"The Old Knowledge" and Women of the Weird

[nomis]

Quote Originally Posted by Freyasfire

I'm a fan of most of Caitlin's work, but I never thought to mention her here because I thought that most people were already familiar with her work. I thought that this thread was to discuss lesser known or newer writers of weird fiction. Caitlin is pretty established.

That was my hope in starting this thread, but I fear we have failed to discuss many authors of note. Or, I suppose, it's possible there is a significant dearth, which in my opinion is far worse the crime.

[MadsPLP]

In that case, I apologise, and might someday start a thread on Kiernan.

Back to the lesser known women of the weird (and I might write something on few of those women sometime (hopefully) soon).

[nomis]

Quote Originally Posted by MadsPLP

In that case, I apologise, and might someday start a thread on Kiernan.

No, it's me who is sorry. Of course Kiernan may be mentioned here. I only meant I'd hoped to bring others to the forefront as well, others the members might not so readily know.

I look forward to reading your future thoughts, Mads.

[MadsPLP]

In that case were all sorry. Lovely!

I doubt my thoughts will be that interesting, but I am glad someone are expectant; no doubt, you'll be disappointed as so many before you have been when looking forward to anything from me.

One random thought: I sometimes tend (and like) to think of Emily Dickinson as a part-weird writer. I have no arguments whatsoever to back up my case. Anyone ever felt the same way?

[Allyson]

Picked up Nina Allan's, 'A Thread of Truth' at Fantasycon and will be dipping into it soon.



www.birdsnest.me.uk

[gveranon]

Quote Originally Posted by MadsPLP

One random thought: I sometimes tend (and like) to think of Emily Dickinson as a part-weird writer. I have no arguments whatsoever to back up my case. Anyone ever felt the same way?

Some of Emily Dickinson's most memorable poems do have weird aspects to them. I especially like this one:

There's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.

Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings are.

None may teach it anything,
'T is the seal, despair, —
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.

When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, 't is like the distance
On the look of death.

Many of her other poems don't seem weird to me at all, at least when I read them one at a time. But if I read a number of them together, they are cumulatively unsettling. There are passing dark fascinations in some of the lighter poems. In poems with seemingly upbeat endings, she focuses as much on the strangeness and cruelty of nature as on its beauty and charms. She was in many ways a religious poet, but even her poems that express faith and hope nearly always equate God with death. God is the Grim Reaper, Immortality is the grave. The famous poem that begins "Because I could not stop for Death,/He kindly stopped for me" is far from the only one that depicts things this way.

At some point she became skeptical and may have lost her faith, though she did not cease to see things in a religious light.

My life closed twice before its close;
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me,

So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

Those last two lines are devastating.

Of course, one could cherry pick other poems that are more conventionally religious. And she wrote poems that have nothing to do with the themes I've been discussing. Here is a good one for those of us who like old books:

A precious, mouldering pleasure 't is
To meet an antique book,
In just the dress his century wore;
A privilege, I think,

His venerable hand to take,
And warming in our own,
A passage back, or two, to make
To times when he was young.

His quaint opinions to inspect,
His knowledge to unfold
On what concerns our mutual mind,
The literature of old;

What interested scholars most,
What competitions ran
When Plato was a certainty.
And Sophocles a man;

When Sappho was a living girl,
And Beatrice wore
The gown that Dante deified.
Facts, centuries before,

He traverses familiar,
As one should come to town
And tell you all your dreams were true;
He lived where dreams were sown.

His presence is enchantment,
You beg him not to go;
Old volumes shake their vellum heads
And tantalize, just so.

[kobaia]

I received my copy of The Old Knowledge & Other Strange Tales a few days ago and very much enjoyed the collection. My thanks to The Swan River Press for bringing this book to print; I hope to see more stories from Rosalie Parker before long.

[Freyasfire]

A few female writers of weird/horror/dark fantasy fiction that I've been enjoying are Helen Marshall:

Hair Side, Flesh Side: Helen Marshall: 9781927469248: Amazon.com: Books

 

Hair Side, Flesh Side: Helen Marshall: 9781927469248: Amazon.com: Books

and Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

This Strange Way of Dying: Stories of Magic, Desire the Fantastic: Silvia Moreno-Garcia: 9781550963540: Amazon.com: Books

 

This Strange Way of Dying: Stories of Magic, Desire the Fantastic: Silvia Moreno-Garcia: 9781550963540: Amazon.com: Books

[nomis]

I'd like to add Lisa L. Hannett to the list.

Bluegrass Symphony: Lisa L Hannett, Ann Vandermeer: 9781921857010: Amazon.com: Books

 

Bluegrass Symphony: Lisa L Hannett, Ann Vandermeer: 9781921857010: Amazon.com: Books

[Freyasfire]

I saw this post over at the Vault of Evil forums, and must say it pleased me. I've only read a few of Anna Taborska's stories, but they've definitely made a good impression; disturbing, creepy and cruel! And I'm especially delighted to see that Reggie Oliver has not only penned the introduction, but has provided illustrations as well!

Quote

Anna Taborska - For Those Who Dream Monsters (Mortbury Press, October, 2013) Steve Upham Reggie Oliver - Introduction Schrödinger’s Human Little Pig Fish Buy a Goat for Christmas Cut! Arthur’s Cellar The Apprentice The Girl in the Blue Coat A Tale of Two Sisters: I. Rusalka II. First Night Halloween Lights The Coffin The Creaking Dirty Dybbuk Underbelly Tea with the Devil Elegy Bagpuss Blurb: What are you afraid of? What are you haunted by? What waits for you in the dark? Face your fears and embark on a journey to the dark side of the human condition. Defy the demons that prey on you and the cruel twists of face that destroy what you hold most dear. A sadistic baker, a psychopathic physics professor, wolves, werewolves, cannibals, Nazis, devils, serial killers, ghosts and other monsters will haunt you long after you finish reading. For those who dream of Monsters by Anna Taborska A Eighteen tales from the abyss, with chilling illustrations by Reggie Oliver. "...... Anna is nothing if not a cruel blade when it comes to scary and horrible fiction." - Paul Finch, author of Stalkers and Sacrifice. Those of us who've been fortunate enough to have experienced Anna's work will appreciate that she is not a lady to disappoint you with a happy ending when a perfectly depressing one is an option, and, from those stories I recognise from the table of contents, For Those Who Dream Monsters is unlikely to buck the trend. Cost (UK) is £9, futher details from Charlie at Mortbury Press.