The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson: Horripilating Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

by William Jones

Professor Rudolph Pearson moved to New York City after the Great War, hoping to put his past behind him. While teaching Medieval Literature at Columbia University, he helped the police unravel a centuries old mystery. At the same moment, he uncovered a threat so terrifying that he could not turn away. With the bloody scribbling of an Old English script in a dead man s apartment, Rudolph Pearson begins a journey that takes him to the very beginning of human civilization. There he learns of the terror that brings doom to his world. Gathered here are the weird investigations of Rudolph Pearson. This compilation of cosmic horror and Cthulhu Mythos tales brings to life a world full of the grotesque and the malefic, set against a backdrop of an unknowable universe. Progress can be horrifying.

Genres: Horror, Cthulhu Mythos, Lovecraftian, Occult Detective, Fantasy, Short Stories

238 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joshua Pearson, professor at Columbia University, upon the death of his father, receives a manuscript from his great-grandfather Rudolph Pearson. Rudolph was also a scholar at Columbia, specializing in medieval studies. The manuscript consists of the journals of Rudolph Pearson, starting in 1922 when he accompanies Detective Matthew Leahy to a murder scene where a Russian immigrant has been brutally murdered. It seems that someone has written something in blood at the scene, and Leahy needs Rudolph's help to translate. This is only the beginning of a series of interconnected events that are the mainstay of Rudolph's journal. But this is no murder mystery: since it deals with Lovecraftian themes, you can expect to read about "a horror that mankind may never be able to accept," as well as the fears for the fate of humanity.

The writing is chilling, the characters are well drawn and you'll find yourself continuing to turn pages so that you won't even notice time going by. Do read the stories in order; each one builds on the previous.

Highly recommended.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good addition to Cthulhu/horror fiction. True to the "Call of Cthulhu" game world. Likes: Setting in New York and characters. Good dialogue and action. Well written and fun. Minor Dislike: The main character does gain some skills with little in the way of explanation.

[Tony Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of ten short stories, four of which were originally published in other anthologies or magazines. This appears to be the first publication for the other six. The stories are connected and, when read in order, form a continuous narrative. Each story, however, can be read on its own, and each story does have an ending.

This is a worthy addition to the ranks of Cthulhu fiction and does invoke the feel of HPL in a number of places. If someone were to put in the work, these stories would form the basis for a pretty decent campaign for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game.

If you are a fan of Cthulhu fiction, this is definitely worth a read. If you are new to the genre, these stories are pretty newbie-friendly - they don't require a thorough grounding in Cthulhu mythology to understand them - indeed, you could know nothing about Cthulhu and still have no trouble in following the story.

[Huckle Buck411 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fictional manuscript account of the exploits of Dr. Rudolph Pearson, Detective Matthew Leahy and Pearson's resolute partner and love interest Jordan Gabriel combines Sherlock-like tales of mystery combined with Lovecraftian horror. While each short story can be read independently, if read in order, the tales build one upon the other as Pearson is forced to confront realms outside accepted reality and the things that dwell within those realms. Another interesting read for those following the Cthulhu Mythos.

[Bryce Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

At the halfway point of this short story collection it became clear that they were not going to get any better or more interesting. The plot seemed to be happening around the main character who was only involved because of... honestly, I couldn't tell you why he was there. Maybe the back half of the book would have made that clearer but I doubt it would have made the first hundred and twenty pages less boring a slog.

[Nyarlathotep · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago. I recall it being a bit more lighthearted. I liked these "cases," but the ending wasn't what I expected.

I liked the Pearson character, but Proffesor Pearson is no Proffesor Croft.

[Cory Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 Reread: Overall, not bad. I enjoyed this short story collection, but after a while it did become a bit repetitive. Still, I think it's a decent read if you're looking for Lovecraft inspired work. It hits those tropes fairly well, while being its own thing.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good for a series of related short stories inspired by a TTRPG. Anyone who enjoys spending an afternoon playing Call off Cthulhu should feel right at home.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun adventures, Loved It!

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun Chasoium offering. Hidden horrors, occult secrets, and the loner man who possesses the ancient wisdom to fight it all. Classic Lovecraftian formulas to the tee. Highly recommended if that's your thing.

[Dave Mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read for Mythos fans!