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Black Wings #6
Black Wings of Cthulhu, Volume 6
Volume 6 in the successful and critically acclaimed series of Lovecraftian horror anthologies by the most prominent acolytes of the horror master.
From claustrophobic fear in isolated New England towns to terrifying threats that span the infinite cosmos, the tales herein are fuelled by H. P. Lovecraft’s creations. While his horrors originate in a vast cosmos outside of space and time, the terrors they bring strike ordinary humans caught up in conflicts far beyond their control.
This volume offers a who’s who of Lovecraftian authors including Aaron Bittner, Adam Bolivar, Jason V Brock, Ashley Dioses, David Hambling, Lynne Jamneck, Mark Howard Jones, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Nancy Kilpatrick, Tom Lynch, D. L. Myers, William F. Nolan, K. A. Opperman, W. H. Pugmire, Ann K. Schwader, Darrell Schweitzer, Steve Rasnic Tem, Jonathan Thomas, Donald Tyson, Don Webb, and Stephen Woodworth. Gathered together by S. T. Joshi, their works are certain to thrill.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
38 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
S.T. Joshi
793 books452 followersSunand Tryambak Joshi is an Indian American literary scholar, and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors. Besides what some critics consider to be the definitive biography of Lovecraft (H. P. Lovecraft: A Life, 1996), Joshi has written about Ambrose Bierce, H. L. Mencken, Lord Dunsany, and M.R. James, and has edited collections of their works.
His literary criticism is notable for its emphases upon readability and the dominant worldviews of the authors in question; his The Weird Tale looks at six acknowledged masters of horror and fantasy (namely Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Dunsany, M. R. James, Bierce and Lovecraft), and discusses their respective worldviews in depth and with authority. A follow-up volume, The Modern Weird Tale, examines the work of modern writers, including Shirley Jackson, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen King, Robert Aickman, Thomas Ligotti, T. E. D. Klein and others, from a similar philosophically oriented viewpoint. The Evolution of the Weird Tale (2004) includes essays on Dennis Etchison, L. P. Hartley, Les Daniels, E. F. Benson, Rudyard Kipling, David J. Schow, Robert Bloch, L. P. Davies, Edward Lucas White, Rod Serling, Poppy Z. Brite and others.
Joshi is the editor of the small-press literary journals Lovecraft Studies and Studies in Weird Fiction, published by Necronomicon Press. He is also the editor of Lovecraft Annual and co-editor of Dead Reckonings, both small-press journals published by Hippocampus Press.
In addition to literary criticism, Joshi has also edited books on atheism and social relations, including Documents of American Prejudice (1999), an annotated collection of American racist writings; In Her Place (2006), which collects written examples of prejudice against women; and Atheism: A Reader (2000), which collects atheistic writings by such people as Antony Flew, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Emma Goldman, Gore Vidal and Carl Sagan, among others. An Agnostic Reader, collecting pieces by such writers as Isaac Asimov, John William Draper, Albert Einstein, Frederic Harrison, Thomas Henry Huxley, Robert Ingersoll, Corliss Lamont, Arthur Schopenhauer and Edward Westermarck, was published in 2007.
Joshi is also the author of God's Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong (2003), an anti-religious polemic against various writers including C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, T. S. Eliot, William F. Buckley, Jr., William James, Stephen L. Carter, Annie Dillard, Reynolds Price, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Guenter Lewy, Neale Donald Walsch and Jerry Falwell, which is dedicated to theologian and fellow Lovecraft critic Robert M. Price.
In 2006 he published The Angry Right: Why Conservatives Keep Getting It Wrong, which criticised the political writings of such commentators as William F. Buckley, Jr., Russell Kirk, David and Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Phyllis Schlafly, William Bennett, Gertrude Himmelfarb and Irving and William Kristol, arguing that, despite the efforts of right-wing polemicists, the values of the American people have become steadily more liberal over time.
Joshi, who lives with his wife in Moravia, New York, has stated on his website that his most noteworthy achievements thus far have been his biography of Lovecraft, H. P. Lovecraft: A Life and The Weird Tale.
His literary criticism is notable for its emphases upon readability and the dominant worldviews of the authors in question; his The Weird Tale looks at six acknowledged masters of horror and fantasy (namely Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Dunsany, M. R. James, Bierce and Lovecraft), and discusses their respective worldviews in depth and with authority. A follow-up volume, The Modern Weird Tale, examines the work of modern writers, including Shirley Jackson, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen King, Robert Aickman, Thomas Ligotti, T. E. D. Klein and others, from a similar philosophically oriented viewpoint. The Evolution of the Weird Tale (2004) includes essays on Dennis Etchison, L. P. Hartley, Les Daniels, E. F. Benson, Rudyard Kipling, David J. Schow, Robert Bloch, L. P. Davies, Edward Lucas White, Rod Serling, Poppy Z. Brite and others.
