What do you think?
Rate this book
What October Brings: A Lovecraftian Celebration of Halloween
Halloween, a time for laughing children in white bedsheets and superhero costumes. A time for chocolate candy, and pumpkins, and Trick-or-Treat.
A time for dark things everything to slink out of the shadows and into our lives, reminding those unlucky few that our charades of Halloween cannot erase the centuries of history and pain behind the facade…
What October Brings celebrates the dark traditions of the autumn rituals, of Halloween and Samhain, in homage to the uniquely fascinating fiction of HP Lovecraft. Masters of the short story offer you a "once in a lifetime" Trick-or-Treat experience…
…perhaps your last experience!
The commissioned cover is by acclaimed Italian painter Daniele Serra.
Contents
Paul Dale Anderson :: That Small, Furry, Sharp-toothed Thing
Alan Baxter :: Waters Strangely Clear
Ran Cartwright :: The House on Jimtown Road
Adrian Cole :: No Other God But Me
Storm Constantine :: Down into Silence
Tim Curran :: Spider Wasp
Arinn Dembo :: The Old Man Down the Road
Cody Goodfellow :: The War on Halloween
Andre E. Harewood :: The Immortician
Nancy Holder :: Nyarlahotep Came Down to Georgia
Erica Ruppert :: Summer's End
Brian M. Sammons :: A Night for Masks
Ann K. Schwader :: Inheritance
Darrell Schweitzer :: Uncle's in the Treetops
John Shirley :: Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You.
Lucy A. Snyder :: Cosmic Cola
Chet Williamson :: Hell Among the Yearlings
A time for dark things everything to slink out of the shadows and into our lives, reminding those unlucky few that our charades of Halloween cannot erase the centuries of history and pain behind the facade…
What October Brings celebrates the dark traditions of the autumn rituals, of Halloween and Samhain, in homage to the uniquely fascinating fiction of HP Lovecraft. Masters of the short story offer you a "once in a lifetime" Trick-or-Treat experience…
…perhaps your last experience!
The commissioned cover is by acclaimed Italian painter Daniele Serra.
Contents
Paul Dale Anderson :: That Small, Furry, Sharp-toothed Thing
Alan Baxter :: Waters Strangely Clear
Ran Cartwright :: The House on Jimtown Road
Adrian Cole :: No Other God But Me
Storm Constantine :: Down into Silence
Tim Curran :: Spider Wasp
Arinn Dembo :: The Old Man Down the Road
Cody Goodfellow :: The War on Halloween
Andre E. Harewood :: The Immortician
Nancy Holder :: Nyarlahotep Came Down to Georgia
Erica Ruppert :: Summer's End
Brian M. Sammons :: A Night for Masks
Ann K. Schwader :: Inheritance
Darrell Schweitzer :: Uncle's in the Treetops
John Shirley :: Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You.
Lucy A. Snyder :: Cosmic Cola
Chet Williamson :: Hell Among the Yearlings
332 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2018
55 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 28, 2021
Hallowe’en in a Suburb Howard Phillips Lovecraft ☆☆☆
Uncle’s In the Treetops Darrell Schweitzer ☆☆☆ 1/2
Down into Silence Storm Constantine ☆☆☆
The War on Halloween Cody Goodfellow ☆☆
That Small, Furry, Sharp-toothed Thing Paul Dale Anderson ☆☆☆☆
Waters Strangely Clear Alan Baxter ☆☆☆ 1/2
The House on Jimtown Road Ran Cartwright ☆☆☆☆
Spider Wasp Tim Curran ☆☆☆
The Old Man Down the Road Arinn Dembo ☆
The Immortician Andre E. Harewood ☆☆
Nyarlahotep Came Down to Georgia Nancy Holder ☆☆☆☆☆
A Night for Masks Brian M. Sammons ☆☆☆☆☆
No Other God but Me Adrian Cole ☆☆☆
Inheritance Ann K. Schwader ☆☆☆
Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You. Hum—Hurt You. John Shirley ☆☆☆☆
Cosmic Cola Lucy A. Snyder ☆☆☆
Hell Among the Yearlings Chet Williamson ☆☆☆
Summer’s End Erica Ruppert ☆☆☆☆
A mixed bag of an anthology and a few tales totally missed their targets being neither lovecraftian nor halloween themed at all, but luckly some of the stories included here were really entertaining ones besides a few dark gems, my most favourite ones were the King in Yellow and the Nyarlathothep vs Baron Samedi ones, that creeped me out for good.
A solid three stars but it could have been far better.
Happy Halloween.
November 8, 2018
""Cthulhu fhtagn!", I shouted, as I hefted the bloodied axe onto one shoulder and disappeared into the darkness."
A collection of Lovecraftian tales in celebration of the spookiest time of the year.
Lovecraft fans! Look no further! (Because I know this is exactly what you were trawling through the internet looking for) I have found the perfect Lovecraftian collection for Halloween time.
I would probably label myself a Lovecraft fangirl. I did drag my boyfriend through a cemetery on an incredibly hot day to find his grave in Rhode Island on our recent vacay. So this collection was a whole lot of fun! There are references to and inspiration derived from all the usual Lovecraftian sources: Cthulhu, Innsmouth, the Necronomicon, Yuggoth, Azathoth, the sleeping gods… etc.
I don't think you need to have read Lovecraft in order to enjoy this collection, but I would hazard a guess that it does make it more enjoyable? My absolute favourite story was That Small, Furry, Sharp-Toothed Thing, which was so awesome. The main character descends into a spiral of paranoia and madness upon seeing these Halloween costumes inspired by a Lovecraft tale everywhere. The ending was brutal and incredibly satisfying. 5 stars for that one.
A minor complaint is that perhaps it does feel repetitive at times? A lot of the stories share the same ideas and settings, but as I stretched it out over a couple of weeks it wasn't too off-putting! All of the stories were well-written, even those I didn't enjoy as much. I wouldn't say any of them are complete stinkers.
Worth adding to next year's October TBR if it tickles your fancy! I quite enjoyed it. Average story rating of 3.76, so I've rounded up to 4 stars because I'm generous ;)
A collection of Lovecraftian tales in celebration of the spookiest time of the year.
Lovecraft fans! Look no further! (Because I know this is exactly what you were trawling through the internet looking for) I have found the perfect Lovecraftian collection for Halloween time.
I would probably label myself a Lovecraft fangirl. I did drag my boyfriend through a cemetery on an incredibly hot day to find his grave in Rhode Island on our recent vacay. So this collection was a whole lot of fun! There are references to and inspiration derived from all the usual Lovecraftian sources: Cthulhu, Innsmouth, the Necronomicon, Yuggoth, Azathoth, the sleeping gods… etc.
I don't think you need to have read Lovecraft in order to enjoy this collection, but I would hazard a guess that it does make it more enjoyable? My absolute favourite story was That Small, Furry, Sharp-Toothed Thing, which was so awesome. The main character descends into a spiral of paranoia and madness upon seeing these Halloween costumes inspired by a Lovecraft tale everywhere. The ending was brutal and incredibly satisfying. 5 stars for that one.
A minor complaint is that perhaps it does feel repetitive at times? A lot of the stories share the same ideas and settings, but as I stretched it out over a couple of weeks it wasn't too off-putting! All of the stories were well-written, even those I didn't enjoy as much. I wouldn't say any of them are complete stinkers.
Worth adding to next year's October TBR if it tickles your fancy! I quite enjoyed it. Average story rating of 3.76, so I've rounded up to 4 stars because I'm generous ;)
October 12, 2018
Full disclosure: I have a story in this anthology. I'm very proud to be included because many of the stories are exceptional.
November 4, 2022
I was a bit disappointing with this anthology. I had great expectations after all it's a mix of lovecraftian and the month of october stuff and while not really having no impact on my rating some stories were neither lovecraftian or october stuff. Some you cold change the name of the month from October to November or February and you wouldn't notice-
Another thing I notice was the repetitive stories, they all feel the same, well some of them. There are a couple of interesting stories but apart from those I would say they are skipable.
Another thing I notice was the repetitive stories, they all feel the same, well some of them. There are a couple of interesting stories but apart from those I would say they are skipable.
September 8, 2019
I wanted to enjoy this short story collection, and the premise certainly gave me hope that I would - spooky, halloween themed stories with a vein of lovecraftian mythology is a genre that I can definitely get on board with. Unfortunately, there were two major issues with this book that made it one of most disappointing I have read so far this year.
Firstly, the stories are so incredibly similar. Most followed the same two premises - premise one: young family member who has escaped the distinctly creepy, ancient god-worshipping fold returns at Halloween (why they do so is not ever explored) and fulfils an obscure (because you don’t need to have determined a sensical plot if you leave it vague enough) destiny. If they also have a tag-along significant other who accepts, rather too quickly, the wackiness that is occurring around them, all the better. Premise two is essentially the same, but involves the aforementioned faceless and personality-less family member when they are still a child, succumbing to the ancient power. The tag-along here is usually an even younger sibling with whom they have a strained relationship. The lack of variety made the stories feel repetitive - whilst I enjoy some degree of threads or themes in such collections, the fact that these were not written by the same author, but form a curated volume, was frustrating.
Secondly, many of them were just poorly written. The speech was clumsy, the descriptions and atmosphere lacking almost entirely, and most felt rushed - I didn’t care what happened because I felt no connection or interest. Lovecraftian horror can be flamboyant and steeped in lore whilst remaining horrifying - it’s a sub-genre where, generally, most people die and either the ancient ones are victorious or, if stopped, only temporarily. There is a lot of scope for interesting development and descents into darkness, and very few of these stories had that.
Firstly, the stories are so incredibly similar. Most followed the same two premises - premise one: young family member who has escaped the distinctly creepy, ancient god-worshipping fold returns at Halloween (why they do so is not ever explored) and fulfils an obscure (because you don’t need to have determined a sensical plot if you leave it vague enough) destiny. If they also have a tag-along significant other who accepts, rather too quickly, the wackiness that is occurring around them, all the better. Premise two is essentially the same, but involves the aforementioned faceless and personality-less family member when they are still a child, succumbing to the ancient power. The tag-along here is usually an even younger sibling with whom they have a strained relationship. The lack of variety made the stories feel repetitive - whilst I enjoy some degree of threads or themes in such collections, the fact that these were not written by the same author, but form a curated volume, was frustrating.
Secondly, many of them were just poorly written. The speech was clumsy, the descriptions and atmosphere lacking almost entirely, and most felt rushed - I didn’t care what happened because I felt no connection or interest. Lovecraftian horror can be flamboyant and steeped in lore whilst remaining horrifying - it’s a sub-genre where, generally, most people die and either the ancient ones are victorious or, if stopped, only temporarily. There is a lot of scope for interesting development and descents into darkness, and very few of these stories had that.
October 22, 2022
Horror and Lovecraft combined into an anthology is brilliant. “What October Brings” is a collection of Lovecraftian stories by various authors. I loved every single one of these stories.
I have always enjoyed reading Lovecraft. These stories were a real treat. I identified some lovecraftian themes and references. You do nor have to read Lovecraft to enjoy these dark well written tales.
This is a solid read for October.
I have always enjoyed reading Lovecraft. These stories were a real treat. I identified some lovecraftian themes and references. You do nor have to read Lovecraft to enjoy these dark well written tales.
This is a solid read for October.
November 1, 2021
A fun, spooky, and slightly campy anthology of new Lovecraftian fiction with a festive Halloween twist.
While I did enjoy most of the short stories – this book definitely isn’t lacking on the entertainment side of things – I was hoping for something a little more literary and elevated in regards to the writing. I also will echo some of the complaints from other reviewers that the collection felt quite insular in its treatment of Lovecraft’s body of work – the Cthulhu Mythos and Innsmouth and the Deep Ones were well-represented, with little else besides that.
My favorites from this anthology are “Spider Wasp” by Tim Curran, “Waters Strangely Clear” by Alan Baxter, and “Hell Among the Yearlings” by Chet Williamson.
Rating: Three 🐟🐟🐟 human-fish hybrids for the great ocean god Dagon
While I did enjoy most of the short stories – this book definitely isn’t lacking on the entertainment side of things – I was hoping for something a little more literary and elevated in regards to the writing. I also will echo some of the complaints from other reviewers that the collection felt quite insular in its treatment of Lovecraft’s body of work – the Cthulhu Mythos and Innsmouth and the Deep Ones were well-represented, with little else besides that.
My favorites from this anthology are “Spider Wasp” by Tim Curran, “Waters Strangely Clear” by Alan Baxter, and “Hell Among the Yearlings” by Chet Williamson.
Rating: Three 🐟🐟🐟 human-fish hybrids for the great ocean god Dagon
October 9, 2018
A couple of the short stories in this collection were good, but overall it was pretty weak. Also, the majority of the stories focused on Innsmouth and the Deep Ones. I would've liked to see a different take on other aspects of the Cthulhu mythos.
October 24, 2019
I'm a big fan of Lovecraftian horror and Halloween is my favorite holiday, so when I saw a book promising an anthology of Lovecraftian stories centered around Halloween, I was overjoyed. Then I read it... and I was utterly disappointed.
Many people here have pointed out how many stories are similar, and that's true, but the same could be said about Lovecraft's stories. It shouldn't matter if stories are similar as long as the pattern they follow is interesting. What I couldn't stomach is that these stories, despite name-dropping Cthulhu Mythos monsters and having passing mentions of Halloween are generally neither Lovecraftian nor centered around Halloween. To be honest, they often feel like random pre-written stories, often written around the ubiquitous modern themes of race and gender, where the writers just revised them with a check list of two items:
1- Rename a monster to refer to Lovecraftian monsters
2- Mention Halloween once
Check and check and then the story's shipped out and put in this anthology.
What makes Lovecraftian horror? It's cosmic horror, the idea that humanity lives in an uncaring universe where they are no more than ants, unable to understand the true reality of the universe without going insane and sharing this universe with overwhelming utterly alien entities. Victory means protecting humanity's little beachhead on reality for a little while longer, and it always comes at a price.
Few of these stories contain these themes. The worst story in that regard was one about Nyarlatothep going to war with Baron Samedi over the love of a voodoo goddess, with an ultimate lesson of the power of women. To make a major Lovecraftian Elder God behave like a lovelorn puppy is horribly out of character, to carry a message of human/female empowerment is the exact opposite of the Lovecraftian cosmic horror theme.
Overall, to Lovecraft fans, I say give this one a pass. The stories may name-drop Lovecraftian characters or monsters, but that alone doesn't make a story Lovecraftian.
Many people here have pointed out how many stories are similar, and that's true, but the same could be said about Lovecraft's stories. It shouldn't matter if stories are similar as long as the pattern they follow is interesting. What I couldn't stomach is that these stories, despite name-dropping Cthulhu Mythos monsters and having passing mentions of Halloween are generally neither Lovecraftian nor centered around Halloween. To be honest, they often feel like random pre-written stories, often written around the ubiquitous modern themes of race and gender, where the writers just revised them with a check list of two items:
1- Rename a monster to refer to Lovecraftian monsters
2- Mention Halloween once
Check and check and then the story's shipped out and put in this anthology.
What makes Lovecraftian horror? It's cosmic horror, the idea that humanity lives in an uncaring universe where they are no more than ants, unable to understand the true reality of the universe without going insane and sharing this universe with overwhelming utterly alien entities. Victory means protecting humanity's little beachhead on reality for a little while longer, and it always comes at a price.
