterna.
⅖
Violeta el color de tu energía.
4/5
La Verdad es el Orden y el Orden es la Verdad.
5/5
Cero absoluto. 💎
5/5
Sin dioses ni amos.
4/5
No es mi intención abundar en la sinopsis de cada relato por precaución al spoiler. Una cosa es cierta, merece por completo la pena, cada relato tiene una temática original, breves pero muy inmersivos. Sin más...
Zona de convergencia intertropical.
⅕
Las cinco etapas del duelo.
⅗
Y cuando fue mala.
⅗
Solo la unión salva a los condenados. ⭐
5/5
Pugelhueso.
⅖
Cabra roja, cabra negra.
3/5
Siete minutos en el cielo.
⅖
Te quiero, chica. 💎
5/5
Vida eterna.
⅖
Violeta el color de tu energía.
4/5
La Verdad es el Orden y el Orden es la Verdad.
5/5
Cero absoluto. 💎
5/5
Sin dioses ni amos.
4/5
September 14, 2025
Iba un poco a ciegas y me he topado con un librazo. Me han fascinado casi todos los relatos. La mayoría son curiosos y manejan un terror diferente e ideas muy interesantes, pero hay unos cuantos que son terroríficos y me han hecho leer con el corazón a 100: criaturas y dioses superiores a los humanos que los usan como meros peones para su fin. Con ganas de que siga publicando.
August 2, 2022
The variety of the stories and the strength of her writing made this a real treat to dive into. Reading "She Said Destroy" gave me the same feeling as when I read Brian Hodge's "Picking the Bones" or John Langan's "The Wide Carnivorous Sky." Just excellent stuff.
May 8, 2023
I really want to write a review that shows how amazing and unique these stories are so everyone will immediately get this book and read them; but I am failing.
Many (or all good) writers make the political personal, but Bulkin does it with such perfection that it’s breathtaking. Her stories are firmly grounded in the point of view an individual or family who are experiencing implacable terrors. The world these characters live in is also not quite ours, but one in which cosmic horrors move more or less freely. The stories are so rooted in the individual experience, that you only slowly come to realize how completely the world they live in is also messed up. And, finally, how that messed up world has created the individual’s situation.
I say I’m failing, because the above makes the stories sound like homework. They aren’t; they are riveting, horrific, frequently violent (always in the service of the story), and very readable.
Many (or all good) writers make the political personal, but Bulkin does it with such perfection that it’s breathtaking. Her stories are firmly grounded in the point of view an individual or family who are experiencing implacable terrors. The world these characters live in is also not quite ours, but one in which cosmic horrors move more or less freely. The stories are so rooted in the individual experience, that you only slowly come to realize how completely the world they live in is also messed up. And, finally, how that messed up world has created the individual’s situation.
I say I’m failing, because the above makes the stories sound like homework. They aren’t; they are riveting, horrific, frequently violent (always in the service of the story), and very readable.
January 12, 2021
Close to being 5 stars. Every story in here was great, and a couple are bound to be some of the best I read all year (Intertropical Convergence Zone, The Five Stages of Grief, and the last four all slayed). Who knows. I may come back down the line and up the rating. Her writing is fantastic. The stories cover a wide breadth of voices, all of which were quite entertaining. Sometimes when a lot of authors I enjoy and respect rave about someone unknown to me, I walk away enjoying but not quite sharing their level of fervor. But this time I'm in agreement. If this is what she's doing at the beginning of her career (these stories are from 2008-2015 and one original to the collection), I cannot wait to see what's coming next.
November 13, 2020
Excelente colección de relatos de terror: duros, directos, sucios y desgarradores. Muy bien escritos y con multitud de temas a tratar. Muy recomendable y autora a seguir la pista.
Tan solo he echado en falta unas notas a pie de página para traducir algunas palabras en idioma asiático (supongo que indonesio y japonés). Todos tenemos a mano un traductor online, pero detener la lectura para ese tipo de comprobaciones rompen el ritmo del relato.
Tan solo he echado en falta unas notas a pie de página para traducir algunas palabras en idioma asiático (supongo que indonesio y japonés). Todos tenemos a mano un traductor online, pero detener la lectura para ese tipo de comprobaciones rompen el ritmo del relato.
May 5, 2022
3,75/5 Me ha recordado a Kelly Link, pero menos occidental (aunque también) y con más terror. Con más de un relato he pensado: “esto le gustaría a Marcheto” hasta que me he encontrado uno que me sonaba mucho, lo he buscado… y, efectivamente, había salido en Cuentos para Algernon. Gran traducción de Antonio Rivas, como no podía ser de otra forma.
June 30, 2018
A mixed collection.
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