Will Murray is best known for his Doc Savage pastiches, but I suspect Lovecraft fans will enjoy this collection of Murray’s horror stories. In his Introduction, Murray discusses his attraction to Lovecraft and Cthulhu. I remember that in one of the ghosted novels in The Destroyer series that Murray wrote, there was a Cthulhu connection.
Several of these stories involve the Cryptic Events Evaluation Section of the Depart of Defense. This group of agents works to stop paranormal threats…but they aren’t always successful.
If you’re a fan of Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Nug, Yeb, and the Great Old Ones who lurk and scheme to take over the Earth, give The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu a try. GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction — ix
To Clear the Earth — 1
The Eldridge Collection — 17
Rude Awakening — 41
A Trillion Young — 57
Static — 89
The Sothis Radiant — 111
Dark Redeemer — 135
What Brings the Void — 161
The Hour of Our Triumph — 181
Black Fire — 201
Sources — 213
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — 215
ABOUT THE ARTIST — 219
I’m so old I actually went to school with Nyarlathotep. Of course he was a Senior then, and I was just beginning my sophomore year, so we didn’t mix much, but I remember he was always the Big Outer God On Campus.
Dan, you always hung out with the In Crowd in those days. Just don’t ever get Cthulhu mad!
This one defintiely belongs on my bedside table, right next to DE VERMIS MYSTERIIS and THE BOOK OF EIBON.
Jerry, I’m always tempted by THE NECRONOMICON!
However, as a lifelong Bloch fan, I will always prefer MYSTERIES OF THE WORM…
Todd, I have MYSTERIES OF THE WORM on my Read Real Soon stack although I’ve read many of the stories in other Bloch collections.
You might as well be speaking another language for the familiarity of this for me. Why did I always read such conventional books?
Patti, H. P. Lovecraft’s work has inspired dozens of writers to play in his weird world.
Is there any way Cthulhu could NOT be wild? I don’t think so!
Jeff, well Cthulhu does sleep a lot.
Sleeping it off. Consuming all those human souls is *intoxicating*…
I have a goal to sample some Lovecraft stories (because my husband likes them) but overall, I am not interested in horror or pastiches of this type. Although possibly I might like stories about the Cryptic Events Evaluation Section.
Tracy, I think you would enjoy Charles Stross’s THE LAUNDRY novels, too. That’s the British version of the CRYPTIC EVENTS EVALUATION SECTION. Those books have more humor…although it’s a bit dark.