In The Veneration of Monsters, Suzanne Burns’ sophomore fiction collection, an array of unusual heroines search for love and acceptance, a pursuit that often takes a bizarre turn. Cherise tries to impress a man who only exists in her imagination. Violet throws away a meaningful relationship with a vampire in favor of online community. Tabitha feels she can only be loved by the doll she carries around in her purse. Lara wants to marry a man who believes every lie she tells. And in the final story, Just the Right Kind of Stranger, Irene becomes so enamored with the idea of attracting violent predators that she becomes what she seeks out.

Through stories that move between reality and mysticism, Burns carries a conversation about the pitfalls of a search for love and the feeling of isolation while surrounded by a world of multitudes. This collection also features a follow-up to Tiny Ron, the most popular story in Misfits and Other Heroes, published by Dzanc in 2009. Burns’ other works include eleven poetry collections.