Dead Roses for a Blue Lady: A Sonja Blue Collection

Sonja Blue #Short Stories

by Nancy A. Collins, Stephen R. Bissette (Illustrator)

In her debut novel, Sunglasses After Dark (1989), no-nonsense nosferatu Sonja Blue is a punk vampire vigilante with a Clint Eastwood swagger who shows up the sensitive vampire antiheroes of most dark fantasy as refugees from a fern bar. The commanding figure she cuts in three follow-up novels is only occasionally on display in these seven short stories (three original to the volume), the majority of which read like outtakes from longer works. "Cold Turkey" actually was incorporated into the third novel, Paint It Black, but it offers a satisfying example of the series' hard-boiled appeal with its chronicle of Sonja's struggle to repress "the Other," the ravenous vampire ego that lurks behind her omnipresent mirrorshades and terminally threatens her efforts at anonymous coexistence with humans. Other stories are less generous in imagination, overworking vampire rape imagery, yanking Sonja onstage belatedly to bat cleanup and, in the case of "Knifepoint," avoiding her appearance altogether. At least one is near-perfect, "Vampire King of the Goth Chicks," in which Sonja exposes a vampire faker in the Goth subculture, perfectly balances graveyard humor with Sonja's self-conscious disgust with her own vampirism and her seething contempt for deluded vampire wannabes who think being undead is "all black leather, love bites, and tacky chrome jewelry." Though Collins is in full command of her material and always makes the gore seem to matter, this book is only for Sonja's blood simple fans.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

207 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Nancy A. Collins (born 10 September 1959) is a United States horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the Swamp Thing series, Jason Vs. Leatherface, Predator: Hell Come A Walkin and her own one-shot Dhampire: Stillborn.

Collins was born in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1980s; after time in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia she settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in the late 2000s.

Collins has written twenty novels since 1989, many of which refer to and directly include races of creatures the author calls Pretenders, monsters from myth and legend passing as human to better hunt their prey.

Collins has also written a number of highly acclaimed Southern Gothic short stories and novellas, most of which are set in Seven Devils, Arkansas, a highly fictionalized version of her hometown.

Most recently, she has focused her attention onto the Golgotham urban fantasy series,published by Penguin. Golgotham is the 'supernatural' ghetto of New York City, where creatures from myth and folklore--including witches,shapeshifters,leprechauns and centaurs--live and work in uneasy alliance with mankind.

Reviews

[vk chompooming · Rating 5 out of 5]

These titles remind me so much of my childhood. I remember finding the 1st Sonja Blue book and loving it. I am fortunate that I can still find more of her adventures.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Has been a long time since I read Sunglasses After Dark. Cool to go back and read about vampires before Twilight.

[Greg Allan Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a teenager for over ten years when I read this. I'll guess that I got sick of vampires by the time this came out.

[Crymsyn Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

after the disappointment I felt from reading book 5, this was a pleasant surprise! the short stories were wonderful and engaging

[Soraia · Rating 4 out of 5]

-- Vampire King for the Goth Chicks --

This is an example of a great short-story. It bites exactly what it can chew and would work perfectly as a teaser for a full novel. Well written - though I'd go without the "gangsta" talk - nicely developed and paced with the exact amount of information necessary to make it interesting. Then why didn't I rate it as 5? Well, in the end it comes down to personal taste, I didn't like the main character or the attitude, though it was clear she understood the whole psychology of the issue in front of her, she was just cruel. Not my thing, but still a great short.

[bluetyson]

Dead Roses for a Blue Lady (Borealis) by Nancy A. Collins (2003)

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories featuring our dear (dead) pal, Sonja Blue.

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good copy. entertaining read with some fail

[Kenton Schassberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nicly fills in and adds to Sonja's story, and gives a possible place to retire to or vacation in nonsuch

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Collins successfully provides her readers a series of entertaining short stories featuring vampire hunter Sonja Blue.