The cycle of narratives that includes the title work of this collection, for instance, introduces readers to a freakish community of artists who encounter demonic perils that ultimately engulf their lives. These are selected examples of the forbidding array of persons and places that compose the mesmerizing fiction of Thomas Ligotti.

    He's considered a master of the short story and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. His stories are generally short and often memorable. If you haven't read him before, you're in for a treat.