Three Steps Off the Beaten Path: July 2015

Author: Asandra al'Terra

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away...
-Hughes Mearnes Dear Tar Valon,

As summer has finally, officially started, I’m already slightly regretting its onset: although reading outside is a genuine pleasure, running is fairly miserable.

Even so, there’s nothing better for some post-run relaxation than a cold beer and a good book. Perhaps the best kind of book for temperatures exceeding 90 Fahrenheit and humidity of 99%: one that sends chills down your spine.

Horror has long been one of my favourite genres, in spite of its propensity to leave me sleeping with the lights on. However, as much as Stephen King’s The Shining scared the bejeezus out of me, and even though the start of Peter Straub’s Ghost Story was one of the most intriguing I read, I’ve wanted to branch out from American horror. Unfortunately, I’ve found it much harder to locate international horror, especially in translation, than any other genre. Every “best of” list I’ve seen focuses mainly on the same kind of author – and they all seem to feature King. Yes, he’s the “King of Horror,” but give me something new, Internet!

For this reason, not only will I feature three books of international horror this month – I’ll ask you guys for your input. What are your favourite horror books – especially from countries that aren’t the US or the UK? I’d love to hear about them!

And now, without further ado, may I present:

Three Steps off the Path: July 2015

“International Horror” edition

I Remember You: – Yrsa Sigurdardottir

(Female | White | Iceland | ? | 3.5*)

I got this book the day before my boyfriend came back from his annual visit to Iran, and I was so excited, I couldn’t wait for him to come back. I managed to hold out until the early afternoon before his return (as I wanted a good night’s sleep), and picked up the book around 5pm. It’s not a long book, making just under 400 pages, and by the time 7pm rolled around, I was close to halfway through and looking over my shoulder at every noise I thought I heard in an apartment that was empty except for me. At 7:15, I unlocked my bedroom door (yes, precautions against ghosts were taken!) and booked it for the Starbucks nearby so that I could continue reading in the presence of people.

Truth be told: the ending is much weaker than I’d hoped, but: wow, that beginning. If you’re a horror fan, it’s worth picking up for the first half alone.

Let The Right One In – John Ajvide Lindqvist

(Male | White | Sweden | ? | expected5*)

I’m going to cheat here, because the book is on my TBR and I’ve only seen the 2008 movie by the same name (not the American 2010 remake, Let Me In). Truth be told, I’m not a fan of vampires, but the movie came highly recommended – and it was beyond amazing. Sad, powerful, scary… I’ve recommended this movie to countless people, and most everyone has loved it.

So, going by the maxim “The book is always better than the movie:” this book should be marvelous.

Ring – Koji Suzuki

(Male | POC | Japan | ? | TBR)

Speaking of book-to-film adaptations: almost any fan of horror has heard of The Ring, a 2002 American remake of Hideo Nakata’s Ringu. Well, this is the original book, and part of a series. For those who are unfamiliar with the premise: a journalist investigates the seemingly simultaneous deaths of four teenagers – and discovers that all four victims watched a videotape that guaranteed their deaths in seven days unless… well, it isn’t clear what they have to do to save themselves.

I’ve heard excellent things about both this novel and its sequel, Spiral, and I can’t wait to try it out.

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What books would you include in this list? What books or themes would you like to see featured? Post in the comments, or send an email to 3.steps.each@gmail.com!

As always, the criteria for this column involve books that meet at least one of the following: the author is not male, not white, not American, or not straight. Key: (Sex [M/F/GQ/…] | Race [White/POC] | Country of Origin | Sexual orientation [L/G/B/Q/…] | Rating [X stars / TBR] )

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