Ligotti

[Nemonymous]

I feel that Ligotti's fiction
[-- outside the realm of his interviews over the years and other extraneous non-proveable knowledge about him as a person -- and based on my having first read this fiction thirty years ago and recently re-read it in the momentous Penguin Classics book --]
represents an artful haunting blend of
(a) literary or horror genre prophetic warnings about factors that have emerged in our world since its first publication and
(b) a 'fabulous hoax' that is essentially an avant garde happening.

The fiction is couched in a beautiful original Gothic-Baroque prose style, enjoyable for its own sake.
I include CATHR as part of his fiction canon.

(My relatively recent real-time reviews of his fiction linked from here: Le NŒUD de Ligotti - THE NIGHTMARE NETWORK )

	CATHR The Conspiracy Against the Human Race

[Nemonymous]

I now think the mot juste for such a darkly puckish effect described above is LIGOTTISH…

[Schopenhauer]

It's no hoax.

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by Schopenhauer

It's no hoax.

Fair enough.
It’s difficult to substantiate what his literary works, and only those, make me FEEL, other than by my detailed reviews of most of his fiction a few years ago, as linked by top post above.

[Ascrobius]

It's funny that you should say what you did regarding TCATHR, that is, referring to it as "fiction." During the writing of Conspiracy, and all the subsequent readings of the many draft forms of that work, I remember talking with Tom about the idea that regardless of intention, that it was really going nuclear from a philosophical point of view, though in retrospect such a notion is not exactly a deep insight or anything of the sort when we consider the deepest implications of such a treatise.



So I think that while TCATHR was being written, we were both anticipating and trying to predict how it was going to be received in general, understanding that it was going to go over like a fart in church, as they say. So it was an exciting time, pre-release, and it was with almost a child-like sense of dread and excitement, that there were times that I had said, "The world is not ready for this", from a very practical point of view, understanding that Conspiracy went several steps beyond pessimism. I also believed that as true as that may be, in general, that there would be many people that would also be able and perhaps ready to swallow such a bitter pill, as much of a philosophical wrecking ball as it is. But my point here is that once I began reading and truly understanding Conspiracy, I did mention to Tom that he could have chosen to present it as either fiction or non-fiction, and we chatted a few times about both options, if you will. And as usual, he was already a step ahead of me, and it was kind of humorous when I think about it. And even I had said to myself, "Does he really mean all of this literally?" Well, we all know the answer to that, don't we? But yes...we all know that some people, without a doubt, would certainly look at it as fiction or "the by-product of a disturbed mind" regardless of any designation as non-fiction.

	TCATHR The Conspiracy Against the Human Race

[Schopenhauer]

Thanks for the nice anecdote.

[Schopenhauer]

I find it strange to see Ligotti's fanbase reconcile his beliefs. For example, I think it was Grimscribe Press who said they were donating money to a suicide helpline or something like that. I personally don't necessarily disagree with that but to me that seems blatantly opposite to the sentiment behind the work which is the reason why we're all here. I imagined this forum would be more death-worshipping. Not complaining though.

[Schopenhauer]

Okay, I'm complaining a little bit.

[dr. locrian]

Happy to subvert your expectations that Ligotti readers are a death cult.

[Ascrobius]

Well, I think it's important to note that aside from any ideological positions anyone happens to agree with or not when it comes to a Ligottian or quasi-Ligottian worldview, as it were, that many people are here solely due to the power of Tom's fiction, regardless of how much of his worldview is represented in his fictional body of work. In other words, many people are here because of their love of literature, prose, the beautiful expressions of language. I would be the first one to suggest that there are many people that do not share Tom's worldview in totality or otherwise, but who do recognize the gifts he has given as a unique voice in literary fiction, again, outside of philosophy and/or ideology. I only speak for myself when I say that I am one of those people that first and foremost, appreciates Tom's writing prowess and unique contribution to literature, again, solely in terms of his fiction. It does not mean that I am not completely aware of the connection between his worldview and his fiction, but that you can have one without the other. In many ways, I think that is part of the appeal of his work.