r/Ligotti

I keep seeing The Shadow at the Bottom of the World for sale on Ebay, but I'm wondering if it's meant to be a best-of like Nightmare Factory? Seems like an odd collection.

A lighthearted song.

I was talking with my spouse last night about why we read what we read. She’s into mysteries and thriller, which are awesome, but I’m more into Ligotti, Laird Barron, Beckett, Pynchon, etc. which got my thinking, what is it about pessimistic, dark literature that appeals to me? How can I read pessimistic literature and have a family and a child (clearly I’m not an anti-natalist 😅). For me, it’s more about atmosphere and imagery than the philosophy. Maybe I like art that is gloomy and pessimistic because I come from a privileged, safe environment—it’s a way to ease the guilt of living an easy life.

Living in Utah, everyone focuses on the good and pushes anything dark or challenging to the side; as a natural contrarian, I’m only interested in challenging works of literature and art. I’d rather gaze into soft black stars than prance around drinking dirty soda and listening to Taylor Swift 😅

I’m curious what all of you think.

The voice in my head keeps reciting these old principles of mine. The voice is his voice, and the voice is also my voice. And there are other voices, voices I have never heard before, voices that seem to be either dead or dying in a great moonlit darkness. More than ever, some sort of new arrangement seems in order, some dramatic and unknown arrangement – anything to find release from this heartbreaking sadness I suffer every minute of the day (and night), this killing sadness that feels as if it will never leave me no matter where I go or what I do or whom I may ever know.