rarely as effectively and efficiently as Poe did more
than a century ago.
Ligotti, Thomas(1953– )
Because there are so few markets for short horror
fiction, particularly idiosyncratic or very style-
conscious prose, many of the best writers in that
genre have been regular contributors to the small
press, semiprofessional magazines with limited dis-
tribution and low pay rates. Writers whose work is
largely confined to this venue are doing so be-
cause they enjoy the work, not because it pays the
bills. Thomas Ligotti, who sold his first story in
1981, languished there for almost 10 years, pro-
ducing a steady stream of quality stories that were
often compared to the best work of Clark Ashton
SMITHand other members of the circle that sur-
rounded H. P. LOVECRAFT, although Ligotti’s prose
is much more sophisticated than was theirs. Most
of his characters encounter something that makes
them question their view of reality, forcing them
to adjust or fall prey to this new knowledge.
His fiction is also filled with grotesque images,
and his protagonists are frequently doomed from the
outset. A visitor to a local festival discovers that the
symbolism is more relevant than he expected in
“The Last Feast of Harlequin” (1990). Dolls are
given a form of life in “Dr. Voke and Mr. Veech”
(1983). The Gorgon survives into the modern world
in “The Medusa” (1991). “The Tsalal” (1994) is a
particularly effective and very explicit tale of de-
monic horror. His other outstanding stories include
“Dr. Locrian’s Asylum” (1987) and “The Bells Will
Sound Forever” (1998), although the quality of his
stories is so uniform that it is difficult to narrow the
list down to a few choice selections.
Ligotti’s earliest stories were largely collected
in Songs of a Dead Dreamer(1986), and the re-
maining few were mixed with newer tales in Grim-
scribe(1990), which is often described incorrectly
as a novel. Subsequent collections are The Agoniz-
ing Resurrection of Victor Frankenstein and Other
Gothic Tales (1994), Noctuary(1994), and The
Nightmare Factory(1996). The last of these won
the Bram Stoker Award, as did the short story
“The Red Tower” (1996). The title story of My
Work Is Not Yet Done(2002) is a short novel that
also won the Bram Stoker Award and is accompa-
nied by two thematically related short stories, all of
which insert horror into an ordinary business set-
ting. His most recent work at shorter length can be
found in Sideshow and Other Stories(2003). The
Thomas Ligotti Reader,edited by Darrell Schweitzer
(2003), is a collection of essays that can be very
helpful in fully understanding his sometimes com-
plex stories.Lindskold, Jane(1962– )
Jane Lindskold’s short fantasy stories began ap-
pearing in the early 1990s, well-written but un-
memorable except for “Teapot” (1995), an amusing
take on ALICE IN WONDERLAND(1865) by Lewis
CARROLL. Her first fantasy novel was Brother to
Dragons, Companion to Owls(1994), a contempo-
rary fantasy in which fiscal cutbacks have resulted
in the ejection of a troubled young woman from an
institution. She is disturbed, but with good reason,
unbalanced by her very real magical powers in
which no one else believes. Fending for herself, she
betrays her abilities and attracts the attention of
unscrupulous people prepared to take advantage of
her power.
More impressive was her second novel, The
Pipes of Orpheus(1995), a retelling of the story of
the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who stole all the chil-
dren from an ungrateful village, retold on a
grander scale and casting the Greek god Orpheus
in the role of the piper. When the Gods Are Silent
(1997) is less remarkable, a rather routine, low-key
quest story. Changer(1998) and its sequel, Legends
Walking(1999), are much better. King Arthur and
some other immortals have survived into the mod-
ern age but are confronted by an old enemy who
has similarly survived the passage of time. The title
character is a shape-shifting being who also turns
up in the sequel, which switches the scene to
Africa for a confrontation with a reawakened god
who seeks to dominate that continent.
Lindskold’s most ambitious fantasy work is the
Wolf series, Through Wolf’s Eyes (2001), Wolf’s
Head, Wolf’s Heart(2002), The Dragon of Despair
(2003), and Wolf Captured(2004). The series is set
in another kingdom in turmoil, but the focus is on
the interaction of various humans with the local214 Ligotti, Thomas