Joshi is the editor of the small-press literary journals Lovecraft Studies and Studies in Weird Fiction, published by Necronomicon Press. He is also the editor of Lovecraft Annual and co-editor of Dead Reckonings, both small-press journals published by Hippocampus Press.
In addition to literary criticism, Joshi has also edited books on atheism and social relations, including Documents of American Prejudice (1999), an annotated collection of American racist writings; In Her Place (2006), which collects written examples of prejudice against women; and Atheism: A Reader (2000), which collects atheistic writings by such people as Antony Flew, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Emma Goldman, Gore Vidal and Carl Sagan, among others. An Agnostic Reader, collecting pieces by such writers as Isaac Asimov, John William Draper, Albert Einstein, Frederic Harrison, Thomas Henry Huxley, Robert Ingersoll, Corliss Lamont, Arthur Schopenhauer and Edward Westermarck, was published in 2007.
Joshi is also the author of God's Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong (2003), an anti-religious polemic against various writers including C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, T. S. Eliot, William F. Buckley, Jr., William James, Stephen L. Carter, Annie Dillard, Reynolds Price, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Guenter Lewy, Neale Donald Walsch and Jerry Falwell, which is dedicated to theologian and fellow Lovecraft critic Robert M. Price.
In 2006 he published The Angry Right: Why Conservatives Keep Getting It Wrong, which criticised the political writings of such commentators as William F. Buckley, Jr., Russell Kirk, David and Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Phyllis Schlafly, William Bennett, Gertrude Himmelfarb and Irving and William Kristol, arguing that, despite the efforts of right-wing polemicists, the values of the American people have become steadily more liberal over time.
Joshi, who lives with his wife in Moravia, New York, has stated on his website that his most noteworthy achievements thus far have been his biography of Lovecraft, H. P. Lovecraft: A Life and The Weird Tale.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 8, 2020
Another great lovecraftian horror anthology, more consistently good than the first one and only one or two bad ones. The poetry in the style of lovecraft was very nice too.
For the individual stories:
Pothunters was an enjoyable read but I did feel like I was missing some context to it.
The girl in the attic was a very dreamy and experimental vignette that turned out excellent.
The Once and Future Waite was an intriguing twist on the Thing on the Doorstep with a mystery that slotted into place in a very satisfying manner let down by the authors views on gender leaking in a genuinely baffling way that almost went against what I assume his intent was.
Oude Goden was awful and felt like a lecture.
Carnivorous was a nice and simple work of lovecraft, solid but not notable.
Teshtigo Creek was another nice to the point story with an unexpected ending.
Ex Libris was excellent as expected of Kiernan who seems to write the best stories for these anthologies.
You shadows that darkness dwell nicely captured the fever dreamish feel these environments can provoke.
The visitor was weird.
The gaunt was another good one with a slow burn revelation that works well.
I really enjoyed Missing at the Morgue, noir and lovecraft go well together.
The shard and the mystery of the cursed cottage were both great twists on Lovecraftian ideas.
I did not enjoy To Move Beneath Autumnal Oaks.
Mister Ainsley was another one with a nice twist and tie in.
Satiety was godawful and had prose so horrifically purple and on the nose that I couldn't even finish it.
Provenance unknown had that creeping horrific realisation that epitomises Lovecraftian fiction down to a T.
All of the poems were great too especially The Well.
All in all this is a strong anthology I would recommend to all enjoyers of Lovecraftian fiction.
For the individual stories:
Pothunters was an enjoyable read but I did feel like I was missing some context to it.
The girl in the attic was a very dreamy and experimental vignette that turned out excellent.
The Once and Future Waite was an intriguing twist on the Thing on the Doorstep with a mystery that slotted into place in a very satisfying manner let down by the authors views on gender leaking in a genuinely baffling way that almost went against what I assume his intent was.
Oude Goden was awful and felt like a lecture.
Carnivorous was a nice and simple work of lovecraft, solid but not notable.
Teshtigo Creek was another nice to the point story with an unexpected ending.
Ex Libris was excellent as expected of Kiernan who seems to write the best stories for these anthologies.
You shadows that darkness dwell nicely captured the fever dreamish feel these environments can provoke.
The visitor was weird.
The gaunt was another good one with a slow burn revelation that works well.
I really enjoyed Missing at the Morgue, noir and lovecraft go well together.
The shard and the mystery of the cursed cottage were both great twists on Lovecraftian ideas.
I did not enjoy To Move Beneath Autumnal Oaks.
Mister Ainsley was another one with a nice twist and tie in.
Satiety was godawful and had prose so horrifically purple and on the nose that I couldn't even finish it.
Provenance unknown had that creeping horrific realisation that epitomises Lovecraftian fiction down to a T.
All of the poems were great too especially The Well.
All in all this is a strong anthology I would recommend to all enjoyers of Lovecraftian fiction.
June 1, 2020
Not Bad At All
Decent collection of stories here as well as some poetry. While I don't get into reading poetry, or seek it out, I like that it was included in this collection for those that do. This is honestly the first collection of short stories I have ever read that included poetry written in genre which is pretty cool. I will definitely be reading the previous five volumes and looking forward to future editions.
Hopefully, Joshi continues to seek out new expressions to include in future anthologies because exposure to new ideas and styles is important and necessary. This is more crucial now than it ever has been as stories are the way to get into the minds of those who may never be exposed to ideas be they simple or complex. It only takes one sentence to start a perceptual shift in a person's mind. This book is a framework for how that should be done and while it should not be copied ad nauseum doing it more frequently throughout other genres certainly wouldn't hurt.
Decent collection of stories here as well as some poetry. While I don't get into reading poetry, or seek it out, I like that it was included in this collection for those that do. This is honestly the first collection of short stories I have ever read that included poetry written in genre which is pretty cool. I will definitely be reading the previous five volumes and looking forward to future editions.
Hopefully, Joshi continues to seek out new expressions to include in future anthologies because exposure to new ideas and styles is important and necessary. This is more crucial now than it ever has been as stories are the way to get into the minds of those who may never be exposed to ideas be they simple or complex. It only takes one sentence to start a perceptual shift in a person's mind. This book is a framework for how that should be done and while it should not be copied ad nauseum doing it more frequently throughout other genres certainly wouldn't hurt.
July 24, 2021
Overall a very strong anthology, and one I would certainly recommend! Most of the stories managed to hit the spot, with only a few being a let down. The anthology includes poetry, which is a nice touch if you're into it but it didn't do much for me.
My favourites were 'pot hunters' (really enjoyed the atmosphere), 'carnivorous' (had a fun, sort of campy feel while still curating dread), 'teshtigo creek', and 'ex libris' (most certainly my favourite; everything about it was pretty much perfect!)
Unfortunately some stories really brought my rating down - I found 'satiety' wholly unreadable. It was less of a story to me than a poorly worded political rant. 'The Once and Future Waite' was also rather disappointing.
My favourites were 'pot hunters' (really enjoyed the atmosphere), 'carnivorous' (had a fun, sort of campy feel while still curating dread), 'teshtigo creek', and 'ex libris' (most certainly my favourite; everything about it was pretty much perfect!)
Unfortunately some stories really brought my rating down - I found 'satiety' wholly unreadable. It was less of a story to me than a poorly worded political rant. 'The Once and Future Waite' was also rather disappointing.
January 17, 2022
Another pretty-good collection of Cthulhu Mythos stories. I'm getting so I trust that anything from S. T. Joshi is going to be pretty good.
October 20, 2022
Finds the anthology series grinding deeper into the rut it has created for itself. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
December 13, 2023
This did NOT hit
December 30, 2024
I'm biased, as I am a fan of eldritch horror, and a fan of short stories. There was a lot to love and a little bit to dislike.
Currently reading
January 12, 2025"The Well" by D. L. Myers - This short poem could have been inspired by "The Color Out of Space".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
Children of a lesser Cthulhu
There are a few pretty good pieces in this collection, but many of them are mediocre or feel like first drafts of better stories. There are more than a few that I'm hard pressed to call "Lovecraftian" in any sense because they could just as well have been stories about werewolves or other, conventional terrors. A couple stories are just bad and not worth the reading. If you're just down for anything Lovecraftian, get this collection at a deep, deep sale.
There are a few pretty good pieces in this collection, but many of them are mediocre or feel like first drafts of better stories. There are more than a few that I'm hard pressed to call "Lovecraftian" in any sense because they could just as well have been stories about werewolves or other, conventional terrors. A couple stories are just bad and not worth the reading. If you're just down for anything Lovecraftian, get this collection at a deep, deep sale.
February 8, 2019
As always, an enjoyable selection of stories, for the most part. Only one of the tales and poems did I actually not care for. S.T. Joshi continues to introduce me to more weird fiction.
February 12, 2019
Fabulous. Not a dud in the whole collection! I loved the first and last stories in particular.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews