Books I Read in April 2023

Three books this month.

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (Poisoned Pen Press, 2021)

I’ve been wanting to read The King in Yellow ever since learning about it from the first season of True Detective. I finally got around to reading it after finding an edition that I liked. I enjoyed the four King in Yellow stories a lot. They were dream-like, atmospheric, and eerie. I see why they are so well regarded, why H. P. Lovecraft was impressed with them, and why they became part of his Cthulhu Mythos. 

The collection also includes four stories about art students in Paris based on the author’s experiences studying abroad. I liked three of those stories much more than I thought I would.

Full review here: 

We Learn by Writing: The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers

In a Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner (Valancourt Books, 2023)

I’m a big fan of Karl Edward Wagner’s sword and sorcery stories about Kane the eternal wanderer and I’ve been looking forward to reading some of his horror fiction. Unfortunately except for ebook editions of Kane, his work is out of print and goes for pretty high prices. Thanks to Valancourt Books we have a new edition of his 1983 horror short story collection, In a Lonely Place. 

While I liked some stories more than others, I thought every story was excellent, which isn’t usually the case with collections and anthologies. I really like Wagner’s prose, the atmosphere of his stories, and his endings. I also like how Wagner slips in references to books, movies, pulp magazines, and bookstores. They’re fun little additions. This is a fantastic collection. Here’s hoping we get more Karl Edward Wagner in print again soon. 

Full review here: 

We Learn by Writing: In a Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner

Darkness Weaves by Karl Edward Wagner (Gateway Essentials, 2014)

A sorceress seeking revenge recruits Kane to command her navy against the king that disfigured her. It’s sword & sorcery Karl Edward Wagner style with naval battles, swordplay, sea monsters, and a Lovecraftian pre-human race with powerful weapons of war. There was a point where things slowed down as we followed some of the other characters around but overall, it was a wild and enjoyable read.

With this eBook I’ve read all the Kane books and most of the short stories that are available. As with his horror fiction, here's hoping that all the Kane stories get back into print soon.