Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Red Spikes
Margo Lanagan's electrifying stories take place in worlds not quite our own, and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human. They are stories of yearning for more, and learning to live with what you have. Stories that show the imprint love leaves on us all.
If you think you don't like short fiction, that a story can't have the depth or impact of a novel, then you haven...more
If you think you don't like short fiction, that a story can't have the depth or impact of a novel, then you haven...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
November 13th 2007
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published October 1st 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,045)
After being blown away by Black Juice, I was eager to read more of Margo Lanagan’s short story collections. So off I went to the library and found a lovely hardcover edition of Red Spikes, received by the library on October 16, 2008. It appeared to be untouched and I confirmed this by looking at the shiny cover free of finger smudges and listening to the crackling noises of its spine as I gently opened it, fanning its pages under my nose and sniffing so deeply it was almost a snort. Then I had a...more
36 likes · like · see review
view all 14 comments
Interesting fluidity. For most of the book I was left with this weird sensation, and it wasn't until the fourth or fifth story that I could pinpoint what it was: most of the stories felt like they had been lifted away from longer novels. But instead of it being an unpleasant realization, it rather enhanced the stories for me, as though they were shimmering up from a lakebed, only to fall away again as the current took them. I would be interesting to see some of these stories expanded, but as the...more
I don't normally read short fiction, but my love for Margo Lanagan's The Brides of Rollrock Island and my desire for something different encouraged me to pick up Red Spikes, a collection of ten short stories. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but feel cheated as I read the stories because as soon as I'd connect with the character, develop a guess as to where the plot was going, or lose myself in Lanagan's lurid and ambient settings, the story would end.
Lanagan's writing is beautiful and her ideas...more
Lanagan's writing is beautiful and her ideas...more
Ten more deeply weird stories by the Australian writer who seems to be the current master of this sort of material. These books are published under young adult imprints. Admittedly it would have been some time ago, but I wonder what I would have made of them had I encountered them about the time I was marveling at Ray Bradbury.
I have read her collection Black Juice where all the stories take place in unique worlds that nevertheless seem placed in a medieval fantastic realm. These stores range ov...more
I have read her collection Black Juice where all the stories take place in unique worlds that nevertheless seem placed in a medieval fantastic realm. These stores range ov...more
In "Baby Jane," a young boy whose mother is a midwife of the New Age hippyish persuasion, finds himself having to deliver a baby for a heroic fantasy warrior queen. The heavily pregnant queen has arrived in our world with her chief counsellor and a bear. They arrive in the boy's home via tiny figurines, but they become full-sized and very real in the night. The queen is believably dirty and ignorant of modern -- or New Age -- childbirth procedures. The bear has to be distracted with honey. Then...more
I was in a literary program at my school in year 9. Six books we had to read. Not everyone read all of them. In fact, no one did. I read the most, being 5. I tried to force myself to read this, just so we could know what to say. But I couldn't. It was awful.
First off, I hate short stories.
We all chose My Big Birkett to win, but I had a feeling that the people who give the actual award thing would choose this. I don't see why they give it to a book that kids would actually enjoy. Isn't that the...more
First off, I hate short stories.
We all chose My Big Birkett to win, but I had a feeling that the people who give the actual award thing would choose this. I don't see why they give it to a book that kids would actually enjoy. Isn't that the...more
I really really wanted to like these short stories but I just couldn't get into it. I love Margo Lanagan's writing, I think it's absolutely beautiful, and the language in these stories is absolutely gorgeous. One of my favorite things about Margo Lanagan's writing has always been her ability to really set a mood in a story, and these stories evoke many different moods from the down right disturbing to a sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately all of the stories felt unfinished to me. They felt more...more
Jun 24, 2012
Sonatajessica
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2012,
shorties-of-fears-and-faerys
This was weird, and not the good weird. Or wait, I rather phrase that as not the right kind of weird for me. Because I do enjoy weird and offbeat but here I hardly connected to the stories at all and the weirdness was alienating if anything. I wanted something more Kelly Link-ish, lesson learned, if I crave the original I shouldn't go for a substitute that has a quite different agenda.
Lanagan's writing is gorgeous and very unique which leaves me under the impression that if this is the right kin...more
Lanagan's writing is gorgeous and very unique which leaves me under the impression that if this is the right kin...more
Feb 11, 2010
Headacheslayer
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of fantasy, paranormal, Australian readers
Recommended to Headacheslayer by:
attracted by cover art
Shelves:
2010,
library-book,
short-stories,
thriller,
animals,
fantasy,
fiction,
paranormal,
ya,
awesome-cover
I received a bookmark that had the cover of this book on it. I was quite intriqued by the beauty and gothic look (inspired by the 10th story in this collection). This is proof that you can't judge a book by its cover.
"Red Spikes" is 10 short stories intended for young adults. Written by Australian author Margo Lanagan, I imagined it would be "Stephen King Lite". Instead there was quite a bit of the Aussie influence that kept me too off-kilter to really get into the stories.
The writing is beautif...more
"Red Spikes" is 10 short stories intended for young adults. Written by Australian author Margo Lanagan, I imagined it would be "Stephen King Lite". Instead there was quite a bit of the Aussie influence that kept me too off-kilter to really get into the stories.
The writing is beautif...more
Margo Lanagan's style just really does not work for me, particularly in short story format. When I read her Tender Morsels novel, I thought it was well written, if a bit indulgent in the pace, oddly dream-like and far too obscene for my tastes (bestiality and lots of rape). Her short stories are no different, although the fewer pages make the dreamlike quality even stronger, like a nightmare that is very difficult to understand. I spent most of every story just trying to figure out what was happ...more
BBYA
Margo Lanagan has the most amazing use of language, whether her story is a horrifying tale of Wee Willie Winkie, an unforgettable an angelic budgie, or following along with souls in limbo. These are tales to be enjoyed slowly.
Margo Lanagan has the most amazing use of language, whether her story is a horrifying tale of Wee Willie Winkie, an unforgettable an angelic budgie, or following along with souls in limbo. These are tales to be enjoyed slowly.
The best collection so far in my opinion. Black Juice had some dazzlingly good stories, marred by some racist overtones in the most compelling story inside its covers. White Time was almost brilliant but Red Spikes doesn't seem to put a foot wrong.
Unusual, strange, otherworldly.
It's hard to choose favourites but the opening story Baby Jane as well as Hero Vale and Daughter of the Clay probably get the nod.
Apart from saying the stories are uniformly excellent, it is too hard to say anything much...more
Unusual, strange, otherworldly.
It's hard to choose favourites but the opening story Baby Jane as well as Hero Vale and Daughter of the Clay probably get the nod.
Apart from saying the stories are uniformly excellent, it is too hard to say anything much...more
I've read the short story "The Daughter of Clay." This story didn't partially catch my attention, which resulted in me reading it twice to understand the concept. Through the second time I realized that the story seemed to be something with a Narnia theme. The main character goes under some bedclothes and next thing you know she's in a new world. A clay type world, where she originally belongs, and shes there to swap places with her "twin" or something like that. In the end this story was still...more
I like a good short story collection, especially with it is paranormal or sci-fi or fantasy. I think this is the first one i have read by a single author. I am going to break this down story by story, because some i liked a lot more than others.
Baby Jane: This was my favourite. My type of fantasy story. It was mysterious and magical.
Monkey's Paternoster: I did not like this one. I found it too disturbing.
A Good Heart: This one was sad, with a good twist. I felt like i only got part of the story...more
Baby Jane: This was my favourite. My type of fantasy story. It was mysterious and magical.
Monkey's Paternoster: I did not like this one. I found it too disturbing.
A Good Heart: This one was sad, with a good twist. I felt like i only got part of the story...more
Jun 03, 2010
Tatiana
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
existing fans of Margo Lanagan, people not averse to weird
Recommended to Tatiana by:
ala
Writing short stories is not easy. As much as I like, let's say, Kelley Armstrong, her anthologies Men of the Otherworld and Tales of the Otherworld are not really collections of short stories. They are collections of scenes in the lives of her characters and nothing more.
Lanagan, on the other hand, is a great short story writer. Her stories remind me a lot of the works of one of my favorite writers (and IMO the greatest writer of short stories) - Guy de Maupassant, not thematically, but in the...more
Lanagan, on the other hand, is a great short story writer. Her stories remind me a lot of the works of one of my favorite writers (and IMO the greatest writer of short stories) - Guy de Maupassant, not thematically, but in the...more
11 likes · like · see review
The category that this book fits into on the reading board is three New Zealand poems from one anthology.
I decided to read it after a librarian suggested it to me after they had read the book and thought that it would be a reasonable book for me to read.
I like that the book very detailed perceptions of each character and and the writing was very sophisticated.
