Review: Disturbed by Her Song by Tanith Lee

I loved this collection through and through. What you'll notice immediately is the sensuality and hazy, dreamworld quality of the Garber/Garbah world. It is almost erotica, but not quite. It's not very specifically sexual, although there's plenty of implication and a great deal of focus on sense and the body.

I very much liked Judas' pieces, especially for Lee's excellent grasp of the 'gay male' viewpoint. Those stories really did feel 'authentic' for me, which I wasn't sure if they would. Similarly, Esther's lesbian stories felt very authentic too, in the way Jeanette Winterson's might. Her tales were the more uplifting and 'positive' of the two (in most cases).

There's something very subtly fantastical going on here, although most of these stories are literary rather than genre. Lee has definitely pushed the boat out with this collection, and I can see why she perhaps considered a small press over a larger one, as she's been given the space to truly experiment and try something new.

I would also like to point out the glorious interior design--this is a very attractive book, with an attention to detail you might not see with those bigger publishers. I applaud Lethe for their efforts.

Overall, a very impressive and surprising collection.