Re: Modern Masters
Posted by:
wilum pugmire (IP Logged)
Date: 26 December, 2012 11:38PM
I am honored by being included in your wee list! There are so many talents we can name: Mark Samuels, Matt Cardin, Caitlin Kiernan, Laird Barron, Richard Gavin, Joe Pulver. But there is another factor that we can easily ignore, and that is the gifted, intelligent and individual editors who are giving us unique anthologies. Primary among such editors are Ellen Datlow and S. T. Joshi. Joshi is new at this, and yet he is fast becoming extremely active, and not just with Lovecraftian weird fiction--he prefers that stories submitted to the book he is editing for Fedogan & Bremer, SEARCHERS AFTER HORROR, not contain tales of Lovecraftian horror.
Another factor of what's going on in the genre to-day, I believe, is that weird fiction is now primarily published by small houses. I believe these houses are supported by a clientele that are interested in quality fiction, not generic tripe. They are the kind of readers one finds at such such as this and Thomas Ligotti Online. My books, being overly arty and "literary," would never have stood a chance with readers of main stream commercial horror novels. The small presses cater to a very small, definitive and loyal audience. I love writing for that audience, because strange as I am, they appreciate my efforts are a writer, as a prose stylist.
"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.