AA.VV.
Der Orchideen Garten

Edizioni Hypnos publishes Der Orchideen Garten, a high-quality volume curated by the Germanist Alessandro Fambrini, which stands as one of the flagship pieces of the catalog of the Milanese publisher. The German Der Orchideen Garten was, between 1918 and 1921, practically the first magazine dedicated to the fantastic and the bizarre, anticipating the subsequent and well-known Weird Tales and Amazing Stories. Unlike these two, Der Orchideen Garten still had its roots in the aesthetic decadence of European origin and classic authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and E.T.A. Hoffmann.

The first issue was released in Munich in 1918 and was curated by Karl Heinz Strobl. Strobl formed, with Hanns Heinz Ewers and Gustav Meyrink, the sacred trinity of German fantasy and thus imprinted Der Orchideen Garten with a dreamlike and unsettling fantastic, appearing several times with his stories. Strobl's story (who would adhere to National Socialism) is, in a sense, emblematic of the atmosphere and fervor experienced in post-war and "Weimar" Germany, where a strong nationalistic sentiment would eventually lead to Hitler's dictatorship. But the real deus ex machina of the magazine was actually Alf von Czibulka, who handled all the editorial work, selecting the texts. The beginning of the century in Europe was a particular and creative period with strong interest in themes like the fantastic and the occult, and where futurist and expressionist avant-garde movements were emerging: it is in this context thatDer Orchideen Garten was born and operated: we are still far from the "pulp" spirit of Weird Tales, although there are certainly early examples in this sense. One of the greatest merits of Der Orchideen Garten was its emphasis on graphic design: each issue was in color and the covers fully represented the bizarre and sensual spirit that was in the air: the illustrations were the work of Otto Muck, Elfriede Plaichinger-Coltelli, and Karl Ritter. But even the black-and-white interiors were illustrated with great taste and featured classics like Gustave Doré, Aubry Beardsley alongside contemporaries like the great Alfred Kubin. In the current volume, we have the opportunity to admire a selection of these illustrations.

The texts included reprints of classics such as Edgar Allan Poe, Hawthorne, Voltaire, Hugo, Dumas, Nodier, Gautier, Maupassant, Villers de l'Isle-Adam, Byron, Wells, Conan Doyle, and German writers such as Ludwig Tieck, Johann Peter Hebel, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Jean Paul. But there was also a great focus on popular tradition and folklore, giving ample space to names such as the Brothers Grimm, Thomas Crofton Croker, and Matteo Bandello. But the true highlight was the stories of contemporary authors, where we find little gems of "outrée" fantasy, as can be read in the selection presented here: thus, The Brain by Hans Meixner and The Metamorphosis of Tobias Humbrugk by Hanns Wohlbold, where themes from Mary Shelley and Stevenson are developed in a manner not far from the "popular" spirit of pulp. There are also dreamlike and perversely erotic references, as in Castle Valnoir by Ernst Scupin. The Extraordinary Sequel to the Famous Chronicle of Camille Flammarion "The Comet and the Earth" by von Czubulka is an exquisite cosmological fantasy. Also of great note is The Electric Piano by Bernhard Stein, a genuine nugget of the genre. There are then three stories by Strobl, all characterized by an atmosphere subtly dreamlike and an oppressive sense of death. There is also a kind of "variation" of the detective-story like Galvanostelgia by Hanns Wohlbold and Sherlock Holmes' Last Adventure by Leopold Plaichinger. But all the stories manage to be engaging and capture the era's "zeitgeist." "Der Orchideen Garten" is an essential volume that all fans of fantasy should absolutely own. It can be purchased directly on the Edizioni Hypnos website or at the Delos Store.

Der Orchideen Garten – The Garden of Orchids – Curated by Alessandro Fambrini – Postface by Walter Catalano – 157 pages – ISBN: 9788896952337 – Edizioni Hypnos – 2016 – Euro 20