Few of these stories contain these themes. The worst story in that regard was one about Nyarlatothep going to war with Baron Samedi over the love of a voodoo goddess, with an ultimate lesson of the power of women. To make a major Lovecraftian Elder God behave like a lovelorn puppy is horribly out of character, to carry a message of human/female empowerment is the exact opposite of the Lovecraftian cosmic horror theme.
Overall, to Lovecraft fans, I say give this one a pass. The stories may name-drop Lovecraftian characters or monsters, but that alone doesn't make a story Lovecraftian.
March 17, 2025
I can hear someone in the studio audience saying..."Hey, why isn't there any books about old H.P. Lovecraft and Halloween? Bet they'd be perfect....."
Douglas Draa must have heard you, for he edited "What October Brings", a collection of stories that do exactly that.
I found this collection to be somewhat...uneven. Although every story had a Halloween slant to it..in some stories I had to look for any Lovecraft at all, as in Sammons' "A Night for Masks"...where the main character Andy starts to kill trick or treaters after viewing strange figures around him. Same with "Old Man Down the Road" by Dembo, which combines the Freedom Riders of the 1960s, homosexual interracial love, and soul transference. You get the idea...
Unknown stories by Nancy Collins and Chet Williamson are always a treat.
And, IMHO - $20 is a lot of money for a paperback....
Jeff McIntosh
Douglas Draa must have heard you, for he edited "What October Brings", a collection of stories that do exactly that.
I found this collection to be somewhat...uneven. Although every story had a Halloween slant to it..in some stories I had to look for any Lovecraft at all, as in Sammons' "A Night for Masks"...where the main character Andy starts to kill trick or treaters after viewing strange figures around him. Same with "Old Man Down the Road" by Dembo, which combines the Freedom Riders of the 1960s, homosexual interracial love, and soul transference. You get the idea...
Unknown stories by Nancy Collins and Chet Williamson are always a treat.
And, IMHO - $20 is a lot of money for a paperback....
Jeff McIntosh
November 10, 2020
3.5 stars for the collection. There were a few AMAZING stories in this collection but a few duds and it's a bit uneven. However, I recommend a read for the really good stories, especially towards the beginning.
November 6, 2023
This is an anthology of Lovecraft-inspired horror stories that take place on or around Halloween? That sounds right up my alley, so I was really excited to dig into this one. I love a good Halloween story and Lovecraft is, of course, one of my favorite authors.
My excitement grew when I looked at the table of contents and saw several well-known horror authors whose work I’ve typically enjoyed in the past. However, that excitement faltered a bit when I read the introduction and found enough editorial errors to raise some serious questions about the book’s quality control. But I read on, and I’m glad I did. Though it’s a bit of a mixed bag, some of the stories are definite successes.
Overall, the sense I got upon finishing the book was of an interesting experiment in setting Lovecraftian themes in a variety of voices and all around everyone’s favorite holiday. As happens with any experiment, some of the efforts were resounding successes and others fell a bit flat. At the end of the day, I don’t think any were complete failures—I didn’t hate any of the stories—but I also wasn’t blown away by most of them.
It's certainly a good book. And if you’re a Lovecraft fan, I think it should definitely be on your October reading list. But likely only a few of its stories will really stick in your memory, so I'd hesitate to call it a great book.
My excitement grew when I looked at the table of contents and saw several well-known horror authors whose work I’ve typically enjoyed in the past. However, that excitement faltered a bit when I read the introduction and found enough editorial errors to raise some serious questions about the book’s quality control. But I read on, and I’m glad I did. Though it’s a bit of a mixed bag, some of the stories are definite successes.
Overall, the sense I got upon finishing the book was of an interesting experiment in setting Lovecraftian themes in a variety of voices and all around everyone’s favorite holiday. As happens with any experiment, some of the efforts were resounding successes and others fell a bit flat. At the end of the day, I don’t think any were complete failures—I didn’t hate any of the stories—but I also wasn’t blown away by most of them.
It's certainly a good book. And if you’re a Lovecraft fan, I think it should definitely be on your October reading list. But likely only a few of its stories will really stick in your memory, so I'd hesitate to call it a great book.
July 5, 2021
This anthology is a treat for anyone wanting to make Halloween a little more cosmically dark. It starts with a poem by old HPL himself, which sets the tone. I have narrowed down the list of tales to three I want to highlight.
Uncle’s in the Treetops by Darrel Schweiter, in under twenty pages creates a town that is familiar and alien with traditions that meld with the Lovecraft ethos wonderfully. The exploration of morality in this world is thoughtful and leaves the reader with a dark satisfaction in the end.
Next up, The Old Man Down the Road by Arinn Demdo takes us along with a couple whose lives would have been difficult already given the time and setting of the story. That is just surface level though Demdo has more in store for the reader as the rabbit hole of this tale is quite dark but worth the journey.
Third Cosmic Cola by Lucy A. Snyder starts comfortably enough with a sleepy family moving to a new town with a misunderstood girl trying to fit in at the start. But we know what kind of stories we have come here for right? So in comes the rituals, cults, and all the right twists.
The other stories are all worth a read as well I hope anyone that takes the time with these tales enjoys them as much as I have.
Uncle’s in the Treetops by Darrel Schweiter, in under twenty pages creates a town that is familiar and alien with traditions that meld with the Lovecraft ethos wonderfully. The exploration of morality in this world is thoughtful and leaves the reader with a dark satisfaction in the end.
Next up, The Old Man Down the Road by Arinn Demdo takes us along with a couple whose lives would have been difficult already given the time and setting of the story. That is just surface level though Demdo has more in store for the reader as the rabbit hole of this tale is quite dark but worth the journey.
Third Cosmic Cola by Lucy A. Snyder starts comfortably enough with a sleepy family moving to a new town with a misunderstood girl trying to fit in at the start. But we know what kind of stories we have come here for right? So in comes the rituals, cults, and all the right twists.
The other stories are all worth a read as well I hope anyone that takes the time with these tales enjoys them as much as I have.
September 26, 2019
This is a great collection of stories, with Lovecraftian themes, all centering on my favorite holiday (which also happens to be my birthday), Halloween! These are all outstanding stories, so it's hard to pick a few favorites. However, I must say that "Uncle's in the Treetops" by Darrel Schweitzer is one of the creepiest stories I've ever read. "Down Into Silence" by Storm Constantine has a haunting, macabre beauty about it. "The War on Halloween" by Cody Goodfellow is delightfully twisted. "Hum -- Hurt You. Hum -- Hurt You. Hum -- Hurt You." by John Shirley is a brilliant sequel to Lovecraft's "From Beyond." "Cosmic Cola" by Lucy A. Snyder takes the theme of Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" (my favorite Lovecraft story, by the way) and runs like hell with it. Those are a few of my favorites, but there is not one weak story in this book. Plus, it opens with Lovecraft's poem, "Hallowe'en in a Suburb." I would say that this is one of four books that you absolutely should read around Halloween time (the other three being THE OCTOBER COUNTRY, THE HALLOWEEN TREE, and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, all by Ray Bradbury. Very good company indeed!).
July 15, 2024
I had this anthology on my TBR for a very long time, and I'm sad I didn't read it before now. It's one of the best multi-author anthologies I've read in a long time! Definitely pick this one up if you like your Halloween stories full of tentacles and the blackness between stars.
