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This book is an odd duck: rather than a primer on or survey of weird fiction, this collection seeks to be more a study of the contemporaries and progenitors of Lovecraft's style. So you'd think they'd be assuming that you've read Lovecraft's stuff, but at the very end(?) it includes Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space". This might well be for comparison or completeness, but the inclusion almost compulsory, like you CAN'T do any collection of weird fiction without including at least some Lovecraft.
That said, the collection itself is revelatory and even pretty enjoyable for the most part. Viewing the collection through the lens of Lovecraft, it takes on an almost combinatorial feel—mixing and matching, excluding and including the various elements that we think of when we survey Lovecraft's work. Shiel's "The House of Sounds" takes the theme of sensory over-stimulations leading to madness, and outdoes "The Fall of the House of Usher" in turn. Machen's "The White People" does the same sort of unworldly lore and descent into hidden codes and ritual, but in a bit different context than usual. And most refreshingly, the collection shows that many of the key elements of weird fiction are not necessarily tied to a racist world-view as much as they disgustingly are in some of Lovecraft's.
Of course, some of the stories fall flat or are boring reads; the genre isn't really known for tidy writing or plotting in general, and seeing so many of these in one place negates the novelty that usually carries some of the weight. But many of the stuff is better than Lovecraft's efforts, and certainly deserves some of the attention that's almost singularly accorded to his work. Plus the NYRB has a rad Charles Burns cover that's refreshingly loud compared to their usual tone.
That said, the collection itself is revelatory and even pretty enjoyable for the most part. Viewing the collection through the lens of Lovecraft, it takes on an almost combinatorial feel—mixing and matching, excluding and including the various elements that we think of when we survey Lovecraft's work. Shiel's "The House of Sounds" takes the theme of sensory over-stimulations leading to madness, and outdoes "The Fall of the House of Usher" in turn. Machen's "The White People" does the same sort of unworldly lore and descent into hidden codes and ritual, but in a bit different context than usual. And most refreshingly, the collection shows that many of the key elements of weird fiction are not necessarily tied to a racist world-view as much as they disgustingly are in some of Lovecraft's.
Of course, some of the stories fall flat or are boring reads; the genre isn't really known for tidy writing or plotting in general, and seeing so many of these in one place negates the novelty that usually carries some of the weight. But many of the stuff is better than Lovecraft's efforts, and certainly deserves some of the attention that's almost singularly accorded to his work. Plus the NYRB has a rad Charles Burns cover that's refreshingly loud compared to their usual tone.
A nice collection of supernatural horror stories from the early 20th century. My favorite was 'The Willows' by Algernon Blackwood, a writer I wasn't familiar with up until now. Reading 'The Colour Out of Space' reminds me that I need to watch the newish Nic Cage movie of the same name.
Thanks Liz for the recommendation!
Thanks Liz for the recommendation!
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Edgar Allan Poe, "MS. Found in a Bottle" - ♥♥♥
Bram Stoker, "The Squaw" - ♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "Moxon's Master" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "The Damned Thing" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Bram Stoker, "The Squaw" - ♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "Moxon's Master" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "The Damned Thing" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Ambrose Bierce, "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" - ♥♥♥♥♥
R. W. Chambers, “The Repairer of Reputations” - ♥♥♥
M. P. Shiel, “The House of Sounds” - ♥♥♥
M. P. Shiel, “The House of Sounds” - ♥♥♥
Arthur Matchen, "The White People" - ♥♥♥
Algernon Blackwood, "The Willows" - ♥♥♥♥♥
Henry James, "The Jolly Corner" - ♥♥
Walter de la Mare, "Seaton's Aunt" - ♥♥♥♥
H.P. Lovecraft, "The Colour Out of Space" - ♥♥♥♥♥
H.P. Lovecraft, "The Colour Out of Space" - ♥♥♥♥♥
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A collection of creepy short stories rooted in other worldly elements, the story which most sticks with me is of a domed mansion chained against the sea in which noises magnify and the rooms are mostly burial vaults ("The House of Sounds"). Some stories build intriguingly but afford little payoff (the witchy happenings in "The White People") while others end exactly as one would expect (it's not going to be a good idea to piss off the black cat featured in "The Squaw" and then pose inside an iron maiden-like contraption) but all paint oddly surreal universes full of lush language, quivering trees, and madness. While tempting to lend metaphor or existential dread to some of the stories, they can also just be enjoyed under a blanket in the dark.