Stuff To Blow Your Mind From the Vault: Grimoire of Horror, Volume 1
Oct 4, 2025
Dive into chilling tales as the hosts explore Clark Ashton Smith's dark fantasy, 'The Maker of Gargoyles', revealing connections between art and evil. Discover the twisted origins of gargoyles and their protective roles in history. Then, venture into Stephen Graham Jones's 'Thirteen', where a deadly theater ritual blurs the lines of reality, leading to haunting consequences. The conversation delves into mirror summoning games and the psychology behind them, unlocking a world of ritualistic horror and cultural parallels.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Art Channels Creator's Darkness
- Clark Ashton Smith's "The Maker of Gargoyles" links an artisan's inner darkness to animate monstrous creations.
- The story explores how art can channel and externalize personal hatred and lust into physical horror.
Renard's Tragic Discovery
- Robert recounts the plot of Smith's tale where Renard's gargoyles come alive and wreak havoc.
- Renard realizes his creations embodied his own destructive emotions just before dying.
Gargoyles: Function Meets Symbol
- Gargoyles began as functional water spouts and evolved into grotesques and apotropaic imagery on churches.
- Their role mixes practical architecture with symbolic protection and didactic illustration.
