"We are chaos. We are the teeth of dragons, shed like seeds."

July 5, 2018 6:01 PM

"The Testimony of Dragon's Teeth" (Uncanny, March/April 2018) is a brief new addition to Sarah Monette's bookish, M.R. James-ian or Carnacki/John Silence-like series of occult investigation short stories, "The Necromantic Mysteries of Kyle Murchison Booth," several others of which are online: "Wait for Me," "The Replacement," "White Charles," "The Yellow Dressing Gown," and "To Die For Moonlight." Monette is perhaps more well-known for writing The Goblin Emperor as Katherine Addison, under which name she has also co-written with Elizabeth Bear an upcoming historical mystery (relevant to her research specialty) that has sometimes been called, "Kit Marlowe, Boy Detective."
posted by Wobbuffet (14 comments total)

Ooh, another Booth story! I like them a lot. Genuinely spooky and chilling, with just a leveling of humor. Also, a good example of why messing around with necromancy is a bad idea. Leave it to the professionals, kids!
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:10 PM on July 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

Had not heard of these, but am all in.

The Goblin Emperor is, of course, fantastic and highly recommended as an antidote to gloom.
posted by Artw at 6:14 PM on July 5, 2018 [3 favorites]

I (inexcusably) had no idea that the author of the Goblin Emperor had written other stuff, so this is like Christmas come early for me.
posted by AdamCSnider at 6:40 PM on July 5, 2018 [5 favorites]

Whew! That was a good but very intense read. I'll look up her other stuff, thanks.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:38 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

This is revenant to my interests

RELEVANT! I meant relevant!
posted by fallingbadgers at 9:15 PM on July 5, 2018 [11 favorites]

very nice, thank you
posted by bq at 9:55 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

I live in a perpetual state of yearning for more Carnacki or Carnacki-like stories and I am VERY EXCITE to read this post! (Also: "Kit Marlowe, boy detective"? Yes please!)
posted by daisyk at 3:00 AM on July 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Woah, I had no idea that Katherine Addison was a pen name, and have been looking in vain for more books by the author of The Goblin Emperor. So thanks for this!
posted by Ragged Richard at 4:42 AM on July 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

She also does these spacefairing Lovecraft/Lewis Carrol mashups with Elizabeth Bear, which I think are marvelous.
posted by Artw at 4:48 AM on July 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Daisyk, hav you read Chico Kidd’s Carnacki collection? Good stuff.
posted by Malla at 6:19 AM on July 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

I bought The Goblin Emperor at The Strand this evening because of this very post. I could only remember that one title and that was the only book I found under her pen name. I read some of the linked stories before work and liked them enough that now I'll have to go back and look for books under her given name as well.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 6:45 PM on July 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

I try in general not to discuss the occult, either with those who know nothing about it, or, with those who know far too much.

Quoted for truth.
posted by euphorb at 7:28 PM on July 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

As I seem to be going backward in Metafilterian time, I say once again well done, Wobbuffet! More mirrors!
posted by mollweide at 8:10 PM on July 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Malla: no, but I just ordered them. Thank you!!
posted by daisyk at 1:05 PM on July 8, 2018