Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes

by Mark Samuels

Some writers haunt entire landscapes with their visions: Peter Ackroyd’s London, Joel Lane’s Birmingham. All the same, urban weirdness – however we might define it – is rarer. You’ll know it when you see it. Its two modern masters are Thomas Ligotti and Mark Samuels. Each has transformed the big city into something profoundly personal yet uncannily recognisable… There are echoes of Lovecraft in some of the tales, and in “A Gentleman from Mexico” Samuels writes a full-scale tribute. It respects the man’s philosophy in a way that very few Lovecraft imitations do – but then, this isn’t one; it’s a cosmic distance from the kind of slavish pastiche referred to in the tale...

Ten critically acclaimed weird fiction stories by the author of The White Hands And Other Weird Tales, The Face Of Twilight, The Man Who Collected Machen and Written In Darkness.

Genres: Horror, Weird Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Mark Samuels (1967-2023) was a British writer of weird and fantastic fiction in the tradition of Arthur Machen and H. P. Lovecraft. Born in deepest Clapham, South London, he was first published in 1988, and his short stories often focus on detailing a shadowy world in which his protagonists gradually discover terrifying and rapturous vistas lurking behind modernity. His work has been highly praised by the likes of Thomas Ligotti and Ramsey Campbell and has appeared in prestigious anthologies of horror and weird fiction on both sides of the Atlantic.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a literary and satisfying collection of eerie tales. Written in a completely relatable style, each story lead me through strange territories hidden within the familiar. Themes of solitude and alienation increased the claustrophobic press of the unreal. Dereliction of atmosphere and geography inspired fear of isolation and the unknown.

The delicate, transparent layers between sanity and derangement melted as a legion of words took over an asylum wall. Fungus and decayed mannequins occupied crumbling dwellings, while a train circled the nether regions ad infinitum. Subterranean legends became reality, and the darkness was impenetrable. The hiss of static delivered messages and ghosts.

H.P. Lovecraft may be among us. Have your gods changed history?

[L.S. Popovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection of unsettling short stories in the vein of Machen, Poe, and Ligotti. Mark Samuels appears to be able to hold his own when compared to these giants. His command of language is only matched by his superb imagination. Darkness infuses every atmospheric example of traditional storytelling. While the stories in this book are not wildly experimental, they are not predictable or conventional. I would say a few of them verge on cheesy, but the tone and description are handled very well. The characters do not act like idiots, as in most horror films, but the events definitely assume a cinematic allure.

The stories to be found here are:
preface - Mark Samuels is genuinely recognized as a paramour within the genre of weird fiction. The easiest comparison is Ligotti, though you will find touches of influence and originality ranging the gamut of weird authors.

Glyphotech - a startling tale about the perils of corporate group think, with a B-movie ending.

Sentinels - Another likable protagonist, encountering horror in the everyday. Derelict places in the city achieve prominence as effective motifs.

Patient 704 - being trapped in an insane asylum is a well-used concept. This was a provocative example. Television static emerges as a theme within the author's work, conveying a subliminal layer of unearthly or demonic maliciousness.

Shallaballah - very creepy. Mannikin's become a theme. More run-down tenement buildings, grungy, gritty locales, and physically repulsive characters doing shocking things.

Ghorla

Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall - Found text as a motif. The cliche of mental patients scribbling on walls combined with a fungal anomaly. Well-honed horror tropes employed with aplomb.

The Cannibal Kings of Horror
Destination Nihil by Edmund Bertrand
The Vanishing Point

Regina vs. Zoskia - A legal case lingering through the ages, concealing deeply insane motives. Posits that the universe at large exhibits insanity.

A Gentleman from Mexico - A tribute to Lovecraft and a metafictional found text story. Very atmospheric and satisfying.

While I was not bowled over by this collection, I was entertained all the way through and enthralled on a few occasions. I'll devour many more short stories by this author before I grow weary, and if there is more variety in future volumes, I may become addicted to the easy-to-read style. A highly recommended entry point into cosmic horror.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book is "Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes" AND IS number 4 in the PS Showcase series. The book is published in two variations, 100 jacketed hardcovers signed by Mark Samuels and Ramsey Campbell and 300 hardcovers signed by Mark Samuels, This is Samuels fourth book. The book was published September 2008 and cost £10.00 or [$15.00 US] or £25.00 or [$40.00 US] The book is now out of print from the publisher in both editions.

