Monster Librarian Presents:

Reviews of Cthulhu Mythos Fiction

H.P. Lovecraft is one of horror's most notable and influential authors.  He created a world filled with demonic elder gods, alien beings with no compassion or mercy who seek to dominate, torment, and kill all humans. Since his passing many other authors have written books set in Lovecraft's Cthulhu world mythos.   Jamie Blackman has authored a Collection Development Guide for H.P. Lovecraft's work.

Queen Of K’n-Yan by Asamatsu Ken, translated by Kathleen Taji*New Review

Kurodahan Press, 2008

ISBN: 9784902075236

Available: New

    Some of the most bizarre films the world has ever seen came from the small island of Japan. Some of the nastiest and most ear-damaging punk rock have come from the same island. Attention has been paid to Koji Suzuki, the horror fiction author of the Ring series which is Japan-horror's most famous export. Several of Suzuki's novels have made it into English, but I was very interested in going further with Japanese horror fiction. Why not try a Japanese take on one of the 20^th century American horror mythos of H.P. Lovecraft?

    That is what this novel, written by Japanese horror author Asamatu Ken, is.

    Lovecraft reinvented the horror fiction genre in the the early half of the 20^th century by excusing himself from the traditional tropes of vampires and werewolves. He created his own mythology of cosmic monsters whose very existence was hard for the human mind to handle. I often think of the mythos being placed in Lovecraft's native New England, but authors around the globe have been playing on Lovecraft's unhallowed ground since he was alive.

    Lovecraft encouraged other writers to create using his mythos. I am not sure how Lovecraft, who at times had some nice things to say about the Japanese (but mostly racist things) would have felt about this translation. Nonetheless, Ken has created an excellent mythos story that, as a fan of Asian cinema, feels of its culture.

    The story centers around biologist Anri Morisita, hired by a corporation to study the remains of a mummy unearthed in China. As the research continues, the corporation and its motives are revealed, along with its knowledge of the mummy's ancient origin.This sets up an amazingly timed and delivered chapter break at the end of the fifth chapter. The setting in the JGE's headquarters named the Leviathan tower suggests a Clive Barker influence. The inside of the building, with various elevators connecting only certain floors with each other, seems perfect for a Resident Evil-style game.

    Anri is a well-developed character who has flashbacks to the cruel treatment of the Chinese at the hands of the Japanese prior to World War II. It suggests a deeper plot, but one of the few weaknesses of the narrative is that the flashbacks happen so fast. With no narrative transition, I often got confused and had to scan back. Once it's established in the novel that is less of a concern. .

    Beautifully packaged with amazing artwork by Kojima Ayami the Queen of K’n-Yan is a textbook example of why we need a healthy and thriving small press. Kurodahan Press has translated and provided a book that no major publisher in New York would bother with, but it is an important and fun book none the less.

    Queen of K’n-Yan is a short and effectively written story that deserves its place as one of the finest modern takes of the Cthulhu mythos. Lovecraft devotees should not miss this book. Libraries in Japanese districts and ones interested in having a complete and diverse genre collection should get this book for sure. This is an excellent work of horror fiction and it tells me that I should be investing in the collections of Japanese mythos fiction released by the same press and edited by the author.

Review by David Agranoff

Cthulhu Unbound, Volume One edited by Thomas Brannan and John Sunseri
Permuted Press, 2009

ISBN: 9781934861134

Available: New

    H.P. Lovecraft’s intricate mythos of chthonic alien monstrosities and human madness is an industry onto itself, spawning role-playing and computer games, pastiches in all shapes and sizes, and influencing literature and film ad nauseam. The latest anthology to drape itself in the cloak of Lovecraft’s dark creation comes from Permuted Press. Cthulhu Unbound, the first of two volumes, attempts to unshackle the mythos from preconceived boundaries of the genre, but the anthology that is uneven at best. Some of the tales are quite good, such as Kim Paffenroth’s “The Covenant” and D.L. Snell’s “Blood Bags and Tentacles”, but most fall embarrassingly flat. The crowning achievement in the anthology goes to John Goodrich’s “The Patriot”, a ghoulishly creepy war story that was atmospheric and a delight to the end. The anthology is worth the price of admission for those three stories alone. For public or private collections. 

Contains: violence, adult language, and adult situations.

