The Dark Domain
 

I am very pleased to announce the reprint of The Dark Domain collection by a Polish master of horror/weird fiction - Stefan Grabinski. This forgotten writer, whose works often remind one of E. A Poe, has been frequently praised by China Mieville and mentioned by Ligotti.

Here you will find more info:
The Dark Domain: The Stefan Grabinski Site


Rereadings: Stefan Grabinski | By genre | guardian.co.uk Books

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Slawek,
As always, you're amazing. The name rang a bell. I have at least five Grabinski stories in anthologies or small press mags. I'll not ignore him henceforth.

Robert M. Price, in "Editorial Shards" from Crypt of Cthulhu # 66:
"A very different piece of fiction is the disturbing 'The Frenzied Farmhouse' by Polish master of nightmare Stefan Grabinski, translated by Miroslaw Lipinski, the zealous apostle of Grabinski's neglected work in the English-speaking world. This was Grabinski's first published tale (1908) and appeared in three different collections in its original language. This is its first English appearance."

Thank you, Slawek!
Phil

P.S. When will you find time for Ligotti?

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Slawek,

I have read THE DARK DOMAIN. I remember liking the stories, but it has been so long since I read them that I can't remember specifics. (whoever said beer is good for your memory is full of it....maybe it was me). I will have to give them a reread one of these days. I see from your link to Amazon.com that they are publishing it with new cover art. The first edition had the suitably evil painting Sensuality by Franz von Stuck. (Hitler's favorite artist, for those of you who like trivia.)

I remember TL mentioning Grabinski in one of his interviews. I thought it was in regards to Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, but I looked for him in these books and couldn't find him. I could have missed him though. Also, in a copy of Nyctalops that I was reading recently, HOM or Christine Morris (related?) mentioned that TL had recommended the GRABINSKI READER to them. This was a small press publication that Miroslaw Lipinski published when he translated a new story. I e-mailed Mr. Lipinski a long time ago via the Grabinski website to see if he had any old copies of this mag for sale. He stated that he thought he did, but that he would have to look for them and get back to me. He never did, and I don't like to make a pest of myself, so ...

As G.S. Carnivals points out, there is a Grabinski story in Crypt of Cthulhu 66. A few others I know of are: Ultima Thule in Nocturne, Secundus and in another one in Tekeli-li #4. (I can't remember where I put my copy or I would list the title. Ah, beer).

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Actually, TL doesn't mention Grabinski in many of the interviews, but I know that he's read all of his stories from other sources.

BTW, the new cover of the book is awesome!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

And here comes Grabinski's bibliography:

* The Area, (ss) The Grabinski Reader #1, Sum 1986
Tales by Moonlight II, ed. Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Tor 1989; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Before the Long Journey [1921], (ss) The Grabinski Reader #2 1987; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Black Hamlet, (ss) The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy, ed. Wiesiek Powaga, Dedalus 1996; tr. by Wiesiek Powaga

* The Frenzied Farmhouse, (ss) Crypt of Cthulhu #66 1989
100 Tiny Tales of Terror, ed. Robert Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz & Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble 1996; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Fumes, (ss) Fantasy Macabre #14 1992; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Glance [1921], (ss) The Grabinski Reader #3 1988; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Grey Room, (ss) 100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories, ed. Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg & Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy, ed. Wiesiek Powaga, Dedalus 1996; tr. by Wiesiek Powaga

* In the Compartment, (ss) The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Motion Demon [1919], (ss) The Grabinski Reader #5 1990; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* On a Tangent, (ss) Lore #9 1998; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Saturnin Sektor [1920], (ss) The Grabinski Reader #2 1987; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Siding, (ss) The Grabinski Reader #5 1990; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Sloven, (ss) Tekeli-li! #4 1992; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Strabismus, (ss) The Grabinski Reader #1 1986; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Szamota’s Mistress [1919], (ss) The Grabinski Reader #3 1988; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* A Tale of the Gravedigger, (ss) The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Ultima Thule, (ss) 1919
Nocturne #2 1989; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* Vengeance of the Elementals, (ss) The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The Wandering Train, (ss) Fantasy Macabre #11 1988
The Dark Domain, Dedalus 1993; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski

* The White Wyrak, (ss) 100 Creepy Little Creature Stories, ed. Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg & Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble 1994; tr. by Miroslaw Lipinski
_____, [ref.]

* English Translation Grabinski Bibliography, (bi) Tekeli-li! #4 1992

* “The Psychofantasy of Stefan Grabinski” by Miroslaw Lipinski, (ar) Tekeli-li! #4 1992

* “Stefan Grabinski and the Reification of Nightmare” by Paul R. Kesler, (ar) The Grabinski Reader #4 1989

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Oh, One more thing Bendk,
You can buy the first two issues of The Grabinski Reader from Jessica Amanda Salmonson at her Violet Books webside:

http://www.violetbooks.com/CATALOGS/G.html

From the description of the second issue:
"There are also two articles by Lipinski, & the second issue has a letter column wherein one sees the first responses to this amazing author from such commentators as Thomas Ligotti, Robert Bloch, Karl Edward Wagner & Jessica Amanda Salmonson."

YEAHHHH!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Slawek,
I got my two Tales by Moonlight books, my two Heroic Visions books, and my issues of Fantasy Macabre from Jessica. They're still in the shipping box postmarked July 19, 1999. They're immaculate! BEWARE: Jessica has a tendency to just up and sign her books and magazines! 8) Jessica is the real deal when it comes to small press and forgotten writers. She's a fine writer herself, too....
Learning to Appreciate My Investments,
Phil

Re: The Dark Domain
 

I guess I was a little bit wrong stating that The Dark Domain is a reprint.
This is from Chris Roden at Ash-Tree Press:


Hmm, sounds yummy!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Hey, GSC, coming back to Jessica Amanda Salmonson, I've just discovered that one of her stories appeared in a Polish anthology. I've heard about her some time ago (thanks to her website), but didn't know she was a writer. Apparently, her score in stories translated to Polish equals Ligotti's (= 1). I'll check her out today! 8)

Re: The Dark Domain
 

I think a couple of Salmonson's stories are available online, though I can't be certain. Which of her stories have been translated to Polish? And which one of Ligotti's, for that matter?

Back to Salmonson: I did read "Madame Enchantia and the Maze of Dream" from an excellent anthology called Walls of Fear, and though I can't quite recall the details of that particular story, I do remember it being quite a wonderfully dizzying read. It's not as bleak as Ligotti, but in terms of the way a dreamlike reality is conjured up by a striking use of language, I think it may appeal to some of us here. She's supposed to have revised and/or extended this story, but I don't know how that changes it.

I wish I had a copy of the earlier Cramer anthology that dealt similarly with "architectural horror." Aside from containing two of my favorite writers (Aickman and Campbell), The Architecture of Fear also contains a Salmonson story intriguingly called "The House That Knew No Hate." And an afterword from the editor to match those absolutely fascinating ideas she has on the horror genre and the role of architecture...yeah, I wish I could find myself a copy of that!

(And all this talk of architecture is reminding me of that "Ligotti and doors" thread that was going on a while back...)

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Welcome Slawek!

I sometimes visit TLO and I see you are from Poland! What a nice surprise!(sorry, I'm not writing in Polish but I see you all use English here).

And sorry I'm using this forum for personal matters but I'm a new member and in a desperate need for help.

To the point: I'd like to ask you a question. Could you answer my email if I give you my personal email address?? It's nothing VERY important but I just want to ask you something concerning Ligotti and other vital dark matters.

All the best Slawek and all the people here!
sk59

P.S. I'm terribly sorry for any unintended offence to anyone! NO OFFENCE WAS MEANT!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Hello! It seems that there are far more Polish horror fans than I first thought! Two here, how many elsewhere?

Re: The Dark Domain
 

ok, nie za bardzo kumaty jestem w te sprawy na stronie TLO bo jest straszliwie rozbudowana ale podaj mi pliz swoj email prywatny bo mam tu na uwadze kilka kwestii powaznych i chcialbym żebyś mnie oświecil w tej materii.
a tak w ogole to w razie czego jest moj: incienso@poczta.onet.pl

z gory dzieki wielkie!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

As far as I know, I'm the only one from the Philippines here, but if there's anyone else, feel free to say hello. Any other Asians on the list?

