The Book of Cthulhu

by Ross E. Lockhart (Editor)

Overview

The Cthulhu Mythos is one of the 20th century's most singularly recognizable literary creations. Initially created by H. P. Lovecraft and a group of his amorphous contemporaries (the so-called "Lovecraft Circle"), The Cthulhu Mythos story cycle has taken on a convoluted, cyclopean life of its own. Some of the most prodigious writers of the 20th century, and some of the most astounding writers of the 21st century have planted their seeds in this fertile soil. The Book of Cthulhu harvests the weirdest and most corpulent crop of these modern mythos tales. From weird fiction masters to enigmatic rising stars, The Book of Cthulhu demonstrates how Mythos fiction has been a major cultural meme throughout the 20th century, and how this type of story is still salient, and terribly powerful today.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597802321
Publisher:	Night Shade
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Pages:	544
Sales rank:	1,176,316
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.50(d)

Editorial Reviews

The Cthulhu Mythos was first conjured up in twenties by the hyperactive imagination of H.P. Lovecraft and his circle, but this arcane fictional realm has since taken on a robust life of its own. The latest rich spawn of the mythos is this 500-page anthology assembled by Ross Lockhart. The author list includes Elizabeth Bear, Laird Barron, Caitlin R. Kiernan, David Drake, Gene Wolfe, W.H. Pugmire, Ramsey Campbell, Kage Baker, Cherie Priest, Brian McNaughton, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. (P.S. Many of the contributors are accomplished young authors fantasy aficionados should know.)

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. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

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.

Library Journal

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