Robert William Chambers (1865–1933)

This is adaptation of famous horror stories centered around mysterious play "The King in Yellow". This play (book) is a center piece around which we follow the megalomaniac aiming for control of America, obsessed sculptor that goes crazy and young artist that seems to be constantly pushed to that final step toward the final mystery of this King in Yellow. While at the same time something weird is happening with the society at large as very disturbing lethal chambers are popping out across cites and depression and suicide seem to be rampant.

I have to admit I did not read the original novel and came across character's name in W40K novel and a story arc called Providence based on Lovecraft's works. While former is set to the far future where terrors unlike those from Lovecraft mythos roam the space and prey on Humanity, latter aimed only at the pure shock, nothing else, they had this mysterious creature as a common element - King in Yellow, destroying the minds of man and condemning them to terror and lunacy. So imagine my surprise when I found out that King in Yellow was a book on itself.

Art is excellent (as seems to be the trademark of Cullbard's books) and it depicts in very interesting way psychological state of the characters and ever present, almost palpable, doom and mystery of this horrific book that destroys the mind of anyone who reads it.

Highly recommended to all fans of horror.… (more)

I've heard Chambers described as "hysterical romanticism," and it's an accurate phrase for a couple of reasons. First it's implied periodization makes sense; Chambers' fiction fits neatly in between that of the nineteenth century romantics and twentieth century pulp, whose writers like Lovecraft or Howard cited Chambers as an influence. The phrase is also applicable to his writing. His stories deal with the idea that you can feel emotions so powerfully or that art can affect you so profoundly that it influences reality.
Only about half of the short stories in this collection are horror, there's also handful of poems, a short medieval time travel story, and vignettes about young artists in Paris. The connecting line between them, other than the play that drives everyone insane, is this overwrought emotionality. It's sometimes just too much. Lovecraft bolstered his hysterical romanticism by tying it with his own bleak neuroses and the uncompromising enormity of science. Howard created a character who delightfully spits in the face of hysteria. Without these tricks Chambers' prose comes across as a little silly.
I'll end on some positives. The Repairer of Reputations is the best of these, the only story where Chambers isn't afraid to develop a frightening and bizarre premise. Also the little snippets of the play The King in Yellow that we get are wonderfully creepy.… (more)