“It’s midnight. Before dawn they will find me and take me
to a black cell where I shall languish interminably, while insatiable desires
gnaw at my vitals and wither up my heart, till at last I become one with the
dead that I love.”
So begins the best short story I have ever read - The Loved Dead, by C.M. Eddy Jr. and
revised by the master of macabre, H.P. Lovecraft. The Loved Dead is narrated by an unnamed necrophile, who details
his love affair with corpses, starting from its sordid and disturbing
beginnings at his grandfather’s funeral. The story feels almost confessional,
with the narrator recounting his misdeeds as he awaits the dawn. The doomed
protagonist is only suggestive in his recitation; there are no overt or
explicit references to sexual engagement with the dead, but rather is implicit
in the beautifully rendered prose. The writing in this story is fantastic, and
the understated yet descriptive narrative style is disturbing and effective: it
heightens the horror and creepiness of the tale, making the story both
effortless and horrifying to read.
“I haunted the deathchamber where my mother lay, my soul athirst for the devilish nectar that seemed to saturate the air of the darkened room.”
The
Loved Dead is a wonderful mélange of Eddy’s and Lovecraft’s
individual authorial styles. It combines Eddy’s imagination and well paced
writing with Lovecraft’s exquisite and atmospheric writing style; the story
reads very much like a Lovecraft story, but faster paced and more enthralling.
It is difficult for me to do this fascinating story any
justice: its ethereal beauty and sheer terror can only be appreciated if you
read it for yourself - something I highly recommend you do.
Rating: 10/10
