The Book of Cthulhu

Starred review from January 16, 2012
The enduring allure of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, now nearly a century old, is evident in this representative anthology of modern tales, most of which were written in the last decade. The breadth of cosmic horrors they evoke range from the parochial fear of monsters found in Michael Shea's "Fat Face," to the apocalyptic doom forecasted in Ramsey Campbell's "The Tugging." Some of the stories, notably Brian Lumley's "The Fairground Horror" and Brian McNaughton's self-consciously satirical "The Doom that Came to Innsmouth," are ripe with Lovecraftian references. Most others, including Joe R. Lansdale's weird western "The Crawling Sky" and Laird Barron's backwoods monster tale "The Men from Porlock" (original to the book), are more oblique and allusive. To the book's credit, none of the twenty-seven stories read like slavish Lovecraft pastiche, which makes this volume all the more enjoyable.

November 15, 2011

From tales of the malevolent Great Old Ones that exist beyond the dimensions of this world to beings that inhabit the Dreamlands that border on sanity, the creatures of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos have held the imagination of writers and lovers of dark horror for over a century. Edited by the managing editor of Night Shade Books, this collection of 27 tales pays homage to one of horror's most compelling voices. Standout entries includes T.E.D. Klein's 1983 classic tale of exotic horror ("Black Man with a Horn"), Charles Stross's 2000 story of political and supernatural horror ("A Colder War"), and Brian Lumley's 2011 portrayal of a traveling fair with a darker than usual secret at its heart ("The Fairground Horror"). Other notable contributors include Kage Baker, Gene Wolf, Thomas Ligotti, and Elizabeth Bear. VERDICT This smorgasbord of Lovecraftian horror should gratify the author's many fans.

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