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Dark Matters
A collection of dark poetry by one of the industry's finest craftsman. Beautifully illustrated by Daniele Serra.
Whether he's writing about an errant siren, a grimoire, a vulture, or the apocalyptic implosion of our way of life, Boston does it with stunning and unexpected complexity. There is a sense of completeness to his poems, a sense that he has turned the thing around and looked at it from every angle. He offers insights that are startling in their clarity, and-after he's shown them to us-completely logical. This is a laudable achievement in and of itself, but the fact that he can balance his eye for detail and his intuition about character with a poet's ear for the lyrical joy of language is awe-inspiring.
- Joe McKinney, author of Dead City and Quarantined
Whether he's writing about an errant siren, a grimoire, a vulture, or the apocalyptic implosion of our way of life, Boston does it with stunning and unexpected complexity. There is a sense of completeness to his poems, a sense that he has turned the thing around and looked at it from every angle. He offers insights that are startling in their clarity, and-after he's shown them to us-completely logical. This is a laudable achievement in and of itself, but the fact that he can balance his eye for detail and his intuition about character with a poet's ear for the lyrical joy of language is awe-inspiring.
- Joe McKinney, author of Dead City and Quarantined
96 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2010
About the author
Bruce Boston
356 books118 followersI've published more than sixty books and chapbooks, including the novels Stained Glass Rain and the best-of fiction collection Masque of Dreams. My work ranges from broad humor to literary surrealism, with many stops along the way for science fiction, fantasy, and horror. My novel The Guardener's Tale (Sam's Dot, 2007) was a Bram Stoker Award Finailist and a Prometheus Award Nominee. My stories and poems have appeared in hundreds of publications, including Asimov's SF Magazine, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, Strange Horizons, Realms of Fantasy, Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, and The Nebula Awards Showcase, and received a number of awards, most notably, a Pushcart Prize, the Bram Stoker Award, the Asimov's Readers' Award, the Rhysling Award, and the Grand Master Award of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. For more information, please visit my website at http://www.bruceboston.com/
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2012
If you’re anything like me, the phrase “horror poetry” sends shivers down your spine—for all the wrong reasons. While Gothic verse certainly has a great tradition stretching back hundreds of years, modern-day poetry published within the horror genre is mostly abysmal—“poets” who clearly have little knowledge of poetry beyond, say, Edgar Allan Poe, and “poetry” which owes more to Stephen King than any actual verse published in the past hundred years.
Happily, there are exceptions. Among them none is more prominent or prolific than Bruce Boston, author of more than 40 books within various genres, but perhaps best known for his verse within both the horror and science fiction fields. “Dark Matters,” published in 2010 (and featuring evocative illustrations by Daniele Sierra), is one of his strongest collections—poems both speculative and horrific, featuring work that’s first-rate both in terms of the versification and the fantasy concepts behind it. “Dark Matters” won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Poetry, and rightly so.
“Like Scarlet Birds Screeching” opens this way:
What if those departed,
who return in our dreams,
cast in roles
we unconsciously
create for them,
begin to wonder
what they are doing,
not knowing if
they are alive or dead?...
The interior lives of the people in our dreams: it’s a wonderful concept. Similarly wonderful is “Robovamp,” about…well, just about what you’d think it would be about. Here’s the opening:
Blonde and beveled,
lithe and pneumatic,
the clichéd image
of a teenage boy’s
rough libido at play,
she stalks the dark city
in chains and in leather,
in high lace-up boots
to gather her eager prey….
“Robovamp” is virtually a miniature story-in-verse, vivid and memorable, complete with a surprise ending. It’s loads of fun to read.
Full disclosure: I wrote a blurb which appears on the back cover of this book. Revisiting the volume over the past couple of days, I find that I completely agree with what I wrote then; “Dark Matters” features entertaining and imaginative poems that will reward any adventurous reader’s time.