What I did not like about the book was that it was pretty hard for me to understand what was happening throughout the book so it made the...more
I decided to read it after a librarian suggested it to me after they had read the book and thought that it would be a reasonable book for me to read.
I like that the book very detailed perceptions of each character and and the writing was very sophisticated.
What I did not like about the book was that it was pretty hard for me to understand what was happening throughout the book so it made the...more
"Oh, you caint see straight in this place," said Razor. "And when you do see summink, afterwards you caint quite remember. You caint quite believe, you know? It will not stay proper in your head."
Okay, I have only read six of the ten stories in this book so far, but I can tell I am going to have to give it five stars already. Gorgeous amazing disturbing lovely tales; every one of them fills my head with exclamation points.
Also the best bird story in the world EVER EVER with the following descrip...more
Okay, I have only read six of the ten stories in this book so far, but I can tell I am going to have to give it five stars already. Gorgeous amazing disturbing lovely tales; every one of them fills my head with exclamation points.
Also the best bird story in the world EVER EVER with the following descrip...more
First book of the new year! I love her short stories- creepy and thought-provoking.
Sep 28, 2012
Rayne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autographed,
anthology,
fantasy,
horror,
mythology,
paranormal,
you-have-disturbed-me,
young-adult
This is definitely not for everyone. The pacing is slow, the stories convoluted and strange and the writing obscure at times but it is just so, so beautiful. Dammit, Lanagan can write. Anyone that can write from the perspective of a freaking monkey or a pet bird and still make it gorgeous and intriguing is definitely a truly fantastic author. Most readers will have the problem of feeling bored with the stories, but they are all gorgeously-written and wonderfully-crafted and have such significanc...more
1 like · like · see review
Terrifying and mesmerizing. While I liked some stories more than others, all were intriguing. My favorite may be the first, "Baby Jane." I can't think of another story I've read in which a young boy is called upon to deliver a baby. Fortunately, Dylan really delivers.
Lanagan's Acknowledgments in the back of the book gracefully extend the reader's understanding of the stories.
I look forward to reading Black Juice.
(If you like Lanagan's short stories, be sure to look up her contribution to the ant...more
Lanagan's Acknowledgments in the back of the book gracefully extend the reader's understanding of the stories.
I look forward to reading Black Juice.
(If you like Lanagan's short stories, be sure to look up her contribution to the ant...more
Red spikes is my third Margo Lanagan anthology. Black Juice still remains my favorite, but this one was very thought-provoking and bizarre and beautiful in a twisted sort of way - the usual Margo Lanagan fare.
Baby Jane - ***
a boy finds tiny figurines of a pregnant queen in "maternity armor", a bear, and her retinue on a camping trip; the figurines come to life at night and he helps the queen give birth.
I didn't really understand the point of this one.
Monkey's Patternoster - **
A very bizarre stor...more
Baby Jane - ***
a boy finds tiny figurines of a pregnant queen in "maternity armor", a bear, and her retinue on a camping trip; the figurines come to life at night and he helps the queen give birth.
I didn't really understand the point of this one.
Monkey's Patternoster - **
A very bizarre stor...more
Red Spikes feels like it had a graduate advisor poking behind it (okay, technically a fellowship, but whatever).
A bunch of gorgeous vignettes Lanagan couldn't bear to get rid of but didn't know how to turn into stories. You get to the end and it's like, "well that happened." Everything takes place in this weird, quasi-Austrailian outback universe of three teeth, but sometimes with color television and prep school? You're lucky if you can tell where or what you are in half the time.
Baby Jane =...more
A bunch of gorgeous vignettes Lanagan couldn't bear to get rid of but didn't know how to turn into stories. You get to the end and it's like, "well that happened." Everything takes place in this weird, quasi-Austrailian outback universe of three teeth, but sometimes with color television and prep school? You're lucky if you can tell where or what you are in half the time.
Baby Jane =...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A surreal set of short stories that blends elements of folklore, high fantasy and science fiction into narrative that walk the line between reality and dreams. A follow-up work by the author of "Black Juice", a Printz honor title.