The Book contains the following stories:

Ramsey Campbell - Introduction

Glyphotech
Sentinels
Patient 704
Shallaballah
Ghorla
Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall
The Cannibal Kings of Horror
Destination Nihil by Edmund Bertrand
The Vanishing Point
Regina vs. Zoskia
A Gentleman from Mexico

The Authors previous books were:

2003 Black Altars (Cloud 14) Rainfall Books UK
2003 The White Hands and Other Weird Tales Tartarus Press UK
2006 The Face of Twilight PS UK

This is copy 80 of 100 signed and numbered copies signed by Mark Samuels and Ramsey Campbell who wrote the introduction.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colección de relatos del británico Mark Samuels, autor que destaca por sus atmósferas inquietantes, acercándonos las maneras de los grandes (Poe, Machen, Lovecraft, Ligotti, Barker) a nuestros días. Sus personajes son alienados y paranoicos, que se encuentran en situaciones ciertamente extrañas.

Glyphotech. Un trabajador que estuvo mucho tiempo en Japón, lo que le hace actuar y hablar de manera poco habitual, se ve envuelto en una conspiración corporativa. Relato largo o novela corta, se desarrolla muy bien.

Sentinels. Relato de trenes que recuerda a algún relato de Clive Barker.

Patient 704. Algo extraño sucede en un psiquiátrico, donde la televisión tiene su importancia.

Shallaballah. En un centro de cirugía estética se realizan todo tipo de intervenciones.

Ghorla. El protagonista decide desplazarse a la ciudad donde murió el escritor de novelas pulp Julius Ghorla, del que está realizando un trabajo.

Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall. Muy buen relato de Samuels, donde utiliza ese tropo del terror que es la escritura en las paredes, en este caso en un manicomio.

Destination Nihil. Extraño relato, también ambientado en un tren.

The Vanishing Point. Un hombre enfermo se ve envuelto en una situación aterradora, donde aparecen maniquíes por doquier.

Regina vs. Zoskia. Relato kafkiano, donde un bufete de abogados lleva un caso aparentemente sin solución.

A Gentleman from Mexico. Claro homenaje a Lovecraft, donde un editor se encuentra con los relatos de un extraño personaje que dice ser la reencarnación del Maestro. Es un muy buen relato, donde curiosamente se hace mención a dos editoriales españolas, Valdemar y Siruela.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

_Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes_ was published in hardcover a few year ago. That edition is now out of print. Mark Samuels has joined the revolution in publishing and recently self published this book in paperback.

One thing that struck me about these stories is that they are, indeed, macabre, more so, in my opinion, than the stories of other writers in the field such as Robert Aickman and Thomas Ligotti.

There is some difference in the contents between the two editions. This book has:

Preface by Mark Samuels
Glyphotech
Sentinels
Patient 704
Shallaballah
Ghorla
Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall
Destination Nihil
The Vanishing Point
Regina vs. Zoskia
A Gentleman From Mexico

"Glyphotech" Corporate horror (I know that sounds redundant). The narrator's employer has motivational seminars which seems awfully like cult indoctrination. The narrator quits his job and becomes the target of a strange organization.

Two train stories: the Twilight Zone-style "Destination Nihil" and the excellent "Sentinels". In "Sentinels", a detective investigates the disappearance of a writer on the paranormal. One of this writer's books was on the dark, mysterious aspects of London's train system, which our detective explores in his search for the writer.

" The book was divided into several chapters, each specializing in a subterranean urban legend: (1) Cases of Posthumous Mutation in London in London Cemeteries (2) Derelict reverse Skyscrapers 1936-1957 (3) Mass disappearance of Persons sheltering in the Underground during the Blitz (4) Graffiti or Occult Symbolism? (5) Suppressed Eyewitness account during the Construction of the Underground Railways 1860-1976 (6) The Fleet Line extension to Fenchurch Street must be Halted (7) Secret Bunkers or Extermination Centres? (8) The deep level Platforms of the proposed Express Tube: Why they caused Insanity (9) The Hidden Shafts that connect Subterranean London."

"Vanishing Point" reminded me a little of John Carpenter's movie They Live. In "Vanishing Point", the protagonist is making plans for suicide when he sees a strange transmission on TV. The story has a Twilight-Zone style twist.

