New Arrival: Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen

 The gothic tradition might be just another subgenre of horror, but it might also be the subgenre that helped horror as a whole gain a foothold in the American zeitgeist. There are many horror fans who might remember the time they read Stephen King when they were “way too young,” but there are perhaps many others whose first entry into horror was Frankenstein or Wuthering Heights. For those fans whose minds jump to gloomy castles and stormy nights when it comes to horror, Christa Carmen’s book The Daughters of Block Island is here to give gothic horror the Scream treatment.

One of the first things this book does is remind you of its roots. The story begins with Blake Bronson, a gothic book lover and recovering addict searching for her birth mother on the mysterious Block Island. Unfortunately, she doesn’t survive the experience and she’s found murdered in a clawfoot tub. Receiving a mysterious letter in the mail from Blake, a sister she didn’t know she had, Thalia Mills also returns to Block Island to find out if Blake really was her sister and who may have murdered Blake to hide some deeply buried secrets.

For those who feel like this plot is somewhat familiar, then congratulations! You are the intended audience. This book, from the tone to the metafictional asides, is designed to tickle the pleasure centers of those who love gothic novels and love finding Easter eggs about graphic novels. Just like how the movie Scream and its many sequels dissected the horror genre, Block Island dissects the gothic tale and its many conventions, creating a gothic (naturally) tale that is more fun than frightening. It’s ultimately a lighter read for gothic fans who might enjoy the Gothic trappings in a story but maybe not the more archaic language that can be as dense and impenetrable as the fog around the island.

Graphic Content: Lamentation by Cullen Bunn and Arjuna Sisini

 One of my favorite writers of horror comics is Cullen Bunn. He’s written for superheroes like the X-Men and Deadpool, but I discovered his work on Harrow County, a book full of folk horror and gruesome haints that happens to be one of my favorite graphic novels. I have checked out his other horror titles and there hasn’t, in my mind, been one that rivals Harrow County. However, Bunn is guaranteed to never be boring or rest on his folk horror laurels. As a writer, he’s always experimenting with horror and graphic storytelling, and one of his more experimental titles is the book Lamentation, illustrated by Arjuna Susini.

Lamentation invites readers to the Requiem Theater, where rehearsals are underway for a performance of Radize’s Lament, a three-act tale of Gothic horror that follows three sisters who seek refuge in a shadowy castle. It could also be Jenifer’s big break, considering she just got the role without even having to audition, but this play is more than just a story of gloomy castles and stormy nights. The story seems to be constantly changing, the director has few answers for Jenifer, and reality itself feels a little suspect. As opening night approaches, the shadow of Radize’s Lament threatens to swallow all involved.

Many have compared Bunn’s story to In the Mouth of Madness and its metafictive approach certainly makes such a comparison apt. Lamentation, however, sticks to a parallel narrative structuring that has readers moving from the story in the play to the story of the performers, seeing the story and getting glimpses behind the curtain. The narrative switches quickly from play with its Gothic spires and haunting figures to performers at a seemingly regular theater, but Susini keeps a consistent quality in both worlds, especially as the boundaries between those worlds fray. Much like Madness, the narrative makes the reader see the horror of being in a story where one can’t control the outcome because the story is already written. The premise alone could trip up readers who aren’t paying close attention, but Bunn is like Willy Wonka on the boat ride, perfectly content to let a few people fall off the boat if the rest of the passengers are terrified.