Encounters with Enoch Coffin

by W.H. Pugmire, Jeffrey Thomas, Santiago Caruso (Illustrator)

Enoch Coffin is a proud inhabitant of Massachusetts, an artist following in the footsteps of local legend Richard Upton Pickman. Coffin is an artist with a singular quest: to capture in paint, or ink, or clay -- however he might -- sights that no mortal has ever portrayed in art before...and lived to exhibit. His quest will take him throughout actual New England locations, and that other New England of H. P. Lovecraft, where his models will be doomed souls, ravening ghouls, and entities from beyond the veil.

Individually acclaimed for their weird fiction, in this collection of short stories authors W.H. Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas collaborate to paint the portrait of a character every bit as fascinating and unique as the subjects of his artistic encounters.

With haunting illustrations on the front and back cover by renowned illustrator Santiago Caruso and interior illustrations accompanying every story by illustrator Clint Leduc, Encounters with Enoch Coffin is anticipated to be one of the best-selling Dark Regions Press titles of 2013.

Table of Contents:
- Ye Unkempt Thing
- Matter of Truth and Death
- Beneath Arkham
- Spectral Evidence
- They Smell of Thunder
- Mystic Articulation
- Every Exquisite Thing
- Impossible Color
- Ecstasy in Aberration
- Shadow Puppets
- Fearless Symmetry
- Unto the Child of Woman

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Lovecraftian, Weird Fiction, Collections, The United States Of America

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Wilum Hopfrog Pugmire (born William Harry Pugmire, 1951–2019) was a writer of weird fiction and horror fiction based in Seattle, Washington. His works typically were published as W.H. Pugmire (his adopted middle name derives from the story of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe) and his fiction often paid homage to the lore of Lovecraftian horror. Lovecraft scholar and biographer S.T. Joshi described Pugmire as "the prose-poet of the horror/fantasy field; he may be the best prose-poet we have" and as one of the genre's leading Lovecraftian authors.

Wilum lived in Seattle, WA and wrote Cthulhu Mythos fiction full-time. He was the self-proclaimed "Queen of Eldritch Horror". Writing weird fiction was his life, but congestive heart failure slowed his writing. He considered his finest books to be Some Unknown Gulf of Night (Arcane Wisdom Press 2011), Uncommon Places (Hippocampus Press 2012) and The Tangled Muse (Centipede Press 2011).

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover edition is numbered 98 of 150 copies produced, and is signed by both W.H. Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas.

Cover by illustrator Santiago Caruso and interior illustrations accompanying every story by illustrator Clint Leduc.

Contents:

001 - "Ye Unkempt Thing"
011 - "Matter of Truth and Death"
025 - "Beneath Arkham"
041 - "Spectral Evidence"
055 - "They Smell of Thunder"
075 - "Mystic Articulation"
101 - "Every Exquisite Thing"
113 - "Impossible Color"
127 - "Ecstasy in Aberration"
149 - "Shadow Puppets"
161 - "Fearless Symmetry"
183 - "Unto the Child of Woman"

[Wilum Pugmire · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hardcover editions of ENOCH COFFIN have been horrendously delay'd, as those of ye who order'd know too well. It's frustrating to me, because I can do nothing about it. Dark Regions Press has encountered problems with backlog at their bindery and turmoil within the publishing house. The trade paperback, which should have been the last edition publish'd, is now in print and available at Amazon. For those who don't mind a trade pb edition, this one is very good, sturdily produced, and contains all of the art from the book except the back cover portrait. I'm hoping that the book will come out next month (June) or by July at the latest. It really MUST be publish'd by the time NecronomiCon Providence comes around or I will be severely upset. My other hardcover, also slightly delayed, has just been printed and should be in the mails to ye who order'd it within ye next week. My thanx to my readers for their patience. The situation sucks big-time, but again, it is out of my control.

[Donald Armfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

These written encounters are so vividly told it’s as if they are real, pulled right from the authors diaries or sorts. Pugmire puts the colors of imaginable worlds as Thomas splashes more of the horrors that hide within a darkness of the imaginable worlds.

My overall favorites in this collection.
“Matter of Truth or Death” a cry of jealousy, a cry for help from a faceless man.

“They Smell of Thunder” a storm that moves between the stars, roaring from long dimensions.

“Every Exquisite Thing” Monsters, mysterious nights and pieces of someone for a canvas to paint.

“Unto the Child of Women” A trip into haunted woodlands. Shows the beauty in its darkness and gives a compelling gift.

Great Collection! A vibrant blend of colors that paints a memorable portrait of words.

[Jason Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

From me from Amazon:
Encounters with Enoch Coffin is a poetic, artistically intellectual, and stunning display of collaborative storytelling by two legends of Yog-Sothery.

W.H. Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas are the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards--the Toxic Twins!--of Lovecraftian fiction. With storytelling that is distinctly different but work well in harmony. Baroque, sweeping, and pulsing poetic prose that coalesce and bleed pure story in this Lovecraftian jam session of eldritch tales.

The book follows the enigmatic, Enoch Coffin through his adventures through places like Dunwich, Innsmouth, the Dreamlands and Pugmire's enchanting Sesqua Valley.
The stories are clever as they are creepy, dark and sensual, with a flamboyantly Gothic flare, and also intellectually enlightening.
If you're the type of Lovecraftian who wants plenty of monsters and damnable abominations and the like...there is plenty of eldritch beasts of esoteric lore lurking here, too.

I think the best Lovecraftian fiction is that which adds to the Mythos and Encounters with Enoch coffin does that and then some.
A great collection by two great writers. A must for readers of the Cthulhu Mythos.

[Darren Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFULLY done! I devoured this book in one afternoon!

[Tomasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A basic low-rent Dark Regions production, this is your typical Lovecraftian bingo masquerading as a story sequence, with the authors easily discernible through the simple test: Here, when Pugmire reached for decadent and sophisticated, he ended with crass and crude. When Thomas tried the same, he went for trite. This is really for Mythos completists only.

[Rodrigo Tello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cada libro de Hopfrog Pugmire es una nueva exquisitez, una joya delicatessen que se revela compleja y adictiva con cada relato que se avanza. En este caso, y escribiendo junto a otro maestro del weird, Jeffrey Thomas, nos presenta todos los cuentos protagonizados por Enoch Coffin, el artista de lo oculto. Así, cada pieza será un viaje por "Territorio Lovecraft", donde revisaremos sus elementos y tropos con el carácter distintivo y evocador de la prosa de Hopfrog, aunque me permito opinar que estas historias tienen mucho más de Clark Ashton Smith que de Lovecraft, y eso es un verdadero deleite.

Así, tenemos cuentos como "Color imposible", en el que un joven mecenas va a dar con una curiosa esfera, en una subasta, que proviene de unos extraños acontecimientos acontecidos hace muchos años en Arkham, y relacionados con la caída de un meteorito.

"Todas las exquisiteces" nos trae de vuelta a la memoria las sales esenciales del "Caso de Charles Dexter Ward", un cuento terrorífico que incluye algunas descripciones bastante fuertes de resurrecciones y malformaciones, a partir de experimentos impíos de magia negra.

"Marionetas de sombras" es uno de los más cortos, sobre un artista de lo oculto que envidia a Coffin, y ofrece un espectáculo bastante peligroso con fantasmas líquidos de los shoggoths.

"Temible simetría" nos cuenta sobre los padres de Enoch, el aciago destino de su padre, también artista, que trabajaba magníficamente el vidrio, y el oscuro secreto de su madre, en un guiño majestuoso y muy bien pensado, a "El modelo de Pickman".

También, en Salem, visitaremos una oscura casa donde habita un demonio relacionado con la vieja Keziah Mason, y que se encuentra en este plano por una venganza fantasmal, en "Evidencia espectral".

En "El éxtasis de la aberración" nos vamos a Innsmouth para asistir a un demencial ritual de procreación, y en "Huelen a truenos" regresamos a Dunwich para saber qué fue del linaje de los Whateley. Coffin se desplaza por este tenebroso país lovecraftiano en busca de mecenas que financien su arte, eventuales compradores, llegando incluso al propio Sesqua Valley en busca de inspiración...

En definitiva, es una lástima que este libro no vaya a ver la luz en español, porque es otro verdadero clásico del inolvidable Hopfrog Pugmire.

[Will Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

With "Encounters with Enoch Coffin," William Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas bring us an excellent collaborative fiction effort, hooved feet firmly planted in Lovecraftian mythos. Enoch Coffin takes shape as a darkly charming, Bohemian artist in the vein of Lovecraft's Pickman, but becomes more fully-formed and fascinating as each writer takes a turn at defining his occult predilections and often sinister motivations.

The only small caveat to the reader is that it is obvious this is a literary exercise, however skillfully executed. For example, in one chapter, Enoch "had never liked automobiles, and one of the benefits of city life was the public transportation," and in another chapter he drives his "beaten up old truck" to Dunwich, with no explanation as to his transformation. There are several more inconsistencies, which can be overlooked if the reader is in on the joke. In addition, there are chapters in which an attempt to make Mr. Coffin appear "youthful" in his lexicon simply don't work, and end up being an example of cognitive dissonance. Enoch may be a Hedonist and a Bohemian, but it seems only a Philistine would mutter "Hey, waiter! More nectar, yo.”

All in all, an excellent compilation of ominous tales that give flesh and form to the mystery of Enoch Coffin, and place him in the canon of the weird as a memorable icon.

[Zakk Madness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enoch Coffin is a Massachusetts artist and purveyor of occult practices drawn toward individuals and locations with a dark presence or esoteric history. He seeks to capture, in various medium, the true darkness and nature of things.

In "Encounters" we, the reader, experience twelve stories of Enoch seeking or finding inspiration for his artwork. Sometimes by chance other times by intended conjuration. In Arkham, Dunwich and Innsmouth there still resides dark and unseen creatures and Enoch seeks to capture this by way of oils and clay.

The fluid and dark prose is immediately riveting, giving all of the characters, creatures and environments involved a certain depth and sense of being. They all feel like tangible things that can be experienced. It's like reading Lovecraft tales without the sterile, clinical Lovecraft writing style. And each story left me yearning for more as the character of Enoch Coffin seems able and destined for grand things. I'd love to experience a full length novel. I can easily envision an Allan Quatermain/ Indiana Jones type of sprawling occult adventure/ mystery. I think that I want this right now.

This is my first read for either author and definitely not my last.

The Mouths of Madness
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[Will Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

With "Encounters with Enoch Coffin," Wilum Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas bring us an excellent collaborative fiction effort, hooved feet firmly planted in Lovecraftian mythos. Enoch Coffin takes shape as a darkly charming, Bohemian artist in the vein of Lovecraft's Pickman, but becomes more fully-formed and fascinating as each writer takes a turn at defining his occult predilections and often sinister motivations.

The only small caveat to the reader is that it is obvious this is a literary exercise, however skillfully executed. For example, in one chapter, Enoch "had never liked automobiles, and one of the benefits of city life was the public transportation," and in another chapter he drives his "beaten up old truck" to Dunwich, with no explanation as to his transformation. There are several more inconsistencies, which can be overlooked if the reader is in on the joke. In addition, there are chapters in which attempts to make Mr. Coffin appear "youthful" in his lexicon simply don't work, and end up being an example of cognitive dissonance. Enoch may be a Hedonist and a Bohemian, but it seems only a Philistine would mutter "Hey, waiter! More nectar, yo."

All in all, an excellent compilation of ominous tales that give flesh and form to the mystery of Enoch Coffin, and place him in the canon of the weird as a memorable icon.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I initially enjoyed about Encounters was the writing style. If you like dark fiction as well as Poe and Lovecraft you can't go wrong here. This is my first Pugmire book and while I have never read anything by Jeffery Thomas I'm planning in rectifying that as soon as I can. They have a gift of putting their arm around your shoulder and making you feel as if you're right there with the characters which a lot of writers fail to do.

Encounters with Enoch Coffin is a short story collection with a unified theme. Each story revolves around Coffin an eccentric painter. These are creepy, dark, atmospheric stories that bring a new life to not only horror, but also Lovecraftian fiction. These aren't your ordinary run of the mill horror stories. These are a bit darker and remind us why Lovecraft and Poe are legends of dark fiction. I received Encounters With Enoch Coffin in exchange for an honest review and I am now a fan of both of these talented authors.

[David L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Modern Artist in Lovecraft's Realms

Actually, after the opening stories, it is Enoch Coffiin who does most of the encountering, as he visits places such as Dunwich and Kingsport and Innsmouth and deals with shuggoths and ghouls and wizards. The artist is decadent in his tastes and values, more interested in his pursuit of dark beauty than the concerns of his fellow humans. He is also a likable enough to keep a reader's interest through his adventures in Lovecraft country. The stories are well-written and usually unpredictable in their development. Good reading for autumn.

