It's funny how some of the best discoveries happen when you least expect them. Just recently, whilst handing in some donations at the local Oxfam, my eye caught something unexpected: the True Detective Season 1 DVD set, priced at a mere £3.99. I'd never actually seen the show, despite knowing of it and having heard a lot of praise showered upon it over the years. It felt like a sign, a little nudge from the universe to finally see what all the fuss was about.

True Detective Season 1 DVD Review — Not bad for £3.99 eh?

Beyond the general acclaim, what truly piqued my interest were the whispers I'd heard about its thematic depth and atmospheric qualities. I'd heard comparisons to The King in Yellow, the unsettling cosmic dread of Robert W. Chambers' work, which immediately resonated with my love for the uncanny.

Then there were the mentions of Twin Peaks, a show that masterfully blends surrealism with small-town mystery, Alan Wake, with its dark, psychological horror wrapped in a literary narrative and Deadly Premonition 2 with its wizened old main character flashbacking to the case that broke him. The recurring theme of Southern Gothic also tickled my fancy, promising a rich tapestry of decay, dark secrets, and a unique sense of place. All these elements are firmly in my wheelhouse, so the decision was made. For less than the price of a fancy but ultimately disappointing coffee, I was ready to dive into what promised to be a journey into the heart of darkness, Louisiana style.

The anticipation of seeing how these influences might manifest, how the show would weave together a compelling narrative with such rich thematic undertones, was palpable. So, with the DVDs in hand and expectations set high by a confluence of critical acclaim and personal genre preferences, I plonked myself down for my first viewing of True Detective Season 1. So, how was it?

The story stars Matthew McConaughey, playing Detective Rust Cohle, and Woody Harrelson, playing his partner Detective Martin Hart, who are investigating a series of disturbing, ritualistic murders in Louisiana. This quickly spirals into a much larger and darker narrative involving occult practices and a deeply unsettling meta-psychotic killer. The show is a police procedural but with unreliable narrators abound, it is a show that demands attention.

Over the course of 8 episodes, the show masterfully weaves together different timelines and perspectives as they pursue a killer tied to the unsettling concept of The King in Yellow, Carcosa and The Green Man. This all leads them down a rabbit hole of existential dread and profound psychological instability. Cohle's nihilistic and philosophical outlook is a defining characteristic, contrasting sharply with Hart's more grounded, family-oriented perspective (until his penchant for affairs that is). As both men delve deeper into the dark heart of man they find themselves forever changed.

I has always heard that the show was known for its complex themes, atmospheric storytelling, and powerful performances but boy, was I blown away by the beautiful cinematography and sense of place. It's always a hoary old thing to say that 'the setting is a character' but in this case, Louisiana sets the sweaty, uncomfortable mood perfectly. It's uncomfortable conditions, with its portrayal of different lifestyles and wealth, are evocative portrayed by the character actors with deep, meditative silences adding to the palpable terror of what will be found at journey's end. The make-up team does an outstanding job of aging and de-aging up the protagonists, especially McConaughey who looks all haggard and wrinkly, but Woody Harrison's wig, which he wears for his youthful flashbacks, are hilarious as his de-aging process just seems to involve him whipping the rug off.

Over the course of a few nights, I watched the entire season and loved it. I can see why the series is so well regarded and put forward as a keystone in the Golden Age of Television that many believe started with The Sopranos.

The McConaissance hype is real as it was amazing to see McConaughey show his acting chops after spending the best part of a decade leaning against stuff and looking cheekily at the young starlet over his shoulder. I will now look at watching the other series to see if they can live up to the very high benchmark set here but, from what I gather, this was the zenith that has yet to be surpassed.

LINK: The King in Yellow- Book Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK: Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK: The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK: Shadow of the Colossus- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK: The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK: The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK: My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

The King in Yellow is the 1895 weird tales book by Robert Chambers that has been hugely influential across media including TV (True Detective), books (inspiring the weird horror, cosmology and Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft and the like, as well as videogames (Deadly Premonition, Signalis, Dark Souls and many more).

