A book review written by: Lee Sonogan
(2010) Short story collection
Finally I have finished this 500 paged book. 23 short stories of LoveCraftian type storys. That means horror stories which are very descriptive and odd. Odd in this sense means good and original. Each short story is written by a different author and inspired by famous horror writer, H.P Lovecraft. Writing hundreds of written work other than horror writing, his influence on the authors in this book are many and in different ways.
The quotes on the book cover of this book are all regarded as very positive. Some include “Twentieth country’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale,” – Stephen King. “Cumulatively creepy studies of Lovecraft-style locales where inexplicable supernatural phenomena suggest an otherworldly dimension intersecting our own.” – Publishers Weekly.
List of the titles of short stories in this book:
- Pickman’s Other Model (1929)
- Desert dreams
- Engravings
- Copping Squid (Recommended)
- Passing Spirits
- The Broadsword (Recommended)
- Usurped (Recommended)
- Denker’s Book
- Inhabitants of Wraithwood
- The Dome (Recommended)
- Rotterdam
- Tempting Providence
- Howling in the Dark
- The Truth about Pickman
- Tunnels (Recommended)
- The Correspondence of Cameron Thuddeus Nash
- Violence, Child of Trust
- Lesser Demons (Recommended)
- An Eldritch Matter
- Substitutions (Recommended)
- Susie
One of my favourite short stories in the whole book was called Tunnels, written by Philip Haldeman. It was about a young kid not living with his parents. But living with his grandparents/family. When the kid has a dream of white giant snakes, his family start acting weird. He gets curious when his grandparents are in the basement at all hours of the night. Then he is told something by them that completely comes to live.
This being my third collection of short stories book, you have to rate the book on the quality of each short story in the book. Saying that, for a collection of short stories it keeps you reading them. Even though this had fewer good short stories then I thought. The short stories are good and bad in all sorts of perspectives. I recommend this book to HP Lovecraft fans and sci-fi horror short stories.
6.4/10
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft_bibliography
PS- This is the first book of many short story collections inspired by H.P Lovecraft’s written work. I am thinking that I might have to buy any of the other books in its series.
Here is some links to my book for sale: