The King In Yellow: 200 Word Reviews #5

The King In Yellow is a rough, jagged cornerstone of Weird Fiction on which so many later, and better, writers have built their work. They far surpass Robert W. Chambers, but plant their stories in ground he broke and, in many ways, paint within the broad lines he lay down.

Written in 1895, The King In Yellow is a collection of 5 short stories linked together by a mythical in-story book of the same name. Those who read it, learning of Lost Carcosa and the Pallid Mask, of the Yellow Sign and the King, are changed forever. They go mad. They despair. They mourn the knowledge they gain, and are cursed for it.

The stories vary in setting from dystopian futures to the time-warped moors of western France, but all share the feeling of flickering hope worn away with every turning of the page. They give a sense of mystery and anticipation, as though the King and his sign are waiting in the next line. I finished the book wanting more, and wanting answers.

The King In Yellow is an early masterwork that pushed boundaries and helped define a new genre, and I recommend it to all Weird Fiction fans.