📖 Overview
Collected Poems: Nightmares and Visions is a 1981 poetry collection from Richard L. Tierney, published by Arkham House in a limited run of 1,030 copies. The book features illustrations by Jason Van Hollander and compiles works previously published across numerous fantasy and horror magazines.
The collection showcases Tierney's command of traditional poetic forms, particularly the sonnet, while exploring dark and supernatural themes. Many poems in the volume first appeared in publications like The Arkham Collector, Whispers, and Nyctalops.
The works range from cosmic horror to existential reflection, culminating in the notable poem "To the Hydrogen Bomb." Tierney's technical precision with rhyme and meter serves as a framework for exploring themes of nihilism, cosmic insignificance, and humanity's relationship with technology and destruction.
👀 Reviews
There appear to be very few public reader reviews available for Richard L. Tierney's Collected Poems. The book seems to have limited circulation and visibility online.
On Goodreads, the book has just 1 rating with no written reviews. The single rating gives it 5/5 stars.
No reviews or ratings found on Amazon, LibraryThing, or other major book review sites.
The scarcity of reviews makes it difficult to meaningfully summarize reader reception or identify common praise/criticism. Most online mentions of Tierney's poetry appear in academic or specialty publications focused on weird fiction and dark fantasy poetry, rather than consumer reviews.
Ratings:
Goodreads: 5/5 (1 rating, 0 reviews)
Amazon: No ratings or reviews found
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The Eye of the Giant by Robert E. Howard Poetry collection from the creator of Conan the Barbarian featuring structured verse that blends horror, fantasy, and existential themes.
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🤔 Interesting facts
🌘 Richard L. Tierney also wrote several sword-and-sorcery novels featuring Simon of Gitta, a character based on the historical figure Simon Magus.
🏛️ The publisher, Arkham House, was founded specifically to preserve H.P. Lovecraft's work and became legendary in weird fiction publishing.
✍️ Tierney's sonnets show strong influence from both classical Roman poetry and the cosmic horror of Clark Ashton Smith, creating a unique hybrid style.
🎨 Illustrator Jason Van Hollander is a two-time World Fantasy Award winner known for his darkly surreal artistic style.
📚 The poems in this collection were published across several decades in magazines like Weird Tales and Fantasy Crossroads before being compiled into this definitive volume.