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The Nameless Dark: A Collection
The Nameless Dark: A Collection is the Shirley Jackson Award-nominated debut of a major new voice in contemporary Weird fiction. Within these pages, you’ll find whispers of the familiar ghosts of the classic pulps - Lovecraft, Bradbury, Smith - blended with Grau’s uniquely macabre, witty storytelling, securing his place at the table amid this current Renaissance of literary horror.
278 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2015
67 people are currently reading
1841 people want to read
About the author
T.E. Grau
30 books414 followersT.E. Grau is a Shirley Jackson Award- and Bram Stoker Award-nominated author, screenwriter, producer, and graphic novel writer whose books include I Am The River (nominated for the 2018 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel), They Don’t Come Home Anymore, The Nameless Dark (nominated for the 2015 Shirley Jackson Award for Single-Author Collection), The Mission, Triptych: Three Cosmic Tales, and These Old and Dirty Gods (Diese Alten und Dreckigen Götter – German language edition). His work has been published around the world, translated into Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Japanese. Grau lives in Los Angeles with his daughter, and is represented by Kim Yau (film/TV – Los Angeles) at Echo Lake Management and Katelyn Dougherty (literary – New York) at Paradigm Talent Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
August 10, 2015
What's most impressive about T. E. Grau's stunning debut collection is the range of his settings and histories, and of the desperate and authentic voices of his doomed characters. The cumulative effect of these smart, evocative, unsettling creepers is a sense of dread as deep as the secret ocean underneath Nebraska.
April 27, 2018
I'm so delighted to have discovered a number of fantastic horror writers this year. I've really been doing my research, listening to what other horror writers like and what my horror loving friends are reading, so I was eager to pick up this collection by Grau. The title, the cover, and the promise of weird fiction had me sold. Plus, I love short story collections, so I couldn't wait to dig into this one.
This collection is a must read for everyone who loves horror/weird fiction. These stories are as dark as the title, and I found myself at times truly unable to put the book down. Grau writes expertly in a number of different time periods and settings, going from one story to the next is a seamlessly, even though at times the stories take a serious time jump. All of these tales pull you in completely. There isn't a single weak story in the bunch.
I'm sitting here thumbing through the book because I usually mention stories that particularly stand out as favorites of mine, and I'm pretty much choosing all of them. I don't want to give a single thing away, because I went into this collection knowing nothing, and I think that's the best way to approach it. I will say that one story in particular stuck with me the most. Grau starts the collection of with a strange tale about a young boy, and things get super dark from there. That's why Mr. Lupus is so unexpected and such a fun surprise in this collection. It's definitely dark, but in a different way than the other stories collected here.
Listen, just pick this one up. Those of you who need this know who you are. I would never lead you astray. But I would definitely lead you into a dark creepy room at night and blow the candle out.
This collection is a must read for everyone who loves horror/weird fiction. These stories are as dark as the title, and I found myself at times truly unable to put the book down. Grau writes expertly in a number of different time periods and settings, going from one story to the next is a seamlessly, even though at times the stories take a serious time jump. All of these tales pull you in completely. There isn't a single weak story in the bunch.
I'm sitting here thumbing through the book because I usually mention stories that particularly stand out as favorites of mine, and I'm pretty much choosing all of them. I don't want to give a single thing away, because I went into this collection knowing nothing, and I think that's the best way to approach it. I will say that one story in particular stuck with me the most. Grau starts the collection of with a strange tale about a young boy, and things get super dark from there. That's why Mr. Lupus is so unexpected and such a fun surprise in this collection. It's definitely dark, but in a different way than the other stories collected here.
Listen, just pick this one up. Those of you who need this know who you are. I would never lead you astray. But I would definitely lead you into a dark creepy room at night and blow the candle out.
May 2, 2016
Don’t let how long it took me to finish reading T.E. Grau's debut collection throw you; my reading schedule has been all screwed up lately, and various things kept coming along to interrupt the process, and, frankly, I didn’t want to rush things. I wanted to savor each story, at least a little bit, and these aren’t the kinds of stories that you want to read while you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or something. These things require a certain amount of ceremony. Reading The Nameless Dark is the kind of thing that feels like it needs to be done right.
Like a lot of contemporary horror authors–myself included–Ted wears his influences on his sleeve in these stories, and if you know me at all, then you know that I think that’s for the best. While several of the stories in The Nameless Dark got their first printings in Lovecraftian anthologies, and often default to some familiarly Lovecraftian ideas, the more telling influences often come from other places, notably names like Bradbury or Barron. But as I was reading, I was surprised to find that my mind kept coming back to King, as in Stephen. Not that these are necessarily Stephen King-ish stories–with the possible exception of “Beer & Worms,” one of several stories in this volume that have that added bite of an E.C. Comics-style twist in the tail–but rather that almost all of the stories in The Nameless Dark partake of King’s affinity for normal people who aren’t so normal, and unusual people who are maybe more normal than they appear.
While the Lovecraftian trappings, when they come, may seem familiar, they never feel faded, always given a new life, a new immediacy that elevates them above the crush of Mythos mimics out there. Nowhere will you find anything as simple as a string of Yog-Sothery or a “and they were all fish people!” ending. Instead, even the most familiar tale is invested with a beating human heart that brings grit and breath and blood and bone to the lofty cosmic horror conceits. See hallucinatory stories like “Return of the Prodigy” or the dynamite collection-ender “The Mission” for perfect examples. And then, just to show that Grau is capable of taking the Mythos and turning it on its ear in some different way, there’s a story like “The Truffle Pig,” which was one of my first exposures to Ted’s writing back when we shared a table of contents in Ross Lockhart’s Tales of Jack the Ripper.
In fact, I was already familiar with several of the stories in The Nameless Dark before I ever picked up this volume. Besides Tales of Jack, I’d shared anthology space with Ted in The Children of Old Leech and Cthulhu Fhtagn! So I knew that I was in for a treat, but I still found new surprises, and new stories to love. I think my favorite piece in the whole book is one that, unless I am mistaken, is original to this collection, and is also the one that opens the volume: “Tubby’s Big Swim,” a story that is darkly humorous, full of heart, and with a voice that only Ted could manage.
But you don’t have to take my word for it: The Nameless Dark was just this very afternoon nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award for best collection!
Like a lot of contemporary horror authors–myself included–Ted wears his influences on his sleeve in these stories, and if you know me at all, then you know that I think that’s for the best. While several of the stories in The Nameless Dark got their first printings in Lovecraftian anthologies, and often default to some familiarly Lovecraftian ideas, the more telling influences often come from other places, notably names like Bradbury or Barron. But as I was reading, I was surprised to find that my mind kept coming back to King, as in Stephen. Not that these are necessarily Stephen King-ish stories–with the possible exception of “Beer & Worms,” one of several stories in this volume that have that added bite of an E.C. Comics-style twist in the tail–but rather that almost all of the stories in The Nameless Dark partake of King’s affinity for normal people who aren’t so normal, and unusual people who are maybe more normal than they appear.
While the Lovecraftian trappings, when they come, may seem familiar, they never feel faded, always given a new life, a new immediacy that elevates them above the crush of Mythos mimics out there. Nowhere will you find anything as simple as a string of Yog-Sothery or a “and they were all fish people!” ending. Instead, even the most familiar tale is invested with a beating human heart that brings grit and breath and blood and bone to the lofty cosmic horror conceits. See hallucinatory stories like “Return of the Prodigy” or the dynamite collection-ender “The Mission” for perfect examples. And then, just to show that Grau is capable of taking the Mythos and turning it on its ear in some different way, there’s a story like “The Truffle Pig,” which was one of my first exposures to Ted’s writing back when we shared a table of contents in Ross Lockhart’s Tales of Jack the Ripper.
In fact, I was already familiar with several of the stories in The Nameless Dark before I ever picked up this volume. Besides Tales of Jack, I’d shared anthology space with Ted in The Children of Old Leech and Cthulhu Fhtagn! So I knew that I was in for a treat, but I still found new surprises, and new stories to love. I think my favorite piece in the whole book is one that, unless I am mistaken, is original to this collection, and is also the one that opens the volume: “Tubby’s Big Swim,” a story that is darkly humorous, full of heart, and with a voice that only Ted could manage.
But you don’t have to take my word for it: The Nameless Dark was just this very afternoon nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award for best collection!
June 2, 2018
T.E. Grau offers up an impressive collection of weird tales, bringing a fresh, new and compelling voice to the classic sub-genre. These stories will haunt you into the deep hours of the night...and they will have you thinking the rest of the time.
T.E. Grau is an author to watch.
Highly recommended.
T.E. Grau is an author to watch.
Highly recommended.
April 13, 2017
I've been hearing about the excellence of Grau's fiction for years, and--when I finally dived into his debut collection last month--I was not disappointed (to say the least).
I'll highlight some of my favorites, though I enjoyed and admired all the contents:
"Tubby’s Big Swim"
This one was a beautifully hilarious and poignant opening act -- the tale of a lonely, bullied outsider-kid who receives help in setting his life straight from a most unusual and memorable source. I was pleased and amused that both Grau and I presented a story early on in our separate collections that could be described as a childhood revenge tale. Surely one of the best in the book.
"Return of the Prodigy"
My hands down favorite of the bunch. I never knew I needed this tale: an aging boomer couple (a cheap, taciturn Vietnam vet and a zesty woman with a taste for the extravagant) travel to a remote, south Pacific island and spend a memorable late-honeymoon of a most Lovecraftian kind. Again, Grau's black sense of humor is on full display but, as the story continues, he evokes a remarkable atmosphere of shabby, tacky tourist-life combined with a legitimate sense of the kind of dread that would make Laird Barron proud. Really singular.
"Mr. Lupus"
A twisted, contemporary fairy tale that had remarkably intriguing, iconic characters and a breathlessly thrilling twist-ending. I loved it and hope Grau writes more in this speculative vein.
"The Mission"
This has to be one of the best, most successful weird western stories I've read. Grau juggles an impressive number of memorable characters in this one, all the while threading together a story that has razor sharp teeth and perfect pacing.
Yep, Grau is just as great as everyone I know and trust says he is, and I can't wait to read more by him. Weird fiction of the highest order.
I'll highlight some of my favorites, though I enjoyed and admired all the contents:
"Tubby’s Big Swim"
This one was a beautifully hilarious and poignant opening act -- the tale of a lonely, bullied outsider-kid who receives help in setting his life straight from a most unusual and memorable source. I was pleased and amused that both Grau and I presented a story early on in our separate collections that could be described as a childhood revenge tale. Surely one of the best in the book.
"Return of the Prodigy"
My hands down favorite of the bunch. I never knew I needed this tale: an aging boomer couple (a cheap, taciturn Vietnam vet and a zesty woman with a taste for the extravagant) travel to a remote, south Pacific island and spend a memorable late-honeymoon of a most Lovecraftian kind. Again, Grau's black sense of humor is on full display but, as the story continues, he evokes a remarkable atmosphere of shabby, tacky tourist-life combined with a legitimate sense of the kind of dread that would make Laird Barron proud. Really singular.
"Mr. Lupus"
A twisted, contemporary fairy tale that had remarkably intriguing, iconic characters and a breathlessly thrilling twist-ending. I loved it and hope Grau writes more in this speculative vein.
"The Mission"
This has to be one of the best, most successful weird western stories I've read. Grau juggles an impressive number of memorable characters in this one, all the while threading together a story that has razor sharp teeth and perfect pacing.
Yep, Grau is just as great as everyone I know and trust says he is, and I can't wait to read more by him. Weird fiction of the highest order.
August 24, 2016
Probably more like a 3 1/2, but I'm rounding up because of the promise I see here. Interestingly, the collection opens with a story, "Tubby's Big Swim, which I wouldn't call horror. It's dark, but also sad and tender. Throw out genre, and "Tubby" stands as a fine piece of literary fiction, one that could easily show up in a good journal. It had a real street vibe to it, and it reminded me a bit of Robert Stone (that's a good thing). I wonder, when considering the rest of collection, where this story stands chronologically? If Grau is looking to move beyond genre, this story is a good sign.
The stories that follow are definitely horror, but with varying results. "The Screamer," which is the second story, really got me going, and is one of two classic stories in the collection. Oh, you’ve been there before. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, J.G. Ballard’s High Rise come immediately to mind. It’s a disorienting and disintegrating L.A., where reality is slippery, and increasingly dangerous. It’s a tale of an office worker named “Boyd,” who one day hears a scream outside his office window. Not everyone hears it. Boyd almost looks forward to it, since it punctuates (and penetrates) a soul deadening existence, where one fires up his computer in the morning and waits for the day to end. Grau’s pacing here is excellent. Top drawer horror fiction that also can exist outside of genre.
"Clean" is also good, but in a more straightforward way. Street kids, brother and sister, who know how to take care of each other. Short and nasty.
"Return of the Prodigy" is a crazy story of an older couple going to a south seas island for a honeymoon they never really had. The husband is a cheapskate, and his choice of an island is not good. I like how the author ratcheted up the sense of hallucinogenic isolation here. Also, nice shift in tone from previous stories, showing range. Not totally sure I got the title and how fit the story.
"Ex-Pat." Annoying American drinking his way across Europe. Kind of reminded of Hostel if Polanski had written the script. Creepy evil shit, for sure.
"Truffle Pig." Very interesting and imaginative take on Jack the Ripper, with strong Lovecraftian overtones. Excellent. If there's a third classic in this collection, this one is it.
