Literature that bites back!
(For a look at our book launches, click here.)
Recently, Polluto: The Anti-Pop Culture Journal was awarded the Silver Award for Editorial Art by Spectrum Fantastic Art for our excellent cover piece, 'Singer' by Kurt Huggins & Zelda Devon. Check it out here.
Recent Acclaim for Polluto:
"'Singer' by Adam Lowe starts off with the intriguing premise of a character that is half-human woman, half-Singer sewing machine. Called Marléne by her creator, a young orphan named Gris who ends up going off to fight in World War I, this character embarks on a strange annual journey with her pet, “a neutered hyena who had the eyes of a child,” whom she calls the Marquis. Marléne dons a skirt and mask for these journeys, hiding her nature, but when she returns home, she has many suitors who come to her precisely because of that nature, paying to be stitched by her needle.
"Years pass like this, until Marléne visits a carnival, and a mechanical fortune teller gives her reason to believe Gris will be returning to her. She prepares and waits, building new companions in the interim, and finally sets off to find her lost love with the Marquis, an oboe, and a rifle.
"'Singer' is exactly the sort of story for which one suspects Polluto is aiming. Lyrically written, its haunting images maintain a precarious balance between the grotesque and the exquisite, with a strong neo-Victorian Gothic flavor. A beautiful nightmare, 'Singer' is entirely too short, and yet exactly the right length for the story it tells."
The Fix Online
------------------------
"After 'To Die With Dignity' comes 'Finding Sonoria' by Jeff VanderMeer. Crake, a stamp collector, hires the private detective, Bolger, to find a country for him, a country that might not exist but from which he has a stamp. As Bolger attempts to do so, both men grow obsessed. Though this begins with Bolger cast in the role of hard-boiled PI gone to seed and Crake in the role of his slightly crooked employer, both characters quickly gain depth, and the story itself is both surprising and logical. While again, there are a few typos and missing words, the prose of 'Finding Sonoria' is engaging and well-paced. The contrast between the main characters is drawn with a deft hand, their self-delusions layered and often contradictory. Like 'Werewolf of Sappho', 'Finding Sonoria' successfully engages pop cultures’ tropes and takes them unexpected, yet satisfying, places."
The Fix Online
------------------------
"A very interesting new journal Polluto came out last month, produced in Leeds for world-wide distribution, by a phenomenally young editor, Adam Lowe, it celebrates the counter-culture, and more details of this brave and ground-breaking venture can be discovered on the website polluto.com. "
The James Nash Podcast
------------------------
A Few Snippets of Reviews For Eleven Terrible Months and Lucy’s Monster . . .
“Presented as a true account, written by three members of the family, this is a chilling book that will stay with you. This isn't what you'd expect from a 'haunted house' book . . . it doesn't set out to be shocking or gory, nor is it full of the usual clichés. It simply reads like a genuine, believable tale . . . There were a few times I put the book down, wandered out to the bathroom, and found myself looking over my shoulder! It's creepy without you even realising it. The characters are also great, you can certainly imagine this very normal family going through these experiences, and suffering for them . . . As a bonus, the book is a limited edition hardback, and is gorgeous—it even has one of those little built in ribbon bookmarks, which I wish every book did. If you're interested in haunted houses, ghosts, and the such, but get put off by 'over the top' horror books, you may just love this one!”
The Book Club Forum
“Amityville Horror meets Shameless . . . Chilling but not gratuitously sick. Much is left to the reader’s imagination—which of course makes it all the more creepy . . . a gripping read.”
Telegraph & Argus
“ . . . Royle caused a sensation both in the UK and the US with her first novel, Lucy’s Monster now she looks set to repeat that success with her second book, Eleven Terrible Months. There is no doubting the 25-year-old author has a richly dark imagination and an unconventional authorial style, both of which have already endeared her to avid book collectors across the world.”
Yorkshire Evening Post
“Spine chilling and thought provoking, you’ll want to read [Eleven Terrible Months] twice!”
Dewsbury Reporter
“ . . . one chapter in and I was hooked! I loved everything about this book. Royle’s writing style was so refreshingly different, and her talent for dealing with such dark topics without indulging in gratuitous detail, whist still managing to evoke real emotion in the reader, won me over totally. Reading it was, in parts, akin to riding an emotional rollercoaster, being moved to tears at one point and feeling quite elated in others . . . ”
Caron Ryalls, Ossett Review
“A contemporary story about a celebrity couple’s fall from grace, Lucy’s Monster is a potent cocktail of drugs, sex and violence . . . the words that form the novel have a natural free flowing feel that whisks you from page to page . . . ”
Stuart Webb, Book and Magazine Collector
“The One to Watch!” Book and Magazine Collector
“ . . . a unique thriller which captivates the reader from beginning to end, a page-turner which doesn’t disappoint. Rebecca Royle embraces complex subjects confidently, as though this was her tenth novel rather than her first. Lucy’s Monster is chilling and terrifying and has all the ingredients a thriller should have . . . it kept my fingers turning pages long into the night.”
Joanne Mead, Dewsbury Reporter
“ . . . the graphic scenes were horrific, yet I wanted more and the characters were part of my life for the rest of the week. A book I couldn't put down, until the very last page. A very different kind of book—that gripped me from the beginning—well done to Rebecca Royle—I can't wait for her next book.”
Kate Terry, Best magazine
“ . . . I am her literary agent here in North America and I found her work so fresh and energetic that I took her on as a client right away. The fact that the book appeals to a hip, urban audience is of great appeal in the United States. I also think the book has great film potential, and we certainly would look to generate film interest in it as well. It's a pleasure to work on something that feels vibrant and distinctive—like a sharp clean glass in a sink full of dirty dishes!”
Michele G. Rubin, Writers House, New York City
“Celebrities, drugs and madness—and no, this not the Priory! Lucy's Monster is disturbing and dark but brilliant. R. L. Royle will certainly make her mark with this, her debut novel. It is hard to believe she is only 23. Where on earth does she get her inspiration? I was unable to put this fresh, innovative novel down, reading on until the early hours of the morning. It is difficult to compare Rebecca to any other author. She is unique. This is gripping, edge-of-your-seat literature but not for the faint hearted. This disturbing insight into Lucy's mind will leave you feeling sympathetic, sad and angry at a tortured life ruined by drugs and cut short by mental illness. Life can be so cruel. This is not a comfortable read but an excellent one. Dog Horn Publishing have picked a winner to launch themselves in a competitive market. Expect great things from the talented, young author and the publishers that have introduced her.”
Sarah Johnson, The Sunday Post
“ . . . Her writing style includes a form of authorial intrusion but whereas most author’s tip-toe into their prose like cat burglars, Rebecca’s approach is more akin to a ram raid.”
Neil Hudson, Yorkshire Evening Post
“ . . . [Lucy’s Monster] delves into a world where relationships are charred by drugs, violence and mental illness. Moreover, it’s the description of Lucy’s latent schizophrenia which provides the novel with its most revealing, shocking content.”
Lianne Steinberg, The Big Issue in the North
