Grimscribe: His Lives and Works

Grimscribe: His Lives and Works is a 1991 collection of short stories in the horror genre by American author Thomas Ligotti.[1][2] The book was Ligotti's second short story collection to be published, following Songs of a Dead Dreamer. In 2015, Penguin Classics republished Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe together in one volume, making Ligotti one of just 10 living authors to be published by the imprint.[3]

Grimscribe: His Lives and Works

First edition (US)
Author	Thomas Ligotti
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Horror fiction, Weird fiction, Speculative fiction
Publisher	Carroll & Graf (US) Robinson (UK)
Publication date	1991
Media type	Print
Pages	214
ISBN	978-0881847390

Critical reception

In his foreword to the Penguin Classics edition, fellow weird fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer called the collection "the work of one of our greatest dark imaginations," saying that “Grimscribe was, at the time of publication, seen by some as a typical second book, as if Ligotti had taken a step back in quality. Over time, however, readers and critics have recognized that the collection is, if anything, richer, more focused, and more mature than Songs.”[4]

In his review for The Guardian, Scott Bradfield said that Ligotti's stories, "like those of Poe and Nabokov, the cruel, brilliant, manipulative writers he most resembles – are absorbingly constructed little works of art."[5]

Contents

1. The Voice of the Damned

• "The Last Feast of Harlequin"
• "The Spectacles in the Drawer"
• "Flowers of the Abyss"
• "Nethescurial"

2. The Voice of the Demon

• "The Dreaming in Nortown"
• "The Mystics of Muelenburg"
• "In the Shadow of Another World"
• "The Cocoons"

3. The Voice of the Dreamer

• "The Night School"
• "The Glamour"

4. The Voice of the Child

• "The Library of Byzantium"
• "Miss Plarr"

5. The Voice of Our Name

• "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World"

References

1. Ligotti, Thomas (1991). Grimscribe: His Lives and Works. New York City: Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN 978-0881847390.
2. Soyka, David (2011). "Grimscribe: His Lives and Works". SF Site. SF Site. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
3. Calia, Michael (September 21, 2015). "Penguin Classics to Publish Ligotti Stories". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
4. Ligotti, Thomas (October 6, 2015). Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe. London: Penguin Classics. p. xiv. ISBN 978-0143107767.
5. Bradfield, Scott (June 30, 2016). "Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe by Thomas Ligotti review – evil little mantras". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 23 November 2017.