One of the last things you might expect to find coming out of Europe is gritty noir that would give even the best West Coast authors a run for their money. Raw, brittle, dystopian - Katja Bohnet's stories reveal the darkest corners of the human experience, in language that could hardly be more sparse and lethal. A young man, stabbed and wondering why God is living in a room down the hall from him in a third-rate hostel. A couple wandering around an indefinite space between worlds. A woman whose fear of flying escalates sharply in an airplane lavatory. A couple of young adults on an idyllic island in the Pacific, overshadowed by a predatory surfer. With moments of sparkling lyricism, Katja invites us to embrace the rich spaces created by blurring the boundaries between crime, horror, and speculative fiction. But be sure to buckle your seat belt. The ride is a bumpy one that you won't so easily forget.
About the author Katja Bohnet writes. Born in Mannheim (Germany) in 1971, she pursued film studies and philosophy in college, and now lives somewhere between Frankfurt and Cologne. Travels: a lot. Jobs: a few. Kids: a couple. A former TV writer and moderator with WDR Cologne, she now spends her time making up novels and stories. Her works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies, including entwürfe, Am Erker, erostepost, und the MDR Literaturwettbewerbs 2013. Her debut thriller novel Messertanz was published in 2015 by Knaur. Katja Bohnets Homepage. About the translator With degrees in art history and historic preservation, Rachel Hildebrandt worked as a historical consultant and editor before transitioning to literary translation. She has published both fiction and nonfiction works in translation, including Staying Human by Katharina Stegelmann (Skyhorse) and Herr Faustini Takes a Trip by Wolfgang Hermann (KBR Media). Rachel's upcoming translations include Fade to Black by Zoë Beck (Weyward Sisters, Winter 2017) and Havarie by Merle Kroeger (Unnamed Press, Spring 2017).
樂天KOBO
