Threads in Dew: Stories

One of the last things you might expect to find coming out of Europe is gritty noir that would give even the best West Coast authors a run for their money. Raw, brittle, dystopian - Katja Bohnet's stories reveal the darkest corners of the human experience, in language that could hardly be more sparse and lethal. A young man, stabbed and wondering why God is living in a room down the hall from him in a third-rate hostel. A couple wandering around an indefinite space between worlds. A woman whose fear of flying escalates sharply in an airplane lavatory. A couple of young adults on an idyllic island in the Pacific, overshadowed by a predatory surfer. A psychopath seeking their next victim while trying to figure out how to best self-medicate. With moments of sparkling lyricism, Katja invites us to embrace the rich spaces created by blurring the boundaries between crime, horror, and speculative fiction. But be sure to buckle your seat belt. The ride is a bumpy one that you won't so easily forget.