For He Can Creep

This short story was based on the 19th century poet Christopher Smart's confinement in a mental asylum and one of the poems he wrote during his time there, the Jubilate Agno. If anything, I'm glad that this story introduced me to that poem, which is pretty hilarious and amazing - it almost shows a prescience to our 21st century obsession with cats.

Jeoffry is a cat belonging to the poet Christopher Smart, and who regularly keeps the demons away from his human. He unexpectedly finds himself in conflict with an entity much larger than the regular imps he deals with though - the Devil himself, who is demanding a poem from Smart to end all poems (and the world).

The writing in this one is beautiful and engaging, artisanal with a light touch of humour that works, especially given the subject matter. It is both an imagining of the circumstances surrounding the inspiration of the Jubilate Agno poem, as well as a tribute to cats in general and their indefatigable nature in protecting their beloved humans. There isn't really horror in this one even though it's tagged as such. Highly recommended for just about anyone.