[Voidal 01] • The Coming of the Voidal

    During the Xmas holiday in 1975, Adrian conceived the

concept of his enigmatic and shadowy character, the Voidal, a warrior doomed to

wander the limitless worlds of a bizarre omniverse in company with his unusual

sidekick, Elfloq the familiar, in search of his past, his identity and his soul.

Inspired by a combination of fantasy works, including Clark Ashton Smith, H. P.

Lovecraft and the extraordinary French artist, Philipe Druillet, it was the

beginning of a strange and tortured odyssey, a dark fantasy that was finally

brought to a climax nearly 40 years later.

    Illustrated by Award winning British artist, Jim

Pitts.

    Spectre Press, 1977. Softcover, 24 pp.

    

***

    

    "… The Voidal is a sort of destroying angel used by the

Dark Gods to work their will and vengeance. Stripped of memory, in each story,

he attempts to gain knowledge of who or what he is and regain his memory. To

describe the stories, think of H. P. Lovecraft writing sword and sorcery,

returning to the Dreamlands but written in his later, darker style. There is

some Michael Moorcock influence present with the idea of the "omniverse" and the

Voidal being sent to different dimensions. Cole uses words to create names in

the manner of Tolkien. Names such as Tallyman, Nighteye, Windwrack appear. Cole

combines simple Anglo-Saxon words to create new ones. He has a very unique style

and good command of language. Fans of Clark Ashton Smith take note though I

would not call Adrian Cole's writing style Smith-ish…"

    -Morgan Holmes, REHupa (The Robert E. Howard

United Press Association)

    

    "…as inventive as Jack Vance, with much of Michael

Moorcock's brooding gloom…"

    -Lin Carter