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A Season in Carcosa
H.P. Lovecraft. Karl Edgar Wagner. Peter Straub. Those are a few of the names that stand tall in our genre and when it comes to Robert W. Chambers and his King in Yellow they agree, Chambers' beguiling tales of the King In Yellow and Carcosa are among the best in “weird” fiction. Miskatonic River Press and Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. are proud and delighted to present an anthology of all new tales inspired by Chambers.
In haunted and splintered minds… Minds shackled to lonely places…
In the unbound shadows infesting hearts of beautiful woman with frantic sensations…
In an old house where biblical thrived…
In threadbare truths, disturbed by despair, cobwebbed with illusions…
In far cold Carcosa…
Lies madness.
In A Season In Carcosa readers will find the strange and mysterious places of heart and mind that spring from madness, and those minds and the places touched by it are the realms that are mined. Chambers' legacy of the worms and soft decay that spring from reading the King In Yellow play stir both new and established talents in the world of weird fiction and horror to contribute all new tales that pay homage to these eerie nightmares. In Carcosa twilight comes and minds lost in the mirrors of lust and fear, are awash in legacies of shadows, not mercy…
Table of Contents
“My Voice is Dead” by Joel Lane
“Beyond the Banks of the River Seine” by Simon Strantzas
“Movie Night at Phil's” by Don Webb
“MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills
“it sees me when I’m not looking” by Gary McMahon
“Finale, Act Two” by Ann K. Schwader
“Yellow Bird Strings” by Cate Gardner
“The Theatre & Its Double” by Edward Morris
“The Hymn of the Hyades” by Richard Gavin
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files
“Not Enough Hope” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.
“Whose Hearts are Pure Gold” by Kristin Prevallet
“April Dawn” by Richard A. Lupoff
“King Wolf” by Anna Tambour
“The White-Face at Dawn” by Michael Kelly
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow
“Sweetums” by John Langan
“The King is Yellow” by Pearce Hansen
“D T” by Laird Barron
“Salvation in Yellow” by Robin Spriggs
“The Beat Hotel” by Allyson Bird
In haunted and splintered minds… Minds shackled to lonely places…
In the unbound shadows infesting hearts of beautiful woman with frantic sensations…
In an old house where biblical thrived…
In threadbare truths, disturbed by despair, cobwebbed with illusions…
In far cold Carcosa…
Lies madness.
In A Season In Carcosa readers will find the strange and mysterious places of heart and mind that spring from madness, and those minds and the places touched by it are the realms that are mined. Chambers' legacy of the worms and soft decay that spring from reading the King In Yellow play stir both new and established talents in the world of weird fiction and horror to contribute all new tales that pay homage to these eerie nightmares. In Carcosa twilight comes and minds lost in the mirrors of lust and fear, are awash in legacies of shadows, not mercy…
Table of Contents
“My Voice is Dead” by Joel Lane
“Beyond the Banks of the River Seine” by Simon Strantzas
“Movie Night at Phil's” by Don Webb
“MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills
“it sees me when I’m not looking” by Gary McMahon
“Finale, Act Two” by Ann K. Schwader
“Yellow Bird Strings” by Cate Gardner
“The Theatre & Its Double” by Edward Morris
“The Hymn of the Hyades” by Richard Gavin
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files
“Not Enough Hope” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.
“Whose Hearts are Pure Gold” by Kristin Prevallet
“April Dawn” by Richard A. Lupoff
“King Wolf” by Anna Tambour
“The White-Face at Dawn” by Michael Kelly
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow
“Sweetums” by John Langan
“The King is Yellow” by Pearce Hansen
“D T” by Laird Barron
“Salvation in Yellow” by Robin Spriggs
“The Beat Hotel” by Allyson Bird
292 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2012
86 people are currently reading
2127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
December 7, 2012
This is one of the most significant multi-author anthologies of recent years. A wonderful, concentrated batch of intoxicating goodness, sure to please readers of weird fiction and horror.
Every anthology includes pieces that don't work for all readers. All too often, the reader must be satisfied with just a few strong stories in the mix. In this case, the intelligent and provocative bullseyes greatly outnumber the few misses. Some of the highlights come from reliable writers such as Laird Barron and John Langan, who lately seem never to miss the mark. Both use the "King in Yellow" theme as an excuse to try something a little different, to veer off the path of their usual focuses and themes. Barron does something that feels much like veiled biography, in which a Carcosan entity visits an author who seems clearly inspired by Karl Edward Wagner. Langan's tale has the feel of nightmare, and follows an actress as she stumbles through an extraordinary soundstage during the filming of a project seemingly attuned to a world other than our own.
The greatest anthologies are important because they do more than just parade one famous author after another; they bring to the reader's attention work by less familiar names. I'd never read anything by Gary McMahon before, but his Bukowski-inflected noir, "it sees me when I'm not looking," was a wonderful surprise. Edward Morris comes up with a surreal and disturbing tour de force, "The Theater and its Double." This complex and ambitious piece blends poetry, screenplay, and stream of consciousness.
Favorites here include Allyson Byrd's "The Beat Hotel," an atmospheric, art-flavored 60s-in-Paris wonder that hit this reader's sweet spot, and Cody Goodfellow's extravaganza of mental illness, drugs, dark ritual and mind control, all with a children's television backdrop, "Golden Class." Other standouts included stories by Daniel Mills, Pulver, Strantzas, Richard Lupoff and Joel Lane. As often happens in tribute anthologies, the most successful stories went beyond mere emulation and instead used an author or story's themes to do something in the writer's own style.
Themed short fiction anthologies roll out into the marketplace too quickly for any reader to keep up. In any given year, there are a few standouts worth every genre reader's time. A Season in Carcosa is one of those special few deserving of wider attention.
Every anthology includes pieces that don't work for all readers. All too often, the reader must be satisfied with just a few strong stories in the mix. In this case, the intelligent and provocative bullseyes greatly outnumber the few misses. Some of the highlights come from reliable writers such as Laird Barron and John Langan, who lately seem never to miss the mark. Both use the "King in Yellow" theme as an excuse to try something a little different, to veer off the path of their usual focuses and themes. Barron does something that feels much like veiled biography, in which a Carcosan entity visits an author who seems clearly inspired by Karl Edward Wagner. Langan's tale has the feel of nightmare, and follows an actress as she stumbles through an extraordinary soundstage during the filming of a project seemingly attuned to a world other than our own.
The greatest anthologies are important because they do more than just parade one famous author after another; they bring to the reader's attention work by less familiar names. I'd never read anything by Gary McMahon before, but his Bukowski-inflected noir, "it sees me when I'm not looking," was a wonderful surprise. Edward Morris comes up with a surreal and disturbing tour de force, "The Theater and its Double." This complex and ambitious piece blends poetry, screenplay, and stream of consciousness.
Favorites here include Allyson Byrd's "The Beat Hotel," an atmospheric, art-flavored 60s-in-Paris wonder that hit this reader's sweet spot, and Cody Goodfellow's extravaganza of mental illness, drugs, dark ritual and mind control, all with a children's television backdrop, "Golden Class." Other standouts included stories by Daniel Mills, Pulver, Strantzas, Richard Lupoff and Joel Lane. As often happens in tribute anthologies, the most successful stories went beyond mere emulation and instead used an author or story's themes to do something in the writer's own style.
Themed short fiction anthologies roll out into the marketplace too quickly for any reader to keep up. In any given year, there are a few standouts worth every genre reader's time. A Season in Carcosa is one of those special few deserving of wider attention.
July 27, 2015
A Season in Carcosa is an exceptionally well-edited tribute anthology in honor of Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories, a story cycle about an accursed play, set in "dim Carcosa," which, when merely read (never staged!), leaves madness and chaos in its wake. Chambers' "KiY" stories, though there are only five, left a small but persistent imprint on the weird, influencing Lovecraft, to start with, whose Necronomicon owes not a little to that "cursed book"-within-a-book trope.
But on to Pulver's collection: a couple of the tales are a bit mannered for me; for example "The Theater and its Double" by Edward Morris, which marries Artaud's surrealism and "Theater of Cruelty" with the infamous play. I've never much liked the Surrealists, and, though Morris does slip in some beautiful language, that particular story felt bloated and self-indulgent, containing as it does both an imagined version of the play, and "Artaud's" musings on art, politics, morphine, dreams, and the terrors of the Yellow King. Also, Gary McMahon's "it sees me when I'm not looking," which tells a fine tale, but does so with purposefully mangled punctuation and random capitalization, an artistic decision which only made me want to copy-edit it.
However, the bulk of the stories evoke the drear decadence of "dead Carcosa" with its pallid masks and its tattered King to uneasy perfection. R.W. Chambers' vision of cosmic horror, though Victorian in its origins, holds up well to contemporary scenarios; issues of mental health and the media's omnipotent hold on our minds underpin many of the stories in the collection. Highlights include "Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars," by Gemma Files, in which a Physicians for Human Rights forensic anthropologist investigating a massacre pit unwittingly unearths something still more dreadful; and Joel Lane's "My Voice is Dead," whose narrator, a devout Catholic losing his religion and dying of cancer, finds faith in Carcosa on the internet. And addressing media manipulation of our collective sanity, we have a fantastic trifecta: John Langan's "Sweetums," in which a struggling actress gets more than she bargained for when hired for an experimental film; in Don Webb's dark and hilarious "Movie Night at Phil's," the wrong videotape puts a gruesome end to a family tradition; and my favorite in the book, Cody Goodfellow's "Wishing Well," in which a mentally unstable former child actor traces his problems back to his role in "Golden Class," a cult children's show something like "Romper Room," only with a lot more creepy masks, ritualistic games, and marionette "visitors" from the "Golden City of Carcosa."
I only stumbled over the cult of the King in Yellow by way of its interbreeding with the Lovecraft mythos, and initially I was surprised so many gifted artists are still influenced by Chambers' little-known mythical play-within-a-play. But it certainly spawned one disturbing and compelling collection. It seems as though Chambers' tales may be having a cultural moment -- HBO's slow-burn creepshow "True Detective" has referenced Carcosa and the King in Yellow several times in just the first four episodes. Not sure where they are going with it, but I'm hooked. Maybe the time is right for the return of the King?
But on to Pulver's collection: a couple of the tales are a bit mannered for me; for example "The Theater and its Double" by Edward Morris, which marries Artaud's surrealism and "Theater of Cruelty" with the infamous play. I've never much liked the Surrealists, and, though Morris does slip in some beautiful language, that particular story felt bloated and self-indulgent, containing as it does both an imagined version of the play, and "Artaud's" musings on art, politics, morphine, dreams, and the terrors of the Yellow King. Also, Gary McMahon's "it sees me when I'm not looking," which tells a fine tale, but does so with purposefully mangled punctuation and random capitalization, an artistic decision which only made me want to copy-edit it.