"Beer and Worms." Meh. Fish tales. It’s OK. Reminded me more than a bit of King, with some very good dialogue between a couple of good old boys. But you can see the story’s outcome after a page or two. I tend to view these types of stories (not great, but OK) as interludes within an overall collection.
"Beer and Worms." Meh. Fish tales. It’s OK. Reminded me a bit of King, with some very good dialogue between a couple of good old boys. But you can the story’s outcome after a page or two. I tend to these types of stories (not great, but OK) as interludes within an overall collection.
"White Feather." Didn’t like this one at all. It also reminded me of King (his great story “Jerusalam’s Lot”), but not nearly as good. It’s like Grau was trying to do too much with it. It could have been longer, and then maybe it’s various elements would have meshed better. As it stands, it reads undercooked or an early effort by the author. It doesn't fit the quality of the previous stories, and in a way that's jarring. Also, I was a bit dismayed by the full-on embrace of Lovecraft. I love Lovecraft, but in this case I felt the author had established a story telling foundation that didn't prepare me for a pastiche. I'm not against them, but in Grau's case I would keep the Master on the periphery, since even a hint of the Mythos can be enough to carry a story.
"Tranmission" starts out great, but there is also an over reliance on Lovecraft. Burned out hipster fleeing a possible crime, going out West, gets lost in the desert. Art Bell from Hell stuff. It's a much better story than "White Feather," but it could have been even better.
"Mr. Lupus" is classic number 2. This one has a real magical realism feel to it, a dark fairy tale mixed with industrial despair and teeth. "Lupus" is my favorite story in the collection. Datlow and Winding would have been claiming the story for their respective genres, each with good reasons.
"Free Fireworks." Hated this one. It was like a graphic novel idea, and not a particularly good one, transferred to a short story.
I sort of lost interest in the collection after that one, and just kind of limped along to the end. The ONE story I had really been looking forward to, "The Mission," was a real disappointment. Lovecraft --again, with a big helping of Cormac McCarthy. I was reminded a bit of Laird Barron's "The Men of Porlock." But "Porlock" is a classic, and its the kind of carefully crafted story you study as a how-to-do-it.
Overall, the collection is definitely worth a read. The good stuff is very good, the not-so-good stuff is more frustrating than bad.
The stories that follow are definitely horror, but with varying results. "The Screamer," which is the second story, really got me going, and is one of two classic stories in the collection. Oh, you’ve been there before. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, J.G. Ballard’s High Rise come immediately to mind. It’s a disorienting and disintegrating L.A., where reality is slippery, and increasingly dangerous. It’s a tale of an office worker named “Boyd,” who one day hears a scream outside his office window. Not everyone hears it. Boyd almost looks forward to it, since it punctuates (and penetrates) a soul deadening existence, where one fires up his computer in the morning and waits for the day to end. Grau’s pacing here is excellent. Top drawer horror fiction that also can exist outside of genre.
"Clean" is also good, but in a more straightforward way. Street kids, brother and sister, who know how to take care of each other. Short and nasty.
"Return of the Prodigy" is a crazy story of an older couple going to a south seas island for a honeymoon they never really had. The husband is a cheapskate, and his choice of an island is not good. I like how the author ratcheted up the sense of hallucinogenic isolation here. Also, nice shift in tone from previous stories, showing range. Not totally sure I got the title and how fit the story.
"Ex-Pat." Annoying American drinking his way across Europe. Kind of reminded of Hostel if Polanski had written the script. Creepy evil shit, for sure.
"Truffle Pig." Very interesting and imaginative take on Jack the Ripper, with strong Lovecraftian overtones. Excellent. If there's a third classic in this collection, this one is it.
"Beer and Worms." Meh. Fish tales. It’s OK. Reminded me more than a bit of King, with some very good dialogue between a couple of good old boys. But you can see the story’s outcome after a page or two. I tend to view these types of stories (not great, but OK) as interludes within an overall collection.
"Beer and Worms." Meh. Fish tales. It’s OK. Reminded me a bit of King, with some very good dialogue between a couple of good old boys. But you can the story’s outcome after a page or two. I tend to these types of stories (not great, but OK) as interludes within an overall collection.
"White Feather." Didn’t like this one at all. It also reminded me of King (his great story “Jerusalam’s Lot”), but not nearly as good. It’s like Grau was trying to do too much with it. It could have been longer, and then maybe it’s various elements would have meshed better. As it stands, it reads undercooked or an early effort by the author. It doesn't fit the quality of the previous stories, and in a way that's jarring. Also, I was a bit dismayed by the full-on embrace of Lovecraft. I love Lovecraft, but in this case I felt the author had established a story telling foundation that didn't prepare me for a pastiche. I'm not against them, but in Grau's case I would keep the Master on the periphery, since even a hint of the Mythos can be enough to carry a story.
"Tranmission" starts out great, but there is also an over reliance on Lovecraft. Burned out hipster fleeing a possible crime, going out West, gets lost in the desert. Art Bell from Hell stuff. It's a much better story than "White Feather," but it could have been even better.
"Mr. Lupus" is classic number 2. This one has a real magical realism feel to it, a dark fairy tale mixed with industrial despair and teeth. "Lupus" is my favorite story in the collection. Datlow and Winding would have been claiming the story for their respective genres, each with good reasons.
"Free Fireworks." Hated this one. It was like a graphic novel idea, and not a particularly good one, transferred to a short story.
I sort of lost interest in the collection after that one, and just kind of limped along to the end. The ONE story I had really been looking forward to, "The Mission," was a real disappointment. Lovecraft --again, with a big helping of Cormac McCarthy. I was reminded a bit of Laird Barron's "The Men of Porlock." But "Porlock" is a classic, and its the kind of carefully crafted story you study as a how-to-do-it.
Overall, the collection is definitely worth a read. The good stuff is very good, the not-so-good stuff is more frustrating than bad.
August 8, 2015
In The Nameless Dark, T. E. Grau finds the sweet spot between terror and acceptance, horror and beauty, the unusual and the familiar—both frightening and touching at the same time. Not an easy task. These unsettling stories grab your heart and squeeze—a sensation that is both terrifying and like coming home.
August 22, 2015
"The Nameless Dark" is the perfect title to a perfect collection of horror stories. I began reading horror stories (in French) when I was about 12-13 years old, and I remember the delightful pleasure of reading late at night in bed (without your parents knowing,of course) and of the fear creeping on you and making you jump at any noise. Well, I'm about to turn 52 now, and I felt exactly the same pleasure. What is amazing with T.E. Grau is that he is using old school horror methods and references (understatement, evocation versus description, Lovecraft, etc.) for a whole new ride. Contrary to many writers - but here similar with two other faves of mine, Scott Nicolay and Jayaprakash Satyamurthy - Grau stresses the human in the horror, the frailty, the connivance even, instead of the gruesome and the ugly - although there is plenty of that too. What is also impressive is that the setting of the stories varies constantly - from today's big cities to the Wild West and the American War for independence - but always remain credible and at eye-level. I thought of Robert Bloch, August Derleth and the Bradbury of "Dandelion Wine" reading it - and that is, in my eyes, a big compliment for a collection that actually stands on its own. In the middle of its terrifying and beautiful darkness.
Want to read
August 19, 2015Contents:
012 - Introduction - "What Calls Us To The Dark" by Nathan Ballingrud
017 - "Tubby’s Big Swim"
045 - "The Screamer"
067 - "Clean"
075 - "Return of the Prodigy"
097 - "Expat"
111 - "The Truffle Pig"
119 - "Beer & Worms"
127 - "White Feather"
145 - "Transmission"
161 - "Mr. Lupus"
197 - "Free Fireworks"
211 - "Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox"
237 - "Twinkle, Twinkle"
247 - "The Mission"
277 - About The Author
012 - Introduction - "What Calls Us To The Dark" by Nathan Ballingrud
017 - "Tubby’s Big Swim"
045 - "The Screamer"
067 - "Clean"
075 - "Return of the Prodigy"
097 - "Expat"
111 - "The Truffle Pig"
119 - "Beer & Worms"
127 - "White Feather"
145 - "Transmission"
161 - "Mr. Lupus"
197 - "Free Fireworks"
211 - "Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox"
237 - "Twinkle, Twinkle"
247 - "The Mission"
277 - About The Author
November 4, 2015
"WAITER! I'll take another 1,000 pages from that Grau guy, IN MY VEINS"
Guys, I don't know what's in the water in 2015, but it's the fourth time this year that a short story collection drops me to one knee. I had a gut feeling what I saw the cover of THE NAMELESS DARK on Amazon the first time and it did not disappoint. T.E Grau understands one important principle: horror is a feeling you trigger in your audience. It doesn't need to have a face, a shape or even a logical conclusion. It's about pressing people's buttons.
There were so many great short stories in THE NAMELESS DARK, but my favorite were by far RETURN OF THE PRODIGY and TRANSMISSION which both had for theme the perception of reality and the meaning people project on things and events. They were flat out two of the scariest stories I've ever read. Not every story hit as hard, some were too traditionally Lovecraftian for me, but what T.E Grau hits the target, you feel it in your bones and there's no better feeling for a horror reader.
Guys, I don't know what's in the water in 2015, but it's the fourth time this year that a short story collection drops me to one knee. I had a gut feeling what I saw the cover of THE NAMELESS DARK on Amazon the first time and it did not disappoint. T.E Grau understands one important principle: horror is a feeling you trigger in your audience. It doesn't need to have a face, a shape or even a logical conclusion. It's about pressing people's buttons.
There were so many great short stories in THE NAMELESS DARK, but my favorite were by far RETURN OF THE PRODIGY and TRANSMISSION which both had for theme the perception of reality and the meaning people project on things and events. They were flat out two of the scariest stories I've ever read. Not every story hit as hard, some were too traditionally Lovecraftian for me, but what T.E Grau hits the target, you feel it in your bones and there's no better feeling for a horror reader.
March 19, 2017
I really enjoyed T.E. Grau's debut collection. Worth buying for the last story, "The Mission" alone. Damn that story had some heat. I read it two weeks ago and it's still haunting my head. "Mr. Lupus" ended up being my favorite story overall because it scratched a particular itch I didn't know I had. While "Twinkle, Twinkle" stood out for being a perfect heart-breaker of cosmic horror.
I first came across this collection after having finished Nathan Ballingrud excellent collection North American Lake Monsters: Stories last year. Ballingrud provides a beautiful and brief introduction to this collection and gives readers familiar with his work a good hint of the quality of stories you'll find here.
My favorite stories were:
"Mr. Lupus"
"The Mission"
"Twinkle, Twinkle"
I also enjoyed
"Tubby's Big Swim"
"Return of the Prodigy"
"White Feather"
"The Screamer"
After reading the collection I found my way over to an interview with the author on the This is Horror Podcast which I can't recommend highly enough. This is Horror also recently put out a novella by Grau called They Don't Come Home Anymore that's gotten great reviews and I'll be sure to pick up as soon as I can.
I'll add T.E. Grau to my growing list of dark fiction authors working today (including Michael Wehunt, Richard Thomas, Nick Cutter, Benjamin Percy, Nathan Ballingrud and others) that I'm so thankful for finding out about. Authors who's high quality dark fiction serves as an inspiration to this writer. Horror, dark fantasy, neo-noir, weird, cosmic horror, uncanny, strange whatever you want to call it, this reader loves it. Horror is back and it's beautiful.
I first came across this collection after having finished Nathan Ballingrud excellent collection North American Lake Monsters: Stories last year. Ballingrud provides a beautiful and brief introduction to this collection and gives readers familiar with his work a good hint of the quality of stories you'll find here.
My favorite stories were:
"Mr. Lupus"
"The Mission"
"Twinkle, Twinkle"
I also enjoyed
"Tubby's Big Swim"
"Return of the Prodigy"
"White Feather"
"The Screamer"
After reading the collection I found my way over to an interview with the author on the This is Horror Podcast which I can't recommend highly enough. This is Horror also recently put out a novella by Grau called They Don't Come Home Anymore that's gotten great reviews and I'll be sure to pick up as soon as I can.
I'll add T.E. Grau to my growing list of dark fiction authors working today (including Michael Wehunt, Richard Thomas, Nick Cutter, Benjamin Percy, Nathan Ballingrud and others) that I'm so thankful for finding out about. Authors who's high quality dark fiction serves as an inspiration to this writer. Horror, dark fantasy, neo-noir, weird, cosmic horror, uncanny, strange whatever you want to call it, this reader loves it. Horror is back and it's beautiful.
December 1, 2018
This truly is a Golden Age for Horror and Weird fiction authors. After reading The Nameless Dark, I feel like T.E. Grau is up there with the best of them. A really excellent collection of stories, not a stinker in the bunch. My favorites include "Tubby's Big Swim", "Return of the Prodigy", "Mr. Lupus" and "The Mission."
In this collection Lovecraft is an obvious influence. Several of the stories utilize the Cthulhu Mythos. There are also hints of Ligotti and in "Return of the Prodigy" there is definitely a strong Laird Barron vibe. It seemed to me that there is also a heavy King influence. The working man's rage, themes of revenge, the nasty humor. I was really impressed by the diversity of these stories. Especially with "Mr. Lupus," an incredibly well structured dark fairy tale. Oh, and that ending!
