Synopsis

Written during the black-depths of early widowhood, To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows explores grief, loss, and the alluring comforts found within the heart of oblivion. In the spirit of J.G. Ballard, Georges Bataille, and Kathe Koja, these nine Sorrows are a cross-section of literary splatterpunk, transgressive fiction, and weird horror, which seek to illuminate the terror, dread, and discomfort of mourning through the black mirror of the grotesque.

This book is full of pain.
This book is full of tears.
This book is full of ash.

Details

• Title: To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows
• Author: Sam Richard
• Cover Artist: Don Noble
• Publisher: NihilismRevised
• ISBN: 1696823323
• Publication Date: October 9, 2019
• Content Warnings: death of a spouse, mention of suicide

Review

To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows is so visceral and intensely personal that part of me feels like reviewing it is an act of violation. Sam Richard’s stories are raw, his words laying bare his grieving, bloodied soul. Mostly written after his wife’s death, they explore the pain, sorrow, and guilt that rage through his widowhood. He grapples with faith and the cruel vagaries of the cosmos, exorcising demons while clinging to his lover’s ghost. This astonishing collection of weird, dark fiction will leave you shattered, and I highly recommend that you let it tear you apart.

Rating

I give this book 5 out of 5 coffins.