However, the bulk of the stories evoke the drear decadence of "dead Carcosa" with its pallid masks and its tattered King to uneasy perfection. R.W. Chambers' vision of cosmic horror, though Victorian in its origins, holds up well to contemporary scenarios; issues of mental health and the media's omnipotent hold on our minds underpin many of the stories in the collection. Highlights include "Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars," by Gemma Files, in which a Physicians for Human Rights forensic anthropologist investigating a massacre pit unwittingly unearths something still more dreadful; and Joel Lane's "My Voice is Dead," whose narrator, a devout Catholic losing his religion and dying of cancer, finds faith in Carcosa on the internet. And addressing media manipulation of our collective sanity, we have a fantastic trifecta: John Langan's "Sweetums," in which a struggling actress gets more than she bargained for when hired for an experimental film; in Don Webb's dark and hilarious "Movie Night at Phil's," the wrong videotape puts a gruesome end to a family tradition; and my favorite in the book, Cody Goodfellow's "Wishing Well," in which a mentally unstable former child actor traces his problems back to his role in "Golden Class," a cult children's show something like "Romper Room," only with a lot more creepy masks, ritualistic games, and marionette "visitors" from the "Golden City of Carcosa."
I only stumbled over the cult of the King in Yellow by way of its interbreeding with the Lovecraft mythos, and initially I was surprised so many gifted artists are still influenced by Chambers' little-known mythical play-within-a-play. But it certainly spawned one disturbing and compelling collection. It seems as though Chambers' tales may be having a cultural moment -- HBO's slow-burn creepshow "True Detective" has referenced Carcosa and the King in Yellow several times in just the first four episodes. Not sure where they are going with it, but I'm hooked. Maybe the time is right for the return of the King?
November 16, 2017
El rey de amarillo de Robert Chambers es un mágnifico libro de terror y fantasía en el qual se inspiro seguramente Lovecraft para crear al Necronomicon y los Primigenios.
En esta colección de relatos se rinde homenaje a dicho libro, el qual ha disfrutado de una reciente fama gracias a la serie True Detective, donde el libro jugaba un papel importante.
En este conjunto de cuentos hay de todo pero si como yo disfrutaste mucho del original de Chambers, este tambien te va a gustar.
A destacar relatos como Me ve cuando no estoy mirando., una mezcla imposible entre el universo de Carcosa y Bukowski como personaje, delirante y divertida a la vez.
Mi voz esta muerta, el relato de un emfermo terminal en busca de la misteriosa ciudad y su lago encantado y Más allá de las orillas del Senna, un clásico cuento de misterio y horror con un músico vendiendo su alma al rey de amarillo con tal de obtener el éxito.
Cabe decir también que el libro contiene un par de relatos inconexos y alguna poesia sin trascendencia que le resta calidad al conjunto, pero en general es muy disfrutable.
En esta colección de relatos se rinde homenaje a dicho libro, el qual ha disfrutado de una reciente fama gracias a la serie True Detective, donde el libro jugaba un papel importante.
En este conjunto de cuentos hay de todo pero si como yo disfrutaste mucho del original de Chambers, este tambien te va a gustar.
A destacar relatos como Me ve cuando no estoy mirando., una mezcla imposible entre el universo de Carcosa y Bukowski como personaje, delirante y divertida a la vez.
Mi voz esta muerta, el relato de un emfermo terminal en busca de la misteriosa ciudad y su lago encantado y Más allá de las orillas del Senna, un clásico cuento de misterio y horror con un músico vendiendo su alma al rey de amarillo con tal de obtener el éxito.
Cabe decir también que el libro contiene un par de relatos inconexos y alguna poesia sin trascendencia que le resta calidad al conjunto, pero en general es muy disfrutable.
April 19, 2013
The late 1800’s were host to a few pieces of literature that would forever alter the way readers see the color yellow. The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, saw publication in 1892, and focused on a wife who obsesses with yellow wallpaper, driving herself mad. As creepy as this story is, it is mostly known today as an important work of feminist literature. It was three years later, in 1895, when Robert Chambers’ collection The King in Yellow would see publication, taking the connection between yellow and madness one step further, into the realm of the supernatural.
The first four stories in Chamber’s collection are connected by common plot devices and themes: a play titled The King In Yellow, a mysterious and evil being also referred to as The King In Yellow, a symbol called The Yellow Sign, decadence, decay, and madness. Over the years these stories, along with others by various authors, have become something of their own Mythos, similar to what many people have dubbed the Cthulhu Mythos or Lovecraft Mythos. Despite the similarities and sometimes overlaps between stories from either Mythos, the “Yellow Mythos” is proving more and more that it can stand independently .
One of the authors who championed Chambers for years is Joseph Pulver Sr. He has written several stories and poems dealing with the King in Yellow, along with promoting other writers that do the same. One of the fruits of his labor is the recently published A Season In Carcosa. This small press anthology, published by Miskatonic River Press, contains twenty short stories and one poem, all dealing with the mythology of Chambers’ stories.
Anthologies are usually a mixed bag, and a perfect anthology is a rare thing indeed. While this anthology is not perfect, the good manages to far outweigh the bad. Pulver has managed to gather a nice variety of stories, from a very talented group of authors. Madness, decadence, and the King himself are explored in several ways. Some tales are modern and others take place in the past. The one common thread that connects all of them is the link between madness and the color yellow.
Some favorites include:
Beyond the Banks of the River Seine is another example of why Simon Strantzas is a must-read author. It has an antique feel and explores themes such as jealousy and competition between two young music students. While easy to see where the story is going, the arrogant narrator and beautiful language makes for an entertaining read.
It sees me when I’m not looking, by Gary MacMahon, has a noir feel, and follows a poet as he comes into contact with the Yellow Mythos. It’s definitely a more subtle tale, and is all the better for it.
Cody Goodfellow’s Wishing Well features a paranoid, mentally ill protagonist as he deals with a haunting past as a cast member an a surreal kid’s show. The man’s foggy memory mixed with the sheer wrongness of the show helps this story to leave a lasting impression. As I read passages about the show’s history, I couldn’t help but think of One Got Fat, a 1962 bicycle safety video which has the cast of youths wearing macabre monkey masks and never speaking a word.
Richard Gavin’s story, The Hymn of the Hyades, stands out because of the main character. Instead of a troubled or artistic adult, we are treated to a story from a child’s point of view. It’s refreshing to experience the madness of the King through the eyes of a child who can’t even come close to understanding what is happening.
Sweetums by John Langan is one giant set piece of madness and terror. Literally. A down on her luck actress takes a role in an auteur’s film, and wanders around a large movie set. It is literally a tour through scene after scene of surreal madness. The way she flits from room to room and sees smaller parts of the whole adds a very dreamlike quality to the story. There’s enough creepiness here for the story to stick with the reader long after reading.
MS Found Dead In A Hotel Room is one of the best stories of the collection. It is such an interesting spin on the King and has a nice twist on the ending. I will definitely be hunting down more work by Daniel Mills.
Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars by Gemma Files is another standout story. Files utilizes a second person narrative, which is rather uncommon. This is not an easy task to pull off, as it often comes off as feeling “gimmicky”, yet in this case it only seems to help immerse the reader into an unsettling tale about an eerie island that may or may not be a gateway to another world. This might just be the best story in the anthology.
Laird Barron also has a standout tale, D T, which is a story dealing with an alcoholic author and his doppelganger. Barron has never disappointed, and doesn’t start now.
There were a few mediocre to good stories, and only two that I found to be weak. One story in particular makes me wonder if the printed version was an unedited early draft. Movie Night At Phil’s is plagued with errors, both spelling and grammatical, to the point that it was a struggle to finish the story. As a lover of film I was looking forward to the story, but it just seems sloppy.This doesn’t seem typical of Don Webb, as his story Sanctuary (Cthulhu’s Reign 2010) is one of my favorites from that anthology.
Kristin Prevallet’s Whose Hearts Are Pure Gold is another story that didn’t work for me. The story has an interesting premise, following a sheltered girl who goes out on her own and spirals out of control. It also raises a question as to whether she is just mentally ill, or if the “yellow pin” she found at home is really the cause of what’s going on. As much as I loved those questions that were raised, the style in which it is written is extremely bland, blunting it from making much of an impact at all.
Overall, A Season In Carcosa is a strong anthology with a good amount to offer. If you’re a Chambers fan, than this anthology is must have. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, or any horror dealing with madness, then odds are that you will greatly enjoy this anthology. For any casual horror readers this book would greatly serve as a modern introduction into the “Yellow Mythos”. Highly recommended.
Originally appeared on my blog, The Arkham Digest.
The first four stories in Chamber’s collection are connected by common plot devices and themes: a play titled The King In Yellow, a mysterious and evil being also referred to as The King In Yellow, a symbol called The Yellow Sign, decadence, decay, and madness. Over the years these stories, along with others by various authors, have become something of their own Mythos, similar to what many people have dubbed the Cthulhu Mythos or Lovecraft Mythos. Despite the similarities and sometimes overlaps between stories from either Mythos, the “Yellow Mythos” is proving more and more that it can stand independently .
One of the authors who championed Chambers for years is Joseph Pulver Sr. He has written several stories and poems dealing with the King in Yellow, along with promoting other writers that do the same. One of the fruits of his labor is the recently published A Season In Carcosa. This small press anthology, published by Miskatonic River Press, contains twenty short stories and one poem, all dealing with the mythology of Chambers’ stories.
Anthologies are usually a mixed bag, and a perfect anthology is a rare thing indeed. While this anthology is not perfect, the good manages to far outweigh the bad. Pulver has managed to gather a nice variety of stories, from a very talented group of authors. Madness, decadence, and the King himself are explored in several ways. Some tales are modern and others take place in the past. The one common thread that connects all of them is the link between madness and the color yellow.
Some favorites include:
Beyond the Banks of the River Seine is another example of why Simon Strantzas is a must-read author. It has an antique feel and explores themes such as jealousy and competition between two young music students. While easy to see where the story is going, the arrogant narrator and beautiful language makes for an entertaining read.
It sees me when I’m not looking, by Gary MacMahon, has a noir feel, and follows a poet as he comes into contact with the Yellow Mythos. It’s definitely a more subtle tale, and is all the better for it.
