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Dark Equinox and Other Tales of Lovecraftian Horror
Ann K. Schwader, who has already distinguished herself by an array of meticulous and imaginative poetry that elaborates upon themes in H. P. Lovecraft's work, has in the past decade and more written some of the most scintillating tales of any author of Lovecraftian fiction. In a number of stories, Schwader has written interconnected narratives that bring Lovecraftian terror to the remote regions near her native Wyoming, with Native American characters drawing upon their spiritual resources to battle the cosmic forces. Several of these stories-"Twenty Mile," "Experiencing the Other," "Paradigm Wash," "Night of the Piper," "The Wind-Caller"-feature an amateur anthropologist, Cassie Barrett, as a recurring character and constitute some of Schwader's most vivid narratives. Other tales-such as "Her Beloved Son," a plangent account of Lavinia Whateley's relationship with her cosmic twins, and "The Death Verses of Yian-Ho," a tale of psychic possession that draws upon the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan-display the full range of Schwader's sensitive adaptations of Lovecraftian elements.
With this volume of sixteen stories (four of them unpublished), Ann K. Schwader establishes herself as a leading voice in Lovecraftian fiction, uniting Lovecraft's sense of place and cosmic vision with a delicacy of character portrayal and carefully crafted prose that is all her own.
Ann K. Schwader is the author of the poetry volumes The Worms Remember (2001), In the Yaddith Time (2007), and the omnibus Twisted in Dream (2011). Her earlier prose fiction was collected in the volume Strange Stars & Alien Shadows (2003).
With this volume of sixteen stories (four of them unpublished), Ann K. Schwader establishes herself as a leading voice in Lovecraftian fiction, uniting Lovecraft's sense of place and cosmic vision with a delicacy of character portrayal and carefully crafted prose that is all her own.
Ann K. Schwader is the author of the poetry volumes The Worms Remember (2001), In the Yaddith Time (2007), and the omnibus Twisted in Dream (2011). Her earlier prose fiction was collected in the volume Strange Stars & Alien Shadows (2003).
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
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About the author
Ann K. Schwader
87 books109 followersWyoming native relocated to suburban Colorado. Writer of speculative poetry, dark fiction, Lovecraftian fiction & poetry, dark-themed science fiction, & haiku. Bram Stoker Award finalist (2010) for poetry collection, Wild Hunt of the Stars. Bram Stoker Award finalist (2015) for poetry collection, Dark Energies. Rhysling Award winner (2010) for Short Poem, & co-winner for Long Poem (2015). Science Fiction Poetry Association Grand Master (2018) . Member: HWA, SFWA, SFPA, HSA.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 20, 2015
This collection is a dark and delicious treat for lovers of the weird to savor. Those familiar with H.P. Lovecraft and his circle will find delight in subtle allusions -- Lovecraft's Cthulhu and Nyarlathotep are obliquely mentioned, as are Clark Ashton Smith's Tsathoggua, Frank Belknap Long's hounds of Tindalos, and August Derleth's Ithaqua, among others -- but those unacquainted with them will not be left behind.
The first 122 pages include stand-alone stories. In "Dark Equinox," Jen hopes to prove herself as a viable candidate for graduate programs by pursuing her research into the photomontages of Leonie Gerard, an eccentric artist who ended badly. Jen finds and becomes consumed by Gerard's last work. The tale is hauntingly effective because of all it suggests rather than explains. "The Sweetness of Your Heart" is a delicate, almost prose-poem portrait of one man's well-earned comeuppance. "When the Stars Run Away" is haunting and darkly perfect: "The universe is ripping. All of it. Everything's coming apart."
"Wings of Memory" provides another kind of (equally welcome) comeuppance story. ("Maybe the ravens made a difference," indeed.) "Her Beloved Son" gives Lavinia Whateley from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror" her moment. "Custom Order" should be read with the theme from The Omen playing in the background. It builds and sustains a deep sense of dread. "Desert Mystery! Gas and Go!" and "Rehab" pack incredibly strong punches for such brief, tight tales. "Scream Saver" is a potent shout out to Long's "Hounds of Tindalos." "The Water Lily Room" is a desperately, beautifully poignant meditation on a middle-aged woman's sense of value (or the lack thereof), and the room that embraces her.
