From the Phoenix Rising Bookshelf Quiz

Horror

Originally written in 1927, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was first published in abridged form in the May and July issues of the pulp magazine "Weird Tales" - four years after American author Howard Phillips Lovecraft's death - and subsequently in complete form in 1943 in the collection "Beyond the Wall of Sleep". It is Lovecraft's only novel, albeit a short one, counting just 51,500 words.

Set in 1928 in the author's native Rhode Island, the novel begins with the mysterious disappearance of Charles Dexter Ward, a young man from a prominent family, from the mental asylum in which he was incarcerated after a period of insanity. Most of the novel concerns the investigation of Ward's mysterious illness (which included inexplicable physiological changes) by Marinus B. Willett, the Ward family doctor. The investigation gradually reveals the frightening connection between Ward and his sinister 18th-century ancestor, Joseph Curwen.

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was inspired by various sources, including rumours about a haunted house in Lovecraft's home town of Providence, Puritan author Cotton Mather's writings, and supernatural tales by other authors he admired. Though Lovecraft was not happy with the story (the main reason why it was published posthumously), modern critics have a more positive view of it. The novel was loosely adapted by Roger Corman as the movie "The Haunted Palace" (1963), starring Vincent Price and Lon Chaney, Jr.

This question was written by LadyNym of the Phoenix Rising team, who loves a good supernatural mystery tale.

Fantasy

"The Blade Itself" (2006) is the opening book in the "First Law" trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. It also represents Abercrombie's debut novel.

Through separate storylines we are introduced to the four main characters, but their trails will lead to an explosive conclusion. The first of these is the legendary Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian whose good fortune has run dry. His death is likely to leave his enemies overjoyed and allow the minstrels to start creating a series of bad songs about him.

Jezal dan Luthar is a wealthy nobleman. Despite being a captain in the King's Own and a barely decent swordsman, he's lazy, shallow and quite naïve. With war on the horizon, he has visions of glory and commits himself to the effort, only to find out that the real world is far more brutal than he expected.

Sand dan Glokta was once a dashing war hero but is now a cripple. He's also the king's inquisitor and chief torturer, making him the most feared man in the realm. He dreams of placing Jezal's head on a pike.

The last of the quartet is Bayaz, a bald-headed wizard with a terrible temper... but who is he really" Is he the First of the Magi, a clever trickster or an incredible fraud? Whatever he is, he will make life hell for all the other players in the game.

Whilst this is called a trilogy, it is not 'technically' so. Yes, there are three novels in the storyline but the set also includes three other stand-alone novels and a series of short stories. A second trilogy, "The Age of Madness", was launched with the publication of the novel "A Little Hatred" in 2019.

This question was cut by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Historical Non-Fiction

"At Home (A Short History of Private Life)" is from one of my favourite authors, Bill Bryson.
His family moved into a former church rectory in the English countryside, and discovers all sorts of nooks and crannies. His book tells the history of almost everything in the house, from stoves to spoons, clothing dyes to children's books, turnips to toothbrushes. Even the simplest things are scrupulously investigated, often with a healthy dose of humour.

He even discusses the age-old question - tallow versus beeswax candles!

A great read, even though the 'Short' in the title is a bit of a stretch.

This question found its home in the quiz, and was written by ozzz2002, a Phoenix Rising member.

Autobiography/Memoir

"Source Code" was published in 2025 and it functions as an autobiography/memoir about the early life of the legendary founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates. Bill Gates was born in Seattle, WA in 1955 and "Source Code" includes personal reflections about his childhood and the formation of Microsoft. Microsoft was officially founded on April 4, 1975 by Gates and Paul Allen. At the time of its publishing, "Source Code" was the first of three planned memoirs by Bill Gates and it ends with Microsoft signing its first lucrative deal with Apple in the late 1970s. By late 2025, Microsoft was one of the first companies worldwide to achieve a market capitalization of more than $4 trillion.

This question was sourced into the quiz by Phoenix Rising teammate Triviaballer who fondly remembers floppy disks and computer mice that had trackballs inside them.

Thriller

"Crimson Phoenix" (2021) is the first novel in the Victoria Emerson trilogy by John Gilstrap. A New York Times bestselling author and Best of Los Angeles Award (BoLAA) winner, Gilstrap is most widely known for his acclaimed Jonathan Grave series of thrillers.

Victoria Emerson is a single mother of three sons and a congresswoman of the U.S. House of Representatives. One night, the code Crimson Phoenix is activated, meaning the United States is on the brink of a nuclear war and at DEFCON 1. As Emerson is whisked to the secure bunker where the government members will be housed, she is informed that her sons cannot enter with her. Putting family over job, Emerson, two of her sons and the two armed military men sent to escort her are in no-man's land when the bombs drop. Millions die, but millions survive. With no electricity, phone service or running water, and food a commodity worth killing for, they must forge a new life. Meanwhile, the Government is safe in their bunker, but all communications with the outside world have been cut off and are unable to be reinstated. They quickly learn that not only is their safe haven now their prison, but they also have no country to govern.

This question was ruled fit and dropped into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's leith90 who couldn't resist the title of this book.