The book is comprised of 10 short tales and poems, some of which feature The King in Yellow that mysterious book within a book. This collection about a malevolent entity of otherworldly origins and the alien world of Corcosa has captivated readers for over a century however in this collection are tales are more romantic in nature which do not feature this cosmological entity that brings madness and chaos wherever it goes.

The stories are:
The Repairer of Reputations
The Mask
In the Court of the Dragon
The Yellow Sign
The Demoiselle d'Ys
The Prophets' Paradise
The Street of the Four Winds
The Street of the First Shell
The Street of Our Lady of the Fields
Rue Barrée

The Repairer of Reputations
This story involves a man of some means who has delusions of grandeur as he has read The King in Yellow. He dreams of being anointed as The Last King of The Imperial Dynasty of America. However, his cousin, who is a military man, stands in his way.
This is a good opening story as we are introduced to the dreaded tome and the warped effects it has on the human mind. It builds towards a dramatic denouement and is suitably sinister in its descriptions of the unsavoury parts of early 20th century Paris.

The Mask
A sculptor uncovers a scientific means of turning matter into stone, a useful tool for his trade to be sure. However, when a love triangle with his partner and his best friend threatens the tightly connected group, revenge seems on the cards.
This is a romantic story about unrequited love and the curse of the creator when the muse no longer inspires. It builds to a tragic climax but ends quite hopefully.

In the Court of the Dragon
A man reflects upon his life in a church but the organist plays some terrifying music. On his way home the man feels a presence and, through a time loop, ends up back at the church and then at Corcosa where he meets the King in Yellow.
This is a terrifying tale of the eerieness of liminal spaces; a usually knowable space that becomes malevolent within a different context. It features the iconic line, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”

The Yellow Sign
When an artist and his model muse keep seeing a strange man, who they had dreamt about beforehand, they wonder who he is. When they find The King in Yellow book in the library they know that their fate is sealed.
The story is wonderful as the love that grows between the artist and his model is slowly revealed and quite sweetly done. When they are consumed by the book their downfall is assured.

The Demoiselle D'ys
When an American tourist on a hunting tour gets lost in the moors of Britanny, France, he hunkers down for the night. However, before night falls he meets a beautiful and skilled huntress, a young woman who invited him to join her for the night at her castle. The castle seems to be a place out of time and the oddities continue.
This is an intriguing timeslip/ isekai story and, as the American hunter becomes aware of the unusual dialect, lifestyle and conversation, the differences between the time periods becomes more scarily stark.

The Prophets' Paradise
This is a collection of 8 poems based on various themes with different titles: The Studio, The Phantom, The Sacrifice, Destiny, The Throng, The Jester, The Green Room, and The Love Test.

The next three stories, which are not about the King in Yellow mythos, I call the Street Trilogy and I found to be less interesting overall. The Street of the Four Winds is about an artist in Paris who welcomes a stray cat into his home. While philosophising with his new found furry friend, he sees the name tag of the owner and decides to return it. He enters the ornate house and enters the bedroom. This is a strange story and is a bit of a weird tale in the style of Haruki Murakami or Katsuhito Otomo's Memories.

The Street of the First Shell
This concerns the citizens of a besieged city in the Franco-Prussian war. It's a tale of survival and community but also suspicion. It's slow paced and a pretty tough read as there are a lot of characters and political intrigue that I just couldn't get into.

The Street of Our Lady of the Field concerns the travails of love amongst the student art community. It's all quite gentle, playful and freewheeling like the work of Fellini- all vibes and rizz.

Rue Barre
This is quite a sweet love story as boy sees girl, falls in love with girl, buys tonnes of flowers for the girl without her knowing and sends them to her place. So far so stalker but rather than staying in the shadows he goes to speak to her face to face but is politely rejected. The story ends with the pair being awkward and unable to express themselves when the protagonist gets drunk one night and climbs up to her window on the second floor.

Overall, The King in Yellow is a captivating read and it’s a testament to Chambers' skill that his work continues to resonate with readers over a century later. The way he weaves together themes of cosmic horror, madness, and the uncanny is truly masterful. The mysterious play within the book serves as a powerful symbol of the unknown and the terrifying and -with the world in the situation it currently is- completely relatable.