The Shadow Year is a 2008 novel byJeffrey Ford.
The novel is an expansion of the novella "Botch Town",[1] which was published in his 2006 short story collectionThe Empire of Ice Cream.[2] The novella was nominated for theWorld Fantasy Award—Novella and theLocus Award for Best Novella in 2006.[3]
In an interview withLocus, Ford said that the concept behind the novel was based on events from his life, and "was really kind of a memoir" before his editor encouraged him to rewrite the novel and "make it a story."[1] The model town built by the protagonists in their basement is based on atrain set that Ford and his brother played with during their childhood.[4]
Three children, two boys, and a girl live in a quietLong Island town with their alcoholic mother and hardworking father in the 1960s. The boys build Botch Town, a tiny model of their hometown in the basement. One summer, a prowler begins terrorizing their neighborhood during a string of mysterious events such as disappearances and deaths. As the brothers follow their suspicions about the killer's identity, they realize that their younger sister, asavant, has been moving around figures in their model to act out events before they happen in the future.
The novel includes elements from a number of genres, includingmystery,[5]science fiction andfantasy.[6] Mark Yon, inSFFWorld, compared it to the genre-bending work ofRay Bradbury, particularly Bradbury'sSomething Wicked This Way Comes.[7] Several reviewers comparedThe Shadow Year's tone and humor toStephen King'sStand by Me.[7][6]
The book garnered a mixed to positive reception from critics. Michael Levy, in a review forStrange Horizons, praised the novel but acknowledged that its ambiguity and open ended mysteries might alienate some readers.[5]Kirkus Reviews gave the book astarred review and calling it "Properly creepy, but from time to time deliciously funny and heart-breakingly poignant."[8]
Publishers Weekly described it as "disappointing", criticizing the novel's numerous subplots and lack of momentum.[9]
It won the 2009Shirley Jackson Award for Novel,[10] and theWorld Fantasy Award—Novel.[11] It was a finalist for theLocus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.[12]
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