The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (Patron-Only Early Access/Ad-Free)
A highly influential synthesis of Gothic and Decadent Literature from 1895. Lovecraft was a huge fan, calling it "One of the greatest weird tales ever written."
The King in Yellow - Robert W. Chambers BOOK REVIEW (YouTube)
Comments (2)
You mentioned in the first short story that there is a character that wants to be king of America. Which makes me think of a character in the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman - a character named Hob Gadling expresses aspirations of becoming the King of America at one point in the story. Hob is a recurring character known for his unconventional ideas and desires throughout the series. I used chat gpt to verify my memory of this character from sandman and it’s interesting how it relates to the first short story in this collection. Perhaps Gaiman was also influenced by the author of this short story collection.
Ah man . . . Is "Breaking Bad" better or "True Detective." I would agree with you that the first is probably the best television I've ever seen. "BB" sustains it though for FIVE seasons. Best single season series ever. For sure. I didn't know this book existed. Great recommendation.