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Dark AwakeningsFrom its earliest origins, the human religious impulse has been fundamentally bound up with an experience of primordial horror. The German theologian Rudolf Otto located the origin of human religiosity in an ancient experience of "daemonic dread." American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft asserted that weird supernatural horror fiction arose from a fundamental human psychological pattern that is "coeval with the religious feeling and closely related to
From its earliest origins, the human religious impulse has been fundamentally bound up with an experience of primordial horror. The German theologian Rudolf Otto located the origin of human religiosity in an ancient experience of "daemonic dread." American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft asserted that weird supernatural horror fiction arose from a fundamental human psychological pattern that is "coeval with the religious feeling and closely related to many aspects of it." The American psychologist William James wrote in his classic study The Varieties of Religious Experience that the "real core of the religious problem" lies in an overwhelming experience of cosmic horror born out of abject despair at life's incontrovertible hideousness. In Dark Awakenings, author and scholar Matt Cardin explores this ancient intersection between religion and horror in seven stories and three academic papers that pose a series of disturbing questions: What if the spiritual awakening coveted by so many religious seekers is in fact the ultimate doom? What if the object of religious longing might prove to be the very heart of horror? Could salvation, liberation, enlightenment then be achieved only by identifying with that apotheosis of metaphysical loathing? This volume collects nearly all of Cardin's uncollected fiction, including his 2004 novella "The God of Foulness." It contains extensive revisions and expansions of his popular stories "Teeth" and "The Devil and One Lump," and features one previously unpublished story and two unpublished papers, the first exploring a possible spiritual use of George Romero's Living Dead films and the second offering a horrific reading of the biblical Book of Isaiah. At over 300 pages and nearly 120,000 words, it offers a substantial exploration of the religious implications of horror and the horrific implications of religion. "In Dark Awakenings, Cardin proves himself to be an adept in the fullest sense of the word. To both the morbid and the cosmically minded, who may be one and the same, he delivers his visions and nightmares in a master's prose. In the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft, Cardin's accomplishments as a writer are paralleled by his expertise as a literary critic and theorist, as readers can witness in this volume. His analyses of supernatural horror and its practitioners are also dark awakenings in the dual manner of his stories, with one eye on the black abyss and the other on an enlightened transcendence without denomination. Again, this quality of Cardin's work can be seen in the writings of Poe and Lovecraft, two other felicitous freaks who merged the antagonistisms of their imagination into a chimera as awful as it is awe-striking." -Thomas Ligotti, author of Teatro Grottesco and The Nightmare Factory. "Matt Cardin channels visions of dark, maniacal intensity. His otherworldly divinations will have you lying awake in the dark, counting stars in that most pitiless gulf that yawns above us all. A master of terror and dread, he ranks among the foremost authors of contemporary American horror." -Laird Barron, author of The Imago Sequence & Other Stories. "Dark Awakenings offers the dream imagery of the best weird fiction but goes even further beyond the ordinary thanks to Matt Cardin's fierce intellect. Haunting stories and insightful essays. This is mandatory reading to prepare for the doom to come." -Nick Mamatas, author of Move Under Ground.Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Mythos Books LLC
Published: 01/04/2010
ISBN: 9780972854566
Pages: 334
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.88d
Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 03/28/2011
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4.8 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
A Book About Friendship, Gumption and Happiness
Format: Hardcover
This book is an enthusiastic and inspired combination of stick drawings, challenging vocabulary, cheerful wordplay and shaggy dog, (literally), adventures. There is a tremendous sense of happy camaraderie among the doggy characters.
The drawing is intentionally amateurish; the dogs are stick figures. Except there's more going on here than you might imagine, and the author manages to fit a considerable amount of expression and personality into the drawings. You get a sort of "less is more" vibe, and the young reader is drawn into paying more attention to the writing. That said, the simple drawings clearly illustrate what's being related in the text and so end up being amusing and helpful. Let's hear it for stick drawings. Think Picasso, but with more tails.
The vocabulary is at a high but fair level - one dog doesn't speak to another, he "addresses" him. That's not outlandish, but it represents a real step up in the level of sophistication of the writing. The overall effect is that this is a book that encourages a young reader, ever so gently, to step up his or her game in terms of reading confidence and ability. Pretty nice for a stick figure dog story.
There is word play and a great deal of clever conversation. But, there's also just a lot of silly, engaging dog stuff. The dogs tease each other, compliment each other, and play with each other. They have adventures, meet other animals, and explore things. There are set pieces, but a lot of the action just involves Stick Dog's bemused management of this gang of knuckleheads.
The upshot is that the book is funny, calm and welcoming. It is sneaky in that it has charms that are not immediately evident, but that become clear as you read it. It's sort of like a stray dog that works its way into your home, (like Stick Dog himself). How cool is that.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2015
★★★★★ 5
We love this book!
Format: Hardcover
My son and I originally found this book together for free on Nook and Kindle. We read it together, and it is hilarious! I loved it as much as he did. He loved it so much, he wanted an actual print copy he could take to school. We are also planning to buy another one to donate to his school library, and he has convinced several of his friends to buy it at their school book fair. If you have a kid in k-5, get this book. It is a cute story, but smart, too. Very funny! Tom Watson doesn't talk down to his readers, but writes in a way that lets them be in on the joke, too.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2013
★★★★★ 5
Just a good time read.
Format: Hardcover
Funny, funny and funny again. Stick Dog shares a lot of dog wisdom with his small band of diversified followers while they scout for food , or better yet, dreamily scheme to confiscate a few delicious morsels. Shared antics, back door begging knowledge, a dog's eye view of the more upscale garbage pickins' lead this foursome of mixed mongrels through some challenging romps all tied up in low keyed humor that builds to giggles and "Don't stop now, Mom, pleaseeeeee"" reading sessions. Funny dogs, funny story and fun to read again! Maybe that IS the best part - "Mom, read it again".
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Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013
★★★★★ 5
Grandson Loves this series!
Format: Hardcover
My young grandson loves these books. They are clever and interesting. We both like the illustrations.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Bed storytime
My grand daughter is enamoured with the character in the book Stick Dog, he and his friends are always hungry and work out plans as to how they are going to get something to eat. My grand daughter likes the way Stick Dog is the leader in a unobtrusive way, she reads part of a book on her kindle each night before going to sleep. I have purchased all the books of Stick Dog by this author for her because she wants to know what else he is up to next. Great reading for 10 year olds.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2015