Book Review: Poe's Lighthouse

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Poe's Lighthouse     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Christopher Conlon
Class/Genre:   [Short Stories]
Cemetery Dance, Apr 2006, $40.00, 330 pp.

The underlying theme of this superb collection is modern authors completing a fragment written by Edgar Allen Poe sort of like Natalie Cole singing Unforgettable with her father Nat King Cole. In the Introduction Christopher Conlon explains that just before his death, Poe, though depressed and an alcoholic, was still writing, but never finished his last work. That fragment (included in the Introduction) and his strong literary résumés serve as the basis for the twenty-three tales that make up POE’S LIGHTHOUSE. The contributions are fascinating just to follow the various interpretations that led to the stories. On top of that obvious allure, the compilation is well written with a who’s who contributing their interpretation. Interestingly the stories run the speculative fiction gamut to include fantasy, gothic, horror (of course), romantic suspense, mystery and science fiction; all this from the fragment as the authors stayed true to Poe and to their particular writing style. This is a well written homage as the light shines on Poe evermore.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner