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Lamplight - Volume 1
This 450 page anthology of the first year of LampLight Magazine collects four amazing issues from September 2012 - June 2013.
Features the complete serial novella "And I Watered It With Tears" by Kevin Lucia.
Fiction and interviews with Robert Ford, Kelli Owen, Ronald Malfi, and Elizabeth Massie.
J.F. Gonzalez takes us through the history of the genre with his Shadows in the Attic articles. LampLight classics bring you some of those past voices to experience again.
Fiction by William Meikle, Nathan Yocum, Rahul Kanakia, Ian Creasey, Mandy DeGeit, D.J. Cockburn, Christopher Fryer, Christopher Kelly, Tim Lieder, Jamie Lackey, Matthew Warner, Sheri White, Dinos Kellis, S. R. Mastrantone, Mjke Wood, Delbert R. Gardner, Michele Mixell, Sarah Rhett, Armel Dagorn, E. Catherine Tobler
Features the complete serial novella "And I Watered It With Tears" by Kevin Lucia.
Fiction and interviews with Robert Ford, Kelli Owen, Ronald Malfi, and Elizabeth Massie.
J.F. Gonzalez takes us through the history of the genre with his Shadows in the Attic articles. LampLight classics bring you some of those past voices to experience again.
Fiction by William Meikle, Nathan Yocum, Rahul Kanakia, Ian Creasey, Mandy DeGeit, D.J. Cockburn, Christopher Fryer, Christopher Kelly, Tim Lieder, Jamie Lackey, Matthew Warner, Sheri White, Dinos Kellis, S. R. Mastrantone, Mjke Wood, Delbert R. Gardner, Michele Mixell, Sarah Rhett, Armel Dagorn, E. Catherine Tobler
456 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 17, 2016
This anthology contains the first four issues of the quarterly dark fiction magazine LampLight. Given the quality and organization of the content, it stands as a very strong anthology in general.
The first thing that must be mentioned is the cover by Paula Snyder. Its minimalistic aesthetic is both an inspired stylistic choice and a good indication of the tone of the writing to follow.
LampLight is a venue for dark fiction of all sorts, horror being only a part of the mix. Literary fiction has a significant presence as well. You’ll also find Lovecraftian weird tales, near-future sci-fi, dark fantasy, detective stories, even some brief humor pieces. As varied as genre is, most of the stories are of the subtle variety. This is the kind of fiction that intends to unsettle as opposed to horrify, and it does so slowly and deliberately.
Loss, guilt, and grief are prominent things explored in the stories. There’s the ever-present fear of death, but more often it’s the thoughts and feelings on the periphery of that great equalizer that will set up camp in the reader’s mind. Death itself isn’t the main subject here so much as the state of mind of those causing it or those left behind. Much of the writing exudes a feeling of melancholy, if not outright sorrow.
The organization of the book differs from that of the original publications, and it’s clear that as much care was taken with this as with every other aspect. Each story flows naturally into the next, whether because of common themes or minor details. Some are reprints of genre classics or obscurities. These older tales rest comfortably with the original content. The cumulative effect is a well-balanced look at old-fashioned dark fiction, both bygone and contemporary.
Although the stories make up the bulk of the book, there are also insightful author interviews (conducted by Jeff Heimbuch), and an informative column by J.F. Gonzalez devoted to the history of the horror genre. The interviews are well done and the column covers a lot of ground, from reprint anthologies, to the birth of horror magazines, to the centuries-long rise of the genre.
LampLight’s first year has proven to be an impressive and auspicious one. This first anthology is a great introduction. It’s a perfect literary fit for anyone looking for dread in a low key.
originally posted at http://www.hellnotes.com
The first thing that must be mentioned is the cover by Paula Snyder. Its minimalistic aesthetic is both an inspired stylistic choice and a good indication of the tone of the writing to follow.
LampLight is a venue for dark fiction of all sorts, horror being only a part of the mix. Literary fiction has a significant presence as well. You’ll also find Lovecraftian weird tales, near-future sci-fi, dark fantasy, detective stories, even some brief humor pieces. As varied as genre is, most of the stories are of the subtle variety. This is the kind of fiction that intends to unsettle as opposed to horrify, and it does so slowly and deliberately.
Loss, guilt, and grief are prominent things explored in the stories. There’s the ever-present fear of death, but more often it’s the thoughts and feelings on the periphery of that great equalizer that will set up camp in the reader’s mind. Death itself isn’t the main subject here so much as the state of mind of those causing it or those left behind. Much of the writing exudes a feeling of melancholy, if not outright sorrow.
The organization of the book differs from that of the original publications, and it’s clear that as much care was taken with this as with every other aspect. Each story flows naturally into the next, whether because of common themes or minor details. Some are reprints of genre classics or obscurities. These older tales rest comfortably with the original content. The cumulative effect is a well-balanced look at old-fashioned dark fiction, both bygone and contemporary.
Although the stories make up the bulk of the book, there are also insightful author interviews (conducted by Jeff Heimbuch), and an informative column by J.F. Gonzalez devoted to the history of the horror genre. The interviews are well done and the column covers a lot of ground, from reprint anthologies, to the birth of horror magazines, to the centuries-long rise of the genre.
LampLight’s first year has proven to be an impressive and auspicious one. This first anthology is a great introduction. It’s a perfect literary fit for anyone looking for dread in a low key.
originally posted at http://www.hellnotes.com
January 29, 2017
This is a great anthology featuring many contemporary dark and weird short stories, flash fictions, a novella, author interviews, a column on the history of horror stories and four genre classics. It's beautifully assembled and consistently enjoyable - a real treasure trove for horror fans.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews