Alabaster

An albino girl wanders the sun-scorched backroads of a south Georgia summer, following the bidding of an angel or perhaps only voices in her head, searching out and slaying ancient monsters who have hidden themselves away in the lonely places of the world. Caitlín R. Kiernan first introduced Dancy in the pages of her award-winning second novel, Threshold (2001), then went on to write several more short stories and a novella about this unlikely heroine, each a piece of what has become an epic dark fantasy narrative. Alabaster finally collects all these tales into one volume.

Cover Art by Ted Naifeh

Hardcover

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, November 2007

Subterranean Press
PO Box 190106
Burton, MI 48519

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

Electronic version by WebWrights
http://www.webscription.net

ISBN-13: 978-1-59606-060-9
ISBN-10: 1-59606-060-3

Copyright© 2006 by Caitlín R. Kiernan

"Author's Preface" © 2006 by Caitlín R. Kiernan.
 
"Les Fleurs Empoisonnées" (Originally published as In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers
) © 2001 by Caitlín R. Kiernan.
 
"The Well of Stars and Shadow" © 2002 by Caitlín R. Kiernan. Originally published online at Gothic.net
 
"Waycross" © 2004 by Caitlín R. Kiernan, originally published as a stand-alone chapbook.
 
"Alabaster" © 2005 by Caitlín R. Kiernan, originally published in the Subterranean Press email newsletter.
 
"Bainbridge" © 2006 by Caitlín R. Kiernan, original to this collection.
 
"On the Road to Jefferson" © 2002 by Caitlín R. Kiernan, originally published as a stand-alone chapbook.

Dust jacket and interior illustrations © 2004, 2006 by Ted Naifeh.
All rights reserved.

For Neil, and for Sophie, too.

In memory of Elizabeth Tillman Aldridge
(1970-1995)