Paradoxes From Hell

by Thomas Ligotti, Jonathan Dennison (Illustrator)

In Paradoxes from Hell, the legendary Thomas Ligotti breathes fresh life into three of his rarest pieces.

The opening section, "I Have a Special Plan for This World," is a metaphysical poetry cycle in which its visionary protagonist is driven by his loathing of existence. His plan, which seeks no less than the unmaking of the universe itself, seeks to “envision a darkness/That was long before the dark of night/And a strangely shining light/That owed nothing to the light of day.” This remarkable piece is unveiled here for the first time since its original limited publication by Durtro in 2006.

The second section offers up "This Degenerate Little Town," another poetry cycle likewise out of print since 2006, which represents the titular town as an allegory for human consciousness. Ligotti paints a vivid picture of a universe in endless decline, a realm where “diseased faces that gaze/Behind the glass of grimy windows” are as inescapable as the town’s “decaying ground and rotting sky.”

The concluding sequence, "Paradoxes from Hell," is an array of prose vignettes featuring a decayed mystic, a stricken philosopher, a deranged poet, and a complete madman. Solely featured in Grimoire Magazine in 1983 and virtually unknown to most Ligotti readers, these dread-inducing yet often humorous prose reflections are a treasure trove of existential exploration.

This latest edition of Paradoxes from Hell boasts not only elegant, new formatting but an even more extensive collection of original art by Jonathan Dennison, adding another dimension of depth to Ligotti's eerie prose. The result is a work that is as visually stunning as it is thought-provoking, a testament to Ligotti's stature as a singular maestro of horror genre.

Genres: Horror, Poetry, Short Stories

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror author and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings, while unique in style, have been noted as major continuations of several literary genres—most prominently Lovecraftian horror—and have overall been described as works of "philosophical horror", often written as philosophical novels with a "darker" undertone which is similar to gothic fiction. The Washington Post called him "the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction"; another critic declared "It's a skilled writer indeed who can suggest a horror so shocking that one is grateful it was kept offstage."

Reviews

[Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very happy to finally read the title piece, but sad that it means I have one less unread Ligotti story.

[Zac Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unearthed and neglected Ligotti is even more exciting to me than 'new' Ligotti, a weathered stone at the bottom of a charnel case of masters trinkets and oddities. The fact Chiroptera are only just beginning on their quest to unearth and publish long OOP tales from my favourite living author brings me such (much to the authors dismay, I'm sure) joy.

[William Southwell-Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 Poems and a Short Story. All Ligotti of the highest quality, the real feel-good stuff.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume collects two early works in verse from Thomas Ligotti, as well as one early prose piece. All of the pieces are of interest to the devoted Ligotti fan, but for me the clear standout is "This Degenerate Little Town", which uses unmetered blank verse to express the author's concerns with startlingly clarity:

The greatest secret,
Which appears in no religious doctrine
And is found nowhere
In the world's overburdened library
Of myths and fables
Nor receives the slightest mention
In any philosopher's system
Or scientist's speculation --
The greatest secret,
Perhaps the only secret,
Is that the universe,
All of creation,
Owes its existence
To a degenerate little town.

Those opening lines state the case beautifully, and the rest of the piece is every bit as direct and incisive.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceedingly obscure and enigmatic Ligotti prose. Can't wait to see what else comes from this union.

[Michael (Horror Gardener) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was then I began to envision a darkness, that was long before the dark of night, and a strangely shining light, that owed nothing to the light of day.

[Internet · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I Have a Special Plan' is one of Ligotti's best, and the recording with Current 93 must be heard for fans of weird fiction and cosmic horror. 'This Degenerate Little Town' is also top-notch. I wasn't personally impressed by the title piece, though. It's a little too abstract and thematically on the nose for my taste. It's interesting to note how little the themes in that story (from 1983) deviate from those in his more recent work, though - right from the beginning, Ligotti has seen something most people would happily hide from.

[Khaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two prose poems and the short story feel like a little preview for what later would become "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race". Ligotti's writing is elegant, mesmerizing and bleak. Darkness that enlightens.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia y dos poemas narrativos son lo que podemos encontrar en este pequeño libro que trata de recuperar textos de Ligotti perdidos en antologias antiguas. La historia no esta mal pero mucho mejores los poemas, sobretodo I have an special plan for this world. Para muy seguidores de Ligotti.

[Amber Loptien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not the best read in our current climate, but it was interesting and artistic in its interpretations.
Feels like something Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham would discuss over a complicated roast “pork” dinner while eye fucking each other.

[Hsu Jui-Ting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most simply ordained incantations of horror ever woven into text, repurposed here now in a lovely edition. There is no pretense, yet the shudder remains inviolable and present all the same.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chiroptera Press. PB with stiff card dj. #353/600. limited/signed. death/nihilism/depressive realism. poetry/splenic prose. 48pp. bookmark included.

I felt it lacked the weight of his longer prose, to be honest. Lacks a variety of compelling imagery compared to his stories, here mostly ruminations and postulations. Straight forward use of language, blank verse.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to be able to get a signed copy of this. Top form Ligotti. Brilliant as always and the master of this genre.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

So darkly beautiful, so Ligotti. There is really no one else quite like him.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dude needs to get laid already.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most well constructed examples of nihilistic poetry that the English language can hope to produce.

[Alex Budris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two poems and an essay, or maybe a parable. Signed and numbered; chapbook style. Softcover with jacket. A finely produced book. Ligotti, as always (if you can stomach him), is great.