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The Doom That Came to Dunwich: Weird Mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos
"Did you know that DNA extracted from a laboratory mouse and injected into the cells of a common fruit fly has produced eyes on the legs of that fly? Eyes, young miss, eyes. Think of what you’ve just read.”
Lovecraftian stories are the bread and butter of the true horror fan.
During his lifetime, Lovecraft himself encouraged other writers to develop stories in the vein we now call horror, based around the idea that Earth had been colonized by malign aliens in the remote past, long before mankind arose and became civilized, who eventually became worshipped and feared as evil Gods by their human servitors.
Eventually these aliens had been “banished” to another dimensional limbo by a benign Elder Race, but might one day return to reclaim the Earth “when the stars are right.”
That deep seated unease threads through this collection of Richard. A Lupoff's short stories that seem to share a common universe.
"Lupoff writes with intelligence, humour, wisdom, and a zest for life." - Joe Gorges, author of Hammett .
Richard A. Lupoff began his writing career as a print and broadcast journalist while attending university. After earning his degree he served twice in the United States Army, first as an enlisted man, then as an officer. Following military service he worked for twelve years in the computer industry, while also serving as a guest lecturer at universities including the University of California (Berkeley) and Stanford University. As author and editor he has written more than fifty volumes, ranging from science fiction, mystery, fantasy, horror, and mainstream fiction to the evolution of cartooning and comics. He is a past winner of the Hugo Award, and a finalist for the Nebula and Oscar Awards. He has achieved the rare distinction of being represented in “Best of the Year” anthologies in three science fiction, mystery, and horror.
Lovecraftian stories are the bread and butter of the true horror fan.
During his lifetime, Lovecraft himself encouraged other writers to develop stories in the vein we now call horror, based around the idea that Earth had been colonized by malign aliens in the remote past, long before mankind arose and became civilized, who eventually became worshipped and feared as evil Gods by their human servitors.
Eventually these aliens had been “banished” to another dimensional limbo by a benign Elder Race, but might one day return to reclaim the Earth “when the stars are right.”
That deep seated unease threads through this collection of Richard. A Lupoff's short stories that seem to share a common universe.
"Lupoff writes with intelligence, humour, wisdom, and a zest for life." - Joe Gorges, author of Hammett .
Richard A. Lupoff began his writing career as a print and broadcast journalist while attending university. After earning his degree he served twice in the United States Army, first as an enlisted man, then as an officer. Following military service he worked for twelve years in the computer industry, while also serving as a guest lecturer at universities including the University of California (Berkeley) and Stanford University. As author and editor he has written more than fifty volumes, ranging from science fiction, mystery, fantasy, horror, and mainstream fiction to the evolution of cartooning and comics. He is a past winner of the Hugo Award, and a finalist for the Nebula and Oscar Awards. He has achieved the rare distinction of being represented in “Best of the Year” anthologies in three science fiction, mystery, and horror.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2017
179 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Lupoff
221 books39 followersRichard Allen "Dick" Lupoff (born February 21, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice Burroughs and has an equally strong interest in H. P. Lovecraft. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1970 he worked in the computer industry.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 28, 2021
I’ve never been a huge fan of the cosmic subgenre of literary scares. It sounds good on paper and, technically, as far as terrifying the living sh*t out of readers, you can’t go too wrong with introducing ancient beings from another dimension/world/universe that possess infinite time, power and indifference (at best) toward people. But…but traditionally the subgenre produces some snoozefests, starting with the granddaddy of them all and ever since. Over-narrated, densely woven, relentlessly bleak and stodgy and ponderous…seems to be the go-to stylistically.
Sure enough, this was no exception. There are some, but this wasn’t one of them. The author, whom I’ve never heard of, but who has apparently been around for decades, writing speculative fiction and specializing in these sorts of pastiches particularly, did a perfectly good job of recreating the general atmosphere and utilizing the general themes of the Old Ones, and in this case, they are more in line with ancient aliens. So good of a job…it was difficult to stay awake at times. Only toward the end did he start having some fun with it with the last few stories that tried to liven up the cosmic concept behind it all.
So, overall, the book did well for what it was intended to do and, because of it, read longer than a book of that length ought to and wasn’t quite for me. But it did give me some ideas from a purely academic perspective on the genre, which was mainly the goal, and it was mildly entertaining in its own right. User mileage may vary.
Sure enough, this was no exception. There are some, but this wasn’t one of them. The author, whom I’ve never heard of, but who has apparently been around for decades, writing speculative fiction and specializing in these sorts of pastiches particularly, did a perfectly good job of recreating the general atmosphere and utilizing the general themes of the Old Ones, and in this case, they are more in line with ancient aliens. So good of a job…it was difficult to stay awake at times. Only toward the end did he start having some fun with it with the last few stories that tried to liven up the cosmic concept behind it all.
So, overall, the book did well for what it was intended to do and, because of it, read longer than a book of that length ought to and wasn’t quite for me. But it did give me some ideas from a purely academic perspective on the genre, which was mainly the goal, and it was mildly entertaining in its own right. User mileage may vary.
July 14, 2019
It’s been a while since I devoured some Lovecraft; sad times indeed. But when I saw this collection of HP-inspired stories I just had to get involved. I knew nothing of the author and when I made the snap-purchase, expected it to be modern-day homage to some of the most horrifying stories ever written.
These stories were actually written between 1962 and 2010, so there’s quite a timespan going on. I suppose the fact that I couldn’t tell the old from the new is testament to how good these stories are. Well, in the most part. There were a couple of wobbles in some of them.
This book is littered with characters, beasts, and places from the Cthulhu Mythos. I wouldn’t go as far as to say you’d think Lovecraft wrote these, but they are certainly in the same vein as the classics.
The Doom That Came to Dunwich kicks things off, as you might expect. A young student, a descendant of the infamous Whateleys, travels to Dunwich to find out more about the ‘horror’ that unfolded there. She learns that the place is unlike any other small village and is intrigued by the state-of-the-art technology facility on the outskirts of the cursed Dunwich.
It seems The Great Old Ones have not forgotten the details of the events in 1928 and plan to exact their revenge on the hapless humans. When an indescribable beast emerges from the sky, tentacles and all, I knew I was in for a treat.
The wonders of modern science have managed to construct a sea, of all things, within the famous desert in The Secret of the Sahara. But the problem with undertaking such a colossal project such as this, is that you’re probably going to stumble across some scary-ass ancient beings deep down below. Come on, we all know that.
This one took its sweet time to get going. The ending was decent enough but after the not exactly boring build-up, it didn’t wow me like it should have.
In The Turret a man travels to England from the US to help a business with a problem that’s affecting their high-tech computer system. Unfortunately he can’t work out what the problem is and ends up having to stay there longer than he’d anticipated. There’s a strange turret in the distance, something no one in the town wants to speak about. Not that they are that forthcoming anyway, in fact they’re quite rude. Those bloody English!
The man stays with a female employee of the company, who’s actually his cousin, and spends his evenings watching this mystical turret from the bedroom window. Eventually he gets to visit the place, but not in any conventional mode of transport.
This story dragged on, too. The dude travels there three times or so, each one more mysterious than the last. If he’d have gone once and all the weird shit had been condensed, I’d have been happier. But hey.
The Peltonville Horror is a proper Lovecraftian title if ever I saw one. Small towns with their mystic cults and earlier-than-mankind deities whom they worship are creepy enough at the best of times. So when a young couple arrive during a storm seeking shelter for the night, you just know they are in for some bad shit happenings.
However, these two were just so damn annoying I couldn’t wait for some monstrous alien beast with tentacles to rip their pathetic heads from their bodies. Who talks like this, seriously? I’d have thought this was one of the stories from the sixties, but no, its post-2000. Perhaps you were supposed to side with cosmicos here.
We’re back in Dunwich for The Devil’s Hop Yard, where again a strange child is born on the Whateley farm. This one was a spooky little tale where the locals still fear the farm after what happened there recently, you know, the ‘horror’. The bleak hillside known as the story’s title, is the site of some weird-ass unknown ritual magic. I enjoyed this one very much.
Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley was pretty much a continuation of The Whisperer in Darkness. As is suggested in the title this one relied on tape recordings and statements from witnesses to tell the story. Lizzy has this great skill of contacting the dead, and her ‘Church’ makes the most of this, obviously. However when she is instructed by a spirit to meet them in a previously-unknown place, she realises things are not as straight forward as simply talking to ghosts.
