Fave Five of 2012: Novellas & Novelettes

I read a whole lot of novellas and novelettes this year, and I could probably expand this to a top ten list, but let's stick with five for the sake of time and space. Unlike the other fave five lists I've written up for this week, this is the one that doesn't contain a single physical book. Every single novella I read this year came in the form of an e-book. Conventional publishing just doesn't bother with them, so finding a physical copy in a bookstore--or even ordering one in, for that matter--is tough. Thank you, Kindle.

Tribesmen by Adam Cesare - Adam's debut novella (it was a debut, right?) really packed a whollup, with a take-no-prisoners homage to exploitation horror films with a tinge of satire and a whole lot of blood.

Black-Eyed Kids by Ian Rogers - I'm a fan of Felix Renn, and of the three stories I read from Burning Effigy Press, this third in the series was a real standout. All three stories, plus a new 200 page novella, and more has been published. It's called SuperNOIRtural Tales and I'm very optimistic about it.

Snowblind by Michael McBride - My first chance to read Michael's work, and I think my first time reading from the Delirium Books library, and I thought it was a strong indicator that I need to read more.

Waiting Out Winter by Kelli Owen - After reading this apocalyptic novella, I had a new revulsion towards house flies. And if you read it, I'll bet you do too. I loved Kelli's other novella, The Neighborhood, and was happy to see this one meet expectations, and maybe exceed them a little bit.

What Gets Left Behind by Mark West - Spectral Press never disappoints with their limited edition chapbooks, but this one about two boys and a serial killer manage to stand out from a very impressive herd of stories.