History YMMV / ThomasLigotti

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Arguably, [[spoiler:the ending of "My Work Is Not Yet Done".]]

* HellIsThatNoise: "Do you know the sound of something that stings the air?"

** The letter sequence in the recent tale "Metaphysica Morum" is perhaps the most overtly comic thing in Ligotti's oeuvre, and easily one of the most gleefully tasteless. A tribute of sorts to WilliamSBurroughs' "routines," one must read it to believe it.

* MagnificentBastard: If a true antagonist can be discerned in a Ligotti story, the sheer elegance and ingenuity of their cruelty is rarely in question, regardless of how unspeakably amoral their behaviour may be.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Everything in ''MyWorkIsNotYetDone''. Also, "The Town Manager".

* TheLawOfFanJackassery: ''Mostly'' on the "obscure/friendly" end, with [[SmallNameBigEgo a small handful]] [[FanDumb of nasty exceptions]].

* NeedsMoreLove

* TearJerker: Perhaps not the best term... Depression Fuel is more apt.

* TearJerker: Perhaps not the best term... Depression Fuel is more apt.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Plomb from "The Spectacles in the Drawer".]] Frank Dominio from "My Work Is Not Yet Done" could also be seen as one of these [[FromNobodyToNightmare before his transformation]].

* AuthorAppeal: Deconstructing horror and philosophy tropes seems to be a big one. Also, any of the recurring themes under Paranoia Fuel.

* MagnificentBastard: If a true antagonist can be discerned in a Ligotti story, the sheer elegance and ingenuity of their cruelty is rarely in question, regardless of how [[CompleteMonster unspeakably amoral]] their behaviour may be.

* NarmCharm: Intentionally invoked throughout ''Songs of a Dead Dreamer'', usually in {{homage}} to VladimirNabokov. Simon Smirk, narrator of "The Chymist", is [[LargeHam particularly]] [[InsufferableGenius over-the-top]].

** CompleteMonster: Usually averted to some degree, but [[spoiler:Harry, Richard's [[TheDragon Dragon]] and [[TheJuggernaut Juggernaut]]]] from "My Work Is Not Yet Done" definitely qualifies for this title. In stark contrast to many of Ligotti's other antagonists, there is nothing remotely likeable about him. He is inelegant, petty, self-absorbed and wantonly destructive. [[spoiler:And did we fail to mention that he's also a serial rapist?]] [[SarcasmMode How charming.]]
*** To some degree, ''all'' of the Seven are like this, but [[spoiler:Harry]] is notable for being the only one to outdo them all in terms of sheer repulsiveness. Only [[BigBad Richard himself]] comes close, but even he avoids sinking as low as [[spoiler:Harry]] through simply being [[XanatosGambit utterly brilliant]].

And here, we have the [[YourMileageMayVary subjective tropes]]:

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Arguably, nearly everything that Ligotti has ever written. Averted only in a few of his early vignettes, which lean more towards [[MindScrew pure surrealism or philosophical deconstruction]], as well as some of his poetry, which is simply [[TearJerker exceedingly depressing]].

* ParanoiaFuel: [[PerversePuppet Puppets]], [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate doctors]], pills, carnivals, [[CreepyDoll dolls]], abandoned buildings, office work, shadows, flowers, gastrointestinal disorders, souvenirs, OCD, dreaming, art galleries, [[WhiteMaskOfDoom strange]] [[MalevolentMaskedMen masks]], rare books, bondage, chamber music, maps, abstract ideas... Think of it, and this man has made it HighOctaneNightmareFuel.

* FetishFuel: "Eye of the Lynx" takes what is [[BrainsAndBondage potentially this]] and twists it into [[FetishRetardant something]] [[MindScrew truly]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel unsettling]].

* BeyondTheImpossible: Just how unremittingly bleak ''can'' a CosmicHorrorStory get before it becomes unreadable? If you really want to know, go read "The Bungalow House". It has more existential misery packed into its final paragraphs than half of Jean-Paul Sartre's bibliography combined, and it is ''beautiful''.

* GeniusBonus: While rarely essential to the enjoyment of his work, having a robust literary background [[UnderStatement does not hurt]] when reading Ligotti.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Plomb from "The Spectacles in the Drawer".]]

* TearJerker: Perhaps not the best term... Depression Fuel is more apt.

* TheLawOfFanJackassery: ''Mostly'' on the "obscure/friendly" end.

** VillainProtagonist: The two usually overlap.

** NauseaFuel: See BodyHorror

* TheLawOfFanJackassery: Mostly on the "obscure/friendly" end, though this ''does '''not''''', by any means, preclude FanDumb, SmallNameBigEgo or SeriousBusiness.

** CompleteMonster: Usually averted to some degree, but [[spoiler:Harry, Richard's [[TheDragon Dragon]]]] from "My Work Is Not Yet Done" definitely qualifies for this title. In stark contrast to many of Ligotti's other antagonists, there is nothing remotely likeable about him. He is inelegant, petty, self-absorbed and wantonly destructive. And did we fail to mention that he's also a serial rapist? [[SarcasmMode How charming.]]

* BeyondTheImpossible: Just how unremittingly bleak ''can'' a CosmicHorrorStory get before it becomes unreadable? If you really want to know, go read "The Bungalow House". It has more misery packed into its final paragraphs than half of {{Jean-Paul Sartre}}'s bibliography, and it's ''beautiful''.

* BeyondTheImpossible: Just how unremittingly bleak ''can'' a CosmicHorrorStory get before it becomes unreadable? If you really want to know, go read "The Bungalow House". It has more misery packed into its final paragraphs than half of Sartre's bibliography, and it's ''beautiful''.