Essays

"The Comfort of Crows", with the subtitle "A Backyard Year", was written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated with collages by her brother, Billy Renkl. Published in 2023, it is structured around the weeks and seasons of the year, with 52 essays focused on the natural world, as seen from her backyard. It reads like a devotional, and each chapter exhorts us to notice - notice what we see, hear, and feel when we are truly alive and connected to the world around us. Renkl writes for the New York Times regularly, and her essays draw on her experiences living in the US South - now in Nashville, Alabama at birth - and her love of nature. She and her brother grew up running through the wilds surrounding their Alabama home, and this book is graced with their synergistic, artistic interpretations of our place in the world.

This question was brought to the Phoenix Rising team quiz by pusdoc, who also finds comfort in crows.

Children's Literature

In the Children's Literature genre, it is difficult to ignore the extensive contributions of Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), whose pen name was Dr. Seuss. He wrote and illustrated more than 60 books, many of which are regarded as being among the most popular of all time.

Dr. Seuss' publication history began with "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" (1937). However, he had problems getting this book into print, with some 27 publishers rejecting his manuscript. It is somewhat frightening to consider that the Dr. Seuss books came very close to not happening. It was only a chance meeting with a college classmate who was working at Vanguard Press, that he managed to get his first work published. The book went on to sell more than 7 million copies.

"And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" focuses on young Marco who, inspired by a horse and cart, envisages a fantastical parade on his walk along Mulberry Street and the intersecting Bliss Street.

In 2021, this book and some other Dr. Seuss titles were removed from publication by the Seuss Estate, because some of the images were determined to be hurtful and wrong, and therefore offensive. It is an unfortunate situation when historical artefacts no longer stack up to the scrutiny of modern-day lenses.

Phoenix Rising's psnz remembers with fondness, reading Dr. Seuss stories to youngsters at bedtimes. These books certainly were popular!

Science Fiction

Robert A. Heinlein's "The Cat Who Could Walk Through Walls" (1985) is a science fiction novel that blends adventure, mystery, and metafiction. The story follows Dr. Richard Ames, a retired military officer turned writer, who meets a mysterious woman named Gwen Novak in a space station restaurant. Their encounter quickly escalates into a whirlwind of intrigue involving assassination attempts, political conspiracies, and interstellar travel. As they flee across habitats and planets, Ames discovers Gwen is far more than she seems - she's connected to a secretive group manipulating reality itself.

The title of the novel refers to Pixel, a seemingly ordinary cat with the extraordinary ability to walk through solid walls, symbolizing the novel's central theme of blurred boundaries between fiction and reality. Pixel can walk through walls because he doesn't fully acknowledge the constraints of physical reality.

Heinlein also uses this story to revisit characters and ideas from his earlier works, creating a kind of 'meta-Heinlein universe' where timelines and realities intersect. Most notable among these is his recurring immortal character Lazarus Long.

Ultimately, the novel explores free will, identity, and the nature of storytelling, culminating in a mission that could alter the structure of existence itself.

The reality of this question was blurred by Phoenix Rising's reedy.

Mystery

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" - Mark Haddon (2003)

This novel is classified as a mystery because we need to find out who killed the dog (with a garden fork) in the first chapter of the book. However, the mystery is but a convenient vehicle for us to become familiar with the narrator, Christopher Boone, who uncovers family secrets throughout the novel. Christopher is neurodiverse (author Haddon has been adamant that it is not about a person who has autism). Because of his neurodiversity and being the narrator, the events that occur in the book challenge his perception of reality, and we, the audience, see unfolding events through his lens, which is why this book was a joy to read.

This question was mysteriously included in the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Historical Fiction

"The Pillars of the Earth" (1989) - Ken Follett

Ken Follett, under the pen name Symon Myles, first made a name for himself authoring the spy thriller Apples Carstairs trilogy. After having success with several novels, he decided to incorporate his fascination with the cathedral architecture of the Middle Ages. In particular, he was fascinated by how these huge projects were constructed at a time when construction equipment was comparatively primitive. As such, Follett decided to write an extensive historical fiction novel about the full lives of the fictional characters who built the equally fictional Kingsbridge Cathedral. He shares in the preface that his publisher had concerns about the book being too different from his previous works. However, as he later states, it became one of his most successful novels.

The novel opens with the execution of an accused church thief. It quickly advances twelve years into the future as it follows the struggles of the first major character, Tom Builder, who is unable to find work. After being turned down again at the Kingsbridge Cathedral, almost miraculously, the Cathedral catches fire in the night, and suddenly Tom's skills are in demand. His teenage son Alfred, who also works with his father as a mason, is big and strong but not very clever. Tom's stepson, Jack, is younger, smaller, and much smarter than Alfred, which naturally causes tension between the two. Jack quickly develops skills and innovative ways to build, adding beauty and strength to the new cathedral.

On top of the attention given to architecture, "The Pillars of the Earth" also delves into the culture and people of twelfth-century Britain. If you ever wondered what life was like for the common folk of the Middle Ages, this novel is a must-read. While the book is centered around the cathedral and its fascinating story, the novel truly shines in its portrayal of the lives, relationships, and challenges of the people living in the world it describes.

This question was quarried and carefully hoisted to the perfect place in this quiz by Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg.