Controversially because it's not a fantasy story. It's the story of a family in Florida, three generations of it, living in and around the location of Wakulla Springs.
The eponymous springs are real. They're where at least one Tarzan movie was filmed (the water segments at least_ and also the Creature From the Black Lagoon. And that's the link to the genre.
Despite there being no genre elements in the story, it's a love letter to those films. It's rooted in a love of the genre and that shines through on every page.
The story is in 4 parts, each part linking in with a different member of the family. In part one, Mayola bags herself a job at the hotel by the springs whilst a Tarzan film is shooting. It's not long until she meets Johnny Weissmuller himself. In part two, her 11 year old son Levi makes friends with the creature from the Black Lagoon himself - or at least the actor inside the costume. In part 3, we meet the adult Levi in LA, and in part 4, Levi's daughter returns to Wakulla Springs on a visit.
It's magnificently well written. I could hear the southern accents singing from the page. Despite the lack of any real incident, this is never less than an enthralling read. I could almost smell the locations and the feel of the waters as young Levi swam through them.
It touches on the Jim Crow laws that were still in place in the timeline at the start of the book, and highlights the unfairness without ever coming across as preachy. It also manages to touch on environmental concerns in the same subtle manner. It gets its points over without making a song and dance about it, and is all the more effective for it.
I loved this book and think it deserved to win the fantasy award. It was also nominated for best novella in the Hugos and the Nebulas. Well deserved across the board. I loved this book in case you can't tell. It should still be available from PS publishing if you want to try it for yourself.
This edition is a signed ltd edition but the standard version is also out there.
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