Throw in a UFO-conspiracy theorist whose tiny human brain couldn’t even begin to cope with the strange occurrences unfolding around him, and you’ve got one great cosmic horror story. The brain-sized metallic cylinders make a welcome guest appearance here.
I love The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and Brackish Waters was a kind of re-telling of this, insomuch as it involved the fishy people and a man who has perhaps less in common with humans than he always thought. This one actually mentions Lovecraft and how he wrote about the species that governments the world over have been trying to keep quiet. Referencing the inspiration was a move I didn’t entirely agree with but the story is good enough for me to overlook this. I don’t want to be too picky you see.
I admit, I didn’t expect to come across Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in this collection, but here they were in The Adventure of the Voorish Sign. Tasked with uncovering the secrets of yet another other-worldly worshipping cult, who surely have something to do with the disappearance of a young lady’s husband and brother (this is two separate people I might add), they get to work. This story really pulled it off with the mood and time of the piece. I really liked this one.
I haven’t read any ‘Holmes, but now I think reading them will be disappointing as I’m sure there’s no cosmic horror in those books.
Things are rounded off with the shortest story in the collection, Nothing Personal. A spaceship orbiting Yuggoth accidentally alerts this strange planet to their, and our existence. This was a nice closer and gave the thing a welcome modern setting.
All in all I really enjoyed this collection. There were a few issues but I’d still recommend it to Lovecraft fans. Those without a knowledge of the ‘Mythos would still get some enjoyment but there would be things that’d go over their heads.
My hardback edition of HP Lovecraft’s complete works is now calling my name. I can hear the slithering of the tentacles from the bookshelf. It whispers to me, it is only a matter of time. If anyone should stumble upon my incoherent ramblings in this review… Wait, it’s here, I…
These stories were actually written between 1962 and 2010, so there’s quite a timespan going on. I suppose the fact that I couldn’t tell the old from the new is testament to how good these stories are. Well, in the most part. There were a couple of wobbles in some of them.
This book is littered with characters, beasts, and places from the Cthulhu Mythos. I wouldn’t go as far as to say you’d think Lovecraft wrote these, but they are certainly in the same vein as the classics.
The Doom That Came to Dunwich kicks things off, as you might expect. A young student, a descendant of the infamous Whateleys, travels to Dunwich to find out more about the ‘horror’ that unfolded there. She learns that the place is unlike any other small village and is intrigued by the state-of-the-art technology facility on the outskirts of the cursed Dunwich.
It seems The Great Old Ones have not forgotten the details of the events in 1928 and plan to exact their revenge on the hapless humans. When an indescribable beast emerges from the sky, tentacles and all, I knew I was in for a treat.
The wonders of modern science have managed to construct a sea, of all things, within the famous desert in The Secret of the Sahara. But the problem with undertaking such a colossal project such as this, is that you’re probably going to stumble across some scary-ass ancient beings deep down below. Come on, we all know that.
This one took its sweet time to get going. The ending was decent enough but after the not exactly boring build-up, it didn’t wow me like it should have.
In The Turret a man travels to England from the US to help a business with a problem that’s affecting their high-tech computer system. Unfortunately he can’t work out what the problem is and ends up having to stay there longer than he’d anticipated. There’s a strange turret in the distance, something no one in the town wants to speak about. Not that they are that forthcoming anyway, in fact they’re quite rude. Those bloody English!
The man stays with a female employee of the company, who’s actually his cousin, and spends his evenings watching this mystical turret from the bedroom window. Eventually he gets to visit the place, but not in any conventional mode of transport.
This story dragged on, too. The dude travels there three times or so, each one more mysterious than the last. If he’d have gone once and all the weird shit had been condensed, I’d have been happier. But hey.
The Peltonville Horror is a proper Lovecraftian title if ever I saw one. Small towns with their mystic cults and earlier-than-mankind deities whom they worship are creepy enough at the best of times. So when a young couple arrive during a storm seeking shelter for the night, you just know they are in for some bad shit happenings.
However, these two were just so damn annoying I couldn’t wait for some monstrous alien beast with tentacles to rip their pathetic heads from their bodies. Who talks like this, seriously? I’d have thought this was one of the stories from the sixties, but no, its post-2000. Perhaps you were supposed to side with cosmicos here.