Re: The Dark Domain
 

I checked with Amazon.com, and DARK DOMAIN was recently reprinted by Dedalus (Jan 15, 06). The Ash Tree project is different. They will be printing a series of hardback volumes of Grabinski's work. The first is currently available. It is THE MOTION DEMON. Here is a description that I found on eBay:

THE MOTION DEMON by Stefan Grabinski, Translated, and with an Introduction by Miroslaw Lipinski. Ashcroft, BC, Canada; Ash-Tree Press; 2005. 1st edition hardcover. Jacket art by Chris Pelletiere Published 30 September 2005; Limited to 500 copies. Some type of gigantic, grey mass passes by—an ashen, misty mass with cut-out windows from end to end. One can feel the gust of a satanic draught from these open holes, hear the flapping, maddeningly blown-about shutters; one can almost see the spectral faces of the passengers. . . . A wandering train that appears, seemingly at will; an engine driver who is inseparable from his machine; a passenger who waits for trains but never travels on them; obsession with speed and motion; a harbinger of disaster; a daring liaison: these are the themes of The Motion Demon, Stefan Grabinski's collection of nine stories, first published in Poland in 1919. Stefan Grabinski (1887–1936), often referred to as 'The Polish Poe', struggled during his lifetime to gain recognition in his native land. He was an idealistic loner who strove for an understanding of the hidden forces of both the world and the human mind; and he represented those forces in the most potent framework available to him—his stories of the supernatural. With no one to champion him in his own land, it took until 1993 and the publication of The Dark Domain (translated by Miroslaw Lipinski) for English language readers to become truly aware of this undisputed master of original and interesting fantastic fiction. The stories of The Motion Demon are peopled by memorable characters, and even a simple railway journey offers telling clues to the metaphysical and beyond. All aboard for a unique adventure! With this first complete translation of The Motion Demon, Ash-Tree Press begins a comprehensive series of Grabinski volumes that will duplicate the content of the original Polish editions and also assemble short stories which never saw book publication. The complete series will represent the first comprehensive, collected work of Stefan Grabinski in any language. CONTENTS: Introduction by Miroslaw Lipinski; Engine Driver Grot; The Wandering Train; The Motion Demon; The Sloven; The Perpetual Passenger; In the Compartment; Signals; The Siding; Ultima Thule

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Thank you, bendk for all this information. This Ash-Tree project consisting of translating all of Grabinski's texts is impressive. Some of his plays still remain in manuscript, while many stories having been published before the Second World War are completely inaccessible. I'm afraid I'll never see them published in Polish, because Grabinski's genius has been totally neglected in this country. Now, with all these translations, the author seems to be much more recognized by English speaking weird fiction fans, than by his native readers.

I've got one curiosity to show you (very rare indeed!):

http://www.ligotti.net/album_showpage.php?pic_id=544

Re: The Dark Domain
 

eldritch00,
Sorry for not having provided an answer to your question before. The thread has slightly changed the subject as you could have noticed and in the end it totally slipped my mind.

"The View from Mount Futaba" by Jessica Amanda Salmonson has been translated to Polish (I have to confess that I still haven't read it - is it any good?).

"The Shadow, The darkness" is the story by TL I was talking about.

Re: The Dark Domain
 

No apologies necessary! 8) Alas, I haven't read that story of hers yet. I'm really curious about her work and wish I could read more of it. Perhaps one of her collections might be good to get...

Re: The Dark Domain
 

The only Salmonson collection I've read is John Collier and Fredric Brown Went Quarrelling through My Head, published in 1989 by W. Paul Ganley. It collects twenty-seven stories, most of which first saw print in small press magazines. Tony Patrick's artwork is abundant. The typesetting is deplorable, however--the archaic typewriter look. The book is a trade paperback with a dust jacket-- which is odd in itself. This is definitely one of the oddities in my book collection. Highly recommended!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

One more from Manila.

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Just noticed there is now a new collection of stories by Grabinski available in English:

http://www.cbeditions.com/img/coversfinal%281909%29.gif


ISBN 978–0–9557285–3–2; 124pp; £6

For more see here:
http://www.cbeditions.com/

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Re: The Dark Domain
 

No problem, darknessdoubled. It's good to know that this info was of some use to you.

Does anyone know the contents of this collection? I was trying to find them on the publisher's page but in vain.

Re: The Dark Domain
 

There are six stories collected here:

White Virak
The Gray Room
In Sarah's House
The Dead Run
The Black Hamlet
Szatera's Engrams

The Gray Room and The Black Hamlet were first printed in The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy (which was compiled and (mostly) translated by Wiesiek Powaga, who did the same for this new Grabinski volume).
The book is very lovely. CB Editions seem to be very promising (and I'm a sucker for the streamlined, minimal art design of each of the books issued thus far).
Thanks again!

