Crepuscularks and Phantomimes: Gothic, Ghostly & Lovecraftian Tales in the Ironic Mode

A collection of thirteen ghostly, gothic, lovecraftian and weird fantasy stories in the ironic mode... Tentacle telephones that span centuries, men grown in jars, rivers overflowing with the tears of ghosts, phantom twins, tunnels that are the guts of an extinct giant, grotesque antique shops... All this and more will be found in the pages of this hilariously nightmarish book.

"Rhys Hughes seems almost the sum of our planet's literature." (Michael Moorcock)

"It’s a crime that Rhys Hughes is not as widely known as Italo Calvino and other writers of that stature. Brilliantly written and conceived, Hughes’ fiction has few parallels anywhere in the world. In some alternate universe with a better sense of justice, his work triumphantly parades across all bestseller lists." (Jeff VanderMeer)

"Every Hughes story implies much, served with wit and whimsy and word-relish, high spirits and bittersweet twists." (Ian Watson)

"A dazzling disintegration of the reality principle. A rite of passage to the greater world beyond common sense." (A.A. Attanasio)

"I wore throughout the undisplaceable, unsequelchable rictus of a grin of both delight and amazement." (Michael Bishop)

"Wryly dark and creepily funny, the stories in Crepuscularks and Phantomimes simultaneously scratch the horror itch and strike your funny bone. What might happen if Firbank's head was grafted onto Lovecraft's body and then released into the wild." (Brian Evenson)

"Crepuscularks and Phantomimes is a perfect showcase for the author’s adroit wordplay, for an imagination as whimsical as it is grotesque. His voice is refreshingly original, darkly witty, dazzling and delightful. My highest recommendation." (Jeffrey Thomas)