Cody Goodfellow’s Wishing Well features a paranoid, mentally ill protagonist as he deals with a haunting past as a cast member an a surreal kid’s show. The man’s foggy memory mixed with the sheer wrongness of the show helps this story to leave a lasting impression. As I read passages about the show’s history, I couldn’t help but think of One Got Fat, a 1962 bicycle safety video which has the cast of youths wearing macabre monkey masks and never speaking a word.
Richard Gavin’s story, The Hymn of the Hyades, stands out because of the main character. Instead of a troubled or artistic adult, we are treated to a story from a child’s point of view. It’s refreshing to experience the madness of the King through the eyes of a child who can’t even come close to understanding what is happening.
Sweetums by John Langan is one giant set piece of madness and terror. Literally. A down on her luck actress takes a role in an auteur’s film, and wanders around a large movie set. It is literally a tour through scene after scene of surreal madness. The way she flits from room to room and sees smaller parts of the whole adds a very dreamlike quality to the story. There’s enough creepiness here for the story to stick with the reader long after reading.
MS Found Dead In A Hotel Room is one of the best stories of the collection. It is such an interesting spin on the King and has a nice twist on the ending. I will definitely be hunting down more work by Daniel Mills.
Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars by Gemma Files is another standout story. Files utilizes a second person narrative, which is rather uncommon. This is not an easy task to pull off, as it often comes off as feeling “gimmicky”, yet in this case it only seems to help immerse the reader into an unsettling tale about an eerie island that may or may not be a gateway to another world. This might just be the best story in the anthology.
Laird Barron also has a standout tale, D T, which is a story dealing with an alcoholic author and his doppelganger. Barron has never disappointed, and doesn’t start now.
There were a few mediocre to good stories, and only two that I found to be weak. One story in particular makes me wonder if the printed version was an unedited early draft. Movie Night At Phil’s is plagued with errors, both spelling and grammatical, to the point that it was a struggle to finish the story. As a lover of film I was looking forward to the story, but it just seems sloppy.This doesn’t seem typical of Don Webb, as his story Sanctuary (Cthulhu’s Reign 2010) is one of my favorites from that anthology.
Kristin Prevallet’s Whose Hearts Are Pure Gold is another story that didn’t work for me. The story has an interesting premise, following a sheltered girl who goes out on her own and spirals out of control. It also raises a question as to whether she is just mentally ill, or if the “yellow pin” she found at home is really the cause of what’s going on. As much as I loved those questions that were raised, the style in which it is written is extremely bland, blunting it from making much of an impact at all.
Overall, A Season In Carcosa is a strong anthology with a good amount to offer. If you’re a Chambers fan, than this anthology is must have. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, or any horror dealing with madness, then odds are that you will greatly enjoy this anthology. For any casual horror readers this book would greatly serve as a modern introduction into the “Yellow Mythos”. Highly recommended.
Originally appeared on my blog, The Arkham Digest.
March 22, 2015
La conclusión es clara y sabida: nunca una recopilación de relatos sobre un tema por petición es buena. Los únicos relatos buenos son los que sale del autor por voluntad.
Mi voz está muerta (3/5): comienzo espeluznante en que un enfermo terminal tras leer el famoso relato, encuentra esperanza en encontrar Carcosa antes de su muerte.
Más allá de las orillas del Sena (2/5): un mal músico tras su frustración, encuentra en una librería de viejo una obra teatral que querrá interpretar. El precio será alto.
Noche de cine en casa de Phil (2/5): Una familia perfecta se va deteriorando por la obsesión del cabeza de familia en encontrar una película imposible.
Mensaje encontrado en una habitación de hotel de Chicago (3/5): curioso relato. Comienza siendo una basura, y finaliza siendo una basura. Pero una pequeña nota del traductor hace que el lector deseoso de terminarlo abra los ojos y le guste. Curioso que un parrafito cambie todo un relato.
Me ve cuando no estoy mirando (3/5): un acabado deambula y es encontrado por un amigo que dice que tiene un libro que está firmado por él. Y eso no puede ser.
Gran final, segundo acto (1/5): una poesía de 1 página. Poco intensa y que creo que al ser traducida pierde aún más interés.
Los hilos amarillos de Bird (2/5): típico relato de casa encantada.
El teatro y su doble (3/5): en formato obra de teatro. Requiere de leerse con mucho detenimiento.
El himno de las Híades (1/5): la vida de un niño marginado.
Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras (3/5): visitamos Carcosa, muy light. Lo mejor del relato es el estar narrado en 2º persona.
No hay suficiente esperanza (1/5):mal escrito, sin finalidad ninguna.
Aquellos cuyos corazones son de oro puro (4/5): Un Carrie (novel “Tito”) más sangriento.
El amanecer de abril (2/5): conocemos a Robert W. Chambers per muy de pasada, para ver su obra teatral.
Rey Wolf (2/5): unos chicos que viajan en un coche junto sus padres. En accidente quedan huérfanos, pero los niños no quieren que la gente lo sepa.
El rostro blanco al amanecer (1/5): un trocho relato.
El pozo de los deseos (3/5): un joven atormentado por el programa que hacía en la tele. Realizaban cosas extrañas con mascaras.
Sweetums (2/5): Un actor que va a trabajar a una película muy extraña.
El rey es amarillo (1/5): malotes roban libro aún más malote.
D T (2/5): autor pulp acabado. Es robado un libro suyo por su editora.
Salvación de amarillo (4/5): Vivimos de primera mano como es afectada psicológicamente una chica acosada y lavado su cerebro por un cura, tras su muerte.
El hotel Beat (1/5): Llegue con ansia de acabar la tortura, y la atención puesta en sobrevivir.
Mi voz está muerta (3/5): comienzo espeluznante en que un enfermo terminal tras leer el famoso relato, encuentra esperanza en encontrar Carcosa antes de su muerte.
Más allá de las orillas del Sena (2/5): un mal músico tras su frustración, encuentra en una librería de viejo una obra teatral que querrá interpretar. El precio será alto.
Noche de cine en casa de Phil (2/5): Una familia perfecta se va deteriorando por la obsesión del cabeza de familia en encontrar una película imposible.
Mensaje encontrado en una habitación de hotel de Chicago (3/5): curioso relato. Comienza siendo una basura, y finaliza siendo una basura. Pero una pequeña nota del traductor hace que el lector deseoso de terminarlo abra los ojos y le guste. Curioso que un parrafito cambie todo un relato.
Me ve cuando no estoy mirando (3/5): un acabado deambula y es encontrado por un amigo que dice que tiene un libro que está firmado por él. Y eso no puede ser.
Gran final, segundo acto (1/5): una poesía de 1 página. Poco intensa y que creo que al ser traducida pierde aún más interés.
Los hilos amarillos de Bird (2/5): típico relato de casa encantada.
El teatro y su doble (3/5): en formato obra de teatro. Requiere de leerse con mucho detenimiento.
El himno de las Híades (1/5): la vida de un niño marginado.
Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras (3/5): visitamos Carcosa, muy light. Lo mejor del relato es el estar narrado en 2º persona.
No hay suficiente esperanza (1/5):mal escrito, sin finalidad ninguna.
Aquellos cuyos corazones son de oro puro (4/5): Un Carrie (novel “Tito”) más sangriento.
El amanecer de abril (2/5): conocemos a Robert W. Chambers per muy de pasada, para ver su obra teatral.
Rey Wolf (2/5): unos chicos que viajan en un coche junto sus padres. En accidente quedan huérfanos, pero los niños no quieren que la gente lo sepa.
El rostro blanco al amanecer (1/5): un trocho relato.
El pozo de los deseos (3/5): un joven atormentado por el programa que hacía en la tele. Realizaban cosas extrañas con mascaras.
Sweetums (2/5): Un actor que va a trabajar a una película muy extraña.
El rey es amarillo (1/5): malotes roban libro aún más malote.
D T (2/5): autor pulp acabado. Es robado un libro suyo por su editora.
Salvación de amarillo (4/5): Vivimos de primera mano como es afectada psicológicamente una chica acosada y lavado su cerebro por un cura, tras su muerte.
El hotel Beat (1/5): Llegue con ansia de acabar la tortura, y la atención puesta en sobrevivir.
March 2, 2014
A SEASON IN CARCOSA is a real-real cute anthology of short stories. Y’all should read it, unless you are like me, and you are completely unfamiliar with the works of a fellow named Robert W. Chambers. Or perhaps, especially if you are like me, and you are completely unfamiliar with the works of a fellow named Robert W. Chambers. I can’t decide.
I love Robin Spriggs’s “Salvation in Yellow.” This story is about a gal living in a nightmare house that’s totally haunted by Daddy and Jesus, which I think everyone can relate to. It’s filled with images (both terrifying and sad) that keep me up some nights, y’all, no matter how many Drambuie-Toddies I have. And isn’t that what reading stories is all about? I really like “It Sees Me When I’m Not Looking” by Gary McMahon. The main guy drinks a lot of whiskey and engages in sexual activity, and sort of reminds me of Bukowski, which rocks. Joe Pulver’s “Not Enough Hope“ is super good. It has Karl Edward Wagner in it, which you don’t see every day. His story totally makes me want to change my name to Cassilda Sue. I dig Cate Gardner’s “Yellow Bird Strings.” It feels like a dream, plus it has puppets and celebrities. Who doesn’t dig puppets and celebrities?
To be honest with y’all, there are some stories in this book I didn’t totally understand, because they seem dependent upon my having read these so-called “king in yellow” stories, which clearly have something to do with a mask, and some lady in desperate need of a tanning bed. Oh, and a King of some country so poor that even he can’t afford to wear more than tattered clothes (all yellow). Like I said, I’ve not read those yellow stories, but this book makes me want to.
I totally recommend that y’all read A SEASON IN CARCOSA. It’s edited by German Joe Pulver, and I give it 9 knishes and 3 latkes.
Read on!
I love Robin Spriggs’s “Salvation in Yellow.” This story is about a gal living in a nightmare house that’s totally haunted by Daddy and Jesus, which I think everyone can relate to. It’s filled with images (both terrifying and sad) that keep me up some nights, y’all, no matter how many Drambuie-Toddies I have. And isn’t that what reading stories is all about? I really like “It Sees Me When I’m Not Looking” by Gary McMahon. The main guy drinks a lot of whiskey and engages in sexual activity, and sort of reminds me of Bukowski, which rocks. Joe Pulver’s “Not Enough Hope“ is super good. It has Karl Edward Wagner in it, which you don’t see every day. His story totally makes me want to change my name to Cassilda Sue. I dig Cate Gardner’s “Yellow Bird Strings.” It feels like a dream, plus it has puppets and celebrities. Who doesn’t dig puppets and celebrities?