[Squire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific collection of short stories by Pugmire and Thomas. Atmospheric and warped, like lovecraftian literature should be. Pugmire is an astonishly good writer and his stories are the standouts here (though Thomas is no slouch). For all this, however, Enoch Coffin remains an elusive character. The stories don't let the reader get to know Coffin as well I felt they should have. Still, it's entertaining.

[Scarlett Algee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, I didn't like this collection in its first few pages, but that quickly changed as I kept reading! Enoch Coffin's desire to capture horrors as art lead him time and again into perils, and while he's the protagonist, he doesn't always come out unscathed. The stories in this book provide a fresh look at the plots of some of HP Lovecraft's most familiar tales, and it's a twisted thrilling ride.

[John Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories get progressively better. Most of the episodes re-visit one of H. P. Lovecraft's tales in a new and original way. I enjoyed how the authors smoothly incorporated Lovecraft's titles into the text -- little winks to the true fans. This Enoch Coffin would be an interesting fellow to meet -- on a bright sunny day, and nowhere near a cemetery!

[Nancy Oakes]

#112 of the numbered editions.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago I saw the movie, “The Dunwich Horror,” which scared the H*** out of me. Some years later, I found out it was based on a story by H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), the guru of horror who has influenced virtually every such writer since, from William Peter Blatty to Dean Koontz to Stephen King to…well, you get the drift. Lovecraft wrote mostly about New England, specifically Massachusetts, and at times more specifically Dunwich. I have since read a collection of his stories, all of which are bizarre and at times shocking, but I must admit, many of the endings were abrupt, but easily predictable and characterized by lots of exclamation marks. From a contemporary standpoint, this appears over the top, but one must keep in mind that this was the early phase of such literature.

So in this context, lemmee talk about “Encounters with Enoch Coffin.” I got this from Dark Regions Press as a freebie for a review. I had previously read two stories from this collection and liked them well enough to request the book. Messrs. Pugmire and Thomas have crafted a series of Lovecraftian short stories, with Enoch Coffin (an apropos surname) as the central character in all of them. Enoch is an artist who takes much of his material from weird and at times horrifying dreams, and the stories describe both his artistic process and interactions with him from a variety of individuals, many of whom match his weirdness and horror.

Enoch lives in Massachusetts, which contains, among other cities, Salem (hmmm) and Dunwich (see above). His dreams, and indeed his encounters, are marked by strange sigils or symbols, the meanings of which generally elude him, but which provides a thematic thread among the stories. The writing style is extremely similar to Lovecraft’s, and indeed appears to be a homage to him. Nonetheless, those “abrupt endings” (sans exclamation points) did frustrate me, as I wanted more of a denouement for most of them.

All that said, I must say that Enoch as a character is fascinating and talented and is not afraid to embrace the Dark Side (Darth Vader would be proud). Those with whom he comes in contact are equally strange and seem to have a deep emotional connection to Enoch. Case in point is “Matter of Truth and Death,” in which a friend, Will Ashman, whose wife Shoshona has recently committed suicide. Enoch had, at Will’s request, painted a portrait of Shoshona, which according to Will “made her appear ugly, haunted, close to madness,” which she couldn’t handle. Thus, Will infers that the painting led to her suicide. Subsequently, Will wishes Enoch to paint his portrait next, and in the interchange there are hints of not only an affair between Enoch and Shoshona, but also a sexualized relationship between Enoch and Will. Enoch’s also working on a sculpture and has trouble finishing it because – well, we can’t give EVERYTHING away, can we? As with most of these stories, this one has some further creepiness and what was supposed to be a surprise ending, but really wasn’t. Despite all that, I really enjoyed reading the story.

