Rating: 
Summary: Creepy!
Review: I don't know why I naively thought that "Spyder" was just a nickname, that there wasn't any significance or special symbolism to it. So when the spiders started to make their presence in the novel known, I was unprepared, and as an arachnaphobe, pretty freaked out. I like being disturbed, however, so this was not a bad thing. I am particularly impressed to learn that this is Kiernan's first novel -- her prose is so polished, and her character's are for the most part well-rounded. "Silk" reminded me a lot of Poppy Z. Brite's "Lost Souls," but Kiernan's novel seems more accomplished, more like the Poppy Brite of "Exquisite Corpse." The only down-side to the novel is that some of the action isn't as clearly described as I would have liked. I won't give anything away, but I would have liked a clearer idea of exactly what happened at the novel's climax. This kept me from giving the novel a full five stars, but I would have liked to give it 4.5, rather than just four, as this lack of clarity was distracting, but the novel was otherwise well-done. I know that when I see another novel by Caitlin Kiernan, I'll have to pick it up. This woman has talent!
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying and frightening read
Review: Are you afraid of spiders? Well, this is one magnificently spidery book. Though the author is a master (or is that mistress?) of lyrical prose, exquisite characterization, mood, and subtext (quantum physics *and* Orpheus in one book!), Silk still manages to touch a lot of our most basic fears and takes full advantage of them. Kiernan's portrait of Birmingham, Alabama, as a brooding post-industrial wasteland is as chilling as the shadowy creatures that may (or may not) stalk its nights. The author's familiarity with the youth subcultures of the early 1990s adds another marvelous dimension to what may be the coolest spooky novel I've read since Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls. This novel *proves* once and for all that a book can be scary as hell *and* extremely intelligent at the same time. It certainly deserves the awards it's won and the praise its received from "big name" authors like Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman.
Rating:
Summary: Wickedly Unnerving
Review: SILK is by turns beautifully understated and unexpectedly explicit. Fans of Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, William Burroughs, and Kathe Koja will probably love this book. It's honestly one of the best things I've read in years!
Rating: 
Summary: somewhere short of fantastic
Review: i enjoyed the book for the most part but it was nothing that i had hoped for and was quite dissapointing as the horror didn't arise until almost the last chapter and what was the horror was hardly imaginative or well explained. overall i would say that if you're looking for vivid writing buy this book but if you're looking for horror, this is not what you're looking for. the horror was shabbily thrown together and the ending was poorly examined which left me with a dissapointed look in my eyes and an urge to get up and pick up one of my "good" books just to get the horror i wanted.
Rating:
Summary: A very impressive first novel
Review: I'd never heard of Caitlin R. Kiernan before I bought this book, and now I'm looking for more of her stuff, and eagerly awaiting her next novel. This is one of those very rare books that genuinely transcends "genre" and carves out a place for itself all its own. Call it "horror" or "dark fantasy" or whatever, but none of these labels even come close to describing this remarkable work of fiction. It's nice to see a book getting the recognition it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: Intricately beautiful, deeply disturbing
Review: Having just finished Silk, I wanted to say that Caitlin R. Kiernan now ranks among my favorite writers of supernatural fiction, along with Thomas Ligotti and Poppy Z. Brite. Her prose is breathtaking. This book is really something extraordinary.
Rating: 
Summary: I truly believe that she possesses more talent than this...
Review: You know, I can't say that I particularly like or dislike this book. Rather, I am ambivalent about the whole experience. Caitlin Kiernan is, in my opinion, a talent to be reckoned with, but this novel fell short of meaning. The poetic language she utilizes is lovely, but should be used sparingly. It makes the entire read a bit laborous. I mean, we know that she's a well-versed woman. She doesn't need to shove it down our throats. Still, I haven't lost faith in her. I'm aware that this was her first full-length novel, and for the most part, writers improve from book to book. Unless you are Anne Rice, that is, but that is a completely different story. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in myth, subculture and spiders. To those who don't...save your money for when she releases her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Indicative of a lovely, dark imagination and honed skill
Review: I was impressed with the originality of the central theme. The horror element of Silk is not vampires, nor ghosts, and really has nothing to do with the alleged war 'tween Heaven and Hell. From beginning to end, Silk is a vivid and sensual buffet of metaphors as dark and rich as a death-by-chocolate dessert flanked by a syrupy thick cup of (good) french roast coffee. And while you may or may not like or identify with the characters (I believe I would be tempted to backhand the affected, ungrateful, selfish Spyder Baxter in real life, long-legged thingummies or no), Ms. Kiernan has given them all the spark of life -- they are well-developed and quite believable. If you read this book and come away thinking only about its portrayal of youth and Goth subculture, then I would be so bold as to say that you're missing the point. I myself came away from this story thinking about the choices we make with respect to our inner fear, pain, and rage. If you read this novel, compare the similarities between Daria and Spyder, as well as the very different choices which they ultimately make.The one thing which caused me to give this 4 instead of 5 stars: too many questions left unanswered at the end, mostly 'what exactly was happening during such and such scene?' and 'why did it happen?'. As a writer, I like to leave some elements up to the reader's imagination and interpretation, too, but there was a little more of this than I would have liked. Other than that, Silk is a great read and an example of the kind of first novel which any talented fledgling writer in the horror/dark fantasy genre should challenge his or herself to match.
Rating:
Summary: A whole new world, with the word GOTHIC in it!
Review: Well, that was refreshing! The minute I saw this book's liner notes, I knew I was going to be blown away. I hadn't expected it to be that good, though! I found Kiernan's approach very realistic, very close to what "punk", "junkie", "gothic" and "f**ked-up" really are. I found the whole concept of being killed by what seems to be imagination and fiction was totally cool. Textually speaking, the heavy use of metaphors and being non-descriptive at times really showed that there was more to litterature than just Tolkien or Weis & Hickman. She really came through in this book, and she managed to describe an incredible world far better than I could possibly have imagined. Great work, Caitlin, please keep those books coming!
Rating:
Summary: Even better than I'd hoped.
Review: I've been reading Caitlin Kiernan's short stories for years and was really looking forward to her first novel. I wasn't disappointed. She clearly learned a lot from Ray Bradbury. Her prose has that wonderful quality, only in a much darker, edgier setting. Two thumbs WAY up!
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