To be honest with y’all, there are some stories in this book I didn’t totally understand, because they seem dependent upon my having read these so-called “king in yellow” stories, which clearly have something to do with a mask, and some lady in desperate need of a tanning bed. Oh, and a King of some country so poor that even he can’t afford to wear more than tattered clothes (all yellow). Like I said, I’ve not read those yellow stories, but this book makes me want to.
I totally recommend that y’all read A SEASON IN CARCOSA. It’s edited by German Joe Pulver, and I give it 9 knishes and 3 latkes.
Read on!
November 19, 2012
In the late 19th Century, Robert W. Chambers wrote a couple of weird fiction short stories, collected in a book titled _The King in Yellow_. In the universe of these stories, there is a two act play, titled _The King in Yellow_ which has a deleterious effect on those who read it.
Those stories are in the public domain. While the current average goodreads rating for those stories is around 4 stars, I gave it 3. Nevertheless, those stories have their creepy moments, and has had an influence on horror and fantasy.
Like the Cthulu Mythos , The King in Yellow has inspired horror writers. One of the best examples of this, though published elsewhere, is Brian Keene's entertaining "The King", In: Yellow. Joe Pulver, the editor of this volume, wrote numerous KIY stories, taking this sub-genre of horror into new and creative directions.
This horror fiction is the horror of fractured minds, of losing a grip on reality, or perhaps entering a disturbing level of reality.
This book contains stories by contemporary masters of weird fiction, such as Simon Strantzas, Laird Barron, and Joe Pulver himself. A fine poem by Ann K. Schwader. Other stuff I liked: "Sweetums" by John Langan has an interesting premise: an actress accepts a role in a movie by an avant garde film maker. The actress is not given any lines; she is thrust into the movie production, and gives natural reactions to the weird stuff that is going on. In "Whose Hearts are Pure Gold" by Kristin Prevallet, a female teenager falls under the influence of The Yellow Sign. I found this story entertainingly over-the-top.
Those stories are in the public domain. While the current average goodreads rating for those stories is around 4 stars, I gave it 3. Nevertheless, those stories have their creepy moments, and has had an influence on horror and fantasy.
Like the Cthulu Mythos , The King in Yellow has inspired horror writers. One of the best examples of this, though published elsewhere, is Brian Keene's entertaining "The King", In: Yellow. Joe Pulver, the editor of this volume, wrote numerous KIY stories, taking this sub-genre of horror into new and creative directions.
This horror fiction is the horror of fractured minds, of losing a grip on reality, or perhaps entering a disturbing level of reality.
This book contains stories by contemporary masters of weird fiction, such as Simon Strantzas, Laird Barron, and Joe Pulver himself. A fine poem by Ann K. Schwader. Other stuff I liked: "Sweetums" by John Langan has an interesting premise: an actress accepts a role in a movie by an avant garde film maker. The actress is not given any lines; she is thrust into the movie production, and gives natural reactions to the weird stuff that is going on. In "Whose Hearts are Pure Gold" by Kristin Prevallet, a female teenager falls under the influence of The Yellow Sign. I found this story entertainingly over-the-top.
November 12, 2012
Night fell as I ascended the burnished staircase to the Odd Fellows Hall. No longer a meeting place, the hall’s upstairs ballrooms were rented for ballet classes and theatrical experiments. In smaller rooms, narrow as cubbyholes, artists, performers, and practitioners of occult sciences resided as quietly as mice.
I searched every room, muttering apologies along the way. In one room a woman located a beating heart wrapped in a scarf inside a mahogany chest of drawers. In another a painter depicted a sunrise so real it was blinding and could only be approached by wearing protective goggles…
Let’s face it: Nothing I say is guaranteed to entice you to read this gorgeous anthology. But if you have reached this point in the post without grumbling or grinding your teeth, let us agree that you have unusual taste in fiction and a willingness to enter a writer’s world without reservation. This anthology, then, is for you. Layered and varied, with interlocking themes and images that shift and resonate long after you finish reading, A Season in Carcosa is for the adventurous lover of all that is strange lying just beneath the surface of life and art.
The works gathered in this volume are original. The writers are among the most imaginative artists crafting dark fantasy today: Joel Lane, Simon Strantzas, Don Webb, Daniel Mills, Gary McMahon, Ann K. Schwader, Cate Gardner, Edward Morris, Richard Gavin, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., Kristin Prevallet, Richard A. Lupoff, Anna Tambour, Michael Kelly, Cody Goodfellow, John Langan, Pearce Hansen, Robin Spriggs, and Allyson Bird.
The prompt is The King in Yellow, a collection of weird tales by Robert W. Chambers, first published in 1895. Rife with characters on the verge of collapse, the collection reflected the fin de siecle clash between rationalism and emotionalism, positivism and decadence, while inventing a new literary mythology. A yellow sign, a king in tattered robes and a play with the power to induce madness are the icons of this mythology, and they recur throughout A Season in Carcosa.
The styles range from Bukowski bowery prose to the high-minded self-justification of an early 20th century composer. Yet they share an atmosphere of veiled sickness and ruined dreams. Most of the characters have become lost. Yet they obsessively continue their journey far beyond the loss of the object of devotion.
To decipher all of the permutations and implications of the icons and themes connecting Chambers’s stories to this anthology, you will want to read The King in Yellow. To wander in a state of dreamlike wonder from one odd room to another, discovering tantalizing literary beauty at every dark turn, simply open the pages of A Season in Carcosa.
(For the purpose of writing this post I requested and received a digital reading copy of A Season in Carcosa from the publisher.)
I searched every room, muttering apologies along the way. In one room a woman located a beating heart wrapped in a scarf inside a mahogany chest of drawers. In another a painter depicted a sunrise so real it was blinding and could only be approached by wearing protective goggles…
Let’s face it: Nothing I say is guaranteed to entice you to read this gorgeous anthology. But if you have reached this point in the post without grumbling or grinding your teeth, let us agree that you have unusual taste in fiction and a willingness to enter a writer’s world without reservation. This anthology, then, is for you. Layered and varied, with interlocking themes and images that shift and resonate long after you finish reading, A Season in Carcosa is for the adventurous lover of all that is strange lying just beneath the surface of life and art.
The works gathered in this volume are original. The writers are among the most imaginative artists crafting dark fantasy today: Joel Lane, Simon Strantzas, Don Webb, Daniel Mills, Gary McMahon, Ann K. Schwader, Cate Gardner, Edward Morris, Richard Gavin, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., Kristin Prevallet, Richard A. Lupoff, Anna Tambour, Michael Kelly, Cody Goodfellow, John Langan, Pearce Hansen, Robin Spriggs, and Allyson Bird.
The prompt is The King in Yellow, a collection of weird tales by Robert W. Chambers, first published in 1895. Rife with characters on the verge of collapse, the collection reflected the fin de siecle clash between rationalism and emotionalism, positivism and decadence, while inventing a new literary mythology. A yellow sign, a king in tattered robes and a play with the power to induce madness are the icons of this mythology, and they recur throughout A Season in Carcosa.
The styles range from Bukowski bowery prose to the high-minded self-justification of an early 20th century composer. Yet they share an atmosphere of veiled sickness and ruined dreams. Most of the characters have become lost. Yet they obsessively continue their journey far beyond the loss of the object of devotion.
To decipher all of the permutations and implications of the icons and themes connecting Chambers’s stories to this anthology, you will want to read The King in Yellow. To wander in a state of dreamlike wonder from one odd room to another, discovering tantalizing literary beauty at every dark turn, simply open the pages of A Season in Carcosa.
(For the purpose of writing this post I requested and received a digital reading copy of A Season in Carcosa from the publisher.)
August 15, 2022
Came for some of my favorite authors of the weird (Langan, Lane, Strantzas, Mills, Files, Goodfellow, Barron) and they didn't disappoint.
7/10
7/10
November 23, 2012
A fine collection of weird fiction and poetry based on the Hastur/King in Yellow mythos of Robert W. Chambers. Now if you don’t know what the hell is the Hastur/King in Yellow mythos is, then this is NOT the book to you. Read some Chambers first, see if you dig that, then come back to this one and not only will you ‘get it’ but you should enjoy the hell out of it. If you are already familiar with work of Chambers, and especially if you’re a fan of his brand of cosmic dread, then you are the target audience for this new collection and as such, you will love this. My full review can be found here: http://horrorworld.org/hw/2012/11/a-s...
December 15, 2017
Fairly uneven collection but overall enjoyable. I liked some of the more experimental stories and I thought many of them captured the feeling of the source material. Gemma Files' story was a real standout for me. Some of the stories were a bit repetitive but I suppose that's the risk in compiling such a specific anthology. Overall though I recommend to fans of cosmic horror...definitely more good than bad
May 19, 2015
By turns pedestrian and incoherent, this book is all the more irritating because it had the potential to be wonderful. I would have rated it two stars except for the fact that the book is riddled with errors - both typographical and grammatical. Honestly, how hard is it to proofread?!
February 15, 2021
Lo adquirí pensando que incluiría relatos actuales de los Mitos de Cthulhu y cuál no sería mi sorpresa cuando leí en el prólogo que el editor impuso que las historias desarrollaran el Ciclo de Hastur sin hacer referencia a los Mitos. No es fácil porque estos se han desarrollado durante décadas mientras que, sin los Mitos, el Ciclo se circunscribe al canon del par de historias originales de Ambrose Bierce y a los relatos pertinentes de Robert W. Chambers. ¿O no? Porque el prólogo menciona una lista de autores e historias que no conozco y habría de leer antes de decidirlo.
Porque esa es otra cuestión: hay relatos en este volumen cuya única relación con el Ciclo es estar en él. Ni referencias a Hastur ni a El Rey de Amarillo ni a ninguna figura grande que vista harapos. No pasa nada porque el estilo general de los relatos recuerda mucho a Clive Barker o American Gods, pero uno espera ciertos temas en las recopilaciones temáticas. Cough cough.
Mis favoritos: Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras, que actualiza muy bien el Ciclo a la vez que sintoniza con el canon clásico, y El pozo de los deseos, que me hizo sentir cosas que me recordaron a aquella noche leyendo Un saco de huesos en una casa vacía.
Porque esa es otra cuestión: hay relatos en este volumen cuya única relación con el Ciclo es estar en él. Ni referencias a Hastur ni a El Rey de Amarillo ni a ninguna figura grande que vista harapos. No pasa nada porque el estilo general de los relatos recuerda mucho a Clive Barker o American Gods, pero uno espera ciertos temas en las recopilaciones temáticas. Cough cough.