Review by Bob Freeman

Horrors Beyond 2: Stories of Strange Creations ed. by William Jones

Elder Signs Press, 2008

ISBN: 0977987639

Available: New

The second volume in the Horrors Beyond series, Stories of Strange Creations, is another solid collection from Elder Signs Press. The theme of the book is to examine the Cthulhu mythos through the lens of invention, and it succeeds on many levels.  William Jones has compiled 21 short stories by an outstanding collection of authors. Every story in this collection was compelling, and some were downright horrific. Standouts include Stephen Mark Rainey’s “Ghost Lens,” in which a medical imaging device not only allows you to see into the patient, but has something inside staring right back at you, and Robert Weinberg’s “The Margins,” a gory tale with an original take on Lovecraft’s extradimensional hounds. My personal favorite was Lucien Soulban’s “Serenade,” a pure and unadulterated Lovecraftian story centered on deciphering an ancient chant. Horrors Beyond 2 is a fantastic read, thrilling from cover to cover, another outstanding work from a terrific publisher. Readers advisory note: Fans of the Cthulhu Mythos and H.P. Lovecraft, will enjoy this title, though more the former than the latter.

Contains: Adult language, Adult situations, Minor violence

Review by Bob Freeman

Note: The review is part of the "Spring into Terror" project, check out other reviews of horror titles available for reading for this Spring at our Spring into Terror project page.

Deeper by James A Moore

Necessary Evil Press, 2007

ISBN: N/A

Available: Pre-order, January 2008 release

    James A. Moore has given us a combination of Cthulhu mythos and ghost story in Deeper. Captain Joe Bierden is hired by a team of academics to take them to Devil’s Reef to explore an underwater cave near the town of Golden Cove. Before you can say Innsmouth, Captain Bierden finds himself dealing with ghost ships and humanoid aquatic monstrosities.  Deeper is a captivating story with an excellent blend of mystery and adventure that will keep even jaded readers entertained.   While there are many elements to the story that seasoned horror readers will recognize, Moore weaves them together exceptionally well.  Deeper’s fast-paced action and Moore’s character development of the secondary characters as well as Bierden drive the story. Readers advisory note: Although Deeper will be enjoyed by readers of Cthulhu fiction, it does not require background knowledge of Lovecraft’s work, and can also stand on it own merit as a great read. Recommended.

Contains: Violence and minor gore

Horror Between the Sheets edited by Michael Amorel, Oliver Baer, and Benjamin X. Wretlind

Two Backed Books, 2005

ISBN: 1933293012

Available: New and used

    Horror Between the Sheets is a collection of “sensual horror” loosely based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. These stories all originally reared their tentacled heads between the pages of Cthulhu Sex Magazine. Rarely have I found a collection to be so devoid of merit. Glimmers of hope for this anthology were Jeremy Russell’s story Noseeums, and Brian Knight and Durant Haire’s Beyond.  Unfortunately, these are exceptions. Lovecraft must surely have spun about in his grave over this tedious and poorly formatted volume. Readers advisory note: Readers of H.P. Lovecraft in particular and dark fiction in general may find this anthology to be of interest.

Contains: Adult language, Adult situations, Fantasy violence, Mental illness, Disturbing imagery

Review by Bob Freeman

Things That Are Not There by C.J.Henderson

Elder Signs Press, 2006

ISBN: 0977987612

Available: New

    Theodore “Teddy” London is a private detective whose latest client, Lisa Hutchinson, is pursued by supernatural winged horrors.  As London investigates why Lisa is being stalked, he is drawn into the center of a cosmic struggle that could determine the fate of the world.  Henderson has written an effective and entertaining Lovecraftian tale with an eclectic group of supporting characters.  Things That Are Not There has familiar components to the story, yet is well crafted and is an enjoyable read.   Readers advisory note: This book complements the anthology Hardboiled Cthulhu, also published by Elder Signs Press.  In addition to readers of Cthulhu mythos the readers of F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack series may also be interested in Things That Are Not There.  

