The Shadow at the Bottom of the World is a collection of short stories that absolutely reek of bleakness and sheer horror, but not horror in the same sense of the more mainstream type of horror novels. Ligotti connects all of his stories with an overaching theme of evil that "may show itself anywhere precisely because it is everywhere and is as stunningly set off by a foil of sunshine and flowers as it is by darkness and dead leaves." (145) This is probably one of the darkest collections of horror I've ever encountered, but the stories contained within this book are truly excellent. These aren't the kind of horror stories you're going to find on supermarket shelves, though, but more of a thinking person's horror. I think you have to read them to understand, because I think each reader is going to find something that resonates on an individual level. The other overall statement that I want to make about this book is that it is clear that while Ligotti is an excellent writer, there are shades of influence in her from writers like HP Lovecraft and others, that allow the darkness to take you in its grip right away. Very well done, and highly recommended, although mainstream horror readers may not like it because there are no gory parts or whatever it is that a lot of modern horror fiction readers are looking for.

In the list of what I would consider excellent stories:
"the last feast of harlequin,"
"dr. locrian's asylum"
"vastarien"
"the spectacles in the drawer"
"the shadow at the bottom of the world,"
"nethescurial"
"the bungalow house"

The others are good, too, but these were my favorites.

Very highly recommended; if you read Lovecraft,you will appreciate this one very much. ( )