In looking for contemporary weird fiction recommendations.

[void]

Greetings,

As a nearly lifetime fan of Lovecraft it is only relatively recently that I discovered Thomas Ligotti (as well as other instances of weird fiction, such as The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgeson). I was wondering if some users who are more well-versed in this area than I am could recommend good up-and-coming authors in a similar vein. I'd also welcome publisher recommendations and other more general ways to follow this sort of material.

I suppose I should also note that I'm already very much into many of the "Ligotti Influences" listed here (Celine, Schulz, Torpor, etc.).

As a side note, to those of you who are published authors in this field, just out of curiosity, how old were you when you first felt that your work was ready for submission? Did you go to magazines or book publishers first?

Thanks much!
-A. Void

[LadyLovecraft]

Good morning

As you are looking for ligottian influences, you might also be interested in books that Tom himself enjoys. Our very own Joe Pulver has just recently published a new book - and Tom had this to say about it:

"Some writers one admirers and others make one want to do as they do, or try. For me, Joe Pulver is of the latter type. His imagination is so vile so much of the time that it makes me giggle with amazement. And the prose so deadly visionary. I'm grateful that the pieces in this collection are those of a fellow horror writer who has raised the ante on what it means to be such a creature." - Thomas Ligotti

Blood Will Have Its Season Joseph S. Pulver, Sr- Hippocampus Press

[Evans]

Quote Originally Posted by void

Greetings, ...I was wondering if some users who are more well-versed in this area than I am could recommend good up-and-coming authors in a similar vein. I'd also welcome publisher recommendations and other more general ways to follow this sort of material.

Pleased to meet you!

Try some Mark Samuels. Tartarus Press have a nice cheap paperback collections of his stories going at the moment. (I assume you've read Machen?)

PS Publishing is good small press for turning out some interesting stuff. Lots of Ramsey Campbell there if you like his stories as well.

[Russell Nash]

Quote Originally Posted by void

...such as The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

Try "William Hope Hodgson, Collected Fiction", 5 volumes, from Night Shade Books. If some of them are sold out, they can still be found on eBay at a very reasonable price.

Night Shade Books: Search Results

"Unholy Dimensions", by Jeffrey Thomas

Amazon.com: Unholy Dimensions (9780972854528): et al Jeffrey Thomas: Books

 

Amazon.com: Unholy Dimensions (9780972854528): et al Jeffrey Thomas: Books

"Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts", and "The Fungal Stain and Other Dreams" by W. H. Pugmire.

Amazon.com: Sesqua Valley Other Haunts (9780978991142): W. H. Pugmire, Augie Wiedemann: Books

 

Amazon.com: Sesqua Valley Other Haunts (9780978991142): W. H. Pugmire, Augie Wiedemann: Books

Amazon.com: The Fungal Stain And Other Dreams (9780977173433): W. H. Pugmire, Robert H. Knox: Books

 

Amazon.com: The Fungal Stain And Other Dreams (9780977173433): W. H. Pugmire, Robert H. Knox: Books

Some other TLO members have also several books already published.

	TLO THOMAS LIGOTTI ONLINE

[Spotbowserfido2]

I second the mentions of Joe, Mr. Samuels, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Pugmire. You might also consider the fiction of Laird Barron, Joel Lane, Matt Cardin, Stuart Young, Nick Mamatas, Quentin S. Crisp, Richard Gavin, and Simon Strantzas. D. F. Lewis currently offers a generous abundance of free fiction on the net! Enjoy! ;)

[Robin Davies]

Quentin S Crisp seconded.

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by Spotbowserfido2

D. F. Lewis currently offers a generous abundance of free fiction on the net! Enjoy! ;)

Thanks, Spot. And in the Weirdmonger book (2003).
The other material may be removed by the end of 2009....

[Mamatas]

Quote Originally Posted by void

As a side note, to those of you who are published authors in this field, just out of curiosity, how old were you when you first felt that your work was ready for submission? Did you go to magazines or book publishers first?

Hmm. The first silly attempt was at age 17. I started pursuing it seriously at age 25. Of course, none of the publishers felt my work was ready until I was nearly 28. I did magazines first, because I prefer short subjects.

[nomis]

I started taking things seriously at 28, but didn't get a thing accepted for publication until I was 30. I did magazines first as well because a) I did not have enough for a collection at that point; and b) even if I had, most reputable publishers wouldn't have been interested in a book by someone no one had heard of -- it's not great for sales.

[Nemonymous]

I started submitting stories at the age of 38 in 1986 and stopped in 1999 at the age then of 51.

Quote Originally Posted by Nemonymous

Quote Originally Posted by Spotbowserfido2 D. F. Lewis currently offers a generous abundance of free fiction on the net! Enjoy! ;) Thanks, Spot. And in the Weirdmonger book (2003). The other material may be removed by the end of 2009....

I have just established that there is one or two *hardcover* Weirdmonger books (only 50 published in 2004) on sale at Cold Tonnage.