Song of Kali

Song of Kali

Hardcover 1st edition
Author	Dan Simmons
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Horror novel
Publisher	Bluejay Books
Publication date	November 1, 1985
Media type	Print (hardcover & paperback)
Pages	311 pp
Awards	World Fantasy Award, 1986
ISBN

Song of Kali is a horror novel published in 1985 by Dan Simmons. It was the winner of the 1986 World Fantasy Award. The story deals with an American intellectual who travels to Calcutta, where he becomes embroiled in mysterious and horrific events at the centre of which lies a cult that worships Kali.

Robert Luczak is sent by the magazine Other Voices, where he works as an editor, to Calcutta to locate poetry alleged to have been recently authored by a poet, M. Das. The literary world considers this development newsworthy because Das disappeared and is presumed to have died eight years ago. Robert's Indian wife, Amrita, and their infant child accompany him on his assignment.

Upon arriving, he is met by a Mr. M. T. Krishna, a local intellectual who claims to have been asked to assist them by a mutual friend. The next day he meets with the local writers guild who were the source of the few bits of poetry that made their way to America. When he asks to meet Das, he is told that it is out of the question. Robert considers leaving Calcutta at this point, his duty done, but feels that something is missing and that he doesn't have enough material for an interesting article at this point. The night before he and his family are to leave, Krishna returns and takes Robert to a man who can provide him with information relevant to his story.

The man tells how he and a friend tried to join a religious secret society dedicated to Kali, a Hindu goddess associated with death and destruction. One of the prerequisites was for each initiate to bring a corpse to a secret temple, there to be laid at the feet of a statue of Kali. One of the corpses, bloated and decayed after being dredged from the river, is chosen by Kali and vivified by her, becoming animated. The corpse is that of the poet, Das.

Robert finds the man's tale too fantastical to believe, and still hopes to meet and interview the poet. While he is not granted an interview with Das, he receives an extensive collection of Das' poetry, which is very different from his earlier work, describing dark, mystical, grotesque, and apocalyptic happenings.

Robert again insists that the writers guild allow him to see Das. This time they agree. He is brought to the poet, who seems to suffer from the advanced stages of leprosy. Das corroborates the story of his return from death, but Robert again refuses to believe it. Das asks Robert to bring him books of poetry, making a reference to a certain poem about a suicide to hint that he really wants the means to kill himself.