Authors similar to Ligotti

[Matthias M.]

Do you know authors that are similar in vision of bleakness, meaninglessness and malignance to Thomas Ligotti?

[bendk]

Quote Originally Posted by Matthias M.

Do you know authors that are similar in vision of bleakness, meaninglessness and malignance to Thomas Ligotti?

E.M. Cioran for philosophy.

Fiction, Poe and you might want to try the collection Use Once, Then Destroy by Conrad Williams. William's work doesn't remind me of Ligotti's, but if you are after "bleakness, meaninglessness and malignance " you could go further astray than Williams.

[Ascrobius]

The desolate presence, and other uncanny stories: Thomas Owen: 9780718305161: Amazon.com: Books

 

The desolate presence, and other uncanny stories: Thomas Owen: 9780718305161: Amazon.com: Books

It's been mentioned here before for very good reason, but The Desolate Presence by Thomas Owen is a book worth pursuing. There are some strikingly Ligottian elements (though it does pre-date SoaDD) to many of the stories within its pages. Rather expensive at this point, but well worth it in my opinion. Not so much in terms of meaninglessness, per se, or from a strictly philosophical point of view. But as far as undertones of dread, surreality, and blatantly dark atmospherics, TDP has those elements in spades. I'd add more but I am at work currently.

	SOADD Songs of a Dead Dreamer   Songs of a Dead Dreamer was the first book published featuring a collection stories by Thomas Ligotti. Original Printing Revised Printing

[Ucasuni]

Quote Originally Posted by Ascrobius

The desolate presence, and other uncanny stories: Thomas Owen: 9780718305161: Amazon.com: Books [...]Rather expensive at this point, but well worth it in my opinion[...]

As a cheaper alternative, one might consider:

TP's House of Oracles

 

TP's House of Oracles

It includes all the stories in Desolate Presence and a few newly translated ones. I haven't compared the translations, but I would imagine they are they same, as both books share the same translator, Iain White. Frankly, I'm thoroughly perplexed by the price premium on The Desolate Presence.

[Speaking Mute]

Quote Originally Posted by Ucasuni

Quote Originally Posted by Ascrobius The desolate presence, and other uncanny stories: Thomas Owen: 9780718305161: Amazon.com: Books [...]Rather expensive at this point, but well worth it in my opinion[...] As a cheaper alternative, one might consider: TP's House of Oracles   TP's House of Oracles It includes all the stories in Desolate Presence and a few newly translated ones. I haven't compared the translations, but I would imagine they are they same, as both books share the same translator, Iain White. Frankly, I'm thoroughly perplexed by the price premium on The Desolate Presence.

It's slightly cheaper to purchase House of Oracles directly through the publisher, Tartarus Press. At the very least their store front factors shipping into the book's price - you can wait until the pound sterling reaches a bit of a low point versus the dollar as I regularly do...

Weird Fiction Review translated one of Owen's short stories for those interested in him:

http://weirdfictionreview.com/2011/1...t-thomas-owen/

My own recommendation is well outside of the horror genre, but Frank Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet is rather gloomy and dreamlike in tone, being the meditations of a dissociative, vaguely misanthropic poet. Ligotti's prose reminds me of Pessoa in the Penguin translation. Be warned, however, that absolutely nothing happens in this book.

Not that it's particularly important and if you don't agree fair enough, but I can't say I found very much myself to enthuse about in the work of Thomas Owen. And I came to it with high hopes of another weird fiction author of the same high order as a Ligotti, especially as Owen's work has appeared in the publishing raiment of Tartarus Press.

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Mark S.

[Speaking Mute]

Quote Originally Posted by mark_samuels

Not that it's particularly important and if you don't agree fair enough, but I can't say I found very much myself to enthuse about in the work of Thomas Owen. And I came to it with high hopes of another weird fiction author of the same high order as a Ligotti, especially as Owen's work has appeared in the publishing raiment of Tartarus Press. THE NIGHTMARE NETWORK - View Single Post - L'école belge de l'étrange Mark S.

Well, I ordered House of Oracles last week based upon the entry in Weird Fiction Review and mention here. The book won't arrive until the end of the month - but I hope to disagree with you given it was a pricey book.

I agree with your assessment of Jean Ray - fortunately I only paid $5 or so for an ebook anthology at Barnes & Noble.

I think Jean Ray has written at least two very excellent tales and I do try to judge an author by their best, and not their lesser, tales.

Still, I wouldn't deny any merit at all to Thomas Owen. I just think he was a self-confessed hack whose European origin alone "validates" him and his work as literature in certain quarters (rather perversely, since I see no reason to judge European and American fiction differently).

He's nowhere near even being close to a Stefan Grabinski, for example, who was an artist above all else.

Mark S.

[Michael]

Schopenhauer. Karl Popper said "It was through Schopenhauer that I understood Kant." It was through Ligotti I understood Schopenhauer. Doesn't hurt that Schopenhauer was a beautiful prose stylist.

I think Michael Cisco has a lot of similarities to Ligotti but does so in a longer style (novel) whereas Ligotti tends to stay with the short form.

Quote Originally Posted by Michael

Schopenhauer. Karl Popper said "It was through Schopenhauer that I understood Kant." It was through Ligotti I understood Schopenhauer. Doesn't hurt that Schopenhauer was a beautiful prose stylist. I think Michael Cisco has a lot of similarities to Ligotti but does so in a longer style (novel) whereas Ligotti tends to stay with the short form.

That's ... ermm ... very interesting.

Thanks.

Mark S.