My only criticism would be that I was beginning to become a little wary of the use of the Cthulhu mythos. Don't get me wrong, these stories were excellent and the author's voice still comes through very clearly. I just feel that he could cut the Lovecraft ties and the stories would be just as good. That being said, the Lovecraft inspired, "The Mission" is phenomenal. "What the f*ck is this place?!" Amazing. Can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended.
In this collection Lovecraft is an obvious influence. Several of the stories utilize the Cthulhu Mythos. There are also hints of Ligotti and in "Return of the Prodigy" there is definitely a strong Laird Barron vibe. It seemed to me that there is also a heavy King influence. The working man's rage, themes of revenge, the nasty humor. I was really impressed by the diversity of these stories. Especially with "Mr. Lupus," an incredibly well structured dark fairy tale. Oh, and that ending!
My only criticism would be that I was beginning to become a little wary of the use of the Cthulhu mythos. Don't get me wrong, these stories were excellent and the author's voice still comes through very clearly. I just feel that he could cut the Lovecraft ties and the stories would be just as good. That being said, the Lovecraft inspired, "The Mission" is phenomenal. "What the f*ck is this place?!" Amazing. Can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended.
October 21, 2015
Ted Grau can write – let’s make no bones about it. My first impression while reading this collection, even during the opening story, related to the strength of the prose, the jaunty, hip, rhythmic, colourful, witty, acerbic flow of writing which possesses a power all of its own. That makes reading Grau a real pleasure, whatever the kind of tale he relates, whether or not it – to coin a lame metaphor to which this author would never stoop – floats your boat.
But then there’s the tales themselves, which, although thematically related via an incestuous relationship with cosmic horror (particularly that master of one-night stands H P Lovecraft), are varied and differ in tone, exploring such issues as alternative cult road-trips out into the Nebraskan deserts and a bereaved child’s observation of the fathomless heavens.
It will come as no surprise that I rather enjoyed this energetic collection of some of Grau’s more muscular stories. Now, I’m not saying he’s exclusively a man’s author, but it seems to me that many entries are fuelled by an ample boost of testosterone. That’s true of the book’s grand finale, the Innsmouthian ‘The Mission’, with its pack of male hunters hunting while actually being hunted. It’s also true of the wicked ‘Beer & Worms’, which, like ‘Return of the Prodigy’, dramatizes cynical male cruelty and casual indifference. And in ‘Screamer’, the brutal manmade regime of capitalism is taken to task with surreal obsessiveness.
But let me not suggest that this is a collection of only masculine adventures. It has its tender side, too. The opening tale, ‘Tubby’s Big Swim’, explores a young boy’s burgeoning relationship with a sympathetic assistant. In ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’, a girl looks to the heavens to see what has become of her late mother, her innocence blighted by the approach of something quite monstrous. And there’s weird sibling chemistry occurring between the narrator of ‘Clean’ and his sister, and if the acts to which she is drawn are hideous, it takes the love of a brother to make them so.
Other tales fall into various categories: the perverted fairy tale that is ‘Mr Lupus’; the weirdly ghostly ‘Expat’; and the modified legend that is ‘The Truffle Pig’. There were a few stories here I didn’t entirely get along with, but that’s to be expected in a 100K+ collection. ‘White Feather’ seemed a little wordy, with its horror material crammed too tightly into the end; and I felt as if ‘Free Fireworks’ lacked any centre of character-based gravity, its stacks of frightful imagery seeming overly descriptive.
In fact, if I had one issue with this book, it concerned some of the tales’ pacing. Very occasionally, Grau, such an effortlessly inventive writer, feels at mercy of his own ability, saying in three paragraphs what might be achieved in one. With such lush prose on display, this is hardly a massive fault, and I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but even so, from time to time, I did find myself wondering how the story would have fared without such surface glitter.
But don’t let me be churlish. This is a marvellous collection and I’ll finish by discussing a couple of my favourite pieces. In ‘Transmission’ (a tale in which I felt the excessive wordage was justified), a guy seeking answers in life heads into a desert when his car radio starts picking up an intriguing broadcast. Where this leads, in a breathless finale, yields a real sense of the otherworldly and one which can be considered a genuine contribution to the field of cosmic horror.
Similarly, ‘Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox’, which shares (non-)spiritual kinship with the foregoing tale, possesses an equivalent power to unsettle, its subterranean conclusion packed full of weird things and big choices. It’s a typically Grau-like tale; because, you see, having read only this, his first book, I already know what that means. This only occurs with artists who have a confident idiosyncratic vision, and the author certainly possesses that. His fiction is caustically observant, cosmically oriented, existentially deprived, and jammed with dark laughs. As I say, Grau can write, oh yes indeed.
But then there’s the tales themselves, which, although thematically related via an incestuous relationship with cosmic horror (particularly that master of one-night stands H P Lovecraft), are varied and differ in tone, exploring such issues as alternative cult road-trips out into the Nebraskan deserts and a bereaved child’s observation of the fathomless heavens.
It will come as no surprise that I rather enjoyed this energetic collection of some of Grau’s more muscular stories. Now, I’m not saying he’s exclusively a man’s author, but it seems to me that many entries are fuelled by an ample boost of testosterone. That’s true of the book’s grand finale, the Innsmouthian ‘The Mission’, with its pack of male hunters hunting while actually being hunted. It’s also true of the wicked ‘Beer & Worms’, which, like ‘Return of the Prodigy’, dramatizes cynical male cruelty and casual indifference. And in ‘Screamer’, the brutal manmade regime of capitalism is taken to task with surreal obsessiveness.
But let me not suggest that this is a collection of only masculine adventures. It has its tender side, too. The opening tale, ‘Tubby’s Big Swim’, explores a young boy’s burgeoning relationship with a sympathetic assistant. In ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’, a girl looks to the heavens to see what has become of her late mother, her innocence blighted by the approach of something quite monstrous. And there’s weird sibling chemistry occurring between the narrator of ‘Clean’ and his sister, and if the acts to which she is drawn are hideous, it takes the love of a brother to make them so.
Other tales fall into various categories: the perverted fairy tale that is ‘Mr Lupus’; the weirdly ghostly ‘Expat’; and the modified legend that is ‘The Truffle Pig’. There were a few stories here I didn’t entirely get along with, but that’s to be expected in a 100K+ collection. ‘White Feather’ seemed a little wordy, with its horror material crammed too tightly into the end; and I felt as if ‘Free Fireworks’ lacked any centre of character-based gravity, its stacks of frightful imagery seeming overly descriptive.
In fact, if I had one issue with this book, it concerned some of the tales’ pacing. Very occasionally, Grau, such an effortlessly inventive writer, feels at mercy of his own ability, saying in three paragraphs what might be achieved in one. With such lush prose on display, this is hardly a massive fault, and I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but even so, from time to time, I did find myself wondering how the story would have fared without such surface glitter.
But don’t let me be churlish. This is a marvellous collection and I’ll finish by discussing a couple of my favourite pieces. In ‘Transmission’ (a tale in which I felt the excessive wordage was justified), a guy seeking answers in life heads into a desert when his car radio starts picking up an intriguing broadcast. Where this leads, in a breathless finale, yields a real sense of the otherworldly and one which can be considered a genuine contribution to the field of cosmic horror.
Similarly, ‘Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox’, which shares (non-)spiritual kinship with the foregoing tale, possesses an equivalent power to unsettle, its subterranean conclusion packed full of weird things and big choices. It’s a typically Grau-like tale; because, you see, having read only this, his first book, I already know what that means. This only occurs with artists who have a confident idiosyncratic vision, and the author certainly possesses that. His fiction is caustically observant, cosmically oriented, existentially deprived, and jammed with dark laughs. As I say, Grau can write, oh yes indeed.
December 9, 2015
An almost perfect collection of horror stories in a Lovecraftian vein. All the stories are told with a highly articulate voice, and the have a refreshing variety of settings, both geographically and chronologically. They almost all contain a thread of the cosmic in them, but shift widely within those boundaries, unveiling stories of monsters, murderers, ghosts, ancient cults, and forgotten pre-human civilizations. There is a dark fairy-tale, a clever tale set in the 60's counter-culture movement in the Bay Area, some colonial horror, a little pinch of outright gore, and even a weird western in the mix. All in all, this is a refreshing collection of stories I would recommend to any fans of creative horror stories that combine a remarkable imagination, quality prose, well written characters, richly detailed and highly varied settings, and genuinely unsettling situations. This is a definitely a writer to watch.
July 31, 2015
An amazing collection by a top-rank writer of macabre dark fantasy and horror. This collection of stories, some nearly mini-novellas, encapsulate worlds tapped from the minds of great writers such as creepy cosmologists Barron and Lovecraft, to modern domestic horror such as King and Barker, to the weird and surreal fables of Angela Carter. If you are a fan of Machen's bizarre landscapes, Clark Ashton Smith's hidden traps of worlds, you'll find a lot to love about this staggering debut collection of fantastic horror.
March 7, 2022
Wow!! This is most definitely one of my favorite collections of cosmic horror!!! Incredible!!
Every single story was a hit!! There are two, in particular, that blew absolutely me away!! My two favorite stories: White Feather and The Mission!!
Especially The Mission!! WOW!!
That’s really all I can say about this collection. It left me pretty much speechless. All you really need to know about this collection is that it’s good! Sooooo damn good!
Every single story was a hit!! There are two, in particular, that blew absolutely me away!! My two favorite stories: White Feather and The Mission!!
Especially The Mission!! WOW!!
That’s really all I can say about this collection. It left me pretty much speechless. All you really need to know about this collection is that it’s good! Sooooo damn good!
November 2, 2021
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
When I first began to truly interact with the horror community, being a burgeoning writer and review back in 2016, one of the books that was frequently recommended back then was ‘The Nameless Dark.’ I’d not heard of Grau before, but the cover was (and still is) one of the most intriguing representations of darkness and despair I’ve ever seen, and I knew I needed to buy it.
Shamefully, it’s taken far too long for me to get to reading it, but wow, now that I have, I hope a few folks discover this collection who’ve maybe missed it over the years.
What I liked: From the introduction by Nathan Ballingrud, to the very last sentence of the final story, ‘The Mission,’ this is filled with darkness, brutality and ultimately horrific moments captured and shared.
Grau has delivered such an amazing group of stories. I found myself raising my eyebrows frequently in each story, as new and fascinating ways to bludgeon the reader arrived.
Highlights for me were:
Tubby’s Big Swim – this followed Alden, an only child, who lives with his mom and a revolving cast of abusive ‘uncles.’ He is fascinated with nature and on one such walk, he comes across an odd pet store where he finds a strange octopus for sale. This story had so many layers and with what ultimately happens, I was overjoyed with how they were revealed.
Clean – a story about a young boy, a drifter through towns, who entices people back to his hotel room to ‘have fun’ with his sister. Cosmic horror, dark themes and ultimately the love of siblings made this story a classic.
Return of the Prodigy – what a ride this one was. Gary and Gladys have been married for many, many years. Finally, cheapskate and bigotted Gary takes Gladys on the honeymoon they never took, flying off to Walakea. An odd island where things bump into him in the ocean and odd structures are built into the hills. This was just a stunning piece of fiction and one of the best stories I’ve ever read. (You were right B.P., this was so very, very good!)
Twinkle, Twinkle – a story that starts out sweet and sorrow filled. A mother has passed away. A father buys his daughter, Emily, a telescope so she can search the stars looking for where her mom went. All is well, until Emily spots something. This one hit me in the chest a few times. Grau has a way of doing that.
What I didn’t like: As with all collections, each story will hit with the readers individually. I personally really enjoyed them all, but always like to mention that my experience is mine, you may find it different.
Why you should buy this: Grau has created a truly dark collection, with hints of cosmic chaos, creatures lurking and ultimately the reality of significant darkness and despair. This was excellent and I highly recommend it.
When I first began to truly interact with the horror community, being a burgeoning writer and review back in 2016, one of the books that was frequently recommended back then was ‘The Nameless Dark.’ I’d not heard of Grau before, but the cover was (and still is) one of the most intriguing representations of darkness and despair I’ve ever seen, and I knew I needed to buy it.
Shamefully, it’s taken far too long for me to get to reading it, but wow, now that I have, I hope a few folks discover this collection who’ve maybe missed it over the years.
What I liked: From the introduction by Nathan Ballingrud, to the very last sentence of the final story, ‘The Mission,’ this is filled with darkness, brutality and ultimately horrific moments captured and shared.
Grau has delivered such an amazing group of stories. I found myself raising my eyebrows frequently in each story, as new and fascinating ways to bludgeon the reader arrived.
Highlights for me were:
Tubby’s Big Swim – this followed Alden, an only child, who lives with his mom and a revolving cast of abusive ‘uncles.’ He is fascinated with nature and on one such walk, he comes across an odd pet store where he finds a strange octopus for sale. This story had so many layers and with what ultimately happens, I was overjoyed with how they were revealed.
Clean – a story about a young boy, a drifter through towns, who entices people back to his hotel room to ‘have fun’ with his sister. Cosmic horror, dark themes and ultimately the love of siblings made this story a classic.
Return of the Prodigy – what a ride this one was. Gary and Gladys have been married for many, many years. Finally, cheapskate and bigotted Gary takes Gladys on the honeymoon they never took, flying off to Walakea. An odd island where things bump into him in the ocean and odd structures are built into the hills. This was just a stunning piece of fiction and one of the best stories I’ve ever read. (You were right B.P., this was so very, very good!)
