The Vorrh
![]() First Edition | |
Author | B. Catling |
---|---|
Language | English language |
Genre | |
Publisher | Honest Publishing |
Publication date | November 12th, 2012 |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 485 (First Edition) |
ISBN | 978-0-9571-4271-8 |
Followed by | The Erstwhile |
The Vorrh is a dark historical fantasy novel by multi-disciplinary artist B. Catling that was first published in November of 2012.[1] Aided in its publicity by a glowing foreword from author and graphic-novelist Alan Moore, it garnered significant critical coverage in the media when republished for an international audience in 2015.[2][3][4][5][6] The first in a trilogy of novels (rounded out by 2017's The Erstwhile and 2018's The Cloven), it investigates themes as wide ranging as colonialism, mythology, sentience, and guilt, in prose noted for its lyrical structure and flow.[2][3][7]
Summary
The town of Essenwald is an expression of colonialism so pure it was moved brick by brick from Germany to sit nestled on the edge of a vast, time-bending, and quite possibly sentient African forest, known locally as "the Vorrh". With the recent events of World War One casting a pallid glow on the entirety of the colonial project, the secrets of this ancient forest are among the last things Essenwald's managers are concerned with. Though it is mostly ignored in this manner by the colonial intruders, a renegade British soldier penetrates deep into the forest's mysteries when he finds a close relationship crumbling into a strange and tangled series of magical occurrences. Along the way, a sizeable cast of characters both fantastic and historical are drawn into the Vorrh's embrace.[1]
Critical reception
The Vorrh received generally positive critical reception, garnering coverage from a wide variety of publications.[2][3][4][5][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Editions
- The Vorrh (1st ed.). Honest Publishing. 2012. ISBN 978-0-9571-4271-8. Original cover, British release
- The Vorrh (2nd ed.). Vintage Books. 2015. ISBN 978-1-1018-7378-6. Alternate cover, international release
References
- ^ a b "The Vorrh – B. Catling". honestpublishing.com. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b c Heller, Jason (5 May 2015). "'Vorrh' Takes A Dizzying Trek Into The Dark Heart of Fantasy". NPR. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b c Moorcock, Michael (20 May 2015). "The Vorrh by B Catling review – 'one of the most original works of visionary fiction since Mervyn Peake'". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b Johnson, Kij (5 June 2015). "A Forest in Which to Grow Fancies". Slate . Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b "The Vorrh". Kirkus Reviews. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (27 April 2015). "Alan Moore's Intro To His New Favorite Fantasy Novel Is A Glorious Rant". io9. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ "Honest Publishing (B. Catling Interview)". Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Alexander, Niall (19 November 2012). "Wandering the Weird: The Vorrh by B. Catling". Tor.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Turner, Edwin (11 May 2017). "Lost in The Vorrh". biblioklept.org. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Wagner, Thomas M. "The Vorrh / B. Catling ★★★★½". sfreviews.net. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Roupenian, Kristen (28 April 2015). "B. Catling's 'The Vorrh'". weirdfictionreview.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Evenson, Brian (4 May 2017). "The Violent and Unforgettable World of Brian Catling". Electric Literature. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ Williams, James (4 June 2015). "Lost in 'The Vorrh'". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 July 2019.