Mis favoritos: Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras, que actualiza muy bien el Ciclo a la vez que sintoniza con el canon clásico, y El pozo de los deseos, que me hizo sentir cosas que me recordaron a aquella noche leyendo Un saco de huesos en una casa vacía.
September 12, 2014
Sometimes reading anthologies of certain subjects are a mixed bag. They tend to say too much about the subject and it tends to feel like watching the DVD extras of your favorite movie where they explain how that movie was made and it takes away the "magic" or "mystery".
This book does not do that.
Joe Pulver has done an amazing job adding on the mystery and magic to Chamber's work. The stories in here run the gamut from simple to the baroque to the bizarre. There are too many in here to call my favorites to mention. Cody Goodfellow's " Wishing Well" and Don Webb's "Movie Night at Phil's" hit right for the jugular where Allyson Bird's "The Beat Hotel" and Laird Barron's "D T" sticks in your psyche for days by not what they say. But what they don't. Let The King reign. You will never look at yellow the same way again. Never....
This book does not do that.
Joe Pulver has done an amazing job adding on the mystery and magic to Chamber's work. The stories in here run the gamut from simple to the baroque to the bizarre. There are too many in here to call my favorites to mention. Cody Goodfellow's " Wishing Well" and Don Webb's "Movie Night at Phil's" hit right for the jugular where Allyson Bird's "The Beat Hotel" and Laird Barron's "D T" sticks in your psyche for days by not what they say. But what they don't. Let The King reign. You will never look at yellow the same way again. Never....
February 24, 2014
Chilling stories by Robin Spriggs, Kristin Prevallet, and Richard Gavin.
June 26, 2020
I’ve been meaning to dig into this for years, and one of my goals for 2020 is to pick up some of those older anthologies from my TBR pile and move them to a permanent place of honor or send them to a home that will love them more. This one stays. I love Chambers’ work and the mythos of the King in Yellow has a special place in my heart.
“My Voice Is Dead” by Joel Lane is a perfect way to usher us into this world where everything is dark and tinted yellow. It sets us up for everything that is to follow. Some of these are intended to expand the stories contained within the Chambers collection THE KING IN YELLOW. “Beyond the Banks of the River Seine” by Simon Strantzas is a perfect example of an expansion in the decadent section of the book. “MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills evokes the decadence implied in Demoiselle Dys.
There’s also some well crafted bizarro here, which I should have been expecting, such as “Yellow Bird Springs” by Kate Gardner. “D T” by Laird Barron feels very uncomfortable. It is surreal and unreliable and it has this uncanny feel that I read this in another Barron collection, but the internet databases assure me that it has never appeared anywhere else. But my hazy memory can’t be wrong. Right? “Movie Night at Phil's” by Don Webb is just the sort of esoteric film that *probably* doesn’t exist that brings my heart joy.
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files is a fantastic example of her work and I love the forensic archaeology / anthropology angle this story takes. I even managed to not notice the use of second person, which I find to be an exceptional feat. I found this story far more compelling than “Grave Goods” by her which digs a similar hole but that one felt like the shoring kept collapsing.
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow is exactly what I was hoping for with this anthology. Homage to Chambers without being slavish to fanservice. It does what the perfect cover song does - take a tune you already know and love and reinhabit it and show us a different way to love it. The television show that probably doesn’t exist is just icing on the cake.
“My Voice Is Dead” by Joel Lane is a perfect way to usher us into this world where everything is dark and tinted yellow. It sets us up for everything that is to follow. Some of these are intended to expand the stories contained within the Chambers collection THE KING IN YELLOW. “Beyond the Banks of the River Seine” by Simon Strantzas is a perfect example of an expansion in the decadent section of the book. “MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills evokes the decadence implied in Demoiselle Dys.
There’s also some well crafted bizarro here, which I should have been expecting, such as “Yellow Bird Springs” by Kate Gardner. “D T” by Laird Barron feels very uncomfortable. It is surreal and unreliable and it has this uncanny feel that I read this in another Barron collection, but the internet databases assure me that it has never appeared anywhere else. But my hazy memory can’t be wrong. Right? “Movie Night at Phil's” by Don Webb is just the sort of esoteric film that *probably* doesn’t exist that brings my heart joy.
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files is a fantastic example of her work and I love the forensic archaeology / anthropology angle this story takes. I even managed to not notice the use of second person, which I find to be an exceptional feat. I found this story far more compelling than “Grave Goods” by her which digs a similar hole but that one felt like the shoring kept collapsing.
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow is exactly what I was hoping for with this anthology. Homage to Chambers without being slavish to fanservice. It does what the perfect cover song does - take a tune you already know and love and reinhabit it and show us a different way to love it. The television show that probably doesn’t exist is just icing on the cake.
April 18, 2024
2.5★
Nos encontramos, como el subtítulo del libro lo indica, con una colección de cuentos de horror relacionados al Rey de amarillo. 21 autores que toman el *lore* de la obra de Chambers y la aplican a muy diversos escenarios.
A este libro le tenía muchas ganas debido a mi obsesión con el Rey de Amarillo; y, por lo mismo, no me resultó tan gratificante. Como toda antología de relatos, hay algunos muy buenos y otros que me hicieron cuestionar porqué fueron agregados al libro.
Mis preferidos, sin duda: Salvación en amarillo (Robin Spriggs) y Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras (Gemma Files)
«La vida se esfuma pero la muerte dura para siempre»
Punto(s) alto(s): Mucha variedad de temas // Se explota bastante el *lore* de el Rey de Amarillo
Punto(s) bajo(s): En algunos cuentos la relación con el Rey de amarillo es demasiado tenue
¿Estás en búsqueda de recomendaciones de lectura? No dejés de visitar www.queleemoshoy.com
Nos encontramos, como el subtítulo del libro lo indica, con una colección de cuentos de horror relacionados al Rey de amarillo. 21 autores que toman el *lore* de la obra de Chambers y la aplican a muy diversos escenarios.
A este libro le tenía muchas ganas debido a mi obsesión con el Rey de Amarillo; y, por lo mismo, no me resultó tan gratificante. Como toda antología de relatos, hay algunos muy buenos y otros que me hicieron cuestionar porqué fueron agregados al libro.
Mis preferidos, sin duda: Salvación en amarillo (Robin Spriggs) y Brillantes huesos negros y tenues estrellas negras (Gemma Files)
«La vida se esfuma pero la muerte dura para siempre»
Punto(s) alto(s): Mucha variedad de temas // Se explota bastante el *lore* de el Rey de Amarillo
Punto(s) bajo(s): En algunos cuentos la relación con el Rey de amarillo es demasiado tenue
¿Estás en búsqueda de recomendaciones de lectura? No dejés de visitar www.queleemoshoy.com
May 25, 2017
This was, I think, the first collection of short stories published that are exclusively about Chamber's "The King in Yellow," without any Lovecraft. It sort of sat there on Amazon for a few years until the writer of "True Detective" said it was an inspiration for season 1. Now there's other short story collections of this type rolling out.
Hopefully they'll be much better. I try to give self-published or small press books some leeway on copyediting mistakes, but man, there were a lot of them. There's a lot of stories, about half of which don't make any sense. Only about three are actually really great - "Movie Night at Phil's," "Wishing Well," and "D T." I honestly couldn't recommend any of the others.
Hopefully they'll be much better. I try to give self-published or small press books some leeway on copyediting mistakes, but man, there were a lot of them. There's a lot of stories, about half of which don't make any sense. Only about three are actually really great - "Movie Night at Phil's," "Wishing Well," and "D T." I honestly couldn't recommend any of the others.
Want to read
January 30, 2021Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars
by Gemma Files
Review:
Have you heard the story?
You know about The king in Yellow, and what happened to some inhabitants of Carcosa?
Was it a “primary phobia about the sea”?
Folklore?
There is a dig.
Seeking out answers, skeletons laid out, things aligning, connections being made and answers arising.
An inquisitive and visceral compelling constructed work.
Funeral Rock and Carcosa City awaits.
Maybe this tale will have you seek out another, and follow the yellow brick road to The king in Yellow, I am starting the walk.
Excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/gemma-files-ligotti-cthulhu-carcosa/
November 16, 2022
An average collection of stories about the King in Yellow and Carcosa, although none in particular are spectacular. Only for those enamored with the King and that aspect of the Mythos
February 25, 2017
More like 1.5 or 1.75, but I can't bear to round the rating up to 2 stars.
It was incredibly tough to get into this anthology. I failed to get 25 pages in three times. The Introduction is not very good and the book is completely riddled with typos. I was put off by the lack of author bios and their names being absent from the top of the page.
Many of the stories were trying too hard (and failing) to evoke mystery and poetry, atmosphere and surreality (is that even a word?).
There were some stand out stories. Gemma Files, Cody Goodfellow and Simon Strantzas were (in my opinion) the most remarkable.
It was incredibly tough to get into this anthology. I failed to get 25 pages in three times. The Introduction is not very good and the book is completely riddled with typos. I was put off by the lack of author bios and their names being absent from the top of the page.
Many of the stories were trying too hard (and failing) to evoke mystery and poetry, atmosphere and surreality (is that even a word?).
There were some stand out stories. Gemma Files, Cody Goodfellow and Simon Strantzas were (in my opinion) the most remarkable.
March 28, 2014
Joseph S. Pulver Sr., a Robert W. Chambers scholar, aficionado, and prolific and acclaimed 'Yellow' author in his own right, has assembled tales and poems that run the gamut of weird, horrifying, personal, experimental, and all just downright beautiful that will remain essential reading for Weird Fiction fans for years to come.
Some stories are directly pulled from Robert W. Chamber's The King in Yellow, while some simply riff on themes and ideas, creating something totally unique. While there is certainly a big H.P. Lovecraft, Chambers, Clark Ashton Smith and general Weird fiction influence, there are also echoes of William S. Burroughs and even Charles Bukowski!...Seriously.
I considered doing a story by story breakdown, but these stories and poems flow so well, even as some are so different from the other, there is no point as there isn't a dud among them!
Every. Piece. Is. Good.
Joseph S. Pulver Sr. has put together something special and all inclusive here that's ''Terrible in its simplicity(terrible because, arranging such a diverse collection of writers to play Carcosian riffs is so-simple-it's genius, and I'm sure an editor somewhere is kicking himself for not thinking to do it sooner!) and Irresistible in it's Truth" ( because it truly is one of the best Weird fiction anthologies out there)
Thank you, Joseph S. Pulver Sr. For the entertainment, scares, the puzzles, and the heartbreak.
A MILLION BLACK STARS!
Some stories are directly pulled from Robert W. Chamber's The King in Yellow, while some simply riff on themes and ideas, creating something totally unique. While there is certainly a big H.P. Lovecraft, Chambers, Clark Ashton Smith and general Weird fiction influence, there are also echoes of William S. Burroughs and even Charles Bukowski!...Seriously.
I considered doing a story by story breakdown, but these stories and poems flow so well, even as some are so different from the other, there is no point as there isn't a dud among them!
Every. Piece. Is. Good.
Joseph S. Pulver Sr. has put together something special and all inclusive here that's ''Terrible in its simplicity(terrible because, arranging such a diverse collection of writers to play Carcosian riffs is so-simple-it's genius, and I'm sure an editor somewhere is kicking himself for not thinking to do it sooner!) and Irresistible in it's Truth" ( because it truly is one of the best Weird fiction anthologies out there)
Thank you, Joseph S. Pulver Sr. For the entertainment, scares, the puzzles, and the heartbreak.
A MILLION BLACK STARS!
April 13, 2015
Cuando hablamos de primigenios, últimamente suena más el nombre del Rey de amarillo que el del propio Cthulhu. Lo debemos en gran parte a la memorable True Detective que la temporada pasada asombró a telespectadores de todo el mundo. Allí se hacía referencia a la olvidada ciudad de Carcosa y al Rey de Amarillo, despertando el interés en aquellos temas arcanos.
Aunque se le incluyera en los mitos posteriormente, el Rey precede a la obra de Lovecraft: se remonta a 1895 con la colección de relatos de Robert Chambers El rey de amarillo. Éste, a su vez, había usado elementos de la obra de Ambrose Bierce de 1881 Un habitante de Carcosa para enriquecer el mito.
Sigue leyendo...
Aunque se le incluyera en los mitos posteriormente, el Rey precede a la obra de Lovecraft: se remonta a 1895 con la colección de relatos de Robert Chambers El rey de amarillo. Éste, a su vez, había usado elementos de la obra de Ambrose Bierce de 1881 Un habitante de Carcosa para enriquecer el mito.
Sigue leyendo...
July 5, 2023
A little uneven. I liked a fair number of the collected stories, but I'm not certain yet if I loved any. A lot strayed into bizarrely surreal territory, which I expected from a King In Yellow collection, and while there are a few I wouldn't bother to reread, I'm not sure I'd say any were outright bad.
As others have pointed out, a few stories could have used some more thorough editing. One in particular was just overflowing with misspellings and other errors that brought the story to the very edge of readability. But most were fine.
As others have pointed out, a few stories could have used some more thorough editing. One in particular was just overflowing with misspellings and other errors that brought the story to the very edge of readability. But most were fine.
February 8, 2023
En su día, resulta obvio darse cuenta de que esta obra se editó a rebufo del éxito de la primera temporada de _True Detective_, que revitalizó el mito del Rey de Amarillo de R. W. Chambers. Ninguno de los relatos me ha despertado el más mínimo interés. Y dicho esto, ¿para qué seguir con esta reseña? Solo para los coleccionistas ávidos.
December 15, 2016
Not a lot to say, the stories were nearly all more similar to teasers or snippets than fully fleshed out, and Laird Barron's usual brilliance on display in "D T" is the only reason this collection isn't a zero.
December 21, 2021
Did not finish
Riddled with typos. Stories weren't engaging and relied too heavily on the same tropes.
Riddled with typos. Stories weren't engaging and relied too heavily on the same tropes.
July 23, 2013
H.P. Lovecraft. Karl Edgar Wagner. Peter Straub. Those are a few of the names that stand tall in our genre and when it comes to Robert W. Chambers and his King in Yellow they agree, Chambers' beguiling tales of the King In Yellow and Carcosa are among the best in "weird" fiction. Miskatonic River Press and Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. are proud and delighted to present an anthology of all new tales inspired by Chambers.
In haunted and splintered minds…
Minds shackled to lonely places…
In the unbound shadows infesting hearts of beautiful woman with frantic sensations…
In an old house where biblical thrived…
In threadbare truths, disturbed by despair, cobwebbed with illusions…
In far cold Carcosa…
Lies madness.
In A Season In Carcosa readers will find the strange and mysterious places of heart and mind that spring from madness, and those minds and the places touched by it are the realms that are mined. Chambers' legacy of the worms and soft decay that spring from reading the King In Yellow play stir both new and established talents in the world of weird fiction and horror to contribute all new tales that pay homage to these eerie nightmares. In Carcosa twilight comes and minds lost in the mirrors of lust and fear, are awash in legacies of shadows, not mercy. . .
Ever since was published in 1895 Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow” was a source of inspiration for new fiction, music, movies and games. The mysterious play, the supernatural entity of the King in Yellow, the bizarre yellow sign, the pallid mask, the lake of Hali, the black stars, the two moons and Carcosa are motifs of Robert W. Chambers’ collection of tales, but also intriguing elements that tickle the curiosity and fuel the imagination. Starting from these hallmarks Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. summoned fellow writers in an attempt to bring a tribute to Robert W. Chambers and “The King in Yellow” and the final result is “A Season in Carcosa”.
“My Voice is Dead” by Joel Lane – Stephen fights an incurable illness and resorts to a last hope, a mysterious web page. A dark and macabre piece Joel Lane’s story greets the reader with the perfect tone for an anthology dedicated to Robert W. Chambers and his “The King in Yellow”. The sense of decay and deterioration is amplified by the religious undertone of the story, the state of tiredness brought to the main character by his old religious conviction and the latest events associated with his church. “My Voice is Dead” is a bitter piece to its very end. Excellent, nonetheless.
“Beyond the Banks of River Seine” by Simon Strantzas – Valise sees his fellow music student Henri as his friend, dominates the competition between the two of them for the better musician and wishes to gain Henri’s sister love. But when Henri discovers an old manuscript and decides to compose an opera based on it their relationship takes a sudden turn. The story is told from the first person perspective and Simon Strantzas inflicts the storyteller voice with such an arrogant and pompous tone that is very difficult to like this character. It does not mean that Valise is not a well drawn character; on the contrary, he is one of the best.
“Movie Night at Phil’s” by Don Webb – Philip Saxon is a programmer with an obsession for movies. When his fixation leads him to Roger Corman’s movies, one particular film will throw his world into madness. The readers with a passion for movies will find this short story very much on their liking. A fictitious movie is created and thrown into play with interesting effects. However, the behavior of Phil and his family members are reasons enough for a state of madness without the final element coming into place. A layer that adds a new twist to the story. Sadly, and I am not sure if it is intentional or not, the story is poorly edited and written and that reaps away most of the pleasure of reading it.
“MS Found Dead in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills – Through a letter a man explains to his three year old son the events that led him to a strange and dangerous situation. Daniel Mills wonderfully recreates New York’s 19th century atmosphere blended with eerie elements created masterfully in equal measure. It is a bit unclear why the night clerk wishes to see the main character dead, but the end and the name of the man signing the letter are the things that give this story solidity and meaning. It is an interesting interpretation of a true event, a match for the style of the famous recipient of this imaginary letter.
“it sees me when I’m not looking” by Gary McMahon – Hank Chinaski roams the streets of New York in search of a drink and a place to stay, only to find a play that touches the lives of everyone who reads it. If Simon Strantzas’ character, from the earlier story is not a very pleasant presence, none would like to be caught in the company of Hank Chinaski. A failed poet with an addictive love for drinking, violence and sex, he is the farthest point from the role model notion.
“the whisky hit my insides running. it was hot and cool and sweet and evil. it tasted of every woman I’d ever kissed and smelled like every dirty soul I’d ever knocked out in a fistfight in an alleyway behind some bar.”
“but I did her anyway; never let it be said that Chinaski ever turned down a free ride.”
However, for the exactly the same reasons and a bit more he is such a memorable character.
With an interesting technique and use of language to almost perfection Gary McMahon makes his character suffer visions, both appealing and appalling for Hank and his addictions, while at the same time weaves a story of decadence and one of the highlights of this anthology.
“Finale, Act Two” by Ann K. Schwader – It is the only poem included in the anthology. Every element of the original “The King in Yellow”, the king itself, Carcosa, Cassilda, Lake Hali, are played in a new and captivating manner.
“Yellow Bird Strings” by Cate Gardner – After the producers cancelled his show Bird is left constantly meditating upon the old days and his lost partner, Vivian. Once again, Cate Gardner uses even the simple images to their full potential, giving them new meanings and creating an often oppressing atmosphere. A show of puppets and doors, but not once precise on who is holding the strings and keys. With the powerful Cate Gardner’s personal mark on display it is a very original story and a fresh approach for the anthology’s theme.
“The Theatre and Its Double” by Edward Morris – A play writer recollects the discovery of a play and the creation of a new one with the attempt of putting it on stage. This is one of the stories that match the source of inspiration for “A Season in Carcosa”, Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow”, in terms of style, a combination of screenplay, poetry and prose. But as much as Edward Morris proved to be a capable writer the short story didn’t work for me. It is true that it is told through a series of journal entries and the method throws a light on the character, his transformations and metal degradation, but I would have liked to see a more focused story plot-wise and less exploration of conscious. And when it comes to the latter I often lost my focus due to its extent length, a bit too long for my liking.
“The Hymn of the Hyades” by Richard Gavin – Martin wakes up one morning hearing a loud noise and after he follows it to the nearby river and something stings his hand, things out of his imagination seem to roam free. We are offered a change in the perspective, the events unfold this time under the innocent perception of a young man with all that results from it. Misfit and misunderstood, with a hyperactive imagination that doesn’t find a sensitive receptor, Martin has to deal in his own way with the descent into madness of the word around him. There is something about Martin’s naiveté and bullying he suffers that makes him such a sympathetic character, more than the adult characters we meet in the collection and especially when faced with the insanity of this world or another.
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files – Alice is part of a team called to investigate a strange burial mound on the stranger still island of Carcosa. The boundary between reality and vision is completely blurred in this story to reach the greatest effect, the outcome is held in perfect balance and the things that push the characters to a maddening situation might be real or not, depending on the angle from which they are seen. The scientific investigations, the eerie location, the closed community and the inbuilt legends work in unison for a story that clearly stands out.
“Not Enough Hope” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. – A short story dedicated to an author who used to be attracted by the motifs of the original “The King in Yellow”. It is a perpetual dream, a domino of visions, a remembrance and an offering brought at the altar of friendship.
