Wicked Strange: 13 Tales from Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Burt

Name: Wicked Strange: 13 Tales from Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Burt
Price: 9.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781500835736

✍️ Steve Burt

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$9.95

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of thirteen New England horror tales by Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Burt

This anthology focuses on the eerie undercurrents of New England life. Burt selects thirteen distinct narratives that highlight the region's unique blend of rural isolation and supernatural history. The stories range from haunted lighthouses to cursed towns where biological norms are inverted. Each tale serves as a window into a different corner of the area's folklore. The author avoids generic monsters in favor of specific, location-based horrors. This method creates a sense of immediate danger for anyone familiar with the geography. The collection is ideal for those who enjoy atmospheric writing and local legend adaptations.

Key Themes

other-worldly hearse eye socket birth giant moths

Literary Context

The book draws heavily on specific New England locations including Nashua, Plantation 13, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, and the White River in Bethel. It taps into regional folklore traditions that have long characterized the area's literary identity.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

H.P. Lovecraft · Thomas Ligotti · Alma Katsu · Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 📅 2014 📖 136 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781500835736

📝 Description: Wicked Strange: 13 Tales from Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Burt

Steve Burt, a Bram Stoker Award winner, presents Wicked Strange, a collection of thirteen tales rooted in New England folklore. The volume gathers stories that transform familiar regional landscapes into sites of supernatural dread. Readers encounter an other-worldly hearse patrolling Nashua streets for souls and male residents of Plantation 13 who deliver infants through their eye sockets. The narrative scope extends to a concrete wall holding an infected dog for decades and giant moths confined within the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse tower. The collection further explores spirits stealing lives along Vermont’s White River and the duties of a caretaker apprentice at Augusta’s bone yard. Burt utilizes specific local legends and rural settings to ground his horror in tangible geography. This approach appeals to readers who appreciate regional weird fiction and atmospheric dread. Those seeking fast-paced action or urban fantasy may find the slow-burn tension less suitable. The book offers a concentrated dose of New England eccentricity for fans of the genre. The anthology is organized as a series of distinct vignettes, each highlighting a different aspect of local mythos. Burt draws on established traditions of gothic horror while applying them to specific towns and landmarks. This structure allows for varied tones within a cohesive thematic framework. The work demonstrates how place shapes fear.

💎 Our verdict on Wicked Strange: 13 Tales from Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Burt

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Steve Burt delivers a potent anthology that transforms familiar New England landscapes into sites of supernatural dread. The work excels in grounding its horrors in tangible geography, utilizing specific local legends to create an unsettling atmosphere. Each tale serves as a window into the area's unique folklore, ranging from haunted lighthouses to inverted biological norms. Burt’s approach avoids generic monsters, instead focusing on the eerie undercurrents of regional life. This method creates a cohesive thematic framework despite the vignette structure. The book is best suited for readers who appreciate atmospheric dread and gothic traditions applied to specific towns. It offers a concentrated experience of rural isolation and supernatural history, making it a strong choice for fans of weird fiction who value mood and setting over plot-driven narratives.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate atmospheric writing and local legend adaptations will find this book highly rewarding. It offers a concentrated dose of New England eccentricity for fans of the genre, particularly those drawn to the eerie undercurrents of regional life. The anthology appeals to those who enjoy slow-burn tension over fast-paced action, providing a deep dive into rural isolation and supernatural history. By avoiding generic monsters in favor of location-based horrors, Burt creates a sense of immediate danger for anyone familiar with the geography. This collection is ideal for enthusiasts of cosmic and psychological horror who seek specific, tangible dread rooted in real-world folklore rather than abstract threats.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Steve Burt delivers a potent anthology that transforms familiar New England landscapes into sites of supernatural dread. The work excels in grounding its horrors in tangible geography, utilizing specific local legends to create an unsettling atmosphere. Each tale serves as a window into the area's unique folklore, ranging from haunted lighthouses to inverted biological norms. Burt’s approach avoids generic monsters, instead focusing on the eerie undercurrents of regional life. This method creates a cohesive thematic framework despite the vignette structure. The book is best suited for readers who appreciate atmospheric dread and gothic traditions applied to specific towns. It offers a concentrated experience of rural isolation and supernatural history, making it a strong choice for fans of weird fiction who value mood and setting over plot-driven narratives.