“A Season in Carcosa” book review

The King in Yellow, a series of vaguely connected short stories having as a background a monstrous and suppressed book whose perusal brings fright, madness, and spectral tragedy, really achieves notable heights of cosmic fear… — H.P. Lovecraft

When Joe Pulver approached S. T. Joshi about doing an anthology like his now-famous tome Black Wings, only for Robert Chambers’ King in Yellow, Joshi had only one thing to say:

“You do it, Joe.” (From Miskatonic River Press)

So he did. The result is A Season in Carcosa, and I’m happy to report that it’s a very enjoyable read. Contributors include Laird Barron, Ann K. Schwader, Richard A. Lupoff, Cody Goodfellow, and more. Here’s the table of contents:

Joel Lane “My Voice is Dead”
a really beautiful cover – click to enlarge
Simon Strantzas “Beyond the Banks of the River Seine”
Don Webb “Movie Night at Phil’s”
Daniel Mills “MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room”
Gary McMahon “it sees me when I’m not looking”
Ann K. Schwader “Finale, Act Two”
Cate Gardner “Yellow Bird Strings”
Edward Morris “The Teatre & Its Double”
Richard Gavin “The Hymn of the Hyades”
Gemma Files “Slick Black Bones and Soft Black Stars”
Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. “Not Enough Hope”
Kristin Prevallet “Whose Hearts are Pure Gold”
Richard A. Lupoff “April Dawn”
Anna Tambour “King Wolf”
Michael Kelly “The White-Face at Dawn”
Cody Goodfellow “Wishing Well”
John Langan “Sweetums”
Pearce Hansen “The King is Yellow”
Laird Barron “D T”
Robin Spriggs “Salvation in Yellow”
Allyson Bird “The Beat Hotel”

A Season in Carcosa is a moody, atmospheric anthology. I especially enjoyed My Voice is Dead by Joel Lane, it sees me when I’m not looking by Gary McMahon, and Beyond the Banks of the River Seine by Simon Strantzas. But perhaps my favorite story is MS Found in a Chicago Hotel Room by Daniel Mills, which I don’t think I can describe without giving anything away.

I say perhaps because I enjoyed all of the stories in A Season in Carcosa, and I believe you will, too.

I’m giving away the amazing King in Yellow sculpture below to a random buyer of A Season in Carcosa. Simply purchase the book through one of the links below, then forward the email receipt to me at michaeldaviswriter@gmail.com . This coming Friday, October 12, I will randomly choose a winner! This is a wonderful work of art by the Lovecraftian sculptor Joe Broers.