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The Starry Wisdom Library

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This subject is written on a topic in the real world and reflects factual information. The Starry Wisdom Library: The Catalogue of the Greatest Occult Book Auction of All Time is a thematic anthology of Lovecraftian fiction from independent publisher PS Publishing. Running to a total of 176 pages, it was edited by Nate Pedersen and released in a hardcover format in December 2014. Cover art was supplied by Andrew Leman, with interior pieces from Liv Rainey-Smith.

Overview[]

“ Scholars and book collectors across the country have long pondered the intended fate of the infamous collection of rare occult books left to rot in the Church of Starry Wisdom in Providence, Rhode Island, after the Starry Wisdom cult dispersed to parts unknown in the late 19th century.

The recent, shocking discovery of a previously unknown book auction catalogue issued in 1877 offers insight into the myriad mysteries of the cult. Entitled “Catalogue of the Occult Library of the Recently Disbanded Church of Starry Wisdom of Providence, Rhode Island,” and issued by the notorious Arkham firm Pent & Serenade, the catalogue reveals the long-suspected fact that the Church intended to sell its library to finance its removal from Providence.

The sale, of course, never materialized—as later events make obvious—but the book auction catalogue informs us of the cult’s original intent and leaves for us an enormously valuable and fascinating piece of ephemera detailing the infamous collection of rare occult books in all of its dark and foreboding glory.

Furthermore, the book auction catalogue is unique amongst its contemporaries in that the auction firm Pent & Serenade—recognizing the importance of the exceedingly rare volumes in the cult’s possession—commissioned a wide variety of 19th-century scholars to write essays on the histories of the books offered at auction.

As such, the catalogue is a uniquely—almost absurdly—valuable item for scholars and collectors around the world, and is presented here in exacting facsimile by PS Publishing. 		„
~ Publisher's description



Contents [1][]

  • Introduction by S. T. Joshi
  • Preface by Owen Davies
  • "ANONYMOUS [Diverse Hands] The Dhol Chants" by Robin Spriggs
  • "UNKNOWN. The Tablets of Nhing" by Kali Wallace
  • "UNKNOWN. The Black Tome of Alsophocus" by Simon Strantzas
  • "SENENMUT, High Priest of Amun. The Scroll of Karnak" by Allyson Bird
  • "UNKNOWN. The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan" by Genevieve Valentine
  • "[ANACHARIS] (pseud.) Hieron Aigypton" by Molly Tanzer
  • "UNKNOWN. The Chhaya Rituals" by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
  • "MOBED, Nestar Mobedan. The Book of the Climbing Lights" by Kaaron Warren
  • "UNKNOWN. The Book of Dzyan" by Daniel Harms
  • "U-PAO. The Black Sutra" by Don Webb
  • "TALIESIN, BROTHER [attrib.] Lebor Gabála Érenn [The Book of Conquests]" by Edward R. Morris
  • "UNKNOWN. The Nameless Tome" by Darrell Schweitzer
  • "[EIBON] Liber Ivonis" by Michael Cisco
  • "ALHAZRED, Abdul. The Necronomicon [Al Azif]" by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "BEY, Radu. Qanoon-e-Islam" by Peter Rawlik
  • "VARIOUS. Les Mystères du Ver" by John Langan
  • "J'CAK [probable pseudonym]. The Black Book of the Skull" by Nick Mamatas
  • "UNKNOWN. [Fr. Phillipe di Navarre] Las Reglas De Ruina" by Livia Llewellyn
  • "LUXARDO, G. D. Il Tomo della Bicocca" by Jesse Bullington
  • "UNKNOWN. The Daemonolorum" by Matt Cardin
  • "de HAMMAIS, Jean-Louis. Cultus Maleficarum" by Edward P. Berglund
  • "[DEE, John.] The Book of Thoth" by Keith Taylor
  • "UNKNOWN. The Testament of Carnamagos" by Gemma Files
  • "DE METZ, Gautier. L'Image di Monde: Myrrour of The Worldes" by Carrie Cuinn
  • "IXCAXOCHITZEN, Juan. El Culto de los Muertos" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • "de VÉZELAY, Mme. Isabeau. Cultes des Goules" by Karin Tidbeck
  • "AUTHORSHIP UNKNOWN. Ssathaat Scriptures" by Stephen Jones
  • "UMBRIUS, Caius. Liber Damnatus" by Donald Tyson
  • "BOREL, Pierre (Petrus Borellus) [Attrib.] Practise of Chymicall and Hermeticall Physicke" by Andrew Leman
  • "UNKNOWN. De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis. "On The Eating of The Dead in The Tomb."" by Richard Gavin
  • "FRANK, Jacob. [Attributed] The Book of Iod. [Sepher Yodh]" by Robert M. Price
  • "JERMYN, Sir Wade. Observations on the Several Parts of Africa" by Jeffrey John Wells
  • "COMPOSER UNKNOWN. Massa De Requiem Per Shuggay. An Opera in Three Acts." by Scott David Aniolowski
  • "ANON. The Pnakotic Manuscripts" by Christopher D. Hanson
  • "CHASTAIN, P. The King in Yellow. A Play, In Two Acts." by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.
  • "UNKNOWN. [Sarah Pickman (1780-1810) Attrib.] Remnants of Lost Empires" by S. J. Chambers
  • "UNKNOWN. [Diverse Hands...] The Black Rites" by Ann K. Schwader
  • "PHILLIPS, Rev. Ward [Kirk, Rev Robert]. Thaumaturgical Prodigies in the New English Canaan" by Nate Pedersen
  • "von Junzt, Friedrich Wilhelm. [1795-1840] Unaussprechlichen Kulten" by F. Paul Wilson
  • "UNKNOWN. The Book of Azathoth" by Glynn Owen Barrass
  • "SMALLBEAM, Percy. [ed.] The Revelations of Glaaki" by Ramsey Campbell
  • "UNKNOWN. The Ponape Scripture" by John Langan and Scott Nicolay
  • "Williams, Simon Gregory [attrib.] The Sesqua Valley Grimoire" by W. H. Pugmire, Esq.
  • "CARROLL, Lewis. A. L. S. from Carroll to Miss Alice Liddell" by Scott M. Brents

References[]

  1. ↑ Contents taken from The Starry Wisdom Library at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
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