Codex Nyarlathotep

I've been a bit slow off the mark with my reviews this year, for various reasons. But I must mention the latest poetry pamphlet from Cardinal Cox, one of the most interesting writers on weird fiction we have. Instead of producing short stories or essays, this poet creates small, inexpensive pamphlets containing plenty of erudite notes as well as his often inspired verisyfing. 

I've always liked Nyarlathotep, and this small collection does the mysterious geezer proud. Here we find the Starry Wisdom Cult, the obsequies of Queen Nitocris, and an interesting sidelight on witchcraft. The latter is particularly good. Couched as an interrogation of a woman who has 'no sins to confess', it begins with the usual turning of the screw. But then, hilariously, the woman implicates almost all of the solid citizens who accused her in the first place. Was Nyarlathotep the Black Man of the woods? Suffice to say it's convincing. Even the bit about her changing into a hare.

What I like best about Cox's work is the way he confabulates real scholarship with fiction, both is own and others'. The origins of the cult, the influence it wielded, the authentic feel of ancient and very strange Egypt - immensely enjoyable stuff. And Cox's versatility shines in such pies as 'The Stele of Nephren-Ka', which reads like a straight translation from a learned journal. Also impressive is 'Rex Mundi':

And the Earth is like unto an apple (such as offered by Eve to Adam) and at the core there is but one seed. And this seed is the Faceless Pharaoh, crowned like unto a statue such as might be found in the hot desert...

Anything idea, no matter how bonkers, that eventually takes us to the hollow earth is fine by me.

As always, you can obtain a copy of Codex Nyarlathotep from Cardinal Cox by sending an SAE to:

58 Pennington

Orton Goldhay

Peterborough

PE2 5 RB