A book a day: Robert W. Chambers: The King in Yellow

Original language: English

Original title: The King in Yellow; The Mistery of Choice; The Maker of Moons

Year of publication: the stories originals, between 1895 (The King in Yellow) and 1897. 2014, in the case of this compilation.

Translation: Marta Lila Murillo

Valuation: It’s pretty good. Recommended for interested parties

It is possible and even probable that more than one of our readers has ever read or heard terms such as “The King in Yellow”, “Hastur”, “Carcosa” or “the lake of Hali”… Without a doubt, they will will sound familiar to admirers of Lovecraft’s work but also to those who have enjoyed (that is to say) a certain police series that took place, in its first and best season, in the swamps of Louisiana… Because the truth is that All these names and the mythology that accompanies them have had more popularity due to the works they have influenced than to the original work of Robert W. Chambers itself (and that, without forgetting that the creation of the city of Carcosa or the lake of Hali is due, above, to the pen of Ambrose Bierce); In fact, the King in Yellow has become a common reference in horror literature and his trail lives on to this day (very recently, for example, a compilation has been published in Spain, The Curse of the King in Yellowof appearances of this figure over time).

In the case of the volume that concerns us today, published by the Valdemar publishing house, it is an Anthology of the original stories of The king in yellowalong with the addition of those that appeared in other compilations: The Mistery of Choice y The Maker of Moonswhere such an ominous character is not mentioned… Although I say character and that is not entirely accurate, since it is a book in which a play of that title is published and which carries the curse of returning crazy to whoever reads it (Does anything sound similar to anyone? Nothing, Lovecraftians of the world?). Although, despite this component, let’s say supernatural -and others-, in reality, the stories that appear in this book can be assigned to the fantasy genre, more or less terrifying, as well as to the thriller or noir… Or even to a sort of involuntary retrofuturism; This is what happens, without going any further, with the first of them, The reputation repairerset in a New York 30 years after the moment of its publication…

The dangerous book and the mention of some of its characters, etc. makes his appearance in several of the stories that, otherwise, have no relation to each other, although all of them, even those in which he does not appear The king in yellowhave an undeniable common air, a belonging to the same narrative universe, even if it is not made explicit. Thus, the following narratives have an equally ominous/macabre tone: The mask -This one reminded me, in a certain way, of Poe, although perhaps it is just an impression of mine-, In the dragon passage y The yellow signor, while The young lady of Ys would rather fall into the romantic and fantastic genres – time travel included – while The creator of moons Rather, it presents us with what seems like a police thriller, although a clear precursor of fiction. pulp. Something similar happens with the last of the stories, The key to painalthough here the genre that serves as its basis is adventure. A pleasant eveningfor its part, could be considered a peculiar ghost story, also set in a future (that is, for us, past) New York. Finally, there are a couple of stories with a different tone and setting, even without losing the macabre and supernatural tone, as they take place in a small town in Brittany (a region appreciated by Chambers, who lived for several years in France) where the English painter resides. Dick Darnel, who acts as a “detective” in various matters; in the first, which is narrated to us in The purple emperorwe are witnessing a curious rivalry between butterfly collectors. The second of them, The black priest It presents a more fantastic cut cut. Both stories are, in my opinion, the best of this volume, without detracting from any others, such as A pleasant evening.

In any case, we are faced with a writer and stories that are an unavoidable reference within the horror genre, especially due to their later influence. Maybe the most general readers won’t quite get the hang of it (so to speak), but, without a doubt, they will interest and even delight lovers of the genre, if only to know where the ominous figure of the King in Yellow comes from. .