Another, one of the longer stories, “They Smell of Thunder,” brings Enoch to Dunwich (uh-oh), to illustrate a book of poems by a young man named Xavier Aboth. The story recounts in several passages the story of the Dunwich Horror (I’d suggest you read this and/or see the movie for context) and the Wizard Whately. Dunwich isn’t what you’d call a friendly town, and again Enoch comes across bridges with more of those strange symbols on them; later in the story he comes across lattice work, especially in Whately’s ruined house, that is characterized by brooding, prophetic and not-very-nice happenings. While he’s pretty game for anything weird, Enoch becomes more tangled into this “let the old ones and other nasty gods loose” process than he had planned. And there’s this abrupt ending which was again a frustration for me, but the journey to get there was thoroughly enjoyable. The descriptions of the ruined countryside, ugliness not so deep underneath the topsoil, the continuing influence of Whately, and the overall nastiness of Dunwich (this is quite similar to Mr. King’s writing lovingly of his native Maine and that wacky, creepy town Derry). The next story, “Mystic Articulation,” brings Enoch to Kingsport to recover from his wounds he got from the abrupt encounter with the creature from “They Smell of Thunder.” He’s using a cane because of a leg injury, and he befriends Patricia Olney, proprietress of an occult book store, and Winfield Scot, local poet, who lives in what is described as a sort of haunted house formerly owned by “The Terrible Old Man.” Scot gives Enoch one of the Old Man’s canes, which is inscribed by those by-now-familiar mysterious sigils, which, darn it, match those on stones on Scot’s property. Well, old Enoch’s curiosity and sense of adventure bring him to meet up with not only some creepy winged creatures conjured up by Enoch’s use of the walking stick, but he also finds out Ms. Olney’s true identity. Good story, although Enoch seems to lose consciousness during a good many of these encounters, waking up in Scot’s or Patricia’s presence. Well, as he says to one of the townspeople, “My wild ways aid my art.”

The most enjoyable one for me was “Every Exquisite Thing,” taken from a cited Oscar Wilde quote, “Behind every exquisite thing that exists there is something tragic.” The story itself is about a trip Enoch makes to an apothecary whose back room specializes in sort of “eye of newt, wing of bat” materials that Enoch mixes in with his paints to evoke the macabre emotions behind his paintings. The proprietress is a mysterious woman named Jiao, who, she says, is related to the former owner and Enoch’s “go to guy,” Shin. Jiao says that Shin had died some time ago. That’s all I’m gonna reveal, ‘cause there are some real surprises here, more than one. Fun story.

Another fun one is “Ecstasy in Aberration,” in which Enoch travels to Innsmouth, a seaside town, to paint a portrait of Gerhard Speare, a poet who has ventured into short stories. Along the way, he meets Nesa Katt, who works at the Wiccan shop in Arkham (see above); in response to Enoch’s query as to whether she’s a witch, she responds that her reason for working there is that “it’s way cool. I like to fuck warlocks, you know, and have hot wax spilled on me and all that cool stuff. Razor blades and bite marks.” Eventually Enoch meets up with Adrianna Bishop, a mysterious woman who has Nesa in her employ. Adrianna explains to Enoch that Innsmouth is a gathering place from immortals from “The Deep,” who come out of the sea once a year for a rather primitive ceremony called “The Surge.” While in Adrianna’s presence, Enoch cuts a sigil into his arm, and Adrianna comments, “You know certainly, that the smell of mortal blood has a way of intoxicating They who linger between dimensions.” I’ve already given away perhaps too much of this story, but let’s say the progression and denouement are quite satisfying. It should be mentioned that the immortal creatures are referred to several times throughout this book; in the following story, “Shadow Puppets,” they are described as “shoggoths, the Army of the Deep Ones. The servants of the otherworldly Elder Things, servants that Enoch had read had ultimately turned against their masters and annihilated them.” This is another of the threads that bind these stories together.

“Fearless Symmetry” is an important story in this collection for it delves into Enoch’s family history, specifically his parents. His father, Donovan, was an artist of the macabre, though more in the genre of stained glass. His mother Lebanah had disappeared some years ago, when Enoch was young, under mysterious circumstances, and indeed his father was incarcerated in the local State Hospital until he escaped, also under mysterious circumstances. Donovan left his journal for Enoch, especially after seeing Enoch’s penchant for somewhat bizarre and macabre paintings (in this story, Enoch is compared not only to Joel Peter Witkin (a photographer whose images combine the erotic and the bizarre) and Gunther von Hagens (responsible the plasticizing of bodies in the controversial “Body Works” displays), but also to Richard Upton Pickman, a fictional artist (by H.P. Lovecraft, naturally) whose work was also characterized by the macabre and otherworldliness. Donovan had been obsessed with finding “Dreamland,” a series of tunnels beneath town, specifically under the local cemetery, where some variant of “The Others” dwell. This story is told from three points of view; Enoch’s journals, Donovan’s journals and the writing of Joel Knox, who was doing an article on Enoch, including interviews with him and exposure to Donovan’s workshop in Enoch’s basement. The rest of the story is pure entertainment. The last story, “Unto the Child of Woman,” is sort of a sequel and denouement from the previous story, with a sort of added “Dorian Gray” aspect.

