Hey all, if you haven't yet, please check out my Weird verse collection The Crimson Tome, available now from Hippocampus Press. It is very strongly inspired by the poetry of Clark Ashton Smith, George Sterling, David Park Barnitz, H. P. Lovecraft, Poe, and other poets of the Weird and the macabre.

"Mingling metaphysical, spiritual, and physical horror, Opperman patently derives from, and meritoriously continues, the macabre heritage of the modern poetic masters in the genre (that is, of fantasy and science fiction), H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard."

--Donald Sidney-Fryer, from the Introduction

[www.hippocampuspress.com]

[www.amazon.com]

This is a remarkable and sublime collection of fantastic verse. Although there are indeed echoes of Clark Ashton Smith and H. P. Lovecraft, the originality of voice and imagery in this sensuous poetry are there, and it all adds up to a delicious feast. There are quite a few interior illustrations by Steve Lines, and one in particular may be of interest to CAS admirers--that on page 24 illustration the poem, "The Trail Between Two Trees"--for there are aspects in these devil-trees, in their shape, that remind me of the erotic trees that Smith created when he illustrated Lovecraft's "The Lurking Fear". THE CRIMSON TIDE is extremely impressive, and entirely enjoyable.

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 22 Dec 15 | 05:16PM by wilum pugmire.

Thank you for the kind words, Wilum! I always thought the illo for The Dreamer was the most CASian, but I like this new observation of yours, anent the sinister trees. Steve Lines' drawings really round out the collection--I insisted on having lots of art, so that the magical interplay between artwork and poetry could occur, creating a sort of invisible 3rd product--and lo, my wishes were granted!

One tiny correction--it's The Crimson *Tome*, not Tide--altho it could be argued that there's a crimson tide of blood inside the book!

Great Yuggoth--where on earth did I get CRIMSON TIDE??? Must be ye title of some other book or film that has been filed in ye back of my mind. Apologies!

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.

Indeed, it is a wondrous collection of fine macabre verse.

I believe Crimson Tide is a film about a US Navy submarine crew, that's probably why the title popped into your head.