On "The Concierto of Señor Lorenzo" by Kenneth Yu (3936 words) ***

Yu's story steps into a world shared by other mystical-type writers. In this piece, a composer comes to live in a boardinghouse--nothing very strange there. What is strange is the music that he plays, a variety never before heard that seems to have deadly control over the people who happen to hear it.

Arguably, this is the stuff of B horror movies, but I think the setting and the feel of the piece make this also the stuff of some of your Latin American writers like Carlos Fuentes, Julio Cortazar, and Jorge Luis Borges. The musician isn't just some vindictive evil one. He seems in fact to have some other worldly connection, as evidenced by the strange things found in his room and as emphasized by the fact the no easy explanation for the happenings is forthcoming. Much like fine music can spur feelings and emotions beyond our own understanding, Yu hints at the terrible power the irrational elements of art can have over people. Read the story here at Innsmouth Free Press.

On "The Temple" by H. P. Lovecraft (5388 words) *****

This is the first time I've every read Lovecraft. Now I know why Paul Bowles and other fans find him so appealing. This story at least is a mix of fantasy and madness, which makes it all the more entertaining and hard to pin down.

On a long cruise in the Atlantic, a seaman finds refuge on the deck of a submarine--only to be drowned. Or so that's the theory. In his possession is a magnificent piece of ivory that one of the crewmen takes possession of. Over the coming weeks, the crew goes mad, claiming it's a curse of the ivory piece. Our narrator, however, always a cool and rational one dismisses all warnings, recognizing these cautions as just what they are--mutterings of a crew too long at sea, too long alone, separated from others. Or are they? With such an ultrarational narrator, Lovecraft plays on this border with madness for full effect. Read the story here at Innsmouth Free Press.