Small Press Saturday: Lanternfish Press
The cover of The Night Library of Sternendach by Jessica Levai.
We have endured another week of drought and smoke, and this week I’ve been in the mood for more eclectic and weird reading fare.
I was scrolling through Twitter last week and came across a tweet with a photo of a horror book display in a book shop. Being a book nerd, I had to zoom in and take a closer look at the books displayed. Most of them were fairly popular mainstream horror authors, but one book in the corner caught my eye. It was The Night Library of Sternendach by Jessica Levai.
Now this book caught my eye for two reasons. First is that I am obsessed with books about books or libraries or bookshops, so the phrase “Night Library” grabbed me immediately. Second is the tagline, which reads “A VAMPIRE OPERA IN VERSE.” Well – just SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! I ordered it immediately and then dug in to see who the publisher was, because book nerd. It arrived in record time and I started reading last night. I AM IN LOVE.
So, I am happy to introduce you to a small American press called Lanternfish Press. Their tagline also caught my eye. It reads “Rare & Strange.” Well – sign me up and take more of my money!!
Lanternfish Press was founded in Philadelphia in 2013. They specialize in fiction that straddles the line between literary and speculative, essays rooted in a strong sense of place, and some gorgeous Victorian reprints.
I was thrilled with their selection once I dug deeper into their beautiful website and explored their backlist and upcoming titles. I immediately also ordered Medusa’s Daughters edited by the fabulous Theodora Goss, author of The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club Series, which I adore. I’ve also ordered a copy of The Vampire Gideon's Suicide Hotline & Halfway House for Orphaned Girls by Andrew Katz but it sadly has not arrived yet. I can see myself ordering many more Lanternfish Press titles.
Cover of Medusa’s Daughters: Magic and Monstrosity from Women Writers of the Fin-de-Siècle edited by the fabulous Theodora Goss
If you like the weird and wonderful as much as I do, I have no doubt you will find yourself as enamoured with this small press as I have found myself. Enjoy perusing their website and maybe you will find your next great read <3
Happy Reading (and happy shopping)!
– Stacey
Find Lanternfish books at your local Canadian indie bookseller
