This book is an essential purchase for any serious mythos collector. Wilum Hopfrog Pugmire is a unique voice among modern Lovecraftian writers. Unfortunately, he is really only known to a select few as his books have not been widely circulated. Dreams of Lovecraftian Horror was a paperback from Mythos Books in 1999; Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts was a 2003 limited edition hardcover from Delirium Books. Both still may be acquired from used bookstores online, but for handsome prices. Unless you picked these up or you subscribe to an assortment of esoteric magazines devoted to horror and Lovecraft you will not have heard of him. Now that unique voice among the small presses interested in HPL, Hippocampus Press, has released a new collection of stories by Mr. Pugmire and this will hopefully gain him a wider audience. And his voice is very worth hearing! I truly became lost in the words, I was so enamored of the prose. For those who are unfamiliar with him, Mr. Pugmire is not exactly a recluse but more an antiquarian, like his favorite author, Lovecraft. For the most part he eschews modern conveniences, not having a personal connection to the internet. He dislikes the pace of modern life and prefers the more flowery language of bygone days. His attire is similar to Boy George during public appearances; there is a photograph of him on the cover, which may be seen at www.hippocampuspress.com (he calls himself the Queen of Eldritch Horror). The fortunate few who live in the Seattle area may run into him at the annual Lovecraft Film Festival.

Some housekeeping: The Fungal Stain and Other Dreams is a nice trade paperback, up to Hippocampus Press' high standards. Editing was tight; I think I saw only a few scattered typos. Page count is 179, with the stories starting on page 9. Cover art is by Robert H. Knox. It depicts a scene from one of the stories but didn't really jazz me at all. Augie Wiedemann's cover for Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts was much more moody and evocative. The price at Amazon is $15.00, and it is available for free shipping if you buy $25 worth of stuff (like, say, Black Sutra by DeBill).

Pugmire is most famous for his cycle of stories set in the Sesqua Valley. I highly recommend this book as an introduction to the Sesqua Valley for those who cannot find his earlier stories. Stepping into this collection is like coming into a saga already well begun. The environs of Mount Selta, the twin white peaks of which dominate the Sesqua Valley, have been around for a long, long time. Mr. Pugmire has more meticulously and lovingly developed this world than any other Lovecraftian location, like, say, Braving, MN or Goatswood. You quickly get to know the prominent citizens of Sesqua, the not exactly human Simon Gregory Williams and the Whateley sisters, transplanted citizens from Dunwich via Arkham. But you also really do have a sense that they have a history and have been carefully developed by the author. This world building alone is strikingly original to Mr. Pugmire among Lovecraftian authors and worthy of wider notice from genre fans.

Most of the stories in The Fungal Stain and Other Dreams are set in the Sesqua Valley, but not all. I am a great fan of Clark Ashton Smith and alone among contemporary mythos authors Pugmire's prose approaches the poetry of Smith. Often language and imagery assume more importance than specifics of the plot. Mr. Pugmire strives to create a mood, capture a feeling. He loves elaborate vocabulary. Here is a sample of words you may need to look up (well, I needed to look them up!): plash, ataraxic, nubilation, fuliginous, atramentous, caliginous, threnodial, eremitic, pleached, theophany, effete, hoary, brume, empyrean, porphyry, supernal, lissome, thole, hypogeal, quiddity. There are certain themes that recur in Mr. Pugmire's work, characters who wish to dispense with existence or who have been touched by the Great Old Ones and are going to be swept away from this destiny but only gradually realize this. They either eagerly embrace their fate or become resigned to it. His writing is almost poetic; he tries to create visceral imagery so you can imagine the sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes of this valley where the borders between competing realities become frayed. None of the stories are potboilers. In fact, unlike Hard Boiled Cthulhu, I don't suggest anyone try to devour this book in one sitting. Pugmire's prose is best savored one or two stories at a time, read and reread as fancy strikes. If you have the opportunity to get his other books then you can appreciate almost the entire sweep of time in the Sesqua Valley. Otherwise I urgently recommend you come and spend a few hours here in the shadow of Mount Selta. Just make sure, however, you can find your way home. Few people visit Sesqua and fewer still return.

Addendum: A few years after this review was written, Mr. Pugmire has more recently discovered the internet and now posts fascinating video reviews and interviews. He can be found on Youtube, Facebook and other sites. ( )

The Fungal Stain is a breath of fresh spore-laiden air. Pugmire doesn't hit the reader over the head with Lovecraftian name-dropping like other contemporary mythos writers. In addition, many of the unwholesome locations, books, entities, etc. are of his own creation. Sure here and there he'll make a reference to Miskatonic University or something, but it's done in a playful way.

I truly enjoy the atmosphere he creates. Stylistically, he's strikes me as a modern version of Arthur Machen. One gets the sense he has a genuine love for the Weirld Tale -- not in a fan-boy type of mimicry; rather, a true understanding of the atmosphere and mystery created by mere suggestions of outre' things. His Sesqua Valley (the location of all his stories) is a fascinating creation.

Read anything you can by Pugmire. You won't regret it. ( )