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Welcome to the Perilous Worlds
of Karl Edward Wagner
Introduction by
the Late Michael Elam*
The Last Karl Wagner
Interview
Kevin Elam has found a copy of Karl’s Last interview,
which appeared in Horror: The News Magazine of the Horror & Dark
Fantasy Field. The publication only lasted five issues, and the
fifth issue in which this appears is a rarity indeed, currently unavailable
from any known vendor. David Drake has spoken disparigingly of his
collaboration with Karl on Killer, indicating he was trying
to do the fading and dissolute writer a favor. Here Karl tells his
version, but much more charitably, never once saying he saved a struggling
and, ultimately, ungrateful writer from richly deserved obscurity.
On the KEW page.
The Louise Stewart Collection
Louise Stewart was Karl’s first and last sweetheart,
the woman for whom he carried the torch for much of his life, at least
up until he married Barbara Mott. She attended a number of conventions
with him, late in his life, after they both became single, and has
been kind enough to provide me with photos and her own sketches - unlike
myself, a humble illustrator, Louise is a gifted serious aritst. Getting
these images up will take a while, but well
begun is half done...
Gothic Touches in “The
Gothic Touch”
An insightful examination by
writer and Gothic scholar Charles Rutledge of the influence of the
Victiorian Gothic novel on Wagner’s tales of Kane, as exemplified
by the last of them, “The Gothic Touch.”
Mr. Rutledge suggests that, despite the frightening tone of the story,
Karl was also winking at those few readers who knew the genre. Linked
from the KEW page.
“If I laugh at any mortal thing, it is that I
may not cry,” said Lord Byron, the original Byronic Hero and
a Kane inspiration. So do we laugh or cry at bookseller
John McCormick’s
description of the ham-fisted butchery of Karl’s text in the Powell
edition of Darkness Weaves? Johnny calls it, “The true 1st unrevised
edition.” He informs us that “All later printings are revised, and
the title shortened to Darkness Weaves.“ This “unrevised”
copy can be had for $23.28 & shipping.
The Karl Edward Wagner
Rediscovery Award
For some reason the link I had for this article broke,
but I’ve found it again: author William Lindblad encourages the community
of horror and dark fantasy authors and readers to create a
Rediscovery award to honor Karl’s great success in unearthing forgotten masterpieces
of weird fiction. Again I offer my services in doing a portrait sculpture
of Karl for the purpose, an undertaking I’d like to begin while I still
have one good eye. If you think the notion worth pursuing, weigh
in.
Kane in Danger! The
well-known Warner
Kane covers by Frank Frazetta, painted according to Karl’s
descriptions and now widely associated with Karl’s only series
character, are slated to be used as the covers of new graphic novels.
The protagonist will be a red-haired swashbuckler drawn to match
the Kane covers, but will have no other connection to Kane or his
creator whatsoever. Learn more about this outrage on the Revelations page.
Dale
Ripke on Kane • Paula
Guran • Jessica
Salmonson
KEW • Wagner
on Wagner • Works & Awards * Wikipedia
Entry on KEW
• Philip
Challinor On Doctors in Wagner's Horror
Join the Wagner
forum, moderated by editor Benjamin Szumsky
and
the new Wagner
FaceBook group hosted by Steve Harbin
Gallery
of Shadows • Forbidden
Library
A note to younger visitors: it
hadn’t occurred to me that some might not recognize the clicking
sound effect I’ve used here. No, that is not, as some have
speculated, a camera. It is the device from whence derived the
layout of your computer keyboard: the typewriter. You must have
seen them in old movies. Karl acknowledged himself to be a “one-finger” typist;
hence the hesitant tempo here. A little bell would sound to let
you know you'd reached the end of the line.
Summon
Us
We will attempt
to respond to correspondence as appropriate and as time permits.
As a minimal protection against bots, in the address please take “the.pen.” from
Arbas.the.Assassin. “An assassin as a guide; I like that.”
Kane in Darkness Weaves
Mike
Elam, one of the founders of this site, and the nephew of Karl
Wagner succumbed two years ago to Crohn's disease, an illness
that may have been a result of his adventurous life as an anthropologist,
digging up ancient sites and, possibly, ancient microbes in South
America and the Middle East.
To learn more about
Crohn's disease or to make a contribution, visit the CCFA site
There
are places no one may visit and leave untainted. You
are number |
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to arrive at this one.
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nces of his high
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