Berkeley brings its own unique blend of Bay Area noir, complementing the grit and grime that preceded it in San Francisco Noir and Oakland Noir.
Frederick Douglass Elementary by Aya de Le n has been selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021
My mom went to Berkeley in the 60s (my main tangential claim to hippiedom), so I'm psyched to see her favorite town get the Akashic noir treatment. San Francisco's hippie silo has long captured the imagination of artists and writers, and I can't wait to read the many stories in this collection, including new works from cult faves such Barry Gifford, Aya de Leon, Summer Brenner, and more.
--CrimeReads, included in CrimeReads' Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020
Anyone who enjoys seeing a familiar setting from a new perspective will appreciate the gems in this edition.
--Berkeleyside
This volume proves yet again that noir is discoverable anywhere there are human beings--in this case, a quirky university town on the east side of San Francisco Bay...Another fine entry in a series for the ages.
--New York Journal of Books
Each story evokes the dark side of a Berkeley neighborhood and pays tribute both to the city's history as a haven for outcasts and as a literary metropolis. If you race through it, consider picking up San Francisco Noir and Oakland Noir.
--Diablo Magazine, a Top Ticket choice
At first consideration one might wonder if Berkeley has enough of a seedy underbelly to produce credible settings and stories for such an anthology? The writing proves it does.
--The Berkeley Daily Planet
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
Brand-new stories by: Barry Gifford, Jim Nisbet, Lexi Pandell, Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Mara Faye Lethem, Thomas Burchfield, Shanthi Sekaran, Nick Mamatas, Kimn Neilson, Jason S. Ridler, Susan Dunlap, J.M. Curet, Summer Brenner, Michael David Lukas, Aya de Le n, and Owen Hill.
From the introduction:
A town named after a British philosopher doesn't exactly evoke visions of Goodis or Highsmith. Grifters? Dames? Cops? In Berkeley? On the surface the alleys don't seem that dark, until we look a little closer. Possibly the most iconic visual image of Berkeley does involve cops. It's the film with Mario Savio, atop a police car, declaring, There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part Now there's a statement that sums up the spirit of noir.
Berkeley Noir asks, If not here, where? When pulling together this outstanding list of authors, we were constantly reminded of Berkeley's rich literary history, one that swerves through varying shades of noir. Those who helped pave the way for this collection include Anthony Boucher, Janet Dawson, Margaret Cuthbert, Ellen Gilchrist, Linda Grant, Jonathan Lethem, and Barry Gifford. There will always be a place in the heart of this city where even outcasts can feel at home...The search through darkness for an authentic, eclectic voice is the most important ingredient in the rich stew that is Berkeley, California.
