The Woods All Black [Hardcover]

When they call you a monster, show your teeth.

The Frontier Nursing Service is sending Leslie Bruin to Spar Creek to vaccinate the flock, birth babies, and weather the judgement of those who see him as a failed woman. Hardened by the atrocities of the Western Front, Leslie thinks he can handle anything a backwoods Appalachian town throws at him. But Spar Creek holds a darkness he isnt prepared for.

Something ugly is festering in the congregation. Violence bubbles around a younger queer person who wont comply with the churchs demands on his body  and the wooded hills enfolding Spar Creek have a mind of their own.

The Woods All Blackis a blood-soaked horror story about prejudice and power that reminds us to fight tooth and claw to live as who we are.

Lee Mandelo is a writer, critic, and occasional editor whose fields of interest include speculative and queer fiction, especially when the two coincide. His debut novel,Summer Sons,which has been featured inNPRand theChicago Review of Books, is a contemporary Southern gothic dealing with queer masculinity, fast cars, and ugly inheritances. Other work can be found in magazines such asTor.com,Uncanny, andNightmare; he has also been a past nominee for awards, including the Nebula, Lambda, and Hugo. Aside from a stint overseas learning to speak Scouse, Mandelo has spent his life ranging across Kentucky, currently living in Louisville and pursuing a PhD at the University of Kentucky.

A World Fantasy Award Nominee!
AMen's HealthMost Anticipated Fantasy!
An Indie Next Pick!
An NPR Best of the Year Selection!
AnAutostraddleMost Anticipated Fantasy!

Mandelo doesnt pull any punches, including in his delivery of PEAK queer revenge. If you dont absolutelyhowlwith schadenfreude at the ending, I dont know what to do with you. Shelley Parker-Chan forSciFiNow