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Book Review: The Book of Cthulu – edited by Ross Lockheart
Edited by @lossrockheart
Find the title on Amazon where you can also read a full description of the book and about the editor.
I read the kindle version of this book even though I had picked up a copy at WFC2011. I had the pleasure of meeting Ross Lockheart there and he tolerated my presence at his booth multiple times. I was given a copy of this e-book and I was not paid for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I don’t usually read horror, but I’ve read a lot of H.P. Craft and Stephen King over there years and I also enjoy Scott Sigler and Paul E. Cooley. I have always preferred horror that creeps me out instead of being over the top blood baths. If you want to entertain me, scare me. Don’t just try to make me jump.
I’m a sucker when it comes to reading a Lovecraft inspired stories because normally they’ll make you think hard about the horror. There is a lot of fiction out there allegedly inspired by Lovecraft and much of it is not good, sad to say. It takes a lot of reading to find those true gems.
With The Book of Cthulu, Ross has done that work for me. He’s taken the best of the past and added a couple new tales, combining them into a tome that when dropped could waken the old gods. This thing is huge and filled cover to cover with scary, creepy goodness that will have you itching your skin, clawing at the walls, and begging to be released from the mortal coil. Once you delve into the book, you’re thrown into a maelstrom of stories that runs the gamut of classic tales that you might have seen before or, if you’re like me, missed when they came around the first time.
Once inside you’re taken away from the normal day-to-day and swept across the globe with horror tales that will have the hair on the back of your neck standing on end, force you to look out the window from several feet away, and not wanting to open that closet door. Ross has done a wonderful job getting the best of the best together in one collection.
But wait, there’s more. I only recently noticed that there will be a second collection! Oh Ross, how I hate you as I have already pre-ordered my copy and will be along on a second journey back into the mind of Lovecraft. The Book of Cthulu II comes out in October!
Daily Update: A little rain, a little hail, a little sunshine
The weather has decided to be a little nuts. I think the weather man is nuts as he said it would start raining around 2PM and IT DID! Right on time! I had to look at my watch to make sure I was seeing things right. I had a flash back to the movie Back to the Future. You know the scene. If you don’t, go watch Back to the Future II. Even if you do, go watch the movie anyway, it’s a great movie. Heck, all three are great movies.
Speaking of movies, we (the wife, my favorite daughter, and I) went over to the Millican’s house last night. I’ll get to the movie in a moment. We had dinner, and we started talking about ice cream. I love me some ice cream. I told them about Pistachios, my favorite daughter’s eyes lit up. And off we went to get ice cream and other goodies. Oh my oh my. I could eat that stuff every day, but I shouldn’t.
So anyway, we got back to their house and decided to watch a movie. We joked about some, watched previews for others that pretty much showed the entire movie and/or what we assumed would be the only funny parts of the movie. We finally settled on The Hunter being that we all like William Defoe and it looked like it would be a good movie.
Is it a good movie? To be fair, it was alright. It was very slow in spots, but I sometimes like a slower movie. I think the best part was the cryptozoology. The main character was off to hunt and kill a Tasmanian Tiger. The last one seen in the wild was in the 1930s. Or maybe that was in captivity. I forget. Either way, the movie, although slow and very predictable (I’ve become cynical in my old age) was a decent watch. I wouldn’t have seen it in the theaters, but was a good enough rental.
I bought a couple of ebooks recently. With all the free books I’ve picked up, I decided to buy a couple. I got the Hunger Games trilogy and Mike Stackpole’s Of Limited Loyalty: the Second Book of the Crown Colonies out through Nightshade books. I’m really looking forward to reading both of these. I had had gotten the first Crown Colonies signed by Mike Stackpole at WFC2011. I still need to write up a review for that one. I’ll probably wait and do both.
On the writing front, I hit my word goal yesterday. I’ll hit my word goal today. I’ll hit my word goal tomorrow. At least that’s the plan. Tonight we’re heading up to Huntington Beach. My favorite daughter has a tournament tomorrow so we’ll be heading up there tonight versus driving up at 5am.
If I’m going to hit that goal, I’d better get on it. So…
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
J.R. Murdock 