"Patient 704" and "Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall" uses the old horror trope of the insane asylum, nevertheless they are interesting stories.

In "Ghorla", the protagonist researches an obscure, dead pulp fiction novelist named Ghorla who had an interesting idea about consciousness in one of his novels. Ghoul's ideas about consciousness turn out to be horribly true.

"Shallaballah" is about a Punch and Judy show broadcast live after death.

"Regina vs. Zoskia" is a Kafkaesque story about a lawsuit against an asylum.

In "A Gentleman From Mexico" the British protagonist encounters in Mexico a writer who writes like Lovecraft himself. Not like an imitator. Could Lovecraft have been re-incarnated in this Mexican writer? Our protagonist, at the end of the story, winds up in an unusual state.

For me, the stories ranged from 4 to 4.5 stars.

[Benjamin Uminsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2nd collection from Mark Samuels was incredibly good. I think were it not for his amazing previous Tartarus Press Collection WHITE HANDS AND OTHER STORIES, I would also be giving GLYPHOTECH 5 stars as well. However, in comparing the two collections, WHITE HANDS is clearly the stronger collection of the two.

One minor note of criticism regarding this collection... I think I noticed Samuels trying his hand at satire, particularly evident in "Canibal Kings of Horror". This story fell flat for me as the characters seemed farcical and the satire was really overdone, ultimately losing its charm, and this reader, very quickly. However, in contrast, I found his other satirical tale of laws and lawyers gone awry, "Regina vs. Zoskia" to be largely compelling. I suppose the satirical approach is a little hit or miss for Samuels.

Moving onto the meat of this collection, I found these gems to be comparable to the gems from WHITE HANDS:

1) Glyphotech: A highly engaging weird tale of office intrigue, obsession, and paranoia. Another one of those bizarre weird tales firmly ensconced in the banalities of the work area. A supremely woven story.

2) Sentinels: A noirish hunt for a missing train driver who may have happened upon a secret underworld beneath the streets of London. This tale feels like it could easily be further developed into a longer piece, or series of short stories, interlinked by this mystery underworld... absolutely loved it

3) Cesare Thodol: Highly disturbing tale of madness spread like a disease or in this case, a fungus. This theme of insanity being insidiously spread like a virus is a very common motif for Samuels, one of his major strong suits.

4) The Vanishing Point: This one started off to me as a incredibly soul crushing account of a man who seemed to have read Ligotti's "Conspiracy against the human race" and taken it to heart. However, as our protagonist turned inwardly to the abyss, he learns a startling truth about his current world... which I did not at all see coming. Incredibly disturbing stuff.

Samuels continues to grow in stature and enjoyability for this reader. His tales are so incredibly captivating. I hope he continues to write and publish new works.

Highly, highly recommended for any aficionado of the weird tale.

[Justin Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Samuels blew me away with The White Hands and Other Weird Tales. I found his first collection, Black Altars to be good but not great, more of a showcase of potential. His third collection, Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes is another top notch collection in the vein of The White Hands.

In the introduction, Ramsey Campbell calls Mark Samuels a modern master of urban horror and compares him to the great Thomas Ligotti. Campbell is completely accurate in this description, and Ligotti's influence can be seen throughout the collection.

Glyphotech is an interesting collection. Many motifs recur throughout the stories: trains, mannequins/puppets, asylums, madness and paranoia. Samuels excels at writing alienated, awkward characters who manage to find themselves in inescapable situations where surrealism takes over and everything becomes a downward spiral.

The collection opens with the title story, Glyphotech, which serves as a prime example of urban, corporate horror. An already estranged man disagrees with his company's new direction, and finds himself the target of a mysterious outside corporation which seems to spread like a disease.

Sentinels brings a loner detective into the horrific underground in a story that can't help but bring to mind Clive Barker's Midnight Meat Train. This tale is perhaps the most visceral of all the terrors to be found in this collection, and the implications of the city being involved makes it all the scarier.

Patient 704 first appeared in Black Altars, and is the one story from that previous collection that Samuels deemed worthy of saving. The story also has the distinction of being one of my favorite asylum stories. The deterioration of the narrator's mental faculties is handled brilliantly.

