Songs of a Dead Dreamer is a 1986 short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 collection by horror fiction

Horror fiction

Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...

 writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

 Thomas Ligotti

Thomas Ligotti

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror author and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings are unique in style, have been noted as major continuations of several literary genres – most prominently Lovecraftian horror – and have overall been variously described as works of...

. It has been acknowledged as one of the seminal collections of modern weird horror fiction by peers such as Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell

John Ramsey Campbell is an English horror fiction author.Since he first came to prominence in the mid-1960s, critics have cited Campbell as one of the leading writers in his field: T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today", while S. T...

. Many of its stories show the influence of Ligotti's literary idols of horror such as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...

.

The first edition of Ligotti's book was produced in paperback by Silver Scarab Press, limited to 300 copies. It was re-released in an expanded and revised edition in 1989 by Carroll and Graf

Carroll & Graf Publishers

Carroll & Graf Publishers, an American publishing company centered in New York City, was an imprint of the Avalon Publishing Group,Publisher Kent Carroll, the editorial director of Grove Press from 1975 to 1981, co-founded Carroll & Graf in 1982...

. Both editions of the book contain an introduction by Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell

John Ramsey Campbell is an English horror fiction author.Since he first came to prominence in the mid-1960s, critics have cited Campbell as one of the leading writers in his field: T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today", while S. T...

. In 2010, Subterranean Press

Subterranean Press

Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction...

 republished the book, with author revisions, making it the definitive edition.

The serial killer

Serial killer

A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...

 story "The Frolic" was filmed in 2007 directed by Jacob Cooney, based on a screenplay co-authored by Brandon Trenz and Ligotti. Wonder Entertainment has released The Frolic Collector's Edition DVD and Book set, which contains the short film adaptation of the story, and also commentary tracks and behind-the-scenes by director Jacob Cooney, producer Jane Kelly Kosek, and actor Maury Sterling; a new interview with screenwriters Thomas Ligotti and Brandon Trenz; a newly revised version of the short story, with a new introduction by Thomas Ligotti; and the screenplay, with a new introduction by Brandon Trenz. Only 1,000 copies of the collector's edition were released. The book containing the revised text of "The Frolic," was exclusive to this set.

In Popular Culture

DJ Spooky

DJ Spooky

Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...

's album of the same name

Songs of a Dead Dreamer (album)

Songs of a Dead Dreamer is an electronica album by DJ Spooky, released on 2 April 1996 . It is based on Songs of a Dead Dreamer, the story collection by horror fiction writer Thomas Ligotti. The album was a critical success, though popular acceptance was lukewarm...

was inspired by the collection.

Part 1: Dreams for Sleepwalkers

• "The Frolic"
• "Les Fleurs"
• "Alice's Last Adventure"
• "Dream of a Mannikin"
• The Nyctalops Trilogy
  • "The Chymist"
  • "Drink to me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes"
  • "Eye of the Lynx"
• "Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story"

Part 2: Dreams for Insomniacs

• "The Christmas Eves of Aunt Elise: A Tale of Possession in Old Grosse Pointe"
• "The Lost Art of Twilight"
• "The Troubles of Dr. Thoss"
• "Masquerade of a Dead Sword: A Tragedie"
• "Dr. Voke and Mr. Veech"
• "Professor Nobody's Little Lectures on Supernatural Horror"

Part 3: Dreams for the Dead

• "Dr. Locrian's Asylum"
• "Sect of the Idiot"
• "The Greater Festival of Masks"
• "The Music of the Moon"
• "The Journal of J.P. Drapeau"
• "Vastarien"