“Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story” (1985)

This story by Thomas Ligotti—a story is really the only thing you can call it—is fairly impressive in combining a critical voice with a fictional one, turning the latter practically into words from a madman. It may be a little too pleased with itself but it is also very well executed. The notes on the writing of horror err on the side of glib, an occupational hazard of the critic at all levels. But the story Ligotti creates for illustrative purposes and analysis (or “analysis”) is deceptively simple. It is strange and only stranger as you think of it, which you do as he brings it to your attention over and over until he finally finishes it off, kind of. It involves a malevolent pair of pants and a flat tire in the bad part of town. The preoccupations Ligotti can have with things that may not land the same way 40 years later do date this dazzling story a little. He often resorts to serial killers and even more often to a “bad part of town.” Ligotti—or whatever fictional persona may be making these notes—divides horror in various arbitrary ways, e.g., the realistic technique, the traditional gothic technique, and the experimental technique. I’d like to know more about how he wrote this story. It’s possible that the story outlined here was one Ligotti tried to write, as his maybe kinda sorta alter ego here, named Gerald K. Riggers (with variations), claims outright. “Frankly, I just couldn’t bring myself to go the distance with this one,” he writes. From the notes it seems likely he broke down the horror project the way he describes and couldn’t find one that worked and so tried to make a story out of that. Two-thirds along the way, he (whoever “he” is, I’m still going with Ligotti) is seized and the story wakes and comes alive as an incandescent fragment. It’s almost stunning. It doesn’t 100% work but the inspiration of it is 100% felt—the breakthrough, almost liberating moment is terrific. And the glib critical voice is a lot of fun too. The story feels somehow pivotal. It’s very good, for example, at being a realistic, traditional gothic, and experimental horror story. It might be one of the best, except I’m not really sure what to compare it to.

Thomas Ligotti, Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe
Listen to story online.