Contains: Violence

High Seas Cthulhu edited by William Jones

Elder Signs Press, 2007

ISBN: 1934501026

Availability: New

    High Seas Cthulhu is an anthology focused on the Cthulhu mythos as it relates to the sea.  The majority of the stories are set in the time of tall ships, but some are also set in the present day. The terrors range from the subtle to deep sea monstrosities that seek to rend flesh from bone. Elder Signs Press has collected work by several talented veteran authors. The stories are strong, with proper pacing, and most authors do a good job building the tension up quickly. Outstanding stories include Tim Curran’s “The Wreck of the Ghost,” a tale of a whaling trip where the crew runs into something far deadlier than whales, and “Havenhome,” by William Meikle, about a  cargo ship bringing supplies to a colony in the New World in 1605. Readers advisory note: While the collection involves Lovecraftian Cthulhu mythos, the stories are such that prior Cthulhu knowledge is not necessary for readers to enjoy them. This makes the title an interesting gateway to mythos literature/horror for the novice but still a must read for mythos fans. Highly recommended for public libraries.

Contains: Violence, gore.

Horrors Beyond (Tales of Terrifying Realities) edited by William Jones  

Elder Signs Press, 2005

ISBN:0975922920

Available: New

    Horrors Beyond is a compelling collection of eighteen cross-genre stories that utilize the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. The stories range from the gritty realism of the Roaring Twenties to the outer reaches of space in a distant future. The writing is generally solid and most stories do a reasonably good job of handling the Lovecraftian themes.  However, there are a couple of tales that stand out as excellent. The best is Tim Curran’s “The Eyes of Howard Curlix.”. Using humor and a light touch in regard to the Lovecraftian pastiche, Curran introduces us to a tabloid reporter who interviews a scientist whose experiment has left him with the ability to see beyond the normal limits of humanity. Well paced and suspenseful, this lead off story sets the tone and carries the reader through a myriad of styles, making this anthology of dark fiction well worth reading. Recommended for readers of the Lovecraftian mythos and for public libraries building general horror collections or short story collections. 

Contains: Adult themes, language, fantasy violence, minor gore 

Review by Bob Freeman

Stories included are:

The Eyes of Howard Curlix - Tim Curran
His Wonders in the Deep - William Mitchell
The Breach - Lee Clark Zumpe
Experiencing the Other - Ann K. Schwader
The Candle Room - James S. Dorr
A Little Color in Your Cheeks - Mike Minnis
One Way Conversation - Brian M. Sammons
After the War - Tony Campbell
The Blind - Gerard Houarner
The Hades Project - John Sunseri
A Form of Hospice - Richard Gavin
The Prototype - Ron Shiflet
False Containment - David Conyers
Dingbats - Richard A. Lupoff
The Orion Man - Doug Goodman
Vuuduu - C.J. Henderson
Cahokia - Cody Goodfellow
The Name of the Enemy - William Jones

Hardboiled Cthulhu edited by James AmbuehlDimension Books, 2006

ISBN: 07522971

Available: New

      Hardboiled Cthulhu  combines  elements of  the crime/detective/noir genre with Lovecraftian mythology.   The stories very in tone and content. Tim Curran’s “Eldritch Fellas” presents an irreverent tongue-in-cheek tale where Cthulhu meets Goodfellas,  to John Sunseri’s  tale of a thief  asked to steal an ancient mystical tomb, “A Little Job in Arkham.”.   The collection commits the small but forgivable sin of containing stories that don’t quite fit the theme, such as Steven L. Shrewsbury’s “Day of Iniquity”  which is more of a sword and sorcery/Cthulhu tale, and “Dreams.biz” by Richard A. Lupoff which has more of a ‘contemporary tech meets Cthulhu’ theme. The individual stories are strong, but the book will probably be more of a gateway to noir for readers of Lovecraftian mythos than vice versa, as it helps to have a basic understanding of the Cthulhu mythos before reading the book.  Recommended for mythos readers and public libraries.  Contains: violence, gore. elder gods.

 Stories in Hardboiled Cthulhu are:

Sleeping with the Fishes (Poem) by James Ambuehl
The Pisces Club by James Ambuehl
A Change of Life by William Jones
Ache by David Witteveen
A Dangerous High by E. P. Berglund
A Little Job in Arkham by John Sunseri
Day of Iniquity by Steven L. Shrewbury
Eldritch Fellas by Tim Curran
Outside Looking In by David Conyers
Pazuzu's Children by Jeffrey Thomas
The Devil In You by Eric J. Millar
The Mouth by William Meikle
The Questioning of the Azathonthian Priest by C. J. Henderson
Some Thought on the Problem of Order by Simon Bucher-Jones
The White Mountains by Jonathan Sharp
The Terror Came by Patrick Thomas
The Prying Investigations of Edwin M. Lillibridge by Robert M. Price
The Roaches in the Walls by James Chambers
To Skin a Dead Man by Cody Goodfellow
Unfinished Business by Ron Shiflet
The Watcher From the Grave by J. F. Gonzalez
Dreams.biz by Richard A. Lupoff

