Après avoir gravi au moyen d'une échelle improvisée une grande paroi de rocher vertical, il atteignit une plateforme ou étaient gravées plusieurs empreintes du Phra-bat (pied sacré) et des représentations de barques chinoises pareilles a celles de Phnom Sontuc; là, sur un énorme bloc de pierre surmonté de toits étagés, était la fameuse image de huit mètres de longueur, peinte en rouge, avec des dorures et reposant sur un soubassement décoré de faces humaines. Plusieurs légendes où figure le nom du 'Roi Lépreux' existent sur ce Saint gigantesque; mais l'absence d'un lettré suffisamment érudit ne nous permit de déduire de la découverte aucune conclusion historique.
(Voyage au Cambodge. L'Architecture khmer, by Louis Delaporte)
(Voyage au Cambodge. L'Architecture khmer, by Louis Delaporte)
The breviary, a special kind of book with the liturgical texts for the Office. A book intended for convenient, everyday purposes. However, some breviaries can be hideous, even unholy. How beautiful would be the breviaries written by the Ursuline nuns at Loudon, for example. Following this unveiled tradition, the Romanian philosopher Cioran wrote his Précis de décomposition.
The new Raphus Press series, Précis, in this sense, will be focused on these contemporary small, unholy breviaries, with pieces created by the great contemporary auteurs of strange stories. As debut for this new series, Ancient Cities, a brief collection of three stories (two new and one very hard to find) by the extraordinary Jonathan Wood. His unique, exquisite style here is focused in the misery and glory of the cities, the fresh and the archaic spirit in the core of urban chaos, the hieratic forms wandering streets and avenues all over the world. The Modern. The Ancient. The Itinerant.
Ancient Cities, recollections and thoughts by Jonathan Wood, in free, poetic, enigmatic forms. Visions of the permanent flux of the city, Heraclitian insights on the massive existence of all social and human organization, apocalyptical synthesis between the elements of the Ancient and New Metropolis. And everything, all this deep mining for the gold of purport in only three stories, a magnificent breviary for the new creeds.
Ancient Cities, a breviary (5.1 x 7.0 in.) designed by Raphus Press Immanent Headquarters at São Paulo, Brazil, printed in the Sol Negro ateliers (-05° 47' 42''; -35° 12' 34''), decorated with images from the old volume Civitas Veri sive morum. As usual, this new chapbook edition will be very scarce: only 22 signed copies, plus some (very few) private copies. For purchases, please see the Catalogue.
The new Raphus Press series, Précis, in this sense, will be focused on these contemporary small, unholy breviaries, with pieces created by the great contemporary auteurs of strange stories. As debut for this new series, Ancient Cities, a brief collection of three stories (two new and one very hard to find) by the extraordinary Jonathan Wood. His unique, exquisite style here is focused in the misery and glory of the cities, the fresh and the archaic spirit in the core of urban chaos, the hieratic forms wandering streets and avenues all over the world. The Modern. The Ancient. The Itinerant.
Ancient Cities, recollections and thoughts by Jonathan Wood, in free, poetic, enigmatic forms. Visions of the permanent flux of the city, Heraclitian insights on the massive existence of all social and human organization, apocalyptical synthesis between the elements of the Ancient and New Metropolis. And everything, all this deep mining for the gold of purport in only three stories, a magnificent breviary for the new creeds.
Ancient Cities, a breviary (5.1 x 7.0 in.) designed by Raphus Press Immanent Headquarters at São Paulo, Brazil, printed in the Sol Negro ateliers (-05° 47' 42''; -35° 12' 34''), decorated with images from the old volume Civitas Veri sive morum. As usual, this new chapbook edition will be very scarce: only 22 signed copies, plus some (very few) private copies. For purchases, please see the Catalogue.
As a gift for the first fifteen purchasers, the third volume of the Raphus The Bestiary series of pamphlets, entitled The Soulless Thing at Ipiranga Avenue. It is a brief narrative and a sincere tribute to the connoisseur and visionary Andrew Condous – perhaps, in the near future, there will be a kind of First International for all golems in the vast world. (SOLD OUT).
Extra News
To celebrate the release of Jonathan Wood's new collection of stories, we have prepared something special for our customers and readers: following each copy of the book, a special color print on translucent paper signed by the author himself. The illustration in the print was made by Louis Delaporte, portraying an aspect of the city of Angkor Wat – a place so close, in many ways, to the Jonathan's narrative creations. It's a very limited edition of prints (only 22 copies), very trick to manage (from print to the author's hand for the signature), and soon very rare.
The opinion of our readers
Golden Age of Clairvoyance
"Well I have received the books today and I had certain high expectations and I must say such high expectations were well exceeded. The selectivity of the authors as I may have mentioned before (both individually and in combination) and translations are impeccable. The book design is exquisite and enhances the holistic reading experience (by way of comparison, on first seeing the books I had the same sense of elation when I had received my first Sylph Edition Cahiers a few years ago)."
(Andrew Condous)
(Andrew Condous)
"The books look really nice - I'm especially liking the full-color images inside. Very good design."
(Damian Murphy)
(Damian Murphy)
"The chapbooks are beautiful. Well done! Equally engaging for the eye and mind."
(Rachel Kinbar)
(Rachel Kinbar)
"The initial print-run of all three is, of course, low, so any interested readers should make a quick decision; because I do hope Raphus continue on their path of intriguing little translations of the recovered uncanny and esoteric."
(Mark Andresen at Pan Review)
(Mark Andresen at Pan Review)
The great weird and fantastic connoisseur, Des Lewis, made an insightful review of Black Mirror, the second chapbook in the series, available in this link.
Spiritual Meaning of the Massacres
"Many thanks for sending me a copy of The Mendicant. It really looks rather good – a bit like one of the books you read about in short stories that start off ‘Beware if you read these words... too late!"
(Stephen Cashmore)
(Stephen Cashmore)
"It's a marvelous production, and it's great that you have resurrected the remarkable title piece. I also enjoyed the pamphlet (...). Long may Raphus Press reign!"
(Chris Mikul)
(Chris Mikul)
"I am absolutely delighted with them [The Mendicant of the Books and The Sacred Abysmal Perspective]! They are both true examples of true and original creative philosophical ingenuity, originality and also design. They are fantastickal chapbooks and it is an equal delight to have been able to contribute and to assist in other ways. Although I saw the proofed editions when you e-mailed them to me, now that they are in my hands, they veritably glow and crackle and weep with their malign embers.
I shall take myself off on a sacred journey this weekend, like the early priests going to Tibet, and will immerse myself in the deep folds and ravines these chapbooks open up."
(Jonathan Wood)
I shall take myself off on a sacred journey this weekend, like the early priests going to Tibet, and will immerse myself in the deep folds and ravines these chapbooks open up."
(Jonathan Wood)