Description

For fans of Daisy Johnson and Kirsty Logan, a gothic short story collection for winter nights from an emerging voice in British literary fiction

‘The short twisted tales . . . have a laconic elegance that’s both chilling and pleasurable’ Financial Times

‘Trust me: you want to read this. It’s the queer horror book of your dreams’ Kirsty Logan

Irresistibly strange and inventive, Parallel Hells is a collection of dark and delightful stories that blends folklore and gothic horror with a contemporary twist.

A golem discovers its powers far exceed its Creator’s expectations. An ancient creature, who feasts on the shame of modern-day Londoners, struggles to fit in with friends they will long outlive. And an Oxford historian discovers an antique tome that may help her overcome her academic rivals.

In this deliciously macabre debut collection, Leon Craig explores queer identity, power, love and the painful complexities of being human in startling new ways.

‘A glorious collection of short stories that reads as if Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson had a little queer baby . . . It is such a fresh and playful approach to storytelling that you cannot help but be totally enamoured with Craig’s abilities.’ Big Issue

Publisher Review

Trust me: you want to read this. It's the queer horror book of your dreams. -- Kirsty Logan (November 2021) The short, twisted tales collected in Leon Craig's Parallel Hells have a laconic elegance that's both chilling and pleasurable... Angela Carter with a LGBTQI+ filter -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times * Craig's collection dances with horror - the monster is not always who you expect. A book for anyone who likes to play in the dark -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan (November 2021) A glorious collection of short stories that reads as if Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson had a little queer baby... It is such a fresh and playful approach to storytelling that you cannot help but be totally enamoured with Craig's abilities. * The Big Issue * Both vibrantly contemporary and decadently gothic, the stories in Parallel Hells shimmer with queer power and wicked humour. At times I was reminded of the darkly wondrous work of Ramona Ausubel, Kelly Link, Patrick McGrath or Patrick Suskind -- but Leon Craig has a distinctively Dionysian literary sensibility that is all her own, and I can't wait to read everything she writes! -- Sharlene Teo (November 2021) By turns dark, sharp, witty and tender, I'm a huge fan of Leon Craig's writing, and the way she reveals the complex dance of beauty and brutality in our innermost, most vulnerable selves. -- Naomi Ishiguro (November 2021) Impressive... Read Parallel Hells for a different take on vampires, demons and monsters you never knew existed... Craig's worlds appear effortless * Mslexia * By turns unsettling, funny and fiercely intelligent, Parallel Hells is a queer carnival of monsters and masks. These stories penetrate the surface of their characters' assumed identities to reveal the glittering realities beneath. -- Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea Leon Craig confidently navigates real places and imaginary spaces most of us shy away from and leaves us deliciously teased, unsettled and hungry for more... what really impresses are the virtuoso changes of tone and tempo, and the way narratives flicker between registers - gothic to comedy, folk horror to social embarrassment - with easy confidence and grace * Daily Mail * The most rewarding aspect of Craig's prose is its duality. Her reader never feels too full of one poison or too far from its antidote...Anyone searching for an adventure into the literary underworld need look no further than this queer and compelling collection.' -- Lily Kuenzler This decadent and distorted collection of queer gothic short stories didn't disappoint. * Brixton Review of Books * Glorious and twisted * Tor.com * 'Each of the thirteen stories, never overwritten, always sensuous and atmospheric, packs a brief, intense punch. As in the very best gothic literature, Craig's worlds are primarily not far removed from our own . . . Craig, a deft hand at this most difficult of forms, the short story, writes crisp prose redolent of Angela Carter's, particularly in its visceral, sometimes horrifying physicality. . . Parallel Hells will not disappoint any connoisseur of the gothic in its most fulsome and unapologetic sense. * Literary Review * Arresting and provocative, this strange and dark collection grabbed me by the throat. * Megan Bradbury * A thrilling, dark and sometimes strange collection * Jewish Chronicle * Craig manages to recall the decadence of Carter whilst ensuring their stories never feel like re-treading old ground . . . reworking known figures and tales through the lens of queer identity and desire . . . a staggering array of different atmospheres, settings, and tones. * Horrified Magazine * Craig explores queer identity through a selection of tightly knit gothic tales . . . [A] blend of folklore and legend, repurposed to capture modern anxieties * London Magazine *