Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe

By: Thomas Ligotti, Jeff VanderMeer - foreword

Narrated by: Jon Padgett, Linda Jones

Two terrifying classics by “the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction” (The Washington Post)

Thomas Ligotti’s debut collection, Songs of a Dead Dreamer, and his second, Grimscribe, permanently inscribed a new name in the pantheon of horror fiction. Influenced by the strange terrors of Lovecraft and Poe and by the brutal absurdity of Kafka, Ligotti eschews cheap, gory thrills for his own brand of horror, which shocks at the deepest, existential, levels.

Ligotti’s stories take on decaying cities and lurid dreamscapes in a style ranging from rich, ornamental prose to cold, clinical detachment. His raw and experimental work lays bare the unimportance of our world and the sickening madness of the human condition. Like the greatest writers of cosmic horror, Ligotti bends reality until it cracks, opening fissures through which he invites us to gaze on the unsettling darkness of the abyss below.

For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. People trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

©2023 Thomas Ligotti (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Thomas Ligotti is a master of a different order, practically a different species. He probably couldn’t fake it if he tried, and he never tries. He writes like horror incarnate.”—Terrence Rafferty, New York Times Book Review

"Mr. Ligotti, winner of three Bram Stoker Awards, is one of our finest writers of short horror, and this volume, reprinting his first two collections (1985, 1991), is an excellent introduction to the sustained storm of dread that is his universe."—New York Times Book Review

“Songs of a Dead Dreamer is full of inexplicable and alarming delights. . . . Put this volume on the shelf right between H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Where it belongs.”—The Washington Post

Unsettling and intellectually stimulating.

"Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe" narrated by Jon Padgett is a fantastic way to experience these stories. Padgett's narration is pitch-perfect, capturing the dark, brooding tone of Ligotti's writing with precision and skill. He brings the characters to life in a way that feels both natural and haunting, and his pacing and intonation perfectly match the mood of each story.

Beyond expectations

I don’t usually listen to audiobooks (or leave reviews), but I make a special exception to my usual habits of consumption for anything Ligotti or Padgett. Having so little experience—I have only really listened to two audiobooks before, and both were non-fiction—I didn’t really know what to expect, but I wasn’t *that* pumped. Still, I decided to try it out.

I’m really glad I did. I can now listen to my favorite story collection *and* enjoy Padgett’s clear, passionate performance. This audiobook manages to elevate a classic that means a lot to many of us, and which, if you are anything like me, you have read cover to cover many times, to a new and unique place.

If you’re a Ligotti/Padgett fan and you’re on the fence about this audiobook, I would say it’s very much worth your attention.

Stories Take on New Life/Death Through Performance

Ligotti's stories are complex in their intellectual and emotional content, and they benefit from multiple readings. Hearing them aloud uncovers new layers of horror and humor. These lively, rich performances entertain while also adding wonderful nuance to the remarkable stories in this collection.

Brilliant Narration

A brilliant narration of a crucial author of weird fiction. One can feel Jon Padgett and Linda Jones' enthusiasm for the stories here. Highly recommended.

Brilliant stories well told

Ligotti is a master, and he’s well served here by the narrator, Padgett, who is one of the author’s foremost scholars and a fantastic writer of his own work. If you’ve never read Ligotti, this is a perfect introduction to his work.

The voice of Ligotti

For me, Jon Padgett is the voice of Ligotti’s fiction. His understanding, connection, and insight into the material is second to none. I no longer hear my own voice in my head when I read Ligotti; I hear Padgett. Listen and see why.

A must for any fan of dark fantasy!

Hands down the best dark fiction I've ever read, and delivered beautifully by narrator John Padget!

Seemed interesting

I’m a fan of weird fiction, horror and disturbing stories. Seemed like it was up my alley. So much praise for the narrator. To me he sounds condescending or has way too much enthusiasm. Like what I’d imagine a gourmand with a huge feast in front of him, wiggling his fingers and cooing non stop. Half the time I had no idea what I just heard in terms of the greater story being told since he was going up and down the register so frequently. Very distracting. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s the intended tone?
Took a chance and I’m thankful there is a return feature on audible. Might just pick this one up as a book.

highly recommend and didn't disappoint

A friend of mine repeatedly recommended Ligotti and when something finally became available on Audible I jumped at the chance. Very good stuff here if you like Lovecraft or King.

It sticks with you

I read most of the book, then listened to the last couple of stories on audible. Oddly enough, much like some of the characters in here amongst Poe's and Lovecraft's works, I felt a weird obsession. Thankfully, this obsession was to devour more of Ligotti's works, which stuck with me long after reading and imposed a dream-like quality of surreality.

Ligotti's works are akin to essays in the way that they are written (they see things from a detached yet personal narration), and it gives credence to the strange dread that they impose.

As far as the narrator goes, I don't know for sure if I liked him or not. This could only be because I read most of the physical copy I own. Because, let’s face it, this narrator does a superb job with fluctuating his voice and giving a dreary tone to a dark collection of short stories.

This, as far as I can remember, is the first review I've written on Audible after owning a hundred something audiobooks. It is that good of a collection, and so long as you're the right reader (or in this case, listener), I highly recommend these two collections.