thomaswjoyce 's review for:

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers

4.0

---

I have heard authors speak about this book for years, and have long meant to read it, but never got around to it. Then I found this beautifully presented hardback edition in a Waterstones and immediately picked it up. I can see why it is held in such high regard, especially by authors who write Weird horror. The atmosphere over the four stories is often oppressive and claustrophobic, as though the beings Chambers describes are pushing and probing at the very fabric of our reality as we read. The terrifying imagery Chambers employs when hinting at these beings is excellent, but I only wish there were more stories about Carcosa. I know that some authors have written tales about it, and I will seek them out, but it would have been even better to have more from the mind who created them or, at the very least, introduced them to us mortal humans. My interest has been piqued, but I'd love even more.