Weird Fiction discussion

A blurb:

"To Rouse Leviathan by Matt Cardin is a collection of short fiction that delves into the shadowy side of religious and spiritual experience. The stories are inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Ligotti, and other masters of cosmic horror, exploring the existential terror we feel in a cosmos that may be hostile to our species. The collection includes a novella co-written with Mark McLaughlin and has been revised from its original appearances. Cardin's work has been praised for its theological and occult ideas grounded in real-world practices, and it has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award and long-listed for the Bram Stoker Award. The book is available in Kindle Edition and is highly recommended for those who enjoy interrogating the shadow of faith."

Because religion is more a part of this month's group read than it has been for any other so far, I felt it important to warn people of that fact up front here and in the masthead. I get it -- many people are either bored or offended (or both) by subjects that touch on the religious. If that's you, see you next month! As a churchgoing Christian, the fact this collection asks theological questions bothers me personally not in the least. On the other hand, I never look for religion directly in my fiction reading. Having browsed the Christian Fiction section of my local library let's just say the YA section looks downright edgy in comparison to the insipidity I saw. As if there were anything insipid about gnashing of teeth, lakes of fire, casting out demons, or the central act of suffering that establishes the new covenant. Matt Cardin's work looks anything but tame. So that makes me 100% in, even if I didn't nominate or vote for it. I just purchased the book via Kindle for six entire dollars. Let's begin our reading today.

I have begun my read of this 376-page collection. The 16 stories are all short stories by Matt Cardin (unless otherwise noted):

An Abhorrence to All Flesh (1999) novelette
Notes of a Mad Copyist (1999)
The Basement Theater (2000)
If It Had Eyes (2002)
Judas of the Infinite (2002) novelette
Teeth (1998) novelette
The Stars Shine Without Me (2002)
Desert Places (2006) novelette
Blackbrain Dwarf (2010)
Nightmares, Imported and Domestic (2006) novelette with Mark McLaughlin
The Devil and One Lump (2010)
The God of Foulness (2002) novella
Chimeras & Grotesqueries (2010)
Prometheus Possessed (2012)
The New Pauline Corpus (2010)
A Cherished Place at the Center of His Plans (2019) novelette with Mark McLaughlin

An Abhorrence to All Flesh (1999) novelette ★★★1/2

I was concerned that in my earlier description of this collection I may have overbilled its religious nature and unnecessarily turned some people off reading it. I am glad now to see that is not the case. This story is an example of a sub-genre I would (and will) call cosmic christian horror, small c for christian because the capital letter should be reserved for true Christ. This is my first reading in this sub-genre, one I didn't even know existed until this meeting with Matt Cardin's work.

This is a great story to start with, which I suspect is probably a rewriting of Cardin's first story written in this genre. ISFDB notes the following about this collection, the third of Cardin's three so far: Includes the contents of the earlier collections "Divinations of the Deep" (2002) and "Dark Awakenings" (2010). According to the publisher, "several of the tales have been substantially revised from their original appearances."

Time for me to get ready to leave for church this Sunday morning. I'll write my review of the story upon my return. To be concluded....