"The Death Verses of Yian-Ho" is one of my very favorite pieces in this collection. What an elegant, engrossing story! It pushes all of my buttons: the questing student pursuing a lead in her research, the Special Collections at Miskatonic University, the hint of blasphemous history, the sudden and terrible realizations about the past and its grasping reach toward the present... Outstanding.
The final half of the volume consists of five interwoven tales focused on amateur anthropologist Cassie Barrett and her Wyoming-related (though not always Wyoming-based) encounters with the Outside. These possess the keen sense of place, Native culture, and mystery that I value in Craig Johnson's Longmire series coupled with the Lovecraftian sense of the weird and unexplained that made me a great fan of The X-Files. (My favorite lines: "Peel back enough layers of anybody's mythology, and you found something older and darker. Maybe older and darker than humanity's bright little moment on this rock.") Ann K. Schwader combines these storytelling elements to great effect. I want to read more.
Schwader's spare, poetic prose gives the reader just enough to ignite the imagination and meet her halfway with fear and fascination. A lesser stylist could easily overwrite these tales, and all sense of awe and mystery would be lost. I simply couldn't have asked for more perfect October reading. Highly recommended.
The first 122 pages include stand-alone stories. In "Dark Equinox," Jen hopes to prove herself as a viable candidate for graduate programs by pursuing her research into the photomontages of Leonie Gerard, an eccentric artist who ended badly. Jen finds and becomes consumed by Gerard's last work. The tale is hauntingly effective because of all it suggests rather than explains. "The Sweetness of Your Heart" is a delicate, almost prose-poem portrait of one man's well-earned comeuppance. "When the Stars Run Away" is haunting and darkly perfect: "The universe is ripping. All of it. Everything's coming apart."
"Wings of Memory" provides another kind of (equally welcome) comeuppance story. ("Maybe the ravens made a difference," indeed.) "Her Beloved Son" gives Lavinia Whateley from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror" her moment. "Custom Order" should be read with the theme from The Omen playing in the background. It builds and sustains a deep sense of dread. "Desert Mystery! Gas and Go!" and "Rehab" pack incredibly strong punches for such brief, tight tales. "Scream Saver" is a potent shout out to Long's "Hounds of Tindalos." "The Water Lily Room" is a desperately, beautifully poignant meditation on a middle-aged woman's sense of value (or the lack thereof), and the room that embraces her.
"The Death Verses of Yian-Ho" is one of my very favorite pieces in this collection. What an elegant, engrossing story! It pushes all of my buttons: the questing student pursuing a lead in her research, the Special Collections at Miskatonic University, the hint of blasphemous history, the sudden and terrible realizations about the past and its grasping reach toward the present... Outstanding.
The final half of the volume consists of five interwoven tales focused on amateur anthropologist Cassie Barrett and her Wyoming-related (though not always Wyoming-based) encounters with the Outside. These possess the keen sense of place, Native culture, and mystery that I value in Craig Johnson's Longmire series coupled with the Lovecraftian sense of the weird and unexplained that made me a great fan of The X-Files. (My favorite lines: "Peel back enough layers of anybody's mythology, and you found something older and darker. Maybe older and darker than humanity's bright little moment on this rock.") Ann K. Schwader combines these storytelling elements to great effect. I want to read more.
Schwader's spare, poetic prose gives the reader just enough to ignite the imagination and meet her halfway with fear and fascination. A lesser stylist could easily overwrite these tales, and all sense of awe and mystery would be lost. I simply couldn't have asked for more perfect October reading. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2017
This was a thoroughly enjoyable collection of weird fiction, in the Lovecraftian vein specifically.
There’s a good deal of variety here. Some of the stories are rather sad like “When the Stars Run Away,” "Wings of Memory" and “The Water Lily Room.” While “The Sweetness of Your Heart” is a sort of moody, Gothic tale. “Dark Equinox” and “The Death Verses of Yian-Ho” are similar in that both are about students’ who’s researches get them into some deep troubles.
