The Pleasures of Reading, Viewing, and Listening in 2022, pt. 5: Tara Campbell

 

Reading Pleasures in 2022

by Tara Campbell

 

Book of the Unnamed Midwife – Meg Elison

 

Dystopia that doesn't merely wallow in suffering

 

I typically don't read dystopian novels because I find it difficult to spend that much time in darkness and violence, but I love Elison's work, so I decided to give it a try. I couldn't put this book down. Yes, there is darkness and violence, but Elison's protagonist is compelling, and her approach to the violence it is more factual than gratuitous. Yes, rape happens, but offstage and reported, rather than graphically fetishized. Even when the protagonist isn't being actively pursued, the tension of being a woman in a vicious world is palpable--and relatable. This book presents an opportunity to contemplate a challenging future without coming out just feeling abused.

 

 

Nettle & Bone – T Kingfisher

 

Kingfisher never disappoints!

 

What can I say, it's a page-turner with engaging characters and Kingfisher's characteristic strong, witty female characters. Yes, it's a quest set in a traditional medieval-pseudo-European world with kings and queens, but Kingfisher puts her own fresh, feminist spin on things. It's the language and characterization that draws you in; no one can tell a story quite like her.

 

 

The Rock Eaters – Brenda Peynado

 

This is exactly the kind of thing I think about when I hear the phrase "literary speculative fiction"--even when the premises are fantastical, the communities in which they happen are complex and immersive. The author's ability to tunnel through improbable occurrences to the emotional core is what elevates these stories. They are engaging, engrossing, and immensely satisfying.

 

 

The Monsters We Defy – Leslye Penelope

 

The characters were engaging, the pacing was brisk, and as a DC resident, it was fun to read a story set in the past of the city where I live. I liked the collaborative problem-solving approach to defeating supernatural forces--it was like a lighter, more optimistic version of Lovecraft Chronicles. Clara was an appealing protagonist, but I think my favorite character was Mama Octavia, Clara's guardian on the other side--we all need a steady protector like her. Of course, the spunky Zelda was a lot of fun too. I appreciated the author's stylistic approach toward the supernatural, evocative without being overheated. Some authors would flood the page with hyperbole to evoke a sense of urgency, but Penelope doesn't need to do that. This book was an immersive adventure into 1920s Washington, DC.

 

 

 The Runaway Restaurant -- Tessa Yang

 

 

I often use Yang's "Princess Shipwreck" in my flash fiction classes as an example of playful use of language, showing change through imagery, and creatively reimagining stories we think we know. This whole collection shared those strengths, making it a pleasure to explore. Yang serves up the world we think we know, but with a twist. Her stories are haunting and memorable, with real relationships at the core of the fabulist elements.

 

 

 

Tara Campbell is a writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University's MFA in Creative Writing. Her publication credits include SmokeLong Quarterly, Masters Review, Wigleaf, Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, Uncharted Magazine, and Escape Pod/Artemis Rising. She's the author of a novel and four multi-genre collections including her newest, Cabinet of Wrath: A Doll Collection (Aqueduct, 2021) and Midnight at the Organporium (Aqueduct, 2019). Connect with her at her website: www.taracampbell.com.