Of Evil Spirits and More

An evil spirit is an employee of a museum, a siren-buffet attendant is a supplier at a factory, and even a “marxist vampire”—these and other extraordinary characters will meet you in Daniel Berger’s debut book “About the Unclean and Not Only.” We’re used to mystical stories where people fend off walking dead, exorcise demons, and escape from vampires. But what if spirits aren’t actually that evil? What if the unclean have feelings, desires, and even fears? And what if they live side by side with us in the ordinary world?

In “About the Unclean and Not Only,” Gogol’s atmosphere blends with Gaiman-like worldbuilding, creating a completely new genre. Supernatural mysticism in historical settings and utterly real, familiar stories in which mythical creatures don’t differ from people in any way—they’re just as vulnerable, emotional, and surprisingly human. And the ethnic diversity of the unclean, rooted in the mythology of different peoples, sets Berger’s book apart from other mystical tales. No wonder a TV series is already being made based on it!