Vastarien: Vol. 2, Issue 2

Vastarien #5

by Jon Padgett (Editor), D.P. Watt (Contributor ), Robin Gow (Contributor)

Vastarien: A Literary Journal is a source of critical study and creative response to the corpus of Thomas Ligotti as well as associated authors and ideas. The journal includes nonfiction, literary horror fiction, poetry, artwork and non-classifiable hybrid pieces.

Contents:

Clematis, White and Purple
D. P. Watt

like crickets
not other’s tongues
types of knife blades
Robin Gow

The Stringer of Wiltsburg Farm
Eden Royce

The Pelt
Christi Nogle

Silences
Lucy A. Snyder

Visions of the Gothic Body in Thomas Ligotti’s Short Stories
Deborah Bridle

Eyestalk
C. M. Crockford

Daddy’s Departure
Danielle Hark

The Sprite House
Trent Kollodge

Sirens in the Night
Paul L. Bates

Thomas Ligotti: The Abyss of Radiance
S. C. Hickman

The Milk Man
Alana I. Capria

Trans Woman Gutted
Valin Paige

What Found Nevaeh
Donyae Coles

Art by Giuseppe Balestra, Tatiana Garmendia, and Danielle Hark (including cover art)

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2019

About the author

Jon Padgett is a professional–though lapsed–ventriloquist who lives in New Orleans. He is the Editor-In-Chief of Grimscribe Press, which publishes Vastarien: A Literary Journal , a source of critical study and creative response to the work of Thomas Ligotti. Padgett’s first short story collection, The Secret of Ventriloquism, was named the Best Fiction Book of the Year by Rue Morgue Magazine.

Padgett’s voice has also become synonymous with the works of Thomas Ligotti. Padgett has lent his voice to numerous Thomas Ligotti works, including the recently released Penguin Random House audio version of Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe and various Cadabra Record releases, “The Bungalow House,” “The Red Tower,” “The Small People,” “Gas Station Carnivals,” “The Clown Puppet,” “Pictures of Apocalypse,” and “Mrs. Rinaldi’s Angel.” In addition to his work as a Ligotti narrator, Padgett has also narrated two Cadabra Records releases of his own work, “20 Simple Steps to Ventriloquism” and “Origami Dreams.” With his ability to channel Ligotti’s prose and poetry via the spoken word, Padgett is a singular figure in the world of weird storytelling.

Reviews

[Karl]

Contents:

i - Acknowledgments
008 - "Clematis, White and Purple" by D. P. Watt
017 - "like crickets" by Robin Gow
021 - "not other's tongues" by Robin Gow
025 - "types of knife blades: " by Robin Gow
027 - "The Stringer of Wiltsburg Farm" by Eden Royce
045 - "The Pelt" by Christi Nogle
059 - "Silences by Lucy A. Snyder
061 - "Visions of the Gothic Body in Thomas Ligotti's Short Stories" by Deborah Bridle
083 - "Eyestalk" by C. M. Crockford
097 - "Daddy's Departure" Danielle Hark
099 - "The Sprite House" Trent Kollodge
115 - "Sirens in the Night" by Paul L. Bates
125 - "Thomas Ligotti: The Abyss of Radiance" by S. C. Hickman
141 - "The Milk Man" by Alana I. Capria
151 - "Trans Woman Gutted" by Valin Paige
155 - "What Found Nevaeh" by Donyae Coles
171 - Contributors

art by Giuseppe Balestra, Tatiana Garmendia, and Danielle Hark (including cover art)

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much of this issue keeps you unsettled. Keeps you from unpacking and fully inhabiting a decent but affordable room as with “What Found Nevaeh” by Donyae Coles. Unable to find quite the right piece of furniture to sink into and relax away from the claustrophobic dread of “The Pelt” by Christi Nogle. Unable to be accepted and belong with “The Mannequin Ideal” by Andrew Koury.

“Sirens in the Night” by Paul L. Bates distracts you with its infestation of traditional body horror tropes like things growing under your skin without ever directing your view to the gore and allowing it to happen off-screen. Instead, this clotted gore is spattered across “The Milk Man” by Alana I. Capria and prevents you from washing clean of its effects.

“Clematis, White and Purple” by D. P. Watt was a delightful story about perspective. I would love to see this one adapted as an animated short. “The Stringer of Wiltsburg Farm” by Eden Royce had a wonderful voice and evocative monster. “The Sprite House” by Trent Kollodge was a disconcertingly nihilistic take on the esoteric text that is used to break barriers between worlds.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I posted this earlier, but guess I didn't. So here's something...

Totally loved this! Each issue is better than the last. Everything in here, the fiction, the poetry, the non-fiction, the images, are all top notch mind blowing material. In fact, it was this issue that made me change my subscription to the print edition, because this feels like one of those things I want to physically hold and have.

Just get in on this now before you are left behind.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the artwork, disliked the poetry (fighting the desire to just skip over it, I read them all twice), but there are a few great stories here - “Clematis, White and Purple”, “the Sprite House” and “Sirens in the Night” were particularly enjoyable. The Sprite House was, for me, the most Ligottian in spirit but also lighter in tone. Essays were uneven - “The Abyss of Radiance” made little sense to me.

[Ryan Croke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, devastatingly beautiful. There were a lot of female-centric stories that were difficult to get through but just beautiful. More of this please.

[Claus Appel · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite stories in this were "Sirens in the Night" and "The Milk Man".

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great issue of Vastarian! The real stand out for me in this volume was the essay by S.C. Hickman examining one of my very favorite Ligotti short stories The Tsalal. I appreciated the fiction as well. There were many stories from marginalized groups that made for a very different perspective on horror.

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like switching this whole journal off. Its darkest light now out, not even a silhouette of itself. I return my thoughts to the cover image by Anna Trueman, at least to know, simply to know, but know what? It won’t go away.

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.