Uncle’s In the Treetops by Darrell Schweitzer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Down into Silence by Storm Constantine ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The War on Halloween by Cody Goodfellow ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
That Small, Furry, Sharp-toothed Thing by Paul Dale Anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Waters Strangely Clear by Alan Baxter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The House on Jimtown Road by Ran Cartwright ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spider Wasp by Tim Curran ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Old Man Down the Road by Arinn Dembo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Immortician by Andre E. Harewood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nyarlahotep Came Down to Georgia by Nancy Holder ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Night for Masks by Brian M. Sammons ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No Other God but Me by Adrian Cole ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Inheritance by Ann K. Schwader ⭐⭐⭐.75
Hum - Hurt You. Hum - Hurt You. Hum - Hurt You. by John Shirley ⭐⭐⭐.5
Cosmic Cola by Lucy A. Snyder ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Hell Among the Yearlings by Chet Williamson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summer's End by Erica Ruppert ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Uncle’s In the Treetops by Darrell Schweitzer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Down into Silence by Storm Constantine ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The War on Halloween by Cody Goodfellow ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
That Small, Furry, Sharp-toothed Thing by Paul Dale Anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Waters Strangely Clear by Alan Baxter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The House on Jimtown Road by Ran Cartwright ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spider Wasp by Tim Curran ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Old Man Down the Road by Arinn Dembo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Immortician by Andre E. Harewood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nyarlahotep Came Down to Georgia by Nancy Holder ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Night for Masks by Brian M. Sammons ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No Other God but Me by Adrian Cole ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Inheritance by Ann K. Schwader ⭐⭐⭐.75
Hum - Hurt You. Hum - Hurt You. Hum - Hurt You. by John Shirley ⭐⭐⭐.5
Cosmic Cola by Lucy A. Snyder ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Hell Among the Yearlings by Chet Williamson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summer's End by Erica Ruppert ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 24, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed this collection of Halloween themed tales. I have not read any Lovecraft and only had a limited knowledge of Lovecraftian themes - so I have probably missed references to stuff, and would have had a deeper enjoyment had I been a bit more "in the know". But that is my lack and not the book's (and why I gave this 4 and not 3 stars).
As will any collection of short stories, some resonate more than others with a reader, and you enjoy some more than others. For me Uncle in the Treetops, The Immortician, Inheritance and Cosmic Cola were the best. However, I really enjoyed Adrian Cole's No Other God But Me. It was the only one set outside the US (in Cornwall< UK).
In all, a good set of tales very appropriate to this time of the year and good to get in the Halloween mood. Possibly works even better for those fans of or with some Lovecraft knowledge.
As will any collection of short stories, some resonate more than others with a reader, and you enjoy some more than others. For me Uncle in the Treetops, The Immortician, Inheritance and Cosmic Cola were the best. However, I really enjoyed Adrian Cole's No Other God But Me. It was the only one set outside the US (in Cornwall< UK).
In all, a good set of tales very appropriate to this time of the year and good to get in the Halloween mood. Possibly works even better for those fans of or with some Lovecraft knowledge.
October 11, 2024
I think I've read this volume previously, or at least many of the stories as they seemed familiar. Regardless, it was a good eldritch read full of October tidings all under lain by Lovecraft's horror that goes beyond the fright of Halloween or Samhain. A good gathering of tales that begins appropriately with Lovecraft's "Hallowe'en in a Suburb", but ones that stood out to me were: "Inheritance" by Ann K. Schwader, "No Other God but Me" by Adrian Cole and :Summer's End" by Erica Ruppert. If you like a bit of lovecraftian mix to you spooky season do yourself a favor an add this boo to your creepy evening reading.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
October 22, 2021
Loved it!
There are a few editing mistakes but they don’t take away from the enjoyment of the stories. I actually didn’t read the description correctly when I brought this off Amazon- I thought it was a novel not an anthology. I’ve also never read any lovecraft before. So the whole book was a nice surprise for me.
I enjoyed all the stories and will pick this up again next Halloween to reread. For me this book is a keeper, and now I’ll need to get my hands on lovecrafts work.
There are a few editing mistakes but they don’t take away from the enjoyment of the stories. I actually didn’t read the description correctly when I brought this off Amazon- I thought it was a novel not an anthology. I’ve also never read any lovecraft before. So the whole book was a nice surprise for me.
