This Spectacular Darkness: Critical Essays

by Joel Lane, Mark Valentine (Editor), John Howard (Editor)

Joel Lane, renowned as a writer of compelling strange stories, novels in the noir tradition, and acute poetry, was also a thoughtful and perceptive essayist on the fantasy and horror fields. For the journal Wormwood he wrote a series of pieces discussing the leading figures in twentieth-century dark literature, including H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Ligotti, Fritz Leiber and Robert Aickman. They are characterised by his profound insight, high critical standards and his keen allegiance to this fiction.

Joel always intended to collect these essays in a book to be entitled This Spectacular Darkness, a quotation from the poet Edwin Morgan, whose work he admired. This cannot be that book: but it brings together all the essays he was able to write in the series.

Joel writes in his essay, ‘This Spectacular Darkness’, ‘. . . it was essential to ask new questions about human nature and our place in the world. Horror fiction was . . . an attempt to generate new myths—or a new kind of imagination—that could deal with . . . new realities.’ And few have understood and explored these new myths and realities with the deep understanding that he goes on to demonstrate.

Also collected here are essays Joel wrote for other publications, including studies of Ramsey Campbell, Robert Bloch and Nyarlathotep. The volume is completed by appreciations of Joel’s essays, poetry, short stories and novels.

Genres: Horror, Essays, Nonfiction

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Joel Lane was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, critic and anthology editor. He received the World Fantasy Award in 2013 and the British Fantasy Award twice.

Born in Exeter, he was the nephew of tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott. At the time of his death, Lane was living in south Birmingham, where he worked in health industry-related publishing. His location frequently provided settings for his fiction.

Reviews

[Max Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel Lane wrote wonderfully weird fiction. He was also an extremely perceptive critic of weird and horror writing, combining astute observation with an obvious enthusiasm for the work of Leiber, Aickman, and others. This is an excellent compilation of his work, sensitively put together by the wonderful Tartareans. It's filled with illuminating comments that make you see even familiar tales with new eyes. Strongly recommended.