"Introducing Ligotti"

[bendk]

Have any of you read any of those "Introducing" books published by Totem Books? They are graphic novel type books that provide basic info on a subject. Kind of like Cliff Notes comic books. The titles include everything from "Introducing Existentialism" to "Introducing Postfeminism." They also cover a number of authors; mostly novelists and philosophers. Some of the ones I have read include: Marquis de Sade, Nietzsche, Kafka, Joyce, and Camus. These books work especially well with literary biographies. They can seamlessly go from biography to a literary work by use of graphics. My favorite in the series is "Introducing Kafka." Not just because he is one of my favorite authors, but because it is completely illustrated by one of my favorite comic artists, R. Crumb. This book is like a dream come true for me. If you haven't seen the documentary CRUMB directed by Terry Zwigoff, run, don't walk, to your nearest video store or library (or just sit there and add it to your Netflix queue). It is one of the best documentaries on an artist and his work that I have seen. It was the most critically praised movie of 1995. Zwigoff went on to direct BAD SANTA with Billy Bob Thornton, another classic. But I digress.

Some time ago, I e-mailed S.T. Joshi via his web site. It was just a brief note telling him that I enjoyed reading a couple of his books. But I also asked him if he ever considered approaching Totem Books with the idea of "Introducing Lovecraft." I can't think of another author whose work lends itself to graphic interpretation better than HPL's. With all the already-available artwork on Lovecraft and Joshi's knowledge of the subject, I think this book could be put together rather quickly.

The title of this post, Introducing Ligotti, I have to admit is just wishful thinking. I believe it could be a marvelous book though. Imagine a creepy artistic interpretation of the loft of Dr. Voke and the Ticket Man. But they don't even have a book on Poe yet, and he is the first horror author that they would publish - and rightfully so. And I don't know that TL has the fan base yet to make it economically attractive to the publisher. But I think a book on Lovecraft would outsell half of the books that they have already published.

 

[eldritch00]

I've seen those but haven't read them. What I do have are several of the "...for Beginners" books from the unimaginatively-named Writers and Readers Publishing.

I wish something like Introducing Ligotti or Ligotti for Beginners could happen, but you're right that it probably won't. What I really want are more mass market reprints of his stuff; that will help things all around.

Maybe if we're done with the Reader's Guide, we can have the artists over here to do their little cartoons...but then, I don't know what else we can do with that.

 

[N/A]

I've not seen the "Introducing..." books, but when I read the post it put me in mind of this: http://tinyurl.com/blvuy

 

[The Silent One]

I've not seen the "Introducing..." books, but when I read the post it put me in mind of this: http://tinyurl.com/blvuy

A Graphic Classics: Ligotti (preferably "The Night School", "The Glamour", "The Tsalal", "The Spectacles in the Drawer", MWINYD, "Dreams of a Mannikin", the poems TDLT and IHASPFTW, and "The Voice in the Bones", perhaps with "Masquerade of a Dead Sword", "Ghost Stories for the Dead", an illustrated "His Shadow Will Rise to a Higher House", and Notebook of the Night?) or Introducing...Ligotti would be absolutely fabulous, but obnoxiously unlikely.

 

[waffles]

How about Ligotti for Dummies?

I'd love to see what kind of tips would be inside of the covers and Top-Ten lists would be included in the appendices.


Only 16 days before NaNoWriMo begins!

Cheers everyone!

Waff's

 

[bendk]

I can't believe there is still no book on Introducing Lovecraft. One on Ligotti is still problematic, although they did do one on Schopenhauer and finally Poe. More realistically, it would probably be Introducing Pessimism, similar to the one on Existentialism. I asked ChatGPT "Who are the most famous proponents of pessimistic philosophy?