We’re back in Dunwich for The Devil’s Hop Yard, where again a strange child is born on the Whateley farm. This one was a spooky little tale where the locals still fear the farm after what happened there recently, you know, the ‘horror’. The bleak hillside known as the story’s title, is the site of some weird-ass unknown ritual magic. I enjoyed this one very much.
Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley was pretty much a continuation of The Whisperer in Darkness. As is suggested in the title this one relied on tape recordings and statements from witnesses to tell the story. Lizzy has this great skill of contacting the dead, and her ‘Church’ makes the most of this, obviously. However when she is instructed by a spirit to meet them in a previously-unknown place, she realises things are not as straight forward as simply talking to ghosts.
Throw in a UFO-conspiracy theorist whose tiny human brain couldn’t even begin to cope with the strange occurrences unfolding around him, and you’ve got one great cosmic horror story. The brain-sized metallic cylinders make a welcome guest appearance here.
I love The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and Brackish Waters was a kind of re-telling of this, insomuch as it involved the fishy people and a man who has perhaps less in common with humans than he always thought. This one actually mentions Lovecraft and how he wrote about the species that governments the world over have been trying to keep quiet. Referencing the inspiration was a move I didn’t entirely agree with but the story is good enough for me to overlook this. I don’t want to be too picky you see.
I admit, I didn’t expect to come across Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in this collection, but here they were in The Adventure of the Voorish Sign. Tasked with uncovering the secrets of yet another other-worldly worshipping cult, who surely have something to do with the disappearance of a young lady’s husband and brother (this is two separate people I might add), they get to work. This story really pulled it off with the mood and time of the piece. I really liked this one.
I haven’t read any ‘Holmes, but now I think reading them will be disappointing as I’m sure there’s no cosmic horror in those books.
Things are rounded off with the shortest story in the collection, Nothing Personal. A spaceship orbiting Yuggoth accidentally alerts this strange planet to their, and our existence. This was a nice closer and gave the thing a welcome modern setting.
All in all I really enjoyed this collection. There were a few issues but I’d still recommend it to Lovecraft fans. Those without a knowledge of the ‘Mythos would still get some enjoyment but there would be things that’d go over their heads.
My hardback edition of HP Lovecraft’s complete works is now calling my name. I can hear the slithering of the tentacles from the bookshelf. It whispers to me, it is only a matter of time. If anyone should stumble upon my incoherent ramblings in this review… Wait, it’s here, I…
February 12, 2020
For the most part, the author does a good job of writing Lovecraftian fiction in classic style, even in stories that take place in various periods of time. The most heavy-handed one was his Sherlock Holmes tale, that wasn't bad, but had Lovecraftian elements bludgeoned into it.
July 21, 2019
Entertaining Lovecraftian stories all.
December 13, 2020
Lupoff's collection of short stories are a great addition to anyone who enjoys Lovecraftian themes. Each story was engaging, well written and didn't try to replicate lovecraft. He understood the elements of the genre and blended them with his own ambitions without compromising either element.
August 2, 2023
Richard Lupoff is a writer I know of, due to Sword of the Demon. I remember it was a weird novel mix with japanese lore and enjoying it.
First tale was short but good. We follow a descended of Whateley's and she goes back to Dunwich and there goes Dunwich again....
The Secret of Sahara was a bit odd story (in terms of plot BUT in terms of characters was a fun ride you got people called White, , Verde (green), monsieur Rouge (red), Schwartz (black), sidwell-Blue btw, Speranza Verde is as I said green, and Speranza means hope which is associated with colour green... cool. The Turret we go back the old continent and some conspiracies theories. Peltonville Horror is a typical Lovecraftian tale about a mystery village.
Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley is another tale that follows indirectly a story by Lovecraft himself and it was one of the biggest . To be honest I didn't enjoy as much as others.
The Adventure of the Voorish Sign is a mix of Holmes with Lovecraftian horror. Top.
Spoilers about the last tale - Nothing Personal is the last tale and probably one of the best. We, as a species , like to investigate other worlds, and we investigate Yuggoth. They try to enter the atmosphere and incidentily we destroy a city/place of Yuggoth. Their answer was fast and furious and they destroyed earth. What's interesting is how he thinks we are for Yuggoths. We are barely a fly/virus. One virus there is no problem but when we've got a infestation, you will clean it up right?
Why is this my favourite? Because in this tale we see the insignificance we are in the great cosmic world. We are less than nothing to those beings. It's depressing, horrible , and worse than grimdark. It's 40K in scope.
OVerall I enjoy the vast majority of the tales. I would rate 8/10
First tale was short but good. We follow a descended of Whateley's and she goes back to Dunwich and there goes Dunwich again....
The Secret of Sahara was a bit odd story (in terms of plot BUT in terms of characters was a fun ride you got people called White, , Verde (green), monsieur Rouge (red), Schwartz (black), sidwell-Blue btw, Speranza Verde is as I said green, and Speranza means hope which is associated with colour green... cool. The Turret we go back the old continent and some conspiracies theories. Peltonville Horror is a typical Lovecraftian tale about a mystery village.
Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley is another tale that follows indirectly a story by Lovecraft himself and it was one of the biggest . To be honest I didn't enjoy as much as others.
The Adventure of the Voorish Sign is a mix of Holmes with Lovecraftian horror. Top.
Spoilers about the last tale - Nothing Personal is the last tale and probably one of the best. We, as a species , like to investigate other worlds, and we investigate Yuggoth. They try to enter the atmosphere and incidentily we destroy a city/place of Yuggoth. Their answer was fast and furious and they destroyed earth. What's interesting is how he thinks we are for Yuggoths. We are barely a fly/virus. One virus there is no problem but when we've got a infestation, you will clean it up right?
Why is this my favourite? Because in this tale we see the insignificance we are in the great cosmic world. We are less than nothing to those beings. It's depressing, horrible , and worse than grimdark. It's 40K in scope.
OVerall I enjoy the vast majority of the tales. I would rate 8/10
October 21, 2017
Great Lovecraftian Tales
This anthology has many great stories that Lovecraft Himself would have been proud of.
You will find your own favorites just as i did.
Pick this up, it's good !!!
This anthology has many great stories that Lovecraft Himself would have been proud of.
You will find your own favorites just as i did.
Pick this up, it's good !!!
November 6, 2017
Barring some issues with the author's use of language he's not familiar with, and the occasional feeling of a pastiche, the stories were very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lupoff's work.
May 30, 2020
Okay, Lovecraft mythos yadayada. Explanations done, over with, finito.
Richard A. Lupoff, on the other hand, is the author of several rather brilliant SF novels (plus one or two about which the less said the better), and a number of mysteries which, I'm told, are quite good, though I've never managed to pull the trigger and try one: just not much of a mystery fan, really.
So here is Lupoff writing in, around, through, and in the general vicinity of the Lovecraft mythos. Some of these stories are, indeed, direct sequels to a few of Lovecrafts, notably the title story, which is a generation-later sequel to "The Dunwich Horror", as is "The Devel's Hopyard"; and "Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley", which follows, some years later, on the events of "The Whisperer in Darkness".
Others play with Lovecraftian concepts in odd contexts, like "Secret of the Sahara", which is Jules Vernian, and "The Adventure of the Voorish SIgn", which is Sherlockian.Still others simply play with some of HPL's concepts, like "Brackish Waters", "The Peltonville Horror", and "The Turret".
And then there's "Nothing Personal", a tale of Yuggoth that makes me wish that "The Discovery of the Ghooric Zone" had been included as well.
Yes, but are the stories any good?
Uniformly, _yes_. One or two are _very_ good, and most of them are, at any rate, better than much of HPL's work. (Which is unfair, since HPL did the heavy lifting of coming up with this existentially horrific cosmos, but - frankly - he wasn't that great at things like plots and characters...which were really kind of irrelevant to what he was doing, anyway...) So these are a more human approach to what is still an existentially horrific cosmos, with characters and plots that actually make sense, and writing that doesn't grate on the eyeteeth. Sometimes Lupoff pastiches style, but even there, he can't help but write well.
If you're looking for a Cthulhu fix, you won't find it here. But there is much more to the Lovecraftian universe than old Squiddy. Come with Lupoff and explore some of those corners.
Richard A. Lupoff, on the other hand, is the author of several rather brilliant SF novels (plus one or two about which the less said the better), and a number of mysteries which, I'm told, are quite good, though I've never managed to pull the trigger and try one: just not much of a mystery fan, really.
