Reviews

• This is where it all begins. These stories are from the beginning of Barron's career. You can see his mythos start building here but it isn't until his second collection, Occultation, do we start to get a taste of its full scope. At the same time though, it works as an excellent primer for the rest of his output. The stories here are about as hardboiled as they come, frequently starring tough, bitter and world weary men finding themselves up against cosmic forces beyond comprehension. The opener, "Old Virginia" and the title story illustrate this the best, but you'll find a surprisingly different piece in here, "Parallax" that also proves key to understanding his universe, as well as "Hallucigenia" which is my personal favourite in the collection.

• I purchased the Imago Sequence more than a year and a half ago and it is still firmly embedded in my mind. If you are looking for cosmic horror that does more than rehash the pantheon of gods Lovecraft created then this is the collection for you. Laird Barron has crafted some amazing stories here and you will find that the prose is as haunting as the horrific entities that menace the protagonists within these pages. What I especially love is that the protagonists aren't white hat good guys to begin with, they are at times fringe players themselves but they become preferable to the creatures moving through the shadows of the universe of these stories. I have read some of these stories three and four times since purchasing this collection and I am absolutely enthralled and haunted by "Old Virginia", "Shiva, Open Your Eye", "Hallucigenia", "The Royal Zoo is Closed", and the title story "The Imago Sequence." These stories open with a world that is seemingly intact if imperfect, but imperfect in a way that it is for you and me. As the stories progress more and more of the veil is pulled from what the characters thought was reality and the reader and the protagonists are both exposed to the horrifying truth together. The genius behind these stories for me was how they demanded that I chew them over and think about the fate of each character. I don't want to post spoilers but I'll say that the one thing that is so striking about cosmic horror in general is that it does not posit a theistic view of the world in order to draw a contrast between good and evil in order to horrify the reader. Instead the reader is exposed to a universe where there really is nobody behind the wheel, no god watching out for our well being and the closest thing to the divine are creatures and entities that are at best indifferent to us. The real litmus test for how effective this concept is and how well it is put into practice comes at the end of each story or collection when we find ourselves hoping that they remain indifferent and terrified at the thought of what would happen if that changed. Barron crosses this line with great tact and ratchets up the terror by showing us that they know we are here and that while these entities may be in the outer dark they are looking for a way to come see us, and the outer dark isn't as far away as one would think...

• There's lots of cracking books. I always go back to 'Black dogs' by Ian McEwan and 'A meal in Winter' by Hubert Mingarelli. Their prose is the most sumptuous chocolate. 'The Imago Sequence' is added to my small pool of re-reads. I get whisked away by Barron's fluid style. He brings everything to the table and I think 'The Imago Sequence' would be a different reading each time. This book is absolutely fantastic. I've not been this enthused since Barker's 'Books of Blood'. Barron's imagery is really something else. My only regret is that 'The Imago Sequence' went under the radar for so long. I'd heard Laird Barron's name; the excellent 'Black Wings...' series was my first outing in his unique Universe. So pleased there's a large back catalogue. Final words: you really must read 'The Imago Sequence'. It's broad enough to cater for 'the everyman' but pure delight for Horror fans. Absolutely fantastic...

• One of, if not the best current horror writer (along with Thomas Ligotti) and a must read for any horror enthusiast.

• There are a great many things to like about this collection if you enjoy Lovecraftian horror. And, make no mistake, this is Lovecraftian horror, with a dash of Laird Barron's own voice, and it's a mostly wonderful mix. It's about tough men in tough situations that come up against horrific and cosmic knowledge. In so doing, they are stripped of their masculinity and, more often than not, their sanity and/or lives. Depending on your view point, this is also the weakness of this collection (and you could say Laird Barron's whole body of work) - it gets a bit repetitive. Swap the protagonists around and you might not even notice it. This isn't to say it ruins the stories Mr. Barron has created. These men are a part of his style, but it can become noticeable when read in succession. Laird Barron's writing style is rich and full of flowery prose. You won't find a shortage of adjectives and adverbs, but they're all there for a reason and really help his writing style shine. You can read his shorts multiple times and still discover some new metaphor, some new form of exposition. He takes a page out of Lovecraft's book with this wordy style, but updates it, abandoning the archaisms. I do find, personally, however, that his dialogue, in comparison, is not always up to the same level of expertise. Almost every story in the collection contributes something to it, though there are a few stand outs. "The Procession of the Black Sloth", a story written just for this anthology is my personal favourite. Mr. Barron has stated it's a tribute to Asian horror. Either way, it's both counts disturbing and intriguing, with a couple really spooky scenes and a protagonist that struggles with his perilous grasp on reality. "Hallucigenia" is another one of my favourites, though I find the titular "The Imago Sequence" to leave a bit wanting. I highly recommend this collection. If you enjoy H.P. Lovecraft, you will likely enjoy Laird Barron. You will recognize the Lovecraft influence, but also experience a writer that successfully combines those influences with his own style, making something that is new and his own. Don't miss out. :)

Purchase links