Parallel Hells

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P arallel Hells is a debut short story collection from Leon Craig which uses sensuous gothic horror and folklore to explore queerness, identity, love, and power in strange and intriguing ways. The collection is aptly named, as these threads run through all of the thirteen stories which take the reader from a coastal holiday resort in Mexico, to the mythical and medieval Scandinavia, abandoned mansions, and contemporary London. The stories and characters run parallel to each other, but these themes are repeatedly reworked in surprising ways throughout the collection to give each narrative its little slice of hell. I loved some of the stories in this collection, I liked others, and I’m pretty sure I’m not smart enough to understand a few. In the thirteen darkly audacious stories of Parallel Hells we meet a golem, made of clay, learning that its powers far exceed its Creator's expectations; a ruined mansion which grants the secret wishes of a group of revellers and a notorious murderer who discovers her Viking husband is not what he seems. By turns dark, sharp, witty and tender, I'm a huge fan of Leon Craig's writing, and the way she reveals the complex dance of beauty and brutality in our innermost, most vulnerable selves. -- Naomi Ishiguro (November 2021) REVIEW - Okay here we go. This is a queer themed collection of fantasy horror stories that vary in length and creepy factor - and which I absolutely loved. The differences between the stories kept things fresh and there were several times when I was left wishing for an entire novel to delve deeper into the characters and story 😍 it’s so cool to see so many examples of spooky, and while I had several favourites within the volume there wasn’t a single story I didn’t find interesting and unique. It also helped that the writing was really lovely and flowed so well 😍

In the thirteen darkly audacious stories of Parallel Hells we meet a golem, made of clay, learning that its powers far exceed its Creator's expectations; a ruined mansion which grants the secret wishes of a group of revelers and a notorious murderer who discovers her Viking husband is not what he seems. Ingratitude: 3 stars, genuinely creepy as hell, mother of the year award goes to "Mother", this would have been the perfect excuse to have an aroace character in your collection The result is Craig’s debut book, Parallel Hells, a thrilling, dark and sometimes strange collection of 13 short stories in which she draws on elements of folklore and gothic horror to explore queer identity, power, love and loneliness. “I was almost surprised by the [writing] momentum,” she says, “though it was a very happy thing.” Craig’s day job is as an editor for the publisher, Serpent’s Tail, where she works in literary fiction and memoir as well as looking after their classics list. Working in publishing is an obvious asset but, as a writer with intimate knowledge of the business, she is acutely aware of the importance of maintaining some distance. “You need to allow someone else to be the expert because there are things about it that you are just too close to see.”

In this deliciously strange debut collection, Leon Craig draws on folklore and gothic horror in refreshingly inventive ways to explore queer identity, love, power and the complicated nature of being human. From Rebecca and Dracula to the more recent hit Mexican Gothic, gothic horror has cemented its position in popular culture thanks to its ability to frighten and horrify us in a foreboding setting. After all, nothing says excellent literature than a book that keeps you awake at night with all the lights on! After her mother remarries, seventeen-year-old Addie is forced to accompany her mother on her honeymoon to a beautiful, remote island. However, the island’s beauty is overshadowed by its dark secrets: wandering ghosts, bloodthirsty flowers, and a deep pool where no one feels pain. Worst of all, Addie realizes that the island may never let her go. Okay, so I love this blurb so much! First, bloodthirsty flowers? YES! And a remote, haunted island? Sign me up!

I’m so glad that spooky queer books seem to be more abundant these past few years as I’ve definitely found a new favourite genre. I recommend this to anyone who likes dark and macabre books or to anyone who fancies trying something new since there are so many different tales to sink your teeth into.Expect necromancy, Frankenstein-ish monsters, bloodthirsty plants, malicious spirits, and a whole lot of revenge. So if that’s your thing, let’s get started! The short, twisted tales collected in Leon Craig’s Parallel Hells have a laconic elegance that’s both chilling and pleasurable’ Financial Times stars so I'm being generous and rounding up to two. I think I'm the wrong kind of queer for this book. This is really only for those who think horror is based on apathy, alcohol and drug abuse, sex (including kinky stuff) and a general dislike for any and all people, because aside from the disdain most characters feel for their fellow characters and the horrifying sex scenes, this isn't scary.

In this deliciously macabre debut collection, Leon Craig explores queer identity, power, love and the painful complexities of being human in startling new ways. Sceptre has landed a "stunning" short story collection and debut novel by Serpent's Tail assistant editor Leon Craig. I’m a huge fan of the “morally grey character seeks revenge but struggles with growing positive sentiments toward their enemy” trope, and the addition of furious ghosts driving on this mission is just… chef’s kiss! Sara A. Mueller delivers an unflinching narrative about trauma, power dynamics, and the treatment of sex workers. Content warnings include sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide, suicide ideation, and emotional abuse.Impressive... Read Parallel Hells for a different take on vampires, demons and monsters you never knew existed... Craig's worlds appear effortless * Mslexia * She has written freelance journalism for the White Review, the TLS, the Brixton Review of Books and Another Gaze , among others. Leon is particularly interested in reviewing short story collections and fiction by other queer women. By turns unsettling, funny and fiercely intelligent, Parallel Hells is a queer carnival of monsters and masks. These stories penetrate the surface of their characters' assumed identities to reveal the glittering realities beneath. -- Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea From Rebecca and Dracula to the more recent hit Mexican Gothic, gothic horror has cemented its position in popular culture thanks to its ability to frighten and horrify us in a foreboding setting. After all, nothing says excellent literature than a book that keeps you awake at night with all the lights on! This year, there are plenty of new books set in spooky castles, remote countrysides, or deserted estates that fit this description perfectly.

But as well as this, these stories also make you ask really interesting questions. One of my favourites was called "Hags", about a demon that after hundreds of years of being alive has refined their diet down to one thing. They feed on shame. You have this story telling you about the demon's past, their relationship with their friends, their guilt over lying and presenting themselves as a human to people they've genuinely come to like, and then talks about shame as a negative emotion. If it's removed is that always a good thing? Is it right to decide that it's ok to remove something negative from somebody else's life without consent? Is this a story in part about acting in other peoples' interests as YOU see them, and then making a choice not to do that? These stories I think are really multilayered. Arresting and provocative, this strange and dark collection grabbed me by the throat. * Megan Bradbury *

Parallel Hells

Think, a very creepy Stranger Things with a nonverbal protagonist who may turn over to the evil side. This decadent and distorted collection of queer gothic short stories didn't disappoint. * Brixton Review of Books * The short twisted tales . . . have a laconic elegance that’s both chilling and pleasurable’ Financial Times