On this week's episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast, LLF's Chris Connolly sits down with author James Han Mattson to discuss his upcoming novel Reprieve, on sale October 5th.
In his second novel following the acclaimed The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves, James turns his sight towards a murder that takes place within a full-contact haunted escape room in Nebraska, and explores topics of racial fetishism, hate politics, the horror genre, and so much more. Biting, observant, and told through court transcripts and three unforgettable voices, Reprieve has garnered praise from authors and reviewers alike. Check out some of the praise below:
"Mattson (The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves, 2017) presents a brilliant hybrid, a thought-provoking look at marginalization and systemic oppression expertly nestled inside a high-anxiety tale about the horror industry itself…. This is a rare treat of a novel that will be devoured by fans of pulp horror titles like The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz (2019) and by those who like the juxtaposition of supernatural and real-world horrors found in the works of Victor LaValle."
—Booklist ⭐ review
"Reprieve is an eventual American classic that is unrelenting in its beauty and incisive cultural critique. But it is James Han Mattson's treatment of his fully flawed characters that clutches my heart and head. Every room in this book has a secret room. Every character has a shadow trying to swallow them whole. I'm not sure there is 'fearless' American writing, but a few times a generation, there is innovative writing that appears to confront, shred, and accept the fears of its author and its readers with a wicked joy. Reprieve is that book. It really is."
—Kiese Laymon, bestselling author of Heavy: An American Memoir
"Reprieve takes horror as its subject, while also using the genre as its means, delivering twists and fright and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning pages. But the brilliance of James Han Mattson’s novel is in deploying the haunted house as a metaphor for our nation, where the true scare is a cultural reckoning with whiteness itself."
—Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind
You can listen to the interview below! Also be sure to read James's Behind the Book essay, which illuminates many of the topics discussed during the interview.
Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
Thank you James! Reprieve goes on sale October 5th.
-Chris