The Secret Life of Insects

Bernardo Esquinca author James D Jenkins translator Luis Perez Ochando illustrator Mariana Enriquez editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cinder House

Published:28th Mar '24

£10.99

Available for immediate dispatch.

The Secret Life of Insects cover

A forensic entomologist tries to solve the inexplicable murder of his wife, who impossibly seems to have been killed in a forest at the same time she was asleep in bed with him. A husband becomes concerned by his wife's strange behavior, which includes sleepwalking, muttering strange phrases, and a bizarre erotic fascination with octopi. A woman visits a witch doctor who promises to forge an unbreakable bond between her and the man of her dreams, but things go horribly awry after the man dies. And four high school friends reunite twenty years later at a class reunion and must face the long-buried truth of a demonic experience from their youth. The history of Mexico is drenched in blood, from the sacrifices of the ancient Aztecs to the bloodthirsty conquest of the Spanish to modern-day violent crime, and that legacy of violence and death pervades these stories. They blend the genres of horror and noir in inventive ways and run the gamut from chilling to weirdly unsettling to darkly funny. It is a volume sure to please not only fans of horror and weird fiction but also anyone interested in contemporary international literature. This edition also features brilliant full-page illustrations by Spanish artist Luis Perez Ochando.

“The tales in The Secret Life of Insects are fresh, spicy, literary, provocative, often chilling, sometimes shocking, but always with a clever, well-thought-out point that provides a lasting resonance." Rue da Morgue; “The Secret Life of Insects stands as an entertaining and technically accomplished introduction to an essential new voice in the worldwide weird.” Southwest Review; "Esquinca's writing grabs you and takes you by the hand through obsessions where what is beautiful and monstrous in humanity dwells. Read him: you’re going to be terrified and amazed at the same time.’ – Mónica Ojeda, author of Jawbone; “Bernardo Esquinca’s haunting, original stories spin out implications like spider silk: light, strong . . . and very dangerous.” Michael Cisco, author of The Divinity Student

ISBN: 9781838171643

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

208 pages