Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman is a speculative romance novel where the main character is afflicted with vampirism: here, a debilitative condition more than a supernatural gift. It’s a bit cozy, with most of the drama coming from the ways in which the main character (and others) refuse to move on. Struggles with identity are a secondary theme, though the main character has largely found himself by the story’s inception.
The writing is skillful. Because the main character is an archivist and a tertiary character is the recently-deceased screenwriter of a television show, some chapters take on the gimmick of being archival pieces; scripts, emails, book excerpts, letters, etc. These are an enjoyable break of pace.
The speculative elements are a bit on the mundane side. Don’t tune in for shock, horror, or the fantastic. They’re used to provide conflict more than anything, and frankly it wouldn’t be hard to imagine a version of this story without speculative elements at all. Though the conclusion, which involves a haunting-like phenomenon, probably justifies their inclusion.
The relationship between the two leads, Sol and Else, is extremely wholesome. But be aware that the book does detail a number of sexual encounters. If that doesn’t put you off, give it a chance.
Content warning: considerable sexual content, violence, transphobia
Plot: 5
Characters: 7
Themes: 6
Prose: 7
Overall score: one hundred boxes.
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