Carnalbos

Carnalbos is a fictional entity appearing in the works of author M. John Harrison. It is primarily featured in his Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, which are set in a post-apocalyptic, quasi-historical world. Carnalbos is not a single character but rather a recurring concept or place. Its exact nature is often ambiguous and shifts depending on the narrative context.

Within the Viriconium universe, Carnalbos is typically depicted as a desolate or mysterious region, often associated with decay, forgotten histories, or strange phenomena. It serves as a backdrop or a symbolic element, contributing to the pervasive atmosphere of melancholy and enigma that characterizes Harrison's writing. Descriptions of Carnalbos can range from barren landscapes to areas imbued with a sense of ancient, unsettling power.

The significance of Carnalbos is not always literal. It can represent a psychological state, a lost civilization, or a liminal space where the boundaries of reality become blurred. Harrison uses Carnalbos to explore themes of memory, loss, and the passage of time, often leaving its precise meaning open to interpretation by the reader. Its presence adds to the dreamlike and often unsettling quality of the Viriconium stories.