Twinkle, Twinkle – a story that starts out sweet and sorrow filled. A mother has passed away. A father buys his daughter, Emily, a telescope so she can search the stars looking for where her mom went. All is well, until Emily spots something. This one hit me in the chest a few times. Grau has a way of doing that.
What I didn’t like: As with all collections, each story will hit with the readers individually. I personally really enjoyed them all, but always like to mention that my experience is mine, you may find it different.
Why you should buy this: Grau has created a truly dark collection, with hints of cosmic chaos, creatures lurking and ultimately the reality of significant darkness and despair. This was excellent and I highly recommend it.
March 18, 2016
This was easily one of the very best collections put out last year. Grau's stories are dark in wonderfully varied ways. Sometimes I like a collection to have a cohesive, constant tone tying the stories together, developing themes, but sometimes I read a book like this and am very glad for the breadth of talent and voices on display. "The Truffle Pig" is a fantastic and original take on Jack the Ripper. "Tubby's Last Swim" is a coming-of-age story that calls to mind Robert Aickman in a particularly gritty mood. "Twinkle, Twinkle" takes on cosmic horror and nails it. Grau looks a lot of demons right in the eye.
Really not a weak story here. Highly recommended, and I predict we'll see this book nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award in a couple of months.
Really not a weak story here. Highly recommended, and I predict we'll see this book nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award in a couple of months.
September 30, 2016
"There is beauty and horror here, wisdom and madness, and I have drunk deeply of it all. Will you do the same?"
"But man is an arrogant ape, and so here we are, disturbing the Old Ways, while bashing out the brains of every fellow human being that doesn't look exactly like us, or bow to the same flag, sing to the same savior. Ridiculous, arrogant ape, swinging a club like a demigod."
I'm a terribly slow reader. It can take me upwards to a month (maybe a little longer) to finish anything that's over two-hundred pages. In the case of T.E. Grau's debut collection, "The Nameless Dark"--published by Lethe Press--it took me much longer. Not because I found it difficult to read, or that it was boring (totally the opposite). No, it was because every page, every word, had to be slowly absorbed; it demanded to be savored. "The Nameless Dark" is a strong debut, featuring varied and complex stories that span time and geography, combining old and new elements, making the collection fresh and exciting.
Grau's writing is gritty and raw, highly reminiscent of the work of Laird Barron. Some of his stories slowly gnaw away at your being, and some of them assault you with cosmic punch after cosmic punch; there is no defense against such powerful and primal writing, and you are left on the brink of mental lassitude and physical exhaustion. You are taken on harrowing journeys through hollowed-out urban settings, desolate desert landscapes, and far away lands that will devour you whole if you do not offer them the right amount of respect. Grau's characters are innocent, flawed, macho, hardened, vulnerable, and downright terrible.
In a few of Grau's stories, there is a focus on the concept of masculinity; or, perhaps, more specific, American masculinity, mixed with arrogance and patriarchy. In "Beer & Worms", misogyny and patriarchy are taken to the extreme when Russ, the main character, admits to his friend that he killed his wife. Why? Because he couldn't stand the thought of having to ask his wife if it was okay for him to go fishing. It casts a cruel light on this poisonous mindset that is nothing short of detrimental to society as a whole. Russ is a prime example of a male dominated society; that a man should be able to do whatever he wants, and women are not his equal. Men like Russ have zero respect for women. Asking your partner if it's okay to do something doesn't make you less of anything; it's called being respectful and considerate.
In "Return of the Prodigy", one of the more Mythos-oriented (Lovecraft) stories, Gary exemplifies American masculinity and harbors racist views towards anyone who is non-white. He actually reminded me of an old co-worker who basically said he saw no reason to leave the United States because it's the greatest country on Earth. Gary is just like him. He caves in, though, and agrees to take his wife, Gladys, on the honeymoon they never went on. While not like Russ in "Beer & Worms", Gary takes Gladys for granted, and is often annoyed by her, despite the fact that she loves him dearly. Gary's racism prevents him from appreciating all aspects of life and culture, and is damaging to not only him, but his wife, and also the world as a whole. In "Expat", more masculinity is at play, along with more American arrogance. It explores, I believe, American-centered ideas of backpacking across Europe and 'roughing it' in parts of the world that we would consider to be less modern, a means of escape. It's egotistical and disrespectful, as it tends to cast European countries in a negative light, especially Eastern European countries. And when you don't have enough respect for those places, there are consequences to be paid.
Innocence is another theme explored in Grau's collection, and how parents try to protect their children from the horrors of this world, and, in some cases, other worlds. In "Free Fireworks", Jacob is a young boy living in a version of the United States where a great war happened, resulting in the worship of the Elder Gods, and the remaining followers of the monotheistic religions have become, for all intents and purposes, terrorists. It's actually a nice "the shoe is on the other foot" scenario, where one can point a finger and say, "It sucks to have religious views forced down your throat, and be made to feel less than human, doesn't it?" Jacob's father, William, wants to protect Jacob from the horrors of war as long as he can; to prolong the inevitable. It drives home the point that children are affected the most, whether it's being born in the midst of it all, or actually seeing it happen. Either way, it's traumatizing. In "Twinkle, Twinkle", Phillip buys his daughter, Emily, a telescope for her birthday, so that she may look to the heavens to find her mother who had recently passed away. Emily believes she found her mother, showing Phillip, who actually thinks she discovered a new star, or something else. What it really is, though, is something so terrifying, that when Phillip finds out, he doesn't even tell Emily; he wants her to enjoy what little time is left on their planet. It's a touching and heartbreaking story; innocence in the face of inevitable annihilation. In Grau's world, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, the universe simply doesn't care.
In "Tubby's Big Swim", Alden is a young boy who knows how to navigate the not-so-nice areas of where he lives. His situation is one where he must fend for himself, as he is generally neglected by his mother because she is too buy looking for the next man to take care of. She absolutely loves Alden, though, but her priorities are messed up, and Alden often embarks on his own adventures--to escape the troubles in his life--and, even in his naive youth, manages to survive; he has to depend himself, and only himself. Other characters in Grau's stories are searching, in some form or another, for identity, or a place that they can firmly root themselves in and call home; they want a purpose. "Transmission" tells the story of Max, and man who never finds himself staying in one place for too long, traveling further and further west, in hopes to leave behind a checkered past. However, he finds his calling in the Nevada desert, in the form of a mysterious transmission that Max cannot stop listening to. Grau does an excellent job at making the desert frontier seem unexplored and alien; you see things... unnatural things that shouldn't exist, but you aren't sure if what you saw was real, or if it was all in your head. Max finds his destiny in a small, lonely shack, where he continues the transmission of his predecessor.
The search for identity can also be found in "Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox", a story that was first published in "The Children of Old Leech: A Tribute to the Carnivorous Cosmos of Laird Barron". Nelson, a nomadic-type person, immerses himself in a world of drug exploration and follows the guidance of a man named Doyle, who has numerous followers and ends up becoming fully indoctrinated into a cult that worships something far more ancient than any god or goddess created by man. Grau, with great deft, captures the sort of primal atmosphere that Barron is known for, and a universe with a voracious appetite that actively seeks you out, rather than waiting for someone to seek it out. "The Screamer" is a corporate horror story that made me think of Christopher Slatsky's story, "Corporautolysis", along with Ligottian corporate stories. Here, Grau creates a hollowed-out urban world where people go about their lives in a rather drone-like manner. In the case of Boyd, he works, goes home, maybe sleeps, wash, rinse, repeat. It's like a life of decay, and the look of the city is a reflection of that decay. It's not until Boyd hears the scream that he sort of snaps out of the doldrums, awakening him, but it doesn't matter, because in Grau's world, it all leads to extirpation.
"Clean" is another story that features children surviving on their own, and explores the all too real world of child predators and the horrifying things they do; yet, Grau turns the tables and creates one of the most anxiety-filled tales I have ever read. What makes it so effective is Grau's use of subtlety, ratcheting up the dread and leaving much to the imagination of the reader. "White Feather" is another war tale that focuses on the choices we make, based on fear and paranoia, and how those choices not only stay with us for the remainder of our lives, but how we are ostracized by the people who once called us friend or family. "Mr. Lupus" explores the loss of magic and imagination as the world increasingly becomes more modernized, and how greed can lead to horrifying consequences. Yet, there is something there about feeling a spark when you discover that magic is not lost, how it changes you, but then you want it all for yourself and you take it out of its element, isolating it and changing the course of things. It's a twisted fairy tale that makes for great reading around Christmas time, and it's one of the more original werewolf tales I have read. "The Mission" is an Old West tale that focuses on our sins, and how we must pay for those sins. It's also a meditation on racism, colonialism, and how, in the end, for all the hate and killing we commit against one another, the only thing that's waiting for us, is extinction.
With "The Nameless Dark", T.E. Grau has assembled a collection of memorable stories that evoke a multitude of emotions and touch on myriad themes and issues that are more relevant today than ever. Whether it's a Mythos-inspired tale, or a Laird Barron tribute, Grau writes in a style and voice that are all his own. He has firmly planted himself in the Weird Renaissance we are currently experiencing, and should be on the radar of every reader, critic, writer, and publisher. Grau is drawing power from primordial wells, and everyone will feel it.
"But man is an arrogant ape, and so here we are, disturbing the Old Ways, while bashing out the brains of every fellow human being that doesn't look exactly like us, or bow to the same flag, sing to the same savior. Ridiculous, arrogant ape, swinging a club like a demigod."
I'm a terribly slow reader. It can take me upwards to a month (maybe a little longer) to finish anything that's over two-hundred pages. In the case of T.E. Grau's debut collection, "The Nameless Dark"--published by Lethe Press--it took me much longer. Not because I found it difficult to read, or that it was boring (totally the opposite). No, it was because every page, every word, had to be slowly absorbed; it demanded to be savored. "The Nameless Dark" is a strong debut, featuring varied and complex stories that span time and geography, combining old and new elements, making the collection fresh and exciting.
Grau's writing is gritty and raw, highly reminiscent of the work of Laird Barron. Some of his stories slowly gnaw away at your being, and some of them assault you with cosmic punch after cosmic punch; there is no defense against such powerful and primal writing, and you are left on the brink of mental lassitude and physical exhaustion. You are taken on harrowing journeys through hollowed-out urban settings, desolate desert landscapes, and far away lands that will devour you whole if you do not offer them the right amount of respect. Grau's characters are innocent, flawed, macho, hardened, vulnerable, and downright terrible.
In a few of Grau's stories, there is a focus on the concept of masculinity; or, perhaps, more specific, American masculinity, mixed with arrogance and patriarchy. In "Beer & Worms", misogyny and patriarchy are taken to the extreme when Russ, the main character, admits to his friend that he killed his wife. Why? Because he couldn't stand the thought of having to ask his wife if it was okay for him to go fishing. It casts a cruel light on this poisonous mindset that is nothing short of detrimental to society as a whole. Russ is a prime example of a male dominated society; that a man should be able to do whatever he wants, and women are not his equal. Men like Russ have zero respect for women. Asking your partner if it's okay to do something doesn't make you less of anything; it's called being respectful and considerate.
In "Return of the Prodigy", one of the more Mythos-oriented (Lovecraft) stories, Gary exemplifies American masculinity and harbors racist views towards anyone who is non-white. He actually reminded me of an old co-worker who basically said he saw no reason to leave the United States because it's the greatest country on Earth. Gary is just like him. He caves in, though, and agrees to take his wife, Gladys, on the honeymoon they never went on. While not like Russ in "Beer & Worms", Gary takes Gladys for granted, and is often annoyed by her, despite the fact that she loves him dearly. Gary's racism prevents him from appreciating all aspects of life and culture, and is damaging to not only him, but his wife, and also the world as a whole. In "Expat", more masculinity is at play, along with more American arrogance. It explores, I believe, American-centered ideas of backpacking across Europe and 'roughing it' in parts of the world that we would consider to be less modern, a means of escape. It's egotistical and disrespectful, as it tends to cast European countries in a negative light, especially Eastern European countries. And when you don't have enough respect for those places, there are consequences to be paid.
Innocence is another theme explored in Grau's collection, and how parents try to protect their children from the horrors of this world, and, in some cases, other worlds. In "Free Fireworks", Jacob is a young boy living in a version of the United States where a great war happened, resulting in the worship of the Elder Gods, and the remaining followers of the monotheistic religions have become, for all intents and purposes, terrorists. It's actually a nice "the shoe is on the other foot" scenario, where one can point a finger and say, "It sucks to have religious views forced down your throat, and be made to feel less than human, doesn't it?" Jacob's father, William, wants to protect Jacob from the horrors of war as long as he can; to prolong the inevitable. It drives home the point that children are affected the most, whether it's being born in the midst of it all, or actually seeing it happen. Either way, it's traumatizing. In "Twinkle, Twinkle", Phillip buys his daughter, Emily, a telescope for her birthday, so that she may look to the heavens to find her mother who had recently passed away. Emily believes she found her mother, showing Phillip, who actually thinks she discovered a new star, or something else. What it really is, though, is something so terrifying, that when Phillip finds out, he doesn't even tell Emily; he wants her to enjoy what little time is left on their planet. It's a touching and heartbreaking story; innocence in the face of inevitable annihilation. In Grau's world, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, the universe simply doesn't care.
In "Tubby's Big Swim", Alden is a young boy who knows how to navigate the not-so-nice areas of where he lives. His situation is one where he must fend for himself, as he is generally neglected by his mother because she is too buy looking for the next man to take care of. She absolutely loves Alden, though, but her priorities are messed up, and Alden often embarks on his own adventures--to escape the troubles in his life--and, even in his naive youth, manages to survive; he has to depend himself, and only himself. Other characters in Grau's stories are searching, in some form or another, for identity, or a place that they can firmly root themselves in and call home; they want a purpose. "Transmission" tells the story of Max, and man who never finds himself staying in one place for too long, traveling further and further west, in hopes to leave behind a checkered past. However, he finds his calling in the Nevada desert, in the form of a mysterious transmission that Max cannot stop listening to. Grau does an excellent job at making the desert frontier seem unexplored and alien; you see things... unnatural things that shouldn't exist, but you aren't sure if what you saw was real, or if it was all in your head. Max finds his destiny in a small, lonely shack, where he continues the transmission of his predecessor.
The search for identity can also be found in "Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox", a story that was first published in "The Children of Old Leech: A Tribute to the Carnivorous Cosmos of Laird Barron". Nelson, a nomadic-type person, immerses himself in a world of drug exploration and follows the guidance of a man named Doyle, who has numerous followers and ends up becoming fully indoctrinated into a cult that worships something far more ancient than any god or goddess created by man. Grau, with great deft, captures the sort of primal atmosphere that Barron is known for, and a universe with a voracious appetite that actively seeks you out, rather than waiting for someone to seek it out. "The Screamer" is a corporate horror story that made me think of Christopher Slatsky's story, "Corporautolysis", along with Ligottian corporate stories. Here, Grau creates a hollowed-out urban world where people go about their lives in a rather drone-like manner. In the case of Boyd, he works, goes home, maybe sleeps, wash, rinse, repeat. It's like a life of decay, and the look of the city is a reflection of that decay. It's not until Boyd hears the scream that he sort of snaps out of the doldrums, awakening him, but it doesn't matter, because in Grau's world, it all leads to extirpation.
"Clean" is another story that features children surviving on their own, and explores the all too real world of child predators and the horrifying things they do; yet, Grau turns the tables and creates one of the most anxiety-filled tales I have ever read. What makes it so effective is Grau's use of subtlety, ratcheting up the dread and leaving much to the imagination of the reader. "White Feather" is another war tale that focuses on the choices we make, based on fear and paranoia, and how those choices not only stay with us for the remainder of our lives, but how we are ostracized by the people who once called us friend or family. "Mr. Lupus" explores the loss of magic and imagination as the world increasingly becomes more modernized, and how greed can lead to horrifying consequences. Yet, there is something there about feeling a spark when you discover that magic is not lost, how it changes you, but then you want it all for yourself and you take it out of its element, isolating it and changing the course of things. It's a twisted fairy tale that makes for great reading around Christmas time, and it's one of the more original werewolf tales I have read. "The Mission" is an Old West tale that focuses on our sins, and how we must pay for those sins. It's also a meditation on racism, colonialism, and how, in the end, for all the hate and killing we commit against one another, the only thing that's waiting for us, is extinction.
With "The Nameless Dark", T.E. Grau has assembled a collection of memorable stories that evoke a multitude of emotions and touch on myriad themes and issues that are more relevant today than ever. Whether it's a Mythos-inspired tale, or a Laird Barron tribute, Grau writes in a style and voice that are all his own. He has firmly planted himself in the Weird Renaissance we are currently experiencing, and should be on the radar of every reader, critic, writer, and publisher. Grau is drawing power from primordial wells, and everyone will feel it.
March 29, 2021
T.E. Grau is one of the rising authors of the New Weird and has been praised by Laird Barron and Daniel Mills (
The Lord Came at Twilight
), who are two of my favorites, so I had high hopes for this one.
Unfortunately this collection just didn't do it for me, beginning with the first story, "Tubby's Big Swim," which was all about some kid having a hard time and had nothing horror about it. "Return of the Prodigy" just felt awkward with its "lol conservative Boomers" asides shoe-horned in. The Big Twist of "Expat" was completely predictable. "The Truffle Pig" was yet another horror take on Jack the Ripper, which has really been played out at this point. In "Beer & Worms" a guy tells his friend he killed his wife and . . . that's it. "Mr. Lupus" was more of a fairy tale with some Christmas sentimentality, although it did have the requisite downer ending. Lastly, there was "The Mission," a Western, which is probably my least favorite genre.
The ones I did like were "The Screamer," "Transmission," and "Love Songs from a Hydrogen Jukebox." There was also an Innsmouth story, "White Feather," and I usually enjoy those.
Unfortunately this collection just didn't do it for me, beginning with the first story, "Tubby's Big Swim," which was all about some kid having a hard time and had nothing horror about it. "Return of the Prodigy" just felt awkward with its "lol conservative Boomers" asides shoe-horned in. The Big Twist of "Expat" was completely predictable. "The Truffle Pig" was yet another horror take on Jack the Ripper, which has really been played out at this point. In "Beer & Worms" a guy tells his friend he killed his wife and . . . that's it. "Mr. Lupus" was more of a fairy tale with some Christmas sentimentality, although it did have the requisite downer ending. Lastly, there was "The Mission," a Western, which is probably my least favorite genre.
The ones I did like were "The Screamer," "Transmission," and "Love Songs from a Hydrogen Jukebox." There was also an Innsmouth story, "White Feather," and I usually enjoy those.
November 21, 2021
Una serie de cuentos weird en su mayoría muy interesantes con guiños claramente lovecraftianos y que le dan un frescor a este subgénero. Desde el primer relato "El chapuzón de gordinflón" se notan los guiños tentaculares, si bien no fue de mis relatos favoritos me parece interesante el contexto de la familia (si se puede llamar familia a eso) disfuncional con la que convive Alden, el niño protagonista y su inclinación afectiva hacia un ser que resulta de lo menos entrañable.
Es difícil elegir porque la mayoría de cuentos son muy buenos, diría que mis favoritos fueron...
Cerdo trufero
Por el ineludible retelling que se hace a la historia de Jack el destripador y la acertada ejecución que hace Grau de esta historia desde una mirada weird, muy bueno de verdad.
Pluma blanca
Ambientado en el mar, es la historia de un capitán que se encuentra con algo inesperado ¿en los confines de un viaje onírico? o de ese otro plano donde criaturas innombrables habitan...
La misión
Y finalmente EL CUENTO, el mejor de la serie y uno de los mejores que he leído desde que empecé a aventurarme con los cuentos de terror. Unos oficiales o militares gringos persiguen a una pareja de nativos americanos que aparentemente huyen de sus perseguidores, sin que los primeros se den cuenta que pronto el orden de la persecución se invertirá, una maravilla de abismo el que se avecina al final de esta historia.
Un magnífico descubrimiento del que recién me enteré la editorial Dilatando mentes ha publicado ahora una novela del autor Yo soy el río y que me intriga conseguir, pues además la editorial hace una maravilla con sus ediciones, muy bien cuidadas y como la cocina de autor, pensadas para consentir al lector.
Es difícil elegir porque la mayoría de cuentos son muy buenos, diría que mis favoritos fueron...
Cerdo trufero
Por el ineludible retelling que se hace a la historia de Jack el destripador y la acertada ejecución que hace Grau de esta historia desde una mirada weird, muy bueno de verdad.
Pluma blanca
Ambientado en el mar, es la historia de un capitán que se encuentra con algo inesperado ¿en los confines de un viaje onírico? o de ese otro plano donde criaturas innombrables habitan...
La misión
Y finalmente EL CUENTO, el mejor de la serie y uno de los mejores que he leído desde que empecé a aventurarme con los cuentos de terror. Unos oficiales o militares gringos persiguen a una pareja de nativos americanos que aparentemente huyen de sus perseguidores, sin que los primeros se den cuenta que pronto el orden de la persecución se invertirá, una maravilla de abismo el que se avecina al final de esta historia.
Un magnífico descubrimiento del que recién me enteré la editorial Dilatando mentes ha publicado ahora una novela del autor Yo soy el río y que me intriga conseguir, pues además la editorial hace una maravilla con sus ediciones, muy bien cuidadas y como la cocina de autor, pensadas para consentir al lector.
December 13, 2015
I have a bad habit of putting off books that receive a lot of hype. Grau's THE NAMELESS DARK has received high praise across the board, as well as a foreword from Nathan Ballingrud (one of my favorite authors) that lavishes praise, to boot. But I've made an effort to read short story collections this year (13 so far) and so I jumped on TND.
And it more than lives up to the hype! This is a fantastic collection. Grau has an uncanny way of turning seemingly 'straight' literary stories odd/weird on a dime. He even caught me off guard a few times - after I was well into the book and should have seen it coming. Engrossing stuff.
I'm very much looking forward to what Grau puts out next. This is a collection to grab and take your time with this winter. Highly recommended.
Favorites:
Tubby's Big Swim
Free Fireworks
The Mission
And it more than lives up to the hype! This is a fantastic collection. Grau has an uncanny way of turning seemingly 'straight' literary stories odd/weird on a dime. He even caught me off guard a few times - after I was well into the book and should have seen it coming. Engrossing stuff.
I'm very much looking forward to what Grau puts out next. This is a collection to grab and take your time with this winter. Highly recommended.
Favorites:
Tubby's Big Swim
Free Fireworks
The Mission
August 29, 2015
A fine collection of short stories by a very talented author. It is nice to finally see a consolidation of Grau's writings from such diverse works as Dead But Dreaming 2 and the limited print chapbooks from Dynatox Ministries.
Grau has a way with words using carefully crafted descriptions as well as interesting characters, each with their own very human twists.
As always I look forward to see what else is coming from the mind of this weird and dark fiction writer!
In short, buy this book! You will not regret it.
Grau has a way with words using carefully crafted descriptions as well as interesting characters, each with their own very human twists.
As always I look forward to see what else is coming from the mind of this weird and dark fiction writer!
In short, buy this book! You will not regret it.
February 17, 2022
Las ediciones de Dilatando son, en una palabra: P E R F E C T A S. Cuidan al detalle cada página, cada ilustración. Son maravillosas.
El prólogo de Nathan Ballingrud es de diez. Se percibe la adoración hacia T. E. Grau y hacia su pluma. También transmite su amor por el género del terror. Ese terror primal que guardamos todos en los rincones más oscuros de nuestra mente.
RELATOS
El gran chapuzón de Gordinflón.
Un relato grotesco. Alden tiene una manera de ver el mundo muy peculiar y su inocencia es un tanto macabra para un niño de su edad, pero con lo que le ha tocado vivir... es comprensible. El ambiente de la vida de Alden es horrible, pesado y agobiante. Está rodeado de maldad. El vecino de intenciones oscuras, los matones del barrio, su propia madre... Aun así, quiere lo mejor para Gordinflón y hará cualquier cosa por su "amigo".
El aullador.
Quizás éste ha sido uno de los relatos que menos me ha transmitido. Sin embargo, es inquietante el hecho de que en toda la historia no se supiera de donde provenía ese grito tan desgarrador que escuchaban todas las personas. El final me ha sorprendido. No me esperaba para nada de donde provenía el Aullador.
Limpieza.
Un relato perturbador. Qué angustia y qué violencia infantil más retorcida. El final era de esperar, pero la brutalidad y las acciones sin escrúpulos del niño ponen los pelos de punta. Nada es lo que parece.
El regreso del Prodigio.
No es uno de mis preferidos. La parte final, donde Gary y Gladys se dan cuenta de lo que ocurre en realidad en la isla, y las escenas de desesperación hasta el desenlace final me han parecido brutales.
Exiliado.
Un relato muy descriptivo y explícito. Algunas escenas son duras. Me ha gustado mucho como el personaje iba recordando su pasado enlazándolo con su presente hasta descubrir lo ocurrido.
Cerdo trufero.
Un relato a rebosar de la auténtica y primal maldad de los seres humanos. Una visión diferente de uno de los personajes más sanguinarios de la historia.
Cervezas y lombrices.
Uno de los relatos que más me han gustado. Una situación normal se vuelve rocambolesca. En el río se pueden pescar más que peces...
Pluma blanca.
Una historia escamosa y llena de odio. Escenas sangrientas y duras. Un hombre con un pasado abominable y un futuro sin más sentido aún, donde el mar será su único abrazo.
Transmission.
Un relato donde la busqueda de uno mismo se tuerce hacia un viaje demasiado espiritual, rozando lo sectario.
Señor lobo.
Me ha gustado la moraleja de este relato. Nada es lo que parece, aunque lo que parece en realidad si que lo és. Muy enrevesado, pero me ha fascinado.
Fuegos artificiales gratis.
Una historia y una realidad cruda y trágica, vista desde los ojos de un niño. Quizás el relato menos oscuro de toda la antología.
Canciones de amor de la máquina musical de hidrógeno.
Un relato retorcido, donde un hombre se deja llevar por una secta hasta reconocerse como el elegido.
Estrellita dónde estás.
El relato que más me ha gustado. Mi favorito sin lugar a dudas. Una pérdida, la esperanza y la inocencia de una niña al creer que ha recuperado a su madre. Un padre con una verdad desgarradora al comprender que, a su regreso, la madre viene acompañada...
La misión.
El oeste, los prejuicios y algo ancestral que los espera en la oscuridad. Avisados quedan los protagonistas, pero sus ansias de poder y control no les dejan ver la maldad que los aguarda.