1. Arthur Schopenhauer: A German philosopher who constructed an entire system of metaphysics, aesthetics, epistemology, and ethics rooted in pessimism. Schopenhauer believed that life was inherently filled with suffering and that existence was fundamentally devoid of meaning.
2. Friedrich Nietzsche: Although Nietzsche’s philosophy is multifaceted, elements of pessimism can be found in his works. He famously declared that “God is dead,” emphasizing the loss of traditional values and the existential challenges faced by humanity.
3. Emil Cioran: A Romanian philosopher and essayist, Cioran’s writings are steeped in existential despair and skepticism. His works explore themes of futility, absurdity, and the human condition.
4. Peter Wessel Zapffe: A Norwegian philosopher who proposed the concept of “philosophical antinatalism.” Zapffe argued that life’s inherent suffering and absurdity should lead us to abstain from procreation.
5. Thomas Ligotti: An American writer and philosopher known for his horror fiction and philosophical essays. Ligotti’s work delves into cosmic pessimism, emphasizing the insignificance of humanity in the vastness of the universe.

Remember that these thinkers approached pessimism in various ways, but they all grappled with questions about suffering, meaninglessness, and the human predicament.

I followed up with:
"Would you include Eugene Thacker and Gary J. Shipley?"

Certainly! Eugene Thacker and Gary J. Shipley are contemporary thinkers who engage with themes of existential dread, nihilism, and the darker aspects of existence. Let’s explore their work:

Eugene Thacker: Thacker is an American philosopher, author, and professor. His writings often delve into the intersection of philosophy, horror, and technology.
His book “In the Dust of This Planet” gained attention for its exploration of cosmic horror, drawing inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft. Thacker examines the limits of human understanding and the insignificance of humanity in the vast cosmos.
Thacker’s work resonates with philosophical pessimism, emphasizing the unknowable and the eerie.

Gary J. Shipley: Shipley, a British writer and philosopher, is known for his experimental fiction and philosophical essays.
His works often blur the boundaries between philosophy, literature, and horror. Themes of decay, entropy, and the grotesque permeate his writing.
Shipley’s work exemplifies his unique blend of existential despair and dark humor. His exploration of the absurdity of existence aligns with pessimistic themes.

While Thacker and Shipley may not be as widely recognized as historical figures like Schopenhauer or Nietzsche, their contributions to contemporary pessimistic thought are significant. Their works challenge conventional notions of existence and invite readers to confront the abyss.

Who else would you add to Introducing Pessimism or Pessimism for Beginners?

 

[bendk]

Although I haven't read as much Onetti as I would have liked to yet, from what I've read I would include him in the Introducing Pessimism volume.

 

[matt cardin]

For whatever it's worth -- and that may not be much, since this isn't really in the same category as the books under discussion here -- in the absence of an "introducing Ligotti" or "Ligotti for beginners" book, there's still my essay "Thomas Ligotti's Career of Nightmares." The references to his books and stories are only current up to the year 2000, since that's when I wrote the piece. So it's pretty dated in that respect. But Tom told me after reading it back then that he felt he could almost use it as a handy reference to give people who asked him about his work.

 

[bendk]

I just found these two books in some boxes. I'm familiar with both Darwin and the Marquis de Sade. I've been reading Darwin as far back as I can remember, and I read Sade in my late 20s or early 30s. The only thing I liked about Sade was his irreverence. I read the book Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings.
"Dialogue between a Priest and a Dying Man" is my favorite.
I owned and read some of Juliette and 120 Days of Sodom but they were just repetitive, depraved, and boring.
I just reread the Introducing Sade book the last couple of days. I forgot how much time he spent locked up. I knew about the 10 or so years in the Bastille, but it was more than twice that in various locations, including insane asylums. It is interesting how he used reason to justify the most horrific crimes.

I always wanted to read Simone de Beauvoir's famous essay “Must We Burn Sade?”
I never did see the movie Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Gratuitous cruelty is not my cup of tea.
The play Marat Sade by Peter Weiss is on YouTube.

I also remember that Robert Bloch wrote a story with the title "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade" but I've never read it. It was later made into the movie The Skull (1965) starring Peter Cushing, Patrick Wymark, and Christopher Lee.

I'm finally getting to my point. If they can publish a book on Sade, they can certainly publish one on Lovecraft and Ligotti. They both have more to say as far as I'm concerned.

If limited to Introducing Pessimism, a few more names to add would be:

Marquis de Sade
Philipp Mainländer
Georg Trakl
David Benatar