Thomas Ligotti
Thomas Ligotti (born July 9, 1953 in Detroit ) is an American writer whose work - mainly short stories, poetry and essays - is part of contemporary fantasy , especially the horror genre.
life and work
Ligotti spent childhood and adolescence in Detroit , where he developed a tendency to morbid at an early age, which was reflected in a special interest in horror films. He has suffered from depression since his youth, which eventually led to a mental breakdown through drug use and alcohol abuse. This resulted in an agoraphobia that made it much more difficult for him to move outside of his familiar surroundings. In his isolation he dealt increasingly with books and literature, where he especially learned to appreciate fantastic literature. He counts Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft among his key literary experiences. He was also shaped by the European authors Franz Kafka , Vladimir Nabokov , Thomas Bernhard and others. He completed his studies in English at Wayne State University in Detroit in 1975 with a bachelor's degree. He then worked as a lecturer at a publishing house for reference works and literary criticism.
His first short stories and short stories appeared in fanzines in the early 1980s. The first book was published in 1986 in a small edition of just 300 pieces ( Songs of a Dead Dreamer , Silver Scarab Press), which immediately attracted attention and praise from both critics and the public.
His friendship and the fruitful collaboration with the musician David Tibet ( Current 93 ) found their outcome in the 1990s in a total work of art ( In a Foreign Town, in a Foreign Land , Durtro Press), whereby Ligotti's texts and the music composed for them come together Entered symbiosis.
His last publication, which was translated into German, took place in 2001: My Work Is Not Yet Done - Three Tales of Corporate Horror (German: Das Alptraum-Netzwerk , Blitz). A graphic novel ( The Nightmare Factory , Harper Collins) is based on this work and other stories and is now followed by a second volume (2009).
In 2001 he left Detroit, the city of his birth, where he had lived all of his life. He settled in the Tampa Bay / Florida area, where he has lived since.
Ligotti's work is likely to experience a great attraction in that, due to its stylistic range, it cannot be generally assigned to a literary genre. Although his stories are entertaining, they testify to high literary and stylistic demands and can be counted among the most independent works of gloomy fantasy.
Thomas Ligotti says modestly of himself: “I don't want to be known to a large audience. I would rather make millions by winning the lottery than writing bestsellers. ” The Nightmare Network. Nevertheless, some of his books have been nominated or awarded for literary prizes, for example the Bram Stoker Award , the World Fantasy Award (3 nominations) or the International Horror Guild Award . In 1997 he received the British Fantasy Award for The Nightmare Factory collection .
Bibliography (German title)
- The sect of the idiot. Eerie tales. DuMont's Library of the Fantastic 1992
- Teatro Grottesco and other stories. Edition Metzengerstein / Festa 1997
- In a strange city, in a strange country. Festa 2001
- The nightmare network. Blitz 2003
- Grimscribe - His life and work. Festa 2015
Bibliography-Audiobook (German title)
- Notebook of the night, excerpts from Noctuary. (Audio book, audio CD) Edition Bärenklau 2001, ISBN 3-931164-84-5
- The new blackness. Eddie Angerhuber & Thomas Wagner (audio book, audio CD) Edition Bärenklau 2002, ISBN 3-931164-92-6
- HR Giger (Ed.) HR Giger's Vampirric: The Lost Art of Twilight. (Audio book, audio CD), Festa 2004
Web links
- Literature by and about Thomas Ligotti in the catalog of the German National Library
- (Fan page)
- (authorized German-speaking site)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Blitz 2003.
- ↑ Blitz 2003.
- ↑ www.ligotti.net
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ligotti, Thomas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 9, 1953 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit |