A fantastic collection of horror stories on the Cthullhu line. I really want to say more--they were great, and I want to explain exactly why they were so great, and the elaborate on the connection between the writing in these stories and the writing in Susanna Clark...

her descriptions of fairies and his description of the titular King are both quite media res-ish. He doesn't say, "Here's the background for the King in Yellow", anymore than a book about Lindon Johnson says, "Here's the background for the automobile"--both the automobile and the King in Yellow are constant facts about the world that everyone knows... although I can tell you, I'd much rather deal with a car...

Along the shore the cloud waves break,

The twin suns sink beneath the lake,

The shadows lengthen

In Carcosa.

Strange is the night where black stars rise,

And strange moons circle through the skies

But stranger still is

Lost Carcosa.

Songs that the Hyades shall sing,

Where flap the tatters of the King,

Must die unheard in

Dim Carcosa.

Song of my soul, my voice is dead;

Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed

Shall dry and die in

Lost Carcosa.