“Desert Mystery! Gas & Go!,” “Rehab,” “Scream Saver” and “Her Beloved Son” all clock in around 1,000 words each. Some of these are OK but they were generally among my least favorites. “Custom Order” is a much longer story, one of creepiest in the book by far, and one of the best.
The final five stories (and last half of the book) center around a young woman named Cassie who, let’s just say, has run-ins with Lovecraftian monsters of the Native American vein out West. I thought these stories were above the average for the book overall. They’re connected and should be read in order. Since these stories have been published in various places it was understandable that each one begins with a sort of “refresher” of Cassie’s previous adventures, but reading these back-to-back that aspect of it got a little wearing.
A few of these stories warrant pretty close reading, in particular “The Water Lily Room,” “Dark Equinox” and “The Death Verses of Yian-Ho.” But generally there’s nothing here too elusive and nebulous.
Dark Equinox - I always enjoy weird tales about art. I liked how this one kept me guessing, feeding out little hints as it went along, but never really letting you see the whole picture. The end is certainly vague enough to leave things up to the imagination of the reader. A graduate student hoping to beef up her credentials becomes obsessed with the final work of a strange photographer who died under mysterious circumstances. The dead artists’ brother helps her, with some vaguely sinister hints about things his sister was investigating.
The Sweetness of Your Heart - This is something in a totally different style; a gothic, moody, atmospheric tale. It’s short, but effective. A new bride goes to live with her dour new husband -- and his dark past.
When the Stars Run Away - A powerful, touching and sad story. It’s cosmic horror from a child’s perspective, a child trying to understand the unknown in their own way. A young girl tries to grapple with a hostile universe, and her own family griefs.
Wings of Memory - This story was a bit less "outre" than the others, a bit more standard supernatural revenge story that brings a smile to the face. A recently-widowed elderly woman takes in a nephew who in turn tries to take over her life.
Her Beloved Son - A very short, strange little story, and a twist on Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror.”
Custom Order - A creepy, grim story with a few genuinely eerie, creepy-crawly moments. One of my favorites in the book. A young woman goes to work as a nurse for the baby of a very wealthy man. She quickly learns the baby far from normal, and has a very sinister side.
Desert Mystery! Gas & Go! - A very short little horror story, but fairly effective for what it packs in a mere 1,000~ words. A gas station owner operates a very unique roadside attraction. Oh it's great, follow me down this tunnel!
Rehab - The briefest story in the book, and a very strange one at that. A woman gets some very weird help in keeping her client’s body ready to model.
Scream Saver - Another shorty, this one in the vein of corporate horror. A woman discovers her coworker staring into a strange fractal screen saver, and finds out it is far more than just that.
The Water Lily Room - A sad, muted story, milder than others here in terms of weirdness, but it has a definite haunting melancholy. In tone and theme it reminds me of something from the Victorian era. When a family retreats to a house in the country for the summer, the wife only becomes more lonely. She consoles herself in a sunny room that seems to speak to her alone.
The Death Verses of Yian-Ho - Another story of a graduate thesis gone wrong (like the first story.) I liked this one a lot, the description at the end is especially well-done. A young woman working on a thesis on Asian calligraphy develops a theory that a line of women have written mysterious “death poems” stretching all the way back to the mystical kingdom of Leng. Unfortunately for her she uncovers something best left alone.
Twenty Mile - This is the first in the series of five final stories that center around the character of Cassie, a girl who has run-ins with the weird in the American West. The cave exploration theme reminded me a bit of Karl Edward Wagner’s, Scott Nikolay’s and perhaps Laird Barron's stories at times. Cassie is upset that her cousin intends to sell off his family ranch to a developer. The old foreman on the property, an elderly native American convinces her that the land is plagued by something that should prevent it from ever being populated by humans.
Experiencing the Other - The saga of Cassie and her ranch continue. I liked this story a bit more than the previous one. The ending is both grotesque and suitably ambiguous. Cassie, needing money to pay off the ranch’s back taxes agrees to allow a professor and a crew of people onto the ranch on the solstice who wish to investigate the yearly cattle mutilations.
