The Drowning Girl
|
Cover of 2012 Penguin paperback | |
| Author | Caitlin R. Kiernan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction/dark fantasy |
| Publisher | Roc Books (Penguin) |
Publication date | 6 March 2012 |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 352 |
| Awards |
James Tiptree, Jr. Award (won) Bram Stoker Award for Novel (won) Nebula Award for Best Novel (nom.) Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (finalist) Shirley Jackson Award (nom.) Mythopoeic Award (nom.) |
| ISBN | 9780451464163 |
| Preceded by | The Red Tree (2009) |
| Followed by | Blood Oranges (2013) |
The Drowning Girl: A Memoir is a 2012 novel by Caitlin R. Kiernan, set in Providence, Rhode Island.[1] The story's protagonist and unreliable narrator, India Morgan Phelps (also known as Imp), is a schizophrenic.[2]
It has been described as an "eerie masterpiece of literary horror and dark fantasy" containing elements of magical realism.[3] It has also been described as semi-autobiographical.[4] To date, the novel has been translated into French, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, and Turkish.
Synopsis
Told from the point of view of a young woman named India Morgan Phelps, The Drowning Girl follows her precarious relationship with her room-mate and lover, Abalyn. India tells of her encounter one evening with a mysterious woman named Eva Canning whom India discovers standing naked in the road. India's obsessive investigation into Canning's past becomes perhaps inseparable from manifestations of India's schizophrenia. India's inability to tell reality from fantasy, or her ability to see into supernatural truths about reality, depending on how one reads the text, jeopardises her relationship with Abalyn. As the world India perceives becomes stranger, her critical thinking and her imagination seem to separate and her very life is threatened.
Awards
Won
Nominated
- Nebula Award for Best Novel[6]
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (finalist)[7]
- Shirley Jackson Award—Novel[8]
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature[9]
- British Fantasy Award – Novel
- World Fantasy Award for Best Novel[10]
References
- ↑ Elizabeth Bear (January 13, 2012), "The Drowning Girl review", Elizabeth Bear blog
- ↑ Downs, Alison (March 1, 2012), "The Drowning Girl", The Booklist 108 (13): 53(subscription required)
- ↑ Cassada, Jackie (March 15, 2012), "Science Fiction/Fantasy, March 15, 2012", Library Journal 137 (5), retrieved 2013-05-13
- ↑ Elizabeth Donovan (February 22, 2012), Rhode Island Voices: Caitlin Kiernan, Kingstown, Rhode Island: North Kingstown Free Library, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ↑ 2012 Tiptree Award Winner announced, James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ↑ 2012 Nebula Awards Nominees Announced, SFWA, February 20, 2013
- ↑ 2013 Locus Awards Finalists, Locus Science Fiction Foundation, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ↑ Nominees for the 2012 Shirley Jackson Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, May 2013, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ↑ 2013 Mythopoeic Award Finalists Announced, Mythopoeic Society, May 14, 2013, retrieved 2013-05-18
- ↑ 2013 World Fantasy Award Nominees, World Fantasy Board, 2013, retrieved 2013-09-10