Christopher Slatsky

The earlier stories in this collection I can only call amateurish. Once Slatsky stops his incessant, "Oh, that strange thing I just saw out of the corner of my eye must be a raccoon," type of thing and just gets on to using disturbing metaphor to describe what the protagonist sees and feels things start getting a whole lot better. By the end of this collection Slatsky is delivering some of the most effective neo-Ligottian stories I've read since [a:Laird Barron|466494|Laird Barron|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1446325324p2/466494.jpg]. Despite its unevenness the last half of the book makes you forget all the earlier problems. and makes the whole bleak affair worthwhile.… (plus d'informations)

THE IMMEASURABLE CORPSE OF NATURE blew away all of my preconceived notions about dark and weird fiction!

I was exited to give these tales a chance as soon as I saw the cover of this book. As a lover of anthologies and collections, this was a great way to start off my reading year.

Stories centered around intense grief, like PHANTOM AIRFIELDS are among some of my favorites lately. Steve Rasnic Tem writes these so well and I found this tale reminiscent of Tem's work. (For me, this is among the highest of compliments.)

ENGINES OF THE OCEAN was another piece that deeply affected me, however the stories in the middle of this volume were the ones that told me that I held in my hands something very special indeed.

THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE, DEVIL GONNA CATCH YOU IN THE CORNERS, PROFESSOR COGNOSCENTE'S CALIGINOUS CHARMS CARNIVAL, (say that 5 times fast!), FROM A PEOPLE OF STRANGE LANGUAGE, and THE FIGURINE- were, for me, among the very best short, (or long), stories that I've ever read. Period!

This is the type of book that makes me feel inadequate as a reader and reviewer. I feel like anything I have to say could be said better by almost anyone else. I also feel a bit intimidated by the depth of these tales and the use of clear, concise language which, combined, often produced in me feelings of dread, suspense, sadness, and fear. I could never hope to write something, anything, as good as these stories.

Provided to me from Grimscribe Press, founded by a fan of Thomas Ligotti's work, I expected nihilism and helplessness, but these tales are a LOT more than that. It seems to me that I often like and admire the work of authors who adore Ligotti more than I enjoy the work of Ligotti himself. I'm not sure why that is, but it is a truth for me.

There are other reviews at Goodreads that are all more well written than this one, but so be it. I write reviews that are almost always about the feelings the author has inspired in me rather than clinical breakdowns of the text. I have been truthful with you all today about how I feel about this book and about Chrisopher Slatsky in general. Sign me the hell up for whatever else this man writes in the future, though I'm have a hard time imagining a book that I could love more than this one.

My highest recommendation!

*Thank you to Grimscribe Press and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*… (plus d'informations)

A top-shelf collection of dark and erudite fiction. These are a thinking mans weird tales, written with articulate and literate prose, and displaying an incredibly creative and vivid imagination. There was not one story in this collection that I didn't love, and several them haunted me for some time after reading them. Film Maudit and A Plague of Naked Movie Stars were standouts, as was Loveliness Like a Shadow, and the title story Alectryomancer. Dunhams Manor Press is definitely a small press to watch, I can only hope they continue to deliver works from talented writers like Christipher Slatsky.… (plus d'informations)