Thomas Ligotti; more links

I have encountered several resources that I would like to share. The first is an essay on Ligotti and Lovecraft by Matt Cardin. Cardin provides a very concise discussion of the lives and works of both authors and then takes a detailed look at similarities and differences in both author's worldview and how this influences their writing. I found this quite informative. I have always found the connection between the works of Ligotti and Lovecraft when considered in their entirety overstated. Some works like Ligotti's "The Last Feast of the Harlequin" and "The Sect of the Idiot" have an obvious connection but as Cardin rightly points out the differences between the two authors works or personal philosophies are far more important in understanding their works than any similarities. This point is also reinforced in the Weird Studies podcast below.

The Masters' Eyes Shining with Secrets:
H.P. Lovecraft and His Influence on Thomas Ligotti by Matt Cardin

from the introduction
"Jonathan Padgett, the originator of Thomas Ligotti Online, relates the following anecdote in his Ligotti FAQ: "In a phone conversation I had with Mr. Ligotti in the Spring of 1998, he explained that Lovecraft's fiction had had the most profound influence on his life rather than his fiction, as reading HPL's work was the impetus for Ligotti's writing career. Aside from this fact, Lovecraft really has had very littles to do with the subject or style of Ligotti's writing"

http://www.ligotti.net/showthread.php?t=218

Thomas Ligotti's Angel (a discussion at Weird Studies)

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In his short story "Mrs. Rinaldi's Angel," contemporary horror author Thomas Ligotti contrasts the chaotic monstrosity of dreams with the cold, indifferent, and no less monstrous purity of angels. It is the story of a boy whose vivid dream life is sapping his vital force, and who resorts to esoteric measures to rectify the situation. In this episode, Phil and JF discuss the beauty and horror of dreams, the metaphysical signifiance of angels and demons, and the potential dangers of seeking the peace of absolute "purity" in the wondrous flux of lived experience

https://www.weirdstudies.com/46

"Mrs. Rinaldi's Angel" by Thomas Ligotti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm1iH6EIMAA

The Mystics of Muelenburg - Thomas Ligotti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zt01ZuSUXQ

Image; detail from The Nightmare Factory; Carroll & Graf, 1996, cover illustration not attributed.

Hopefully none of the links above are violations of copyright; if you have any concerns please leave a comment.