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Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe
Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe | Thomas Ligotti
Two terrifying classics by the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction (The Washington Post) Thomas Ligottis debut collection, Songs of a Dead Dreamer, and his second, Grimscribe, permanently inscribed a new name in the pantheon of horror fiction. Influenced by the strange terrors of Lovecraft and Poe and by the brutal absurdity of Kafka, Ligotti eschews cheap, gory thrills for his own brand of horror, which shocks at the deepest, existential, levels. Ligottis stories take on decaying cities and lurid dreamscapes in a style ranging from rich, ornamental prose to cold, clinical detachment. His raw and experimental work lays bare the unimportance of our world and the sickening madness of the human condition. Like the greatest writers of cosmic horror, Ligotti bends reality until it cracks, opening fissures through which he invites us to gaze on the unsettling darkness of the abyss below. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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khooliha
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Not going to review this one simply because I did not read it in an ideal way and also: what is there to say about it? If you like Ligotti it is A Lot of Ligotti; if you're new to Ligotti I'd probably say find something of his in another anthology? The stories are pretty similar, tonally and image-wise.

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khooliha
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Tag yourself, I'm the one who glistens horribly like a rainbow of insects

Michael_Gee 😝 I love your humor 1y
khooliha @Michael_Gee Thank you! I have fun. 1y
holarosarita I definitely move with a particular creeping motion 1y
7 likes4 comments
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Billypar
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Pickpick

Review in the style of Thomas Ligotti 👇

Billypar As I considered my Litsy review of this chilling collection, I became aware of a presence outside my window. I looked out to see a pale figure in an overcoat staring at me with dark eyes that radiated a purplish glow. I drew back instinctively—surely this was the visitor Veldt had warned me of earlier. I walked outside, and as I approached, he produced an object from under his coat. It was an orb of swirling colors, ones I‘d never seen before👇

5y
Billypar I looked closer, noticing demonic figures within the colored mists, tormenting their unlucky victims in ghastly ways. Then all within the orb abruptly vanished into darkness. As I stood perplexed, I became aware of some motion in my periphery. I looked up with a start to find the night sky replaced with those same awful, swirling colors. The man stared directly at me, and in a cross between a hiss and a growl, uttered a single word: “PICK”.

5y
Billypar @vivastory I couldn't resist writing bite-sized Ligotti fan-fic, lol. These collections were great - really enjoyed them over two Halloween seasons. 5y
See All 15 Comments
vivastory 🙌🤘 I love this review! I almost picked up some ligotti last month, I think I'll have to reread a few sometime over the next week or so. I borrowed this one from the library, but I'm planning on buying a copy as I do think I'll dip into it from time to time. 5y
merelybookish This is excellent! 5y
Billypar @vivastory Thanks ☺ Yes I wouldn't recommend what I attempted and trying to read two collections straight through just because they're packaged together. Perfect for dipping in and out when you're in the mood for something quietly terrifying. 5y
Billypar @merelybookish Thanks! I wrote it last night and was having way too much fun 😁 5y
Reggie Lol, at 2a.m. This review gets a Pick!!! 5y
batsy I've not read Ligotti but I love this review! 5y
Billypar @Reggie Thanks! Btw I recently listened to your Reading Envy episode: really enjoyed it! Book of Night Women is pretty high on my TBR, but wasn't familiar with the other two- they both sound great. 5y
Billypar @batsy Thanks! I can't do justice at the sentence level in two Litsy comments (they're wonderful- long but meticulous), but I tried to pack in as much Ligotti-esque content as I could. 5y
readordierachel Fantastic review 👍🏼 5y
Billypar @readordierachel Thanks! ☺ 5y
Leftcoastzen 👏👏👏👏 5y
Billypar @Leftcoastzen Thanks 😁 5y
40 likes2 stack adds15 comments
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Myhusbandhatesreading
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On Chapter 3 and I‘m thinking about dnf‘ing this one. It‘s a little too out there for me and I‘m just not really into it.

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GatheringBooks
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#ReadingResolutions Day 9: #Spines of my book haul from last week. Four are from the exquisite and uber-generous @Cinfhen , a few are ARCs from my fave book distributor here, and the rest are my haul from Book Depository. Summer reads - or what is left of my “summer.”

Cinfhen Happy reading 🧡🧡🧡 6y
Suet624 Fantastic collection of books. 6y
Stacy_31 I picked up Running with Scissors at my last book haul. Looking forward to reading it soon. 6y
Jess7 Nice! 6y
115 likes4 comments
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AMVP
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#maybookflowers day 11 - #musicaltitles

This is kind of a stretch, though both would make for good doom metal album titles. Need to catch up on Conspiracy Against the Human Race too.

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brendanmleonard
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*thunder, lightning, creaking doors* Good evening, boils and ghouls, lichs and Littens! Welcome to a #MidnightMadness edition of #LitsyAfterDark - where we highlight stories dark like the witching hour! Tonight's story is "The Frolic," a story by Ligotti so bleak and haunting that I haven't gotten the spine up to read any of his other stuff. But perhaps this month...that will all change. Join me next time on...Litsy...After Dark. #muhahahaha

BookishFeminist 😂😂😂😂 you're ridiculous. I have a Ligotti book that I am scared to open. 😱 8y
LeahBergen Hahaha!! 😂 8y
tricours This book is now on my wish list! 8y
72 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Howardsimmons
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No one creates a feeling of dread as well as Ligotti. And I had to stop eating while reading this story, too.

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Howardsimmons
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Perfect reading for a dreary night.