Der Auserwahlte: Erzahlungen

Klaus Neff presents a volume of short fiction that explores the abyssal, instinctual, and unsettling aspects of human nature. The narratives follow characters who succumb to self-destructive entanglements, yielding fatalistically to their darker desires while crossing internal and external boundaries. This collection includes two stories honored with the Marburg Award, showcasing Neff’s high linguistic precision and elegance in the tradition of classic fantastic literature associated with Poe, Lovecraft, or Grabinski. The book features contemporary settings alongside Kafkaesque echoes, grounding the supernatural in modern reality. Notable entries include "Der Sohn," which won the 1998 Marburg Award under the theme of Erotic Gothic Novel, and "Organosom Eins," the 2000 winner for Utopian Short Story. Other tales examine a museum thief’s strange experience in Africa, a landlord demanding total submission, and a student consumed by his professor’s grotesque research. The stories reveal these traps through subtle psychology or the sheer force of the uncanny. This collection suits readers who appreciate psychological horror and gothic fiction that challenges conventional morality. It may not appeal to those seeking lighthearted entertainment or traditional plot-driven adventures. Neff, recognized for his award-winning work in speculative genres, offers a distinct voice within contemporary German-language literature. The stories stand as examples of modern phantastik, blending the familiar with the bizarre.