A Little White Book of Screams and Whispers

Little Book Series III

by Thomas Ligotti

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror writer and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings have been noted as being rooted in several literary genres—most prominently, weird fiction—and have overall been described by critics such as S. T. Joshi as works of “philosophical horror,” often written as short stories and novellas and with similarities to gothic fiction. The worldview espoused by Ligotti in both his fiction and non-fiction has been described as profoundly pessimistic and nihilistic. The Washington Post called him the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction.

We are very proud to include this fascinating and unique writer in our Little Book Series. A Little White Book of Screams and Whispers is a compilation of Interviews with Ligotti that have never been collected or reprinted. The author’s complex and esoteric answers will give you insight into one of the most original and unsettling writers of weird dark fantasy.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

131 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror author and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings, while unique in style, have been noted as major continuations of several literary genres—most prominently Lovecraftian horror—and have overall been described as works of "philosophical horror", often written as philosophical novels with a "darker" undertone which is similar to gothic fiction. The Washington Post called him "the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction"; another critic declared "It's a skilled writer indeed who can suggest a horror so shocking that one is grateful it was kept offstage."

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim little volume assembles a number of recent (mainly 2015-2018) and uncollected interviews with Thomas Ligotti, many of which have previously been published in foreign (mostly Italian) publications; thus, this is the first time that many of these interviews, as far as I know, have been published in English, and for that at the very least, is an invaluable contribution to the field of Ligotti studies. You could say that this book makes a nice companion piece to the BORN TO FEAR interview collection that was edited by Matt Cardin a number of years ago. While one wishes that some of the interviewers had been more original or creative in the questions they came up with (the questions from the Lovecraft eZine interview were probably the most interesting in that regard), there were some nuggets of information here that was news to me, such as how LAWRENCE OF ARABIA being Ligotti's favorite film. Other topics covered include Buddhism, Gnosticism, Wabi-sabi, the aesthetics of pure decay, the appeal of apocalyptic zombie narratives, euthanasia, "The Chymist" as his breakthrough story, poetry, Current 93, his own musical ambitions, Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS, the role that dreams and nightmares have played in his life and work, an appreciation of the guitar solo in Steve Winwood's cover of Traffic's "Mr. Fantasy," THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE's function as a self-help book, why he prefers Dino Buzzati to Kafka, the Graveyard Poets, and so forth. While this book is obviously a must-have for any Ligotti sick soul, I just wish it had been more vigorously proofread: for such a small book there are a disproportionate number of typos, mainly of the "missing word" variety.

[Zac Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, if at times slight, side read to say The Ligotti Reader but it truly highlights to me how desperately I need to procure a copy of Born to Fear.

[assertNull · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little White Book of Screams and Whispers is a short collection of interviews with supernatural horror author Thomas Ligotti. Almost all of the questions asked were well though out and informed by Ligotti's work. Mr. Ligotti's answers, in turn, were insightful, engaging, and honest.
I strongly recommend A Little White Book of Screams and Whispers to anybody that has any interest in Thomas Ligotti and supernatural horror.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent set of interviews with Ligotti’s participation. Good read!

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

For completionists.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandatory for Ligotti fans

This little book helps one understand Ligotti’s vision and the sources of it. It also contains enough references and shout outs to continue your studies.

[Lewis Housley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains various interviews with Ligotti.