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theesotericcamel's review
4.0
It was billed as an "Occult Fiction" Anthology, and according to the introduction by Richard Gavin these are stories that are supposed to lead one "towards a deeper understanding and nuanced appreciation. " He refers to these stories as "spirit-traps" that become a source for an occult experience. That's a very tall order for any form of writing, and unfortunately not all of the stories in this collection are able to deliver. That is not to say it is an awful collection. Not at all. What it ends up being is a solid collection of weird fiction with occult overtones. Magic, rituals, and occult symbols do abound in all the stories, but in most cases they are used as justification for the more surrealistic aspects of the story. However, there were a couple of stories that were indeed succesful in evoking a feeling of unease, that made me question my own sense of reality. And by this I do not mean in the general esacapist fashion of most fantastical literature. Rather, certain stories spooked me out of my everyday habits, and got me to re-examine them from a newfound perspective. These stories were "Wormwood Votaries" by Richard Gavin, "The Spider" by Hanns Heinz Ewers, and "Altar, Altar!" by Michael Cisco. I think the strength behind these stories lay with the seemingly mundane surroundings that were steadily subverted by the occult imagery that seemed to bloom along with the story. Even by the end of the story, there was some doubt as to how much we should trust the narrative itself. How much of it was psychoses as apposed to magic. But it was this particular quality that made them truly occult, as it helps to make them more believable to me. They unsettled my sense of reality. There were also very gorgeously written stories, that although not as successful as the ones mentioned above in adhering to the stated goal of the anthology, were still a pleasure to read. I really enjoyed "The Other Asterion" by Sun Yung Shin, which was a very interesting take on the Minotaur and rearranges the traditional symbols in an interesting way, almost becoming a Jungian parable. I also enjoyed "Anromeda Amoung the Stones" by Caitlin R. Kiernan, and this story would very easily be the among the best in any Lovecraft themed anthology. "Verger" by Daniel Schulke, the final story of the collection, was breathtaking. I loved the descriptions of the locations. There was a deep sense of alien sacredness. The symbols evoked in this particular story will resonate with anyone familiar with the Cultus Sabbati. I hope Daniel Schulke continues to write more stories in this vein. All in all, not a bad collection as such, but one that perhaps promised more than it could give.
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