The Shadow Year

The Shadow Year is a 2008 novel by Jeffrey Ford.

Background

The novel is an expansion of the novella "Botch Town",[1] which was published in his 2006 short story collection The Empire of Ice Cream.[2] The novella was nominated for the World Fantasy Award—Novella and the Locus Award for Best Novella in 2006.[3]

In an interview with Locus, Ford said that the concept behind the novel was based on events from his life, and "was really kind of a memoir" before his editor encouraged him to rewrite the novel and "make it a story."[1] The model town built by the protagonists in their basement is based on a train set that Ford and his brother played with during their childhood.[4]

Synopsis

Three children, two boys, and a girl live in a quiet Long Island town with their alcoholic mother and hardworking father in the 1960s. The boys build Botch Town, a tiny model of their hometown in the basement. One summer, a prowler begins terrorizing their neighborhood during a string of mysterious events such as disappearances and deaths. As the brothers follow their suspicions about the killer's identity, they realize that their younger sister, a savant, has been moving around figures in their model to act out events before they happen in the future.

Genre and writing style

The novel includes elements from a number of genres, including mystery,[5] science fiction and fantasy.[6] Mark Yon, in SFFWorld, compared it to the genre-bending work of Ray Bradbury, particularly Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.[7] Several reviewers compared The Shadow Year's tone and humor to Stephen King's Stand by Me.[7][6]

Reception

The book garnered a mixed to positive reception from critics. Michael Levy, in a review for Strange Horizons, praised the novel but acknowledged that its ambiguity and open ended mysteries might alienate some readers.[5] Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review and calling it "Properly creepy, but from time to time deliciously funny and heart-breakingly poignant."[8]

Publishers Weekly described it as "disappointing", criticizing the novel's numerous subplots and lack of momentum.[9]

It won the 2009 Shirley Jackson Award for Novel,[10] and the World Fantasy Award—Novel.[11] It was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Locus Online: Jeffrey Ford interview excerpts". www.locusmag.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  2. ^ "The SF Site Featured Review: The Empire of Ice Cream". www.sfsite.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  3. ^ "sfadb : Jeffrey Ford Awards". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  4. ^ "Interview with Jeffrey Ford (THE WELL-BUILT CITY TRILOGY)". The Fantasy Hive. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  5. ^ a b May 2008, Michael Levy Issue: 5 (2008-05-09). "The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 2023-03-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b "The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford book review - Fantasy Book Review". www.fantasybookreview.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  7. ^ a b Yon, Mark (11 October 2018). "SFFWorld Countdown to Hallowe'en 2018: The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford – SFFWorld". Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  8. ^ THE SHADOW YEAR | Kirkus Reviews.
  9. ^ "The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  10. ^ locusmag (2009-07-15). "Shirley Jackson Awards Winners". Locus Online. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  11. ^ "World Fantasy Awards -- Complete Listing". worldfantasy.org. 2010-12-01. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  12. ^ locusmag (2009-04-27). "2009 Locus Award Finalists". Locus Online. Retrieved 2023-03-11.