Within this vast sandbox, Khaw weaves stories of more “modern” concerns–abuse, the loss of a loved one, toxic marriages, having to adjust to a rapidly changing world–with mythological concerns, leading to stories of sirens having to live among humans in modern Greece, a story about stalking and abuse starring a cannibalistic monster, and a rather inspired riff on Lovecraft’s own attempt at a modern folktale, “The Cats of Ulthar.” It’s often beautifully visceral and uncomfortably intimate while feeling grand and massive, and a new way of using older stories and structures to tell newer, more modern tales. Khaw’s collection, a resounding and bold statement on the elasticity of “mythology,” eschews bombast for a quieter, more intimate form of horror while still keeping the lavish imagery and timeless language that allow myths to resonate.
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