 Cover of an 1895 edition[1] | |
| Author | Robert W. Chambers |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Decadent literature, horror, supernatural, weird, romance |
| Publisher | F. Tennyson Neely |
Publication date | 1895 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 316 |
| 813.4 | |
| LC Class | PZ3. C355 |
| Followed by | The Maker of Moons |
| Text | The King in Yellow at Wikisource |
The King in Yellow is a book of short stories by American writer Robert W. Chambers, first published by F. Tennyson Neely in 1895.[2] The British first edition was published by Chatto & Windus in 1895 (316 pages).[3]
The book contains nine short stories and a sequence of poems; while the first stories belong to the genres of supernatural horror and weird fiction, The King in Yellow progressively transitions towards a more light-hearted tone, ending with romantic stories devoid of horror or supernatural elements.[4] The horror stories are highly esteemed, and it has been described by critics such as E. F. Bleiler, S. T. Joshi, and T. E. D. Klein as a classic in the field of the supernatural.[5][6] Lin Carter called it "an absolute masterpiece, probably the single greatest book of weird fantasy written in this country between the death of Poe and the rise of Lovecraft", and it was an influence on Lovecraft himself.[7]
The book is named for the eponymous play within the stories which recurs as a motif through the first four stories, a forbidden play which induces madness in those who read it.[5]
- ^ "The King In Yellow: First Edition Controversy". Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ American Supernatural Tales. New York City: Penguin Books. 2007. p. 474. ISBN 978-0-14-310504-6.
First publication: Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow ... F. Tennyson Neely, 1895
- ^ "The King in Yellow". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ China Miéville, "Weird Fiction", in Bould, Mark et al., The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction. New York: Routledge, 2009, p. 510–516. ISBN 0-415-45378-X
- ^ a b American Supernatural Tales. New York City: Penguin Books. 2007. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-14-310504-6.
- ^ Klein, T. E. D. (1986). "Chambers, Robert W(illiam)". In Sullivan, Jack (ed.). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural. New York City: Penguin/Viking. pp. 74–6. ISBN 0-670-80902-0.
- ^ Carter, Lin, editor. Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy, Volume II, New York: Ballantine Books, 1973, p.26.