El posfacio de Ángel de Dios es perfecto para concluir la lectura. Nos encontramos con unas palabras que nos hace plantearnos realmente quienes son los verdaderos monstruos en este mundo, ¿los demonios, entes sobrenaturales y otros que se esconden en las sombras o los propios humanos?
Me ha gustado esta antología, aunque esperaba pasar miedo. Me ha transmitido pena, desasosiego y maldad; la maldad humana que aunque pasen años y siglos seguirá ahí, escondida en la oscuridad innombrable.
En definitiva, gracias a T.E Grau por estas historias tan perturbadoras y a Dilatando Mentes por la edición maravillosa y por traer esta antología a España.
El prólogo de Nathan Ballingrud es de diez. Se percibe la adoración hacia T. E. Grau y hacia su pluma. También transmite su amor por el género del terror. Ese terror primal que guardamos todos en los rincones más oscuros de nuestra mente.
RELATOS
El gran chapuzón de Gordinflón.
Un relato grotesco. Alden tiene una manera de ver el mundo muy peculiar y su inocencia es un tanto macabra para un niño de su edad, pero con lo que le ha tocado vivir... es comprensible. El ambiente de la vida de Alden es horrible, pesado y agobiante. Está rodeado de maldad. El vecino de intenciones oscuras, los matones del barrio, su propia madre... Aun así, quiere lo mejor para Gordinflón y hará cualquier cosa por su "amigo".
El aullador.
Quizás éste ha sido uno de los relatos que menos me ha transmitido. Sin embargo, es inquietante el hecho de que en toda la historia no se supiera de donde provenía ese grito tan desgarrador que escuchaban todas las personas. El final me ha sorprendido. No me esperaba para nada de donde provenía el Aullador.
Limpieza.
Un relato perturbador. Qué angustia y qué violencia infantil más retorcida. El final era de esperar, pero la brutalidad y las acciones sin escrúpulos del niño ponen los pelos de punta. Nada es lo que parece.
El regreso del Prodigio.
No es uno de mis preferidos. La parte final, donde Gary y Gladys se dan cuenta de lo que ocurre en realidad en la isla, y las escenas de desesperación hasta el desenlace final me han parecido brutales.
Exiliado.
Un relato muy descriptivo y explícito. Algunas escenas son duras. Me ha gustado mucho como el personaje iba recordando su pasado enlazándolo con su presente hasta descubrir lo ocurrido.
Cerdo trufero.
Un relato a rebosar de la auténtica y primal maldad de los seres humanos. Una visión diferente de uno de los personajes más sanguinarios de la historia.
Cervezas y lombrices.
Uno de los relatos que más me han gustado. Una situación normal se vuelve rocambolesca. En el río se pueden pescar más que peces...
Pluma blanca.
Una historia escamosa y llena de odio. Escenas sangrientas y duras. Un hombre con un pasado abominable y un futuro sin más sentido aún, donde el mar será su único abrazo.
Transmission.
Un relato donde la busqueda de uno mismo se tuerce hacia un viaje demasiado espiritual, rozando lo sectario.
Señor lobo.
Me ha gustado la moraleja de este relato. Nada es lo que parece, aunque lo que parece en realidad si que lo és. Muy enrevesado, pero me ha fascinado.
Fuegos artificiales gratis.
Una historia y una realidad cruda y trágica, vista desde los ojos de un niño. Quizás el relato menos oscuro de toda la antología.
Canciones de amor de la máquina musical de hidrógeno.
Un relato retorcido, donde un hombre se deja llevar por una secta hasta reconocerse como el elegido.
Estrellita dónde estás.
El relato que más me ha gustado. Mi favorito sin lugar a dudas. Una pérdida, la esperanza y la inocencia de una niña al creer que ha recuperado a su madre. Un padre con una verdad desgarradora al comprender que, a su regreso, la madre viene acompañada...
La misión.
El oeste, los prejuicios y algo ancestral que los espera en la oscuridad. Avisados quedan los protagonistas, pero sus ansias de poder y control no les dejan ver la maldad que los aguarda.
El posfacio de Ángel de Dios es perfecto para concluir la lectura. Nos encontramos con unas palabras que nos hace plantearnos realmente quienes son los verdaderos monstruos en este mundo, ¿los demonios, entes sobrenaturales y otros que se esconden en las sombras o los propios humanos?
Me ha gustado esta antología, aunque esperaba pasar miedo. Me ha transmitido pena, desasosiego y maldad; la maldad humana que aunque pasen años y siglos seguirá ahí, escondida en la oscuridad innombrable.
En definitiva, gracias a T.E Grau por estas historias tan perturbadoras y a Dilatando Mentes por la edición maravillosa y por traer esta antología a España.
March 19, 2016
With the unleashing of The Nameless Dark, T. E. Grau has cemented himself as an author whose byline should spark in readers a joyful expectancy for what surprises there are to follow.
Having spent his early days grinding away in the Hollywood dream machine, Grau has instilled the stories collected here with a cinematic beat and tenor. Many of them have the feel of miniature epics, stories of great change that course the classical arc and find his cast of rebels and hard-hearts attempting to desperately pick their way through life’s minefield before butting up against the high-powered electric fence of the unforgiving cosmos. Even at their bleakest—and many of the tales end badly for at least one person—Grau’s works satisfy with the rightness of their narratives, the feeling that the scales of the universe have attained their balance once more regardless of the insignificant lives that were overthrown to do so.
It’s hardly surprising then that literature in this nihilistic shade should find a comfortable niche within the Lovecraft mythos. While a number of the stories in The Nameless Dark integrate the thematic concerns or explicitly name-check sites of interest from Lovecraft’s body of work, Grau is an author who, like Ramsey Campbell before him, has carved his own distinct identity from the clay of the Miskatonic. Discontent to write mere pastiche, Grau brings fresh perspective to the Great Old Ones by framing them in a variety of lenses for us, each one adding a different note of clarity or understanding.
“The Screamer,” one of the book’s finest tales, takes us from the haunted hills of New England to the urban sprawl and office drone of Century City, California, a haven for lawyers and pristine skyscrapers that becomes invaded by the sonic madness of an interdimensional creature. It’s a tantalizing mystery that Grau cleverly baits us with, taking us from the painful futility of the protagonist’s existence to a climax of apocalyptic proportions that is all handled with the finesse of an old pro. “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Return of the Prodigy” use the emotional bonds of love and family to accent the impending intervention of dark forces. In the former, a father grieving his wife’s death tries to save face for the sake of his daughter, a precocious girl who’s recently developed a keen interest in astronomy, while the latter presents us with a middle-aged couple attempting to overcome their marital frustrations Tracy-Hepburn style and reignite the flame by taking a second honeymoon in the South Pacific. While love and compassion can act as a salve to life’s scars, Grau shows us that their healing powers can only ever be temporary in the face of incomprehensible terror. We can be the kindest parents and most thoughtful lovers in the world, but to the howling abyss we will always remain mulch.
A certain strain of machismo runs through the other Mythos-influenced tales. “Free Fireworks” and “White Feather” both describe male war “heroes” living under a cloud of fear, one from the looming threat of religious radicals and the other from the shame an act of cowardice during battle has garnered him from the citizens of his home village. “Free Fireworks” underlines the blindness of fanatical devotion to one’s country or belief system, the ease with which we view any faith or people different than ourselves as that reviled Other, destroyer of hearth, home, and honor. “Free Fireworks” may feel as if it is in the service of its “twist” ending, but those who know how foreign peoples have been demoted into sub-humans by our government will feel the chill of all-too-real parallels long before the tale’s end.
The folk adventure tone of “White Feather” is also present in “The Mission,” the jerky-tough Western novella that rounds out the collection. Here it feels as if Grau has truly utilized the celestial landscape of Lovecraft to his own ends, an address on the racial and historical borders that both unite and separate us as a people, for better or worse. Mostly worse. The message doesn’t click quite as seamlessly as one would hope, but that is perhaps most fitting for the subject: it’s a matter of differences for which the only easy answer there can ever be is total annihilation. Which just so happens to be the answer we prefer more times than not, as the band of bounty hunters running foul of their Native American targets soon discover when plumbing the depths of the tribe’s ancient religion and coming face to face with the darkness of their own sins.
The disillusioned male gets his due in a trio of literary blood brothers. “Transmission” bears the markings of Grau’s first foray into fiction, an effective build-up concerning a disaffected hipster runaway tuning into sinister radio broadcasts in the desert twilight that becomes slightly mired in the cyclical nature of the faceless broadcaster’s monologue. The author proves even better at conjuring images of disturbing potency in “Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox.” Here Grau combines his fascination with the Beat scene of the 50s with inspiration from the carnivorous cosmos of modern grandmaster Laird Barron, resulting in a story about a social transient making his way through the vista-expanding world of recreational drugs to a whole new level of eye-opening with his indoctrination into a cult following the prophecies of Old Leech himself. A reckoning of sorts also occurs to the lead of “Expat.” Ghost story aficionados might sense the plot’s trajectory—I, for one, was surprised—but Grau’s command of the off-kilter and darkly humorous shines through in this surreal little locked-room mystery.
Further down the chronological scale: a pair of tales concerning children, both of them accomplished in their own right. “Clean” is brief, quietly brutal, subtle for the way Grau softly sidesteps divulging the exact nature of the weirdness at the heart of it, and utterly disturbing in the way it paints child predators in a clear, unflinching tone. Pedophiles loom in the periphery of “Tubby’s Big Swim,” just another in a long line of tortures and disappointments in the life of our boy hero, Alden. Alden loves animals of all kinds, though he can never seem to keep one alive. (Alden thought cats always landed on their feet. This one sure as heck didn’t. City cats must live by different rules.) Alden seems to find his match in Tubby, a pumpkin-hued octopus he rescues from a shady pet shop that then proceeds to make all the problems in his life disappear. An original tale to the collection, “Tubby’s Big Swim” finds Grau conducting a symphony of emotional notes: achingly sad, unexpectedly funny, and genuinely heartfelt, it speaks to the inner misfits within us all who as children wanted nothing more than to send our faithful animal sidekicks before us to destroy the whole stupid world for all the wrongs it did us.
The remaining three entries in the collection display Grau’s penchant and talent for migrating from one diverse narrative to the next. “The Truffle Pig” is a black journal entry encapsulating the existence of none other than Saucy Jack of Whitechapel, an engagingly creative riff on history and fiction that binds both together with a gory thread. “Beer & Worms” is as succinct and surly as its title would imply, a fishing tale that doesn’t take long to set its homicidal hooks in you. Then there’s “Mr. Lupus,” Grau’s unabashedly fun turn at world-building, a Burtonesque Grimm Brothers musical of Yuletide cheer that adds a dash of lycanthropy to sweeten its overflowing pot of charms.
The Nameless Dark is an impressive collection by any standard, but to carry the knowledge that it holds within its pages Grau’s very first fictional experimentations can’t help but leave one wondering what great things we have yet to see flow from his pen, be they however black and bloody. A writer of his chameleonic skill is one to watch for, and though his stories may transform and change shape over time, his will be a name that you can always rely on.
Having spent his early days grinding away in the Hollywood dream machine, Grau has instilled the stories collected here with a cinematic beat and tenor. Many of them have the feel of miniature epics, stories of great change that course the classical arc and find his cast of rebels and hard-hearts attempting to desperately pick their way through life’s minefield before butting up against the high-powered electric fence of the unforgiving cosmos. Even at their bleakest—and many of the tales end badly for at least one person—Grau’s works satisfy with the rightness of their narratives, the feeling that the scales of the universe have attained their balance once more regardless of the insignificant lives that were overthrown to do so.
It’s hardly surprising then that literature in this nihilistic shade should find a comfortable niche within the Lovecraft mythos. While a number of the stories in The Nameless Dark integrate the thematic concerns or explicitly name-check sites of interest from Lovecraft’s body of work, Grau is an author who, like Ramsey Campbell before him, has carved his own distinct identity from the clay of the Miskatonic. Discontent to write mere pastiche, Grau brings fresh perspective to the Great Old Ones by framing them in a variety of lenses for us, each one adding a different note of clarity or understanding.
“The Screamer,” one of the book’s finest tales, takes us from the haunted hills of New England to the urban sprawl and office drone of Century City, California, a haven for lawyers and pristine skyscrapers that becomes invaded by the sonic madness of an interdimensional creature. It’s a tantalizing mystery that Grau cleverly baits us with, taking us from the painful futility of the protagonist’s existence to a climax of apocalyptic proportions that is all handled with the finesse of an old pro. “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Return of the Prodigy” use the emotional bonds of love and family to accent the impending intervention of dark forces. In the former, a father grieving his wife’s death tries to save face for the sake of his daughter, a precocious girl who’s recently developed a keen interest in astronomy, while the latter presents us with a middle-aged couple attempting to overcome their marital frustrations Tracy-Hepburn style and reignite the flame by taking a second honeymoon in the South Pacific. While love and compassion can act as a salve to life’s scars, Grau shows us that their healing powers can only ever be temporary in the face of incomprehensible terror. We can be the kindest parents and most thoughtful lovers in the world, but to the howling abyss we will always remain mulch.
A certain strain of machismo runs through the other Mythos-influenced tales. “Free Fireworks” and “White Feather” both describe male war “heroes” living under a cloud of fear, one from the looming threat of religious radicals and the other from the shame an act of cowardice during battle has garnered him from the citizens of his home village. “Free Fireworks” underlines the blindness of fanatical devotion to one’s country or belief system, the ease with which we view any faith or people different than ourselves as that reviled Other, destroyer of hearth, home, and honor. “Free Fireworks” may feel as if it is in the service of its “twist” ending, but those who know how foreign peoples have been demoted into sub-humans by our government will feel the chill of all-too-real parallels long before the tale’s end.
