Spectral Realms No. 22: Winter 2025

by Ann K Schwader, S.T. Joshi (editor), John Shirley

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2025

Reviews

[Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another very enjoyable issue of Spectral Realms, and it is to the great credit of Hippocampus Press that they continue to publish this fine journal, the only one of which I am aware that is dedicated to weird poetry.
My favorite poem of this issue came from the master, Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, and is titled “What They Say.” It contrasts the hypocritical way in which villagers speak out against a local witch in public, while going to her for philtres and potions and spells in private. Lori R. Lopez contributes “ghosts in trees”, which is great fun. I greatly enjoy her light-hearted work.
There are many other excellent poems in this volume, too many to mention in a short review. But among my favorites were Darrel Schweitzer’s “Emperor Julian in the Afterworld”, about one of history’s most interesting figures, and Michael Potts’ “Through the Darkness Shines…” about one of horror fiction’s most interesting figures. But with contributions from such poets as Frank Coffman, Adam Bolivar, Katherine Kerestman, Manuel Perez-Campos, Ashley Dioses and so many others, how could this fail to achieve excellence?
Minor note: I don’t know why Goodreads always credits Spectral Realms to Ann Schwader. She is certainly one of the contributors, and a very welcome one, but it is edited by S.T. Joshi.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This continues to be the best active publication of contemporary weird poetry.