That Which Should Not Be by Brett Talley

That Which Should Not Be is a novel that heavily borrows from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Set at Miskatonic University, the hub of all things supernatural and the occult, Carter Weston is given an assignment by his professor, Dr. Thayerson, to retrieve a book that controls the inhuman forces that control the world, the Incedium Maleficarum. When he arrives in Anchorhead, he meets a group of men at a tavern who share their own supernatural stories. They are old tied to the Old Ones, the Elder Gods who once ruled the Earth and await to return one day. These stories are tied into the overall narrative of the story and a plot to resurrect Cthulhu and the lost city of R’yleh.



I have to confess that I’m not much of a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, which is sacrilege in the horror community. However, I am a big fan of Brett Talley, who I consider to be the best up and coming author that the genre has to offer. He managed to spellbind me and enwrap me in a tale in a way that Lovecraft never could. For me, Lovecraft’s failings are due to his arcane language, poor dialogue, unrealistic characters, and stories that all sound the same. This novel suffers from none of these things. The writing is top notch. The characters are well-crafted. The plot was well-designed. For a debut novel, this was a terrific effort and really shows what Talley is capable of producing. Buy this novel. Read this novel. You will not regret it.