Paradigm Wash - This is probably my favorite story in the book, or at least in the "Cassie saga." The idea that Cassie will volunteer in an archaeological dig after what she’s been through seems a bit implausible, but doesn’t take away from the story. And who are we to question a death wish? I thought this one had some great touches of the grotesque, sadistic and scary. Cassie helps at an archaeological dig that is taking on volunteers after two students mysteriously disappeared on the site last year. Cassie uncovers the truth of what happened to the students, and it’s connection with what she found on her ranch.
Night of the Piper - Another tale of Cassie stumbling into cosmic horrors, she just runs right toward them every chance she gets! This story is probably my second favorite in this saga of Cassie, right after the previous one. Cassie volunteers at a charity that uses native American symbolism she has seen in her nightmares, but she is really trying to discover what happened to a woman who worked there recently and disappeared.
The Wind-Caller - This story ranks better than the first two Cassie stories, “Twenty Mile” and “Experiencing the Other,” but I would rank it below the previous two. It’s different from the other stories, claustrophobic, and I liked the wintry atmosphere. Cassie becomes stranded in a small town where the town bully seems to have command of a supernatural power.
There’s a good deal of variety here. Some of the stories are rather sad like “When the Stars Run Away,” "Wings of Memory" and “The Water Lily Room.” While “The Sweetness of Your Heart” is a sort of moody, Gothic tale. “Dark Equinox” and “The Death Verses of Yian-Ho” are similar in that both are about students’ who’s researches get them into some deep troubles.
“Desert Mystery! Gas & Go!,” “Rehab,” “Scream Saver” and “Her Beloved Son” all clock in around 1,000 words each. Some of these are OK but they were generally among my least favorites. “Custom Order” is a much longer story, one of creepiest in the book by far, and one of the best.
The final five stories (and last half of the book) center around a young woman named Cassie who, let’s just say, has run-ins with Lovecraftian monsters of the Native American vein out West. I thought these stories were above the average for the book overall. They’re connected and should be read in order. Since these stories have been published in various places it was understandable that each one begins with a sort of “refresher” of Cassie’s previous adventures, but reading these back-to-back that aspect of it got a little wearing.
A few of these stories warrant pretty close reading, in particular “The Water Lily Room,” “Dark Equinox” and “The Death Verses of Yian-Ho.” But generally there’s nothing here too elusive and nebulous.
Dark Equinox - I always enjoy weird tales about art. I liked how this one kept me guessing, feeding out little hints as it went along, but never really letting you see the whole picture. The end is certainly vague enough to leave things up to the imagination of the reader. A graduate student hoping to beef up her credentials becomes obsessed with the final work of a strange photographer who died under mysterious circumstances. The dead artists’ brother helps her, with some vaguely sinister hints about things his sister was investigating.
The Sweetness of Your Heart - This is something in a totally different style; a gothic, moody, atmospheric tale. It’s short, but effective. A new bride goes to live with her dour new husband -- and his dark past.
When the Stars Run Away - A powerful, touching and sad story. It’s cosmic horror from a child’s perspective, a child trying to understand the unknown in their own way. A young girl tries to grapple with a hostile universe, and her own family griefs.
Wings of Memory - This story was a bit less "outre" than the others, a bit more standard supernatural revenge story that brings a smile to the face. A recently-widowed elderly woman takes in a nephew who in turn tries to take over her life.
Her Beloved Son - A very short, strange little story, and a twist on Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror.”
Custom Order - A creepy, grim story with a few genuinely eerie, creepy-crawly moments. One of my favorites in the book. A young woman goes to work as a nurse for the baby of a very wealthy man. She quickly learns the baby far from normal, and has a very sinister side.
Desert Mystery! Gas & Go! - A very short little horror story, but fairly effective for what it packs in a mere 1,000~ words. A gas station owner operates a very unique roadside attraction. Oh it's great, follow me down this tunnel!
