Who is Thomas Ligotti?

Alberto D. Hetman, an author who frequents the Thomas Ligotti Online forums, recently published this intriguing story that plays with the idea of Thomas Ligotti's non-existence. The conspiratorial notion springs most famously from Poppy Z. Brite, a fellow horror author who wondered years ago if Ligotti is really "out there," or if he is merely a clever literary pen name by some other writer(s) of the weird. Today, it seems the growing archive of dozens of interviews with Ligotti and a few other artifacts confirm his existence. Yet, for some, the extreme rarity of photographic evidence for this author and his cloistered lifestyle still raises the haunting notes of conspiracy.

Hetman, at least for literary purposes, is one of these people. His surreal questioning of Ligotti's existence may be more creative toying than sincere belief. Regardless, the notion of the Ligotti-as-literary-conspiracy continues to produce some interesting pieces like Hetman's, despite its unlikely basis.

-Grim Blogger