Kirk’s greatest achievement. Published by St. Martins, 1979.

Russell Kirk’s LORD OF THE HOLLOW DARK is not merely my favorite Kirk book, it is one of my favorite books, period.  It is an amazing horror story, full of real evil and real good.

The good, not surprisingly, are stuck in a sort of purgatory, while the evil make their own hells.  If you’re looking for a gentle read, this isn’t it.  But, it’s darker than anything Stephen King has written.

Its genius, though, can be found in Kirk’s uncanny ability to combine the mythologies of T.S. Eliot with his own.

Kirk had been planning the novel for almost a decade before it finally came out from St. Martin’s in 1979.  During those years of planning, he produced a number of outlines.  Here’s one of many.  Enjoy.

[With apologies–but I’ve removed the prospectus. –I posted this without permission, and, frankly, I should’ve been more thoughtful!–Brad, September 15, 2015]