Rehab - The briefest story in the book, and a very strange one at that. A woman gets some very weird help in keeping her client’s body ready to model.
Scream Saver - Another shorty, this one in the vein of corporate horror. A woman discovers her coworker staring into a strange fractal screen saver, and finds out it is far more than just that.
The Water Lily Room - A sad, muted story, milder than others here in terms of weirdness, but it has a definite haunting melancholy. In tone and theme it reminds me of something from the Victorian era. When a family retreats to a house in the country for the summer, the wife only becomes more lonely. She consoles herself in a sunny room that seems to speak to her alone.
The Death Verses of Yian-Ho - Another story of a graduate thesis gone wrong (like the first story.) I liked this one a lot, the description at the end is especially well-done. A young woman working on a thesis on Asian calligraphy develops a theory that a line of women have written mysterious “death poems” stretching all the way back to the mystical kingdom of Leng. Unfortunately for her she uncovers something best left alone.
Twenty Mile - This is the first in the series of five final stories that center around the character of Cassie, a girl who has run-ins with the weird in the American West. The cave exploration theme reminded me a bit of Karl Edward Wagner’s, Scott Nikolay’s and perhaps Laird Barron's stories at times. Cassie is upset that her cousin intends to sell off his family ranch to a developer. The old foreman on the property, an elderly native American convinces her that the land is plagued by something that should prevent it from ever being populated by humans.
Experiencing the Other - The saga of Cassie and her ranch continue. I liked this story a bit more than the previous one. The ending is both grotesque and suitably ambiguous. Cassie, needing money to pay off the ranch’s back taxes agrees to allow a professor and a crew of people onto the ranch on the solstice who wish to investigate the yearly cattle mutilations.
Paradigm Wash - This is probably my favorite story in the book, or at least in the "Cassie saga." The idea that Cassie will volunteer in an archaeological dig after what she’s been through seems a bit implausible, but doesn’t take away from the story. And who are we to question a death wish? I thought this one had some great touches of the grotesque, sadistic and scary. Cassie helps at an archaeological dig that is taking on volunteers after two students mysteriously disappeared on the site last year. Cassie uncovers the truth of what happened to the students, and it’s connection with what she found on her ranch.
Night of the Piper - Another tale of Cassie stumbling into cosmic horrors, she just runs right toward them every chance she gets! This story is probably my second favorite in this saga of Cassie, right after the previous one. Cassie volunteers at a charity that uses native American symbolism she has seen in her nightmares, but she is really trying to discover what happened to a woman who worked there recently and disappeared.
The Wind-Caller - This story ranks better than the first two Cassie stories, “Twenty Mile” and “Experiencing the Other,” but I would rank it below the previous two. It’s different from the other stories, claustrophobic, and I liked the wintry atmosphere. Cassie becomes stranded in a small town where the town bully seems to have command of a supernatural power.
February 23, 2016
I don't read a lot of Lovecraftian literature, but I'm glad I read this book. Some of the stories ended with a sort of horrifying unintended justice that I found oddly appealing. One story that stuck with me was Wings of Memory.
- SPOILERS AHEAD - I found the characters interestingly ambiguous. The great-nephew was a bad guy and had to go. But really, with everyone telling him what a loser he was going to be, and how he was such a disappointment, well really, he didn't have much of a chance. And the raven was wonderful. Was he an emissary from beyond, there to help? Or was he a really smart corvid with a healthy self-interest? - END SPOILER ALERT -
I also enjoyed the Cassie Barrett stories. She seems like a western girl I'd like to know. Or maybe not, since bad things seem to happen around her.
- SPOILERS AHEAD - I found the characters interestingly ambiguous. The great-nephew was a bad guy and had to go. But really, with everyone telling him what a loser he was going to be, and how he was such a disappointment, well really, he didn't have much of a chance. And the raven was wonderful. Was he an emissary from beyond, there to help? Or was he a really smart corvid with a healthy self-interest? - END SPOILER ALERT -
I also enjoyed the Cassie Barrett stories. She seems like a western girl I'd like to know. Or maybe not, since bad things seem to happen around her.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews