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About Noctuary & The Spectral Link

Chiroptera Press presents Noctuary & The Spectral Link by the legendary Thomas Ligotti, a consolidated volume of two horror collections, back in print after over a decade. Noctuary is divided into three sections, following Ligotti’s introduction, “In the Night, in the Dark: A Note on the Appreciation of Weird Fiction.” The first section, Studies in Shadow, begins with “The Medusa,” blurring lines between fiction, metaphor, and reality. “Conversations in a Dead Language” chronicles a mailman’s Halloween nights leading to doom, while “The Prodigy of Dreams” features Arthur Emerson’s answered prayers to an obscure god. “Mrs. Rinaldi’s Angel” involves a child’s nightmares and dubious supernatural assistance. Discourse on Blackness, the second section, starts with “The Tsalal,” an apocalyptic novelette set in Moxton, introducing Andrew Maness and an ancient power. “Mad Night of Atonement” presents a scientist’s invention channeling the Creator’s power, and “The Strange Design of Master Rignolo” follows a visual artist’s descent into madness. “The Voice in the Bones” evokes a surreal prison. The third section, Notebook of the Night, features twenty vignettes exploring insidious exploits, esoteric rituals, and hymns to the void. The Spectral Link, Ligotti’s most recent collection, emerged after his near-death experience. “Metaphysica Morum” channels the rage and despair of The Conspiracy Against the Human Race. The volume ends with “The Small People,” a poignant masterpiece exploring the uncanny terror of existence. Narrated by Jon Padgett, a renowned voice in the world of weird fiction. Padgett, an accomplished author, is celebrated for his haunting narrations, particularly his work on Ligotti’s Songs of a Dead Dreamer & Grimscribe (Penguin). "Thomas Ligotti is a master of a different order, practically a different species. He probably couldn’t fake it if he tried, and he never tries. He writes like horror incarnate.” —Terrence Rafferty, New York Times Book Review