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Fantasy Masterworks, Fiction, Fantasy
A dazzling and macabre masterpiece of dark fantasy in the tradition of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.
To the residents of Abalone, Arizona, a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concern is surviving the Great Depression, the arrival of a circus in town is a chance to forget their woes for a while. But this is the circus of Dr. Lao and instead of relief, the townsfolk are confronted with an array creature seemingly straight out of mythology: a chimera, a Medusa, a sphinx, a sea serpent and, of course, the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao. As the circus unfolds, it spins events towards a climactic final act that will change the lives of Abalone's residents for ever.
Praise for The Circus of Dr Lao
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The Circus of Dr. Lao is a fascinating work: a labyrinth of meanings and images that sucks in the imagination, teases it and impishly plays with it. It gives nothing away, but offers much sustenance to those willing to take the risk of stepping into the tents housing its bizarre attractions. - Locus
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It's a splendid fable of a miserable-looking little circus that visits a dusty Arizona town and leaves an unforgettable impression. Mythical beasts and creatures - mermaids, the Medusa, satyrs among them - truly walk inside these circus tents, both stunning and thrilling the local townsfolk. - Los Angeles Times
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