My recent thoughts elsewhere (1)

I think I probably imagine many 'buried patterns', having sought them in every aspect of my creative fiction writing and real-time reviewing hobby. So apologies if I am seen to put too much weight on these patterns.

“Paul swam in a sea of theories. Everything from the morning’s headlines to the license plates of buses had hidden significance. But Paul’s torrent of interpretations had something joyous to it. Buried patterns everywhere. It sounded, sometimes, almost like musicology.” – from ORFEO by Richard Powers

----------------------

Me, too. I consider myself to be eclectic as well as catholic (with a small c). I would hate to be called a 'snob', but I don't mind being called 'pretentious'.

Re: The Primary Task I agree with much that has just been said, only to add that academic study of weird fiction and art for art's sake (pure weird fiction) are not mutually exclusive. It's just that when conscious didacticism impinges, that we have philosophical and/or aesthetic knots.
I go back to my earlier post on this thread:
What do you think of Thomas Ligotti's statement: The primary task of every great horror writer is to expose the miscreation of this world and everything in it.
I would agree and then add: "and the secondary task is to optimise the creative expression of such exposure."
where the optimisation of creative expression can expunge the miscreation of which it speaks. A circular ominous imagination that can bolster us instead of depressing us. Fiction into truth by dint of its vice versa. Untying those knots.