E.S.’s Reviews > Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness > Status Update

Two of my favorite works from a favorite writer.

I'm shocked CONJURE WIFE isn't mentioned in the same breath as THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. And though I'm still early in my reread of OUR LADY OF DARKNESS, how is it not immediately listed amongst the best cosmic/supernatural novels?

I agree, though there is the occasional nod to Lady -- if I remember right, John Langan alludes to it in House of Windows. I had the chance to ask him, and he affirmed it. But for a book that was greatly lauded and welcomed at the time it was published, winning a World Fantasy Award (for whatever that's worth) it seems the majority of fans are, like myself, older readers and younger readers aren't as aware as I, for one, would like. But then I'm a fan of Leiber's short horror/ghost stories, too, and I think horror fans are a bit more aware of those.

By the way, just an FYI: In the early 1960s there was a film version of Conjure that's pretty good, titled Night of the Eagle

I have HOUSE OF WINDOWS, but have not read it as of yet.
As far as awards go, I actually think the World Fantasy Awards are pretty good — but, point taken!
I love Leiber's horror short fiction. The Pelan volumes were hard to come by back in the day. I do wish there was a publishing line devoted to the horror works of SF/Fantasy authors: Wolfe (well, okay more horror-adjacent in his case), Leiber, Sturgeon, Disch, Ellison, et al.
I've seen one of the three adaptations of CONJURE WIFE at an Arcana convention. I believe it may have been the first as, I think, that was harder to come by.