I Reign in Hell: Selected Works
(By Quentin S. Crisp)
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| Author | Quentin S. Crisp |
Although Crisp’s writing here operates outside the norms of conventional genre tropes, his stories are often rooted in elements of the supernatural. For instance, he channels his inner Lovecraft in “The Recluse,” which sees the discovery of a hermit’s arcane language that leads to a new sort of freedom not yet known by man. In “The Mermaid” the fairy tale cliché of living happily ever after is morphed into a hideous nightmare when a beachcomber’s fantasy comes to fruition but at the expense of his lust for perfection.
With “The Legacy” Crisp preys on the most primal of fears: arachnophobia. Deep-seeded childhood trauma is usually the culprit, but fear can also be inborn. And for one grandson clearing out his deceased grandmother’s house, it becomes a family heirloom best left for the incinerator.
However, Crisp also branches out into the realm of magical prose with stories that may just restore your faith in humanity. “Far-Off Things” is innocence personified for a boy whose only glimpse at love is in a girl he adores from afar, proving that love is fleeting and should always be cherished. Similarly, “Italiannetto” is a touching evocation and reminder of the platonic relationships in one’s life — where true love can be found in more than just romance.
In two ambitious, never-before published novellas, Crisp ventures into a newfound arena of narrative form. His “Scorpion and the Butterfly” is like gurus gone wild beyond the grave. The eternal dance of parrying for position never dies with death; it only grows stronger. While “Fractalism” is a cerebral look at a man’s botanical influence on himself and his surroundings, leading him to uncover an unlikely villain within his metamorphosis.
You may not see the humor in I Reign in Hell, but the title alone will tell you all you need to know about Quentin S. Crisp. He is never one to pass up a clever dig at the literary powers that be. And I Reign in Hell is no longer an unfulfilled publication dream: it’s a moment of déjà vu come to life.
Contents
The Legacy
The Psychopomps
The Mermaid
Far-Off Things
The Recluse
Unimaginable Joys
Italianetto
Suicide Watch
Scorpion And Butterfly
Fractalism
Petseta
The Little One: A Meditation
Nail Soup For The Soul
• Signed by Quentin S. Crisp and artist Harry Brockway.
• 500 signed copies.
• Bound in three-piece black and red Skivertex cloth.
• Dustjacket, frontispiece, and individual story art by Harry Brockway.
• Patterned endpapers.
• Head and tail bands.
• 5¾ × 8½ inches.
• 600 pages.
• Published June 2024.
• ISBN 978-1-61347-084-8.”