“Whose Hearts are Pure Gold” by Kristin Prevallet – Left alone at home, the young Camilla goes exploring through the house and when she discovers a curious pin new doors seems to open for her. Kristin Prevallet’s story shows all the symptoms of somnambulism, a stretched to maximum sleep-walking experience for the story’s heroine. Once again the reader can found many reasons behind Camilla’s state but nothing is obviously stated, it can be the strange pin bearing the yellow sign discovered in her home or the disturbed relationship between the main character and her mother. The only certain thing is that the seeds of madness seem to have been planted long before the events of the tale take place.
“April Dawn” by Richard A. Lupoff – After leaving native Ireland for the New World John O’Leary is hired by Abraham ben Zaccheus as an assistant. Both are invited by Robert Chambers to the premiere of his play, “The King in Yellow”. A lighter tone decorates this story and it is the first that has quite a few humorous moments. The story comes to an end in an optimistic manner despite the supernatural shadow looming over it. But then again, supernatural is no strange thing within the story since Abraham is a paranormal investigator. I liked the voice of Seamus, but my complaint with a few elements of the story comes from the same source. By the looks of it he is a man of little culture and it can be easily seen in his recounting when Italian becomes Eye Tallian and langouste becomes long goose. Delightfully amusing, but losing a bit in credibility when the same character manages to put down every French expression in perfect manner.
“King Wolf” by Anna Tambour – Four siblings find themselves on their own after a car accident involving their parents. The story freezes the magic to the point of full connection, Narnia is just a game for the four young characters, but it also can be a thing just within or at the tip of their fingers, the surrealism and weird fervor can be felt in a recollection of their grandfather. However, as much as I liked the small part involving mysterious paintings in a strange house I must admit that I could not make head or tail from the story. It is something about it that slips my grasp and prevents me in putting all the pieces together.
“The White-Face at Dawn” by Michael Kelly – The main character has difficulties coping with the disappearance of his lover and tries to accommodate with the new existence. There is a wonderful sense of vintage exhaled by the story, a sense of placement into a golden age. Legends are told and remembered, but one in particular seeps into real life with consequences on the protagonist.
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow – A former actor of a children’s show receives a copy of the last unaired episode and the tape sets him running. “Golden Class” lived only for one season but the mentally ill, drug-addict and paranoid character is still haunted by the eerie TV show. His unreliable memories of the show mixed with pieces of information revealed in Wikipedia style start spinning a reel of strange and uncomfortable images. Cody Goodfellow successfully gives the reader the sensation of morbid curiosity, despite the oddness this show emanates it still fuels the desire to know more about it.
“Sweetums” by John Langan – Keira Lessingham is in need of a career revamp and she cannot refuse the latest role offering despite the bad reputation of the movie director. The contours of reality are blurred to almost extinction, but like the desperate actress of the story running from scene to scene the reader can’t clearly define what is part of a scenario and what is actual fact. The sense of urgency imprinted by Keira’s hasted wandering around the movie set, the constant presence of the cameras’ recording red light and the scenes unfolding before the character’s eyes forge a surreal reality. With the loss of time, the phone conversation heard from one perspective on a scene set and from the other on another, the monologue describing an encounter with the King in Yellow and a sinister contraption that leaves little choice to its user are just little pieces of a maddening puzzle. However, these are just parts of a larger canvas, but with enough sections left undiscovered the picture will haunt Keira and the reader alike long after John Langan’s story has actually ended.
“The King in Yellow” by Pearce Hansen – While trying to obtain more from their contractor for the book they stolen Speedy, his brother Little Willy and Fat Bob find themselves in a living nightmare when Little Willy opens the mysterious tome. With accents of crime fiction the story kicks into action from the first sentence until the last, speeding from a certain point through a yellow madness.
“D T” by Laird Barron – A renown author and his editor have an on and off love affair, but when they meet one more time strange events unfold around them. A masterfully built story, with strong, believable characters and a veridical medium. Laird Barron’s original approach of the anthology’s themes gives even more power to an already strong story.
“Salvation in Yellow” by Robin Spriggs – After the death of Preacher Daddy, the man who raised her, the heroine of the story is left to deal with a house of her own, with the proximity of the newly built highway and the memories and influence of the departed preacher. The religious and physical abuse together with the constant paranoia constrains the character to a constantly growing isolation, a negation of the outside world to the breaking point. From that point there is only a small step to obsession and whirlwind downfall.
“The Beat Hotel” by Allyson Bird – Juliette is an artist who lives in the Beat Hotel and her art is influenced by the King in Yellow himself. Paris, the city of art, and the Beat Hotel, the lowest establishment for artists, of the 60s are wonderfully brought to life in an atmospheric story of creativity, decadence and naturally, one particular king. A story that draws in style the curtains over the collection.
“A Season in Carcosa” gravitates around the same basic ideas and concepts, the trademarks of the original “The King in Yellow”. But it is only normal since it is a testimonial to Robert W. Chambers and his crafted supernatural tale. The 21 authors signing the stories of the anthology compel visions and fevered dreams tinted with yellow madness. There are a couple of these delirious delusions that didn’t stick long into memory but most of the stories are haunting, sinister and chilling, leaving a dreary mark on the reader. Plenty of these tales are original, play with new elements while exploring the common ones and inject fresh life into the features of Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow”. It is difficult to create a perfect themed anthology, but Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.’s “A Season in Carcosa” comes pretty close to it.
In haunted and splintered minds…
Minds shackled to lonely places…
In the unbound shadows infesting hearts of beautiful woman with frantic sensations…
In an old house where biblical thrived…
In threadbare truths, disturbed by despair, cobwebbed with illusions…
In far cold Carcosa…
Lies madness.
In A Season In Carcosa readers will find the strange and mysterious places of heart and mind that spring from madness, and those minds and the places touched by it are the realms that are mined. Chambers' legacy of the worms and soft decay that spring from reading the King In Yellow play stir both new and established talents in the world of weird fiction and horror to contribute all new tales that pay homage to these eerie nightmares. In Carcosa twilight comes and minds lost in the mirrors of lust and fear, are awash in legacies of shadows, not mercy. . .
Ever since was published in 1895 Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow” was a source of inspiration for new fiction, music, movies and games. The mysterious play, the supernatural entity of the King in Yellow, the bizarre yellow sign, the pallid mask, the lake of Hali, the black stars, the two moons and Carcosa are motifs of Robert W. Chambers’ collection of tales, but also intriguing elements that tickle the curiosity and fuel the imagination. Starting from these hallmarks Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. summoned fellow writers in an attempt to bring a tribute to Robert W. Chambers and “The King in Yellow” and the final result is “A Season in Carcosa”.
“My Voice is Dead” by Joel Lane – Stephen fights an incurable illness and resorts to a last hope, a mysterious web page. A dark and macabre piece Joel Lane’s story greets the reader with the perfect tone for an anthology dedicated to Robert W. Chambers and his “The King in Yellow”. The sense of decay and deterioration is amplified by the religious undertone of the story, the state of tiredness brought to the main character by his old religious conviction and the latest events associated with his church. “My Voice is Dead” is a bitter piece to its very end. Excellent, nonetheless.
“Beyond the Banks of River Seine” by Simon Strantzas – Valise sees his fellow music student Henri as his friend, dominates the competition between the two of them for the better musician and wishes to gain Henri’s sister love. But when Henri discovers an old manuscript and decides to compose an opera based on it their relationship takes a sudden turn. The story is told from the first person perspective and Simon Strantzas inflicts the storyteller voice with such an arrogant and pompous tone that is very difficult to like this character. It does not mean that Valise is not a well drawn character; on the contrary, he is one of the best.
“Movie Night at Phil’s” by Don Webb – Philip Saxon is a programmer with an obsession for movies. When his fixation leads him to Roger Corman’s movies, one particular film will throw his world into madness. The readers with a passion for movies will find this short story very much on their liking. A fictitious movie is created and thrown into play with interesting effects. However, the behavior of Phil and his family members are reasons enough for a state of madness without the final element coming into place. A layer that adds a new twist to the story. Sadly, and I am not sure if it is intentional or not, the story is poorly edited and written and that reaps away most of the pleasure of reading it.
“MS Found Dead in a Chicago Hotel Room” by Daniel Mills – Through a letter a man explains to his three year old son the events that led him to a strange and dangerous situation. Daniel Mills wonderfully recreates New York’s 19th century atmosphere blended with eerie elements created masterfully in equal measure. It is a bit unclear why the night clerk wishes to see the main character dead, but the end and the name of the man signing the letter are the things that give this story solidity and meaning. It is an interesting interpretation of a true event, a match for the style of the famous recipient of this imaginary letter.
“it sees me when I’m not looking” by Gary McMahon – Hank Chinaski roams the streets of New York in search of a drink and a place to stay, only to find a play that touches the lives of everyone who reads it. If Simon Strantzas’ character, from the earlier story is not a very pleasant presence, none would like to be caught in the company of Hank Chinaski. A failed poet with an addictive love for drinking, violence and sex, he is the farthest point from the role model notion.
“the whisky hit my insides running. it was hot and cool and sweet and evil. it tasted of every woman I’d ever kissed and smelled like every dirty soul I’d ever knocked out in a fistfight in an alleyway behind some bar.”
“but I did her anyway; never let it be said that Chinaski ever turned down a free ride.”
However, for the exactly the same reasons and a bit more he is such a memorable character.
With an interesting technique and use of language to almost perfection Gary McMahon makes his character suffer visions, both appealing and appalling for Hank and his addictions, while at the same time weaves a story of decadence and one of the highlights of this anthology.
“Finale, Act Two” by Ann K. Schwader – It is the only poem included in the anthology. Every element of the original “The King in Yellow”, the king itself, Carcosa, Cassilda, Lake Hali, are played in a new and captivating manner.
“Yellow Bird Strings” by Cate Gardner – After the producers cancelled his show Bird is left constantly meditating upon the old days and his lost partner, Vivian. Once again, Cate Gardner uses even the simple images to their full potential, giving them new meanings and creating an often oppressing atmosphere. A show of puppets and doors, but not once precise on who is holding the strings and keys. With the powerful Cate Gardner’s personal mark on display it is a very original story and a fresh approach for the anthology’s theme.