The folk adventure tone of “White Feather” is also present in “The Mission,” the jerky-tough Western novella that rounds out the collection. Here it feels as if Grau has truly utilized the celestial landscape of Lovecraft to his own ends, an address on the racial and historical borders that both unite and separate us as a people, for better or worse. Mostly worse. The message doesn’t click quite as seamlessly as one would hope, but that is perhaps most fitting for the subject: it’s a matter of differences for which the only easy answer there can ever be is total annihilation. Which just so happens to be the answer we prefer more times than not, as the band of bounty hunters running foul of their Native American targets soon discover when plumbing the depths of the tribe’s ancient religion and coming face to face with the darkness of their own sins.
The disillusioned male gets his due in a trio of literary blood brothers. “Transmission” bears the markings of Grau’s first foray into fiction, an effective build-up concerning a disaffected hipster runaway tuning into sinister radio broadcasts in the desert twilight that becomes slightly mired in the cyclical nature of the faceless broadcaster’s monologue. The author proves even better at conjuring images of disturbing potency in “Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox.” Here Grau combines his fascination with the Beat scene of the 50s with inspiration from the carnivorous cosmos of modern grandmaster Laird Barron, resulting in a story about a social transient making his way through the vista-expanding world of recreational drugs to a whole new level of eye-opening with his indoctrination into a cult following the prophecies of Old Leech himself. A reckoning of sorts also occurs to the lead of “Expat.” Ghost story aficionados might sense the plot’s trajectory—I, for one, was surprised—but Grau’s command of the off-kilter and darkly humorous shines through in this surreal little locked-room mystery.
Further down the chronological scale: a pair of tales concerning children, both of them accomplished in their own right. “Clean” is brief, quietly brutal, subtle for the way Grau softly sidesteps divulging the exact nature of the weirdness at the heart of it, and utterly disturbing in the way it paints child predators in a clear, unflinching tone. Pedophiles loom in the periphery of “Tubby’s Big Swim,” just another in a long line of tortures and disappointments in the life of our boy hero, Alden. Alden loves animals of all kinds, though he can never seem to keep one alive. (Alden thought cats always landed on their feet. This one sure as heck didn’t. City cats must live by different rules.) Alden seems to find his match in Tubby, a pumpkin-hued octopus he rescues from a shady pet shop that then proceeds to make all the problems in his life disappear. An original tale to the collection, “Tubby’s Big Swim” finds Grau conducting a symphony of emotional notes: achingly sad, unexpectedly funny, and genuinely heartfelt, it speaks to the inner misfits within us all who as children wanted nothing more than to send our faithful animal sidekicks before us to destroy the whole stupid world for all the wrongs it did us.
The remaining three entries in the collection display Grau’s penchant and talent for migrating from one diverse narrative to the next. “The Truffle Pig” is a black journal entry encapsulating the existence of none other than Saucy Jack of Whitechapel, an engagingly creative riff on history and fiction that binds both together with a gory thread. “Beer & Worms” is as succinct and surly as its title would imply, a fishing tale that doesn’t take long to set its homicidal hooks in you. Then there’s “Mr. Lupus,” Grau’s unabashedly fun turn at world-building, a Burtonesque Grimm Brothers musical of Yuletide cheer that adds a dash of lycanthropy to sweeten its overflowing pot of charms.
The Nameless Dark is an impressive collection by any standard, but to carry the knowledge that it holds within its pages Grau’s very first fictional experimentations can’t help but leave one wondering what great things we have yet to see flow from his pen, be they however black and bloody. A writer of his chameleonic skill is one to watch for, and though his stories may transform and change shape over time, his will be a name that you can always rely on.
May 11, 2016
"The allure of the glinting black is irresistible to anonymous eyes choking on the monotony of the neverending gray."
My first exposure to T.E. Grau was his story 'MonoChrome', which was a favourite from In The Court of the Yellow King. Then he was kind enough to send me an ebook copy of his debut collection.
Ted is not shy of celebrating his influences, including some which place his work squarely in my wheelhouse like Michael Marshall Smith, Thomas Ligotti and T.E.D. Klein. As with Ligotti and Klein, there's some overt Lovecraftian elements, with a splash of Yuggoth here and a dash of Innsmouth there. To tell you exactly where and when would be to spoil it, however, and he clearly isn't a tribute act to any one writer.
This is a varied collection in style and setting, from historical pieces to a futuristic one and from Prague to a fictional Pacific island, to locations rather more surreal. Some are straightforward horror stories well executed, particularly 'Expat' and 'Beer & Worms', while others adopt varying approaches to 'weird', 'strange' and of course 'dark' fiction.
Some stories have a lot to dissect and the voice we hear from Grau after that mixture of influences is run through the blender of his imagination becomes fascinating to unpack.
Take the first story, Tubby's Big Swim. There's the bold choice of a child protagonist, which leaves open the question of him being an unreliable narrator. Not through any dishonesty or madness, mind (The Repairer of Reputations being a classic example), but through his naivete, imagination and distress. There's also an inversion of the standard weird horror set up, since in a sense it's the supernatural element which removes the horror rather than introduces it.
Alden is a forthright and earnest young chap seeking love and friendship in a world full of physically and sexually abusive relationships, to which both himself and his mother are subject. Indeed, the setting of this story and some others has a distinct hint of the Ligottian (in turn inspired by Schulz) about it. It's superficially realistic and yet there's a pervading sense of depravity and decay as it's drawn inexorably into the liminal spaces bordering unreality and absence of conscious life. It's as though what our conscious minds call reality is itself the horror and violent affront to the 'natural order of things', yet Alden still tries to see the best in it.
This is not a story which slaps you in the face at any point. It's more an exercise in gradually encroaching strangeness and/or horror through layering of elements which may not say much individually but collectively build a picture with much to contemplate. Some would call it Aickman-esque though Klein is more my point of comparison and I felt a particular affinity with his story 'Petey'. It's all more akin to an atmospheric soundscape than a punk rock thunderbolt.
And yet, he can hurl thunderbolts. He does so with the second story, 'The Screamer', which is much more immediately impactful through its visceral, chaotic violence. I found it reminiscent both of MonoChrome and of My Work Is Not Yet Done. This one might have more luck hooking a casual horror reader than the first story.
Additionally, Grau is comfortable working with stories more in the vein of traditional weird tales (either upper or lower case W & T). As with 'Transmission', wherein a man makes certain discoveries while driving through the vast American desert and tuning into various radio broadcasts. One can't help but be reminded of Queens of the Stone Age's record Songs for the Deaf. Or of Welcome to Night Vale, come to think of it.
'The Truffle Pig' is a highlight, being an inventive cosmic horror take on Jack the Ripper.
'Free Fireworks' could be called a vignette more than a story, providing a glimpse of a post-apocalyptic world after a certain sleeper in Rl'yeh finally wakes. It's seriously cool and for all the post-apocalyptic reading I've done, none of them portrayed the world quite like this.
On my first read, I'd say my favourite was the longest story 'Mr. Lupus'. Revisions and re-imaginings of fairy tales and folklore have been in vogue at times (The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, for example), but this werewolf horror tale is the best I've read to date. I've heard good things about John Langan's 'The Revel' of late and look forward to reading him but he'd have his work cut out topping this.
The collection is capped off with another longer story 'The Mission', a weird western in the tradition of Robert E. Howard but with a modern sensibility for race and culture. It has some strong writing so far as setting, character and pithy moments of prose go. I'm going to have the nerve to disagree with Orrin Grey here though and say this story misses the mark for me.
It had enough horror moments and weird elements at play for three stories and I didn't feel the conclusion tied all the threads together well enough for it to have a satisfying pay-off. In totality it felt a tad too jumbled with introducing cool ideas to build atmosphere anything like as well as Tubby's Big Swim did.
I won't call this collection solid gold but I will say that the high points are very high indeed and quite remarkably so for an author's first major standalone publication. I do hope this is only the start of things to come, because if he improves from here then we'll be in for something special. No pressure, Ted.
My first exposure to T.E. Grau was his story 'MonoChrome', which was a favourite from In The Court of the Yellow King. Then he was kind enough to send me an ebook copy of his debut collection.
Ted is not shy of celebrating his influences, including some which place his work squarely in my wheelhouse like Michael Marshall Smith, Thomas Ligotti and T.E.D. Klein. As with Ligotti and Klein, there's some overt Lovecraftian elements, with a splash of Yuggoth here and a dash of Innsmouth there. To tell you exactly where and when would be to spoil it, however, and he clearly isn't a tribute act to any one writer.
This is a varied collection in style and setting, from historical pieces to a futuristic one and from Prague to a fictional Pacific island, to locations rather more surreal. Some are straightforward horror stories well executed, particularly 'Expat' and 'Beer & Worms', while others adopt varying approaches to 'weird', 'strange' and of course 'dark' fiction.
Some stories have a lot to dissect and the voice we hear from Grau after that mixture of influences is run through the blender of his imagination becomes fascinating to unpack.
Take the first story, Tubby's Big Swim. There's the bold choice of a child protagonist, which leaves open the question of him being an unreliable narrator. Not through any dishonesty or madness, mind (The Repairer of Reputations being a classic example), but through his naivete, imagination and distress. There's also an inversion of the standard weird horror set up, since in a sense it's the supernatural element which removes the horror rather than introduces it.
Alden is a forthright and earnest young chap seeking love and friendship in a world full of physically and sexually abusive relationships, to which both himself and his mother are subject. Indeed, the setting of this story and some others has a distinct hint of the Ligottian (in turn inspired by Schulz) about it. It's superficially realistic and yet there's a pervading sense of depravity and decay as it's drawn inexorably into the liminal spaces bordering unreality and absence of conscious life. It's as though what our conscious minds call reality is itself the horror and violent affront to the 'natural order of things', yet Alden still tries to see the best in it.
This is not a story which slaps you in the face at any point. It's more an exercise in gradually encroaching strangeness and/or horror through layering of elements which may not say much individually but collectively build a picture with much to contemplate. Some would call it Aickman-esque though Klein is more my point of comparison and I felt a particular affinity with his story 'Petey'. It's all more akin to an atmospheric soundscape than a punk rock thunderbolt.
And yet, he can hurl thunderbolts. He does so with the second story, 'The Screamer', which is much more immediately impactful through its visceral, chaotic violence. I found it reminiscent both of MonoChrome and of My Work Is Not Yet Done. This one might have more luck hooking a casual horror reader than the first story.
Additionally, Grau is comfortable working with stories more in the vein of traditional weird tales (either upper or lower case W & T). As with 'Transmission', wherein a man makes certain discoveries while driving through the vast American desert and tuning into various radio broadcasts. One can't help but be reminded of Queens of the Stone Age's record Songs for the Deaf. Or of Welcome to Night Vale, come to think of it.
'The Truffle Pig' is a highlight, being an inventive cosmic horror take on Jack the Ripper.
'Free Fireworks' could be called a vignette more than a story, providing a glimpse of a post-apocalyptic world after a certain sleeper in Rl'yeh finally wakes. It's seriously cool and for all the post-apocalyptic reading I've done, none of them portrayed the world quite like this.
On my first read, I'd say my favourite was the longest story 'Mr. Lupus'. Revisions and re-imaginings of fairy tales and folklore have been in vogue at times (The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, for example), but this werewolf horror tale is the best I've read to date. I've heard good things about John Langan's 'The Revel' of late and look forward to reading him but he'd have his work cut out topping this.
The collection is capped off with another longer story 'The Mission', a weird western in the tradition of Robert E. Howard but with a modern sensibility for race and culture. It has some strong writing so far as setting, character and pithy moments of prose go. I'm going to have the nerve to disagree with Orrin Grey here though and say this story misses the mark for me.
It had enough horror moments and weird elements at play for three stories and I didn't feel the conclusion tied all the threads together well enough for it to have a satisfying pay-off. In totality it felt a tad too jumbled with introducing cool ideas to build atmosphere anything like as well as Tubby's Big Swim did.
I won't call this collection solid gold but I will say that the high points are very high indeed and quite remarkably so for an author's first major standalone publication. I do hope this is only the start of things to come, because if he improves from here then we'll be in for something special. No pressure, Ted.
December 30, 2015
I heard of this collection scanning the Ligotti Online forums, I think this is about as good a debut collection as I've read. It's very impressive in it's range of plotline and mood.
These stories don't start out as weird or horrific. "The Screamer" paints a very effective portrait of boring office life. "Expat" shows us the mindset of a man jaded with backpacking around his pseudo-cultured fellow Americans. Stories like "Twinkle, Twinkle" among others bring painful emotions to the surface in the same vein as other weird fiction authors like Nathan Ballingrud and Clint Smith who mix the weird with emotional, dark fiction generally.
I didn't like everything here, a few of the "twist ending" type tales aren't my personal forte. The longer stories are generally the better ones and some shorter ones feel a bit insubstantial. But coming in at over 100k words, this is a huge collection and if only the top 6-7 stories comprised the whole book I'd still give it 4 stars, the very best here display a very imaginative mind at work. Stories like "Mr. Lupus" and "The Screamer" aren't stories everyone could make work, but Grau does.