Love Bites by James Newman and Donn Gash
Nocturne Press, 2005
ISBN: N/A
Available: New

    Jerry is a man trapped in a sexually dull marriage. In order to spice up the relationship with his somewhat prudish wife Jerry turns to a swingers site on the internet and meets HotCouple30, an attractive swinging couple that seems the perfect solution to his sexual troubles. Little does he know that there are worse things than sexual frustration. Love Bites is a fantastically done chapbook. The cover is done in a lightly tinted bit of artwork with another cover below it showing some fantastic work by Alex McVey. The story itself captured me and wouldn't let me go as I read this chapbook cover to cover. This chapbook comes signed and numbered by both authors and the artist and is limited to 250 copies so it would make a great collection to any personal library.
Contains: Sex, Rape, Violence Review by Bret Jordan
 

Blue Devil Island by Stephen Mark Rainey 

Five Star, January, 2007 
ISBN: 1594144427

Available: New

    Set in the Pacific theater during World War II, Blue Devil Island follows the Blue Devils, a Navy air squadron that arrives at their new assignment, a small supposedly deserted island. Led by Lieutenant Commander Drew McLachlan, the Blue Devils  engage the Japanese forces in spectacularly described passages.  McLachlan soon discovers that they are not alone on the island, which is occupied by a group of hostile, inhuman natives. At the same time, an otherworldly presence is haunting the dreams of the Blue Devils. Rainey has successfully written an original cross-genre story. The war novel aspect of the book is dead on. It truly draws the reader into the story and establishes a feel for the time and place.  The horror element of the story is imaginative and creepy.   The care Rainey gives to the storytelling makes the book a good gateway book for those who enjoy either war novels or horror fiction, but haven't read much outside their preferred genre.  Despite a few passages of gore, the book would also be appropriate for older teens. Recommended for public and high school libraries.  Contains: violence and a little gore. 

Tarra Khash: Hrossak! by Brian Lumley

Tor Books, March, 2006 
ISBN: 0765310759

Available: New
    Tarra Khash: Hrossak! is more of a fantasy/horror combination. Our hero, Tarra Khash, a Hrossak tribesman, has a series of adventures with a Scorpion God, a dying race of psychic people, alien guardians of an ancient king's treasure, and a demoness who takes the form of a lovely girl.  Tarra Khash is presented as a typical barbarian hero, and one cannot help but think of another cagey barbarian, Conan. Each chapter of the book makes a great stand-alone short story, and they are tied together very well with the wandering Hrossak's travels.   Lumley is able to blend Cthulhu elements well into his primal land setting. This is an excellent book for those who are looking for more of a fantasy setting with their Cthulhu fix. This  is the second book in the Tales of the Primal Land series, following House of the Cthulhu. 

The Hive: A Novel by Tim Curran
Elder Signs Press, Inc. (May 31, 2005)
ISBN: 0975922947

Available: New
    The Hive is written as a sequel to H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. It follows Jimmy Hayes, a contractor who works at Kharkhov Station at the South Pole. Once a discovery is made of mummified remains that are far older than the time of man, the Kharkhov Station descends into chaos, as it turns out that the frozen corpses are not totally dead and are driving people mad. It is a good read that goes fairly quickly. This book makes a welcome addition to contemporary Cthulhu books and may be considered part of a new core for a Cthulhu collection. Contains violence.

The House of the Temple by Brian Lumley
Endeavor Press, November 2004
ISBN: 0972865632

Available: New
    An excellent Cthulhu Mythos story by Brian Lumley, one of the most successful of Lovecraft's disciples, who has since moved on to successfully create his own mythos: the "Necroscope" series. After the mysterious death of his uncle, author John McGilchrist returns to his ancestral home in Scotland: the ancient estate known as "Temple House." His uncle's strange will leaves everything to John—but only upon fulfillment of a most unusual condition...
The copy reviewed is a hardcover, signed, Limited Edition book, of which only 300 hand-numbered copies were produced.

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