“The Theatre and Its Double” by Edward Morris – A play writer recollects the discovery of a play and the creation of a new one with the attempt of putting it on stage. This is one of the stories that match the source of inspiration for “A Season in Carcosa”, Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow”, in terms of style, a combination of screenplay, poetry and prose. But as much as Edward Morris proved to be a capable writer the short story didn’t work for me. It is true that it is told through a series of journal entries and the method throws a light on the character, his transformations and metal degradation, but I would have liked to see a more focused story plot-wise and less exploration of conscious. And when it comes to the latter I often lost my focus due to its extent length, a bit too long for my liking.
“The Hymn of the Hyades” by Richard Gavin – Martin wakes up one morning hearing a loud noise and after he follows it to the nearby river and something stings his hand, things out of his imagination seem to roam free. We are offered a change in the perspective, the events unfold this time under the innocent perception of a young man with all that results from it. Misfit and misunderstood, with a hyperactive imagination that doesn’t find a sensitive receptor, Martin has to deal in his own way with the descent into madness of the word around him. There is something about Martin’s naiveté and bullying he suffers that makes him such a sympathetic character, more than the adult characters we meet in the collection and especially when faced with the insanity of this world or another.
“Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars” by Gemma Files – Alice is part of a team called to investigate a strange burial mound on the stranger still island of Carcosa. The boundary between reality and vision is completely blurred in this story to reach the greatest effect, the outcome is held in perfect balance and the things that push the characters to a maddening situation might be real or not, depending on the angle from which they are seen. The scientific investigations, the eerie location, the closed community and the inbuilt legends work in unison for a story that clearly stands out.
“Not Enough Hope” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. – A short story dedicated to an author who used to be attracted by the motifs of the original “The King in Yellow”. It is a perpetual dream, a domino of visions, a remembrance and an offering brought at the altar of friendship.
“Whose Hearts are Pure Gold” by Kristin Prevallet – Left alone at home, the young Camilla goes exploring through the house and when she discovers a curious pin new doors seems to open for her. Kristin Prevallet’s story shows all the symptoms of somnambulism, a stretched to maximum sleep-walking experience for the story’s heroine. Once again the reader can found many reasons behind Camilla’s state but nothing is obviously stated, it can be the strange pin bearing the yellow sign discovered in her home or the disturbed relationship between the main character and her mother. The only certain thing is that the seeds of madness seem to have been planted long before the events of the tale take place.
“April Dawn” by Richard A. Lupoff – After leaving native Ireland for the New World John O’Leary is hired by Abraham ben Zaccheus as an assistant. Both are invited by Robert Chambers to the premiere of his play, “The King in Yellow”. A lighter tone decorates this story and it is the first that has quite a few humorous moments. The story comes to an end in an optimistic manner despite the supernatural shadow looming over it. But then again, supernatural is no strange thing within the story since Abraham is a paranormal investigator. I liked the voice of Seamus, but my complaint with a few elements of the story comes from the same source. By the looks of it he is a man of little culture and it can be easily seen in his recounting when Italian becomes Eye Tallian and langouste becomes long goose. Delightfully amusing, but losing a bit in credibility when the same character manages to put down every French expression in perfect manner.
“King Wolf” by Anna Tambour – Four siblings find themselves on their own after a car accident involving their parents. The story freezes the magic to the point of full connection, Narnia is just a game for the four young characters, but it also can be a thing just within or at the tip of their fingers, the surrealism and weird fervor can be felt in a recollection of their grandfather. However, as much as I liked the small part involving mysterious paintings in a strange house I must admit that I could not make head or tail from the story. It is something about it that slips my grasp and prevents me in putting all the pieces together.
“The White-Face at Dawn” by Michael Kelly – The main character has difficulties coping with the disappearance of his lover and tries to accommodate with the new existence. There is a wonderful sense of vintage exhaled by the story, a sense of placement into a golden age. Legends are told and remembered, but one in particular seeps into real life with consequences on the protagonist.
“Wishing Well” by Cody Goodfellow – A former actor of a children’s show receives a copy of the last unaired episode and the tape sets him running. “Golden Class” lived only for one season but the mentally ill, drug-addict and paranoid character is still haunted by the eerie TV show. His unreliable memories of the show mixed with pieces of information revealed in Wikipedia style start spinning a reel of strange and uncomfortable images. Cody Goodfellow successfully gives the reader the sensation of morbid curiosity, despite the oddness this show emanates it still fuels the desire to know more about it.
“Sweetums” by John Langan – Keira Lessingham is in need of a career revamp and she cannot refuse the latest role offering despite the bad reputation of the movie director. The contours of reality are blurred to almost extinction, but like the desperate actress of the story running from scene to scene the reader can’t clearly define what is part of a scenario and what is actual fact. The sense of urgency imprinted by Keira’s hasted wandering around the movie set, the constant presence of the cameras’ recording red light and the scenes unfolding before the character’s eyes forge a surreal reality. With the loss of time, the phone conversation heard from one perspective on a scene set and from the other on another, the monologue describing an encounter with the King in Yellow and a sinister contraption that leaves little choice to its user are just little pieces of a maddening puzzle. However, these are just parts of a larger canvas, but with enough sections left undiscovered the picture will haunt Keira and the reader alike long after John Langan’s story has actually ended.
“The King in Yellow” by Pearce Hansen – While trying to obtain more from their contractor for the book they stolen Speedy, his brother Little Willy and Fat Bob find themselves in a living nightmare when Little Willy opens the mysterious tome. With accents of crime fiction the story kicks into action from the first sentence until the last, speeding from a certain point through a yellow madness.
“D T” by Laird Barron – A renown author and his editor have an on and off love affair, but when they meet one more time strange events unfold around them. A masterfully built story, with strong, believable characters and a veridical medium. Laird Barron’s original approach of the anthology’s themes gives even more power to an already strong story.
“Salvation in Yellow” by Robin Spriggs – After the death of Preacher Daddy, the man who raised her, the heroine of the story is left to deal with a house of her own, with the proximity of the newly built highway and the memories and influence of the departed preacher. The religious and physical abuse together with the constant paranoia constrains the character to a constantly growing isolation, a negation of the outside world to the breaking point. From that point there is only a small step to obsession and whirlwind downfall.
“The Beat Hotel” by Allyson Bird – Juliette is an artist who lives in the Beat Hotel and her art is influenced by the King in Yellow himself. Paris, the city of art, and the Beat Hotel, the lowest establishment for artists, of the 60s are wonderfully brought to life in an atmospheric story of creativity, decadence and naturally, one particular king. A story that draws in style the curtains over the collection.
“A Season in Carcosa” gravitates around the same basic ideas and concepts, the trademarks of the original “The King in Yellow”. But it is only normal since it is a testimonial to Robert W. Chambers and his crafted supernatural tale. The 21 authors signing the stories of the anthology compel visions and fevered dreams tinted with yellow madness. There are a couple of these delirious delusions that didn’t stick long into memory but most of the stories are haunting, sinister and chilling, leaving a dreary mark on the reader. Plenty of these tales are original, play with new elements while exploring the common ones and inject fresh life into the features of Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow”. It is difficult to create a perfect themed anthology, but Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.’s “A Season in Carcosa” comes pretty close to it.
January 18, 2021
I felt this story was written for me. The old TV programmes in monochrome, I mentioned earlier above: puppets and masks, but then when I grew slightly older, I watched a programme called Romper Room on Anglia TV with Miss Rosalyn, full of kids corralled into games and looking into mirrors. Miss Rosalyn always said she saw me through that screen or mirror. My 2010 novella ‘Weirdtongue’ has a kid who was was one of the kids playing a game in black and white 1950s Crackerjack on UK TV, who was tripped up by another kid in front of the camera; one kid grew up as the Weirdmonger, the other as a clown, both with masks, both with a revenge to seek. This Goodfellow story is one of those perfectly written stories that you know you will always remember. The traffic island, a special island for the grown up version of the kid who appeared on a TV programme like that Romper Room, one with a hindsight view of dark conspiracies, and a version of Weirdmonger now called the King… The other kids, what happened to them? One such kid grown up, an ostensible sympathetic woman, is in your own apartment you can see with binoculars from your Island, her last balcony, your island’s manhole that your Dad said was a wishing well. To cut a long story short, here we have poignant complexes and alliances and misalliances that grow up, despite death, beyond death – as I say a story that will stay with you, a story different from my own story, but related enough to impinge very personally upon me.
The detailed review of this book (blended in a review entitled ‘Puppets in Carcosa’), as posted elsewhere under my name, is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.
The detailed review of this book (blended in a review entitled ‘Puppets in Carcosa’), as posted elsewhere under my name, is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.
January 25, 2023
We need to talk about "Movie Night at Phil's" by Don Webb, because never have I seen such a poorly written and edited story published in an anthology, to the extent I thought the first draft must have accidentally slipped in there. In addition to such jarring typos as "loosing his thinning brown hair," "baby Wipes," "runs for 93 Minutes," and "sedcuction," there is also:
"And Travis decided that his Dad was 'really into it.' 'It' variously being DBSM, Satanism, or something vaguer and more evil fro the lack of a name. This folly was best-represented one night when Travis asked his dad if he owned a riding crop."
"The Phantom seems to had a sheaf of parchment to some of the party goers, who become so aware of the monstrous secrets they have always held about themselves rush into small rooms (Suicide Chambers) and kill themselves."
The story itself isn't even the slightest bit original - just another iteration of "cursed piece of media cryptically alluded to in niche circles and on dark corners of the Internet that kills whoever watches/listens to it," with some crass shock value thrown in (incest, neo-Nazis). And yes, I know The King in Yellow popularized this trope, but plenty of modern stories inspired by it manage to do something different. Chambers himself didn't rely on it.
Shoddy editing was evident elsewhere, though not as severely. Overall a fairly forgettable collection that even the inclusion of Laird Barron, Gemma Files, and John Langan couldn't make up for.
"And Travis decided that his Dad was 'really into it.' 'It' variously being DBSM, Satanism, or something vaguer and more evil fro the lack of a name. This folly was best-represented one night when Travis asked his dad if he owned a riding crop."
"The Phantom seems to had a sheaf of parchment to some of the party goers, who become so aware of the monstrous secrets they have always held about themselves rush into small rooms (Suicide Chambers) and kill themselves."
The story itself isn't even the slightest bit original - just another iteration of "cursed piece of media cryptically alluded to in niche circles and on dark corners of the Internet that kills whoever watches/listens to it," with some crass shock value thrown in (incest, neo-Nazis). And yes, I know The King in Yellow popularized this trope, but plenty of modern stories inspired by it manage to do something different. Chambers himself didn't rely on it.
Shoddy editing was evident elsewhere, though not as severely. Overall a fairly forgettable collection that even the inclusion of Laird Barron, Gemma Files, and John Langan couldn't make up for.
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