The New Mammoth Book of Cthulhu presents 476 pages of Lovecraft-inspired stories to a growing audience. Not a month goes by now without a new Lovecraft-themed anthology being published. Paula Guran’s latest tome from Running Press features stories by writers who base their stories on the Cthulhu Mythos. My favorite story in this anthology is Laird Barron’s “The Clutch” where Dark Magic follows a man for years. Caitlin R. Kiernan’s “The Peddler’s Tale, or, Isobel’s Revenge” revolves around promises made and promises kept across centuries. I’m also fond of John Shirley’s “Just Beyond the Trailer Park” which updates Lovecraft’s classic “From Beyond.” For a modern twist on Lovecraft, there’s “The Future Eats Everything” by Don Webb with its alien bugs from the future. If you’re looking for a contemporary anthology with a variety of Lovecraftean stories, Paula Guran’s The New Mammoth Book of Cthulhu might be just what you’re looking for. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: Who, What, When, Where, Why…
“In Syllables of Elder Seas” by Lisa L. Hannett
“The Peddler’s Tale, or, Isobel’s Revenge” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“It’s All the Same Road in the End” by Brian Hodge
“Caro in Carno” by Helen Marshall
“The Cthulhu Navy Wife” by Sandra McDonald
“Those Who Watch” by Ruthanna Emrys
“A Clutch” by Laird Barron
“Just Beyond the Trailer Park” by John Shirley
“The Sea Inside” by Amanda Downum
“Outside the House, Watching for the Crows” by John Langan
“Alexandra Lost” by Simon Strantzas
“Falcon-and-Sparrows” by Yoon Ha Lee
“A Shadow of Thine Own Design” by W. H. Pugmire
“Backbite” by Norman Partridge
“In the Ruins of Mohenjo-Daro” by Usman T. Malik
“Legacy of Salt” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“I Do Not Count the Hours” by Michael Wehunt
“An Open Letter to Mister Edgar Allan Poe, from a Fervent Admirer” by Michael Shea
“I Dress My Lover in Yellow” by A. C. Wise
“Deep Eden” by Richard Gavin
“The Future Eats Everything” by Don Webb
“I Believe That We Will Win” by Nadia Bulkin
“In the Sacred Cave” by Lois H. Gresh
“Umbilicus” by Damien Angelica Walters
“Variations on Lovecraftian Themes” by Veronica Schanoes
It’s pretty incredible all right. Who would have thought 40+ years ago when I discovered Lovecraft that today he’d be an industry and Cthulhu would be almost as ubiquitous as Sherlock Holmes?
An aside: if you read anything about Lovecraft you’ll have read about his “Red Hook years” in Brooklyn. It was considered Red Hook then, but now where he lived is actually Carroll Gardens, a few blocks from where we lived from 1970-86. The place has sure changed since his days there.
Jeff, you are so right! Lovecraft was completely forgotten and out-of-print when August Derleth started Arkham House in 1939. Slowly, Lovecraft’s works reached new audiences and his popularity grew and grew. Today, literally a book or two roll off the presses each month with Lovecraftian themes. THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF CTHULHU is a good example of this phenomenon. Be careful when you’re walking around Lovecraft’s old neighborhood!
Can’t even say who Cthulhu is.
Patti, Cthulhu is a sleeping alien monster with immense powers. His cultish followers keep trying to wake him up to take over the world!
I sometimes confuse him with dale chiluily, the glass artisan
Maggie, trust me: there’s a big difference between Cthulhu and Chiluly!
Not who, Patti, what.
Jeff, I’m not a hat guy but I’ve see the Cthulhu hats with the dangling tentacles…and I’m tempted.
Testicles? TESTICLES?? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I think you mean tentacles, George!
Rick,oops! Thanks for the heads up! Usually Deb alerts me to my gaffs.
I’m with patti I’ve heard of cthulhu, but don’t know what it is. Any book with Mammoth in the title will probably not be for me, primarily to time constraints, though I’d probably have to add a wodehouse one to my collection
Maggie, it won’t surprise you to learn that I have a bunch of MAMMOTH anthologies in my book collection. This is just the latest in series that gives you great value and a bunch of good stories.
I see the movie you posted on yesterday is on SyFiy tonight, if anyone wants to watch it.
Rick, A CABIN IN THE WOODS is worth a look.
I won’t watch any movies of Syfy due to their editing for length and content.
Steve, I know what you mean with Syfy’s policies. They run a lot of commercials, too.
There was an internet meme, at least on Twitter, proposing Cthulhu as an alternative to Donald Trump.
Michael, should we worry now?
As a German I have to be thankful to the USA for getting rid of the Nazis but I still can’t believe that Americans would vote in their majority for the Donald!
Wolf, the latest polls have Trump ahead in Florida and Iowa and tied in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The November Election could be a tight one!
Michael, the decision between the Crazy Man and the Sleeping God is confounding.
Bumper stickers read VOTE FOR CTHULHU. WHY SETTLE FOR A LESSER EVIL?
Like Clinton!
Bob, I’ve seen those VOTE FOR CTHULHU bumper stickers! Very cool!