So here is Lupoff writing in, around, through, and in the general vicinity of the Lovecraft mythos. Some of these stories are, indeed, direct sequels to a few of Lovecrafts, notably the title story, which is a generation-later sequel to "The Dunwich Horror", as is "The Devel's Hopyard"; and "Documents in the Case of Elizabeth Akeley", which follows, some years later, on the events of "The Whisperer in Darkness".
Others play with Lovecraftian concepts in odd contexts, like "Secret of the Sahara", which is Jules Vernian, and "The Adventure of the Voorish SIgn", which is Sherlockian.Still others simply play with some of HPL's concepts, like "Brackish Waters", "The Peltonville Horror", and "The Turret".
And then there's "Nothing Personal", a tale of Yuggoth that makes me wish that "The Discovery of the Ghooric Zone" had been included as well.
Yes, but are the stories any good?
Uniformly, _yes_. One or two are _very_ good, and most of them are, at any rate, better than much of HPL's work. (Which is unfair, since HPL did the heavy lifting of coming up with this existentially horrific cosmos, but - frankly - he wasn't that great at things like plots and characters...which were really kind of irrelevant to what he was doing, anyway...) So these are a more human approach to what is still an existentially horrific cosmos, with characters and plots that actually make sense, and writing that doesn't grate on the eyeteeth. Sometimes Lupoff pastiches style, but even there, he can't help but write well.
If you're looking for a Cthulhu fix, you won't find it here. But there is much more to the Lovecraftian universe than old Squiddy. Come with Lupoff and explore some of those corners.
July 18, 2020
Mostly ok
I enjoyed the first part of this book. The author gave good homage to Lovecraft, mostly. I was thrown off by one story, however, involving a sexy 4 year old girl dancing naked on an altar surrounded by naked men (her father and grandfather were two of them). I don't even want to know what creepy fetish was being encouraged here but the author insinuates pedophilia, incest, and possible tentacle involvement. How did this get past the editors? At any rate, as disgusted as I am by the story, I would also like to point out that at NO point in any Lovecraftian story I have read hy that great author has sex ever been insinuated or mentioned. This story was not only gross, it was also not in line with Lovecraft's world.
I enjoyed the first part of this book. The author gave good homage to Lovecraft, mostly. I was thrown off by one story, however, involving a sexy 4 year old girl dancing naked on an altar surrounded by naked men (her father and grandfather were two of them). I don't even want to know what creepy fetish was being encouraged here but the author insinuates pedophilia, incest, and possible tentacle involvement. How did this get past the editors? At any rate, as disgusted as I am by the story, I would also like to point out that at NO point in any Lovecraftian story I have read hy that great author has sex ever been insinuated or mentioned. This story was not only gross, it was also not in line with Lovecraft's world.
July 11, 2020
Too many editorial errors
I love most Lovecraftian stories, and for the most part the ones that are edited by a professional are fantastic (or at least a fun read). This collection of stories, however, is in need of a keen eye to fix some of the mistakes that are obvious throughout the stories. The author has a habit of using the wrong names during dialog sequences (calling Col. White, Col. Black, etc), and having characters change their personality/voice with such speed that it almost doesn't make sense.
I wanted to like this book, but the editorial inconsistencies made it a chore.
2 stars for the good imagination and creativity of the stories.
I love most Lovecraftian stories, and for the most part the ones that are edited by a professional are fantastic (or at least a fun read). This collection of stories, however, is in need of a keen eye to fix some of the mistakes that are obvious throughout the stories. The author has a habit of using the wrong names during dialog sequences (calling Col. White, Col. Black, etc), and having characters change their personality/voice with such speed that it almost doesn't make sense.
I wanted to like this book, but the editorial inconsistencies made it a chore.
2 stars for the good imagination and creativity of the stories.
August 3, 2020
Enjoyable
Solid stories with good to great concepts, but at least some unexpectedly dissatisfying conclusions: setups that lead to a climax that ought to have a greater effect than is implied in the story, and protagonists who are set up to be heroic but instead are more Lovecraft-passive than not.That said, the stories are fun, and worth a read, though they probably won’t go on my reread list.
Solid stories with good to great concepts, but at least some unexpectedly dissatisfying conclusions: setups that lead to a climax that ought to have a greater effect than is implied in the story, and protagonists who are set up to be heroic but instead are more Lovecraft-passive than not.That said, the stories are fun, and worth a read, though they probably won’t go on my reread list.