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Thanks, darknessdoubled!!!

All of the stories are familiar to me except for The Dead Run. I somehow fail to find what is the original title of this story as no title from Grabinski's bibliography seems to fit.

Now I know I will have to get this book as well. :cool:

Re: The Dark Domain
 

"The room was in shambles, the kitchen window broken inward. Blood smeared the floor and walls. Richard approached the sink, glass crunching under his shoes, and looked toward the hunched mountains. Against the violet of the dawn, the silhouette of some great-winged bird or bat was plain above the lake, and it let loose the torso clutched by talons so that the body fell and upset the water's icy stillness.

Richard Whitson turned from that impossible sight and fought the urge to retch. He stumbled like a man blinded by his terror back into the living room, there to gaze once more at the product of his crime - that once-beautiful Christmas tree now so obviously ghastly in its color. His battle to keep his stomach down was lost at the sight atop the tree. For where would have been the star rested the brutally torn head of his grandfather."

Re: The Dark Domain
 

David of Current 93, with whom Jessica is close friends, published a wonderful collection of her work many years ago. I looked for the book but, since moving in with mum, my library is still in a state of chaos. Can't even recall the name of the book. I'm slowly hunting all of my weird fiction titles and placing them on shelves together, so I'll find it eventually -- but that is a chore that comes last, I've so much writing to do. Ash-Tree Press published a beautiful hardcover collection of fiction and poetry (Jessica is one of the finest poets in the genre), The Deep Museum, in 2003. She has a mass market pb collection, A Silver Thread of Madness,which collects some amazing short stories. And her one horror novel, Anthony Shriek, is magnificent. It really broke my heart when she became embittered and stopped writing novels. She has several writing projects that are in various states of completion --- all of them sound fantastic --- but she needs to find publishers who pay decently and will publish her books in hardcover. Her weird fictions are works of utter and absolute genius.

She is also one of the finest, most important editors of weird fiction, and has edited some really important collections of ghost stories by many forgotten/neglected authors from the past. She was also an early champion of Tom's writing.

Re: The Dark Domain
 

Some members of this site are already aware of the following items concerning Ligotti and Salmonson, but at the risk of repetition I'll point them out:

"Jessica Amanda Salmonson: Heromaker" (essay by Ligotti). Thanks to bendk for posting this essay; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to read it.

And the following exchange from the "Fantastic Metropolis" interview:

Neddal Ayad: By the way, I have you on the “never tried other modes of writing” thing. I would say that “Masquerade of a Dead Sword” is definitely a fantasy in the vein of Fritz Leiber or Michael Moorcock.

Thomas Ligotti: That was the only story I was commissioned to write. I had just started getting published and Jessica Salmonson asked me to write a story for her sequel anthology to Heroic Visions. Otherwise, I would never have written that story. Since then, I’ve been asked to write stories for theme anthologies but I’ve always turned down the offer.

Re: The Dark Domain
 

The mention of Salmonson reminded me of the Ligotti issue of Dagon (No. 22/23, 1998). In the Editorial to this magazine, Carl T. Ford writes: 'When you consider the author's output and remarkable high standard of horrific prose it is quite amazing that Thomas remains a writer for low-circulation magazines. In an introduction to the excellent "Masquerade of a Dead Sword" in Heroic Visions II, editor Jessica Amanda Salmonson observes that "his voice is perhaps too original for instant recognition among the typical editor or anthologist of horror fiction, a field where conservatism invariably translates artistic as being pretentious and where even a microscopic moment of the experimental creates paroxysms of disdain." I think I'll go along with that. Thomas Ligotti refuses to write for a large audience or to sacrifice style for a large bank cheque.'

Re: The Dark Domain
 

I've just found the book that I thought contained Jessica Salmonson's fiction that was published by David Tibet and find that it's not her work at all but rather:
MASTER OF FALLEN YEARS --Complete Supernatural Stories of Vincent O'Sullivan, edited, and with an introduction by Jessica Amanda Salmonson (Ghost Story Press, 1995).
Ghost Story Press was Richard Dalby and Kat & David Tibet. Sorry for the confusion.