Dark of the Moon: Poems of Fantasy and the Macabre

Dark of the Moon: Poems of Fantasy and the Macabre is a groundbreaking 1947 poetry anthology edited by August Derleth and published by Arkham House. The collection spans from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th century, featuring supernatural and fantastical works from both renowned and lesser-known poets. The anthology includes contributions from literary giants like William Blake, Edgar Allan Poe, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Christina Rossetti. Each selection focuses on themes of the supernatural, mysterious, or macabre, creating a comprehensive survey of fantasy poetry across centuries. Two distinct versions of the dustjacket were produced - one with green lettering designed by Frank Utpatel, and another with orange and white lettering by Gary Gore. The green-lettered version is particularly rare due to damage sustained during storage. The collection represents an important milestone in the preservation and presentation of supernatural poetry, highlighting the enduring human fascination with the mysterious and otherworldly. Within its pages, centuries of poetic tradition merge with folklore and fantasy elements.

Limited reader reviews exist for this obscure 1947 poetry collection. The few available reviews focus on Derleth's fantasy and horror verse, which borrowed themes from H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. Readers noted the poems' gothic atmosphere and supernatural elements. One Goodreads review highlighted how Derleth captured "a sense of cosmic dread" in poems like "The Elder Sign." Common criticisms included the poems' dated language and rigid meter, with some readers finding them too derivative of Lovecraft's work. A reviewer on Vault of Evil forums called the collection "more interesting as a historical curiosity than compelling poetry." Average Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (8 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.0/5 (3 ratings) Very few detailed reader reviews exist online, likely due to the book's limited original print run and lack of modern reprints. Most discussion appears in forums focused on weird fiction and Lovecraftian literature.

Goblin Market and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti This collection blends supernatural elements with Victorian poetry through tales of goblins, spirits, and dark folklore.

Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti The verses explore cosmic horror, existential dread, and supernatural themes through a combination of prose poems and verse.

Dreams of Dark and Light by Tanith Lee This poetry collection merges fantasy, horror, and dark romance through mythological creatures and otherworldly encounters.

The Tomb and Other Tales by H.P. Lovecraft These poems and prose pieces focus on cosmic entities, forbidden knowledge, and supernatural horror in New England settings.

Night's Black Agents by Fritz Leiber The collection combines sword and sorcery elements with dark fantasy through poems about monsters, magic, and supernatural encounters.

🌙 August Derleth founded Arkham House Publishers specifically to preserve H.P. Lovecraft's work, publishing "The Outsider and Others" as their first book in 1939 🖋️ The anthology includes several rare medieval ballads about supernatural encounters that had rarely been published in modern collections before this volume 👻 Many poems in the collection were originally published in various 19th century periodicals and might have been lost to time if not preserved in this anthology 🎭 Several of the featured poets, including Christina Rossetti, were part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group known for their gothic and medieval revival themes 📚 Derleth personally corresponded with H.P. Lovecraft and was one of the first critics to identify "weird fiction" as a distinct literary genre, helping establish it as a serious form of literature