Collecting essays and reviews from fifty years of writing — 1974–2024 — Death Lit offers some of Don Herron’s best known and most notorious pieces, alongside work from obscure sources most people would never — could never — previously have encountered.
You’ll find his 2002 article on “Collecting Arkham House Ephemera,” which lays out the origins of his interest in the catalogs and brochures featured in his most recent book, Arkham House Ephemera: The Classic Years 1937–1973 (2024). A very few lines moved over from the original essay into the book, but the rest of the wallowing-in-ephemera action was held back for this appearance (including various moments edited out of the initial magazine publication, never seen before).
“The King Trilogy” gathers for the first time in one place the three long essays on Stephen King written for a series of books released by Underwood-Miller in the 1980s. Reviled by some King fans. Ranked among the best Kingcrit ever done by others. You decide.
A huge section of writings on Robert E. Howard that just wouldn’t fit into the eBook The Dark Barbarian That Towers Over All (2014) presents reviews and short intros in with the meatier essays, including “Conan the Argonaut,” co-written with Hugo-nominated Sword-and-Sorcery expert Morgan Holmes. “Argonaut” argues the case of Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright versus his star contributors Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, at satisfying length. Shall we say it ain’t short.
Long essays on ghost-story master Russell Kirk bump against short pieces done for Necrofile and Crypt of Cthulhu, presenting yet more coverage of Modern Horror.
A section titled “Crime and Company” of course features Charles Willeford. Plus San Francisco Mysteries. San Francisco Noir. And a little Dashiell Hammett.
Asides on Clive Barker, Arthur Machen, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Freaks, Jonathan Carroll, Carl Jacobi, and many, many more pop up throughout. And the book closes with two long interviews with the author.
Lots of reading on the literature (and film) of death. Horror and the supernatural. Mystery and crime.
