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5.0 out of 5 stars
Sonnets of the Outer Dark,
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This review is from: Collected Poems: Nightmares and Visions (Paperback)
I first read some of these brilliant poems in NYCTALOPS #6, where seven pages (six featuring the poems) featured many of the sonnets superbly illustrated by Denis Tiani. The poems shew not only the influence of Lovecraft's "Fungi from Yuggoth" sonnet cycle, but also the rich tradition of Edgar A. Poe. Sometimes a single poem is a beautiful blend of both, such as "The Hills":Against the splendor of red, sunset skies The hills loom high above the little town; Brooding like eldritch gods, they leer and frown Upon the valley where Decorah lies. Their rounded crests, mantled with forests dim, Seem to recall vague, monstrous times of old, While yawning caves which breathe forth vapors cold Hint at some elder secret dark and grim. Now night unfurls and all the world grows still -- Strange things begin to stir in caverns deep -- And, as the gibbous moon climbs o'er the hill, Blue shadow-shapes from hillside grottos creep To gather in some moonlit woodland place And chant to gods beyond the gulfs of space. This Arkham House book is similar to a chapbook or trade paperback in size and format, with what seems to be a kind of vinyl cover stock (it's called "seventeen-point Holliston Lexetone," and is the same that was used for Arkham's printing of Clark Ashton Smith's BLACK BOOK). It's an extremely attractive package, complete with a plethora of wonderful illustrations by the remarkable and talented Jason Van Hollander. The poetic forms are various, from sonnets to longer pieces. "The Moon of Endless Night" takes up three entire pages, as does the delicious "The Evil House," with its wonderful opening stanza: The old house totters near the edge of town, Enshrouded in a still and subtle gloom; Gaunt, gaping windows seem to scowl and frown Like sightless sockets from the face of Doom On passerby who flitter up and down Heedless of Those who watch from every room. But townsfolk hasten quickly on their way When dusk-winds usher in the close of day. I especially like the typeface of this edition, which seems quaint and of another era -- as if one had found, in some dim attic in some evil house, an old book of weird verse. These are poems that delight -- and haunt. Excellent! It's very rare, and prices, one assumes, will continue to rise. If you love supernatural poetry, get this now. You'll be so rewarded.
5.0 out of 5 stars
In the tradition of C.A. Smith, and Lovecraft's "Fungi",
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This review is from: Collected Poems: Nightmares and Visions (Paperback)
This short collection of weird poems puts me in mind of the best work of Clark Ashton Smith, or the "Fungi from Yuggoth" sonnet-sequence by H.P. Lovecraft. Ranging over a wide variety of subjects, from translations of Baudelaire to poems about Tolkien's worlds or Lovecraft's visions, the quality's always high.
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