Strange Weather: Four Short Novels - Hardcover

Hill, Joe

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062663119 ISBN 13: 9780062663115

Publisher: William Morrow, 2017

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist!

A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Joe Hill.

"One of America’s finest horror writers" (Time magazine), Joe Hill has been hailed among legendary talents such as Peter Straub, Neil Gaiman, and Jonathan Lethem. In Strange Weather, this "compelling chronicler of human nature’s continual war between good and evil," (Providence Journal-Bulletin) who "pushes genre conventions to new extremes" (New York Times Book Review) deftly expose the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life.

"Snapshot" is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by "The Phoenician," a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap.

A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in "Aloft."

On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. "Rain" explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world.

In "Loaded," a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning.

Masterfully exploring classic literary themes through the prism of the supernatural, Strange Weather is a stellar collection from an artist who is "quite simply the best horror writer of our generation" (Michael Koryta).

About this title

About the Author:

Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Fireman; NOS4A2; Horns, which was made into a major motion picture starring Daniel Radcliffe; Heart-Shaped Box, which won the Bram Stoker Award and the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel; and the prizewinning story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the Eisner Award–winning writer of a six-volume comic book series, Locke & Key. He lives in New Hampshire. 

Review:

“A four-pack of mayhem in this sparkling collection of short novels. . . .Worth waiting in line for, if you’re a Hill fan. If you’re not, this is the book to turn you into one.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“Hill is not only maturing as a writer of relevantly chilling tales but he is also emerging as a distinct voice for our complicated times.” (Booklist (starred review))

“[I]n times like these, when real-world terrors outstrip our night terrors, how can a novelist possibly compete? Joe Hill, the author of several terrifying bestsellers, rises to this challenge in Strange Weather.” (Washington Post)

“[A]nother must-read from a increasingly impressive storyteller [...] Strange Weather speaks to the versatility of Joe Hill’s craft, telling deeply disturbing stories in which cataclysmic forces of nature seem like a gentle rain when set against the actions of villains who are all too human.” (barnesandnoble.com)

“The Weather quartet unleashes a perfect storm of styles, from a slow-burn thriller to ethereal sci-fi, all told with a consistently strong voice.... Hill whips up emotional moments in all four that strike like lightning and thunderously rumble your soul.” (USA Today)

“There are few authors as deft at marrying pulse-pounding action and a sense of inescapable dread than Joe Hill. Fans of his masterful thrillers NOS4A2 and The Fireman will find plenty to love in his new collection of four short novels.” (BookPage)

“A striking selection of novellas ranging from the playfully apocalyptic to the wickedly political... [Strange Weather] is a demonstration of [Hill’s] range and readiness to tell the hell out of any tale, be it supernatural or straight, silly or completely serious.” (Tor.com)

Each selection in Strange Weather is a well-crafted piece of storytelling, with characters to care about and conflicts creepy, mind-boggling and action-packed. (Portland Press Herald)

“It’s good to see [Hill] flex his authorial muscles with a different form. Weather changes and we never know what to expect. The same is true for great writers.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

“Joe Hill is one of the 21st century’s pre-eminent writers, not just of the dark fantastic, but of American Literature. Strange Weather is a must read.” (SFF World)

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0062663119
• ISBN 13: 9780062663115
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 448