June 4, 2018
Nice spin on Lovecraft
I've enjoyed H.P. Lovecraft for a long time and am thrilled with the way these authors have taken care with his legacy. Some have continued with some of his tales with more depth and others have gone in a new direction which I really enjoyed. Give the book a read if you like Lovecraft.
I've enjoyed H.P. Lovecraft for a long time and am thrilled with the way these authors have taken care with his legacy. Some have continued with some of his tales with more depth and others have gone in a new direction which I really enjoyed. Give the book a read if you like Lovecraft.
April 23, 2022
Life's too short to read bad books. If you want well-written Lovecraftian stories, look elsewhere.
The stories in this book are poorly written to the point that I found myself skimming paragraphs to try and get to the end. I made it through four stories (one was actually okay/not terrible) and gave up on the rest. Wish I hadn't spent my money on this.
The stories in this book are poorly written to the point that I found myself skimming paragraphs to try and get to the end. I made it through four stories (one was actually okay/not terrible) and gave up on the rest. Wish I hadn't spent my money on this.
January 1, 2018
Confusing
It started out good and there were several stories that made sense. However, there were some stories that left me confused or looking for another ending. Have to read for yourself.
It started out good and there were several stories that made sense. However, there were some stories that left me confused or looking for another ending. Have to read for yourself.
February 3, 2018
This book was different from what I usually read. I felt like I was reading one of the first horror books that came out. It seemed like someone from the Sherlock Holmes era wrote it. It kept my interest through the whole book and I did enjoy it.
August 13, 2018
Did H.P. Lovecraft's write these stories?
This book contains a group of short stories that are written in the Lovecraft's mythology vein and even a story with Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
This book contains a group of short stories that are written in the Lovecraft's mythology vein and even a story with Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
February 17, 2019
WEIRDNESS ABOUNDS IT DOES.....
Hello, a fine collection of short and weird stories. All of them are very well written and entertaining to read. The Sherlock Holmes was my favorite. Good stuff. Thanks.
Hello, a fine collection of short and weird stories. All of them are very well written and entertaining to read. The Sherlock Holmes was my favorite. Good stuff. Thanks.
September 12, 2019
A varied collection of riffs on the theme of the Cthulu Mythos
Enjoyable collection of short stories. Definitely worth the time to read and worth the money. I would strongly recommend this.
Enjoyable collection of short stories. Definitely worth the time to read and worth the money. I would strongly recommend this.
November 23, 2019
Lovecraft, anyone?
Superb short stories influenced by Lovecraft.
From horror, to fantasy and science fiction.
There's even a Sherlock Holme's story to please even the most discerning Sherlockian.
Perfect read for those cold rainy nights.
Superb short stories influenced by Lovecraft.
From horror, to fantasy and science fiction.
There's even a Sherlock Holme's story to please even the most discerning Sherlockian.
Perfect read for those cold rainy nights.
April 23, 2018
Not bad
A fairly good book. It's worth reading, if you enjoy this particular genre of stories. Well worth the time to read. The last story was my favorite.
A fairly good book. It's worth reading, if you enjoy this particular genre of stories. Well worth the time to read. The last story was my favorite.
November 11, 2018
Something special
A mythos story for almost any taste. Well written and engaging. I highly recommend this for any Minecraft fan. Yup
A mythos story for almost any taste. Well written and engaging. I highly recommend this for any Minecraft fan. Yup
January 23, 2019
:)
I enjoyed most of the stories. The last few i wasn't as impressed with but they were alright. Overall though i was pleased with this book
I enjoyed most of the stories. The last few i wasn't as impressed with but they were alright. Overall though i was pleased with this book
June 29, 2019
A 2.5 stars. A little bit dated. I am just not a fan of Mr Lupoff's writing.
July 3, 2019
A lively set of stories
...in the Lovecraft tradition. Lupoff did a great job of cat no g the flavor of the originals in modern, breezy language. More, please!
...in the Lovecraft tradition. Lupoff did a great job of cat no g the flavor of the originals in modern, breezy language. More, please!
Read
August 6, 2019I had to stop maybe about a third of the way through. I do not like the author's writing style, without judgement.
September 18, 2019
Some good ideas here and there but nothing particularly special.
April 7, 2020
How many times can a writer use the word "miasma" in two pages ? Dreadful.
May 10, 2021
This is a good collection of horror stories in the style of Lovecraft. I enjoyed every single one.
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