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11-07-2016 | #1 | |||||||||||
Acolyte
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
_Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes_ was published in hardcover a few year ago. That edition is now out of print. Mark Samuels has joined the revolution in publishing and recently self published this book in paperback.
One thing that struck me about these stories is that they are, indeed, macabre, more so, in my opinion, than the stories of other writers in the field such as Robert Aickman and Thomas Ligotti. There is some difference in the contents between the two editions. This book has: Preface by Mark Samuels Glyphotech Sentinels Patient 704 Shallaballah Ghorla Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall Destination Nihil The Vanishing Point Regina vs. Zoskia A Gentleman From Mexico "Glyphotech" Corporate horror (I know that sounds redundant). The narrator's employer has motivational seminars which seems awfully like cult indoctrination. The narrator quits his job and becomes the target of a strange organization. Two train stories: the Twilight Zone-style "Destination Nihil" and the excellent "Sentinels". In "Sentinels", a detective investigates the disappearance of a writer on the paranormal. One of this writer's books was on the dark, mysterious aspects of London's train system, which our detective explores in his search for the writer. " The book was divided into several chapters, each specializing in a subterranean urban legend: (1) Cases of Posthumous Mutation in London in London Cemeteries (2) Derelict reverse Skyscrapers 1936-1957 (3) Mass disappearance of Persons sheltering in the Underground during the Blitz (4) Graffiti or Occult Symbolism? (5) Suppressed Eyewitness account during the Construction of the Underground Railways 1860-1976 (6) The Fleet Line extension to Fenchurch Street must be Halted (7) Secret Bunkers or Extermination Centres? (8) The deep level Platforms of the proposed Express Tube: Why they caused Insanity (9) The Hidden Shafts that connect Subterranean London." "Vanishing Point" reminded me a little of John Carpenter's movie They Live. In "Vanishing Point", the protagonist is making plans for suicide when he sees a strange transmission on TV. The story has a Twilight-Zone style twist. "Patient 704" and "Cesare Thodol: Some Lines Written on a Wall" uses the old horror trope of the insane asylum, nevertheless they are interesting stories. In "Ghorla", the protagonist researches an obscure, dead pulp fiction novelist named Ghorla who had an interesting idea about consciousness in one of his novels. Ghoul's ideas about consciousness turn out to be horribly true. "Shallaballah" is about a Punch and Judy show broadcast live after death. "Regina vs. Zoskia" is a Kafkaesque story about a lawsuit against an asylum. In "A Gentleman From Mexico" the British protagonist encounters in Mexico a writer who writes like Lovecraft himself. Not like an imitator. Could Lovecraft have been re-incarnated in this Mexican writer? Our protagonist, at the end of the story, winds up in an unusual state. For me, the stories ranged from 4 to 4.5 stars. | |||||||||||
"Reality is often dangerous...And of course be prepared for a big change; something indescribable, unpredictable. " -- Robert Aickman
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6 Thanks From: | Druidic (11-07-2016), Frater_Tsalal (11-07-2016), miguel1984 (11-07-2016), Mr. Veech (11-07-2016), Pharpetron (11-07-2016), qcrisp (11-07-2016) |
11-07-2016 | #2 |
Grimscribe
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Yeah, I was kind of sad to see that Mark had omitted "The Cannibal Kings of Horror" (along with Ramsey Campbell's introduction) from the 2nd edition. I can understand his reasoning re: the former, but maybe he could have updated the satire!
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“Human life is limited but I would like to live forever.”
-Yukio Mishima |
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11-07-2016 | #3 | |||||||||||
Chymist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 397
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Well Campbell owns the rights to his intro.. and Mark, since this is him publishing it, most likely did not want to have to pay Campbell...
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Thanks From: | miguel1984 (11-07-2016) |
11-07-2016 | #4 | |||||||||||
Grimscribe
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,889
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
This anthology was the subject of my first ever real-time review in 2008. It has the blame for starting me off on this personal rite of passage...
Here: www.nemonymous.com | |||||||||||
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11-07-2016 | #5 |
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Why was The Cannibal Kings of Horror not included?
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11-07-2016 | #6 | |||||||||||
Acolyte
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 83
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Ramsey actually offered his encouragement for using his intro in the reprint, on Mark's blog. Introductions are typically a freely given resource, as I understand it. | |||||||||||
Thanks From: | miguel1984 (11-07-2016) |
11-07-2016 | #7 |
Grimscribe
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
In the preface Mark states that the satire in that story has become, after less than a decade, "hopelessly inadequate," having been "wholly overtaken by even more outlandish developments." |
“Human life is limited but I would like to live forever.”
-Yukio Mishima |
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2 Thanks From: | miguel1984 (11-07-2016), qcrisp (11-07-2016) |
11-14-2016 | #8 |
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
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6 Thanks From: | Frater_Tsalal (11-14-2016), Liam Barden (11-14-2016), miguel1984 (11-14-2016), Mr. Veech (11-14-2016), Raul Urraca (11-14-2016), waffles (11-14-2016) |
11-14-2016 | #9 | |||||||||||
Acolyte
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 89
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Having just read "the white hands," I'm eager for glyphotec to come out on kindle. These story descriptions sound fantastic. Can't damn the Sam!
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05-11-2019 | #10 | |||||||||||
Mystic
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 150
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Re: Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes
Mark has updated the POD Glyphotech paperback with all new type set, plus two vignettes: "A Slave of Melancholy" and "The Advent of Strangers". Mine arrived from Amazon today. The Amazon page still appears as the 2016 edition, but you will receive the 2019 paperback.
The layout is the best this book has looked, including the original PS hardcover, and I look forward to reading these 2 vignettes which are new to me (one I know was only available in the Ex Occidente edition of Man Who Collected Machen). | |||||||||||
6 Thanks From: | Charon (05-12-2019), matt cardin (05-11-2019), Michael (05-11-2019), miguel1984 (05-11-2019), Murony_Pyre (05-12-2019), waffles (05-11-2019) |
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