Shallaballah brings readers into a nightmarish "medical center" in a surreal exploration of possible life after death in a world of urban decay. After reading this story Punch and Judy shall never be seen in the same light again.

Samuels visits a mysterious small town in Ghorla, where an irritable scholar seeks out the sister of a deceased and mostly unknown horror author. The weirdness of the story leads to a crazy ending, which is equal parts laughable and disturbing.

Cesare Thodol: Lines Written On a Wall has readers visiting yet another asylum, as the narrator unravels the mystery involving a contagious madness that involves mannequins and fungus. A great example of how talented Samuels is at writing original stories in the vein of classic weird horror.

Satire and horror combine in The Cannibal Kings of Horror. A horror fan goes to a convention with the hopes to meet his idol, only to receive a wake-up call. The story is over the top, and despite being humorous has a grisly ending.

Destination Nihil by Edmund Bertand pretends to be a story by reclusive, abrasive author Edmund Bertrand, a character from The Cannibal Kings of Horror, in which this story in particular is read by the main character. This one is short, and is a story about identity taking place on a bizarre train.

The Vanishing Point sees a man at the end of his rope. Samuels evokes hopelessness and slowly turns it into horror as the protagonist's already miserable reality becomes terrifying.

Regina vs. Zoskia is a great story about the sane being guilty, as a lawyer is drawn into an absurd case involving an asylum and it's sleepless residents.

A Gentleman From Mexico was actually the first story by Samuels I read, in Lockhart's Book of Cthulhu II. The story is another fine example of how Samuels can blend humor and horror equally, and works as a great homage to the Gentleman From Providence.

This collection is perfect for any fans of weird horror. It's not as available as The White Hands, as it's run was rather limited, but I would be confident in saying that for fans of The White Hands this book is worth every penny.

Originally appeared on my blog, The Arkham Digest.

[s · Rating 1 out of 5]

rote ligotti imitation with an edge of misogyny. mark scamuels

[Rodrigo Tello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in Samuels' prose is like a liminal nightmare born from the bowels of a sick mind. From the demented madhouse of "Patient 704" and the morbid killer dolls of "Shallaballah", traveling on the train of the dead with "Destination Nihil" and succumbing to a "Vanishing Point" in which miserable reality is taken over by an inexplicable alien hell.... And let's not forget the wonder of the "Glyphotech", with which we will all have happier jobs and be much more productive at them, even if it means giving our souls to scary wax creatures.... Samuels has created a world of living, ravenous nightmares, of shadow people full of hate and evil, a putrid world of macabre processes that constantly threaten to invade our reality.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro buen libro de relatos de Mark Samuels. En este caso nos encontramos con uno de sus primeros libros de relatos que más tarde reeditaría. Las mejores historias del libro son "Cesare Thodol: unas líneas escritas en la pared" y "Un caballero de Mexico", y también estaban en el recopilatorio que Valdemar publicó este año.

Entre el resto de historias del libro destacaría:

Glyphotech(****): Un hombre empieza un trabajo nuevo y al terminar el dia se encuentra atrapado en el edificio y no puede salir.Pesadilla empresarial a lo Ligotti.

Paciente 704(***): Un investigador privado va a un psiquiátrico para investigar la desaparición de una mujer y acaba secuestrado entre sus paredes. Drogado y débil es obligado a ver todos los dias el mismo vídeo donde otro paciente aparece de espaldas haciendo cosas extrañas. Muy creepy.

Shallaballah(***): Un actor va a un extraño centro de cirugia estética después de tener un accidente que le deforma la cara. Allí lea tienden los bizarros doctores Punch y Judy.

[P · Rating 3 out of 5]

All stories are ok. The best ones are:
- Glyphotech
- Patient 704
- Ghorla
- A gentleman from Mexico

The story "Cesare Thodol: some lines written on a wall" has the theme of script on a wall being outlined in fungi. This same idea returns in Jeff Vandermeer Annihilation trilogy. I wonder if there's some influence here.

[Zac Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

A somewhat disappointing, often frustrating, collection of nearly good tales mired by some truly worrisome elements.
Samuels is proving to be an author of two halves, interested to read more of his work to see which side I favor.

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is very engrossing but the stories inside are more horror than dark fantasy so they appealed less than I expected to me.

