The Gods of H. P. Lovecraft

I frequently hear that Lovecraftian / Cthulhu fiction will soon run its course. In the near future people will tire of this genre of horror and soon something new will replace it. However, based on “The Gods of H.P. Lovecraft,” edited by Aaron J. French that near future is certainly not today. Each story is a unique take on one of the Lovecraftian “Gods,” which covers the Old Ones, the Elder Things, Mi-Gos and even Nightgaunts. The stories vary from very good to excellent. No duds here. From Adam LG Nevill’s tale of Cthulhu, to the appearance of Nyarlathotep by Bentley Little, to the dangers of the Elder Things demonstrated by Joe Lansdale, to Rachel Caine’s documentation of the Great Race of Yith, all of stories take a stroll through the Lovecraftian universe yet still play to the music of their own amorphous, idiot flute-players. I actually give this book six out of five stars. I know this will be one of my favorite books in 2016.

This one took me a ridiculously long time to read. Not because I didn't like it, but because it was actual reading on my Kindle, rather than audio. I can rock an audiobook as I work, but physical reading means I get a lunch period (about 20 min) each day for reading, and it seems I am reading more manuscripts for illustration work rather than for fun during that time these days. So therefore, I have a new record for taking the longest to read a book that should have never taken this long. Ahh well, it is what it is. Regarding the book itself, it was not an even mix of great tales, but the ones that I loved outweighed the ones I liked less, so I call it a win. Recommended if one has any interest in the Mythos. The rest of y'all are on your own.

This book attempts to take Cthulu out of the shaded past into the bright today and still have the abiding horror that Lovecraft injected into his stories. It is a daunting task, but in at least one of the stories there is great success, "The Doors That Never Close And The Doors That Are Always open" , by David Liss, an author of whom I have no knowledge other than this title, but in this tale of a grad student who steps into the 21st Century and finds the "Old Ones" there is true horror. There are others, but this one is the best of the lot.

Excellent anthology focusing, one tale each, on the “gods” and alien races featured in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Some standout stories include “In Their Presence” by Christopher Golden & James A Moore, “In the Mad Mountains” by Joe R Lansdale, and “A Dying of the Light” by Rachel Caine, though all the tales were well done. Strongly recommended to fans of Lovecraft seeking fresh new approaches to his familiar material.

It's been my experience that most anthologies have at least one stinker in the bunch. Such is not the case here. Each story is a gem. It's probably the best Lovecraft inspired anthology since Shadow Over Baker Street.

Most of the stories are good, though a few take some time to really get into. They are not as creepy as Lovecraft's original stories, but they do a decent job of portraying the Mythos monsters are the incomprehensible things that they are. I loved how the editors included a bit about the featured deity / species after the story that featured them.

For any fan of this genre you owe it to yourself to add this to your collection.Many of the shorts are connected in theme and engaging. I have it on paperback but the Kindle app is just more convenient. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This collection of stories pays homage to Lovecraft's creations in myriad ways. Each story focuses on one god/creature from the mythos and is followed by a brief biography, of sorts, outlining the origin and history of each subject. Styles range from near future sci-fi to pulp adventure to urban fantasy to a movie detective story. Each is beautifully written and channels the spirit of Minecraft in its own way. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of horror in general and Lovecraft in particular. Within its pages you will find all of the horrifyingly grotesque yet oddly tantalizing macabre beauty inspired by the greatest writer of the genre.