Hot Wind, Boiling Rain
Scary Stories for Strong Hearts
Inspired by science fiction, film noir, and especially horror movies, master storyteller Lyn Ford offers a collection of folk- and fairy-tale adaptations unlike any other in Hot Wind, Boiling Rain. Some tales, with princes and princesses or wolves and red hoods, will be instantly recognizable, while others, starring CEOs in penthouse suites, vampires, serial killers, or slaves caught in the turmoil of the Civil War, will require more imagination. Fortunately, Ford is all about sharing, and each short story is accompanied by the original model, or “seed story,” be it a Grimm or Perrault classic or “silly spookers” and urban legends passed down orally from generation to generation.
Ranging from the darkly humorous “If the Shoe Fits (or Sinful Ella)” to the chillingly solemn “Sugar,” Hot Wind, Boiling Rain employs a variety of styles, including newspaper article-like reporting and combination stories like “By Another Name,” which features both Rumplestiltskin and Snow White. Ending with a series of creative writing exercises and games for aspiring storytellers, Ford provides a variety of starting points for individual or group use, appropriate in the classroom, around the campfire, or under the covers with a flashlight on a dark and stormy night.
Reviewed by
Pallas Gates McCorquodale
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