Shriek: An Afterword

Shriek: An Afterword is a fantasy novel by American writer Jeff VanderMeer.^[1][2] Published in 2006, Shriek is set in the fictional city of Ambergris, a recurring setting in VanderMeer's work. The novel was written over a period of eight years, owing in part to what the author said, "[some scenes that are] very personal."^{[citation needed]}

Plot introduction

Ambergris, named for "the most secret and valued part of the whale", is a fantastical

Shriek: An Afterword deals principally with two eponymous siblings, Janice and Duncan Shriek. Janice, an ex-society figure and art critic, narrates with great and sometimes dark flamboyance. Duncan, a historian of note, entertains twin obsessions: rival historian Mary Sabon and the mysterious graycaps. The Shrieks figure rather prominently in VanderMeer's collection of Ambergris novellas and short stories City of Saints and Madmen: Duncan narrates the novella "The Early History of Ambergris", while Janice's art criticism figures into the World Fantasy Award-winning novella "The Transformation of Martin Lake".

Critical notes

Reviewer of