Happily, there are exceptions. Among them none is more prominent or prolific than Bruce Boston, author of more than 40 books within various genres, but perhaps best known for his verse within both the horror and science fiction fields. “Dark Matters,” published in 2010 (and featuring evocative illustrations by Daniele Sierra), is one of his strongest collections—poems both speculative and horrific, featuring work that’s first-rate both in terms of the versification and the fantasy concepts behind it. “Dark Matters” won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Poetry, and rightly so.
“Like Scarlet Birds Screeching” opens this way:
What if those departed,
who return in our dreams,
cast in roles
we unconsciously
create for them,
begin to wonder
what they are doing,
not knowing if
they are alive or dead?...
The interior lives of the people in our dreams: it’s a wonderful concept. Similarly wonderful is “Robovamp,” about…well, just about what you’d think it would be about. Here’s the opening:
Blonde and beveled,
lithe and pneumatic,
the clichéd image
of a teenage boy’s
rough libido at play,
she stalks the dark city
in chains and in leather,
in high lace-up boots
to gather her eager prey….
“Robovamp” is virtually a miniature story-in-verse, vivid and memorable, complete with a surprise ending. It’s loads of fun to read.
Full disclosure: I wrote a blurb which appears on the back cover of this book. Revisiting the volume over the past couple of days, I find that I completely agree with what I wrote then; “Dark Matters” features entertaining and imaginative poems that will reward any adventurous reader’s time.
October 1, 2010
I don't know much about poetry, but I found Dark Matters to be an excellent collection of the macabre with evocative and disquieting imagery.
July 15, 2015
A rich collection of poetry, Dark Matters moves from contemplative to personal to fantastical and back with startling clarity and grace.
Poems such as “Conflicted as a Warrior Poet,” explicitly examine the many contradictions of being human and how we attempt to balance our hurtful experiences with our sense of hope.
Mr. Boston also calls on the voices of past poets. Wallace Stevens and his “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” are celebrated in Boston’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Vulture.” Both feature a series of thirteen loosely connected sections or mini-poems centered around a particular type of bird, but while Stevens uses the bird as way to personify and capture sensations, Boston’s vulture elicits a sense of fear or trepidation.
French poet, Jean Cocteau, was the inspiration for “The Beast at Vespers,” a meditation on innocence and death. Boston’s “Shadow City” poems all channel Gary William Crawford.
Mr. Boston’s fantasy and horror poetry are as engaging and profound as his more traditionally themed verses as well—a feat not easily accomplished. Pieces like “Ouroborus,” “The Sizing of Curses,” “A Stray Grimoire,” and “Faith of the Torturer,” among others, play on fantasy and horror themes but refrain from clichéd and amateurish vocabulary and scenarios that so often doom other poets in this genre. Indeed, many of Mr. Boston’s most profound lines can be found in his genre-oriented pieces.
The one possible misstep in Dark Matters is the poem “A Siren’s Tale.” It does not fit well within the collection. Additionally, while it has pleasant wit, and an intriguing story, it does not display the same mastery of language and poetic craft as Mr. Boston’s other poems.
That criticism aside, Dark Matters is a clever, thought-provoking, and beautifully penned volume. Perfect for any lover of unique, modern poetry.
Poems such as “Conflicted as a Warrior Poet,” explicitly examine the many contradictions of being human and how we attempt to balance our hurtful experiences with our sense of hope.
Mr. Boston also calls on the voices of past poets. Wallace Stevens and his “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” are celebrated in Boston’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Vulture.” Both feature a series of thirteen loosely connected sections or mini-poems centered around a particular type of bird, but while Stevens uses the bird as way to personify and capture sensations, Boston’s vulture elicits a sense of fear or trepidation.
French poet, Jean Cocteau, was the inspiration for “The Beast at Vespers,” a meditation on innocence and death. Boston’s “Shadow City” poems all channel Gary William Crawford.
Mr. Boston’s fantasy and horror poetry are as engaging and profound as his more traditionally themed verses as well—a feat not easily accomplished. Pieces like “Ouroborus,” “The Sizing of Curses,” “A Stray Grimoire,” and “Faith of the Torturer,” among others, play on fantasy and horror themes but refrain from clichéd and amateurish vocabulary and scenarios that so often doom other poets in this genre. Indeed, many of Mr. Boston’s most profound lines can be found in his genre-oriented pieces.
The one possible misstep in Dark Matters is the poem “A Siren’s Tale.” It does not fit well within the collection. Additionally, while it has pleasant wit, and an intriguing story, it does not display the same mastery of language and poetic craft as Mr. Boston’s other poems.
That criticism aside, Dark Matters is a clever, thought-provoking, and beautifully penned volume. Perfect for any lover of unique, modern poetry.
July 24, 2010
The scarified man
is incised and burnt
with the inscriptions
of a lifetime.
Thus begins the poem, “The Scarified Man,” and Bruce Boston’s latest poetry collection, Dark Matters, 2010, from Bad Moon Books. Every poem and line that follows hits just the right note. But that’s nothing new for Bruce Boston, who has been turning out poetry written in all the right notes for many years now. There are over 80 pages of poems and several truly outstanding illustrations from artist Daniele Serra in the collection. I’ve said it before, but I truly consider Boston to be one of the best speculative poets working today. Dark Matters is an outstanding example of his work. I savored each line and highly recommend it.
is incised and burnt
with the inscriptions
of a lifetime.
Thus begins the poem, “The Scarified Man,” and Bruce Boston’s latest poetry collection, Dark Matters, 2010, from Bad Moon Books. Every poem and line that follows hits just the right note. But that’s nothing new for Bruce Boston, who has been turning out poetry written in all the right notes for many years now. There are over 80 pages of poems and several truly outstanding illustrations from artist Daniele Serra in the collection. I’ve said it before, but I truly consider Boston to be one of the best speculative poets working today. Dark Matters is an outstanding example of his work. I savored each line and highly recommend it.
December 9, 2010
Fantastic, in every sense of the word. I read it on a plane and it was the better ride.
December 5, 2011
Boston's words put your senses on alert as he takes your imagination places it hasn't visited (or is afraid to visit). You will have improved dreams (nightmares?) after reading this.
Read
October 20, 2010Dark Matters is a short collection of dark poetry by Bruce Boston, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Daniele Serra.
Boston’s structure is often simplistic in form, but extremely complex in content. The descriptive nature of his writing creates incredible visuals that easily change every time a poem is read and reread depending on the outside environment and mindset of the reader.
In Dark Matters, Boston explores what the world would be like if ruled by rats, or moles, or even assassins. Oh, how life would be different. He reveals the life of torturers, who learned their trade as it was passed down from generation to generation. Then there is the surreal life in Shadow City, in which shadows flee with lingering effects. The poem “Damnation Cemetery” sheds a bit of insight into what the afterlife in hell might be like. Poem after poem, Boston exposes the reader to illogical ideas with logical explanations. I have read quite a bit of Boston’s work, and in Dark Matters he has proven yet again that he can deliver clear messages interlaced with biting truth.
Reviewed by Kelly Fann
Boston’s structure is often simplistic in form, but extremely complex in content. The descriptive nature of his writing creates incredible visuals that easily change every time a poem is read and reread depending on the outside environment and mindset of the reader.
In Dark Matters, Boston explores what the world would be like if ruled by rats, or moles, or even assassins. Oh, how life would be different. He reveals the life of torturers, who learned their trade as it was passed down from generation to generation. Then there is the surreal life in Shadow City, in which shadows flee with lingering effects. The poem “Damnation Cemetery” sheds a bit of insight into what the afterlife in hell might be like. Poem after poem, Boston exposes the reader to illogical ideas with logical explanations. I have read quite a bit of Boston’s work, and in Dark Matters he has proven yet again that he can deliver clear messages interlaced with biting truth.
Reviewed by Kelly Fann
September 13, 2014
For those who have not read a collection of Bruce Boston's, now is the time to begin, and Dark Matters is an excellent place to start. For fans of Boston's previous work, Dark Matters continues his legacy of solid writing and will not disappoint. It is a spooky and chilling collection ready to shiver its way down the spine of readers, leaving only its tracks to haunt their dreams. Full review here: http://shroudmagazinebookreviews.blog...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews