The Veneration of Monsters by Suzanne Burns
Named one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2017
The search for love inspires unusual heroines to obsession and madness in Calvino Award finalist Suzanne Burns' sophomore short story collection
In The Veneration of Monsters, Suzanne Burns’ sophomore fiction collection, an array of unusual heroines search for love and acceptance, a pursuit that often takes a bizarre turn. Cherise tries to impress a man who only exists in her imagination. Violet throws away a meaningful relationship with a vampire in favor of online community. Tabitha feels she can only be loved by the doll she carries around in her purse. Lara wants to marry a man who believes every lie she tells. And in the final story, Just the Right Kind of Stranger, Irene becomes so enamored with the idea of attracting violent predators that she becomes what she seeks out.
Through stories that move between reality and mysticism, Burns carries a conversation about the pitfalls of a search for love and the feeling of isolation while surrounded by a world of multitudes. This collection also features a follow-up to Tiny Ron, the most popular story in Misfits and Other Heroes, published by Dzanc in 2009. Burns’ other works include eleven poetry collections.
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 978-1-941088-76-0
Also available as an eBook
Named one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2017
The search for love inspires unusual heroines to obsession and madness in Calvino Award finalist Suzanne Burns' sophomore short story collection
In The Veneration of Monsters, Suzanne Burns’ sophomore fiction collection, an array of unusual heroines search for love and acceptance, a pursuit that often takes a bizarre turn. Cherise tries to impress a man who only exists in her imagination. Violet throws away a meaningful relationship with a vampire in favor of online community. Tabitha feels she can only be loved by the doll she carries around in her purse. Lara wants to marry a man who believes every lie she tells. And in the final story, Just the Right Kind of Stranger, Irene becomes so enamored with the idea of attracting violent predators that she becomes what she seeks out.
Through stories that move between reality and mysticism, Burns carries a conversation about the pitfalls of a search for love and the feeling of isolation while surrounded by a world of multitudes. This collection also features a follow-up to Tiny Ron, the most popular story in Misfits and Other Heroes, published by Dzanc in 2009. Burns’ other works include eleven poetry collections.
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 978-1-941088-76-0
Also available as an eBook
Named one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2017
The search for love inspires unusual heroines to obsession and madness in Calvino Award finalist Suzanne Burns' sophomore short story collection
In The Veneration of Monsters, Suzanne Burns’ sophomore fiction collection, an array of unusual heroines search for love and acceptance, a pursuit that often takes a bizarre turn. Cherise tries to impress a man who only exists in her imagination. Violet throws away a meaningful relationship with a vampire in favor of online community. Tabitha feels she can only be loved by the doll she carries around in her purse. Lara wants to marry a man who believes every lie she tells. And in the final story, Just the Right Kind of Stranger, Irene becomes so enamored with the idea of attracting violent predators that she becomes what she seeks out.
Through stories that move between reality and mysticism, Burns carries a conversation about the pitfalls of a search for love and the feeling of isolation while surrounded by a world of multitudes. This collection also features a follow-up to Tiny Ron, the most popular story in Misfits and Other Heroes, published by Dzanc in 2009. Burns’ other works include eleven poetry collections.
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 978-1-941088-76-0
Also available as an eBook
PRAISE FOR THE VENERATION OF MONSTERS
"Burns is an unmissable heir to writers of the peculiar, from Shirley Jackson to Roald Dahl." -Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"Each story in The Veneration of Monsters turns up a heroine whose instincts have diverged from their natural course, sneaking down back alleys, forging new, often horrifying pathways. Burns's careful eye for the ridiculous details that fill up our modern life delights, but beware the tension that lies just below the laughter." -Jac Jemc, author of The Grip of It
"Burns has her finger on the pulse of desire in these stories. Every story has a slight twinge of unreality to it, but at the same time hums with an inescapable, gritty humanity." -JMWW
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suzanne Burns writes both fiction and poetry in Bend, Oregon (and sometimes in Paris, France). Dzanc Books published her first short story collection, Misfits and Others Heroes, and will also publish her second collection, The Veneration of Monsters. Her short fiction has most recently appeared in The Chicago Tribune.