The manipulation of language, and the various styles of dialogue and the use of jargon throughout the individual stories force the reader to confront their own ideas about speech, conversation, as well as slang. Also, the use of language and the fluid movement of space...more
The manipulation of language, and the various styles of dialogue and the use of jargon throughout the individual stories force the reader to confront their own ideas about speech, conversation, as well as slang. Also, the use of language and the fluid movement of space...more
I'm a huge Margo Lanagan fan, but I wasn't as crazy-fond of this as I was of Black Juice. A couple of the stories fell flat for me; particularly the personification tales ("Monkey's Paternoster" and "A Feather in the Breast of God"). I wish I could put my finger on why -- for me, bestowing animals with human thoughts and feelings is charming in CGI, but rarely works in print (an exception being Watership Down, although it'd probably be less affecting if I read it now).
At any rate - "Under Hell,...more
At any rate - "Under Hell,...more
I really love this writing. It's like nothing else I've come across.
It's so lyrical and yet so very unsettling. The stories seem to rise up from some kind of dream like space and stay in my sub-conscious mind turning slowly, as if they are part of my experience. Quite disconcerting but also very intriguing for the hold over the senses that the images evoke.
All that is thought to be known or assumed to be 'so' is up for questioning. Not least, the idea of 'appropriate content for youth'. I love i...more
It's so lyrical and yet so very unsettling. The stories seem to rise up from some kind of dream like space and stay in my sub-conscious mind turning slowly, as if they are part of my experience. Quite disconcerting but also very intriguing for the hold over the senses that the images evoke.
All that is thought to be known or assumed to be 'so' is up for questioning. Not least, the idea of 'appropriate content for youth'. I love i...more
Jul 18, 2010
Courtney Johnston
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-stories
Darker than Susanna Clark, less funny than Neil Gaiman, feyer than Kelly Link, nothing like Katherine Mansfield - this was my first experience of Lanagan's short story writing, after reading and adoring her novel 'Tender Morsels' earlier this year.
One story - Winkie, a grim and genuinely scary take on a BFG-like character (which god, reminds me - how great are Roald Dahl's short stories?) - gripped me, but this particular combination of fantasy and short story left me feeling a bit short-changed...more
One story - Winkie, a grim and genuinely scary take on a BFG-like character (which god, reminds me - how great are Roald Dahl's short stories?) - gripped me, but this particular combination of fantasy and short story left me feeling a bit short-changed...more
This is a short story collection. I'll admit I picked it for the cover. It looked interesting and provocative.
It's just... weird. And that's not a compliment in this case.
It's like dreams brought on by bad digestion. Surreal and unresolved. Glimpses of artistic landscapes constructed 'just because' - but without the emotional or even logical resonance to call them fine art.
I feel like I'm looking at a painting that I just don't get.
I should. Everything points to elements I like... fairy-like fol...more
It's just... weird. And that's not a compliment in this case.
It's like dreams brought on by bad digestion. Surreal and unresolved. Glimpses of artistic landscapes constructed 'just because' - but without the emotional or even logical resonance to call them fine art.
I feel like I'm looking at a painting that I just don't get.
I should. Everything points to elements I like... fairy-like fol...more
Margo Lanagan is sooooooooooooo excellent -- I think these creepy, funny, tragic, inventive stories could stand proudly next to those of Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Hand, and -- dare I say it? -- Stephen King. I keep seeing her billed as a writer of young-adult fiction, but I can't agree.
"Baby Jane," "A Good Heart," and "Under Hell, Over Heaven" were highlights. And I'm a sucker for those end notes in which the author explains the origin or inspiration for each story. On to the next collection!
"Baby Jane," "A Good Heart," and "Under Hell, Over Heaven" were highlights. And I'm a sucker for those end notes in which the author explains the origin or inspiration for each story. On to the next collection!
Apr 24, 2013
Haralambi Markov
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anthologies-collections
Odd and vivid. Lanagan opens her collection with rather tame stories, but as you pass from a previous story to the next, you feel as though you're furthering yourself from the normal and have entered a different world. But the transition has been handled so effortlessly, you can't really feel when you have left. Not a single story resembles the rest and this just shows what a chameleon Lanagan is.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Margo Lanagan, born in Waratah, New South Wales, is an Australian writer of short stories and young adult fiction.
Many of her books, including YA fiction, were only published in Australia. Recently, several of her books have attracted worldwide attention. Her short story collection Black Juice won two World Fantasy Awards. It was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and the United Kingdom b...more
More about Margo Lanagan...
Many of her books, including YA fiction, were only published in Australia. Recently, several of her books have attracted worldwide attention. Her short story collection Black Juice won two World Fantasy Awards. It was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and the United Kingdom b...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
