Customer Reviews

Exorcisms and Ecstasies

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For those readers who have come across the works of Karl Edward Wagner and enjoyed his work, then this is a must buy! As most of Wagner's books are currently out of print, obtaining this collection is the easiest way for readers to become exposed to Karl's works.

Included in this collection: The very first story Karl ever wrote; Short stories involving the mythical warrior Kane (set in both the past and present!); Adventures of his Western hero Becker; An invaluable bibliography for Wagner collectors; And of course his popular "horror" stories, which brought Wagner some well deserved critical acclaim.

Most of these stories are reprints (although there are a few "Uncollected Stories" appearing for the first time in this book), however Stephen Jones has done a fantastic job of selecting those stories which have most likely not reached the mass market.

Included as well in this collection are a series of photographs and articles from those closest to the author. I found many of these essays to be depressing as they overshadow the author's actual work, in favour of negatively commenting about his personal life. David Drake, his friend and one-time co-publisher/author, for obviously personal reasons, decided to take a particularly vicious stab at Karl as his farewell. Evidently Mr. Drake is not a sentimentalist.

On a final note, this collection does NOT contain some of Karl's more popular work (including Lacunae, More Sinned Against, and Sticks), which can be found in one of his three other collections. It does, however, provide a wide range of enjoyable stories, and for those who mourn the loss of one of the most creative imaginations of our generation, this is a fitting denouement. Farewell Karl!

Having spent a lot of hours and days reading the adventures of KANE 20 Years ago, this book came to me as pleasant surprise. It does not only include some nearly perfect horror-stories but some odd Kane-pieces and a lot of information about the author and his life. The two recollections (one by Peter Straub) about the man himself show us that Wagner lived his stories. So he belongs there: With Howard, Poe and Lovecraft. I hope this never gets out of print.

This book was printed in a hardcover trade edition of only 2000 copies (which is the version being sold here at Amazon) and a limited edition of 100 signed copies. The book is excellent (see the other reviews for details), so do not delay if you are interested in buying a copy. The editorial review for this book should state that this is a very limited offering.

This last collection of stories By the late Karl Edward Wagner contains Wagner at his highs and lows. Most of the stories were written in the last few years of his life as his health failed but there are also previously little known or unpublished items from younger days. Of particular interest is his first completed "Kane" novella written at age 16- surprisingly good and very different from the rewritten/published version "Lynortis Reprise". There are also a selection of photos on slick paper and a comprehensive bibliography. Strong sexual content in several stories written by a trained psychiatrist. Sex, blood, and thunder- what more can you ask for?

Wagner was perhaps best known for his horror writing & editing, but for me it was always the stories about Kane, the anti-hero swordsman, that captured my imagination. While this book contains mostly horror tales, and a few Kane stories, there is a surprising amount of graphic sex. It seems Wagner wrote a number of pornographic novels ,under an assumed name, apparently to pay the bills. There are also a number of remembrances by writer-friends, that inevitably descend into tales of Wagner's heroic drinking binges, and depression over his divorce from his wife. Anyone who is a Wagner fan and is interested in learning more about the man should pick this book up - if for nothing else, the picture on the back cover is tremendous.

This nearly 500 page last collection by Karl Wagner testifies to his craftsmanship as a writer of horror and dark fantasy. His background as a psychiatrist is seen in several of his stories of twisted obsessions and lost souls. Of special interest is the section of never-before collected Kane stories, including a fragment of a planned novel and two stories set in the 20th Century. It's a shame that there will be no more new stories from his battered old typewriter.

This collection is an essential purchase for Wagnerphiles. Buy it now.

I really excellent read. Will really chill you through and through.