Brian Evenson
Brian Evenson is one of two writers to receive multiple nominations. Of him, Matthew Tiffany (Condalmo) writes: "Were I to write a review comparing one widely-reviewed, big press 'thriller' and one certain little-known small press thriller, I would start it with a sentence something like this: 'Stephen King tries mightily, marshaling everything, to reach literary readers with his new novel; had he read The Open Curtain first, he probably wouldn't have bothered.' Brian Evenson puts the literary in literary thriller, and then he turns around and makes it truly damn thrilling. What starts off feeling like Fright Night without the unintended humor--and yes, this is a good thing--turns in its second part to a deep examination of a Mormon wedding ceremony, and in the third part turns the whole thing - and the reader - upside down. The Believer raved about it recently ('The final fifty pages of Brian Evenson's new novel, The Open Curtain, contain some of the most stunning and virtuosic fiction I have ever read. Seriously. The ending is so perfectly executed that I'm not even going to review it for you for fear of compromising your enjoyment of unforgettable artistic achievement.') and the book has gotten more plaudits around the web, but Evenson still somehow is flying under the radar. Not for long."
David Gutowski (largehearted boy) adds: "After reading his psychological thriller, The Open Curtain, this year, I tracked down every book he has written and added them to my 'to-read' pile. Evenson should be a household name, ruling the bestseller lists and critics' year-end lists."
More about Brian Evenson
+ Evenson's home page
+ Evenson is a Web del Sol featured writer
+ Matthew Tiffany's review of The Open Curtain and interview with Evenson
+ Bookslut interview with Evenson
+ Condalmo's write up of a recent Evenson reading