[Vultural · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuels, Mark - Glyphotech And Other Macabre Processes

For those of us who missed the 2008 edition, Zagava has republished this in a limited edition, and affordable paperback. As many have read these stories, I will try to keep comments brief.

The title story, “Glyphotech,” seems to prophesy how deeply the defacto internet search engine might metastasize into the Big Brother observer / aide to everyday lives. There, as here, few notice the insidiousness of the coup. Most shrug, the few who object – those are the nails who stand up, aren’t they?

“Sentinels” is a brooding excursion into the depths of the London Underground. In this case, the abandoned stations, forgotten. Perhaps not entirely forgotten. As long as there are tracks, there are clients.

The writer of limited .. what? .. chapbooks, intends to devote an issue to the obscure author. The concept is as old as Lovecraft, as Poe, yet “Ghorla” is steeped in an uncomfortable atmosphere, and it yields a nasty surprise with the locks.

“The Cannibal Kings Of Horror” is a funny gem, mocking obsessive readers and scribbling hacks alike. One can see why this is unappreciated, however, since most Horror fans suffer the same limited sense of humor as your family dentist.

For this edition, two brief yarns appear to have been appended. One offers the fear of being superseded, replaced. The other suggests the futility of devotion.

Ramsey Campbell provides a lovely introduction, illuminating stories without thoughtlessly penning casual synopses.

Finally, Jonas has commissioned art for each work. Joseph Dawson’s black and white sketches serve to darkly foretell proceedings, like wicked appetizers.

For fans of Mr. Samuels, or of Zagava Press, Glyphotech is top quality.

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a thread of fungus/cancer, inspiraton, insanity, sleeplessness, creative transmission that weaves through nemonymous labyrinths (paradoxically) of many souls and one soul. Them and me. Static yet vibrant (again paradoxically). Both old-fashioned and revolutionary fiction (again paradoxically). Ligotti, Grabinski, Dickens, Lovecraft, Poe, Kafka, Borges, Machen, but essentially Samuels, the good old-fashioned Mark of Genius who knows not what lies within him…
It was a privilege to read this book.

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.

[Aya Rezk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Glyphotech, Sentinels, Patient 704 and Shallaballah, but I couldn't bring myself to finish :(

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting conceptions(if derivative), but let down by predictable and unadventurous prose. Didn't live up to the hype thrown his way.

[Sam Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a lovely dank feverishness at times.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Samuels collection:

Blew me away. So much to like here. The pacing of his stories, the density, the wry humour, and the sheer batshittery of it all. Cesare Thodol was the only story that didn't captivate me. Arguably Ligotti's equal.

[Jackson Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the world of paranormal and macabre short stories, pastiche is the norm and it's difficult to find authors who stand out through their own ideas, instead content to recycle time tested stories or are all too excited to expand the bloated "Cthulhu Mythos". That is why Mark Samuels stands out as an author unsatisfied to follow trends and instead puts his own indelible spin on small creative universes, each with its own haunting truth.

Glyphotech is a collection of 11 short stories, usually 2 or 3 chapters in length. Each story is unconnected, allowing for unique characters and situations to bloom unfettered by a coherent fictional world. The short length of each story allows for a succinct set up, tension and pay off, usually with the last lines giving a great release to a mystery or as a haunting send off. The length also allows for Samuels writing to shine by delivering exactly what the reader needs to know in an emotional but not melodramatic way, each sentence feeling satisfying and exact. You'll find no Lovecraft-like excessive adjectives or archaic language here.

Another aspect of this collection that is worth cheering is the settings themselves. Samuels has crafted himself macabre worlds without falling back on accepted yet generic mansions, graveyards, victorian-esque towns or villages. Most stories are in locations familiar to modern day readers, allowing for more experimentation with aspects of society we as readers are familiar with. Although the man certainly likes his subway settings.

Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes is an excellent read for horror devotees and highly recommended for those feel exasperated with current and classic horror trends.

[Alex Budris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second volume in my re-read of all my Mark Samuels books. The Man Who Collected Machen is, in my opinion, the stronger of the two collections, having spontaneously sprouted a star on the revised review, but this book, Glyphotech, is certainly also a success. Ligottian, definatley Ligottian... Ruined infrastructures and collapsed skylines. Soul-crushing solitude. Terrible transmutations. A great samsara of filth and boy is Mr. Samuels cheery... Next up: The White Hands.