Two Worlds and In Between

The Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan, Vol. 1

By: Caitlín R. Kiernan

Narrated by: various narrators, Jayme Mattler, Helen Lloyd, Amy Landon, Lisa Flanagan, Sophie Amoss, Andrew Eiden, Kevin Kenerly, Paul Woodson, Gabra Zackman, Robert Fass, Brittany Pressley

Two Worlds and in Between: The Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan presents a stunning retrospective of the first 10 years of the author’s work. It is a compilation of more than 200,000 words of short fiction, including many of her most acclaimed stories as well as some of the author’s personal favorites; several previously uncollected, hard-to-find pieces; her sci-fi novella, The Dry Salvages; and a rare collaboration with Poppy Z. Brite.

©2011 Caitlin R. Kiernan (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

A Good Entrance to Ms. Kiernan

Ms. Kiernan's work means a lot to me as a writer.

I often joke and declare that if I grow up, I want to write like Ms. Kiernan. To tell truth, nobody writes like Ms. Kiernan. Her work amazes me at how it takes normal situations like an ordinary puddle, and transforms it into something otherworldly, and even unnerving. She is at her best when she channels both HP Lovecraft, and Charles Fort.

I started with her novel SILK and then bought her first collection, TALES OF PAIN AND WONDER, finding myself head over heels in deep and abiding love for her short stories. To date, my favorite of hers is "To This Water (Johnstown, PA 1889)" It is a gutwrenching story of a young Hungarian emigree and how vile people can be in their hatred and bigotry. It is also a stunning story of revenge and how Ms. Kiernan weaves this journey, using the Johnstown flood as the backdrop, left me breathless and wanting more.

Her writing stands alone, despite being influenced by HP Lovecraft and Charles Fort, Ray Bradbury, Angela Carter and so many others.

She is, by far, my favorite contemporary writer and I highly recommend everything she writes, but if you are new to CRK, this is a great place to start.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

one of my favorite authors

I had tried for a long time to find a writer who I liked as much as Poppy Z Brite and I finally found them.

EPIC, ABSOLUTELY EPIC!

Caitlin Kieran is incapable of writing a inferior short story, novella or substantial novel; so, this being a epic collection of her absolute best work, that would make this book nothing less than amazing ; climatically satisfying with a lust to revisit over and over! Yes, that good: IF! you enjoy horror; if you reveal in Lovecraftian mythos, if you enjoy the John Langan’s, Laird Barron’s, Ania Ahlborn’s, Nick Cutter’s, Neil Gaiman’s, Robert E Howard- etcetera of the horror/Si-Fi/Fantasy or, “Pulp Fiction” genre’s! Caitlin Kieran is a master of horror that regularly creates spine chilling absolutely terrifying stories;always interesting, clever and satisfying….. Narrations? EPIC AS WELL!!!

Wonderfully written and narrated!

It is rare that I enjoy every story in a collection. The stories ranged from horror to sci-fi. It was wonderfully narrated too.

Truly beautiful horror perfection!

If you’re a fan of esoteric horror and science fiction with a touch of horror. This is the book for you, and be careful: there are monsters within.