I enjoyed all the stories and will pick this up again next Halloween to reread. For me this book is a keeper, and now I’ll need to get my hands on lovecrafts work.
October 22, 2024
This being an anthology filled with many stories by various authors, of course there will be ups and downs. However, the book across all stories really sets that brooding, dull atmosphere that I love in Cosmic Horror tales.
"Waters Strangely Clear" by Alan Baxter may be the best short story I have read in quite a while.
"Summer's End" by Erica Ruppert, "The War on Halloween" by Cody Goodfellow, and "Cosmic Cola" by Lucy Snyder were all high points as well.
"Waters Strangely Clear" by Alan Baxter may be the best short story I have read in quite a while.
"Summer's End" by Erica Ruppert, "The War on Halloween" by Cody Goodfellow, and "Cosmic Cola" by Lucy Snyder were all high points as well.
November 9, 2019
I have to say I was quite disappointed in this collection. As many have mentioned before most of the stories focus on Innsmouth and followed the same basic premise. Beyond that though several stories made little sense or had plot holes too large to ignore. Some were so poorly written I skipped them entirely.
So sad, because I really wanted to enjoy this book.
So sad, because I really wanted to enjoy this book.
February 14, 2019
Lovecraft Stories
Lovecraft and Halloween together in stories are bound to be bad news for somebody but good news for the fans of Lovecraft and his ol' pals The Old Ones and the Cathulu crowd ...
Lovecraft and Halloween together in stories are bound to be bad news for somebody but good news for the fans of Lovecraft and his ol' pals The Old Ones and the Cathulu crowd ...
October 23, 2025
4.5 stars!
An excellent anthology themed around Halloween and the Cthulhu Mythos, the majority of the stories were really enjoyable! the very few mediocre ones didn't detract from the enjoyment this book offered, seriously recommended!
An excellent anthology themed around Halloween and the Cthulhu Mythos, the majority of the stories were really enjoyable! the very few mediocre ones didn't detract from the enjoyment this book offered, seriously recommended!
December 1, 2020
This compilation is a fairly good read. The stories are short and many are page-turners. Nothing trail-blazing here but an enjoyable distraction for Lovecraft fans.
October 8, 2021
Halloween 2021 Read 19/20
October 21, 2021
A wonderful and scary collection of Halloween stories with a Lovecraftian theme, and just in time for Halloween!
October 18, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4.
October 26, 2022
An absolutely stellar collection of stories with only one or two that I just didn’t really really enjoy.
November 23, 2025
quis me matar de tédio depois do conto 6 ou sei lá
não que não tenha boas histórias, só não valeu a pena a coletânea
não que não tenha boas histórias, só não valeu a pena a coletânea
November 5, 2018
Like with most anthologies, this one has stories of varying quality. Most of them were very good, and even the ones that weren’t my favorites weren’t bad. Didn’t have any major stinkers in the lot (minus one but I won't go into detail).
There’s a variety of Mythos deities and various Lovecraft stories are referenced, from some of the most well known (Innsmouth) to even some of the more obscure such as “From Beyond”. Even my beloved King in Yellow makes an appearance. ;)
My favorites were
the ones that evoked fall scenery and atmosphere, and ranged from creepy to others being melancholy or tragic. A very good thematic anthology to get a reader into the Halloween spirit.
There’s a variety of Mythos deities and various Lovecraft stories are referenced, from some of the most well known (Innsmouth) to even some of the more obscure such as “From Beyond”. Even my beloved King in Yellow makes an appearance. ;)
My favorites were
the ones that evoked fall scenery and atmosphere, and ranged from creepy to others being melancholy or tragic. A very good thematic anthology to get a reader into the Halloween spirit.
October 25, 2019
Of the eighteen stories, I really liked twelve, including those by Darrell Schweitzer, John Shirley, Adrian Cole, Nancy Holder, and Alan Baxter. That's a pretty good percentage, even though I didn't like the others. A few aren't really Lovecraftian, but most of them are. Good reading for before Halloween, certainly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews