Astounding Tales

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell is probably one of the most unusual collection of short stories I have ever read. The genre of the collection is difficult to pinpoint, but you have ghostly coming of age tales, Gothic Prairie fiction (I borrowed that from the Amazon review - I'm not sure if that's a genre), historical/political humor, and the cover story involving elderly vampires who learn to curb their blood lust by biting into lemons (while residing in an Italian lemon grove, no less). No stupid and sparkling teenage vampires in the bunch. Two stories, "Proving Up" and
"The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis" were my favorites, and contained elements of unrelenting creepiness which haunted me long after I finished reading. Ms. Russell's imagination is boundless, and she takes readers to realms they've never been. Perplexing, chilling and bizarre...highly recommended.