I must say that I very much enjoyed this work. The only thing that detracted from it was that it had only one illustration, the cover, by Santiago Caruso, in my Kindle edition, but I have seen a couple of the illustrations that accompany the stories, by Clint Leduc, and would have been grateful to see them. Bravo, Messrs. Pugmire and Thomas! Fine tribute to Mr. Lovecraft. I look forward to future visits with Mr. Coffin.



.

[Sriram K R · Rating 5 out of 5]

It I could give this book 10 stars on 5, I would do it twice. This is by some measure the beast expansion pack for the Cthulhu mythos I have read in a while. Enoch Coffin is a character for tbe ages and I suppose Enoch seems to me like a natural extension of Pugmire themselves. This is not a collection of Lovecraft pastiches, it is a lovingly crafted terrifying tome of universe building for a mythos that badly needed someone like Enoch to tear it a new cosmic hole. Eldritch Gods and gibbering human alike from the mythos has found their story woven into a more modern, more diverse and fittingly more horrific retelling of one of the most exquisite horror multiverses.

My only regret is reading this in Kindle. I wish I had purchased the hardcover with the beautiful illustrations. Must read if you're a weird fic person.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through our encounters with Enoch Coffin we journey through the weird locales of Lovecraftian fiction and through strange places within real world New England.
Coffin is a brilliant, engaging character and the authors do a wonderful job of bringing him to life.
Beyond story and character, this book demonstrates gorgeous prose, and investigates profound imagery and ideas. A must read for any serious weird fiction connoisseur.

[Stephen Corbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning collaboration of interwoven tales from Jeffrey Thomas and the late W.H.Pugmire .
Follow Enoch Coffin as he makes his travels in search of his dark art meeting creatures from the other side.Using his occult Necromancy and at the same time discovering his lost familial heritage in an unexpected but not totally surprising way.
Delve into these Lovecraftian tales and be enraptured by the stories of the Dark Ones. Be careful what you wish for....it might just come true.

[Julian White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paperback - Page number 194 + viii

Cover illustration: Santiago Caruso; internal illustrations: Clint Leduc

A curious collection of short stories dealing with Enoch Coffin, artist and alchemist - specialising in Lovecraftian landscapes and beings. Based in Boston, Coffin visits Innsmouth, Dunwich, Arkham - as well as Salem; there are references to Lovecraft stories including The Colour from Out of Space...

The two authors alternate stories. I'm not convinced by Lovecraft though these stories seem to reflect what I know of his work (and seem more readable!) - but I wouldn't go so far as to say I liked or enjoyed it.

[Otto Hahaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tämä toimi mukavasti. Kaksi kirjailijaa kirjoittaa samasta hahmosta tarinoita, jotka liittyvät löyhästi toisiinsa. Ei kuitenkaan ihan romaani, koska yhtenäistä juonta ei ole. Lovecraft-maailmassa ollaan, jossa myös Pugmiren hahmoihin törmätään. En tunne Thomasin tuotantoa, joten en tiedä oliko mukana myös Thomasin hahmoja. Keskushahmo Enoch Coffin on kuvataiteilija, joten taustalla on luonnollisesti vähän Richard Upton Pickman -viboja. Jeffrey Thomaksen tarinoissa on enemmän konkreettista kuvataiteen tekemistä, WH Pugmire on ehkä enemmän kotonaan kirjallisessa maailmassa.

[Carrie Laben · Rating 3 out of 5]

High-end Lovecraft pastiche with occasional forays into an extended cosmology. The differences in diction between the two authors are sometimes noticeable enough to be jarring, and Coffin himself is rather a wish-fulfillment character, but definitely a worthwhile read for the devotee.

[Henrik]

Purchased directly from the publisher, their moving sale Summer 2013.