Tubby’s Big Swim - This is excellent storytelling, emotional, combining a bleak urban grit with a Bradbury-esque childhood wonder. I wouldn't say this is among the best stories here because on a purely weirdness front it pulls it's punches a bit, but its very immersive. Young Alden and his mother arrive in a new city where he tries to find some solace in his loneliness by keeping small pets. He becomes fascinated by an orange octopus for sale in a dirty pet shop which is much more than it seems.
The Screamer - Wow what a story! This is very original stuff and I believe in less-capable hands this wouldn't come off, but here it really does. Starting out as an effective exploration of dull modern life, this turns into a truly, mind-bending apocalyptic horror story. A man working in an office building starts hearing a strange scream which he feels is trying to communicate something to him.
Clean - OK story, short, most noteworthy for it's gritty noirish tone than it's horror elements which are mostly kept to the periphery.
Return of the Prodigy - Great stuff, one of the best in the book. It's well-told with elements of humor, but ultimately turns into a very unsettling body-horror tale. An older couple finally go on a long-overdue honeymoon to a small tropical island, which turns into the Lovecraftian vacation from hell.
Expat - The mindset here contrasts with the previous story, where that had a cynical conservative protagonist in a foreign land, here we meet a rather jaded liberal backpacking through Europe, tired of his fellow expat cultural elitist Americans. Maybe I should have seen the twist coming here, but I didn't! A young man wakes up in a small flat in Europe after an absinthe binge, beside a corpse.
The Truffle Pig - This was a nice little Lovecraftian tale, imaginative and fun. A traveler around the world tells of their extreme exploits to combat the Lovecraftian evils which seek to destroy mankind.
Beer & Worms - Oh I had to laugh like hell, albeit guiltily, at the end of this darkly comic story. A man sets off on a fishing trip, harboring a secret.
White Feather - This was an above average Lovecraftian tale, it gets us interested and involved from the start, keeps us interested until the very end. A ship captain during the Revolutionary War is shunned and shamed after a tragedy at sea no one would understand.
Transmission - Very nice story, a Lovecraftian tale which pokes fun at hipsters...what more can you ask for? A couple places lagged here, but overall I liked this one very much, it's got a theme I've always found intriguing -- those weird AM radio stations you find in small towns. A man running away from his past and driving through the American West becomes captivated by an esoteric, rambling monologue on a pirate radio station.
Mr. Lupus - Not everyone could make this story come off, and if someone told me the premise of it I'd doubt it would be very good. But this is an incredible tale, probably the best in the collection. It combines innocence with a lingering sense of menace and childhood fears. A cynical, wealthy industrialist becomes obsessed with a very odd, innocent young woman living in a fairy tale world.
Free Fireworks - A nice little twist ending story, poignant in the age we live in, with a suitably dark conclusion. A small town tries to enjoy the 4th of July in an era when terrorism, war and death has invaded every part of the country.
Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox 11 - Another great story here, in the realm of Laird Barron. The slightly pulpy imagery of cult worship is risen above by the sober, serious tone and shocking conclusion. A group of Frisco bohemian free spirits attend a sinister gathering on an isolated mountain.
Twinkle, Twinkle - This is an excellent sci-fi horror tale, but I thought above this it was the most emotional story in the collection. As with several other stories here a child-like innocence is combined with the horrific. After a girls' mother dies her father buys her a telescope, so she can find her mommy in the stars.
The Mission 13 - Excellent story, probably my favorite story in the book, it takes many great elements that are in the other stories, but it all comes off better here I thought. This is some of the best weird western horror fiction I've read. Soon after the Civil War a ragtag group of soldiers is dispatched out west to catch some murderous Indians, but they quickly find themselves to be the hunted.
These stories don't start out as weird or horrific. "The Screamer" paints a very effective portrait of boring office life. "Expat" shows us the mindset of a man jaded with backpacking around his pseudo-cultured fellow Americans. Stories like "Twinkle, Twinkle" among others bring painful emotions to the surface in the same vein as other weird fiction authors like Nathan Ballingrud and Clint Smith who mix the weird with emotional, dark fiction generally.
I didn't like everything here, a few of the "twist ending" type tales aren't my personal forte. The longer stories are generally the better ones and some shorter ones feel a bit insubstantial. But coming in at over 100k words, this is a huge collection and if only the top 6-7 stories comprised the whole book I'd still give it 4 stars, the very best here display a very imaginative mind at work. Stories like "Mr. Lupus" and "The Screamer" aren't stories everyone could make work, but Grau does.
Tubby’s Big Swim - This is excellent storytelling, emotional, combining a bleak urban grit with a Bradbury-esque childhood wonder. I wouldn't say this is among the best stories here because on a purely weirdness front it pulls it's punches a bit, but its very immersive. Young Alden and his mother arrive in a new city where he tries to find some solace in his loneliness by keeping small pets. He becomes fascinated by an orange octopus for sale in a dirty pet shop which is much more than it seems.
The Screamer - Wow what a story! This is very original stuff and I believe in less-capable hands this wouldn't come off, but here it really does. Starting out as an effective exploration of dull modern life, this turns into a truly, mind-bending apocalyptic horror story. A man working in an office building starts hearing a strange scream which he feels is trying to communicate something to him.
Clean - OK story, short, most noteworthy for it's gritty noirish tone than it's horror elements which are mostly kept to the periphery.
Return of the Prodigy - Great stuff, one of the best in the book. It's well-told with elements of humor, but ultimately turns into a very unsettling body-horror tale. An older couple finally go on a long-overdue honeymoon to a small tropical island, which turns into the Lovecraftian vacation from hell.
Expat - The mindset here contrasts with the previous story, where that had a cynical conservative protagonist in a foreign land, here we meet a rather jaded liberal backpacking through Europe, tired of his fellow expat cultural elitist Americans. Maybe I should have seen the twist coming here, but I didn't! A young man wakes up in a small flat in Europe after an absinthe binge, beside a corpse.
The Truffle Pig - This was a nice little Lovecraftian tale, imaginative and fun. A traveler around the world tells of their extreme exploits to combat the Lovecraftian evils which seek to destroy mankind.
Beer & Worms - Oh I had to laugh like hell, albeit guiltily, at the end of this darkly comic story. A man sets off on a fishing trip, harboring a secret.
White Feather - This was an above average Lovecraftian tale, it gets us interested and involved from the start, keeps us interested until the very end. A ship captain during the Revolutionary War is shunned and shamed after a tragedy at sea no one would understand.
Transmission - Very nice story, a Lovecraftian tale which pokes fun at hipsters...what more can you ask for? A couple places lagged here, but overall I liked this one very much, it's got a theme I've always found intriguing -- those weird AM radio stations you find in small towns. A man running away from his past and driving through the American West becomes captivated by an esoteric, rambling monologue on a pirate radio station.
Mr. Lupus - Not everyone could make this story come off, and if someone told me the premise of it I'd doubt it would be very good. But this is an incredible tale, probably the best in the collection. It combines innocence with a lingering sense of menace and childhood fears. A cynical, wealthy industrialist becomes obsessed with a very odd, innocent young woman living in a fairy tale world.
Free Fireworks - A nice little twist ending story, poignant in the age we live in, with a suitably dark conclusion. A small town tries to enjoy the 4th of July in an era when terrorism, war and death has invaded every part of the country.
Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox 11 - Another great story here, in the realm of Laird Barron. The slightly pulpy imagery of cult worship is risen above by the sober, serious tone and shocking conclusion. A group of Frisco bohemian free spirits attend a sinister gathering on an isolated mountain.
Twinkle, Twinkle - This is an excellent sci-fi horror tale, but I thought above this it was the most emotional story in the collection. As with several other stories here a child-like innocence is combined with the horrific. After a girls' mother dies her father buys her a telescope, so she can find her mommy in the stars.
The Mission 13 - Excellent story, probably my favorite story in the book, it takes many great elements that are in the other stories, but it all comes off better here I thought. This is some of the best weird western horror fiction I've read. Soon after the Civil War a ragtag group of soldiers is dispatched out west to catch some murderous Indians, but they quickly find themselves to be the hunted.
August 9, 2015
One of the many joys of reading is the experience of coming across an author for the first time and connecting immediately with the writing. There may be a brief moment of self-flagellation for not discovering the writer sooner but this is soon overwhelmed by the enjoyment of the reading itself and also by the realisation that a back catalogue is already there, waiting to be devoured.
Such was the case when I read The Nameless Dark, a collection of stories from T E Grau. This is his first collection and I have to say it’s an extremely impressive showcase for his undoubted talent.
There are fourteen stories in the book, employing a variety of locations and set in a range of time periods. Here you’ll find stories set in the Wild West, during the Beat Generation and Colonial era America amongst others. Three of the stories have children as their main character but the writing in each (and all of the other stories) is assured, authentic and of the highest quality with each story – and the characters therein – having their own distinctive voices.
It’s a collection of horror stories but there’s wit here too, a dark humour that threads its way through the stories, raising smiles amidst the shudders. It’s there in the dialogue, in the descriptions of the characters populating these tales – a description of someone being “the shape and consistency of a potato” made me laugh out loud.
The spirit of HP Lovecraft informs many of the stories here, his mythology looming above the narrative like a shadow over Innsmouth. Anyone who thinks the Cosmic Horrors conjured up in the Cthulhu mythos have been done to death need look no further than this collection to see that new life can be breathed into it with nine of the fourteen tales referencing it directly and placing it in new contexts and environments to brilliant effect. The stories here are set pre-, post- and during the moment at which the stars become “right” and the two most effective for me fall into the latter category – The Screamer, with its banshee-like eponymous creature heralding the apocalypse in a beautifully written slow-burner of a tale that builds to a truly horrifying climax and Twinkle, Twinkle – one of the shorter stories in the collection but which brilliantly frames the end of the world in a poignant and moving tale.
It’s testament to Ted’s skills as a writer that the tropes never become worn out or repetitive, filtered as they are through the variety of narrative styles he employs. The other five “non-Lovecraftian” stories provide entertaining interludes and here you’ll find riffs on Kafka, Fairy Tales and Werewolves, Jack the Ripper and a novel way of fishing…
I feel I can’t recommend The Nameless Dark highly enough. The stories and characters created here are worthy of the highest critical acclaim and the writing itself is a joy to read.
October 16, 2015
“A Collection,” it states. Grau’s The Nameless Dark is so much more than that! This collection is a beast, unafraid to wield words in every way imaginable to make its points. Spitting and snarling, the writing is full-bodied, muscular. It growls, it roars, and slashes with a mighty talon. Okay, enough of that, but you get my point. Grau is fearless. Description and details, the depth of ideas—nothing here settles for ‘small’ in the scope of the horrors unleashed. Apocalyptic, often Lovecraftian designs are threaded through many of the tales, though not in a familiar manner. The best tales? All of them. There’s no clunkers here. “The Screamer” resonates eternally, like the wail in this tale of corporate hell on a global level. “Clean” is a nasty dollop of perversion made more so by the unexpected place it goes. When I finished reading “The Truffle Pig,” I actually paused and said aloud, “Goddamn!” A Jack the Ripper tale that takes a decidedly different turn, this might be my favorite JtR tale Ever. Just read it and see. “Mr. Lupus” feels like a Christmas Fairy Tale, but then it gets so much Grimmer. I think one of the finest tales that showcases exactly what Grau does is one that at first seems quite light (I was thinking this, knowing what was to follow; more on that in a second), “Twinkle, Twinkle.” It seems a simple tale, a contemplation of grief and how a young girl and her father deal with it, yet Grau takes this precious connection…and annihilates it with a discovery made through a telescope. Never small, nothing Grau does is small. And what follows? “The Mission,” in which the old West is brought to life with precision (the staging, the details, the language; as throughout this collection, Grau is a master at conveying these elements as if he were there himself) (he may be a time-traveler, he’s that good!)…and what the group of grizzled men on a mission discovers is something to behold. This one’s a stunner, and brings the collection to a grand finale.
Impressive is an understatement. Grau’s The Nameless Dark a beast ready to devour the minds of readers of Weird Horror willing to make the sacrifice. I can still hear it chewing on mine!
Highly recommended!
Impressive is an understatement. Grau’s The Nameless Dark a beast ready to devour the minds of readers of Weird Horror willing to make the sacrifice. I can still hear it chewing on mine!
Highly recommended!
June 8, 2017
Wow! Outstanding collection of short stories! T.E.Grau has a firm grip on the weird tradition and the stories are morbidly haunting with a sardonic smile upon its lips. The writing is beyond excellent and some of the passages of this book, I suspect , will haunt me forever like this part from Transmission;
«No matter what latitude or longitude traveled, Max could find cold comfort in the certainty of religious zealotry flooding AM airwaves in the forgotten places of North America, stoked by paranoia, bigotry, xenophobia and a sort of gleeful fatalism that would have chilled Nietzsche to his knickers. Land of the free. Home of the brave.»
Chilling stuff!
Overall one of the finest collections I've read in a long time, highly recommended for fans of weird fiction and cosmic horror! Read it now!
«No matter what latitude or longitude traveled, Max could find cold comfort in the certainty of religious zealotry flooding AM airwaves in the forgotten places of North America, stoked by paranoia, bigotry, xenophobia and a sort of gleeful fatalism that would have chilled Nietzsche to his knickers. Land of the free. Home of the brave.»
Chilling stuff!
Overall one of the finest collections I've read in a long time, highly recommended for fans of weird fiction and cosmic horror! Read it now!
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